Complete listed story — includes the ending
Fables #26
The army of Wooden Soldiers reach Fabletown. The Fables start firing off their guns from behind the barriers, though the bullets don't seem to have much effect. Snow watches from the Woodlands balcony with Flycatcher, who relays her orders through a walkie-talkie to Prince Charming. It isn't long before the barriers fall and Bullfinch Street is overrun by the wooden army. Prince Charming pulls everyone back. Snow waits until every last enemy soldier has stepped onto their turf, so as to keep the Mundys from noticing any more than they already have, then she gives the go ahead to the grenadiers. The flying Farm animals unload their payload on the mass of black suits and wooden limbs below, softening them up, but not enough to stop their advance. Next, Snow White calls in Fabletown's big brawlers, like Hobbes in his goblin form, and Weyland Smith. Even Boy Blue, though small in size, jumps in the fray wielding the powerful Vorpal Blade. Meanwhile, the other Fables retreat to the Woodland courtyard. The soldiers who aren't currently engaged follow after them. But when they got close, the sandbags around the front gate are pulled away to reveal a set of large cannons pointed in their direction.
Weyland Smith ducks the splintered remains flying overhead. As the dust settles, Weyland triumphantly gloats to the "toy soldiers" that they don't have any fight left in them. They respond by shooting him several times in the back. Boy Blue starts to call for a medic, when a bullet pierces through his chest.
Inside, Dr. Swineheart has converted the Woodlands main office into a hospital for those who have been wounded in the fight. Off to the side is a makeshift mortuary for Fables that have fallen in battle. Pinocchio demands to be let outside, but Jack Horner holds him back.
As soon as the heavy fighters start to lose their ground, Snow orders the car horn to be sounded. The signal is for the big guys to retreat so that Clara the Raven can do her stuff. Not all manage to make it safely, as Papa and Mama bear see their son, Boo, get gunned down as he tries to clear the street. Up above, Clara unleashes her flames down on the surprised invaders. Their wood bodies catch fire quickly as they realize the fate that has befallen them. Pinocchio looks on as the soldiers are set ablaze and immediately panics. He yells at Jack to warn Snow White what she's done. For he knows better than any of them that, yes, wood burns, but not quickly. All she did was create a self-aware walking inferno.
Out in the middle of the blaze, the soldier army decide that though they're irrevocably doomed, it would be fun to at least take as many "meatheads" with them as they can. Pinocchio rushes outside to try and stop the chaos, hoping the wooden soldiers will recognize him and stop attacking. His head is sliced off by a soldier's axe. Unable to see barely anything through their own flaming bodies, the soldiers carry on, believing it was just another foolish meathead they had dispatched.
Snow watches it all from the balcony. She picks up the phone and dials in to the 13th Floor, ordering the witches to make it rain. Frau Totenkinder argues that Snow's instructions are for them to concentrate on making the fight unnoticeable by Mundys. Snow yells that rain will keep Mundys inside and out of their business. In not so polite words, she tells Frau to obey her or there will be trouble.
While the other witches perform the spell, Frau steals herself away to "teach an impudent woman a well-deserved lesson".
The rest of the Fables fight with fire-hoses to try and put out the flaming soldiers. The battle seems to be lost. Then, a gust of wind starts to pick up, getting stronger and stronger until it becomes like a small hurricane, blowing the flames out and sending the soldiers away into a heap of broken parts. The Fables come out from cover as the wind dies back down again. Bigby Wolf, in his giant wolf form, greets them.
Fables #27
Red Riding Hood, on her magically enchanted flying bed, surveys the battle below her, where the wooden soldiers burn their way through Fabletown defenses. Her glee is interrupted by an intruding voice in her head, summoning her to the rooftop of the Woodland Building. Frau Totenkinder is waiting for her there. Red recognizes Frau as the old conjuring hag with a "gingerbread fetish". Frau calmly retorts that she's known who Red really was, too. That she has known ever since the chicken hut awoke and went on a rampage. Red Riding Hood was really the dark witch, Baba Yaga.
A strong gust nearly bowls the flying bed over, Baba Yaga barely manages to regain control over it. Frau reveals that Fabletown's wondrous wolf has shown up, and the battle below is lost to Baba. But the battle between the two of them has yet to begin...
Meanwhile, Bigby starts taking charge of the clean-up. He orders the forming of three teams, one to fight the fires inside the buildings where the rain won't reach, another to gather the wounded, and the final was to disassemble the wooden soldiers, ensuring they wouldn't get up and renew the attack. Snow White runs out of the Woodland Building, into the street, and embraces Bigby while he is still in his wolf form, exclaiming how she knew he'd save them, just like he always does. Rose Red notes to herself that she'd never have guessed her sister would become so totally animal.
Hours later, while cleaning up, King Cole and Flycatcher are startled as a lightning strike hits the roof of the Woodlands. They head into the elevator to check it out. Once they reach Cole's penthouse, Flycatcher waits while King Cole heads over to the window and peers out. Something going on outside causes him to go into a fearful retreat back into the elevator, where he tells Flycatcher that no one is to go to the roof for the rest of the night.
A bloodied and beaten Baba Yaga lies on the rooftop, the fight that scared kindly ol' King Cole away moments earlier has ended, and Frau Totenkinder resumes her knitting.
Two days later, the funeral for the fallen has begun. All Fables gather around the Witching Well as King Cole performs the eulogy. The bodies of Boo Bear, the mouse police, and Weyland Smith are sent into the Well's depths. Bigby brings out another body draped in cloth. When he says it's the body of Riding Hood, the others protest that such an evil witch should be sent down with their loved ones. Bigby explains that it's exactly because she's dangerous that they have to dump her in. The Witching Well will ensure she won't come back to trouble them ever again.
Later, Bigby visits the dungeon where Boy Blue was keeping watch on the heads of the wooden soldiers, lined up on shelves. Blue reports that while the heads have been chattering incessantly, most of it has been either insults directed at him, or just gabbing among themselves. Nothing of particular interest has been mentioned. Bigby replies that they have time, and to just be patient. Deeper below the business office, in a place few others know about, Bigby meets Frau, as she watches over Baba Yaga, alive but restrained. Frau says she'll drain her magic everyday, for as long as they need her. Bigby stares down the powerless faux Riding Hood, reminding her that she's alone now. No one but him and Frau know that she's still alive, and there will be no help coming for her. Eventually she'll break, and tell him everything he needs to know. Everyone always does.
Life returns to normal in the coming days. While Boy Blue and Flycatcher learn from Dr. Swineheart that bringing the wooden Pinocchio back to life was outside his realm of expertise, they remain hopeful that he can be restored somehow. On the Farm, Rose Red still mourns over the loss of Weyland, while in the meadow, Mama Bear announces to Papa that she's pregnant.
While on a park bench outside the Woodlands Building, Snow tells Bigby that her water just broke.
Fables #28
Bigby visits the apartment of and elderly man he calls "Duff". As they share a beer, Duff tells Bigby that he has cancer. But he tells Bigby not to be sad for him, he lived his life well. He outlived all the others. He entrusts Bigby with an album, featuring old pictures of a World War II squadron: Dog Company. Bigby gives it a read while Duff goes to get them more beer.
On the night of July 1944, a small platoon of American troops parachutes down behind enemy lines for Operation: Chambermaid. The men were handpicked for the mission, though none of them know why. The company was led by lieutenant Levine, who himself was commended by Sergeant Harp. Harp wasn't from Dog Company, or any other Airborne division they knew of, the first time they met him was on the plane that dropped them here. All Dog Company needed to know was that Sergeant Harp was the man they had to get to wherever he needed to go. But first Harp wanted them to stay put, camp out a few days behind enemy lines while they waited for the ninth member of their squad to appear. Their guide, as Harp says. Lieutenant Levin wasn't happy about it, his orders didn't mention anyone else joining them. But as the Sergeant puts it, the man they're waiting on is "off the books", not associated with the army, just a friend he's worked with before. Then Harp tells Lieutenant Levin that without the guide, he wouldn't even be attempting this impossible fool's mission. And so, for the next three days, Dog Company had it simple, keeping quiet while camping out waiting for their man, eating rations and lying around. Finally, on the fourth day the guide comes stepping through the brush, and it's none other than Bigby Wolf! He and Harp shake hands while Bigby apologizes for being late; he had to divert a few curious patrols from their location. He assures the rest of Dog Company that there were no enemy units around, so they could be as noisy as they want. Levin objects to the assumption, but Harp tells him if Bigby says it's true, then you can believe it. The company packed up and headed out that night. Somehow, Duffy notes, Bigby always manages to steer them away from patrols. Even when that was impossible, he'd help them just slink past unnoticed. Every morning, Bigby would bring them bags of real food like roasted chickens, hams, and boiled eggs that he confiscates from the locals. No one stops him because he claims it's for the district's Gestapo.
One night, Bigby led them through an enemy encampment where all the soldiers were dead. Attacked in their sleep by what looked like a savage animal. At this point, Sergeant Harp told Lieutenant Levin that his platoon had a choice to make; he and Bigby were going to dress up in enemy soldier uniforms, and Levin can have Dog Company do the same if they like, it will delay any firefight for a while, though Harp warns that a firefight will be inevitable soon. If they get caught wearing the uniforms, however, there will be no jail time as POWs, they'd simply be shot as spies. Lieutenant Levin decided to stick to their own gear.
Dog Company arrives outside an old castle in Eberstadt. Harp tells them that he and Bigby needed to snoop around inside first and then blow it up. The platoon would have to help them get inside while watching their backs. Nearby was a burned down tavern, which Bigby said was destroyed by a drunken guest who got careless with his matches. In truth, Bigby needed everyone to clear out of there so that they could make use of a hidden passage in the cellar that led into the castle. A passage so old that no record of it survives, so no one knows it was there anymore, not even the enemy. Lieutenant Levin asks how he knew about it, and Bigby replies that's "top secret". As they crouch through the tunnel, which is about two miles long, Sergeant Harp tells them that he heard from the intelligence HQ that the Nazi's were building a superweapon somewhere in this castle. When they enter the castle, Harp orders Dog Company to hold the doorway at all costs, it was their only escape route.
Harp and Bigby go deeper into the castle, stealthily dispatching some Nazi guardsmen along the way. While Harp starts setting up charges, Bigby moves on ahead. Up on the ramparts, he encounters a soldier and, pretending to be a superior officer, asks the man where his commander is. The soldier tells him he might be in the main tower with the scientists, but he'd have to report Bigby to his sergeant first before he can let him go. Bigby snaps his neck. Back at the secret passage exit, the troops set up positions to provide Bigby and Sergeant Hap the best covering fire if necessary. One of the men asks Lieutenant Levin the name of this castle. Levin tells him the name is Frankenstein's Castle.
Up at the top room of the main tower, Bigby peers through the door at an amazing sight: the Nazi's were building their own Frankenstein monster!
Fables #29
Frankenstein's monster lies on a table, the very same from the story! Dr. Weschler, a scientist working for the Reich, was trying to patch the monster up again when Bigby, in werewolf form, lunged from the doorway. He seems to be expected, as the General gloats to himself that he knew the Americans would send him. The Nazi soldiers for at him, but their bullets are no good as the General shouts at them only silver bullets would have any effect. Bigby hops on top of the monster, The General sends the guards for more help, and to search the castle, knowing there must be others around as well. Bigby was just about to tear the monster apart again when its large hand grabbed him by the throat; the monster was already alive.
Down in the cellar, the situation quickly grew dire. Nazi soldiers had already found Dog Company and were firing on them. While the squad had good positions, they were up against overwhelming numbers. Duffy had lobbed a grenade in front of the doorway to try and plug it up, while Alpabet and Zilmer returned fire from the upper floor. But wave after wave kept coming, and the company felt that they could only hold out for a short while.
Back in the tower, a different kind of struggle has occurred; it was Frankenstein's monster versus the wolf man! Both beasts were holding their own against the other. They seemed to be evenly matched in terms of strength. Meanwhile, Sergeant Harp had been making his way back, sticking to the shadows to grab and slit the throats of all unsuspecting patrols. When the remaining guard heard the dying gasp of his comrade he turned to face Sergeant Harp, who shot him through the skull. Downstairs, Dog Company had already lost their medic, Cutter, and Duffy sees Lieutenant Levin het shot right next to him. Despite his best efforts to apply medical aid, the Lieutenant wound up dead in Duffy's arms. All seemed lost until, coming down the stairs, Sergeant Harp began mowing the Nazis down with a machine gun. Unfortunately, last one got a few lucky shots in before Harp finished him off. The Sergeant, bleeding out, barely able to stand, told Staff Sergeant Supinski to get everyone back out through the tunnel. There were only minutes left before the charges would go off, and Harp was going to go find Bigby. The last men of Dog Company knew this was the last time they'd see Sergeant Harp alive.
Bigby had managed to tip out the stitches holding the monster's head on, and defeated the creature by pilling its head clean off. The General congratulated the wolf man on the victory, bringing Bigby's attention to the newly arrived soldiers, armed with silver bullets. Bigby already did what he came here for, so he surrenders with a shrug. After being strapped against a standing medical slab, Bigby's blood is taken by a doctor while the General gloats; the whole mission was a ruse, created by the Nazis, o get Bigby's attention, so he'll come here. Tales of the wolf man had spread throughout Germany, his heroics against the Fuhrer's army had become notorious enough that a plan was hatched for his capture. Now, the General notes, they want to use Bigby's blood to create their own battalion of werewolves. That was the real supe weapon they were preparing, they just needed Bigby as the catalyst. Sergeant Hap appears in the doorway and shoots the Nazi guards. He then takes aim at the doctor, who was holding he container of Bigby's blood, and fires through it, shattering the glass and killing the doctor both. The General is killed just as he pulled his gun out. Harp cuts Bigby loose, then slumps to the floor. He tells Bigby that the whole castle was about to go up in seconds. Understanding that Harp was already done for, Bigby leaves his friend and, after filling a bag, hops out the tower window just as the explosion lights up the brick and mortar.
Private's Duffy, Zilmer, and Alphabet, the final three surviving members of Dog Company, were waiting at the burned-out tavern. They watch as Frankenstein's Castle get destroyed, afraid that there was no one left to show them how to get back to their own lines. Then Bigby appears. Alphabet is hurt pretty bad, and Duffy worries he won't survive long without medical attention. Bigby tells them he can get them back and save their wounded man the walk, but only if they promise on their lives to keep a secret. He then transformed into a big wolf.
As Duffy's journal ends, he writes that they made it back to a brigade medical tent well withing their own lines. While the three of them reported what little they could about the mission, they each kept Bigby's secret for the rest of their lives.
In present day, back at the Fabletown Business Office, Bigby has Bufkin file Duff's journal in the appropriate place among the shelves. He then goes over to a covered bird cage, where Frankenstein's monster, or his head anyway, have been calling home. "Frankie" is content with his dull, quiet life. He tells Bigby how Flycatcher, Blue or Bufkin sometimes read to him.
Bigby goes to visit Duffy's grave, paying his respects to an old war buddy.
Fables #30
A taxi carrying Bigby races downtown to the Knights of Malta Hospital, where Snow White is currently in labor. King Cole, Boy Blue, and Prince Charming were already in the waiting room when he arrives. Bigby tells Boy Blue he can go vote now that he's back, which Boy Blue replies he already did before he came. Both King Cole and Charming ask who he voted for. Charming already has confidence that he's won, while King Cole stresses, worried. The voting areas, both in the Woodlands and on the Farm, are packed with Fables ready to cast their ballots.
Forty-two hours into her labor, Snow is relieved when Doctor Swineheart holds up a baby girl. It's not time to rest yet, though, as the doctor announces she has another baby coming, and then another, and another. Snow realizes she's going to have a litter. Two more hours in labor, the last baby is finally born. Out in the hall, Bigby sits anxiously, able to hear everything Snow is going through with his sensitive hearing; his claws dig into the couch as he endures the pain she's feeling.
Prince Charming and King Cole have already returned to Fabletown, where some buildings are still under repair from the battle. Flycatcher notices Trusty John crying over his ruined garden and comforts him. That night, the results are in: Prince Charming has won by a landslide. He hosts a celebratory gala in the ballroom of the Woodlands where everyone discusses their new hopes and concerns. Beauty and Beast celebrate their new jobs as the Deputy Mayor and Sheriff, as both Snow White and Bigby will most likely be resigning. Briar Rose is stressed about how impossible Charming will be to live with, until Cinderella tells her that with King Cole moving out, their dear ex will now be living in the Penthouse Suite. Jack tells Kay that he's leaving Fabletown.
Bigby coos over his and Snow's new babies, six in all, and all but one looking like their dad. But Snow, now with a clearer head, can see the problem he doesn't. Because only one of the babies looks human, she'll have to move to the Farm to raise them, and by law, Bigby isn't allowed to step foot there.
Prince Charming talks to Frau Totenkinder about how soon the 13th Floor can start manifesting up glamours for the Farm residents, now that money was no longer an issue. In one word, the answer is "never". She's amused to explain; the reason the glamours are priced so high is to cut down on demand. They're already at their spell-crafting limits, and not many more glamours can even be made at all. Of course, the Prince would know this if he had talked to them about it first before making such grand promises.
The following morning, King Cole sits in absolute depression over his lost mayoral status, wondering if he'd really been so bad. Days go by, Frau visits Baba Yaga in the basement to get any information on the Adversary that she can squeeze out. While elsewhere, a young man, Kevin Thorn, writes about his investigation into the odd happenings over at Fabletown's Bullfinch Street. It was strange how he seemed to be the only one who remembers the big battle that occurred a few weeks ago. Even witnesses who had reported it have since completely forgotten it ever happened. But not him. Why? What made him so special?
In the nursery, while watching over their children behind the glass, Snow and Bigby are surprised when the babies begin floating in the air.
Fables #31
Down in the Woodlands lower levels, Bigby and Cinderella interrogate one of the chopped, splintered heads of the Wooden Soldiers while Beast looks on. The head stars by telling them how the Adversary, not wanting Mundy's or their technology coming into the Homelands and upsetting the delicate balance he created, had all the portals to the Mundane world closed. Meanwhile upstairs, Beauty meets Snow White in the Business Office to learn the ropes of being the Deputy Mayor. First, she advises Beauty to keep both Bufkin and Boy Blue on, since the help they provide is invaluable.
In the Mayor's penthouse, King Cole is just finishing up his departure from the premises as Prince Charming begins preparing for his move-in. King Cole finds his new temporary home downstairs, bunking with Boy Blue in his apartment.
Night falls, and the interrogation of Arlo the wooden head is done. Cinderella goes to put him back with the other heads, suggesting they start with Reginald tomorrow, which Bigby approves. Beast is curious about Cinderella's involvement, so Bigby tells him that she was one of the secrets he'll have to keep when he takes over as sheriff. If Beast can show that he can be trusted, Bigby will tell him all about Cindy, and the other secret operations he's been keeping from the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The job, he tells Beast, is a mix of small-town sheriff and clandestine spymaster. He then leads Beast down a passage to show him one of the "secrets", which turns out to be the hidden nest area of Gudrun the goose who laid the Golden Egg! Gudrun, who was thought to have been killed centuries ago, lays the gold eggs that served as Bigby's primary source of funding for his unauthorized investigations. Beast starts to wonder what he got himself into. Boy Blue spends a late night in the Business Office to practice his horn playing, sending Bufkin to one of the quieter backrooms to sleep. He tells Bufkin goodbye and to look after everyone for him, but the little monkey had already flown out of earshot.
Days later, Bigby and Snow are walking together in Central Park. He asks her to go with him, instead of to the Farm. A tearful Snow responds that she can't betray Fabletown by leaving it all behind, even for him. Her resistance causes Bigby to storm off angrily. And so, the next day, Snow White is off to the Farm with the cubs. Her friends and co-workers all see her off outside the Woodlands entrance. Bigby watches with sadness as the van leaves. He snuffs out his cigarette, grabs a taxi, and heads "away".
The Farm inhabitants are all out front when Snow arrives, with Rose Red at the front of the pack. She's ever so eager to meet her nieces and nephews for the first time, and when she opens the door and unstraps them, the cubs begin floating away. But before Snow can panic, Rose tells her they've been practicing maneuvers for weeks just for this occasion, and a flock of birds grab the cubs by their strap loops and bring them back down to earth. Rose tells her sister that she is now among the most efficient babysitters for her unique brood that any mother could ever hope for.
That night, Rose visits Snow in her room to talk. She smiles when Snow mentions that Bigby got angry at her when she wouldn't go with him and then he left to who-knows-where, which Rose matter-of-factly says that's confirmation that he'll be back; There's been an invisible chain connecting them since they first met years ago, when Bugby freed the two sisters from the Adversary's chain gang. Rose advises Snow to give the mutt a try, since Princes and castles didn't work out so great last time.
Meanwhile, that same night in the mayor's penthouse, Hobbes (Fables) wakes up Charming to inform him that, according to Bufkin, Boy Blue has left. To the Homelands, to find the real Red Riding Hood and rescue her. Charming jumps up, asking how? Hobbes said he took a few magical items with him, including the Vorpal Sword and Witching Cloak... as well as Pinocchio's body.
Later still, Snow is in a dream where the head of Colin the Pig visits her, being called by her into her dream. She asks him if the bad parts are over now, if everything was better going forward? Colin regretfully answers that he wishes he could say that it did.
Fables #32
Somewhere in the Homelands, a castle sits in the snowcapped mountains where a small creature flies up the stairs to see his master, a regal, white-haired man of imposing stature. The creature tells him that he found his son in the scrying pool, and to come see for himself.
On a cold winter morning, Beast, in his new role as Sheriff of Fabletown, faces an angry crowd of protesters out front of the Woodlands. They were livid that Prince Charming broke ever single campaign promise he made, especially concerning the one about everyone getting a free glamour. Now they can't even get an appointment with their new mayor. Beast assures them that it's only because Boy Blue is currently missing, and without him, the new administration remains a bit lost on how to run the business office. For now, he orders the crowd dispersed, before any mundy passersby get too curious. He returns inside, where Frau Totenkinder greets him, asking for an escort to the office so they can talk. She updates him on their examination of his enchantment; the witches on the 13th floor have concluded that it was indeed possible for them to alter it so he can transform from a man to a beast at will, no longer just based on his wife's moods. After all, just as it was with Bigby, they need a Sheriff who can let the monster out when required. While they're alone, Beast asks Frau to another subject that he asks her to keep under the strictest confidence, which intrigues her; he wants to know what it would cost to grow a new pair of eyeballs.
Beauty struggles with her new position as Deputy Mayor while Bufkin tries his best to offer answers, which only stresses her out further, so she sends him away. When Beast comes in, and after Frau heads off into the depths of the caverns below the business office, Charming calls him over for an update on Boy Blue. The facts remain the same; Blue stole the Vorpal Sword, the Witching Cloak, and Pinocchio's body before he left. Beast's current theory is that Blue has returned to the homelands to trade Pinocchio to Geppetto in exchange for his help in freeing Red Riding Hood from the Adversary's captivity. Beast believes the magic of the Witching Cloak can take Blue back to the Homelands without a gate, remarking how it has such great power that even after centuries, they still haven't unlocked everything it can do. Charming remembered reading something about an Artifact Familiarization Program, where Fables are assigned one of the magical items that was bought here from the Homelands, to get a better understanding of how they worked. He suggests contacting whoever was in charge of the Witching Cloak. Beast replies that, unfortunately, that wasn't possible either, since it was decided that because he successfully used it to escape from the Keep at World's End, Boy Blue would be in charge of the Cloak.
There was another mater to discuss as well; one of Bluebeard's treasure rooms was found empty, meaning someone had stolen all the loot. Around two-point-four to six billion in gold. Beast suspects Jack, who left town last fall. While yes, it's true there were many possible suspects who left Fabletown then, Beast was told by Bigby to always suspect Jack first.
The winter days grow colder in the city, the nights in Fabletown remain quiet, so everyone else is asleep when old Mr. Web is killed when responding to a noise he heard outside his apartment by something unseen.
On the Farm, Snow White sits outside with her floating babies, wondering about a letter she received from Frau Totenkinder. In it, Frau congratulates her for her seven healthy children. Of course, it could just be an error on the witch's part, as Rose thinks. Leaving the babies in the care of their avian babysitters, who promise not to drag them through the sky at a million miles an hour no matter how much the cubs love it, Snow lets Rose take her inside for hot cocoa.
Mr. Web's body is discovered the next day, with Flycatcher comforting Miss Muffet while Doctor Swineheart examines the body. It's clear he died of asphyxiation, although there's no sign of what caused it. As for Flycatcher, a few days later he's called into the Sheriff's office where Beast delivers some good news: as of right now, all the minor infraction that Bigby held him on over the many years are cleared, and Fly didn't have to do community service anymore. Whatever Bigby had against Fly, Beast wanted to make things right. He was free....But the news didn't seem to make Flycatcher happy. He sadly goes back down to his boiler room cot, not knowing where to go.
Rose and Snow are urgently called out by the Farm inhabitants. A stranger has arrived. The man from the mountain castle, who introduces himself as Mister North, Bigby Wolf's father. He greets them as "exiles from the Homelands", and as soon as Snow arrives, he asks to see his grandchildren...
Fables #33
Spring falls on the Farm, and the wolf cubs have started flying around in formation with the birds. Watching them from below, Mister North informs Snow White that her children need to start their training, to learn to shapeshift, saying that if she waits too long, they'll be stuck in one form forever. Bigby never liked him and refused to learn, choosing to remain a wolf like his mother, and if Snow hadn't cut him with a lycanthropy-stained blade centuries ago, he'd never have been able to change into a human form at all. North wants his grandchildren to at least be able to change from human to wolf form at will.
A commotion in the town square attracts their attention. Reynard the fox tells Snow that Mary's little lamb had died. Beast and Prince Charming were there with Doctor Swineheart to determine for cause of death. Suffocation, just like the other four victims they found. When they lament that there is still no suspect, Mister North says matter-of-factly it's a wild Zephyr. A living gust of wind like his attendants, except it can't take solid form. It likes to feed off the air inside a person's lungs, considered a tasty delicacy by others of Mister North's kind. A wild one, however, doesn't understand about the results of carelessly taking all the air leading to the death of the individual it strikes. Normally, wild Zephyr's are killed at birth, though North admits that some do slip by. Prince Charming believes the wild Zephyr could be a secret weapon left behind during the Adversary's attack on Fabletown. He leaves Beast on the Farm to find a way to capture the Zephyr and kill it, while he heads back to Fabletown to convene a war council to draft plans to strike back at the Homelands. Mister North offers Beast his assistance in tracking the wild zephyr down, by sending his three attendants to search.
Snow White later gathers her children up and takes them to see Mister North. She asks him to begin training them immediately. He offers to do it as soon as he catches the rogue Zephyr, but Snow insists it be now. After all, he said the longer they wait, the greater the risk that they wouldn't be able to transform. She adds that with an invisible killer on the loose, her kids would likely be safest with him.
Beast goes to see Rose, hearing from Stinky Badger that she wanted to talk to him. She had just got done trying to comfort Mary when Beast walks up. When they're alone, Rose asks Beast why he fired Flycatcher, who loved his job. Beast replies he can always come back to work for aw regular age instead of community service. But that won't do, Rose explains, because of Fly were just allowed to quit on a whim, he'd be obligated to do just that so he could return to the Homelands to search for his wife and kids. Clara heard from Vulco that even now, while working at the I Am the Eggman diner, Fly spends his off hours asking around for any information on a gate to the Homelands that was still open. Rose demands that Beast leave now to arrest Flycatcher, on any made-up charge he can think of, before Fly does something stupid.
During the drive back to Fabletown, Prince Charming tells Beauty over the phone to break into the sheriff's office and retrieve all files on the spies that Bigby had to keep an eye on Fables that lived abroad. He had some real work for them. Elsewhere in Fabletown, at the Brannock Tavern, Edmond Dantès shares an ale with Thrushbeard as he mentions Jack leaving town.
That night, in the guest room on the Farm, Snow waits. A voice calls out to her "Mommy?". He found her. Her seventh child, the one she didn't know she had, the wild Zephyr. Snow says she's sorry for leaving him behind, then makes him promise not to take any more air from people. Even though outside air tastes bad, he agrees, asking if he can stay with her now. Tearfully, she tells him he must leave, or he'll be killed. She opens the window and tells him to go find his father, Bigby. He'll protect him. The Zephyr leaves, apologizing to Snow for being a bad boy.
Aweek later, life at the Farm goes on. No new murders have been committed, and North and his gusts have stopped actively looking for the killer, for now. The wolf cubs celebrate their first birthday. Snow serves them each a cupcake, leaving a seventh plate out as part of a new tradition, which she promises to explain to them when they're older.
Fables #34
Jack Horner, a day after leaving Fabletown, is on the road in a rental truck that's hauling a fortune in treasure he stole from Bluebeard vault. Jill, the lilliputian who stole the key to the vault room in exchange for Jack helping her escape the Farm, now sits on a book up on the dashboard, unsatisfied because she has no way to travel. Mundy birds and rats would just as soon attack her than let her ride them, and Jack already told her he fulfilled his part of the bargain by taking her away from Fabletown. In other words, now that she escaped, she had nowhere to go.
After a few more days drive, they reach Hollywood. Jack is very careful to never let the truck full of loot out of his or Jill's sight. Even after stopping at a motel, he forces her to take shifts with him at night, so that one of them always has an eye on it.
Bernard Stein, financial attorney and theatrical representative, met Jack for the first time the next morning when he swaggered into his office like he owned the place. They shake hands with Jack introducing himself as "Mr. Trick" and asking "Bernie" if he's ready to make some real money. He hires Bernie to teach him the ropes of the Hollywood industry, how to identify the real players from the ones who are just blowing smoke. Bernie agrees wholeheartedly. First, he shows Jack an abandoned studio lot that was up for grabs; it was in a good location, Bernie assured him, it just needed some repairs. Jack tells Bernie to buy it. Next, Jack wants him to find a producer. Young and up-and-coming, not yet as well known, but knows to go for the jugular in business. Bernie has a few names in mind, already.
Moss Waterhouse drives up to the Nimble Studios lot, where he's expected. By that point, the name "Mr. Trick" was being gossiped about around Hollywood circles. He's a mystery newcomer that everyone claims to know but no one has actually met. Moss was now face to face with the man himself. Just from his eyes, Moss couldn't help but think Jack was older than he looked. Jack hired him after Moss gave a short spiel about himself. Then Jack turns and fires Bernie Stein, right then and there.
Mr. Trick, like all of Hollywood's greatest, has his own idiosyncrasy: Collecting dollhouses. But Jack's real reason is to provide Jill with dram homes to keep her happy, even though he doesn't feel that he has any obligation to. But Jill is still upset. She can't leave, and she has to hide whenever mundies come into the office. She was bored all the time. Jack argues that she was free to leave at any time so long as she didn't get seen. But Jill actually misses the Farm and wants to go home. Jack tells her the bad decisions she's made are her own fault and leaves.
Some time passes, Nimble Studios is already getting plenty of script offers, but Waterhouse has been turning them all down. He informs the studio crew in a meeting that they already had their own big project to work on. Mr. Trick comes in to give them the pitch; a trilogy of big budget films, which is financially already taken care of, much like the Lord of the Rings, that tells the story of Jack the Giant Slayer. The first movie will be of Jack's childhood, when he climbed the beanstalk and met his first giant. The second will tell of his giant-killer days when he was older. In the third movie, he comes to America, beats the devil in a poker games, seduces other fairy-tale princesses like Snow White and Cinderella, and defeats the Big Bad Wolf. The crew, minus one who is quickly fired, are in awes at the idea, and scramble right away to find screenwriters to write the script.
Production moved along swiftly, with Moss in charge of approving everything, from costume and set design, to casting. He keeps up being the public face of Nimble Studios while the owner, "John Trick" remains elusive. Jack stayed out of the public eye for good reason, as he tells Jill, as he knows from experience which of the Fabletown laws are okay to break and which aren't. The punishment for what he's doing so far can get him sent to the Farm doing chores for a few years, whereas if he exposes himself in public, breaking the anonymity rule for Fables, he'd most likely face execution. Even so, this time he's not planning on getting caught.
Fables #35
Nimble Studios first film, "Jack and the Beanstalk" did extraordinarily well at the box office. Jack already knows the second film will go even better. Nimble Studios and its mysterious owner "Mr. John Trick" are the biggest things in Hollywood now. Moss Waterhouse pays the boss a visit, begging Jack to make at least one public appearance. Because soon, the people's love and adoration will turn to suspicion and hate. Jack declines, instead agreeing to give Moss permission to select all future projects after the Jack Tales trilogy concludes. Jack also gives him authority to expand Nimble Studios however he sees fit, which satisfies Moss.
That night in the office, Jill of the lilliput makes a daring attempt to reach the phone. Jumping across the wide chasm between her dollhouse stand and the desk, she manages to lift the receiver off the hook with some effort. The next tricky task was to dial a number...
Twenty-eight days later, Jack 2 opened even to bigger numbers than the first. The studio is getting phone calls from different celebrities wanting to be in on the next project. Moss's assistant also mentions a phone call specifically asking for John Trick. Moss tells her to dismiss it, but she said the caller described John perfectly, including a moon shaped birthmark on his hind end. Moss decides to take the call. A few days later, Jack is called into an emergency meeting with the board members, which is odd since the board only consists of Moss and himself. What he finds when he enters is a team of new lawyers hired by Moss, to ensure a clean transfer of power. He then gives "John Trick" the bad news; he's fired. Moss was taking over in full. Jack protests, of course, but Moss tells him to talk it over with the man waiting in his office.
Beast is waiting for Jack inside. Jill called him and told him everything because Jack didn't treat her right. At first Jack tries to put on a threatening stance, but he's quickly humbled when Beast changes into his beast form. After changing back, Beast tells Jack he's forcing him to leave town, with only as much money as he can carry in a small briefcase. The rest belonged to Fabletown, including Nimble Studios, which Jack must sign over. Fabletown will funnel the money made by the studio using layers of cutouts and shell companies, to keep the secrecy. He also informs Jack that the only reason his head isn't going on a chopping block was because he stayed hidden out of sight the whole time. Beast finds what Jack did sickening. Jack reluctantly agrees, saying it didn't matter since, due to the trilogy films popularity with Mundies, and the theory that a Fables mortality was dependent on how popular their story was, he was now essentially immortal. He tells Beast he couldn't kill him even if he tried.
A while later, in the Woodlands, Ambrose (Fables) tells Grimble (Fables) that he's going to the theater to watch a nine-hour marathon run of the Jack Tales trilogy. Even though he's already seen the movies a dozen times each. Grimble isn't that interested, having never much cared for Jack. Flycatcher admits he didn't use to like him either, but ever since he got famous, he now wonders if they'll ever see him again.
Somewhere along the roadside, Jack sticks out a thumb to any passing car he sees to no avail. He has no plans of ever returning to Fabletown, and only a suitcase full of money to his name.
Fables #36
A typical day in the occupied Homelands, as two goblin soldiers make the rounds collecting taxes. Sixty-three pence from every cottage and hut, no matter how poor they claim to be. The goblins camp out in the woods that night, roasting a lizard over a fire, when a horn is sounded from not far off. It's more than likely one of the captains having himself a nightly hunt, as they often do. But the other goblin gets spooked, what if it's not? There were whispers of a man, the black knight, who has been going around killing tax collectors such as they, and stealing the pence they collected. His companion believes they were likely just killed by their own captain, who then took the money for himself. But the spooked goblin doubts his friends comforting words, as does the mysterious cloaked figure who now stood in their camp. Boy Blue introduces himself as their legendary Black Knight, even though his cloak is more blue than black, but then he didn't pick the name. The Witching Cloak protected him from the goblin's sword and axe strikes. From within it he pulls out the Vorpal Sword, the very blade that slew the Jabberwock. With a snicker-snack, he beheads the goblins in a single blow.
Days later, in the mountainside mansion resides Governor-General Chernomor reading a poem about his exploits in the battle of Vesteri aloud to no one in particular. Boy Blue suddenly appears before him, having used the cloaks invisibility power to get past the guards. He reminds the good General that he was at the battle the poem spoke of, back when Chernomor was just a Captain, and it didn't at all happen the way it's written. Boy Blue's side won that day, not his. But he didn't come to set the record straight, but rather, to gain access to the General's library that held maps, charts, records, and all the boring world histories that he doesn't think Chernomor would be interested in. Boy Blue, with the power of the cloak, began to change his form to match General Chernomor's. He'll need some time to go through all the texts and maps, and he didn't want to keep being disturbed, and so-- Snicker-Snack! General Chernomor was sliced in half.
Two weeks later, the goblin guards on duty at one of the gates to another world are visited by General Chernomor and his first minister Kamarand, with a signed document to pass through. The captain of the guard finds it strange that the General would use this gate, as it's not the most direct route to the Imperial Throne Realm. But he is quickly silenced, told that it was not his place to question a superior. Chernomor tells Kamarand to take over control of this world until he returns, and to cut taxes by half nationwide. The General then disappears into the depths, the gate closing behind him.
Once he is alone, Boy Blue ends the charade, changing back to himself, wishing he had also made Kamarand teach every goblin to sing and tap-dance, and changed the official unit color to pink. Oh well, next time. The land before him was charred and empty. It was an indirect passage to the Adversary's realm, hardly ever used anymore. A barren world where only a few large creatures still live, hunting and eating each other. He transforms into a bird and flies above it, the quickest way to travel. Eventually, Blue reaches a cave, inside which should be the connecting gate he needs. The ground is littered with skeletal remains. Blue finds out why. A large red dragon, which Blue had hoped to be long dead, lives in the cave, and to the great beast, the small intruder is looking like a tasty snack.
Fables #37
Blue is facing off against a hungry red dragon that guarded the next gate out! Luckily, the witching cloak couldn't be burned, even by a dragon's fire. Blue, with his blade, prepares to strike, but the dragon chomps and catches the end of the cloak in its jaws. The Vorpal Sword knocked out of his hands, Blue improvises by wrapping the cloak around the beast's mouth, it's magical properties also preventing it from tearing. When it tries to use its flaming breath, the fire gets caught inside its belly and destroys the dragon from within. All that's left is the skeletal remains. Then Boy Blue realizes why the gate was so well hidden... because it was inside the dragon. Donning the cloak once more, making sure the sword is placed within, in the limitless space of the garment's folds, Blue steps through the portal, continuing his journey across worlds to reach the Imperial Throne realm.
A month passes, and his movements started being noticed...
Minister Muddlecock was deeply disturbed by the reports sent on the movements of a particular stranger. In Senior Undersecretary Mudsnipe's office, he shows his superior the events he's been noticing, starting in Kardan with the murder of a few goblin soldiers in the 4th Horde. The killer then assassinated Lord Chernomor, the grand general of that realm. Muddlecock then piques Mudsnip's interest when he mentions that someone of Lord Chernomor's likeness passing through the gate to Skold, the wasteland where a dragon was killed. That would lead him to the world of Rus, where the reports say that Baba Yaga's three riders of Morning, Midday, and Night all came across the stranger and were defeated in battle. An incredible feat, as the three knights have slaughtered armies on the field of battle. Though the riders can't die so long as their witch mistress lives, they were left either beheaded or sliced in two and left in an inconvenient state.
It was also at that time when Boy Blue recalled that he never actually saw Yaga's body and realized that Bigby's been keeping secrets again. But the lands of Rus are vast, and it would take time for Boy Blue to cross to the next gate. Time that Mudsnipe and Muddlecock would waste no time in preparing for him. What Muddlecock has deduced from the encounters written, is that the stranger had access to items of great magical power. Since every magical artifact in the Empire is accounted for, catalogued, and traceable, the logical conclusion is that the outsider brought his in from outside. He comes from one of the realms they haven't conquered yet. Also, because one man, no matter how powerful, doesn't make for an army, it's likely not liberation, but assassination which is the goal. The target had to be the Emperor. The stranger will soon be found, Mudsnipe is sure, once he sends agents scouring the Rus. How well could he hide, and for how long?
Boy Blue, in mouse form, travels with a band of mice who were preparing a funeral for the cat they were pulling along on a makeshift sled. Blue notes that the cat who is tied up by its paws, was still breathing, even purring. The mice tell him that they are aware, and likely the cat would have its own plan if it woke up. Such is the way of things here.
Weeks later, he spends time with the seagulls as a bird, telling them he was on a quest to rescue his true love, before flying across the sea. The gulls wish him well, gossiping among themselves about how it was likely a crow that stole his love. Ladybirds love the bad boys.
In a cold palace above the sea, Mudsnipe informs the queen of the emperor's guard of all they found. She asks if he fears the stranger, which he responds that he does, for he wields great power. But the Snow Queen, Lumi, is unimpressed by what she's heard. She tells Mudsnipe to call off his agents and let the stranger come. She'll prepare a nice reception for him.
Fables #38
A young lieutenant rides down the road, stopping to ask for direction to the Imperial City. Crispin Bloom is a new transfer, still getting his bearings in this realm. Today is Petition Day, when the citizens can come to the hall of justice and ask the Emperor for a boon. Of course many will show up, but only those who can pay the price may then go and speak his or her case. The Snow Queen has decided to make a rare appearance, given an inkling that the assassin will strike today. Snow and cold follow wherever she walks, as her personal honor guard clear the citizens in her path with the warning "winter is coming".
Young Lt. Bloom meets his new captain, who is at first confused that he wasn't told of any transfer, until Bloom shows him the papers, explaining he was given the new orders as punishment for beating his old commander at a dice game in front of the other men. The common method of transfer, in other words. Satisfied, Captain Orm began leading him into the city, explaining what they do here. As the Emperor's guard, they would wait until the last moment to choose which path the Emperor will take, then clear all peasants and riffraff, barricade and block all door and windows, and be sure to arrest all peering eyes before he walks through. For security reasons, of course.
Once all is done, Bloom takes his position to the side and watches in shock as a giant armor-clad figure strides past him, his height so tall that Bloom's head only came up to the Emperor's knee.
At the hall of Justice, a long line is being checked and kept in order by the guard. Lord Nivercoop was next. The guard told him to speak only when spoken to, and to never look directly at the Emperor. As he is lead into the hall proper, sitting on the large throne was the armor-clad Emperor, with the Snow Queen standing nearby as elderly aids help clear the snow from the front of the throne with their brooms. As Nivercoop kneels, the Emperor's booming voice asks, "What's your problem?" Nivercoop explains how he and his brother both inherited their father's estate in co-equal shares. But the nervous Lord believed his brother was undeserving, being a crook and imbecile, and he asks the Emperor to change the Will so that he alone owns all land and assets within. But the Emperor decides instead to remove the materialistic obstacle that's harming their family bond, ordering the estate to be burned and the gold to be reclaimed for the Empires coffers. Now the brothers had no reason to fight. A visibly upset Nivercoop is dragged away.
Queen Lumi senses something amiss and calls all to halt. He's here. The assassin. There is a magic cloaking him, but she can still detect his presence in the hall. Lumi calls out to everyone to be on the lookout for anyone that is new, who they hadn't seen before. Captain Orm turns on Lieutenant Bloom, who arrived just today with a transfer he knew nothing about. Bloom pleads that he's not the one, that he is loyal, but Orm runs him through with his sword. One of the old women aids shakes her head and announces that Bloom was not the assassin. She changes her form, lamenting how no one ever pays attention to the peasants. Boy Blue stands revealed, Vorpal Sword in hand. The Emperor, surprised, makes to strike, but Blue is quick, leaping and slashing the tyrant's head clean with a Snicker-Snack from the blade. The crowd is in shock. Then Orm and his guardsmen start to attack him, but Blue takes their heads with the blade as well. Lumi orders her personal guards captain to clear the hall, but not to let anyone who witnessed what happened here leave the vicinity. Blue has no desire to stay and continue the fight, his mission complete, so he changes into a bird and flies. But Lumi encases his body in ice, freezing the bird in place.
Fables #39
A young man, Mr. Jagatbehari, exits the airport terminal where Trusty John was waiting. "Mr. Jagatbehari" was an alias that Mowgli of the Seeonee wolf pack was using among the mundies. It translated to "World Traveler".
When they arrive in Fabletown, John sends Mowgli on ahead into the Woodland Apartments while he carries in the bags. Beast meets Mowgli in the lobby, with Kay at his side, to welcome him back home from the wilds. Mowgli already heard that Beast was the new sheriff, and Beast promises to try not to screw up too badly. He just wants Mowgli to continue the same activities he's been doing under Bigby; espionage. He and Kay leave to let Mowgli get settled in, passing John on the steps who seems determined to carry all of Mowgli's bags at once. When they pass, Kay leans over to whisper in Beasts ear that "he's the one". Beast can't believe it, but Kay pulls down his shaded lenses revealing the new eyes and reminded him that nothing could fool his eyes.
When night falls, Mowgli visits the Farm upstate, where he finds his brother Bagheera in a cage. Punishment for taking part in the rebellion as few years ago, Bagheera explains that he was given a choice between imprisonment or hard labor. Being a proud black panther, he would not reduce himself to performing the tasks of a plow-horse. Mowgli wants to find a way to spring him loose, though he doesn't know how yet.
The next day, John is called in to the Business Office by Beast and Grimble, who appear suddenly apprehensive around him, as he notes. Prince Charming and Beauty wait with Kay, as John is told to have a seat. They know he's been spying for the Adversary these last four years. Kay saw it all when he looked at him with his eyes. Everything he revealed about Fabletown and the people who live there, they already had it all recorded. Charming just wants the answer to one question: Why? He was Trusty John, the most faithful Fable in history. John admits that they're right but adds that long before he signed the Fabletown compact, he made an unbreakable vow of fealty to his king. The first oath trumps the second in this case. Which wasn't a problem until four years ago, when John's king, who was thought to have been killed, made contact with him. The king was working with the Adversary now and told John to be their spy. He had no choice but to obey.
Meanwhile, Mowgli spends time with Baloo the bear. The discuss the hunter's discipline, which Mowgli still practices out in the world of man. Feet that make no noise, eyes that see in the dark, ears that can hear the winds change, and sharp white teeth; although maybe the last one not so much. But Mowgli has learned to improvise. Rather than claws and fangs, man makes use of weapons like knives and machine guns. Baloo asks if he wants to go down to the fishing hole, or search for a honey tree, but Mowgli had to return to the city. He had business there...
In the sheriff's office, Beast is taking a short break from interrogating Trusty John. Frau Totenkinder visits him, asking for a favor which he owes her after she regrew Kay's eyes. She simply asks he relay a message to the mayor, without revealing where it came from: Boy Blue's been captured by the Adversary. Her spies in the Homelands told her as much. Beast heads back to tell Prince Charming, who decides to worry about it after they deal with Trusty John. He gives John the choice of being killed here first and dumped, or jumping into the Witching Well under his own power. John chooses to jump. They escort him to the well.
Later, Charming and Beast share a drink. John's turn to traitor had taken it out of them. No one outside the office would know, the other Fables would simply think he disappeared, letting them keep their warm memories of him. Even Charming admits to having to really force himself not to forgive him, even though he was only being loyal to his king. Beast does bring up an upside though; all of the info John had been delivering was done in dead drops, without the two parties ever seeing each other. Meaning, they could continue feeding false information to the Adversary's forces! Even more, once they discover the info is fake, they'll assume everything John told them was a lie. Charming asks Beast before he leaves where he got the tip about Boy Blue from, but Beast keeps tight lipped.
Later that night, as he dozes off at his desk, Charming has a nightmare about Trusty John's body above the Witching Well being torn apart as he speaks. He calls him a hypocrite who has committed so many wrongs against women. John's body turns from skeletal remains to ash as it names him the prince of lies.
As he wakes up, Charming sees Mowgli sitting across from him. They did have a meeting scheduled, and since it didn't seem like he was going to get much sleep anyway, Charming laid it all out. A year ago, he met with the other tourists, which Mowgli wasn't able to attend at the time, but Charming hands him the plans they drew up. Plans to take back the Homelands. He felt they only had a chance with this if Mowgli could help, which surprises the young wolf. He thought they were going to talk about how he can free Bagheera, either by allowing him to take his place in captivity, or by performing a deed that went above and beyond his normal duties. The latter was exactly what Prince Charming is thinking. He wanted Mowgli, with all he learned from his time in the Seeonee wolf pack, to track down Bigby Wolf and bring him back home. The moment Bigby is standing in this office, Charming will sign the order to set Bagheera free.
Fables #40
Boy Blue wakes up in a cage, with the severed wooden head of the Emperor lying nearby. He's locked up in the middle of a woodcarver's workshop. Working over the head, an old man seems pleased that he's finally awake. He gives Blue some water, explaining that it took a week for his best sorcerers to find a way to change him back from the bird form he adopted and then to separate his body from the cloak.
The old man introduces himself as Pinocchio's father, Geppetto. As Blue suspected, he confirms he is also the one they call the Adversary. He knows that Blue was a friend of his son, and that Pinocchio was killed in the battle against Fabletown. Geppetto assures him that he believes Baba Yaga went too far, he planned on punishing her for it as soon as Blue's people returned her, along with the wooden soldiers, to him.
The Empire is still mostly run by the Kings and Lords of their own lands, so long as they remain loyal and pay their taxes. It was easier to maintain the illusion of autonomy in a large empire when the locals can see a familiar face. But Geppetto admits that he is the real power behind the throne. Hundreds of thrones, in fact.
Even though he wasn't real, Boy Blue chopping the head off the Emperor in public did a lot more damage than perhaps he realized. They couldn't have anyone see their immortal leader suddenly die and find out he was made of wood! Except for the Snow Queen, all who had directly witnessed Boy Blue's action needed to be executed on the spot. Which consisted mostly of the noble class and the elite rank soldiers. Even so, word will get out, and decades will be spent quelling the rumors. Geppetto does thank Blue for the clean cut his blade left, so it'd be easier to repair the Emperor and send him back out among the public. Still, months of spell weaving would be needed to set up new protection spells around the Emperor's body, which the Vorpal Blade sliced through like they weren't even there. Geppetto asks Blue where the sword went after he used it? Boy Blue told him it was beyond his reach inside the witching cloak.
Boy Blue lays down some ground rules. The magic garment couldn't release anything that he didn't want it to, including the body of Pinocchio. Blue also tells Geppetto that the cloak is triggered by a magical word that only he knows, that if uttered, will cause the cloak to destroy itself and anything held within it, along with most of the surrounding countryside. He then says another trigger word "Satchmo", which activated a timer that will destroy the cloak if he doesn't say a certain word every day. Geppetto admits that he's got him at a temporary disadvantage. But Boy Blue only has two demands, and one request. Geppetto guesses the first demand was his safety and freedom, but Blue tells him no. He accepted his final fate the minute he came back to the Homelands. The first demand was that Red Riding Hood, the real one, be set free and sent to where they are now, alive and unharmed. The second is that Blue wants to hear Geppetto's story. Why he did all this. The request was simple; when he restore Pinocchio, he gives Blue a moment to talk to his friend and say goodbye.
Since it will take a while for Red Riding Hood to get here, Geppetto grants the second demand first; he tells Boy Blue how it all happened.
The story of how Geppetto carved Pinocchio out of wood from an enchanted grove was already known. After his first journey, Pinocchio kept craving more. He'd leave, off to find new adventures, sometimes for years at a time. Geppetto was always left behind, heartbroken and alone in his cottage. Eventually, he took more enchanted wood from the grove and carved more sons, and even daughters, to keep him company. The Blue Fairy would visit sometimes on a fancy whim and choose her favorite wooden boy or girl to bring to life. She told Geppetto that the spell she uses is now altered, as Pinocchio broke her heart too, and the real children would have much more loyalty and honor towards him than his first son ever did.
One day, Geppetto was visited by some of the town fathers, who came to him with a proposition. The count of their land had fallen ill and was acting increasingly erratic, drawing up new edicts. One day he raises taxes, and the next he demands payment in exotic beasts from far-off lands. If they could maybe replace the count, perhaps with one carved from wood, then the new count can do as they ask, and everyone would be happy again. Geppetto questioned it at first, replacing the count surely could only be done through murder, but the more they talked, the more it intrigued him. The Blue Fairy was amused by the plan and lent her aid in making the wooden replacement count flesh, and loyal to its creator. Eventually, the fake count's son began to behave in a not so kind manner as well, so the locals had Geppetto replace him too. After a few more, it just became habitual. Every ruling official across a hundred miles was now a puppet loyal to Geppetto. The Blue Fairy did grow tired of the game they played and refused to participate anymore. So Geppetto tracked her down and hit her over the head, knocking her out.
Blue watches Geppetto open up the large cupboard standing by the wall, where inside was the shriveled body of the Blue Fairy, kept barely alive, as her magic is extracted from her with siphoning needles and mixed into elixir's he prepares.
Red Riding Hood is awoken by loud knocking on her door. Captain Hinterfox and his goblin troopers tell her to walk with them; she is wanted at an old woodcarver's cottage.
Pinocchio's beheaded body lies on a worktable. Geppetto thanks Boy Blue for returning his son to him, as he begins working on repairing the body. He finishes his story; being part of a conspiracy involving so many parties was dangerous, as someone is bound to tell all. To prevent this, Geppetto murdered all his fellow conspirators one by one, replacing them with copies. He alone was the only one remaining who knew he was the true power.
He grabs some magic drops from the Blue Fairy and pours the elixir into Pinocchio's mouth. A flash of blue light engulfs the wooden body. Then, he sits up, a real boy once more! Pinocchio was alive, but very confused. Did they win the battle? Why was Boy Blue in a cage? Where were they? And why was he naked?
Fables #41
Geppetto fills Pinocchio in on what he and Boy Blue have discussed thus far. Over a meal of steak and eggs, Pinocchio asks him how many worlds he's conquered. The answer is a couple hundred, and they were in the middle of expansion season, when the Adversary conquers new realms. Not he, himself, Geppetto admits, as he's no military man, but the many forces he's gathered to do the job. The Empire had finished taking all the European Fable realms and were moving on to conquer the Arabian worlds now. After a century or two, Geppetto believes they'll be ready for the Asian and African worlds as well. He was excited about how fast they were progressing. Better he rules over all the lands than some King or Lord who didn't show benevolence or honor.
Later, while Geppetto takes a break to relax out in his yard, Boy Blue talks to Pinocchio on what the plan should be. Pinocchio was so happy to see his dad again, though the revelation that his father's the Adversary, the enemy of all Fables, has him feeling torn. Blue comments that he feels absolutely no sympathy for the man, whose armies he fought alongside Colonel Bearskin while watching his comrades and friends get cut down. Pinocchio gushes over his best friend being a secret war hero this whole time. He always thought Blue was just a nerdy bookworm office drone, with delusions of playing music. Boy Blue laments that's all he ever wanted to be: Ordinary. He was positive that Geppetto would kill or imprison him, no matter how nice his old duffer exterior seemed, a man who can conquer hundreds of worlds wouldn't be known for his mercy. He asks Pinocchio to bring him his cloak. A magical shockwave emits from the garment when Pinocchio touches it, sending him flying back. Blue's suspicions were confirmed; Geppetto's mages had tampered with the witching cloak so no one but Geppetto could touch it. He asks a bitter Pinocchio what he would choose if they could escape. Would he come with him, or did he want to stay w3ith his father? Surprisingly, Pinocchio says he isn't sure. Geppetto smiles from his patio chair, the Blue Fairy's magic had the desired effect on his son's loyalty.
The next day, Red Riding Hood arrives at Geppetto's cottage. Pinocchio steps outside to give the two lovers some alone time. However, Red Riding Hood has no memory of ever meeting Boy Blue. She was never at the Keep at World's End, and she certainly doesn't remember a night of passion with him. Boy Blue angrily lunges for Geppetto, who promises this is the real Red Riding Hood. The one he met at the Keep was a sorceress he sent as a spy who took her form. As Red Riding Hood flees outside, Blue asks Geppetto for a moment alone, which the old woodcarver grants, considering he already fulfilled the demands and could leave Blue in the hands of his guards now. Whether they kill him or imprison him, he isn't sure.
As soon as the door closes, Boy Blue utters "Big Walter Horton", a phrase that makes the cloak vanish and reappear around him. He's back in action. The Vorpal Sword in hand, he bursts outside and swings at Geppetto, despite Pinocchio's cries. But a magical barrier around the old tyrant blocks the blade. The result of a thousand years of having his sorcerers cast magical protection spells around him, though he's surprised Blue's blade didn't shatter on impact. Angrily, Geppetto sic's his guards on him, who are quickly beheaded. Blue grabs Red, and shouts for Pinocchio to make his choice. Pinocchio just can't bring himself to leave, so Blue teleports away only with Red.
Red isn't the girl Blue met way back when, of that he's convinced. Red finds it appallingly evil that the Warlock's Guild has been making copies of her all those times. Blue apologizes for bringing her into this mess, saying that if he lets her go now that they'll likely do plenty more evil things to her. She asks what he plans to do with her. There's really only one choice; he teleports her back with him to Fabletown.
When Grimble sees Boy Blue enter the Luxury Apartments lobby, he's at first shocked and pleased, but then he trains his gun on Red Riding Hood when he sees her, thinking she's Baba Yaga. Blue explains quick that it's the real Red Riding Hood, not a fake, and asks him to help her into one of the guest suites. He knew he had to go to the Business Office and let the Mayor know he's back.
Word gets out quickly that Boy Blue has returned. Fables crowd the front gates of the Woodlands, asking Beast questions he wasn't permitted to answer. While inside, Blue gets a verbal lashing from both Prince Charming and Beauty. They'll have to put him on trial, of course, as he broke the Fabletown Riot Act, along with countless other crimes he'll have to answer for. Charming sends Beauty off to find a good counsel to represent Boy Blue.
The mood shifts after she leaves, as Charming asks him how the witching cloak worked out. Blue responds that if he had known of the power of the cloak back at the Keep, he could have won that battle on his own and saved everyone. He reports that he did get the whole story on the Adversary as well as the current state of the empire. It's regrettable that they had to sacrifice Pinocchio for the mission to succeed, but it was necessary. Prince Charming figured Pinocchio was the only thing they had that the Adversary would care about, after all. He gives Boy Blue a few hours before he gets thrown in the slammer. He could reconnect with his friends and visit his girl. Blue tells Charming that Red Riding Hood was a stranger to him. Always was, as it turns out.
Fables #42
A limo waits outside the Woodlands Building. Voices speaking in Arabic come from within, sounding none too pleased that there are none out to greet them.
Prince Charming spent the night in one of the back rooms so he could avoid the line of aggrieved Fabletown citizens waiting outside in the hall. Beauty reminds him that he'll still have to see them, one by one, each and every day for as long as they keep coming. With a groan, he tells her to let the first "assassin" in. Then, from utilities needing repair, to late funds, to the whole glamours for all business, the mayor prince listens to each and every complaint, making assurances that they will all be addressed soon.
Meanwhile, the limo continues to sit outside, as the resident within tells his accompanying passengers that he refuses to step outside until someone comes to greet them. Only a peasant would walk up to the door and knock. Flycatcher was watching from the lobby, telling Grimble "they're still out there". Grimble thinks it's just Mundies having engine trouble waiting for a tow truck, but he tells Fly to go out and check on them if he's so curious. Red Riding Hood steps off the elevator with a basket of lunch she made for Boy Blue. Grimble hands her the keys, and she makes way to the dungeon. Fly still isn't sure she's the real one, even if Kay says she is. Well, if his buddy Boy Blue can be brave enough to go the Homelands and rescue her, then he can at least go out and see who the folks in the limo are. As soon as he tries to look in through the tinted windows, the door opens, and a large man steps out. Hakim, the most loyal servant to his majesty Sinbad. Sinbad and his entire entourage, including his slaves and harem, piled out of the limo. The vizier, Yusuf, tries to communicate with Flycatcher, to say that Mowgli, which he refers to in English as "Jungle Girl", invited them to Fabletown and was supposed to meet them there, but the language barrier prevents Flycatcher from understanding. Sinbad decides to just head inside to find someone in charge.
Red shares her difficulty adapting with Boy Blue. While some are kind enough towards her, most of the Fables here look at her with apprehension or downright hate. She still reminds them of Baba Yaga, the witch who copied her form. Blue tells her to give people time to get to know the real her, which he comments he didn't really know her, either. She apologizes for not being the Red Riding Hood he knew. He tells her it wasn't her fault, that he'll get over it. She really just misses her cottage in the woods, where often years would pass without anyone bothering her.
The lobby is packed with the Arabian Fable refugees, as Sinbad's continues attempts at communication, though his English is severely lacking. Jungle girl, Prince Charming guesses, must refer to Mowgli. Meaning these were the Fables from Baghdad whom he was supposed to pick up from the airport, but he forgot due to having so much on his plate already. For now, he tells Beauty to get the keys to the best VIP guest room currently available.
The room isn't as big as Sinbad's vizier had hoped, but if it's the biggest they got, he insists it be given to Sinbad. He asks for more rooms, for himself, the guards, and for the slaves. Beauty and Charming took notice of that last word. Charming angrily tells Sinbad that they don't allow slavers in Fabletown. Not understanding his angry words, Sinbad remarks that these infidels are truly insane.
At a hotel in London, Mowgli learns that Bigby checked out nine months ago. At least he was closer to him than before. Mowgli calls the Business Office for an update. He learns of the trouble with the Arabian Fables, who he spent 6 months to negotiate the meeting. He tells Charming that because the Adversary has advanced onto the Arabian realms, more and more refugees are pouring into Baghdad, which is connected to their world somehow.
Prince Charming, Beauty, and Beast sit around the mayor's desk, exhausted after their ordeal with Sinbad. Beauty was able to calm down everyone by gently shushing them and pushing them all into the room, but that won't last. Charming insists that keeping slaves won't be tolerated, even though Beauty points out there was nothing against it in the Fabletown charter. But that's only because it's not something that came up before now. Even Hobbes, Charming's goblin butler, was paid better than he was. What they needed now was someone who could speak their language to explain things to them. Someone who can be smooth and diplomatic. Looking through the records, Beauty finds the perfect person, though she warns Prince Charming he won't be happy about who it is.
In the special VIP room, Sinbad calms his loyal bodyguard Hakin down. No stranger to meeting strangers in strange worlds, Sinbad has faith they can find a way to talk to the one called Prince Charming. He mentions that it may be time to unseal their friend for help. A knock on the door interrupts them. When Hakim answers, King Cole strolls in, speaking to Sinbad in fluent Arabic, introducing himself as a king of a far-off land who was run out by the Adversary. He then asks Sinbad if he'd like to get down to business.
It's been a long day, and the night goes on. Beauty and Prince Charming work late in the office. He starts saying how he made a mistake in moving his desk so close to her. Her scent, her eyes, the curve of her lip has been on his mind a lot lately. She tells him she needs to get to bed, but before she can go, he grabs her and kisses her.
Fables #43
Beauty and Prince Charming kiss, then Beauty pulls away. She admits, he was a great kisser, and also that it was an incredibly inappropriate. gesture that will never happen again, no matter what power of seduction he may have. She knows that all of Fabletown thinks all they do is bicker, but she tells Charming that she truly does love Beast. Charming corrects her that it's not that all Fabletown thinks all they do is bicker, it's that they think she bickers at him most of the time. He also adds that whatever just happened, she returned his kiss with a hunger which he never mistakes for what it is: Passion. He tells her to take responsibility for herself and not blame some make-believe power of seduction he never had. Beauty tells him it was a mistake, brought on by stress and exhaustion, but there won't be any problem because she'll still work for him, but she's moving her desk, and he'll never be alone with her again. Also, the next time he tries to make a move on her, she'll tell Beast, and then he'll have a problem.
The next day, Grimble sees King Cole in a jolly old mood as he heads upstairs for more talks with his new friends from the Arabian lands. Sinbad and his minister, Yusuf, were discussing Fabletown culture, of which Yusuf had low optimism for any chance of alliances. He believes they should conquer the unwashed, uneducated western Fables, to create lasting peace between the subduer and the subdued. But Sinbad wanted to learn more of their hosts, so that he may understand them better. King Cole greets them, wishing them a good morning, and ready to escort them up to the mayor's rooftop penthouse.
Beauty visits the Sheriff's office to bring Beast some muffins from the store. She also apologizes to him, for always nitpicking and being a shrew, which he never thought she was doing, of course. But she wanted him to know it all the same. Maybe it's time they ran things their way, instead of trying to be like Bigby and Snow.
With King Cole serving as translator, and mediator, between them, Prince Charming and Sinbad discuss the matter of Sinbad's slaves. Sinbad believes that when two cultures alien to one another can only prosper together when both sides respect the customs of the other. King Cole translates for Prince Charming that they're keeping the slaves. Prince Charming angrily replies it'll happen over his dead body, which King Cole translates for Sinbad to mean the Prince of course agrees with him; Fabletown will respect Sinbad's custom to keep his slaves, so long as he respects Fabletown's custom to hang slavers wheresoever they're found.
On the 13th Floor, Beast learns from Frau that the Arabian Fables setoff all her magical protection spells when they arrived, identifying that they had a Djinn. She finds that she has to educate Beast on the grandest of threats a genie, or Djinn, can pose. Being creatures of pure magic, the Djinn can obliterate an entire continent, or even a world, on command. They are devoid of any sense for good or evil and will perform any task their summoner gives them. No one, not even Frau with all her power, can dare hope to fight a genie, let alone kill one. It would only be possible to trick them, and they are wary beings since trickery is what got them banished to their bottles in the first place; long ago, when Sulymon the wise took it upon himself to rid the world of the Djinns, when he tricked them into proving their great power by escaping from the bottle he would hold out. But the bottles were made by a great sorcerer of that era, Daedelus, who crafted the bottles to be gateways to a pocket dimension that will hold the Djinn's captive. Their power would finally be put to constructive use. Whoever finds one of the bottles and sets it free, the Djinn must then grant its savior three wishes. So long as the third wish is always to force the Djinn back into its bottle, the cycle will continue, and the creatures will never threaten them again. While there were some fools who forgot to lock the genie back up with the third wish and allowing it to roam free, usually a wiser man would be on hand with their own Djinn, with a wish to destroy the rogue one at the cost of its own existence. Unfortunately, Frau remarks, there aren't a surplus of Genie bottles around, the few that still do exist were all out of their reach. But she promises Beast she'll think of something to stop the Djinn, should it come to that.
More days pass. Down on the Farm, Rose Red calls the kids out for running around in the town square in their wolf forms. That form is for the forest, while there are no wolves in the public area. They quickly and obediently change into their human forms, buck naked. Rose tells them to find their clothes this instant, which sends them flying off to do as their "Auntie Rose" asks. She returns indoor where her sister, Snow White, and Mister North sit with Frau, who came to tell them of the possible Genie threat. Frau mentions offhand that since Mister North is of the same ilk, he may have to step in if the Djinn is released. This sudden revelation shocks both Snow and Rose. Mister North is a Djinn?? Rose yells at him for not doing anything when the Adversary started conquering their lands. North says simply that he's seen governments come and go, empires rise and fall, so it wasn't really his concern what the latest tyrant was up to, since they know enough to leave him alone. As for now, he's offering to help with the Djinn because Rose and Snow are his family. For his part, he welcomes the challenge, as it's been ages since he's had to battle one of his own kind. The sisters sigh in relief, but Frau urges him to tell them the rest, what the cost will be. He admits that the struggle would cause horrendous damage to this mundane world. So much so that they would all have to begin another exodus and find a new world to call home.
Meanwhile, Sinbad tells Yusuf that he's made a decision to free all the slaves. Yusuf is livid. When Sinbad goes out for a swim, leaving his minister to draw up the proper documents, Yusuf is fully convinced that Sinbad's mind has been transfixed by the western Fable devils. So, when he uncorks the Djinn's bottle, he feels justified. The fearsome creature emerges, and Yusuf makes his three commands:
The first wish is for the Djinn to fly back to Baghdad and eliminate all Arabian leaders and officials, until Yusuf was the highest-ranking member.
The second, to slay Sinbad, Prince Charming, King Cole, and any others whose name Yusuf writes down.
Finally, he wants the Djinn to shower him in gold, women, and sorcerous wonders until he tells him to stop.
The Djinn asks if he is sure those were his wishes. Yusuf confirms his will, and the mighty being says it shall be so.
Fables #44
In his detention cell, Boy Blue goes over with Prince Charming all the war manuscripts and history texts he smuggled out of the Homelands with him during his mission there. The whole cell is filled with books and maps he had hidden inside the Witching Cloak. It would take years for all of the intelligence on the enemy to be absorbed. Of course, as Charming notes, by the time they do, most of the information will be obsolete. Blue is hopeful that Geppetto and his flunkies will have the same problem with whatever information they have about them.
Frau Totenkinder visits Beast in his office, warning him the Arabian Fables released the Djinn. Yusuf, in particular, though she can't determine if he acted alone or did so under Sinbad's bidding. She believes at most they a few hours before the Djinn returns to Fabletown.
Currently flying over the skies of Iraq, the Djinn finds its target city of Baghdad currently occupied by US Troops. It adopts the form of a woman in dancing-girl garb and walks among the men who lust over her. In Arabic, it insults their ugly faces and bad stink, but not understanding the language, the words sound like sweet music to the soldiers ears. The commanding officer puts them back on duty, allowing the woman to continue on her business. She heads down a dark underground staircase to a door, and knocks. The man who answers was a Fable ally of Yusuf, and she greets him in the coded words of her master. Sidi Nouman invites her to come inside, and she does so, playing the part of one of Sinbad's harems acting as a spy. She tells him Yusuf had a message for him, to gather all those who serve for his ascendency here tonight for an important meeting. Sidi asks if that's wise, as they've never met in groups of more than two or three at most, to avoid suspicion. She smiles, telling him it no longer mattered as she read his mind of all the names involved the moment he thought of them. Calling him a horse abuser, she told him he was no longer of any use to her. Enraged, he slapped the foolish slave girl, who laughed and revealed her true form. The Djinn figured out the perfect demise for him; eaten alive by rats. With the first loyalist dead, it moved on to the second name on the list.
Prince Charming thanks Blue for everything he's gathered, though he admits it likely won't do much in terms of knocking any time off his sentence. Unfortunately, it all must be kept secret, plus while most of Fabletown applauded him going back to the Homelands to fight the Adversary, they were less happy about Blue stealing magical artifacts like the cloak to do it. While Charming had hoped to keep his exploits quiet, he admits he failed, and now there had to be a trial. Still, he promised Blue a light sentence, and he aims to keep his word.
So, Blue has two options: either one year of confinement in the dungeon, or two years hard labor at the Farm. Charming wishes he could've just let Blue go free. He expresses full regret for taking the mayor position away from King Cole, who he now understood was much better at it than he thought. That was the last straw; Boy Blue's heard enough. He knows from talking to Snow White that Charming is defined by that which he covets, that he always gets his heart's desire, even if he had no clue what to do once he got it, be it a woman or a political position. Blue's sympathy reserved for those that get hurt while he pursues his hearts desire, he tells the prince He is the mayor now, whether he likes it or not, so he just needs to do the job and stop whining. Blue also asks him to get all the books and files out of his cell so he can get some sleep.
Beast gathered a posse consisting of Frau, Grimble, the Crow Brothers, King Cole, Kay, and Flycatcher to arrest Sinbad and his entourage until they can sort things out. He tells them to get everyone on the ground as quickly as possible, with guns pointed, but no shots fired. Unless one of them tries to make a move towards the Djinn bottle, then they were to shoot to kill. Beauty asks Beast why he and Grimble need to use guns when they can just go in their strong beastly forms. But Beast doesn't want to reveal to Sinbad and the others any information they might not already have, so as far as they're concerned, he and Grimble were just two more human Fables. The guns will be enough to scare them, since they lived for six months in the mundane world's occupied Baghdad and so they knew what guns could do. Frau would also stop any magic incantation they try to cast.
Baghdad has some new corpses, as the Djinn finishes its work on the last loyalist. It flies back to Fabletown to begin work on its second command.
Prince Charming emerges into the lobby to see all of the Arabian Fables handcuffed and forced to move, single file, to the cells down below. Beast catches up the surprised Prince, explaining that until they're sure Yusuf acted alone, they need to assume they're at war. Charming depressingly doesn't see the point if the Djinn's going to kill them all anyway. Frau steps in and tells him to join her in the sheriff's office to discuss that.
Outside the Woodlands, Flycatcher mans the gate where a crowd of angry Fables had gathered to once again complain about the state of affairs. Blue surprises Fly when he comes out of the building with bags packed. He's off to the Farm for hard labor, telling his old pal to look after Red Riding Hood for him, since he's always been good to her.
In a dungeon cell, the minister Yusuf stirs when the door opens up. He shouts at them for his treatment. King Cole tells him to be silent, while Kay takes a peek. Kay tells Beast that Yusuf acted alone, but he'll still check Sinbad as well to confirm. Yusuf goes on about how the Djinn will soon be here to punish all of them for their insolent ways. Frau tells him they're here to wait for it, too. He's surprised she's not trembling with fear, as even a witch with magic as strong as hers are nothing to the power of a Djinn. Frau responds that she would never even try to fight the entity. Instead, she altered the wishes. When Yusuf made his three commands, she made the Djinn hear something different than what was actually said. The first wish it heard was to slay the Arabian Fables back in Baghdad who were secretly allied with Yusuf. Then, she tells him the second wish; to return to its master and devour him, slowly and painfully. The third wish of course was to return back to its bottle, though she didn't have time to tell Yusuf that, because the Djinn has arrived. Yusuf begs her to kill him now, give him mercy. But Frau dares not interfere with a Djinn's duty, as the demonic being grabs him and prepares for a fine meal...
Fables #45
The screams from the cell have gone on for two days straight. Frau Totenkinder sits outside in her rocking chair, waiting. As King Cole and Prince Charming approach, she tells them she was determined to personally see the last wish, for the Djinn to return to its bottle, fulfilled. She can neither command the monster to stop or do anything to cut Yusuf's suffering short, lest it potentially disrupt the delicate wish structure and make the third wish null and void. Yusuf commanded the Djinn to make his demise slow and painful, and the Djinn will do just that. Charming and King Cole turn away from the horrid yells, continuing down the dungeon to a different cell. It wasn't going to be pretty, but it's time to talk to Sinbad. They open his cell door. The tired sailor speaks in his native tongue, asking how long he's been there. King Cole answers him; two days.
On the Farm, Rose Red shows Boy Blue the duties he'll be expected to perform during his two-year stint. The wolf cubs follow him around, asking endless questions about his adventure in the Homelands. He's a hero to them, Rose says. Blue seems uncomfortable with all the questions about how many lords and knights heads he chopped off, so Rose tells them to stop. She shows Blue Bagheera's cage, where he's to feed Bagheera two meals a day, make sure his water dish is always full, and clean out his cage at least once a day. To do that he'll need to get inside and wipe it down and sweep it up. Rose promises Bagheera won't eat him. Bagheera agrees he probably won't eat him, though he adds he may just be repeating what his jailor says. Rose tells Bagheera he's as bad as the kids. As she and Blue move on, he tells her that while he's grateful to her for showing him the ropes, all the duties she's given him so far don't appear to be that difficult. He reminds her he's supposed to be doing hard labor up here. Rose sends the kids away so she can have "grown up talk" with Blue. She tells him that, up here at the Farm, they all consider him a bona fide hero for what he did, no matter how the dignitaries down in Fabletown see it. So, while they'll have him put on a show of it, sweating in the fields whenever any visitors come knocking, right now she would much rather have him join her and Snow for lunch.
While they have concluded that Yusuf acted alone in summoning the Djinn, it didn't absolve Sinbad of bring the creature into Fabletown in the first place, which is considered by the laws to be a hostile act. Thanks to Kay, they already have most of the details down, but Prince Charming wants to give Sinbad a chance to explain why he brought the Djinn with him. Sinbad replies that it was the most powerful weapon they had to use against the Adversary. He was given charge of it, so he took it with him because it wouldn't do to leave the bottle behind for the Adversary's armies to find. He only left it out in the open because he knew his slaves wouldn't dare touch his property, and he truly believed Yusuf to be ever loyal to him.
Beast sees Bufkin in the Business Office and asks if he's seen Beauty. Bufkin becomes agitated and defensive, saying he saw nothing, that he's a good monkey! He flies off, leaving Beast very confused.
Sinbad is back in his guest room, far more comfortable now after having showered. He listens as King Cole and Charming give him his sentence. Normally, even an unintended act of war must be met with the death penalty; However, the extenuating circumstances surrounding the case means that they can settle on just exiling Sinbad from Fabletown. In his current role of envoy, he can't return, though as Charming and King Cole exchange glances, they add he could if he were suddenly made into the mayor of a new Fabletown in the east... The Djinn did remove any competitors for the job, and it can be assumed the Arabian Fables would prefer their own community in Baghdad anyway. Of course, Prince Charming tells Sinbad a new Eastern Fabletown could only be officially recognized if it adopts many of the vital provisions in this Fabletown's compact. Mo slaves, for instance.
Outside, the Arabian Fables gather as Sinbad announces to all his slaves that they're now free. He also gives his entire entourage a choice, to join him back home in Baghdad, or to remain here where they're promised full emancipated citizenship. King Cole, too, was accompanying Sinbad as the new West Fabletown Ambassador to East Fabletown. A role he was most excited to play.
It took over a week and a half to get back, but Sinbad and King Cole make it to Baghdad. A city under American occupation by the Mundy army. But Sinbad tells King Cole they won't be building their Fabletown in this dreary place. He leads him down an underground passage, where two guards are stationed, protecting the entrance to a gateway. Stepping through, Sinbad welcomes an astonished King Cole to their Baghdad. The Homelands version, still untouched by the Adversary's forces. It would actually take quite some time for the empire to get this far, and by the time they strike here, Sinbad will have some strong defenses set up to combat them. They won't be caught unprepared like the West Fables. If they are eventually forced to go, it'll be in a more orderly fashion. As for now, King Cole needed a place to room, and both Ali Baba and Aladdin have petitioned for the honor of hosting him. Sinbad also throws his own abode into the mix, should he choose.
Life returns to relative normal for Fabletown. Beast and Beauty take a walk down the street, discussing Bufkin's odd behavior. Flycatcher is sharing a bag of candies from Edward Bear's Candy shop with Red Riding Hood, who has never tasted such delicacies before. He promises to take her up to the Farm with him to visit Blue whenever he was allowed. A group of the Arabian harem-girls approach him and begin talking to him in not-quite-perfect English. Which leads to an unfortunately flirtatious misunderstanding which Flycatcher tries to explain to Red, but his words send her running away in tears.
Fables #46
Rodney, a wooden soldier in the Adversary's army, writes a letter to his father Geppetto. He's a lieutenant in the infantry, currently serving in the Seventh Horde, which was sent to the Arabian World. They're currently occupying a captured stronghold which they renamed Fort Walder, after a brave wooden comrade who was destroyed in its initial sacking. A few fleshy resistors fall to Rodney's sword every day, with his captain Arturo fights alongside. Sometimes the Arabian Fables come in from above on flying carpets, which the Hordes' warlock is then brought in to shoot them down with magic fireballs.
During one skirmish on top of the ramparts, the Resistance brought a manticore, which pounced on Rodney, biting into his wooden leg. Though the creature was slain, his leg was splintered beyond simple repair, so he was sent to the woodcarver's post to get a replacement. That's where Rodney met June.
The regular woodcarver, Gunter, was out on leave, so the wooden female was left in charge. She seems capable, so he lets her examine his leg. Rodney comments in his letter that she was carved to be the prettiest wooden girl he's ever seen. Almost immediately, he realized he enjoyed her company, as she moved with grace around the shop. June gave him a temporary replacement leg made from mundane wood which he'd have to endure for only a day or two. He couldn't feel anything below his knee, but he wasn't as bothered as he'd though, because he felt a fondness for her. She was much better than grumpy old Gunter, who always scolded them for the slightest scratch in their finish. As he left, he found he actually felt a jealous resentment for the other wooden soldiers waiting in line to see June. Even as he continued his duties under Captain Arturo, he found his mind wandered to June. He didn't understand what he was feeling, as he normally enjoyed the comradery of his wooden brothers.
That night in the Wooden Soldier Barracks, while his brothers played a game with dice, Rodney read a book on Human Biology, trying to make sense of his feelings. His brothers tease him when they see the book, making fun of their allies, the meat soldiers, and all the sleeping, eating, and bathroom breaks they do. A far better idea, they say, is that rather than be spread out among the ranks alongside meat, they should all band together as one great wooden army and march, unobstructed, through every unconquered realm. Rodney retorts that if every wooden soldier formed into one Horde, then there wouldn't be enough left to run the conquered lands. Kingdoms would start to rebel without their wooden foot on their fleshy necks. There was also the force of Wooden brothers that were sent to the mundane world to take Fabletown, and they haven't been heard from since! He takes his book and goes to the ramparts to resume his reading.
In the days that followed, Rodney and June saw each other more and more, and June was beginning to like his company, too. He would read her poetry from the martial library. War stories and battle poetics, which she liked well enough, but she asked if he had anything softer, like that which "meat couples" would read to one another; When they're courting. Rodney and June both realized, that's exactly what they were doing.
Together, they would continue to talk about other things that couples would do with each other, which Rodney took notes on as June came up with ideas. One night, Rodney and June would try to kiss. Simply by touching their lips together until they felt something. A minute passed, and it didn't seem to be working. Rodney suggests he wrote it down wrong, while June supposes it was due to the difference between wood and flesh. Both of them are disappointed.
In his letter, Rodney makes a request; he asks Geppetto to make him and June into flesh and blood humans. As well as permission to marry her and have many children. Though he serves a lowly station, he tells Geppetto it was what he truly desired and hoped that his father would grant him his wish.
That morning, Captain Arturo finds him and gives him orders to lead an armed patrol out to escort a caravan at Port Leonard back here. June will be going with, as Gunter should be riding back with the caravan, and so her time at the Fort is over. Rodney tells the captain he had a letter that needed to be sent with the next mail run. Captain Arturo takes and inspects the letter, to be sure it is censored properly. Censoring ma9il is Rodney's job, but seeing as he can't censor himself...
The captain skims through, and becomes aghast, asking Rodney if he's lost his mind! In the letter he commits several treasonous offenses, including naming their father Geppetto as the true power, and inferring that the Emperor was just a puppet, and not at all the highest authority. He tears up the letter and sends Rodney to his quarters until a suitable punishment is thought up for him.
Fables #47
Night falls in Fort Walder. June tries to visit Rodney in his quarters, but she's turned away by Captain Arturo. She tells the captain that Rodney's upcoming punishment should also be hers as well, as it was his love for her that made him write the letter. Arturo won't hear of it. The situation was grim enough as it was without involving another.
Rodney does get a visitor, Chis wooden brother in arms, Chester, who can't fathom the thought that Rodney would want to be a fleshy meat sack. He is repulsed by the very thought of what "meat" does all day, and can't understand why his brother, why Rodney, would ever want to be such a disgusting thing. Rodney doesn't respond and simply sends him out.
Captain Arturo sits at his desk in the barracks, going over Rodney's exemplary military chronicle with Color Sergeant Lum looking over his shoulder. Rodney's record is unblemished until today. If not for that letter, he'd be recommended for another promotion. Lum asks what letter he meant, since there was no letter from Rodney in the outgoing mail packet. Captain Arturo lights up - that was it, the answer to the problem. There was no letter!
June is visited by Captain Arturo, who brings her along to see Rodney. Rodney's surprised to see both of them, but before he can ask what's going on, Arturo speaks up. There's a rumor that someone wrote a treasonous letter to their sacred father. No one in Fort Walder would actually do something like that, but he needed Rodney to take June and go see their father in person, to assure him that no such missive exists. Naturally, while they were there, if they saw fit to ask Geppetto what might be in such a letter, they'd be allowed to ask him in person. Rodney and June could hardly believe it, June tells the captain if she knew how to do it properly, she'd kiss him. Which would be silly, as the captain is just sending them on a vital and dangerous mission, that's all.
The next day, the two wooden lovers leave the fort and travel tirelessly across the desert with a convoy, keeping an eye out for Arabian raiders along the way. Soon they reach the port, and a ship takes them across the sea. With their status as official dignitaries, Rodney and June pass through many gates to different worlds. Worlds that are already conquered have kings who insist on decorating them with honors just for their presence. The two even ride upon a great green dragon, sitting inside a cabin on its back as June looks at all the medals and gifts they've been given, with Rodney enjoying the books they're given best. As they ride white stallions through the forest, a beastly large bear attacks them, but Rodney protects June with his swordsmanship and slices the monster in two.
After months of travel, they reach the Imperial City of the Empire! But their destination lied a couple miles aways, tucked deep into the sacred grove, where a lonely cottage stood. Geppetto was standing outside when they arrived. He had received a missive from the captain that they had something very important to ask him, so he invites them to ask. They explain how they have fallen in love with each other and want to become humans so they can properly court, and marry, and -- Geppetto stops them. He gets it, he isn't old enough to have forgotten how relations work. He tells them that such magic doesn't come without a price. Sometimes a terrible price. While he gets some rest, he asks them to think on whether or not they are prepared to pay it.
Tomorrow Rodney and June reach a decision, so Geppetto gives them the Blue Fairy elixir, and for the first time, their bodies are true flesh and blood. In the weeks that followed, many new and wonderful changes came to their relationship, starting with a wedding ordained by the great Emperor himself. That night, they took pleasure with each other in bed. A few days pass, before June starts to feel different. She believes she's pregnant. Rodney has a panic trying to remember what to do. Boil things? June is calm and tells him that comes later.
Then came the time to start paying for the gift Geppetto gave them. the Snow Queen visits them and gives them a new assignment. They were to perform a valuable service for the empire. That's when the training began. They were to continue to live as a happy couple, but not in the Empire or any of the conquered Homelands. Rodney and June learn how the motor car works and how to drive, as well as the value of the dollar, how many nickels in a dime, and other mundane knowledge they might need. For their new home would be the mundane world, specifically an apartment in New York City, just a block from Fabletown. From there, they would spy on their neighbors the Fables.
Rodney finds a job as a butcher in an Italian deli, while June plays the part of housewife, keeping the home clean and preparing meals. She also records each daily Fabletown report in a special journal, the sends her words to a duplicate journal in the Homelands. A few times, words will appear in her journal that she didn't write. An order to be carried out. June hates those words. The last time, Rodney went out to take care of it, and he didn't come home until late, with his hands covered in blood. But they do every terrible deed they are told, as they are still loyal to the empire.
Sometimes, late at night June will be wide awake in their bed, worried about how much they should tell their child. Should they tell her the truth about her heritage? What mommy and daddy really do? Or can they simply raise her as a happy, spoiled American child? June never cried when she was wood. She thinks about how she misses not being able to cry.
Fables #48
In a small port town in Russia, Mowgli continues his search for the elusive Bigby Wolf by asking in a local pub. He pays for a sea captain's drink, who invites the westerner to sit. Mowgli shows a picture of Bigby, but the captain hasn't seen him.
Meanwhile, on the Farm, Snow White takes her kids Christmas pictures, so that their father gets to see how they've grown when he comes home. She also tells them it was time for them to make a group decision about flying and transforming.
Speaking of whom, in the Russian port town Mowgli finds that Bigby's trail has seemingly stopped. He never left, at least according to any trawler captains or air pilots. But then, Bigby was also a wolf, and Mowgli realizes as he stares into the mountain ranges that he may be asking the wrong people. Wolves. Mowgli knew the language they used quite well, having grown up among them, even if the ones in Russia were Mundy wolves. He finds a pack, surprising them that he knows their tongue. But they're unwilling to help, since he's a human. He's not one of them. Mowgli shouts a challenge for their leader, the alpha, to a duel for the right to join their society. The alpha, Tukar, tells Mowgli to meet him tonight at the council rock, so that he may rend and tear his flesh from his bones.
The Farm outlands see the children, led by Darien are out on a hunt to retrace the steps their mom took when she slew the terrifying Sher Khan. They wanted to find the old tiger's body, a task which would be easier, Connor says, if they could change into wolves. They get to the bottom of the High Hills, where the giant brothers and Clara once slept. Darien shushes the pack - he heard something, like a growl! They gather together under a ridge. Therese wonders, frightened, if it's Shere Khan's ghost, but Ambrose says there's no such thing, though Blossom was told by their Auntie Rose that his ghost does still haunt these hills. Suddenly, a tiger demon jumps out at them growling it's going to eat them up!! But actually, it was just Rose Red in a tiger mask and gloves, laughing herself silly at their little scared faces. The kids, all except Ambrose in varying levels of wolf form, aren't very happy with their auntie right now. But that's too bad, Rose told them, as the deal was they had to show they could stay in human form for a whole month without changing or flying to be allowed to leave the Farm. Their record so far is three days. It wouldn't do to have them fly away or wolf out in front of the mundies every time they get startled.
That night, Mowgli, the challenger, met the pack leader Tukar at the wolves council rock. To make it a fair fight, Mowgli drops his weapons of man, a knife and gun, and removes his clothing. Tukar then charges, Mowgli dodges and lands the first strike by punching the wolf. Tukar sinks his teeth into his arm as he lunges again, sending them both toppling over the hillside. Mowgli's injured but not beaten, not yet. He grabs the wolf's two front paws as the beast pounces, flipping Tukar over, breaking his front limbs, and cracking his back against a rock. Injured, Mowgli crawls over to ask the wolf if he still lived. Tukar replies that he did, but his back was broken. Mowgli offered to end his suffering quickly, which Tukar graciously accepted. With a hard twist, Mowgli snaps his rival's neck. He was the pack leader now. It was two weeks later, after seeking medical help in town, before he'd return to question the wolves.
Last spring, a giant wolf, who the pack deferred to as their God, led them in many hunts. He outran many preys, and on his own he killed dozens. That summer, the pack ate very well and grew strong. Then, one terrifying day the wolves huddled in their den as the winds outside blew wildly. When it finally died down, the God of Wolves had vanished with no scent or trace left behind. He never returned.
Over the next couple months, Mowgli retraced his steps through Russia, asking again at the hotels if a man matching Bigby's description ever stayed there, only to receive the same negative response. He called Prince Charming ready to give up before it suddenly occurred to him; he was tracking a man who could turn to a beast, but Bigby was not just man or beast. Mowgli returns to the port to hire a boat to take him to the Alaska side. It makes sense why the captains have never seen Bigby... one such as him wouldn't need a boat.
Fables #49
Mowgli arrives by seaplane to the Alaskan wilderness. Once the pilot drops him off and as soon as he departs, Mowgli removes his shirt, his satchel, and leaves them behind in a cache within some tree branches. In his element at last, the boy raised by wolves lives off the land the way he was taught, hunting his own food, sleeping under the trees. It was rare that he'd get the opportunity to live wild in the forest these days. Mowgli enjoyed every moment.
Back at the Farm, Snow White confronts Mister North about the kids. She wanted to take control back. Now that they needed to practice staying in human form for a month, their grandfather's constant encouragement to change is only hurting their chance to leave the Farm. Mister North argues that she and the children should all just move in with him at his castle and leave the Mundane's world behind. But then he senses something. A change in the wind...
It was three days before Mowgli realized he wasn't alone. The wolves were watching, slowly surrounding him, until he had nowhere to go. They don't care that he speaks their language, and they will only accept him as one of them when his meat is inside their bellies. But before they strike, one of their own speaks out. A change in the wind; Their master wishes the human intruder brought to him alive. It takes two more days before Mowgli reaches the place the wolves wanted him to go. A log cabin far out in the middle of nowhere, which the pack tell him is where their master awaits, they are not allowed to go any further. Mowgli goes inside to find his quarry, the very man he spent over a year tracking and just missing, Bigby Wolf; slouched on the couch, with a beer, welcoming him to his home.
He knew Mowgli was chasing him, Bigby made the trail intentionally difficult to follow, hoping Mowgli would get the hint that he wanted to be left alone. He was done with Fabletown and everything to do with it. Mowgli delivers Prince Charming's message; that he found a way for Bigby, Snow, and the kids to live together happily without breaking any Fabletown laws. This piques Bigby's curiosity, but before he can ask for details, a woman enters the cabin. Bigby introduces her as his "current better half", Sarah Tanaraq, the one who's been looking after him in his depressive state. She's surprised someone else is here, having thought that the only other person who'd come all this way was the woman Bigby was trying so hard to forget.
A great windstorm blows through the Farm, which according to Boy Blue, started up as soon as Mister North and his attendants left. This troubles Snow, who worries about the effect their beloved grandfather's sudden departure will have on them, since they've already had to go on without their father.
Back in Alaska, Bigby and Mowgli talk outside. Sarah didn't know anything about his nature, Bigby assured, she only knew him as "Bigby Rawlins", a broken man with a woman and kids he's trying hard to forget. Then he asks Mowgli how he managed to track him. Mowgli admits anyone but him would have given up after losing his trail in Russia. After all, Bigby didn't take any planes or boats out. But Mowgli knew Bigby well enough to know that he could never stay in Russia for long, since he'd never been able to master the language back in his war days. And since he was a Fable, and a particularly special one, Mowgli guessed that Bigby swam all the way across the Bering Strait. Bigby confirms this, adding that since he never got tired or cold, it was an enjoyable swim. He needed time to consider Prince Charming's offer, so he lets Mowgli talk to Sarah to make sure she doesn't know anything she shouldn't, while he fetched water from the river for tonight's supper.
Sarah asked Mowgli if Bigby was returning with him. Mowgli said he hoped so but then apologized. Sarah told him not to worry, that she always knew her place in the relationship was temporary, being Bigby's rebound. Mowgli told her he wouldn't be interfering if he didn't need Bigby for an important -- he stopped himself again. Sarah caught it, though. "Mission". She always knew there was something dangerous about him, believing he was a government secret agent of some kind. She tells Mowgli to take him and go, turning away so he wouldn't see her tears.
Mowgli waits outside all throughout the night while Bigby says his goodbyes. When he comes out, they leave for home together.
In the Homelands, at his small cottage, Geppetto wanders outside with a lantern, thinking he heard something. But it may have just been a change in the wind.
Late that night, Snow comes down from her room after hearing a noise. She finds the disembodied head of Colin waiting for her. She asks if there was more trouble coming, but he smiles and assures her that he didn't sense anything, he only came to say goodbye. She wasn't going to need him anymore. Things are going to get better for her now, and he was ready to move along to whatever happens next.
Fables #50
Bigby and Mowgli meet Prince Charming, Beast, and Rose Red on a side road just on the outskirts of the Farm. Bigby doesn't want to waste any time, he wants to begin the briefing on the mission as soon as possible. They take a van out onto a rough road that goes into the most restricted section of the Farm, where a magic beanstalk has grown. Beast had been working on it secretly for the past two years. Rose worries that it stands out too much, but Beast assures it can't be seen by any Mundies unless they are right up close to it. The structure of the beanstalk is trans-dimensional, meaning that while its roots are firmly planted in this world, at some point it passes into the world of the Cloud Kingdoms. That was the destination. Bigby is going to have to climb the beanstalk. A contact will be waiting for him at the top, and they'll explain the rest of the mission to him then. As he starts his ascent, he tells Rose not to say anything to Snow White. Anything he has to say, he'll either make it back to tell her himself, or she'll never have to know he was here at all.
It'll take Bigby days to climb up to the clouds. He spends the night sleeping in large leaves, and the day climbing ever higher.
Mowgli goes to Bagheera's cage to tell him the great news; he's free! Prince Charming gave him a full pardon in exchange for Mowgli's service. The panther is so happy he pounces on the man-cub with joy, then runs off to stretch his legs.
After three days, Bigby makes it up through the top of the clouds, where Cinderella is waiting for him. After she reassures him that it was safe to step down, they head over to her campsite to wait for the one who'll give them a ride, since the land of Giants was too massive to make it anywhere on foot. A young Giant named Humberjon carries them to wizard Ulmore's castle, their staging area for the mission. The old wizard Ulmore tells them that the Cloud Kingdoms are connected to every other world below, from the Mundane world, to any realm in the Homelands, it's just a matter of finding the right place to jump from.
After a few more days, the spot above the Imperial Homeworld was found, and Humberjon dug a hole. With a heavy pack full of equipment, he dives through, opens his parachute, and finds a secluded wilderness landing spot that was close to his target. He buries the parachute, and plants a magic bean in a remote location to serve as his escape route. Bigby avoids all of the goblin patrols pretty easily, and he makes it to Geppetto's Cottage, his target, within a day. waiting for nightfall before taking care of the guards. He kills them all silently, with a little help from his son Ghost, the invisible zephyr his mother, Snow, had sent away. Then, after setting charges up all around the Magic Grove, he enters the cottage.
Pinocchio walks back home from the city, a little drunk from a romp in the local pub. He quietly enters, lighting a single candle so as not to wake his father, to find the door to the Blue Fairy's cupboard prison open wide, and Bigby standing there attempting to destroy her to no avail. Pinocchio tells him the protective enchantments placed on her are too complex, almost as strong as the ones around his dad. Speaking of whom, Geppetto comes down to see who was whispering so loud. Upon seeing Bigby, he tells Pinocchio to send for the guards, but Bigby stops him. They're all already dead. He came here to deliver a message from Fabletown. More of a statement, really. Every time the Adversary decides to attack Fabletown like it did with Baba Yaga and the wooden army, they'll retaliate by hitting even harder. Bigby demonstrates by pressing a button on a radio transmitter, blowing up the entire magic grove around them. Geppetto and Pinocchio are carried outside, Bigby lets the old woodcarver know that if he's willing to play nice, they could be willing to return a few of the heads of the invasion force that still live, in trade for a few things Fabletown may want.
Bigby, in wolf form, carries his pack in his mouth as he runs back to the extraction point, the magic beans he planted have grown into a giant beanstalk. He sets the remaining bombs at the base, hidden from view, then begins the climb. This time, he's chased up the beanstalk by a contingent of Goblin Horde troopers. Just before he passes through the clouds, Bigby grabs onto a rope hanging from above and presses the detonation button before climbing up to safety. The beanstalk collapses from the explosion at its roots, and the Horde falls to their doom.
Back in Fabletown, Bigby receives a warm homecoming from the business office, a happy hug from Flycatcher, and an official retirement package from Prince Charming.
A few days later, Rose drives Snow out to the remote outskirts of the Farm. When they get out, Rose tells Snow to start walking over the hills. Confused, and a little wary, Snow does as asked. After about a mile or two, she sees Bigby standing under a tree, waiting. She rushes over to hug him, overjoyed to see him again! She quickly remembers something and asks him if their son found him. A small gust of wind sweeps around her in response, as Ghost gives his mom a kiss. The area nearby was once the valley of the sleeping giants, but with the brothers now enjoying the life of three little pigs, it was just a large, untouched valley of forests, rivers and a lake. Prince Charming had the whole area annexed from the Farm so Bigby could live there, and Bigby hoped Snow would join him to raise their kids together. As husband and wife. Snow White finally caves, how can she say no to that?
The day soon comes when Bigby is introduced to his children, who are suddenly very shy. Wedding plans are being made, housing construction begins, and King Cole even returns from the Homelands version of Baghdad for the big day. The guests all gather, human and animal, to attend. With King Cole ministering over them, Snow and Bigby Wolf are finally married.
As he carries her over the threshold of their newly built home, Snow asks Bigby if Happily Ever After is possible after all? Bigby only replies "we'll see".
Sources and content license
Source and revision history · Exact listed stories combined in catalog order. Sources retain their stated license; formatting and headings adjusted. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 26. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 27. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 28. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 29. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 30. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 31. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 32. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 33. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 34. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 35. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 36. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 37. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 38. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 39. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 40. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 41. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 42. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 43. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 44. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 45. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 46. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 47. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 48. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 49. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. Adapted from DC Database contributors, Fables Vol 1 50. Illustrations and reference markup removed; synopsis paragraphs combined. · Content license