22Lyra was wiping down when she heard the screams.
"Monster! Run!" said Leroy, with his usual hysterics.
Lyra rolled her eyes and continued to wipe the table down until she heard a familiar roar.
"No, Ric." She whispered, throwing down the towel and running towards the sounds of chaos.
"Hold it still, Regina!" Emma yelled, while trying to stun the beast.
It looked like a dragon-wolf hybrid. It had the size and glistening dark green scales of a dragon, mixed with the legs and teeth of a wolf. A dragon-wolf hybrid that was REALLY pissed off. Regina kept blasting it with magic, trying to stun it.
"It's not working. You're only seeming to piss it off more".
"Yeah, well why don't you try instead of bi-"
Regina was abruptly cut off by a loud boom sounding by Granny Diner. While the heroes were coughing up dust, Lyra flew to where Ric was, stopping to stand in front of the poor animal.
"Oh, Ricoshey,I'm so sorry sweetheart." She brushed dust out of one of his eyes, the amber color slightly darker then she remembered. "Why are you here? How did you escape?"
"I was sent to fetch my mistress." The thought coiled into her brain, the voice sounded deep and slightly smokey. "I mean these peasants no harm."
"I know you do Ric. I just wish they could understand…" Lyra trailed off as a thought came to her.
"Ric, would you like to explain your situation to people that might be able to help?"
"of course Mistress, but how would I be able to explain like this?"
"You wouldn't." At that,Ric's head reared and smoke started to pour. He let out a mighty roar. "I will NOT turn into my human form. Never again. Not even for you mistress."
"I'd never ask that of you. You and I both know what scars the other carries because of Him and I would NEVER ask you to turn back into a human, just as I'm sure you will never ask me to wear a gold collar."
That seemed to settle Ric somewhat. "Then what are you suggesting?"
"We switch temporarily. I go into your body and you go into mine, so that you can get help from the people I trust more than anything. So you can explain yourself with human lips, to show that you mean no harm." Lyra answered him out loud.
"What are you talking about Lyra?" Regina asked.
"I'm going to switch bodies with Ric so that he can explain himself why he isn't a threat to anyone in Storybrooke."
"What? You're crazy! This thing just tried to barbeque us like we were chicken on Fourth of July!" Emma said outraged.
Choosing to ignore the Savior, she only told Regina, "I have to make a few phone calls first, so hang tight."
Lyra pulled out her phone and dialed Ruby.
"Hey Rubes. Could you get moon and my sun and meet me at Granny's in about 10 minutes?"
"Of course sis. Mind telling me what this is about?
Lyra glanced over at Ric and meets his amber gaze.
"I have a friend who need all of your help. Plus I want him to meet all of you."
"ooooooooo interesting. See ya in 10!"
"Hey Moon. I ran into a friend of mine from
Braun's. Ruby's coming to grab you and Bae to meet me at Granny's in 10. Can you ask Belle to come too? Maybe something she's read will help."
"Of course Stars. I will see you in 10."
Her calls taken care of, she turned to Ric.
"Ready?"
His giant head bobbed once.
"Ok then. Let's get this show on the road."
(***************************(****************(*******************(********************
Ric had to acclimate himself to being back in a human body.
He took a few minutes to get used to standing, and then wiggled his toes and fingers. He then fell down because he forgot he had to support himself on his mistress's two twigs of legs instead of four as he was used to.
"What do you feed yourself, Mistress?" Ric asked in Lyra's voice, sounding grumpy about falling.
An amused chuckle sounded "Oh, you know me, I always run on caffeine and spite."
"Yeah well, you need meat." Ric grumbled.
"Oh, hush. You'll be back into your normal grumpy scaly body in no time. For right now, do you see that restaurant over there?" She shook her head in the direction of Granny's. "My sister Ruby is gathering people who might be able to help you. I asked them to meet me-well you- there in 10 minutes. Just explain your situation and they'll be more than happy to help." She shook her head "Regina can help you with the introductions." She indicated the slightly-cross looking brunette standing by her. "Tell that she has to help you now or I'll pump henry full of candy at 11pm and then unleash him on her"
Ric reiterated the message to the cross brunette and she only said "I hope you get Dragon-pox".
"Not a thing!" Lyra helpfully chimed to their retreating backs.
Ric entered the diner, a clang of the bell announcing his arrival.
A Pretty brunette wearing an apron with bright red lipstick and a mischievous smirk ran over to them.
"Hey Lyre." The woman said with a hug, one Ric felt himself returning, despite his usual aversion to human contact. She smelled sweet, like candy mixed with finest liquor he ever tasted. Ric was reluctant to let her go.
"I am assuming this is her sister Ruby?" Ric asked Regina.
"Yes this is. " Regina replied. "Ruby this is Ric,Ric Ruby."
As soon as Regina made the introductions,
Ruby ran to the table where a Man with slightly long hair wearing a impeccable suit sat, next to a woman with pretty blue eyes who was reading a book, and a man in jeans and a t-shirt whose eyes Ric seemed to find familiar for whatever reason.
Ruby grasped the table and with a blaze of defiance seemed to shout into the air "Rumplestitskin,Baelfire,Ruby Red!"
A blaze of gold seemed to blind him, but when he shielded his eyes, he could make out all of them still at the table but now sitting under a protection shield.
"Well she defiantly didn't leave her family defenseless." He muttered.
In a Louder tone of voice he said "I'm not an enemy, Lyra sent me to help."
"Oh Yeah, well why the fuck isn't she in her own body.?"
"My mistress thought it would be better if I was able to speak to you while in a human form. So she gave me hers to borrow."
"Why should we believe you? Why should we believe a god-dam thing you say?" This came from the man in the jean and a t-shirt
"Baelfire,Don't." This came as a warning from the man in the nice suit. "I'll handle this."
"Baelfire? As in 'my Mistress's son she very literally signed her soul to a monster and almost died trying to find' Baelfire?" Now Ric knew exactly why those eyes had seemed familiar.
Before Bae could rebut, Ric cut him off.
"She told me all about you, ya know. When she could escape him for the night. She said that your laugh was one of the most beautiful things she ever heard. She said that on every night when the moon was full. Shed sing Happy birthday to the moon, hoping that somehow it would carry back to you."
"She'd wistfully say. 'My Firefly' on those night before she fell asleep."
"I-I-….." Lyra's son was speechless, seeming struck dumb at his words.
"How do we know you don't have her locked up somewhere? Held against her will? She could be feeding you this information under duress" this from the man in the suit, who Ric had the sudden urge to shove him through the wall at his back.
"I would NEVER do that to my mistress!" Ric roared, the walls shaking with his force.
He felt a tap at his shield. "Ric, everything ok?" Lyra cautiously asked though their bond. "Yes, fine." He replied "Just had a prick in a suit accuse me of locking you up like HE did."
Lyra sighed. He had a strange felling she'd be rubbing her palms into her eyes right now, as she was prone to do when she was frustrated. Lord knows he saw her do it enough when he was a young hatchling.
"Moon, do you always have to be an asshole?" Lyra asked. Seeming done with him already.
"I'm sorry Ric, it seems that everyday is Snark Day for my spinner."
Ric cast wided eyed at the man. "YOU'RE the Spinner? The Spinner my mistress loves, the one she would do anything for? The one she has done anything for? You're her mate?"
The room got deadly silent while the two men glared at each other.
"What did you say?" the man asked with a deadly sort of calm.
Ric had been around Braun enough to know what when men like the Spinner got lethally, deadly calm is when you should be most afraid. He's seen Braun decapitate a whole village one by one with that same deadly calmness on his blood soaked face. All because one foolish peasant stepped in his way and didn't apologize.
Ric gulped. "You're…You're My mistress's soulmate."
Ruby looked at him with wide-eyes, seeming to have been surprised enough to let down the shield.
The Spinner walked to where Ric stood.
"Where is she?" The Spinner asked.
"Why in the Seven Hells would I tell you?" Ric snapped. Anyone who decide to flip off fate and not keep their mate, didn't deserve one as far as Ric was concerned.
"Because, "The Spinner said "All magic comes with a price. You want my help to defeated your curse? Tell me where she is"
Ric gritted his teeth and said "Currently she is in my body on the road a few blocks up from here.I can take you to her."
Rumple gestured with his cane
"Lead the way."