"Ugh! Ugh, ugh, ugh!" Briar buried her face in her hands. "No offense, Melody, but none of this muse-ic is..."

"Just right?" Melody laughed. "I still can't believe Blondie asked you to throw her birthday party."

"Well, she actually wants to have one this year." Briar rolled her eyes. "Usually she spends months planning it by herself, and when she can't get the details just right she cancels at the last minute." She sighed. "How am I supposed to get it just right?"

"I still think going old-school could be spelltacular." Melody lifted the arm of the record player beside them, cutting off the Tam Lin ballad that had been playing quietly while they rifled through box after box of records left by Melody's father. "It's totally unhexpected these days, and it could be wicked cool. But I could always mix something up on my MirrorPad, if I knew where I'd left it."

"That's funny, you never go anywhere without it... Where did you last have it?"

"The Tower Hair Salon, I think."

"You could go there and look for it, if you want." Briar shrugged. "I've got nowhere to be, and I might find some inspiration if I keep digging through these old records."

Melody stood up. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

Briar nodded and waved goodbye as Melody left the room. She felt a little funny being alone in a dorm room that wasn't hers, but they had seen Ginger earlier this morning as she left to try out a few spellbinding new recipes she'd found on the MirrorNet. She'd said if they turned out just right, she'd make some for Blondie's party. Briar hoped that something would go right today, at least.

She leaned over and started thumbing through the albums again, pausing on Little Boy Blues by a band called Sheep in the Meadow.

Well, Blondie does like blue, Briar thought, shrugging as she replaced the record currently on the player and set the needle down. She stared at the album cover, which was a photo of, what else, sheep in a meadow under a starry sky. Maybe I should show this to Lilly-Bo Peep. She'd probably like it, with the sheep and all.

Her eyelids began to droop. "Oh, come on!" she said out loud. "This is so unfairest. I am not falling asleep right now! I have to plan Blondie's party!"

There was something funny about this, though; normally, she would pass right out before she even realized, and just as soon someone would be waking her up. She struggled to keep her eyes open as she reached for the record player.

"Little Boy Blues," she gasped, suddenly remembering the nursery rhyme: He's under the haystack, fast asleep... Her fumbling hands finally found the right place, but as she lifted the arm of the record player, she felt a prick of pain in her fingertip. It took a moment to register as she stared at the drop of blood beading, and then—

She was asleep before she hit the floor.

Faybelle lounged in a tree in the Enchanted Forest, staring sourly at the school while she drank her hocus latte. She had a second in her left hand, which had been free with the last punch on her reward card. She wasn't sure why she had taken it right then instead of waiting for the next time she wanted a pick-me-up. She had had vague thoughts of giving to Briar—they were best frenemies forever after!—but sitting here, she felt like it was far too nice a gesture. She was supposed to be Briar's villain.

Just go give it to Briar, she thought. I can always be bad again tomorrow.

She wasn't sure why she felt like being nice in the first place; it was so not evilly-ever-awesome. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she had lingering guilt over teaming up with the Evil Queen. Or maybe guilt wasn't the right word. She felt a little funny about it, but she couldn't be sure if that was just because she had been so snubbed! She had done everything the stupid Evil Queen asked, and hadn't gotten anything for it. She'd also (indirectly) been the one to poison Apple White! She felt panicky, wondering if that meant she had completed Raven's destiny instead of her own, but she quickly reasoned that it had really been the Evil Queen and she was just a messenger. Her destiny was safe.

She knew Briar had doubts about her destiny, but Faybelle hoped that she would change her mind. And now I sound like Apple. She wrinkled her nose. It was totally not the same thing.

She finished her drink and stared at the second cup in her hand, which was starting to cool. It would be mean to give someone a cold hocus latte, and she wouldn't do that to Briar. She sighed and flapped her wings, dropping her empty cup in a garbage can as she flew toward the school. Evil or not, that was no excuse to litter.

Faybelle wondered where Briar might be... "Hey! Melody!"

Melody paused on the steps as Faybelle landed in front of her, her MirrorPad under her arm. "Hi, Faybelle," she said warily.

"Do you know where Briar is?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Melody nodded. "She's in my dorm room. We're planning Blondie's birthday party. Or at least, I'm helping with the muse-ic."

"And you didn't invite me?" Her wings fluttered and the air began to crackle with magic.

"Of course not, otherwise you wouldn't come." Melody rolled her eyes. "Get a grip, Faybelle. If we invited you, you wouldn't show up, but if we didn't, you know you'll come crash it anyway. That's kinda your thing." She paused. "I mean, I don't know if Blondie particularly wants you there, but Briar's in charge of the guest list and she said to leave you off of it."

"She did?" The air went flat and her wings drooped. She had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Well, what are you doing out here, then?"

"I had to go get my MirrorPad." She held it up. "Why do you care, anyway?"

"I got her something." Faybelle lifted the hocus latte.

Melody squinted at her for a second and then shrugged. "I guess you can follow me up, then." She walked past the fairy and through the doors.

Their footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.

"Does it seem quiet in here?" Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't put her finger on what.

"Yeah." Melody shivered. "I wonder where everybody is?"

"Who cares," Faybelle said dismissively.

They finally made it to Melody and Ginger's room, and Melody put her hand on the knob; it wouldn't turn. She frowned, knocking. "Briar? Ginger? Are you in there?"

No response. She glanced at Faybelle, who was staring at the floor. The hocus latte cup slipped out of her hand, splashing on the floor.

"What'd you do that for?" Melody stepped aside, glaring at Faybelle as she knocked again and jiggled the handle. "Briar! Ginger! Did you lock the door? It's Melody."

"Get away from there," Faybelle said, pulling her back. The air began to crackle at the edges.

"What—?"

"Look," Faybelle said, her eyes wild as she pointed at the crack under the door, but the space wasn't empty: Thin, thorny vines had forced their way through, creeping up the walls and to the ceilings; roses bloomed and shut above their heads, seeming to keep time with some slow breath.

"What is that?"

Faybelle didn't answer; she cast a beam of magic at the door, not even bothering to even come up with a cheer, and the wood exploded into splinters.

"Briar!" Melody shouted, rushing to her side and tripping over the roses as she went. "Faybelle, what's going on? Faybelle?" She looked around and saw the fairy standing frozen in the doorway, her expression strangely blank. "Faybelle! Please! Tell me what's going on!"

Faybelle stepped slowly into the room, picking her way past the vines until she stood over Briar. Her gaze swept over the sleeping girl.

"You cursed her," Faybelle said, and the words came out as stunned and hurt as she felt. She set her jaw and said again, sharper and angrier: "You cursed her! You... You took my destiny!"

"No!" Melody's eyes widened in horror and she took a step back, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "I didn't do anything!"

"Look!" Faybelle said, pointing to Briar's hand, which still showed a drop of blood even as a rose curled around it. "Look!" She pointed to the record player, and the drops of blood shimmering on the vinyl of Little Boy Blues.

Melody's lip trembled. "But I didn't—"

"This isn't even right!" Faybelle shouted, her stomach rolling. "It's not her birthday! It's not even a spinning wheel!"

Melody dropped to her knees beside Briar. "I didn't mean to," she whispered. She looked up at Faybelle, tears shimmering in her eyes. "What do we do? This can't—this can't be her story, not now, not so soon—"

"We can't do anything," Faybelle said, and her voice broke. "We have to wait for some Prince Charming to show up in a hundred years with a magic kiss."

"But Briar doesn't want to sleep for a hundred years!"

"I know that!" Faybelle screamed.

"Keep your voice down!" Melody pleaded.

"Those sleeping roses have put everyone else in the castle to sleep by now. There's a special pollen, I think... That's why it was so quiet when we came in. The whole castle is asleep."

"Why hasn't it put us to sleep?"

Faybelle shrugged, beginning to pace. "You cursed her, so you're safe, I think. And I guess because I'm a fairy? I don't know. But I'd get up if I were you, these vines don't play nice."

Melody shrieked and stood up, kicking away the thorns that had begun winding around her ankles.

They stood in silence for a moment, staring at each other. Faybelle's story was over, and she wasn't even a part of it. She felt rather calm, considering. Melody, unaware, had taken someone else's destiny, and she was numb from it. Briar slept on the floor, blissfully unaware that fate had been set in motion without preamble and by complete happenstance. What happened next depended entirely on the two girls standing over her.

"Does it have to be a hundred years?" Melody said finally. "I mean, I'm a DJ, right? A musician... It could be a hundred minutes, or a hundred hours, or something like that, right? Years makes sense for fairies, since they live so long, but the way I work is so short..."

Faybelle hesitated and then nodded slowly. "It could be... But these vines are going to grow all around the castle, maybe through Book End... I don't know if we can wait a hundred hours, that's almost five days. The place will be full by then."

Melody nodded, kicking at the vines again and checking her MirrorPad. "I left about thirty minutes ago, but I don't know when she fell asleep..."

Faybelle looked around the room critically. "I'd say at least twenty minutes ago, maybe longer."

Melody stared at her. "How can you possibly know that?"

"It's my job to know it." She sat on Ginger's bed, picking at her nails. "I guess we can wait for an hour or whatever."

Melody nodded, then looked down at Briar. "Should... Should we put her on the bed?"

"Go ahead and try."

Faybelle watched, impassive, as Melody bent down and tried to lift Briar's shoulders; the vines tightened and held the sleeping princess to the floor. Melody stepped back and her gaze flew to the fairy.

"You're supposed to move her before the vines set in. No one but her true love can get her out of that now."

"You could have said that before I tried anything." Melody glared. "What if they hurt her?"

"She's safe," Faybelle said dismissively. "That's the whole point, to keep anyone unworthy from touching her."

Melody nodded and sat on her bed. "Do... Do you think she'll forgive me? It was an accident..."

Faybelle shrugged and picked at her nails again. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"

Melody picked up her MirrorPad and fiddled with it. "I'm sorry, Faybelle. I know this was your destiny, but I really, really didn't mean to do this."

"I know."

Melody looked up, hoping for more, but Faybelle just stretched out on Ginger's bed and stared at the canopy. Melody sighed.

"What's going to happen to the rest of the castle? All the people that are asleep with Briar? Will they wake up when she does?"

"I think they'll die."

"What?"

"The rose magic will keep Briar alive and youthful and beautiful for a hundred years, but I think everyone else just withers away." Faybelle shrugged. "It doesn't really matter."

"That's... That's so evil!"

Faybelle sat up. "That's the point. I mean, you've got to feed the vines somehow, right?"

Melody blanched, her stomach turning.

"You should see your face!"

"That's not funny, Faybelle!"

"It's not supposed to be funny. It's supposed to be evil," Faybelle repeated. She rolled her eyes. There was a reason the Dark Fairy was the greatest villain ever after!

Melody stood up, her shaking fists clenched. "I'm going to go try to find Daring, or Dexter." She paused. "Maybe Darling, too."

"What are you going to do, drag them here? They're asleep. They won't wake up unless the roses wither."

Melody frowned and began digging around in a drawer; she came up with a pair of scissors and tried to cut the nearest vine.

"Don't—"

The vine lashed out and wrapped around her wrist; Melody cried out as the thorns pressed against her skin, and suddenly Faybelle was at her side, sending a zap of magic at the vine, which retreated at once.

"They're magic," Faybelle reminded her. "You can't just cut them with scissors."

Melody stared, an idea slowly dawning on her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Faybelle said, taking a step back.

"You cut the vines."

"So?"

"You cut through the vines, to get to Sleeping Beauty..." Melody trailed off, hoping Faybelle would understand where this was going; she didn't want to say it out loud. She was too embarrassed.

"NO!" Faybelle shouted, leaping into the air. She flitted around the room, a far more frantic form of pacing. "No! Absolutely not! I am not a Charming!"

"But you're the only one besides me who's awake! I don't think it's because you're a fairy, Faybelle. Listen, the roses can't affect the prince, either, because he's supposed to rescue her... Or, you know the princess. Or fairy. I mean, you're kind of like royalty, aren't you?"

"Of course," Faybelle answered automatically. "But that's not the point, I can't wake her up, I—"

"You love her, don't you?" Melody said desperately. "I mean, I thought you were friends."

Faybelle blushed, getting that funny feeling in her chest again. Didn't all villains have complicated feelings for their princesses? "Yeah, well, you two are friends too! You kiss her!"

"I cursed her, I don't think it'll work." She glanced at her MirrorPad. "We still have at least an hour before we're supposed to do anything, right? A hundred minutes. Just... think about it, okay?"

Melody sat on her bed and fiddled with her MirrorPad again.

"I'll try it first," she offered. "But I don't think it'll work."

"Just because Darling Charming woke up a princess doesn't mean it'll work all the time," Faybelle said, finally landing and beginning to pace. "That's different, everybody knows those two are—I mean—" She blushed again, and her throat felt tight. "I mean, you know what people said about them, even before that."

"I don't listen when people spread fables, Faybelle." Melody pursed her lips. "But yes, I did hear that. But don't you remember that fiasco with Cupid's arrows, when everybody got all lovesick? There's lots of different kinds of love. I think any of them can break a spell, if it's deep and true."

"You think. You don't know that."

"What are you afraid of, Faybelle?" she asked, looking her dead in the eyes. "You're friends, right?"

"Frenemies," Faybelle corrected. "It's totally different. And she's supposed to hate me, it's part of the story—"

Melody rolled her eyes. "Do frenemies bring each other hocus lattes? And she invited you to the party by not inviting you, like your destiny says. She cares about you, and you care about her. I think it'll work."

Faybelle stared for a moment and then took to the air again, hovering restlessly over Briar's body.

"She didn't want to be kissed by a stranger," she said suddenly. "She told me that, once. We were arguing about her destiny... She said it would be creepy. She said it's creepy enough to have someone kiss her while she's asleep, but a stranger is even worse."

"Exactly," Melody said, a slow smile spreading across her face. This might work after all.

Faybelle wrung her hands. "But doesn't that mean we'd have to live happily ever after together? I don't think that's what Briar wants. She didn't even want her happily ever after, she told me, because she was happy enough right now, and she wouldn't be happy if she woke up in a hundred years and all her friends were dead and gone." She swallowed. "She said something like that wouldn't matter to me, because I'm a fairy and we live for hundreds of years anyway. But it does matter." She looked at Melody, her eyes wide and pleading. "I've wanted to live up to my destiny ever since I was a nursery rhyme, but when Briar said she didn't want to do it..."

Melody nodded. "I think you have a good heart, Faybelle. I know it's not what you want to hear, but I remember what you did in the forest, how you tried to save everyone even when you sent them down the wrong path. And how you came back to help us against the Evil Queen. I think you can do this."

"I'm not supposed to be a hero," Faybelle said miserably. "What's my mom going to say? She was mad enough that I like cheerhexing."

"Tell her that you just wanted to be in the story, since I stole your part. You can make it sound like I did it on purpose, if you want." Melody hesitated, and then said, "Please, Faybelle. Do it for Briar."

"I need to think about this," Faybelle said abruptly, flying out of the room as fast as her wings would carry her; she almost hit the opposite wall as she rocketed down the hallway.

Melody nodded after her, checking her MirrorPad: forty-five minutes, give or take, until they could try anything to save their friend.

Faybelle sat on the front steps, ignoring the vines that creeped along the stone. Roses bloomed and unbloomed in time with Briar's breathing, each exhale pushing the sleeping pollen into the air. How long before it spread to the village?

This wasn't how the story was supposed to happen. The Pied Piper had cursed Sleeping Beauty, and now the Dark Fairy was supposed to wake her with a kiss? That was completely wrong! It didn't make any sense! Of course, Melody was going to kiss her first, so the Pied Piper could curse and wake her. But that felt worse, somehow. Faybelle wanted to be a part of this story. It was her birthright, even if this was not the role she was born to play. Besides, she was sure that Melody didn't love Briar as much as she did. Faybelle was Briar's villain. Of course she loved her the most.

Briar loved her, too, she thought. She was one of the very few people that knew that Briar did not want follow her destiny—that's what people did when they loved someone, right? They confided in them? She'd taken her aside after that Wonderland dance and confessed, stumbling over the words and trembling, "I don't want you to curse me."

Faybelle's reaction had surprised her; upon hearing those words, she expected to feel outraged, but what came out of her mouth was "Why not?"

"I don't want to follow my destiny anymore," Briar had said, wrapping her arms around herself. "The Storybook of Legends is gone, and I can write my own story now."

"But—I thought you were a royal!" Faybelle cried.

"I... I threw the book down the Well of Wonder in the first place," Briar admitted, her shoulders hunching. "After Thronecoming, I found the real book, but I didn't want to sign, so I... I got rid of it."

Faybelle had to admit, she was impressed. It seemed like such an evil, selfish thing to do. But princesses weren't supposed to be evil!

"Briar," she said, trying to speak softly and soothingly; her princess had stared at her, wondering what she was up to. "Briar, listen. It won't be that bad. You'll get your happily ever after—"

"I don't want my happily ever after! I'm happy right now!" She swallowed, tears welling in her eyes. "How am I supposed to be happy if I wake up in a hundred years? All my friends, everyone I've ever known, will be dead! And I get woken up by some stranger? That's so creepy! He's not even born yet. I can't even tell him that I don't want to be woken up if that's what I have to look forward to. Please, Faybelle—" She reached out and caught the fairy's hand, holding it in both of hers. "Please, don't do it."

"But what about me?" Faybelle whispered. "That's my destiny. That's my legacy. What am I supposed to do if you won't do it?"

"I don't know," Briar said helplessly. "But it's your story now. You can write whatever you want. And maybe... Maybe you can find someone else? There has to be someone who wouldn't mind sleeping for a hundred years."

"But it has to be you," Faybelle said. She wasn't sure why, but the idea of someone else in Briar's story felt wrong.

Briar dropped her hand. "I don't want to."

"A hundred years isn't even that long—" Faybelle began, and Briar cut her off with a hollow laugh, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Not that long? Of course you'd say that! You're a fairy, it's not like it matters to you!" she half-sobbed, half-laughed. "You're gonna live for, what, five hundred years? When I wake up, my friends' great-grandkids will be going to Ever After High!"

Briar stared at her for a long moment, eyes wild and chest heaving, before turning on her heel and hurrying away.

Faybelle had stood there, gazing blankly after her. She had never given much thought to everything Briar would miss, and who she would outlive, once she was cursed. She wasn't supposed to; that was the evil part of it. The princess wasn't supposed to be cursed willingly... But thinking about forcing Briar to sleep felt wrong in a way that made her bones feel weak.

What am I going to do? Faybelle had thought then, and she thought it now, sitting on the steps and considering kissing her princess awake.

In a strange way, that felt far more right than cursing her.

Twenty minutes left, and Faybelle walked back through the door, her shoulders squared and a look of determination blazing on her face.

"You came back!" Melody nearly wept with relief.

Faybelle nodded, her eyes sweeping across the room; there were vines over most of the surfaces now, and she had had to cut through several patches of brambles that crisscrossed the hallways on her way back, uncomfortably aware that this was now her destiny. Apparently.

"It's not time yet," Melody said gently as Faybelle bent down and brushed Briar's hair away from her face.

"I know," Faybelle said quietly. Her heart was racing. "I was thinking, though... Does it have to be a kiss? It's not the traditional curse, maybe it doesn't need the traditional ending."

"I tried playing some stuff on my MirrorPad, with the Little Boy Blues songs reversed, or a different beat, stuff like that, but it didn't work. And then the Mirror Network went down while I was trying to download some new stuff to try... I think the vines must have reached the tower. The record player won't work, either."

"Why do you even have that thing? It's so last century." Faybelle kicked at the useless machine.

"I borrowed it from my dad." Melody shrugged, sidestepping a vine that threatened to snake around her ankle. "You could try magicking her awake, couldn't you?"

Faybelle shook her head. "My magic is destined to make her sleep. I think she would really be gone for a hundred years if I tried that."

Melody nodded, her throat tight. "If... If she doesn't wake up, what do we do?"

"We can move everybody else, take them far away from here, and then try again in a few days, whenever a hundred hours is up. And if that doesn't work, a hundred days, a hundred months..." Faybelle swallowed. "A hundred years, even. I'll be here."

"We can move the others?"

Faybelle shrugged. "The vines should still let them up, they haven't really taken root yet."

"We could get Daring, or Dexter, if you want," Melody offered. "Carry them out of the school..."

"I think they would just fall asleep again when they got close, or they'd still be awake." She swallowed. "I think you're right, it's supposed to be me. Or it is now, anyway. But you should still kiss her first," she added, not wanting to sound too eager.

Melody blushed and nodded, checking the time on her MirrorPad. "Fifteen minutes."

"What if we just gave her a hocus latte?" Faybelle glanced at the doorway, where the cold coffee had congealed into a sticky mess on the floor.

"How would she drink it?"

Faybelle shrugged, hopping into the air and hovering nervously. "I don't know."

"If she doesn't wake up—"

"She's going to wake up," Faybelle said shortly, glaring. "She has to."

"But if she doesn't," Melody pressed on. "If she—if she really sleeps for a whole hundred years, will you tell her I'm sorry? And tell her I never, ever meant to do this?"

Faybelle nodded. "I'm not going to leave until she wakes up." She landed, and then knelt beside Briar. There were thorny vines encircling the princess' body, but as Faybelle reached for her hand, they curled back. She looked up at Melody, her eyes wide.

Melody knelt, too, and nodded encouragingly. "See? It's your destiny, now." She glanced at her MirrorPad. "Ten minutes, I think."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to do this," Faybelle said, trembling. The whole room felt stuffy with static as her stress seeped through her the air. "Am I supposed to, like, make a speech? Declare my love or whatever? I never thought about the prince's part of the story before."

"Darling didn't," Melody said uncertainly. She felt keyed up; Faybelle's magic hummed in the background like one long, unbroken high note. Her head buzzed. "Do you... want to? Does it feel like you should?"

Faybelle shrugged helplessly. "I don't feel like anything. I always thought destiny would feel like something, you know?"

Melody nodded. "I've been thinking about it, and I feel like there's a weight off me that I didn't realize I was carrying. I definitely feel... done, I guess. I think my part of this is over."

Faybelle bit her lip. "I'm not supposed to have a happily ever after. I don't know what I'm going to do with it."

"That's up to you." She noted there were five minutes left, but she didn't want to break the moment. Faybelle's magic seemed to be reaching a crescendo; it was almost deafening, although she was sure it wasn't actually making any noise. "Apple and Darling are still figuring it out. You don't have to know right away."

"What if she's mad at me for kissing her?"

Melody hesitated. "I don't know. But we have to try, right? We can apologize later. I think she'll understand."

"What if she never wants to see me again?" Faybelle whispered, tears dripping down her cheeks. Her body felt cold and hot, all at once.

"You're the one that's saving her. She's never going to want to see me again." She laughed half-heartedly. "I'm the villain now, remember?"

Faybelle laughed, just once, and it was a wild, untamed sound; a chill ran down Melody's spine. Faybelle's magic wound tighter, spiraling through the air.

Briar inhaled sharply, almost like a hiccup.

"I think it's time," Melody said, glancing at her MirrorPad. "Well, here goes nothing."

She leaned down and kissed her, then sat up quickly, scanning for any sign of magic. The princess didn't move.

"It's worth a shot," Faybelle said uncertainly, squeezing Briar's hand. Her magic suddenly cut out, and the room was still and silent as they waited.

"Faybelle?" Melody whispered a long, motionless moment dragged past.

"I'm sorry," Faybelle whispered, bending over and brushing her lips against Briar's.

There was a silvery burst of magic, and the princess' eyelids fluttered. The roses gave one final bloom and then burst, scattering petals through the air as the thorny vines withered. Faybelle dropped her hand as Briar slowly opened her eyes, blinking groggily.

"Melody? Faybelle?" she said blearily, as Melody helped her to sit up. "What's going on?"

They looked at each other.

"I... cursed you. On accident." Melody's heart fluttered. "Your destiny is over now."

"What? But... who woke me up?" Her eyes widened. "Fay—?"

"Well, I had to be a part of the story, seeing as Little Miss DJ here took my part," Faybelle said haughtily. She stood up, brushing crumbling bits of vine and thorns from her leggings. "I got to be a part of your story after all, and it looks like my part is done. Have a nice happily ever after, princess."

She jumped into the air and soared out of the room as fast as her wings would carry her. All through the school, there were shouts of confusion as the rest of the castle awoke.

"What...?" Briar mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Did she really wake me up? Melody, what happened?"

"I'm not sure," Melody said, her brow furrowed as she stared after the fairy.

Faybelle sat huddled under a tree on the edges Enchanted Forest. Her eyes were burning but she couldn't make herself cry, so she just sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, shaking. She felt sick. She felt whole. It was just like Melody had said, a weight had been lifted. She felt light, lighter than she ever had, like she could glide across Ever After on the weakest breeze, like a feather.

"Faybelle?"

She jumped, looking around; she hadn't heard the footsteps.

Briar sat down beside her, handing Faybelle a hocus latte. She took a sip of her own, staring straight ahead.

"Melody told me what you did," she began.

"I'm sorry," Faybelle interrupted quickly, her heart sinking. "I didn't want to kiss you. I had to."

"I know," Briar said. "I came here to thank you. I know it's not the destiny you wanted, but... You saved me. Thank you." She hesitated, and then leaned over, kissing Faybelle's cheek.

Faybelle blushed to the tips of her pointed ears.

Briar started to stand up, but Faybelle grabbed her hand. "Wait..."

"Yes?" Briar squeezed her hand.

"What does this mean, for... us? Aren't we supposed to live happily ever after?"

Briar nodded.

"I don't know what that means," Faybelle said, and her voice broke.

"We'll figure it out," Briar said firmly, resting her head on Faybelle's shoulder. "Together."