Hey guys! So I've decided to divide the events in the Forest of the Mist into three parts, because each one of them – Finn, Sam, and Ryder – has to face their own "demons" in the forest. You'll get it once you read this chapter. First up is Sam.

Chapter Eleven: The Forest of the Mist – Sam

As soon as they took the first step into the forest, darkness surrounded them.

The trees in the forest were thick, with blackened roots, twisted barks, and long, leafless branches. The air turned cold immediately, and the three men's breaths soon came out as puffs of smoke. The ground was covered with black dirt and wilted leaves. Minuscule eyes peered at the three travelers, following their every movement within the safety of their hidden shelters. An eerie silence spread over the forest; there was not a sound to be heard, save the rugged breathing of the horses and the clattering of the men's silver armors.

Prince Finn held a burning stick in his hand that served as their only source of light. He led the way cautiously, fearing unseen cliffs or wild beasts that might endanger their safety. He did not know where he was going, but he assumed that as long as they kept on moving forward, they would reach the end of the forest eventually.

They walked in silence, all three of them lost in their own trails of thought. They had walked for what seemed like a long time, and still they saw nothing but darkness.

When they had entered what seemed like the middle of the forest, they began to see trails of mist rushing past them. The mist was in the color of soft green, and they were nothing but harmless slivers as they passed the anxious men.

Prince Finn began to fear that they were moving in the wrong direction. Worse yet, he began to fear that he would not be able to save Princess Rachel in time. The last time he had seen her, it had been a long time ago. They had gone to the Schuester Kingdom's annual ball together, where they had spent the night dancing and singing and whispering sweet nothings to each other. The next day, however, the entire Hummel-Hudson Kingdom was suddenly attacked by a pack of wild, ravenous vultures, and Prince Finn was sent immediately home the following day to help defend his kingdom. His departure had been so abrupt he did not have enough time to say goodbye to his fiancée. Now, he regretted not spending a little more time with her. Now, he was afraid, more than ever, of the possibility of never being able to see her again.

Prince Finn shook his head and got rid of the pessimistic thoughts. He had to stay brave for not only the princess, but also to his knights. If he, the quest leader, lost hope, how would he expect them to succeed on this quest?

Suddenly, Prince Finn caught a flicker of light in the distance. A faint, silvery glow.

"I saw something, knights," he said, narrowing his eyes. "What do you think that w –"

He turned around and saw that his knights were gone.

Knight Sam had been thinking of his family back home.

There were his parents, who were modest, hardworking farmers. He thought of his little brother and sister, the cheerful Stacie and bright Stevie. His family was poor; they had always struggled to survive, and it was not easy being a child in the Evans household. His parents had always had high hopes for him. He was the child his parents took great pride in, the child they laid all their expectations on. He was, after all, a knight in the kingdom. A knight was an honorable profession, and one paid handsomely as well. Ever since he was a knight in the kingdom, he had built a new and bigger house for his parents to live in, and supported his siblings' everyday needs. He was the spine of the family, the one his family counted on. He could not die in this quest, he told himself. The incident back in the mountains had reminded him how much his family needed him. He could not, and would not, abandon them. He promised himself that he would return to his family safely.

As his memories drifted back home, he had unconsciously gone astray from the path. He had led his horse into a left turn, and now he found himself alone in a dark, empty forest.

Knight Sam began to panic. His first instinct was to call out to his companions. "Your Majesty?" he cried. "Ryder?"

But the forest swallowed his voice. He tried searching for Prince Finn's blazing torch, but no matter where he looked, all there was was darkness.

He had to have light, he realized. He jumped down from his horse, took two sticks, and started rubbing them together to make a fire.

Suddenly, he stopped.

The back of his neck prickled. He could hear voices. Soft, hushed voices coming from the darkness ahead of him. When he dared himself to look up, he was surprised to find that he could see figures, too.

And not just any ordinary figures; they were people he knew in his life.

There was the wrinkled but lovely face of his mother, with her silvery blond hair and pale blue eyes. She was dressed in her light blue dress, the one she used to work every day, the one that had aged so much the blue color had nearly faded into white. Then there was his father, slightly taller than his mother, also with the same silvery blond hair. Everyone had always told him how much like his father he was. And the truth was, he was always glad to know that he resembled his father, who was nothing but an honest, kindhearted, respectable, and hardworking man.

Then there were his little siblings, Stacie and Stevie. Stacie's golden hair was pulled back into a ponytail, while Stevie, the youngest of the Evans clan, had mud caked onto his blond hair.

The four of them were standing only a few short distance away from him. His Mother was leaning on a tree, with his Father's arm around her shoulders. His siblings were giggling and running around the forest floor.

"Mother?" Sam called out disbelievingly. "Father? Is that you?"

His parents smiled. "Aye, my son," his Father said.

"My son," his Mother said. "My good, hardworking son. You have done so much. You have saved us from poverty, you have worked hard, and you have sacrificed many things for us."

Knight Sam's throat thickened. "It is my duty as your child," he stated.

His Mother smiled. "My noble son," she said. "We know how much you love us, Sam. But we also know of the burden you have."

"You are weary," his Father added. "You have worked too much, tried too hard. We know you are exhausted, son. That you want nothing but to stop."

Knight Sam could not answer either of them, because he knew that they were right. He loved his family with all his heart, but sometimes, deep inside, he wished he could stop. He wished he could throw his sword and armor away and live peacefully in a hut by the village. He wished, when he had patrol duty, that he did not have to stay in the castle for nights but instead could go home and rest in his bed. He wished he could see more of his family, like when he was younger, because now, knight duties were keeping him away from them most of the time. Most of all, knight duty required a lot of responsibility, maturity, bravery, and discipline. He was only seventeen years of age. He was tired of acting like an adult all the time. Sometimes, he just wished he could be a little child again and not care of the world.

Was it evil, then, if he had wished that deep inside his heart? Was it evil to want to do what satisfied himself, instead of his entire family? Was it evil for him to want to escape this heavy burden he carried around with him?

He did not know. Those were questions that kept him up at night.

"That is all right, son," his Father said, as if reading his mind. "We know you have had enough. We do not blame you or condemn you as evil for thinking so."

"We are proud of you, no matter what," his Mother said. "That is why, we want to release you of your burden."

Knight Sam frowned. "What?"

"We are telling you that you do not need to sacrifice for us anymore, son," his Father said. "You can quit and leave the castle. You can live in a house of your own liking, do something that pleases your heart. You can do whatever you like, and you do not have to support us anymore. We are setting you free."

Free. That word rang in Knight Sam's head. Free. How many times did he wish he was free? And how many times had he fantasized about life outside the castle?

"Come with us, son," his Mother said. Slowly, she extended her hand. "Come with us, and you shall enjoy your life thoroughly. Come with us, and you shall be free."

Knight Sam's thoughts whirled around so fast he did not know what to say or do. He was focused solely on his Mother's extended hand, his invitation to freedom. To a life he had always wanted for himself. The life that could bring joy to his heart, joy to his life. What person would not take that kind of opportunity once it approaches him?

Knight Sam took a step forward. Then another, then another. He extended his own hand. His Mother's hands were cool to the touch. Unconsciously, he began to cry. He longed for the warmth of his Mother's hands, the gentleness of his Father's arms around him. He wanted to be their little boy once more, to do nothing but crawl onto their laps and felt their love as they wrapped their hands around him. He had grown up too quickly; he had learned the struggles of life too early in his life. Now he longed for his lost childhood to come back to him.

His Father took his other hand. Together, the two of them led him away. They were smiling at him, guiding him, telling him that everything was going to be all right.

For a moment, Knight Sam believed them.

But then he looked down and saw a familiar scar on his Father's arm.

The sight of the scar brought back a long-forgotten memory. It was one of his Father, crouching by the front door, pouring water over a bleeding wound on his arm. He had returned home late at night with his arm full of blood. Sam's Mother was tending to his Father, dabbing cloth over the wound.

His Father had been away at the field the entire day, harvesting crops. Unfortunately, some of the crops were eaten by crows. His Father, along with the other farmers, had had to chase crows away from their large fields all day long. His Father had tripped while chasing a crow and accidentally scraped his arm over a scythe.

"Working our heads off all day long," Sam remembered his Father said to his Mother, "and the price was not even close to decent."

"It is the life of a farmer, being paid poorly," his Mother reminded her husband humbly. "We must not lose hope, my dear. We have our children to raise and educate. We must not give up."

"Yes, my dear," his Father sighed. The older man's face had looked so tired and desperate that day. "But it is getting harder and harder every day. I do not know what I should do if I, Heaven forbid, could no longer feed my children."

That night, Sam lied awake at night, listening to the cries of his sister and brother, and the tired grunts of his Father. All his life, his Father had given him the best in life he could offer. But now, Sam realized, his Father simply could not support his family alone. He needed help. His Father had sacrificed so much for his children's happiness. He deserved a better life. A better future.

Right at that moment, Sam promised himself that he would repay his Father and Mother by making enough money for him to support their lives. He would take care of them, so his Father did not have to. He promised himself that he would never abandon his family.

As the memory came rushing back to him, Knight Sam pulled his hands away from his parents'. For the first time, it dawned on him that it was impossible for his family to be here with him, in the Forest of the Mist.

"Is something wrong, dear?" his Mother inquired.

Knight Sam shook his head. "You are not my family," he said. "You are only illusions. You are not my real family."

"Yes we are," his Mother insisted. "We love you, Sammy. That is why we are setting you free."

"No," Knight Sam said. "No, you are not! You are not my real family, and I will never trade their happiness for anything, not even in a million years. I will not abandon them!" He closed his eyes. "Be gone, illusions! Be gone and leave me alone!"

His Mother and Father's faces turned sour.

"This one is allowed to pass," his Mother said.

Then, just like that, the apparitions disappeared.

When Knight Sam opened his eyes, he found that his family had vanished. It was a bittersweet feeling to know that they were gone, but he reminded himself that he would see them again once he was finished with his quest.

Knight Sam was surprised when he saw that the path in front of him had brightened. It seemed as if this part of the forest had decided to reveal itself to him. He could see the narrow path snake along the forest; he could see the trees, their branches, their protruding roots, and the little animals that lived within the trees. It was as if a cloud of mist had parted and showed him the way.

Knight Sam realized that he had just passed a test. It was a trick to lure him into the depths of the forest, but thanks to his family's love, he could escape danger.

If he could barely escape himself, what about his friends?

In a sense of urgency, Knight Sam rushed back to his horse and climbed atop it. He raced his horse towards the now visible path.

He must save his friends from the mist before it was too late.

Whooo… sorry, long chapter, but I just HAD to write everything down. What do you think of Sam's "demons"? Is it accurate, like in the actual show?

And now, what do you think Finn and Ryder's demons are?