Apple checked her phone for the umpteenth time, worry unsettling in the pit of her stomach. It was late afternoon and she still hadn't received a call from Sparrow on the news about his revelation to his parents. And it didn't help that Snow wasn't answering her phone either. The queen was most likely looking near and far for Snowflake, when the baby was safely seated on her mother's lap.

"I hope everything's okay," sighed Apple to herself, bouncing the baby on her hip. Snowflake laughed and drooled on her fingers, oblivious to the drama that she centered.

Apple was just about to lay down for a quick nap when her phone started to chime. She bit her name nervously when Sparrow's number appeared on the caller ID. He probably had news about his parents. After quickly reminding herself that she had nothing to fear, the princess answered his call. "Hello?" she said, keeping her voice steady.

"White? Well, I spoke to my mom—not my dad. He's off somewhere swinging from a vine in some woods or something." Sparrow sounded disgusted when he mentioned his father. It was probably because his father was still a good vigilante who risked his life stealing for the poor instead of for himself like Sparrow. "We don't know where the hex he went, but my mom knows about everything now."

"Well? What did she say?" questioned Apple slowly, reading herself for whatever Sparrow was about to throw at her.

"Like I said earlier, she knew something was up since the beginning. Sure, she yelled at me but I'm used to that. What's important is that she wants to see her."

Part of Apple felt guilty that Sparrow got in trouble with his mom, but she ignored it. "Snowflake? When? Where?" asked Apple, "and it's not like I can just stroll out of the dorms holding a baby. Everyone's gonna get suspicious."

"Hey, I did my part. You figure that out," yawned Sparrow, "we'll be waiting at my place. Later, White." And with that, the call ended.

Great. Just great. Okay, so Sparrow wasn't all the way responsible yet. But that was fine, that was fine. Apple would just have to find out how to pull this off herself. The princess set Daphne Ann in the middle of the bed and began pacing around the room. Think, Apple, think. The only two ways out of the dorm room was through the door leading into the crowded hallway and the window, which was about a few dozen stories above the ground.

The princess's thoughts were interrupted when a playful yip came from under her bed. "Nevermore! That's it!" exclaimed Apple as the purple dragon crawled out from underneath her hiding place. Wagging her scaly tale, she sat down at Apple's feet expectantly. "You're a dragon, which means you can fly us to Sparrow's place in the woods," formulated Apple, "that is, if you don't mind of course." She reached down and rubbed the dragon's head.

Nevermore purred in response and jumped to her feet. Yipping, she playfully jumped onto the windowsill, spread her wings, and flew outside. Seconds later, her transformed into her big-girl form, her now massive figure looming right outside the window.

Yes, good call! Apple grabbed Daphne Ann and gently set her in one of the heavy-duty baskets Cerise had given her. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I can't risk anyone seeing you," cooed Apple, planting a kiss on her baby's forehead before covering her and the basket with a checkered blanket. Okay, now she was ready.

After fussing with her hair and makeup (a princess had to look her best for all occasions), Apple hoisted herself onto the windowsill and stepped out onto Nevermore's scaled backside. Below them was the vast campus of Ever After High and a lot of its students, which looked like tiny dots from such a high height. "Take us to the Enchanted Forest!" declared Apple, pointing straight ahead as she balanced Daphne Ann's basket in her lap.

Nevermore, who was eager to be out and about again, took off into the distance. "Whoa!" Apple had to hold on to the dragon's backside as she flew with increased speed. And as they soared over the village of Book End, Apple tried to play out what she was going to say to Maid Marian in her head. The princess hardly knew the woman, though feared her disapproval. After all, Maid Marian had been Apple's Damsel-in-Distressing 101 teacher last school term. What would she think when she found out her top student had committed a severely rebellious act with her own son?

These questions made Apple feel even queasier as Nevermore landed in the Enchanted Forest a few meters away from Sparrow's shack. After Apple climbed off her, the dragon poofed into a smaller size and curled up on the ground before drifting off to sleep.

Apple bit her lip nervously as slowly proceeded over to Sparrow's and the Merry Men's shack, leaves crunching underneath her boots. This was it. The moment of truth. In her arms, little Daphne Ann was watching a butterfly with wonder, her short red hair flowing in the wind. Though only three—close to four—months old, Daphne Ann already had a head full of hair. Hair of which she'd inherited from her redhead father, Sparrow Hood.

Relax, Apple. Quit worrying about everything. It didn't matter if Maid Marian disapproved of Apple; everything was already said and done and Daphne Ann had already been born into the world. Thus, Maid Marian could only do two things; accept Daphne Ann, or turn her away. In the end, everything came down to those two options.

Calming herself, Apple slowly trudged over to Sparrow's shack. And right as she was reaching out to knock on the wooden door, it swung open and a sleep-eyed Sparrow appeared in the doorway. "About time, dammit," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "The guys are gonna be back soon."

Oh, right. The Merry Men. Realizing she didn't have much time to act, Apple stepped up into the shack. The second she entered the small space, her eyes immediately landed on the woman sitting on the couch. She had curly velvet red hair, fair skin, and deep green eyes just like her son. Honestly, Daphne Ann was almost a spitting image of her. Maid Marian rose to her feet, her eyes on Daphne Ann instead of Apple.

"She's beautiful," smiled Maid Marian, hurrying over. "She looks just like you, Sparrow." Sparrow grumbled something and laid down on the couch, drifting off to sleep in a matter of seconds. Apple couldn't help but roll her eyes at his typical deadbeat-ness. "May I hold her?" Maid Marian asked Apple with a calm smile.

Seeing her so comfortable made Apple feel less tense. "Of course. She's your granddaughter, after all," she nodded, slowly handing Daphne Ann over to her grandmother.

When she was safely in Maid Marian's arms, Daphne Ann instantly reached out and grabbed her grandmother's curly hair. She laughed with amusement, tugging on it slightly. "Snowflake, stop that," frowned Apple, "that isn't-"

"No, it's fine," assured Maid Marian with a soft laugh as Daphne Ann kept her grip on her grandmother's red locks. "Sparrow was just like this when he was a baby," she explained, "he had—and still has—a tendency to grab whatever he can put his hands on. It's only natural Daphne Ann would be the same way. That's the Hood in her coming out."

Apple bowed her head, suddenly becoming ashamed all over again. "I-I'm sorry about all of this," she stammered apologetically, "th-this was never supposed to happen. I didn't know Sparrow hadn't told you yet and-"

"It's alright, Apple dear. Things like this happen whether we want it to or not," consoled Maid Marian, resting a free hand on Apple's shoulder. "But I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed in you both, especially Sparrow. Usually, parents blame the girl for mistakes like this, but I know how cautious you are towards these types of situations and I also know how my son can be. He's just like his father. When he sees an opportunity, he'll take it without regarding the consequences. I know this is a sensitive subject for you, so I won't ask how it happened. I'm just thankful Sparrow finally had a change in mind to tell me."

Apple's heart skipped a beat. "But you already knew, didn't you?" she asked lowly.

Maid Marin nodded, cradling her happy little granddaughter. "Not at first. But I was able to piece it together a few weeks ago. Ever since then, I'd been preparing myself for the time my son would be able to admit to his own mistake."

Part of Apple felt relieved. At least she wouldn't have to go through the whole fiasco she had to with her own mother. "I know everything's happening so fast, but I need to ask you a favor," announced Apple, raising her head and looking Maid Marian in the eye. "Daphne Ann can't stay at school with me, and my mother won't answer her phone so she can't come pick her up and-"

Marian lifted a hand, silencing Apple. "Don't worry about that. I've already taken care of it. I'm not scheduled to start teaching until next week, so I'll look after the baby until then. But I expect you to keep attempting to get in contact with your mother."

Apple nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I will." The princess calmed down, though something was still bugging her deep down. It was a good thing Marian would become a part of her granddaughter's life, but it didn't take a genius to know Snow would be displeased about that. And if she ever bothered calling Apple back, the princess would have to explain everything to her and that was going to be a chore. But at the same thing, Apple wasn't really worried. Sure, Snow would be mad at first, but she'd come around eventually.

For now, Apple was just thankful everything was going to smoothly between her, Sparrow, and his mom.

Because little did she know, the peace wasn't going to last for long.

Briar Beauty was sitting in a corner. And she was shaking like a leaf.

What did it all mean? Graduation day, Briar falling asleep for a hundred years, Apple-her BFFA—killing her. Everything was just so screwed-up now, and Briar had no idea what to think. So did this mean she was going to end up signing the Storybook of Legends or was the curse going to kick in regardless? And what about Apple? Since when did she become an assassin?

"I never should've opened it," Briar whispered to herself, hugging her knees. She had been better off before her entire future played before her eyes. And now that she knew of her fate, she was scared stiff. Were all those things really going to happen to her? Was there any way she could stop those events from plaguing her life?

Great. Now it seemed like she had more questions than what she had to begin with. Funny. She'd thought looking into the Storybook of Legends would answer her questions, but it just brung more into consideration.

Sure, the princess was haunted by everything she saw, but she was really unnerved about the scene with Apple. That didn't make sense at all. Apple was too sweet and innocent to ever consider murder! So why was she committing something so devious in Briar's story?

Briar sighed and slowly rose to her feet, her shaking legs knocking against each other. Regardless of what she just witnessed, Briar couldn't just sit around and fret over her predetermined fate. Although the Storybook of Legends contained both her story and future, Briar was still the one in control of her life. She could change her story and its ending. She could flip the script.

But there was still a lingering doubt within her mind. Apple. You'd never do something like that, she sighed to herself. But…destiny didn't like, did it? It would've been different if it were anyone else in her foreseen destiny, but Apple? Her BFFA? That was just…that was just so wrong. Inaccurate. Apple was better than that! And for her to stoop as low as to murder her best friend in cold blood…

Briar shook her head. No! She couldn't let those worries poison her thoughts and mind. Instead of fretting, she needed to take action! But what could she do? She had no idea if she was destined to fall asleep because she signed the Storybook of Legends, or because she simply had been born to. She had until graduation day to figure that out, so that wasn't her biggest concern. It was Apple.

How could one stop a murderer or a possible murderer-to-be?

Kill her before she can kill you, said a small voice inside her. Briar nearly fainted at her own thought. "No way in Ever After!" she blurted out, "I'm not killing my best friend!" Realizing she was just shouting at empty air, Briar sat down on her bed. Would it be wise to try talking to Apple? No, because then Briar would have to explain how she found the Storybook of Legends in the first place and why she hadn't returned it to Headmaster Grimm. And Apple didn't necessarily see the rebel cause the way people like Raven and Briar did, so there was no way the princess would understand.

Okay, so talking to Apple was out of the question. Maybe Briar could so something else. Perhaps she could monitor Apple. See if she could spot any sudden changes in Apple's behavior. Yeah. And if Briar noticed anything abnormal, she could deal with it firsthand.

"Oh, yeah/ I'm totally up for lattes," said Ashlynn's muffled voice from the hallway.

Yikes! Ashlynn was coming! Briar scrambled over to her desk and grabbed the Storybook of Legends. Right as Ashlynn was turning the doorknob, the princess slid it underneath her bed.

"Oh. Hey, Briar," greeted Ashlynn as she entered their dorm room. When she noticed how akward Briar looked on the floor, she raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

"Hey, Ash," returned Briar, standing up. She smiled. "And yep. Everything's just fine."

Snow sat down at her desk and sighed. She was back at her home castle, completely drained of all her energy. She'd spent all night and day looking for her granddaughter, but found no trace of her. The queen pinched her forehead and reached for her newest batch of mail. She skimmed through all of her fan mail, stopping at a white envelope that had Adrian's sloppy handwriting. The queen sighed. "I thought I told that man never to correspond with me again," she murmured to herself, opening the envelope anyway.

Dearest Cuddles,

How've you been these days? Haven't heard from you in a while. I know, you've told me many times that you want nothing to do with me. But what about our boys and daughter? They grow older every day, yet know nothing of their full heritage. Augustus and Atticus are oblivious to the fact they have a baby sister—our daughter Apple—and I'm sure she doesn't know about them either. Let's face facts, Snow. This has gone on long enough. You haven't seen the boys in years, and I haven't seen Apple since she was three years old. It burns me up to know how we're torturing them with these lies they don't even know we're telling. Regardless of what authority you have, you have a fine sense of right and wrong just like I do. We need to make things right, Snow, before it's too late.

Sincerely,
Adrian Goldencrown

Snow frowned even deeper. "I don't need this right now," she sighed, refolding the letter and placing it in her purse. She didn't need any of the servants to come across her personal correspondence, so it was best she kept it with her for now.

Snow rubbed her throbbing temples. She honestly needed a nap, but she couldn't rest while her poor granddaughter was out there, most likely in the hands of evildoers. The queen arose from her seat. She'd have to order her guards to look high and low, through thick and thin, through hot and cold—

The queen's Mirrorphone started to chime. She immediately answered when Apple appeared on the caller ID. "Apple! Is everything alright?" she asked alertly, walking over to the window. Outside in the courtyard, Queen King was openly and comfortably conversing with the farmers and commoners of their kingdom.

"Mom, everything's fine! We found Daphne Ann," explained Apple quickly.

Snow sank into her chair, relived. "That's a relief. I was over here worrying myself about her. Wait, so she's over there at Ever After High?!" she asked, once again becoming alert.

"Yes and no. She was here in the dorms with me at first, but I took her to Sparrow's mom and-"

"You did what?" hissed Queen Snow lowly, pressing her lips together. "I thought I told you not to get involved with that hooligan and anyone related to him."

"I-I'm sorry, but I didn't have any other choice!" her daughter tried to explain, "you weren't answering your phone and I had to go do some things for school and I couldn't just leave Daphne Ann all alone-"

"Where is she now?" demanded Queen Snow.

"With Sparrow's mom, Maid Marian."

Snow sighed and pinched her forehead once more. "I don't need this right now," she muttered. "Apple, I'm on my way. Go get Daphne Ann from Marian and wait for me in the Enchanted Forest."

"B-but Mrs. Hood hasn't spent enough time with Snowflake yet! It's not fair to just-"

"Apple, I said go get Daphne Ann now," said Snow in a low warning tone, pacing around her office. "I don't care what that woman hasn't done yet, I don't want my granddaughter around her!"

"But Mrs. Hood is Snowflake's grandmother, too! Daphne Ann deserves to know both sides of her family!" Apple's voice was higher and squeakier than usual.

"No, Daphne Ann is a princess and should not be exposed to the Hoods…repulsiveness," countered Snow, growing irritated.

"Mom, the Hoods are not repulsive," said Apple disappointedly, "Sparrow's changed—kinda—and his mom is super nice."

"Apple. Do not make me repeat myself," said Snow sternly, "I'm doing what's best for my granddaughter. Now go get Daphne Ann as I asked."

There was a moment of silence. "Okay," said Apple finally, sounding a tiny bit sad. And with that, the call ended.

Snow sighed loudly. Why was it so hard talking sense into that girl? She'd have to learn the hard way if she didn't take heed to her mother's advice. Little did Apple know was that her mother had been down the exact same road before. And if the princess didn't learn to make the right choices, both she and Daphne Ann would pay for it in the future.