Mentor returned into the common room after looking over the Rangers after their battle.

"Nothing dangerous to report," he assured Serena, who was busy leafing through the book of Nighloks to figure out who the Rangers had been fighting and where Mia could have gone to, "It's like Mike said, they have paper cuts, but nothing serious."

"And Emily's finally puking up rainbows," Serena pointed over her shoulder to the bathroom, "Any minute now I'm expecting her to pass out and we'll finally remember what peace and quiet sounds like."

"You aren't in there with her?" Mentor asked with a frown as he took a seat next to Serena. She shook her head.

"This isn't Emily's first rodeo," she said, "Besides, finding Mia is a little more important than holding Emily's hair back."

"But not more important that caring for your own family," Mentor gently pulled the book from Serena's hands, "I will search for…"

"Aha," Serena smiled, yanking the book back and pointing to the image of the Nighlok the Rangers had faced, "Right here; the Story Book Nighlok."

"What does it say?" Mentor asked. Serena read over the information the former Samurai had gathered and sighed loudly.

"Oh boy," Serena passed the book over to Mentor, "Mia's living once upon a time."

"What?"

"The Nighlok's almost completely useless to Xandred," Serena explained. "Because he's basically a giant book, he's too chunky to possess any real fighting skills. He can paper cut like mad, but unless you're a haemophiliac, that's not much of an issue, don't you think?"

"It took out our Rangers."

"Yeah, but it's barely been two hours and they seem ready for a round two," Serena shrugged her shoulders, "the real danger is the Nighlok's final self-defensive attack, where he pulls his attacker into the pages of his book."

"The Nighlok ate Mia?" Emily asked as she walked into the room after spilling her guts into the toilet. Serena nodded her head.

"Basically."

"What does that mean?" Emily took a seat across from Serena and Mentor, "Do we have to destroy him to save her?"

"I fear Mia is on her own," Mentor sighed heavily as he closed the book, keeping his finger between the pages to mark where he had left off, "Inside the book, we can't help her. She must find a way to make her own happy ending, or she will never return."

"What about the Nighlok?" Emily asked, "Where did he go?"

"Doesn't matter," Mentor stood up and walked to the bookshelf, "Until Mia is back, we cannot destroy the Nighlok."

"What?"

"If we destroy him…"

"Mia's basically stuck in the book, happy ending or not," Serena finished for Mentor.

"So, we're just supposed to let that big, bad book run around the city hurting people because it ate Mia and she can't get out if the book's gone?"

"Basically," Serena nodded.

"Just because you can't destroy the Nighlok, that does not mean you can't protect the city," Mentor reminded the girls, "Fight, but you must not destroy the Nighlok until Mia is home."

Serena sighed loudly, "Maybe this Nighlok isn't so useless after all…"

-Samurai-

Mia winced as she watched Emily accidentally fly into the branches of another tree and this time the fairy fell from the sky and landed on the ground.

"I thought you said you had your wings since you were five."

"Yeah…"

Mia chuckled and helped Emily to her feet, "I guess, no matter what world I'm in, some things never change. Are you okay?"

"I think… I…" Emily tried to look over her shoulder to check her wings, feeling a small pain, but couldn't get a proper look. She started spinning around in a circle, like a dog chasing its tail. Mia hit her hand to her forehead and sighed.

"Emily…"

"I just need to…"

"Emy…"

"Stupid wings."

"Emily," Mia grabbed the fairy by the arm, stopping the spins, "I'll have a look."

Emily blushed nervously and turned her back to Mia so the princess could inspect her wings, "The left one," she said, "it kind of hurts."

"I'm no wing expert, but it looks… ripped?"

"Oh no! It can't be ripped!"

"I'm sure it hurts, but it can't be that big of a deal, right?" Mia asked. "You can walk, can't you?"

"Yeah, but…"

"So, just walk with me."

Emily looked to the ground sadly and sighed. She retracted her wings and walked alongside the princess. She pointed down a path to a cabin, "Sir Kevin lives there. I will warn you again, though; visiting him for pleasure during daylight hours is a huge risk. If the King knew…"

"Emily, relax."

"But…"

"Emy, nothing's going to happen," Mia assured the younger girl as she approached the door to the cabin and knocked. "If you're so worried about Mentor finding out, why don't you go distract him?"

"I cannot," Emily shook her head, "I must stay with you. My sole purpose is to look over you."

"Sole purpose?" Mia frowned.

"I am your fairy," Emily nodded, "I protect and guide you up until your dying day."

"I don't need protecting," Mia said before the door opened and she found herself staring at Mike. She turned to Emily, "I thought you said Kevin lives here."

"He does," Emily nodded. She looked to Mike, "The princess wishes to visit Sir Kevin."

"It is still daylight," Mike looked up and then looked to Emily worriedly, "If the King…"

"She insisted," Emily said. Mike sighed, looked to Mia, and then nodded his head. He opened the door wide, allowing Mia and Emily to walk in. He carefully checked the yard around his house before closing and locking the door.

Once inside, Mia spotted Kevin sharpening his sword across the room and rushed over to him. Kevin looked up, surprised to see her, but Mia could guess it was because it was still daytime. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight, "Please tell me you know what's going on."

"I do not," Kevin shook his head. "Princess, you know you aren't supposed to visit me. At night, I come to you."

Mia pulled away from Kevin sadly, "You mean… this is all normal for you two? Mentor is my dad? Emily has wings?"

"Of course," Kevin nodded. He cupped her cheek gently in his hand, "Princess, are you okay?"

"She must have hurt her head," Emily whispered softly. "We were out in the garden picking fruits when she fainted. She's been speaking nonsense since she woke up."

"I've been speaking nonsense?" Mia frowned. "You're the one telling me I'm supposed to marry Jayden! And the wing thing? Don't even get me started on that!"

Kevin lowered his head and stood up. He walked away from Mia, "I suppose you are here to end things, then."

"What?" Mia shook her head, "No, Kevin…"

"You marriage to the Prince is only days away," Kevin said. "I'm afraid that will put an end to our love."

"But I don't love Jayden," Mia took Kevin's hands, "Kevin, we're supposed to get married. You proposed to me!"

"I have done no such thing," Kevin pulled his hand from Mia's; "I live to serve the King. I would never dishonour him by stealing his daughter."

"Yet you sleep with her almost every night," Mike muttered.

"If your father found out…" Emily whispered and lowered her head sadly. Mike wrapped his arm around her.

"He will never find out," he promised Emily. "I will make sure it doesn't happen."

"As will I," Kevin said, turning to look at Mia, "Things must end. We must never speak of this again. You have your life and I must go back to mine."

"No," Mia shook her head, "Kevin, I want you. I don't love Jayden…"

"That doesn't matter…"

"Yes it does!" Mia stomped her foot on the ground, "I don't care who Mentor wants me to marry. He had absolutely no say in who I love at all. It's my choice! I'm going to marry the man I love and the man who makes me happy. That's you, Kevin!"

"She does love you, Sir Kevin," Emily smiled. "She talks about you all the time, even when her father is around. She's happiest when you are with her."

"Please, Kevin," Mia begged, taking his hand, "I you don't love me, just tell me and I'll marry Jayden. I'll be unhappy, but I'll marry Jayden. But if you do love me, if you truly do love me, you won't let my father tell me who to love."

Kevin took a deep breath and looked to Mike for advice. The younger man shrugged his shoulders with a sly smirk.

"I think you know what you're supposed to do."

"Mia," Emily called, "You understand your father will not be happy when he finds out you chose to marry Sir Kevin over Prince Jayden. He won't let it happen."

"He's going to have to," Mia said. "Your sister will convince him to do what's right."

"She'll try," Emily nodded, "but the King is his own man. The final decision belongs to him. Please think this through, Mia. If you do believe marriage to Sir Kevin is for the best, and if it truly does make you happy, I will stand by your side, but you need to…"

"I don't need to think," Mia shook her head and smiled to Kevin, "We're supposed to be together. You and me. Please tell me you know that."

"I do, Princess," Kevin nodded his head and cast a quick smile at Mike. The younger man raised his fist slightly and pumped it in the air.

"I knew you loved her," he said. "You understand this love won't be easy though, right? Prince Jayden has been waiting for this marriage his entire life, and the King's got his heart set on wedding as well. They will do anything they can to ensure the wedding happens."

"He can try to tear us apart," Kevin wrapped his arms tightly around Mia, "I will fight to the death for this love."

Mia smiled and hugged Kevin. Finally, something in this crazy land made sense. She still had Kevin by her side, and it seemed her friends were willing to support her. There was still the matter with Mentor and Jayden to deal with, and she had yet to see Antonio, but hopefully she could make things right and somehow find her way back home.

Mike approached Emily, pulling her to the other side of the small house to give Mia and Kevin their privacy.

"The King will not be happy."

"I know," Emily nodded, "but it's my job to make sure Mia does what's right. I can't ask her not to follow her heart. The King won't be happy, but if I convinced her to live a lie, I wouldn't be a good fairy, would I?"

"I guess not," Mike breathed and then gestured to her back, "Where are your beautiful wings?"

"I… well…" Emily sprouted her wings, showing Mike the torn left one. She lowered her head sadly, "I hurt it again."

"You must avoid the trees, or at least ask your sister for more lessons," Mike chuckled, "Turn around."

"But…"

"I can't leave you with a broken wing," he gently touched her wing, at which Emily started to blush. She took a seat on the wooden stool and let him tend to her wing.