AN: **MAJOR SPOILER ALERT FOR BROKEN LEGACY**

so if you haven't read that yet, I suggest doing that first

you've been warned

thank you for reading! Reviews Always appreciated!

now onto the story...

A new year had started at Ever After High,

Yes, the teens have returned from winter break, hoping to find a fresh start after the event of last semester.

Well, not all the teens.

That's right because one had suffered the fate of the Evil Queen's wrath.

Yes, the one story untold of the villain to Donna and her friends.

Although her end was tragic, she had to get there somehow in some way,

Because an end, always has a beginning...

It was January at Ever After High, and Donna Queen-Charming finally felt like her life getting back to normal. Luara's grave had been covered in snow, and Donna felt her own sadness become blanketed with the joys of the holidays. Now, she was back at school and for once, not having any troubles. All of her friends and family had made it so. Especially, Prince Matthew Hatter-White- the son of King Wade White of Wonderland and Madeline Hatter- the one she loved most.

"You've been studying for midterms for the last week, they're not for another two weeks," Matt pointed out. They were sitting alone in his dorm room. Chester Chesire was his roommate, but he rarely visited. He mostly room hops between his classmates.

"May I remind you that I missed about a whole month of valuable school time this semester?" Donna turned from her book. "And how sweet it is of you offering to help me, I must admit, you're not very productive."

"Well, that's because I have to spend time with my girlfriend," Matt leaned back in his chair with a smug smile.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Donna played along. "What's she like?"

"Well, of course, she's beautiful," Matt shrugged. The remark made Donna blush. "Very snoopy, but I let that slide. Most importantly she's undermining herself into thinking she's not the smartest girl in her grade. Or I guess second, Ally's got her beat in Riddlish. Either way, she's been neglecting me this week. But at least I've got you, dollface."

"Don't call me dollface," Donna rolled her eyes and laughed. She tucked her long brown hair behind her ear.

"Sorry, snoopy," Matt rolled his chair over to hers and kissed her cheek. Her skin burned under his lips. He then took off the glasses perched on her nose. He then faked a dramatic gasp and jerked back. "Oh...you're actually my girlfriend! My mistake. I've forgotten what you look like with glasses on."

Donna rolled her eyes again as she snatched the glasses from him. "They're just readers. At least I can see without them, unlike Ryder." She closed the book that was lying on the desk in front of her. Donna then turned to him. "Have you really felt neglected?"

"Like a puppy in the shelter," Matt pouted out his lower lip.

"I'm sorry," Donna stood from her chair. "Forgive me?"

"Of course," Matt held out his arms. She shook her head slightly before leaning down to hug him. Then Matt pulled her down onto his lap. Squished between him and the office chair they were sitting in, they couldn't move.

"Great," Donna rolled her eyes again. "Now we're stuck."

"Who says that's a bad thing?" Matt raised a brow. Donna grinned slightly before gently pressing her lips against his. Matt wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. It didn't work well since they were jammed in the seat, but they couldn't care less. They stayed like that for a long while, until the chair tipped back.

Donna was thrown from the chair as she landed on the floor. She twisted her body to see Matt was laying on his back, laughing. "That's one way to get out of a chair." Donna giggled as she moved over to him. She was going to lean down and kiss him again, but then she saw the blood on his forehead.

"Oh, Matt," Donna gasped. Matt looked concerned.

"Is everything alrigh- ahh." Matt sat up and put a hand to his forehead, gasping. He had cut his head on the bookshelf behind him. "Son of a teacup. That hurts." Donna pulled his hand away to look at the cut. It was deeper than she had expected. He winced.

"I better get you to the nurse," Donna got up to her feet and got a towel.

"No. No nurses!" Matt called. "No medical attention."

"Matt, you need help," Donna shook her head. "Your cut is deep, you'll need stitches."

"I'll be fine," Matt batted her away as she tried to stand up himself. When he did, he stumbled. Donna caught hold of him to keep him steady. Matt began to hyperventilate. "Not again, no. I can't go through with another surgery. I c-can't go under. I just can't."

"Matt," Donna called to him. He had closed his eyes and sunk back down to the ground. He started having a panic attack. Donna kept calling to him, trying to get him to calm down. He needed to hold his breath, or do something. "Oh, Matt," whispered Donna as she put her hands on both of his cheeks and kissed him. He stopped breathing rapidly and started to kiss back after a moment.

Once she pulled away, he stared at her with wide eyes. The tears that fell from his eyes were drying on his cheeks. "Donna, I love you. Please don't make me go."

"I love you too," she tucked a mint-green curl away from his face. "But you need to go to the nurse. They're not going to put you under. I'll be with you the whole time. Will you be brave, for me?" He studied her face, and his pupils slightly grew. He then slowly nodded his head.

"Let me call Derek, you're not fit to walk yourself," Donna pulled out her phone. She held his hand as he continued to catch his breath. She tried her best to hide her deep concern for what had just happened.

"What happened?" Ally White-Humphrey asked as both Derek Hearts-Charming and Donna's twin brother, Ryder Queen-Charming helped Matt up. Donna managed to stop some of the bleeding but it was starting again.

"He fell back from the chair and hit his head on the shelf," Donna watched as the boys helped Matt steady himself. They walked him out into the hall. The girls followed behind, out of earshot. "He then went into a panic attack when I mentioned nurses."

"You suppose it's because of the accident last year?" Ally asked. "He's got some kind of trauma that got inflicted when he cut his head?"

"I don't know," Donna shook her head. "He just flipped out. I wish I knew for sure. He hates talking about what happened back then. Too many bad memories I suppose."

"He'll be fine," Ally took her hand and Donna grinned.

Matt was a whole year older than her. And he had quite an eventful one. In a different timeline, Matt was a star bookball player for Ever After High. He once fit in, he even had a girlfriend before Donna, Eliza. Matt had made records with his rookie runs. He was going to be a promising player for the next two seasons until his graduation, until the accident.

One way Matt had made good friends was by helping them with school. In other words, he did their homework. But one time during a bookball game, Matt had been tackled. It wasn't a big deal, just a simple tackle. But he had been knocked out cold. Once he had recovered his injuries, he had become dyslexic, and couldn't read a single word. Matt could no longer do his or anyone else's homework, leading him to his loss of friends. He couldn't dare to play the sport he loved again because of his risk. He had everything he loved taken away from him.

Until now, he had met Donna and her friends for the real first time this year on the first day of school. Their parents had always been close, but young Matt never played with the other kids, he would simply read in the corner by himself. Donna had become close with I'm very quickly. It was as if a magnet had pulled them together. It was just fate.

Donna and Matt have been dating for four months now, but it's felt like they have been together much longer. Their love was pure and true. They understood each other completely and knew how to comfort each other. Usually, Donna always could comfort Matt, but she felt there was something different about this situation. She didn't understand what was truly going on in his head. She wasn't there when he had his accident like he had been there for her possession.

She wished she knew what really happened.

In the Vault of Lost Tales, a figure paused the mirror she was studying. Donna needed her help. She didn't plan on ever sharing her work. It was strictly forbidden to share with her own characters, but would Matt ever tell Donna his true story, or would he hide the memories from her like he had been doing for the last year? She looked back up to the mirror and continued to write.

Maddie had been called from her classroom. As Matt's mother, she did need to be notified. "You are definitely right, narrator!" Maddie called up to me, even though she knew she shouldn't recognize the narrator's voice or pen. "It's hard not to!" Maddie shot back.

Donna was with Matt again. Ally, Derek, and Ryder were pushed out of the room. Matt was sitting in a chair next to her, getting examined by a nurse. He begged for her to stay, and the nurse obliged. They had wiped away the blood, but Matt still had a worried expression. His hands were shaking. Donna captured them, trying to calm him down.

"Hold everything!" Maddie suddenly burst into the room. Everyone jumped, even Matt, who was used to her his mother's Wonderlandianess. Maddie then straightened. "Sorry, I saw a closed door and I couldn't help myself. Oh, Matthew, what happened?"

"I..." Matt's eyes drifted to Donna. "I fell back in my chair and hit my head on the bookshelf."

"That's what you get for goofing around and rolling everywhere," Donna grinned and nudged him slightly. Matt grinned a little, but then winced in pain.

"He needs stitches," the nurse said. "You're lucky that you didn't hit it any higher, otherwise it could've affected your past injury." Donna let out a relieved sigh. Matt already struggled enough with his dyslexia, he didn't need it to worsen. "I'll need room to work. Only one person can stay."

Donna instinctively got up. Matt watched her and kept a hold of her hands. Donna turned to him and kiss the top of his hand. "I'll be right outside, okay?" Matt stared at her for a few more moments before squeezing her hand. She then walked out of the office into the small waiting room set up with chairs.

She sat there for a while until Maddie came in. "He freaked out to much, they had to put him under," Maddie shook her head. Donna's heart dropped. Maddie came and sat next to her.

"Mrs. Hatter-White," Donna started.

"Maddie, please, it's too formal otherwise."

"Maddie," Donna corrected herself. "When I was with Matt after he hit his head, I suggested that we go to the nurse, and he...had a panic attack. He was shaking and couldn't breathe. Saying that he couldn't go under again. I was wondering...what happened last year?"

"He didn't tell you?" Maddie raised a brow. "Well, you know about the accident, but you don't know about after that. Oh...I shouldn't be the one to tell you. He should, it was a painful time for him. I'm not surprised that he had a panic attack, I'm surprised he didn't tell you."

Donna didn't answer. She just found herself wishing more and more to know what had gone down that fall of Matt's freshman year. It would fill many blanks for her. It would help her understand Matt's character completely.

The figure stopped writing again. How could she stand by and keep writing about Donna's confusion when she could help her? It was probably against some rules, but she made the rules where she worked under the school. She didn't have a boss. So the figure put down her quill again and stood from her chair. She turned to the bookshelf behind her.

She ran her fingers over the books below. The titles included: Before the Broken and Befall the Broken. She stopped when her fingers touched the book she was looking for she pulled it out from the shelf and blew off the dust. The figure wiped it off with her sleeves. Titled Broken Souls in golden lettering. The edges of the book were decorated with pink flame decorations.

This book held everything Donna was looking for.

Donna and Maddie waited there for about two hours. Donna didn't think it would take that long to have just stitches, but then she remembered that Matt had gone under. Perhaps the effects were wearing off. It was getting closer to curfew now, but Donna didn't want to leave without making sure that he was alright. She didn't expect today to go this way, but after last semester, she expected no less than surprises.

The nurse came out of her office. Both Maddie and Donna rose to their feet. "He's barely awake, but you can see him. He'll have to stay overnight." Maddie thanked her as Donna went in alone. Matt was laying there with a fresh line of stitches across his forehead. His curly hair had been tied back into a little bun, which made Donna smile.

His eyes fluttered open as she sat on the edge of the cot. "Hey, snoopy," Matt's voice a rough. "They put me under." He took out the hair tie and let his curls fall in front of his cut.

"I know," Donna looked down at him. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your doing," Matt yawned. "I was the one that pulled you into the chair."

"I meant I'm sorry for what happened to you last year," Donna shook her head. "You never told me what happened. In detail."

"Because I don't want to relive it," Matt's grogginess went away quickly. He had snapped at her. Donna had never seen this side of him. He usually had a pretty happy and subdued attitude. Matt seemed to notice the surprise on Donna's face. "I'm sorry. I'm not in the right headspace to talk about it right now."

"I didn't expect you to do it right now."

"Forgive me?"

"Of course. I'm just glad you're alright." Donna was surprised when Matt pulled her down next to him. They hadn't shared a bed for almost two months. Donna missed laying with him. He would protect her from the horrible nightmares that had followed her possession. She missed falling asleep to his heartbeat.

"Stay with me?" Matt asked. Donna propped herself up on an elbow.

"You know I can't," Donna looked at him with a sad smile. "But I'll be back tomorrow."

Matt sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too," Donna said as she got off the bed and leaned down. Matt cupped her cheek as they exchange a small but sweet goodnight kiss.

It was about three minutes before curfew by the time Donna had gotten back to her dorm. She touched the handle and unlocked the door before opening it. Inside, Catherine Beauty-Croakington, Cassidy Hood, and Ally were all sitting on their beds dressed in pajamas. Once they saw Donna, they all got to their feet. Ally had paled as she asked. "Is he alright?"

"Yes," Donna nodded. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"He looked so disoriented when I saw him," Ally gave Donna a hug.

"Ryder said he wasn't really thinking clearly either," Catherine added.

"It was because of the panic attack," Donna looked down. "I've never seen anything like that before. It reminded me back when...I had my nightmares."

"Oh, Donna," Ally placed a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be alright. He's all fixed up now."

"I just wish I could know the truth about what happened last year," Donna said as she sat on her bed. She looked up at the ceiling as she laid back. "I just want to understand him the way he does me."

When Donna finished getting ready for bed, she came into the darkroom where the girls were sleeping, even Catherine wasn't doing her usual night reading. Donna crossed to her bed and undid the covers to reveal a brown book lying in her sheets. She raised a brow. Donna wasn't much of a reader, and even if she was reading a book, she wouldn't stash it in her bed.

Carefully taking the book in one hand, Donna snapped her fingers to ignite a small purple flame. She hovered it over the cover to reveal the title. Broken Souls. What was this? She had never heard of this book before. Dona was about to open the book, but then stopped, almost setting the book on fire. Donna cast the fire into an orb light before getting into bed.

In the faint purple light, Donna opened the book to find a handwritten story...