I do not claim to own Fablehaven!

Chapter 1: Plans

"So let me get this straight." Said Warren as he poured himself a glass of lemonade. "Kendra is part of some big prophecy, Gavin Rose is still alive and part of this prophecy, Seth also has to go on this prophecy, and we're battling Navarog for the staff of darkness?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Seth said simply

"Could you give us the full prophecy?" Said Vanessa "I still don't speak Warren."

"Nessa!" Warren pouted "You're acting like I'm talking in a fairy language!"

"Obviously not," Vanessa smirked "Because then Bracken and Kendra would be able to understand you, something no Len is able to do."

"They'll recite it in a minute." Said Grandpa Sorenson "But first, what happened after the battle?" He said, turning to face Bracken.

"They found my parents in the dungeon. My father is also now out of his trance, so we got one good thing out of all of this. The fairy realm is… tainted, to say the least. But everyone has been helping restore it."

"I'm sorry and glad to hear what you have said." Grandpa Sorenson said sincerely

"I understand." Bracken nodded "Shall I recite the full prophecy?"

"Please,"

Bracken took a deep breath and began the prophecy,

The staff shall find itself in its rightful hands,

The demon shall live on, hiding in the midnight

Searching for the staff of his birthright

Son of the Rose, Darkness and Queen

Shall join her on this harsh journey

Light and dark, hand in hand

Take the staff from the demon's hands

Put them where they both belong

Or lose all, that you once had

"And I take it Kendra is the rightful owner?" Vanessa said, gesturing to where Kendra sat, holding the staff. She had refused to let go of it since she got it.

"Yes." Bracken said simply "Thought I must say, compared to some other prophecies I have heard, this one is not too bad."

"Care to explain what you know?" Said Warren

"Sure." Said Kendra "During the battle, Navarog revealed that Gavin Rose was never the one who betrayed us, but Navarog stole his form hours before he betrayed us and locked Gavin in Living Mirage."

"Bracken, do you know anything about a prisoner being held there?" Said Vanessa "You were there for a while."

Bracken cringed "I had heard rumors of a dragon brother down deep, but he was not in a place I could access through the tunnels,"

"And I take it he is the son of Rose?" Said Grandma Sorenson

"I'm afraid so. He's the only person who fits that description."

"Wasn't Gavin Kendra's boyfriend or whatever?" Warren blurted out as both Kendra and Bracken cringed.

"First of all, he was never my boyfriend." Kendra said, "And even if I did like him, I'm over it. Not that I did." She added quickly

Bracken let out a sigh of relief, though he did not seem that happy at Warren's statement and was now glaring daggers at Warren.

"Uh huh." Warren said a sly grin on his face. He leaned over to Seth and whispered "This is going to be good."

Seth smiled and whispered back "I know right?"

Grandpa Sorenson cleared his throat. "It also looks like Seth and Bracken are going on this mission, as much as I am loath to admit it."

"They're children!" Grandma Sorenson protested "They deserve a break."

"Tell it to the person who wrote the prophecy." Said Seth

"You are not making your grounding shorter!" Grandpa Sorenson warned

"Awww! I just saved the world! Cut me some slack."

"Actually I did." Kendra smirked "Didn't you make me admit that back in the fairy realm?" She asked innocently as Seth started banging his head on the table.

"Kendra, sometimes I wonder if you ever let me do something like that without regretting it."

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked innocently

"Kendra, you have ten seconds to stop before I pull out the big guns."

"I thought I was a goddess? Would you ever say that to a goddess?"

"Would you ever say that to your boyfriends? Emphasis on the "s""

Kendra blushed "I don't have boyfriends Seth. But you do have Sienna,"

"For the love of-"

"Can we please get back to the task at hand?" Grandpa Sorenson interjects

"Sorry Grandpa." Said Kendra

"First off, we will have to go to Living Mirage and see if Gavin is really there."

"What about Navarog?"

"I think the prophecy is implying it will prove hard to get him."

"Right. The whole hiding in the midnight part." Said Swtg

"Who is going to Living Mirage?" Said Grandpa Sorenson

"Is the prison even still there?" Said Seth

"We went through and freed all of our allies, but we never went to the last level. There were too many dark spirits and we had no protected minds, like Kendra and Seth."

"I think I should go." Said Kendra "He would recognize me."

"If Kendra is going, I am going." Bracken said sternly "I am also immune to the dark spirits mind games."

"Would you two like to go alone?" Said Grandpa Sorenson

"I can go!" Seth volunteered

"No." Grandma Sorenson said sternly "You are staking here. This shouldn't be a big mission and they will be fine on their own."

"I'll be fine, Seth." Kendra said and put a hand on her brother's shoulder "Trust me."

Seth sighed "I trust you. As much as I would love to witness that, I know I should probally just stay behind. All that magic really wore me out."

"Why do you think you should stay?" Warren said "You look like you're going to pass out any minute!"

"I probably am." Seth admitted

"How are we going to get there?" Said Kendra

"Mother managed to get the Fablehaven and Living Mirage shrine ready for us." Said Bracken

"Excellent." Said Grandpa Sorenson "When do you plan to leave?"

"Maybe tomorrow morning so we can get a good rest in. Would that be okay with you Kendra?"

"That sounds perfect." Kendra said

"Speaking of which, what time is it?" Said Seth as he yawned

"Midnight." Said Warren

"In that case I'm going to bed." Said Kendra "Goodnight, everyone."

"Goodnight Kendra. It's nice to have you back."

"It's nice to be back." She said simply as she went up to the attic

"I'm going to go to sleep too." Seth admitted

"Would it be alright if I stayed the night?" Said Bracken

"Of course!" Said Grandma Sorenson "You are always welcome here. There's a guest room next to the stairs to the attic."

"Thank you." Said Bracken as he and Seth went to bed, the others soon in tow. For one of the first nights in a while, everyone was back at the house. Safe and sound.

—

Kendra looked around and found herself back at the Zzyzx. She held Vasilis and her sword in collision with the demon king's. The demon king pushed her back, sending her staggering and crashing to the ground. He raised a sword and swung it down at her for a final strike.

Kendra screamed and used her hands to shield her face though she knew it would be useless, and then she opened her eyes, still screaming out loud, though she knew it was a dream. She felt someone run over to her. She didn't care who it was, all she could see was the demon king's horrible face.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and rock her smoothing her hair and whispering to her.

"It's all right Kendra." Seth's voice said "You're safe."

"I'm dead!" She wailed "Everyone is dead!"

"Kendra you are okay! It's me Seth!"

"Seth." She whispered "The Seth I know,is dead! You're not real! Leave me alone!"

"It's really me Kendra! Your little brother!"

"Is it though? Or are you just another fake! Another Navarog to play with my feelings!"

"Navarog is going to be dead. And for real this time." Seth said "I'm alive and you are safe!"

Seth could slowly feel her start to relax but she was still tense.

"It was terrible Seth." She whispered

"I'll say it again Kendra. You're safe, and we're safe. Everyone is okay."

"Not everyone." She whispered

"Everyone who could be saved. Their death is not your fault."

"But it is Seth!"

"No Kendra," said Seth "Not your fault and never your fault. You're safe."

Kendra sighed. "Thank you Seth."

"What's a little brother for?" Seth said smirking

"Dressing up when they're a baby." She joked half heartedly

"Hey! There you go Kendra! Deep breaths."

"Thank you Seth."

"Of course." He said "You've been through a lot lately, want to talk about it?"

"It's just so confusing Seth." Kendra whispered "I thought everything would be alright, and now I think everything I know is a lie."

"Does Bracken know the story of Gavin?"

Kendra nodded "I told him in the illusion labyrinth."

"How do you feel knowing that he is alive and all of that?"

"Scared and confused." She admitted

"You worried you're going to be part of a love triangle or something?" He joked and Kendra rolled her eyes.

"Seth for the last time, I am not in a relationship with any of them!"

"Uh huh." He said skeptically "It'd actually be very helpful if you got together with Bracken, so Warren gives me twenty bucks!"

"You two are betting on me!" She complained

"Well, duh. I could use the money now that Newel and Doren don't need batteries."

"Seth, will you ever change!" Kendra complained

"I hope not." He said "I don't want to be boring like you."

Kendra playfully punched his arm. "Thanks Seth, I feel a lot better."

"Of course. We still have a few hours until you leave, do you want to sleep or head downstairs?"

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep." She admitted "But you should go ahead, we both know you're tired."

"Are you sure?" He yawned "I can stay up if you want."

"It's okay, Seth." She smiled "I'll be fine."

"Normally I would insist but I am way too tired to argue."

"Goodnight Seth," she said as she quietly left the room and wandered downstairs. All she really wanted was a cup of hot chocolate and fudge brownies, so she quietly got out the ingredients and started to mix the batter. She had her fair share of talent when it came to baking. She found it as a good comfort.

"Need any help?" Came a voice from behind her.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Said Kendra

"No." Bracken admitted

"Sure. Could you mix this batter for me? I was about to also heat up some milk for hot chocolate. You want any?"

"Sure." He said as a comfortable silence followed. "Why are you up?" He asked

"Nightmares." She said simply

"Need to talk about it?" Bracken asked with his tone soft as he poured the batter into the pans.

"I already did with Seth. But he fell back asleep."

"How do you feel about the mission?"

"Complicated." She admitted "Everything has been so confusing lately."

"I know what you mean." He admitted "I hate to ask this Kendra, but what is Gavin to you?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Kendra said uncortably, because of the fact she was talking about this with Bracken

"Kendra, what I'm meaning to say is will you be my girlfriend?" He asked

Kendra stood in shock for a minute, processing what had just happened.

"It's fine if you're not ready or anything," Bracken rambled suddenly, very interested in the brownies in the oven.

"No, I think I'd like that." Kendra admitted

"Really?" Bracken said surprised

"Yeah. I think so." She said

"I'm sorry, I just had to ask before we went to get Gavin."

"I understand." She assured him, desperate to change the topic she turned her attention to the brownies, "How are those looking?" She asked

"Almost done." He said "How about the hot chocolate?"

"Almost done." She smiled

"Is this your new comfort food?" He asked "Not that I'm complaining, you make excellent brownies."

Kendra laughed "I guess so. It's just one of those things. You already know the formula, you just have to do it."

"So there isin't some prophecy for making brownies?" He teased "There is only one, the flour-"

Kendra playfully shoved his shoulder "I think after this, I'm going to be avoiding prophecies for a while. You might want to get those brownies under the oven."

Bracken quickly ran over and grabbed the pan. "I hope I didn't fail too bad." He said

"I'm sure they'll be fine. Make sure you get a few before Warren and Seth get down here. There won't be many left after they get here."

"True." Bracken admitted

"Come on, let's go watch a movie. It's going to be a few hours till morning."

"What's a movie?" Bracken said, suddenly very confused

"Right. Its like a moving picture. Picture rewatching moments of your life in your head, kind of like that."

"All right. Which do you have in mind?"

Kendra smirked "The Last Unicorn."

"Sounds interesting." He said "I wonder how much they got right?"

"Slim to none." She said with a laugh "But it's still interesting."

Ten minutes later they were eating brownies and watching a movie.

At the end of it Bracken said, "You know I actually think this movie was based on my baby sister."

Kendra snorted "I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"I guess you'll have to ask her yourself someday." He said with a wink

"The others should be coming down soon." Said Kendra "You want to make breakfast for everyone?"

"I'm guessing brownies aren't a very healthy meal?" Bracken jokes

Kendra rolled her eyes "I was thinking waffles."

"What are waffles?" Said Bracken

"Okay, Bracken. After all of this I am going to explain every last modern thing to you. Even if it takes me a hundred years."

"Alright. But first tell me what a waffle is."

"You'll have to see." She said with a wink as she got up "Now come help me make the batter."

"Alright." Bracken said getting up

"Can you gather all of this stuff?" Kendra said putting a list in front of him.

"Sure, Kendra." He said as he gathered the requested ingredients which Kendra tossed into a bowl.

"How about the waffle iron?" She asked

"The what?" Bracken's face scrunched up in a way that made Kendra crack up.

"Never mind." She said handing him the bowl of batter "Mix this, I'll get it."

"What's mix?" Bracken said, as Kendra glared at him "Kidding!" He raised his hands in surrender and started mixing the bowl's contents.

Kendra plopped the waffle iron on the table and plugged it in. "Are you done with the batter?" She asked, Bracken nodded and handed her the bowl. She grabbed a measuring cup and put it in the batter so it would be ready when everyone came down.

"Now we just need to get the toppings." She said

"What do you put on waffles?" Said Bracken

"Syrup, butter, fruit, whipped cream, chocolate chips and all of that."

"I don't understand what most of that is, but it sounds good." Said Bracken

"What sounds good?" Said Warren as he poured himself a cup of the coffee Kendra had made for him and the other adults. She had still not quite developed a taste for coffee yet, but she didn't mind making it.

"Waffle toppings. You want some?"

"I'll take a waffle." Warren said "Thanks little fairy."

"Little fairy!" Kendra complained "I'll go get that staff and whip your sorry butt! Bracken tell him what I looked like when I had the staff."

"I couldn't tell. You were glowing so bright." Bracken said

Kendra smirked as she poured some batter into the waffle iron. "See Warren? Think about that the next time you call me that."

"Alright." Warren raised his hands "You win little wraith."

"Warren I swear to all gods!" Kendra pouted as Bracken attempted to hold in a chuckle. Kendra turned to Bracken "You were supposed to be on my side!" She complained

"Sorry Kens. I just pictured you wearing a black robe."

"I could pull off a dark robe." She pouted playfully

"Wait, do I owe Seth twenty dollars now!" Warren complained

"Yep." Kendra said gleefully

"What is he talking about?" Said Bracken

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Said Kendra

"Don't want to know what?" Said Seth

"How you won the bet!"

"Really, I won? Cool!" Seth whooped "I had a feeling, pay up Warren!"

Warren grudging handed Seth a twenty dollar bill. "Fine." He said "But I'm going to win the other bet."

Before Kendra could grill Warren on the other bet, Vanessa and the others came into the room.

"Morning everyone!" Kendra said gleefully "I'm making waffles now."

"Thanks Kens." Said Vanessa

"No problem. Bracken helped."

"In that case they're going to be full of sparkles." Vanessa said sassily

"Nessa, be nice. Don't poke the hand that feeds you. Both figuratively and literally."

Soon everyone was eating waffles and playing around at the table. Bracken had actually declared waffles one of his favorite foods. Kendra and Bracken seemed very happy together, but will it stay that way?