The Fallen Snow White
Apple ran. And ran. And ran. Out into the cold, snow-covered forest, far away from what she had just seen. She kept running because she knew that if she stopped for a moment, she would scream with anguish and never be able to stop.
Her mind was racing even faster than her body, and it was all a frightening blur. Daring. Lizzie. Grunting. Heaving. Moaning. "Yes." "Yes." Trollish. Disgusting. Obscene. Shameful. Intimate. Heartbreaking. Betrayal. Denial. Forbidden. Responsibility. Obligations. Lost. Pain. Sadness. Fear. Loneliness. Death. All these words added up to Apple White's worst nightmare:
Uncertainty. And Apple ran even faster to escape it.
Rotbart didn't know why he felt obligated to go after Apple. And he was amazed at how quickly he lost her (she could move surprisingly fast for a girl wearing a ball gown and high heels).
"Princess! PRINCESS!" He called. But there was no answer. Damn it. He thought. This is like Swan Day all over again. Except the last time he went looking for a distressed Apple White, he was searching on a sunny autumn afternoon. Not on a frigid winter night.
And he had help. He considered hurrying back to the ballroom to get Raven, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Someone might overhear and the last thing he needed were people assuming that he had done something awful to Apple. Besides, there was no time to waste.
"PRIN-CESS!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. And he listened all around him. But he could hear nothing but the night wind. And the forest was getting darker by the second. Rotbart cursed his weak human senses.
But maybe he'd have better luck in another form. He quickly transformed into his owl form and glided through the trees as he continued his search.
After what felt like hours, Rotbart finally spotted something in a clearing. Something that looked like a sobbing, shivering, pile of red, silk tatters and disheveled blonde hair. He swooped down and landed right in front of Apple.
"Who?" Rotbart said softly. Apple looked up in surprise.
"B.B.?" She said faintly. And then she passed out from cold and exhaustion.
Rotbart transformed into his normal form and quickly picked Apple up. He was no doctor, but it looked like Apple was suffering from hypothermia. Even if he tried flying as a human with his magic cape, he couldn't carry Apple as dead weight all the way back to EAH. And she needed help right now! He looked around for a safe, warm place.
And then he spotted the abandoned cabin.