.

Once Upon a Time

Spitfire – "Tangled"

Part Four

The thug who had been dispatched to find the soldiers returned almost immediately after they had all finished confessing their dreams to one another. He burst in through the door and announced, "I found the guards!" The pleased expression on his face made it clear that he was expecting to be praised.

Kid Flash seized Artemis by the wrist and pulled her behind the bar. They were barely hidden from view before the squad of guards came into the tavern, towing Speedy with them. "Where is he?" the highest ranking solider demanded. "Where is Kid Flash?"

Artemis looked at the redheaded thief beside her. He wore an absolutely terrified expression on his face. His skin was stark white and she could see that his freckles were standing out even more than usual.

There were footsteps coming closer to the spot where they were hidden. Artemis felt her own heart rate increase in terror as well. If Kid Flash were to be captured now, all of this would have been for nothing. It occurred to Artemis that she had no idea what would happen to her should the guards take Kid Flash now. In the unlikely event that she would be allowed to go free, the blonde girl was sure that she did not know the way home. And it seemed far more likely that she would be viewed as an accomplice and punished accordingly.

The head guard spoke again. "I know he's in here! I will turn this place upside down if necessary! Kid Flash has made a mockery of the kingdom's militia and I refuse to stand for it any longer!"

Artemis could hear sounds of the tavern being searched. Chairs were rearranged and tables were lifted away. It was only a matter of time before the guards thought to check behind the bar.

Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde girl saw the bat man put a hand on her companion's shoulder. He said nothing, but jerked his head to the side instead. Artemis felt grateful immediately. She and Kid Flash followed the bat man down the length of the bar, crawling on the floor to avoid being seen.

The bat man touched a panel in the wall and a trap door moved aside to reveal a secret passageway. The thug knelt down between Artemis and Kid Flash. "Live your dream," he said quietly.

"I will," Kid Flash whispered back in a reassuring tone.

The bat man glared at the crook. "I was talking to her," he said pointedly. "Your dream is stupid."

Kid Flash looked annoyed by this comment. He crawled into the passageway first, apparently determined to get away as fast as he could. Artemis paused to look up at the bat man. "Thank you," she said softly, "for not selling us out for the reward money." The teenager smiled and then checked that Robin was still with her and that she had a good grip on her skillet. Then she followed after Kid Flash.

0o0o0o0

In the tavern, the guards were becoming irritated that there was no sign of Kid Flash anywhere. "He's not upstairs, sir," one of the guards informed the captain, having just conducted a thorough search of the upstairs bedroom. The captain scowled as the door flew open once more.

Kaldur the horse stood in the doorway. "Kaldur," the captain breathed in relief. He had been worried about his horse. Kaldur trotted into the restaurant and poked his long nose around until he found something very interesting. He placed one hoof on the same panel that revealed the secret passageway. The horse looked awfully satisfied.

So did the head soldier. "A passage!" He turned to look at his fellow soldiers. "Let's get him. Logan, you can stay with Speedy here. Make sure he stays put."

The youngest soldier looked up at the tall redhead. He was clearly intimidated. As well he should have been. Roy swept the young guard's legs out from underneath him and took advantage of this. He was able to use the soldier's weapon to cut his shackles off of his bound hands. "Now to get the crown," he murmured.

0o0o0o0

Cheshire watched this unfold with narrowed eyes. She noted how "Speedy" was apparently looking for the crown as well. Having someone to team up with against "Kid Flash" could very well come in handy as she plotted to get Artemis back.

One of the tavern's patrons came tumbling out of the building. He was humming a tune and mumbling about dreams. Then he looked at her in an appreciative way, clearly admiring her beauty. Cheshire smiled and moved in closer as she pretended to enjoy the flattering gaze. Then she drew her sai and asked in a low, dangerous voice, "Where does that tunnel let out?"

0o0o0o0

Wally led the way through the passage by light of a lantern that had been hanging near the entrance. Artemis walked along beside him, still looking pretty proud of herself for the way she had handled things back at the tavern. "That was some quick thinking you did," the redhead told her. "I'm glad you were there, or else I'd probably be on my way to prison."

She gave him a pleased smile at his compliment. Then she said, "Well, I need you to not be in prison, or this whole trip was pointless." But it was a little too late for Wally to buy this little act of her pretending not to like him. And he realized that he liked her, too...despite the fact that she had taken his satchel.

There was silence for a moment. Then the blonde girl took a step sideways so that she was closer to him. Wally arched an eyebrow. "So, Kid Flash," Artemis began, "where are you from?"

This was the kind of question that Wally hated to answer. He shook his head. "I don't talk about that," Wally told his companion firmly. "I don't tell anyone my back story." Artemis frowned and Wally could tell that she was ready to start nagging at him for details, so the crook quickly changed the subject to her. "If you want to see the lanterns so much, how come you never went before?"

Artemis gave a nervous laugh and glanced down at the robin on her shoulder. "Well," she began, "I-" And she was cut off by a small stone dropping onto her head from above. "Ow!"

The walls began to shake. "Kid..." Artemis said as she wheeled around. Wally followed suit and felt his green eyes widen in horror as he saw the group of soldiers swarming towards them. Kaldur the horse was right behind the soldiers, whinnying joyously.

The crook saw Artemis bundle up her hair once more. "Run!" he shouted, giving her a hard push so that she would be in front of him.

Kid Flash and Artemis both ran as fast as they possibly could through the cave. Wally could see daylight just ahead. As they sprinted out, Wally could see that they were now atop a high cliff. They were trapped.

There was an ominous cracking sound from across the small quarry. Wally saw his old associate, Speedy, burst out from the boarded up mine shaft. "Who's that?" Artemis asked. Kid Flash thought he heard a touch of fear in her tone. He couldn't blame her. The menacing expression on Roy's face was not a good sign.

The palace guards had caught up with them. "Who are they?" Artemis asked.

"For the moment, just assume that no one here likes me," Wally answered.

He watched Artemis frown. Then she thrust her skillet into his hands. "Here." The blonde girl took a section of her long silky hair and used it as a lasso. The hair wound around a piece of wood across from them. She swung across the little canyon, leaving Wally very much on his own.

The redheaded crook turned around to face the king's soldiers once more. As the squadron advanced, drawing their swords, Wally let out a small whimper. "I've waited a long time for this," the captain said.

He took a good swipe at Wally. The thief barely managed to duck in time to avoid being sliced open. While the captain was off balance, Wally seized his chance. Kid Flash landed a solid blow to the side of the captain's head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Kid Flash managed to fight off the guards one by one. When they all lay in a pile near the edge of the cliff, he laughed. He spun the skillet around in his hands. "I have got to get one of these for myself," Wally declared.

Kaldur the horse had picked up a sword in his mouth. He now brandished it at Wally, clearly looking for a fight.

So they fought. Wally blocked each strike with the skillet, dancing around the cliff top to avoid being hit. "This is the weirdest thing I've ever done," he said to himself.

Then Kaldur managed to knock the frying pan out of Wally's hand. It went soaring over the edge of the cliff. "Two out of three?" he asked Kaldur hopefully.

"Kid Flash!" Artemis yelled from her position across from him. Wally looked over his shoulder to see Artemis winding up her long mane of hair. She tossed the end of it towards him. It twirled around his hand firmly. Wally felt himself being tugged. He cheekily waved to Kaldur and allowed Artemis to rescue him.

Wally narrowly avoided being attacked by Roy as he swung across the canyon to the blonde girl. "You should see your face!" he sneered at the older redhead.

His little gloat was interrupted as he hit a platform jutting out from the rock. The wind was knocked out of him, but he'd live.

Across the quarry, Kaldur was kicking at one of the dam's support beams. He succeeded in knocking the beam down. Water came gushing forth. Kaldur and the now conscious guards quickly crossed the canyon using the beam as a bridge. They were drawing closer to Artemis, who stood frozen in fear. "Jump!" Wally yelled at her.

Artemis's expression became a determined one. She took a firm grip on her hair and swung across to where he was waiting for her.

They got running again as the dam burst forth. The guards and Kaldur were swept away, as was Roy. The force of the waves knocked over a large rock. Wally seized Artemis by the wrist again and pulled her into the mine shaft that Roy had come out of earlier. Unfortunately for them, the large boulder that had come loose settled in front of the entrance, trapping them.

Water continued to flow through the part of the mine shaft's entrance that wasn't blocked by the boulder. The small space was becoming increasingly filled with water. They were going to drown. Wally looked at Artemis, who was backed against a wall of rocks. The girl looked terrified.

He heard a clanking sound. Artemis was trying to beat the skillet against the rocks, but it did no good. She looked at him helplessly.

Kid Flash tried to help his companion by shoving against the rocks with all of his might. This effort resulted in nothing more than a cut across the palm of his left hand. Then he dove down into the depths of the water to search for a weak spot that they could exploit. There were none that the thief could see. It was simply too dark.

The redhead popped back up out of the water. "No use," he told Artemis. "I can't see anything,"

Artemis scowled and then attempted to mimic his actions. Wally grabbed his companion and pulled her out of the water. "Don't," he said as he tucked a section of wet blonde hair behind her ear. "It's black as night down there."

Artemis seemed to realize that he was right. She did not argue with him. She merely leaned against the rock wall next to him. He could see tears swimming in her stormy gray eyes. "This is my fault." She turned away from him slightly and sniffled a bit. "My sister was right. I can't survive on my own. I'm so sorry that I dragged you into this, Kid Flash."

"My real name is Wally West," he found himself blurting out.

"My hair glows when I sing," Artemis replied, apparently deciding that it was time for her to confess her secrets as well.

This was the strangest thing Wally had ever heard. "What?"

But a look of comprehension was dawning on Artemis's face. "My hair glows when I sing," she repeated. She said something about a flower that Wally didn't quite catch as water surged over the tops over the tops of their heads.

Wally opened his eyes to see that Artemis hadn't been lying. Her long golden locks were indeed glowing a strange silvery color. He almost gasped before remembering that he was underwater and that this would probably not be a good idea.

The silver light that Artemis's hair was casting showed what appeared to be a weak spot in the wall of stones. They both frantically started pulling at the rocks. Little by little the two managed to break down the wall and ended up in a stream on the other side.

Wally climbed out of the river, coughing and spluttering. He was soaking wet and shivering. The sun was already starting to go down. He figured that the next order of business would be to start a fire.

Artemis stumbled onto the river bank. Miraculously, she had managed to hold onto the skillet. The little red bird appeared to be unharmed as well. "We made it," she gasped.

"Your hair glows," Wally said stupidly. He looked at the robin next to him. "Why does her hair glow?" The bird seemed to shrug.

"Wally!" Artemis yelled impatiently. She was still fishing her long mane out of the stream. "It doesn't just glow. I can help you with your hand."

0o0o0o0

Cheshire found the site where the tunnel let out from the Watchtower. She lurked nearby, her sai already drawn. It was simple. She'd kill "Kid Flash" and bring Artemis back to the tower. Cheshire also knew she'd have to find some way to keep Artemis locked up better. Cheshire could not afford to let Artemis escape again.

There were noises from inside of the tunnel. Cheshire drew closer to the tunnel's entrance. Her sai was still gripped tightly in her hand.

The door of the passageway was flung open. A young man with red hair climbed out, but it was not "Kid Flash." It was the other crook, the one who had been captured by the king's soldiers.

Cheshire retreated into the shadows once more. She could hear the man coughing. Then he said, "I'll kill him if I ever get the chance. I swear I will." He sucked in a deep breath and said to himself, "I'll have to cut him off before he gets to the city. Then I'll steal the crown back."

A plan formed quickly in Cheshire's mind. She smirked evilly. Oh, yes, that would work nicely. If she could get this man to go along with her plan, she would get everything she wanted.

She stepped out from the shadows. "Or perhaps you should think for a moment," Cheshire taunted. The man turned, drawing a sword as he did so. His blue eyes widened as he saw the satchel containing the tiara dangling from her fingertips. She tossed it to him.

The man greedily ripped open the satchel to check that the tiara was still inside. He wore a look of triumph when he saw that it was.

"Well, if that's all you wanted, I should be on my way," Cheshire said. "But if you're interested, I know a way you could obtain something worth a thousand crowns. And the best part is that it would come with revenge on Kid Flash..."

He fell for it hook, line, and sinker. "Name's Speedy," he said. "Now what could be worth so much gold?"

Cheshire smiled her evil smile. And then she began to tell Speedy all about the girl with the magic golden hair.

0o0o0o0

Back beside the river, Kid Flash – Wally – had managed to get a fire started. Artemis was comfortably dry once more. She perched beside Wally on a fallen log and wound a section of her locks around his cut hand. "You're being awfully quiet as you put your magic hair around my hurt hand," Wally said in a joking tone. He was clearly trying to lighten the mood after the stressful day the two had shared.

Artemis glanced up at her companion. She felt very apprehensive about what she was about to do. "I don't want you to think of me differently," she admitted. "I'm not exactly a normal girl, Wally." It wasn't as if Wally did not already know this, but Artemis wanted to impress upon him just how unique her situation truly was.

She sang the words to the special song Jade had taught her so many years ago. She watched as her hair began to emit that silvery light as the magic flowed through it. The blonde girl saw Robin gesture to his wing with the other one to indicate to Wally that his injury was being healed.

The redhead peeled away her hair. This revealed that his hand was as good as new. There was no longer any sign that he had ever been hurt. His green eyes were wide as they examined his palm in the firelight. "Please don't overreact," Artemis pleaded. Right now, Wally was all she had in the world. She could not afford to have him look at her differently.

He was still peering at his hand, clearly fascinated. "That's very interesting," he said quietly. "How long has your hair been magical?"

"All my life," Artemis answered. She wove her hands through her hair to find the section of hair that had been cut so long ago. She showed it to Wally and added, "Jade told me that people tried to cut it when I was a baby and that my parents were killed trying to protect me."

Artemis watched comprehension dawn on her companion's face. "So that's why you never left." The blonde girl nodded. "And you're still going to go back?" he questioned.

"She's my sister," Artemis said simply. She let out a sigh. Then she looked at Wally with a sideways glance. A smirk formed on her lips. "So your name's really Wally?"

He looked very uncomfortable. Artemis wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut. Finally, Wally replied. "I'll spare you the sad story of poor orphan Wallace West," he muttered. "When I was a child at the orphanage, there was a book I read to the other children every night. It was called The Tales of the Flash. The Flash was the fastest man in the world. He could go anywhere he wanted, do anything he wanted. I always wanted to be just like him, so I started calling myself Kid Flash. It sounded like what he might call his sidekick if he had one. For a poor kid with nothing…it just sounded like he had the right idea."

Artemis knew without a doubt that this was the most honest thing he had ever said to her. This was enforced by the fact that he quickly added, "Don't tell anyone about this, please. It would ruin my reputation."

"I wouldn't want that," she replied with a smile.

There was a pause. Then Wally's emerald gaze flickered towards the fire. It was starting to go out. "I'll get more wood," he said as he got to his feet.

The blonde girl called after him. "I think I like Wallace West a lot more than Kid Flash." She didn't really know why she had decided to say it then, only that it was true.

"You're the first," Wally replied, a little sadly.

She watched Wally retreat into the woods. Then Artemis heard a branch cracking and whipped around to see the figure of her sister. "Jade?" Artemis whispered, stunned.

"I thought he'd never leave." Jade threw back the hood of her cloak and sauntered closer to where Artemis sat. "Hello, Artemis dear."

The blonde girl got to her feet. "How did you find me?"

Jade drew Artemis into a hug. "I listened for the sound of betrayal and followed that. It was easy, really," Jade replied in a low, dangerous voice. Then the older girl seized Artemis by the wrist. "We're going home now, Artemis."

Artemis yanked her arm from her sister's grasp. Jade's dark eyes narrowed. "You don't understand," Artemis insisted. "I've been on an adventure. I've learned a lot about myself. And I think I met someone..."

"A wanted thief," Jade simpered."You have such good taste. You make me proud, sister." The older girl looked at her for a long moment. "Why would he love you? You're immature and inexperienced. He doesn't want you; he wants this."

Artemis' gray eyes went wide as Jade pulled out the satchel containing the crown. "Give him this and see how long he sticks around," Jade said.

"I will," Artemis found herself replying defiantly.

"I won't say I told you so." Jade then disappeared into the shadows with a swish of her long black cloak.

Artemis stood completely still for a moment, breathing hard. Jade had to be wrong about Wally. She didn't even know the redhead; how could she say that he would run away with the crown? Jade had no idea what Wally was really like.

The tiara was still clutched in her hands when she heard footsteps approaching. Wally's friendly voice called out, "I won't get super strength in my hand now, will I?" When he noticed that she hadn't turned around when he had spoken, he pressed on. "Are you alright?"

Artemis quickly stuffed the tiara into the bag again and stashed it in the hollow log before spinning to face him. "I was lost in thought," the girl explained quickly.

He nodded in acceptance. He started talking about how beneficial it would be to him if his hand did turn out to get super strong. Artemis bobbed her head, though she had no clue as to exactly what he was saying. She was too worried that Jade might just be right.

0o0o0o0

Cheshire and Speedy watched the scene unfold from just outside of the clearing. Cheshire noticed that Speedy made a move towards the crown as Artemis hid it inside the log. The dark haired woman promptly grabbed him to keep him from moving any further.

"If you act now, all will be ruined," she hissed at the redhead. "You must be patient. You will be rewarded in the end."

Actually, the only person who was to be rewarded was her, but Speedy did not need to know that yet. A smug look passed over her features. Oh, yes. She would get everything she wanted.

0o0o0o0

Early the next morning, Wally woke to something wet dripping onto his face. He opened his green eyes to see Kaldur standing over him, looking as angry as a horse could possibly look. "I hope you want to apologize-" Wally began. He was cut off, however, by Kaldur taking a chomp on his boot. The horse then started to drag him through the clearing.

His screams woke Artemis from her slumber. The blonde girl untangled herself from her hair and scrambled to her feet. She ran after Wally and Kaldur, managing to catch Wally by the wrists. Artemis pulled with all of her might, but Kaldur was not willing to give up. Finally, the blonde teenager gave one good tug and Wally came free, though Kaldur came away with Wally's brown boot. The horse looked thoroughly disgruntled.

Then he charged at them again. Wally scrambled back towards the trunk of a large elm, but Artemis stood her ground. Kaldur tried to get past the girl, but she flung her arms out to the sides to block him. "Easy, boy," she murmured, "easy." Finally, the horse calmed down and stood perfectly still in front of her. "That's a good boy," Artemis crooned.

She glanced back at him with a smirk on her face as if to say, "What was so hard about that?" The redhead frowned at the smug look on her face. She turned back to Kaldur. "Drop the boot," Artemis commanded. Kaldur released it at once, still looking annoyed.

Encouraged by this, Artemis went on. "Today is an extremely important day for me. I need you to not bring him to the guards. Just for today. Then you can do whatever you want with him." Wally made a noise of protest. He also noted that the horse appeared to be dubious about this proposal as well. Still, Wally stuck his hand out to show that he was willing to call a truce.

Kaldur turned away, making disgruntled whinnying sounds as he did so. "It's also my birthday," Artemis added as she patted Kaldur's neck. Finally, the horse turned back to Wally. He raised his front leg and knocked his hoof gently against Wally's hand. Artemis smiled and brushed past the spot where man and horse stood. As soon as her back was turned, Kaldur hit the redhead in the stomach with the same hoof. Wally grunted and doubled over in pain.

The little group was not too far from the capitol city of Starr Kingdom. After about an hour's brisk walk, the band of travelers reached the drawbridge that would lead them right into the hub of the city. Atop a large hill, the king and queen's castle looked down at the city. For Wally, it was hard to believe that he'd been here just yesterday.

Artemis walked on ahead with Robin, staring up at the palace with a look of fascination on her face. Wally, meanwhile, spotted yet another Wanted posted and tore it down. This was met by a disapproving look from Kaldur. Wally balled up the paper and shoved it into the horse's mouth. Kaldur spat it back at Wally's face. He let out a horse-like laughing sound.

Kid Flash was definitely tired of the way this horse treated him. He shoved against Kaldur, only for Kaldur to shove back. The two of them kept this up all the way across the drawbridge. They stopped only when Robin flew over to them and looked at them with narrowed bird eyes. Wally had to marvel at the fact that this little bird could look so menacing.

By this time, Artemis had entered the city. Kid Flash could see the look of enchantment on the blonde girl's face. He smiled fondly; it was not often that he'd ever seen anyone look around in such a wonderstruck way. Most city dwellers took the sights Starr Kingdom had to offer for granted. He had to admit that Artemis's enthrallment with the metropolis was both refreshing and endearing.

0o0o0o0

Artemis looked around at the city with wide gray eyes. The crescent moon symbol of the kingdom was splashed on triangular purple flags that hung everywhere: from windows, in shop doorways, stretched across the narrow streets. People were everywhere, calling out to one another in happy tones, toting around goods to be sold, and leading livestock through the crowd. Artemis, of course, had never seen anything like this in all her life.

However, it also meant that she had no idea how to act. Some of the townsfolk muttered rude comments to her as they passed impatiently. No matter where she walked, her hair was in the way and constantly got stepped on. Wally kindly helped her bundle it up so that it would be easier to carry.

She saw Wally look around until he spotted four little girls with bright red hair sitting on the edge of a fountain. They all had fancy hairstyles. The thief grinned at Artemis and together they crossed the square to where the girls sat. Wally got the girls' attention and showed them Artemis's long mane of golden locks. The girls all shrieked in delight. In what seemed like no time at all, Artemis's hair had been styled into an elaborate braid that was still very long, but at least no longer dragged on the ground. The girls had also decorated her hair with many fragrant flower blossoms. "Thank you," Artemis said to the girls in the most sincere voice she could muster.

They spent the day looking around the city. Artemis wanted to see as much as possible. While she was drinking in every detail that she could, she noticed a large piece of artwork on the side of one of the buildings. It was a mosaic of the people Artemis guessed were King Oliver and Queen Dinah. There was a baby girl in the queen's arms with blonde hair and gray eyes.

A little family sat next to the portrait. A young girl was placing a flower at the foot of the artwork. "It's for the princess," the girl explained to her mother, who smiled.

Wally bought her a purple souvenir flag with the kingdom's crescent moon crest. She beamed at him as he handed it to her.

Some musicians started to play a jaunty tune with their instruments. It was so lively and joyous that Artemis felt she couldn't waste it. She was here to celebrate, after all. It was her eighteenth birthday and she was going to see the lanterns tonight at long last! If that wasn't worth celebrating, Artemis didn't know what was.

So she started to dance. As she moved around the square, she grabbed townspeople and pulled them in as well. Everyone joined in, clapping and dancing right along.

Artemis's gaze locked on Wally, who was lurking off to the side near Kaldur. She beckoned for him to join her. He shook his head. Kaldur, however, nudged Wally forcefully into the dance and he was snatched up by another lady. Every time they got close to one another, they were always grabbed by a stranger. When Artemis and Wally finally ended up together as dance partners, the song ended.

There was a cry of, "To the boats!"

He grinned at her, releasing her hands. "Let's go see what you've been waiting for all this time."

Artemis followed Wally to the docks, where they were assigned to a boat only big enough for the two of them. Kaldur stayed behind on the dock while Robin perched behind Wally. Wally grinned at her again before picking up a sack he had dropped on the boat's floor. "Here, Kaldur!" he yelled at as he tossed it towards the horse. The contents of the bag spilled out to reveal shiny red apples. "I bought them," Wally assured the horse. Kaldur was apparently pleased by this. He bent his head to gobble one up. "Most of them."

The redhead chuckled at the sound of Kaldur's distressed noise. He took the oars in his hands and started to row them to the center of the lake. "Where are we going?" Artemis asked.

He smiled at her in a way that Artemis could only describe as sweet. "I want you to have a good view." Wally finally got the boat where he wanted it. He was right; from this position they'd be able to see everything. He looked at her expectantly, clearly waiting for some acknowledgement of the fact that they had perfect seats. "Is everything alright, Artemis?" he asked eventually.

"I've been looking out a window all my life. What if it's not what I dreamed it would be?"

"It will be," Wally replied firmly.

Artemis continued to gaze up at the now darkened sky. "What if it is?"

The redhead smiled again. "That's the best part. You get to find a new dream."

0o0o0o0

Up in the castle, King Oliver and Queen Dinah were preparing for the ceremony. King Oliver had dressed in his best emerald green robes. An elaborate silver necklace with the kingdom's crest on it hung from his neck.

It was this necklace that Queen Dinah was currently adjusting. She repositioned it to hang evenly. She looked up at him, trying to smile, when she realized that the king was crying.

"Oliver, darling," Dinah said gently. She reached up to touch his cheek. "You mustn't do this. I know it's difficult. But Artemis will be back someday. I know it in my heart. You must know it in yours. We must keep the faith." She gently wiped away his tears.

"You're right, of course," King Oliver said eventually. "Absolutely right." He gave her a brave if watery smile and added, "You look lovely, darling."

And she did. The queen wore a sweeping dress of midnight blue velvet. A rope of pearls was at her neck and her blonde hair hung loose to her shoulders. A delicate crown rested on top of her head.

Together, the king and queen made their way onto the balcony. The lantern was already lit and waiting for them. With slightly shaking hands, Oliver untied the lantern from its stand. It floated away and as it did, thousands of villagers lit their own lanterns and released them into the sky, where they shone down unknowingly on the missing princess.

0o0o0o0

In the boat, Artemis scrambled to her feet the second she saw the first lantern shining over the lake. As more lanterns joined the first, the scene only grew more beautiful. The whole world seemed to be lit up by the soft, glowing lights. As she turned back to Wally to make sure he was seeing this, Artemis saw that he was holding lanterns for the two of them. She smiled.

So Artemis knew what she had to do. Wally had mostly completed his end of the bargain and Artemis had no doubts that he would escort her home safely. She took out the satchel and handed it to him. "I'm sorry I didn't give it to you before. I think I was scared. But I'm not anymore."

The redhead nodded. Artemis put the bag to the side and they both let the lanterns go into the sky where they bobbed along with the thousands of others. Wally cupped her face in one hand. He leaned in close...

Artemis was sure that her heart was pounding. Of course she had never been kissed before, but she knew that was what was coming.

However, it never did. Wally drew away from her as he caught sight of something over her shoulder. She could not see it, but he could.

Roy was waiting for him on the shores of the lake, his face illuminated by an eerie green glow.