32.

Toby stood in front of the building, a square shaped red brick affair. It looked more like a prison or a detention center than a school, but she supposed that was her fault. They were still hacking the vines out of their actual highschool. The wind whipped her long brown hair into her face and she ran a hand through it annoyedly.

8:09. Classes started in about six minutes. She still had to find her new locker and then find her first class.

It felt so weird to be standing there in front of the highschool. Ever since she'd returned from Believe, she'd had this strange sensation, like she'd come back to claim someone else's life. Her mother had cried and hugged her tightly, then made Toby her favorite dinner in order to celebrate. She'd found her pansies in a slight state of neglect, but certainly not worse for wear for her being gone for several weeks. However, wherever she went, no matter how familiar, it also felt like it'd changed slightly.

It didn't help that wherever she went she kept getting .. glimpses. Like she was seeing familiar faces and forms out of the corners of her eyes. Just the other day she'd sworn that she'd seen a Fairy watching her from the corner of a building. This morning she'd gone out to visit her pansies and found the hint of a large, clawed footprint in the dirt. It made her instantly look around for Theo, but then she'd chided herself. Theo was a human now, and he was avoiding her. There hadn't even been so much as a hint of him as she left the Fairy Court. She couldn't believe he hadn't even said good-bye to her.

One way or another, it felt like the world around her was somehow different, somehow not the one that she'd been kidnapped by Gaj'ja out of.

Maybe it was the rest of the world. Maybe it was just her.

Well, she supposed, that was sort of true. She had died, after all. This i was /i someone else's life -- the old Tobias.

The old Tobias and the new Tobias shared something in common, however -- neither of them wanted to walk through that door.

Through that door was Julie and Jenny and throngs of students and teachers who would look at her and see nothing different. They wouldn't see the silver band that still sat on her forehead or the invisible sword that hung at her side. They would just see plain old Tobias, minus her glasses and plus some strange new rumors hovering about her; she didn' t look forward to more questions about the infamous movie she was starring in. None of them would know what she'd gone through in the past few weeks. None of them would understand she wasn't that Toby anymore.

Toby missed the reassuring weight of an invisible Fairy Prince on her shoulder.

Fiz and Verum had promised to keep her up to date constantly, however. They'd promised to let her know as soon as they found whatever Rosepink had been using to track the Princesses and she'd return to Believe and they'd find the other Princesses. Then they'd all find Rosepink and stop her at whatever game she was playing at, then everything would be one of those 'happily ever after's that were so highly sought after.

Toby felt strangely optimistic. She'd had the weight of the unknown enemy hanging over her head for so long that it was a distinct relief not to be wondering who it was anymore. She'd wanted some answers and now she had them. True, she had a lot more questions as well -- what was Rosepink planning? could they stop her? what had happened to make her hate Princesses so much? -- but at least she had answered some of the questions that had been plaguing her.

Now she just had to survive highschool again until it came time to return to Believe.

"Hey, it's 8:13. We're going to be late." Dominic slid an arm around her shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She hadn't even noticed him walking up behind her. She smiled faintly. At least one thing hadn't changed -- she still had Dominic by her side, though now it was as more than just a friend, she guessed.

"Yeah, you're right, we should get in there."

"Cheer up, Tobydoby. I'm with you. Besides, you've faced down the Queen of the Fairies -- a very scary being if I do say so myself. What is there in highschool that's scarier than that?" Dom cracked one of those grins, and Toby resisted the urge to glance around to see if any innocent by-standers had suddenly swooned.

She looked up at him, quite serious. "Algebra."

He laughed. Then, one hand on Kjavaeos and the other on her bookback, Toby headed up the stairs and through the doors into the highschool with Dominic's arm still around her shoulders. Toby took a deep breath on the threshold, then stepped through into the building.

She had her 'happily for now.' Her 'happily ever after' was still in the coming, but she was sure she'd get it one day.

Shewas a Princess, after all.

(( And, that's the end of this book.

I'm definitely planning a sequel (gotta tie up all those loose ends, after all), but first I want to take a good hard look at this one and polish it up a bit. Expect a prologue and an epilogue to be coming up as end-chapters. That being said, now is the time to let me know what parts of the story you think might need a little polishing. Either drop me an email or just hit the review button.

Also, I know a lot of people have questions about the story and I'm planning to do a FAQ chapter. So have something you're dying to know? Maybe why something in particular happened? Or want to know more about part of Believe or a particular character? Just drop me a FAQ: note and I'll answer it and put it up at the end of this story.

That being said, thanks to everyone who've stuck by this story and read every chapter. I especially appreciate those of you who've reviewed every or almost every chapter. You guys have kept me going.

So, that's it. Hope you've enjoyed the ride and see you in upcoming chapters and stories! ))