In the dark and lonely school halls at Ever After High, Briar seemed to have been walking for hours in her head, even if it had been a few minutes. Her thoughts kept echoing and echoing through her mind, frantic and hard.

'Why… Why did I have to remember? Urgh! Why did he have to leave?! Why?!'

Her pace kept going at an easy speed. But then eventually her walking turned to speed walking in five seconds. And another five seconds, her speed walking turned to jogging. And another five seconds, her jogging became running.

With each increase in speed, her thoughts became more frequent as that of her running. Thoughts, doubts, and what ifs. All because of one thing as she halted to a stop in front of the Headmaster's office to catch her breath.

"Why…?"

Hurt. Hurt was what she was feeling at this moment as she panted and tried so hard not to cry. Trying so hard not to cry for those who leave you. To those who may never return.

Kitty: Dramatic, much?

Shut up Kitty!

Kitty: Jeez, alright. Rude much?

Lucky: She does this a lot.

Just move on.

"You're Headmaster Grimm's granddaughter?!"

"Huh?"

Briar turned her head to the source of the booming surprised voice. In curiosity, she slightly opened the door while trying to make sure to not make a sound as she peeked inside.

She saw Raven, looking nervous and looked like she was caught with breaking and entering.

The other person in front of the witch was- wait. Is that?... no it can't be.

"Um, I don't know what you mean…" Raven responded, looking for a way to escape. Why was she even-

Wait…

"You mean to tell that this drawing of you and the Headmaster from years ago with big bold words saying "Me and Grandpa Grimm" doesn't indicate that you, Raven Queen, is the granddaughter of Milton Grimm?!"

"What?!"

The two of them snapped their heads as the door opened slowly to reveal Briar Beauty clamping her mouth shut with her hands, shock clearly plastered on her face.

Gale… actually, should she be surprised. With how much of her night was going, of course fate might as well bring more people into the mess.

Raven on the other hand, was not taking it well. 'Really?! Why was she even here?! Shouldn't she be at the party? A party for godmother's sake! And now more people know. This is just great!'

"Briar… why are you here?" the witch, try as she might, kept her composure with venom in her tone as the raging thoughts swirl in her head.

The party girl stiffened at Raven's question. Not only because she didn't want to tell why, but also because of the purple enchantress who seems to want to hex her away.

"Oh! Well- I thought I should take a nice and relaxing walk in the halls. The party was getting wild and I needed a break." Briar replied, fidgeting under their gaze, "I didn't expect to eavesdrop on the reveal and to run into you and… Gale… Um, Gale, why are you here?"

Now it was Gale that seemed to be the nervous one, "I-... uh."

"Wait a minute," said Raven, looking at Briar suspiciously, "You never leave a party even if it gets too wild. Or get tired from one to get a break."

"Um…" welp, so much for that excuse, "Maybe you should explain first why-"

Crash*

The tree girls jumped, startled at the loud noise coming from next door. It sounded like porcelain being shattered to the ground.

"Now what?" Asked Raven, done with it all.

All of them went out of the office and into another room, encountering three boys arguing.

"You just had to try and take that vase, didn't you!" The guy seemed to be around Gale's age and was glaring with blue eyes. He had a black leather jacket and a gold t-shirt with a purple dragon on the front. He also wore jeans and blue sneakers. His hair was blonde, black and some slight purple streaks in it.

The guy who was on the other end of the glare put his hands in front of him in defense, "I couldn't help myself, okay! The vase looked pretty!" He was brunette with hot pink strands and for some reason a black and fuschia masquerade mask over his brown eyes. He wore a black dress suit with a rose on the front adorning the left of his chest and black pants. On his shoulders was a long red scarf that both ends dangled in the back and he also had a brown satchel.

"Of course. Why am I not even surprised!"

"C'mon! You know how-"

"Um, guys." the last boy said, nervously as he was looking at the girls. He had the same hair as the first boy but was styled differently. He was around 16 and had his right eyes purple and his left blue. He wore a black leather jacket with a golden dragon on the back and a purple t-shirt with a black crow on the front. He also had tattered jeans and red shoes.

"What?!" the other two shouted.

Pointing, "We have company."

They both turned their heads and saw the girls, they're argument long forgotten as they froze on the spot. The girls are the same as they stared back. Both parties were quiet, not knowing what to do. Though, that silence was broken immediately.

"What are you guys doing here?!" shouted Gale and Raven, and the both of them looked at each other in more shock, "Wait, you know them?!"

"I know these guys," Raven pointed at the first and last boy, "Don't know who the mask guy is."

"They're part of the Rebellion against the darkness. They've been on the team for a while now."

Briar paid no mind to the other two, but instead to the boy in the mask. He looked familiar. And… that scarf…

~"Big brother! C'mon, you're going to get yourself more sick if you go out there in the cold!"

"I don't care if it's freezing! I'm going to the greenhouse to check on my roses!"

"...Then take this."

"A scarf?"

"I made it just for you! In case you get too cold."

"...Why is it so long?"

"The longer it is, the better it is from freezing! And to show how much I care."

"Thanks, Briar."~

Briar gasped, "Theo?!"

The masked figure, in surprise, looked at Briar, "What?! How did you-... Um I mean… whose Theo? I don't know him but he sure seems to be a dashing fellow." he quickly replied.

The first boy facepalmed, muttering, "Narcissist."

Briar held a cold gaze at the boy she couldn't believe was here, "Look at me in the eyes and tell me what you see."

The poor boy being glared at by the girl felt threatened but decided to get a closer look as he squinted his eyes, only to widen them in realization, "Briar?!"

"Yep! And you better explain to me fast or I'll make sure nothing in Ever After is ever gonna scare you but me!" she shouted in fury. And if looks could kill, then Theo would already be 6th feet under.

Theo was sweating a waterfall at his sister's rage and gulped big enough for all to hear. And before any of the two did something (begging or strangling), someone cut them off.

"Okay, before you end him, how 'bout we put whatever this is on hold so that we can sort all of this out." suggested Gale, hoping it would stop the angered princess from terrorizing her friend.

Briar still wanted a piece of her mind at the boy, but she had to admit, she also wanted answers as she found that this was a bigger mystery to solve than riddlish.

So she nods and Theo sighs in relief, knowing he still has time to explain himself.

Gale looked at the first boy and glared just as much as Briar, but the guy seemed to be more stoic and hard to faze. "Babe, mind telling me why and how you and Crow know Raven?"

Before he could talk, Raven cut him off in surprise, "Wait, Drake, you were serious when you actually managed to land a girlfriend?"

Gale laughed in amusement with Crow snickering, "Hah! Him, joking? He may be handsome but he can't joke even if it could save his life!"

"Rae, you and I know very well that he's more serious than any person we know! For him to joke would mean something's wrong."

Drake sighed. He may love them but their antics can be very annoying at times.

Raven, obviously realizing her mishap, replied, "Look, I know that but I always knew my big brother had issues getting himself a date. And if you ask me, Crow is the more likely person to be doing a better job and his tactic is flirting with every cute guy he meets."

Crow was about to retort, but stops himself and shrugs, "Meh, she's not wrong."

Calming down from her fit of humor, Gale realized something, "Hold! She's the sister that was in hiding that you two told me about?!"

""Hiding"?!" said Briar and Theo at once.

"You told her?!"

"Yeah, and her brother Axel. He's the boyfriend I was telling you about." said Crow.

Raven didn't know which was crazier. 1) That her siblings told them. 2) The stuff that happened in the spam of tonight. And 3) That her siblings and Apple's siblings are dating.

'What is with our attraction to the Whites of all people?'

The gears turning in Gale's head gave her another realization, "Wait a fairy minute," Points at Crow, Raven, and Drake, "If you three are siblings, does that mean you all are the children of Evil Queen?!"

Drake solemnly nodded, looking away. Raven looked at her brother and sadly patted his shoulder, which he was grateful for.

Crow chuckled the best he could, trying to lighten up but he knew the topic was a bit touchy, "Yeah. And if you're wondering if we both have magic, then yes we do. It was how I'm able to pull off all of my pranks. And Drake doesn't really have much, but he can turn into creatures." he noticed Gale's worried expression, "I know our mom isn't the best at this moment, but what's with the look on your face."

The blonde rubbed the bridge of her nose, thinking of the number of problems she's imagining, "Whelp, now I found even more reasons for Mom to hate us."

"What do you mean?" Drake asked.

"Gale and Axel's last name is White." Raven said, just as worried.

"Thanks for outing us like that, huh."

"Wait," Crow interjected, putting the pieces together as he also felt their worry at this moment, "You and Ax are the children of our mother's enemy?!"

"We'll deal with that inevitable headache later." she said, and then turned to Briar and Theo, "How do you two know each other? Though, I don't think I have to figure that out given how things are going here."

Briar huffed and Theo sighed, "My full name is Theo Beauty."

Drake, breaking his stoic face, shouted, "You're royalty?!"

"Yep! This guy over here is the brother that left one night with an illness that can't be cured or healed by any magic. Seriously, how did you even survive?! We all thought you were dead!" Briar shouted at her brother as he shrunk with each remark.

"Hold on! Back it up. How could you even be stealing if your family was royalty meaning rich with treasure and possessions? And what illness you seem, fine to us." Crow said.

"You steal?!"

Theo looked at his exasperated sister, many things he wanted to say and many things he regretted ever doing to whirl in his mind, "I may or may not have picked some peculiar choices…"

"Like what?" Briar asked, giving him a skeptical look.

He tried to answer as best he can but that didn't ease his nervousness, "Like gambling, making various deals with the mafia, and stealing."

Briar… didn't take that well…

Lucky: Way to make her speechless.

Kitty: No kidding.

"Theo! For whatever reason did you have to make deals with the mafia?!"

Crossing his arms, he replied, "I have very good reasons! To try to find some way to help you with destiny, some medicine that does wonders for my illness, and to save a friend. Though, I'm kinda screwed since I pissed of the boss and now I'm in her "fucked up" list."

Gale widened her eyes, more nervousness and fear was placed in her, "this boss wouldn't happen to go by the name Blue, does she?"

Theo looked at her and said, "Yeah, how did you know?"

If she wasn't enraged before, she was now, "Why the fuck would you make a deal with her of all people?! Do you know how dangerous she is?! Especially since she has a grudge on the Beautys!"

"What?! Why?!"

"I don't know but it's very aggressive!"

"Wait," Raven said, "Are you talking about the one that surprisingly took over a whole mafia at a young age?"

The both of them nodded their answer.

Drake asked his girlfriend, "How do you know so much?"

"Um-"

"What in Ever After is going on here?!"

All of them froze as Headmaster Grimm walked in, furious and not pleased and then to be shocked and uneasy as he saw who was causing all the commotion.

All of them were deadly silent. Until one person said the one thing they all were thinking.

"Well, shit."