"You sure you don't wanna come in with us?"
The five of them stand at the doorway to Sparrow's treehouse. Heavy rock music pours out, though slightly muffled through the wooden doors. Apple shakes her head. There must be a mistake; why would anyone want to hide here? Darling looks down at Cerise as she stands on the staircase down.
"No way," Cerise crosses her arms. "It smells like wet socks and soft cheese in there."
Darling sighs. Rosabella puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Darling. We got this."
"And if Raven isn't here?" she asks, looking pointedly at Dexter. He clutches his laptop to his chest.
Rosabella glances away nervously. "Then... then we'll keep looking."
She nods to Cerise, and the Hood runs off into the woods. Rosa and Darling march back up to the doors. As if on cue, a slot at eye level slides open and someone peeks out.
"Password please!" Darling jabs two fingers into the slot, poking his eyes. "Ow!"
"We have no time for this, Tucker. Let us in!" She orders.
"Alright, alright! Jeez! I never get to have any fun..." He closes the slot and door swings open. The music pours out like a flood, and they all cover their ears as they enter.
Apple gags. Dirty clothes and old takeout litters the floor, and various stains she couldn't identify smear across the walls and even the ceiling. Dexter kicks at an upturned Chinese food box, and he jumps as it somehow scuttles away. Darling pays no mind as she marches up to the band oblivious to their presence.
"Sparrow!" She shouts. "SPARROW!"
No use. The music is too loud. Rosa rolls her eyes, strides over to the wall, and unplugs the speakers. Finally the music shuts off. Sparrow pulls his microphone closer.
"Hey!"
"If you'd heard us the first time, we wouldn't have had to do that." Rosabella stepped away from the speaker.
"Listen, damsels," Sparrow leans against the mic. "If you're here for an encore, you're gonna have to go to Cricket Master and buy a ticket like everyone else."
"Sparrow, stop it." A voice comes from the back. A bit disheveled and holding her guitar, Raven pushes her way to the front. "Um, why don't you guys go over I'm In Love with my Carriage's bridge. Jackie, that's G major, not F major. And Mitch, you think you could slow down just a speck? We're having trouble keeping up."
"Um, excuse me!" Sparrow cuts in. "I'm the band leader. I'll make the decisions... and my decision is to do what you just said."
Raven rolls her eyes and gestures for her friends to follow. Carefully maneuvering over the mess, she settles on an old mattress shunted off to the side. Her chest and guitar case sits neatly against the wall, and a blanket and pillow are folded on top of the mattress. Raven gently sets her guitar in her case and lays down on her mattress.
"I'm really sorry, guys," she sighs. The mattress compresses next to her, and someone takes her hand.
"Hey," Dexter says "No one here is blaming you."
"What are you doing here, Raven?" Apple asks.
Raven shakes her head. "I don't know, I - I couldn't face everybody after what happened. I broke the rules, again. And I know everybody would have something to spell about it, again. I didn't think I could handle it."
"What? No, I mean why here, specifically?"
"Oh." Raven sits up. "Well, it's the only place no one would think to look. Also, I kinda owe Sparrow for breaking his van. And his shoulder."
"And..." Darling looks around. "How's that working out for you?"
"You don't really get used to the smell," Raven says. "But, it's not so bad. There's food, and I get to play. But it's okay! It's just temporary until I can find another place."
"What about your dad?" Dexter asks.
Raven looks away. "I... He doesn't need to worry about this right now. It's almost the end of the year anyway, and ..." She hugs her knees up to her chest. "I don't get it."
"Well, I guess it means you won't be going back again - "
"Not that. I mean, why now? And why this? Even as far back as Legacy Day, he had a chance to do something. And when my mom went too far off-book, she went to into a mirror. It just feels like he's letting me off easy."
The room falls into an uneasy silence.
"Well," Dexter finally says. "In any case, I thought you might want to see this."
He opens his laptop. The files he'd collected from the Underworld pop up and fill his desktop. "After Grimm decided to mess with my laptop, I was able transfer most of these files to my computer and back them up on the Cloud. That way, he can't delete these."
He pulls up folder inside folder inside folder until one remains. Inside, five files sit perfectly aligned, each labeled with initials and a row of numbers.
"No..." Raven breathes. The rest of them gather around the laptop to see. "There are others."
Her face turns bright red. Why is she so surprised? Had the thought never crossed her mind before? Then she remembers, Sapsorrow had told her:
"I'm not the first he's sealed away because I refused my destiny."
Her hands rake through her hair. The others look amongst each other, Rosabella and Darling looking especially uncomfortable. Even the Merry Men have come to watch what's going on. Dexter closes the laptop.
"I don't know hexactly what to do with this information but - "
"We have to find her." Everyone turns to stare at Raven. She looks up, fire in her eyes. "We have to find Sapsorrow and tell her these tales are alive."
"W-WHAT?!" Apple yelped. Darling puts a hand on Apple's shoulder and tries to gently pull her back. "Raven, I know you feel sorry for her. I feel a bit sorry for her too. But is reeling Sapsorrow back into this a good idea? I mean, you've seen the damage she's caused!"
"Sapsorrow is... hurt, and afraid." Raven chooses her words carefully. "But I think she knew these tales. They could have been her friends. A-And even if they weren't, they're still tales who were sealed away because of Grimm's rules! We should, at least, hear their side of the story, right?"
Darling steps forward. "I'm in."
Apple shakes her head. "No, I still is a bad idea."
Rosabella shrugs. "Well, I've gotten all my credits for the year. Plus," she steps forward. "you'll need someone who knows her animals."
Raven turns to Dexter. He understands he can't stop her from doing this; he would let her go do it. But she knows she's put him through hex this year, and she would completely understand if he chooses to stay behind.
He stands up. "If this is something you need to do..." He holds his hand out to her. "Then, I'll stand by it."
Rosabella peeks into the dragon stables. "The coast is clear."
Everyone tiptoes inside, clad in dragon armor. Raven opens the stall to embrace Nevermore.
"We need to take as few dragons as possible," Darling says. "Pack what you can that isn't too heavy."
Dexter fidgets with his armor, not quite fitting into it. He follows Raven into the stall with a gulp. He's seen dragons in games and while Daring was sparring, but he's never been this close to one.
"Nice dragon. AGH - !" Nevermore pounces on top of him, sloppily licking his face and knocking off his glasses.
Raven giggles. "Nevermore, get off of him!"
Apple shushes them, grabbing her dragon Braebyrn's sadle. "Not so loud! Someone might spot us."
"You really don't have to come, Apple." Raven pries Nevermore off to don her bridle. "You were the one who was soooo against this plan."
"Well," Apple huffs. "Hexcuse me for wanting to look out for you!"
Dexter adjusts his glasses and looks up at Raven. She's scowling. Before he came say anything, Darling hoists him under the arms and sets him on his feet.
"We'll make better time if we go two to a dragon. Rosa, you're with me on Herowing. Make sure to pack plenty of food, and - "
"Darling," Rosa takes her hand. "Breathe."
Darling takes a shaky breath, her grip tightening around the sword on her belt. Rosa crosses the stable to grab some supplies. "Let's just focus. We'll grab what we need and follow the course. And, if we hurry, it should be a straight shot to - Daring!"
A crown of blond hair that had been poking up from a bale of hay suddenly ducks down. Rosa approaches the hay bale and peeks over. Daring crouches down underneath as he glances up at her, staggering until positions himself as if to appear comfortable.
"Oh! Rosabella! I...I didn't see you there."
He flashes a smile, though it's awkward and barely flashes like his regular toothy grins. She gazes down at him, noting his rumpled clothes and large gloves he's wearing. He is sweating quite a bit as well, making him seem even more flustered. All of this was punctuated by the rainbow of emotions flooding off of him. She staggers back and blinks. She fights back the growing headache.
"What are you doing here?" she asks as steadily as she can.
"Me? Oh, I was just, uh..." he glances around nervously. His gaze lands on a pitchfork and he snatches it up to show her. "Cleaning the dragon stables! Yeah. So many dragons now. Have to take care of all of them, heheh."
Legend grumbles softly, grabbing the pitchfork out of his hands and bonking it against his head. His crown falls over his eyes.
"Ow!" he cries. He readjusts his crown. "So...what are you doing here? ... in dragon armor?"
"Um..."
"Rosa!" Darling calls from further down the stable. "What's the hold-up?!"
Darling rushes up to Rosabella's side, and she sees him. "Well, well. Look who isn't class."
His snow white charm falls into olive green doubt, and Daring stands up. "You're not in class either. Where hexactly do you think you're going?"
Before Darling retorts back, he pushes back her and gazes down the stalls. Raven and Apple busy themselves with Nevermore and Braebyrn. Dexter waves at him, almost defeatedly. Daring shakes his head.
"No. No! Little bro, take that stuff off now! You too, lil sis. Get back in your towers and do your thronework."
Darling massages her temple. "Oh, not this again."
"Daring, it's fine." Dexter chokes out.
"Fine?! How fine do you think it'll be when Mom and Dad find out."
"They won't find out. We got some friends doing our homework and Maddie providing alibis." Daring furrows his brow, never in his life hearing something so ridiculous. "I can handle this trip, Daring."
"You shouldn't be going on this trip! Either of you! It could be dangerous."
Darling rolls her eyes. "I can take care of myself, Daring. Thank you."
"But Mom and Dad will notice you gone. I won't be there to protect you - "
"Protect me?!" Darling sheathes her sword. "Listen to me, Daring. I may not let everyone see this side of myself, but I let you. And if you can't hexccept that about me, then I don't ... " she stops herself. "I don't need you babying me again, got it?!"
Again? Rosabella thought. How long has he been taking care of them?
"We're going, Daring! And that's final." Darling marches back towards the dragons.
"Wait!" Daring calls back. "You're not going to fit everyone on two dragons. It'll slow you down at best, weigh you down at worst."
Dexter shrugs. "Well, what do you suggest, then?"
"You take Legend." Daring tilts his head towards the mother dragon. "She can easily fit four people on her back. You're better off taking her, and maybe one other dragon."
Darling squints at him. "But the only dragon rider she's comfortable with is you."
Daring smirks. "Well, then. You'll just have to bring me along. Unless, you want someone to notice practically every dragon is missing from the stables."
She nearly goes purple in the face before Raven sets a hand on her shoulder. "Darling, come on."
Darling finally lets out a breath and her face returns to his normal color. "Rosa, you, Dexter, and Apple go with Daring. Raven and I take Nevermore."
Dexter obliges and slowly climbs onto Legend's back. Rosa and Apple pull themselves up after him. Raven pulls Nevermore out of the stall and climbs on.
"Darling, are you - ?"
She holds her hand up at Raven, eyes held tightly shut. For a split second, Raven spots a fear tears welling up in her eyes before she climbs on behind her. Without a moment to waste, Raven whips the reins and Nevermore takes off into the sky, Legend and the others following close behind.