This chapter may contain sensitive content. If you do not wish to read those parts, please skip over the italicized paragraph below. Thank you.
The wind whips against her face, but Sapsorrow keeps flying. She can see it. It's not far. There, overlooking the ocean, her home.
She swirls back onto her feet and stares up at the castle. Her castle. Her home. It certainly is more unkempt than she remembers it. The brick is a bit more weather-worn, and the wood a bit rotted. Gray clouds loom overhead, giving the castle an eerie, empty feel. She takes a step for the entrance, dry leaves and twigs crunching under her feet. The gardens around her, the ones she remembers playing in as a young girl, they're falling apart. The gazebo where she and her parents would have summer picnics has caved in. The stone walls hardly look like stone anymore. Tall, thick ivy covers any semblance of rock. She gazes up at the large wooden door. The flag with her family's crest hangs in tatters. She gulps and raises her hand to knock.
Please let someone answer, she prays.
She grips the doorknocker in her hand, lifts it, and slams it into the wood. A loud thud echoes through the gardens, then a creak, and a groan. The door leans inward and crashes into the marble floor, breaking into soft, mossy pieces. Tentatively, Sapsorrow steps inside. She is immediately overwhelmed by the smell of mold and dust. The grand foyer she had passed through countless times was caked in dust. Cobwebs hang from the banisters and between the marble columns. No one must have cleaned this place in years. Just how much have people suffered because of her absence?
"Mother?" she calls, stepping over the broken door pieces. "Mother! I'm home!"
She heads up the stairs, kicking up dust as her cloak drags along the floor. Her footsteps echo through the empty halls.
"Hello? Anyone? I...I know I've been gone, but I didn't mean to - "
She stops abruptly, and she looks up. Their portrait. She remembers staring at it with both happiness and contempt. Her mother, hair like the night sky in her pale moon dress, bright blue eyes like a cloudless day. Her gray cloak falls over her shoulders. Five-year-old Sapsorrow sits on her mother's lap with a large grin on her face. She musters a smile and clasps the jewels at her neck. She remembers that picture. She had begged her parents not to put her in that puffy dress. It was such a hot day. But her father said "If you promise to sit still and give your biggest smile, you can run around the castle naked for the rest of the day." And she did just that. Her mother and all servants had all gone red in the face to see the young princess running around without clothes.
Father...
Her eyes travel to her father's side of the portrait. Much of the canvas has been torn to shreds. Pieces of his boots, a flash of a cape, a glimmer of his stone-gray eyes. They bore down on her, looming over her. She tightens her cloak over her shoulders. She knows her story front to back, inside and out. Her grandfather was the same as his wife's father, and he was the same as his wife's father. Sapsorrow had hoped that - maybe, just maybe - her father would be different.
He stroked her hair as she sat on his lap. His touch was soft. It was gentle. She did not look at him, though.
"You're just like your mother, Songbird," he cooed. "Much alike in beauty. Much alike in temperament. Much alike in every way..." He gazed down at her in that loving way he always gave her mother. "Do you love Father?"
She nods. "Yes."
His fingers gripped around her hair, and he whipped his head away from her. "But you know that...it's not like...not like how I love Mother! You know that. Right?"
She nods again, slowly. "Yes."
She clutches her cloak so tightly, she fears it will tear. She doesn't know if it was a curse or an obligation, but destiny says that it's part of her story. For her father to... or at least, attempt to... Her vision blurs with tears. She turns away from the portrait and marches further down the hall. She can't bear the memories of him now. Not right now! She passes through the grand halls of her home, ducking under cobwebs and crawling through pieces of debris.
"Hello?!" she cries out desperately. "Anyone?!"
She dashes up a flight of stairs. The silence is maddening. Why is there no one here?! She curls inward, taking the form of a wolf. She sniffs the air. There's no smell of anyone, not a single living creature. She bounds through the halls, running and running for what feels like hours. She jumps, sommersaulting in the air to land on her human feet. The ballroom. The ballroom where her parents had met. Golden walls now brown with age, crystal chandeliers covered in webs and vines and mold. Everything is in disarray and disrepair. Why has no one thought to fix it?
She runs into the center of the room. "Mother?!"
Her voice echoes off the walls and rings in her ears. This doesn't make sense. Where is everyone? She looks around, frantic for someone to be here! Someone has to be here! She yanks open the curtains of one window. Of course, the windows were filthy. She runs over to the next window and throws open the curtain. She sprints to the next and yanks it off. She rips every curtain off its hooks. She doesn't care anymore. She just needs to let it out. Everything is happening so suddenly and she can't even -
She stops. Through the dirt and smudge, a figure stands outside looking over the ocean. Sapsorrow gasps. "Mother!"
She rushes for the French doors and babbles: "Mother, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to leave so soon. It wasn't my fault. I don't - "
She throws the doors open, and her breath lodges in her throat. Her mother's statue stares coldly into the distance, placed upon a pedestal above the other markers, with a plaque on the base:
Doralice Kinsov-Furr
1865 - 1914
Dutiful Wife and Loving Mother
Sapsorrow falls to her knees. It begins to sink in: everyone is gone. The wind picks up around her. How long had she been in that book?! How long had Grimm been sealing away every fairytale he doesn't like?! She holds her head, fighting back tears. It's not fair. It's not fair! She buries her face in her hands.
Raven jerks awake and groans. She had been planning on sleeping for the next two days, but her dreams seem to have other ideas. She slaps her pillow over her face. Maybe if she knocks herself unconscious, she can get some sleep. The dorm door opens and closes, Apple's shoes click on the marble floor. Raven groans softly and turns on her side.
"Hi, Raven," Apple greets slowly. Raven moans a greeting back. "...You know it's three in the afternoon."
"Mhm."
She rubs her arm sheepishly. "Are you still upset about Sapsorrow?"
"MMMMMMMMMMM-Hmm-hmm-hmmmmmmm!" Raven whines into her pillow. She plants her face into the mattress, begging to just go to sleep!
Apple sighs. "Sorry...are you mad about what I said?"
"About what?" Raven muffles.
"You know...the whole "not all Rebels are good" thing?" she titters, her cheeks flushing.
Raven turns her head and peeks from under her pillow. "I don't want to talk about it, Apple. I don't want to talk about Royals and Rebels, or about good and bad, or about right and wrong. Because I don't know!" She slams her pillow back over her head and buries her face into her bed. "I'm tired..."
Apple shuffles her feet awkwardly. "...Need a poisoned apple?"
Raven glares at her from beneath the pillow.
"Right! Right, sorry!" Apple backs up to her side of the room. Raven buries her face again and moans.
Outside the Enchanted Forest, Dexter works underneath Sparrow's van. Sparrow tries to play his guitar while his arm is in a sling, which anyone can imagine would be frustrating. Daring stands off to the side with some tools. The younger Charming brother wheels out from under the van.
"Are you sure you should be playing that thing?" he points to the guitar.
"Hey, you broke my van. Shadow lady broke my shoulder. I gotta compensate somehow. Music never stops!" Sparrow props the neck up on his broken shoulder and shreds. He bites his lip and squeaks in pain.
Dexter sighs and rolls back under the van. "Mhm."
Daring leans back against the side of the van, staring off into space. The guitar falls off Sparrow's shoulder, creating a piercing wail. Dexter immediately covers his ears. His brother doesn't react, as if nothing happened. Sparrow stoops down for his guitar, leaning in close to Dexter.
"Hey, what's up with him?"
Dexter emerges, grabbing a wrench. "He's been like that for a few weeks. Watch this." He turns to Daring. "Hey, Daring. I think the van's got a bit of shine back in it. It's like you can see your reflection in it."
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Sure." He continues to stare off into the distance.
Sparrow blinks. "Yo, what's the matter with you?"
"Nothing," Daring says offhandedly.
"Dex?"
Dexter shakes his head. "I'm not touching it if he isn't." He pulls himself back under the van.
Sparrow rolls his eyes. "He looks like one of his many admirers... Wait. No way!"
"What?" Daring asks flatly.
"That's what this is over?" Sparrow laughs. "A damsel?"
"She's not just a damsel!" Daring snaps.
"Ooh~" Sparrow croons. "Trying something different? Taking a dip in the deep end?"
Dexter groans. "Sparrow, leave him alone. He's going through a rough time."
The elder Charming facepalms. "Thanks, little bro."
Sparrow chuckles. "Daring Charming, the prince who could have any damsel in Ever After, is having girl problems?"
Daring's face goes red, and he turns away. "No! She's just...nice."
"Nice," Sparrow repeats. "Okay. Let me know if she's a good match next week."
Daring goes from red to white, his fists clenching. "Next week?!"
"Yeah, you know," Sparrow remarks casually. "When you move on to the next damsel."
Daring lunges and throttles him on the ground. Dexter rolls out instantly, knocking Daring off his feet and off of Sparrow. Sparrow holds his shoulder in pain, staring at him in disbelief. Dexter swiftly stands up and holds Daring back as he tries to lunge again.
"Daring, get a hold of yourself!"
He whips his head around and snarls, almost bestial. Dexter gasps, nearly dropping him. Daring clears his throat and rubs his neck. Sparrow scrambles behind a tree stump in fear. "I didn't mean anything! I just assumed - "
"That I'm a card player!" Daring finishes. "Just dealing out ladies left and right!"
"Well..." Dexter shrugs. "Is he wrong?"
Daring blinks in surprise. "You agree with him?"
Dexter eases his grip on him. "I mean...everyone thought that Dapple was a thing."
"Dapple?"
"You and Apple White!" Sparrow clarifies. "You know, the whole "destiny's hot new power couple"?"
"Well, that's...w-wrong!" Daring stutters.
"It's not like you were all that committed when you were destined to be together." Sparrow adds. "I mean, you had to literally schedule time to be with every girl in school."
"So?" Daring challenges. "I was being generous."
"Then there was that bet with Lizzie Hearts," Sparrow chuckles. "which we all know was a fairy fail."
"That was - " Daring starts. But Sparrow interrupts.
"Then you went on that movie date with Duchess Swan."
"And danced with Cerise at Thronecoming," Dexter adds.
"And flirted with Cedar after she was turned into a real girl in Wonderland," Sparrow continues.
"How do you even know about that?!" Daring snaps.
"You see our point though, right?" Dexter finally lets go of Daring and steps in front of him, subtly shielding Sparrow. "You're the Daring Charming. Best at jousting, best at dragon-slaying, best at being handsome, and popular, and athletic...You're the epitome of the name Charming." He glances away from him, a hint of resentment rising in his voice. But he continues. "You think Rosabella's just going to ignore that?"
"Rosabella Beauty?!" Sparrow shouts in astonishment.
Dexter facepalms. "Curse it!"
Daring grabs his hair, frustrated. "Have you met her?! She's all about looking past that!"
"She's all about seeing people's true nature," Dexter clarifies. "And while she may see a genuinely kind and thoughtful - somewhat dimwitted - person ..."
"Excuse me?"
"I think she's smart enough to know facts, Daring! ...There's a reason Mom and Dad want me to be her prince."
Daring blanches. "What...?" Dexter sighs, scoops up a screwdriver, and heads back towards the van. "But, that's not your destiny!"
"I don't know what my destiny is, Daring," he admits. "I might not have one, for all I know. But, they figured that a bad destiny would be better than no destiny at all."
"Bad destiny?" Daring questions.
Dexter opens his mouth to explain, but he looks back to the van. "Never mind...I gotta finish this, and you know it's going to take forever after."
Daring stands there dumbly, confused and unsure. He looks to Sparrow, but he ducks behind the stump. Daring sighs, admitting that maybe he had overreacted. He shakes his head and starts back towards the school.
"I need to clear my head."
"Wait! I still need help with - " Dexter peeks out. "And he's gone. Sparrow, can you hand me the jumper cables?"
"We don't have jumper cables. We have hopper cables." He holds up what appear to be severed frog legs with cables coming out of them. Dexter twitches uncomfortably as Sparrow drops them. "Cockamamie fairytale puns!"