Eyes narrowed, her eyes rake up and down me, settling finally on my eyes, her own filled with disbelief. Unless I'm hallucinating her mouth even appears to be hanging open for a moment, but she snaps it closed immediately. I wonder if I could have imagined it, but dismiss the possibility. I'll savor this memory of having bested her forever.

The silence seems to stretch out between us, both daring the other to be the first one to speak. This moment, of being perhaps evenly matched with her, of not being at the disadvantage, of proving to us both that I'm more than a hapless child is everything.

She is finally the first one to break the silence with a frightening voice. It's the calm facade on the outside that's enough to send shivers down your back, the way she's perfectly masked the rage and hatred raging in her eyes. "I can see you're a little more powerful that I anticipated, Rapunzel," she says, eyebrows going up a little.

I survey the wreckage I stand in. As we stand in each moment more stone breaks apart, sending dust clouds flying up around me. There are some spare shingles on the ground as well, and I find a sort of pleasure in kicking one away with my foot. Her once prized vegetable garden is buried in the wreckage, the only plants remotely visible the strong ivy plants, and that makes me smile as well. But of course nothing can beat simply looking up. Just the sky, the trees, and no tower. Perhaps it would seem a sad little dream to the average civilian, but this is for sure the most meaningful moment in my life.

"My name isn't Rapunzel, it's Ivy, Mother. Perhaps you should have left when you had the chance. Where's my dagger?"

The sudden surge of power is giving me a crazy amount of nerve, and I wonder briefly what has possessed me to be speaking this daringly. I don't give it much thought, instead embracing it.

Mother laughs, a sound not unlike the hissing of a snake about to attack it's prey, lip curling upwards in a sneer. "Silly girl. You think that just because you had one success you're suddenly the one giving orders here? How simple the world must look to someone as naive as you."

I open my mouth to say something more when the I feel the sudden absence of the ground beneath my feet. A scream threatens to break free from my mouth, but I clamp it shut, taking in the rush of wind all around us. Mother is holding me firmly by a forearm, eyes dark and penetrating, practically black holes searing right through me, daring me to fight back. And just beyond her, I'm nearly as high up as I was before, seemingly having gone full loop. Before I wouldn't have resisted, but like I said, I'm not Rapunzel anymore.

"You see how powerless you are girl?" she hisses. "I could drop you right now, and give you the death you deserve. Or perhaps not. Perhaps you ought to go in a more painful way."

I would be lying to say I'm not scared. But I grit my teeth together and force myself to look at her. I think I'm starting to understand that bravery isn't never being afraid. It's standing up to your fears.

"Or, I could send you to your death."

"You can't kill me," she scoffs, rolling her eyes. "I'm a fairy. I'm immortal."

I don't give her a reply, instead closing my eyes, filling my thoughts with Lily and Leon, imagining myself in a happy place. Back to the ball, when we were all getting along. On the road through the desert with Leon. In the woods after our cryfest with Lily. The love, and all of it's sheer power surges through me and suddenly it doesn't matter anymore where I am-

Until I feel the blow. Despite being an all powerful fairy it would seem she's resorted to more crude methods and I hate the way I flinch back from the contact of her palm on my face. It stings, with all the superhuman force behind it, and I feel tears start to prickle in the corners of my eyes. But I will not give up.

Mustering all the strength I probably don't have, I pull my legs upwards, trying my hardest to kick her. They instead flail feebly in the air and I feel my face start to heat up but ignore it. I'm being a fool, I cannot beat her like this. The only thing I have over her is the perfect resistance to her magic.

This time when I put myself back in my happy place I keep my eyes locked on hers, refusing to let her quell me. Her eyes are equally set and determined but I refuse to let fear fill my mind. A look of disgust fills her face and air is rushing again.

We're flying higher, higher, higher than ever before. Far far higher than the thirty feet of my tower, so high that even the small scattered clouds are teensy shapes far far below, much less the pinhead tree tops and the nothing else that's visible. I think my body starts to go into panic mode by the sudden thinning of the air, but I refuse to let it distract me. Instead, I let myself be filled with wonder.

From here I can just see a faint bit of light in the distance. This long long night is finally coming to an end, and that will be the true end of Rapunzel. From up here this is the world like I've never seen it before, and it's magical. I feel my heart swell as I imagine all those I care about up here seeing it with me. I can think of nothing I want more in the world in this instant.

I'm so caught up in it all that the release take me by sudden, unexpected surprise. Still, I guess the adrenaline has kicked in with the heat of the moment because as I feel air whip past me- this time as I fall down not up- I whip out an arm to grasp Mother's long trailing sleeve. Eyes locked open with awe inspiring fear I pray the thin fabric will contain me, that it won't rip and send me sprawling to my death that nobody will find.

I get better. I expected to just feel the thin cotton, but instead I feel something startling strong, and welcomingly familiar. Aysela's dagger.

Eyes set with determination, I use all my strength to pull myself up just a little bit more so my hand can wrap around the hilt. As soon as she realizes what I am doing, Mother tries to jerk away, smacking down towards me, but that split second hesitation that she couldn't grasp was all I needed. I was faster. This time, I grab onto her leg.

I can see her eyes narrowing in concentration, and I expect her leg to morph into something deadly, perhaps a wicked sharp blade, perhaps putty that I can't hold. I can see it coming, and I could be afraid but I won't let myself be. I've come too far to meet my end now. Closing my eyes I think about everything I have left to do, the reason I don't want to die, can't die, won't die. Not yet.

I need to see Lily, just one more time, to tell her I should have gone with her instead of Snow, that I'm sorry for all our troubles, that there's nothing I want more than a sister right now.

I need to see Leon, just one more time, to clear up what happened with Charm, to share a piece of the raging tempest that is my mind and my convoluted yet pure feelings for him.

I need to see the Harysons, to be their daughter. I need to see Aysela, to laugh with my friend and share the adventure of her knife. I need to see Grandmother and thank her for everything. I need to share my newfound discoveries, my true self, and most importantly, my love.

I'm falling.

Falling, falling, falling. But this time is different. This time I'm not alone. This time Mother is falling right along with me, her mouth hanging open, fear filling her soulless black eyes. She can't fly anymore, not with me clinging to her. I'm taking away her power.

But my excitement is short lived. She was right; she'll survive the fall, perhaps just a little angrier and bruised, but I'm mortal. I won't.

The ground is looming closer and close with each passing second and all I can think is that I don't want to die like this. I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die. Not now! My mind is screaming, a furious chant going through my head as my thoughts fill with life.

Life. And love.

With a renewed strength I didn't know I had, I force myself to pull myself higher, grabbing from her ankle to her calf to arm until we're face to face, Mother and daughter, facing off in their power. I see on her face an expression I never thought I'd see: terror. She's been alive for thousands of years and never once been powerless like this, and it frightens her.

It's about time.

"This is for everything," I hiss through clenched teeth, wind whistling through them.

With everything I have, I bring the dagger up and plunge it into her heart. She offers no resistance, eyes widening only slightly as I take the last little bit of power she still retains away from her.

It contains the most powerful magic in the universe. It was made by magic with love as the intent.

Love.

It seems we fall in slow motion. Perhaps that's real or just an illusion, but the world slows around us. The wind engulfs us, lowering us gently as the trees whisper and watch in awe. And then-

Her body explodes into a burst of blue and green sparks and light, enveloping me like a rough wave at sea. For a moment all I can see is stars, and then I feel firm ground once again beneath my feet. The explosion clears and I'm standing alone in a deserted patch just as the first rays of the sun's light break the horizon, illuminating the clearing through the gaps in the trees.

Fairies can't die, but this one just did.

I look out to the horizon, then up to the empty space where my tower used to reside. I thought I had left but I was wrong. I hadn't, not really. Not until now.

Now I have.

Now I'm free.

"Ivy!" The sound is shrill and high, full of terror yet startlingly familiar. My face collides with the dirt, getting a mouthful of it and hearing a slight crunch by my nose as pain slices through me. Only then do I register the sound; the sound of Lily's voice, which I'd feared to never hear again.

Heart thumping, I turn my head slowly around to see Lily's familiar green eyes staring at me wide. My gaze then lowers to something strange, and I gasp, feeling woozy.

Sticking straight out of her abdomen a sharp pointed sword blade the same deep red as the growing stain on her once beautiful gown.

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I lied there's actually two more parts (the chapter was too long so I broke it in half ^-^) What do you think of Lily now? Don't forget to vote and comment :) xoxo, wisteria <3