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"We make our own fairytales." - Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl
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The forest outside of Caeshire extended for miles until it eventually fed into a vast, luscious mountain range. Each cedar tree was nearly a century old, their branches almost scraping the sky, their trunks seeming endlessly tall. Moss climbed up the bark, providing pillowy cushions under the afternoon sunlight.

Soon the terrain became rockier, the group beginning to gain altitude as the forest moved up the mountains. They followed a trickling stream uphill, the air becoming cooler the farther they traveled towards the mountain's peak.

As the horses continuously made their fatigue known, the five friends stopped at a small cliff in the mountainside to regroup. Jake helped Carolyn pull Robin down from one of the steeds, placing him on a bed of plush moss in the shade.

Carolyn sat with her back against the base of a fir tree, pulling Robin's head onto her lap as Bailey scanned the forest below them for clues about their location.

"So," Carolyn started, growing impatient as Robin's condition worsened. "Where exactly is this chick you were talking about?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Bailey stated. "If only I had my map."

"Your dad makes maps"—Carolyn grimaced at her mention of Lewis, whose vitality was still in question, and softened her tone— "shouldn't you be a human compass or something?"

"At least I have an inkling as to where we are, rather than traipsing through the woods blindly and getting us lost," Bailey snapped, recalling Carolyn's directional challenges in Corona's forest.

"Guys...?" Aura peeped, her eyes growing wide as she looked at the mountain wall behind them. As her sister and friend bickered on, she cleared her throat and raised her voice. "GUYS!" She pointed a finger to the wall, which now had an opening to a candlelit cavern.

"That's new," Jake commented, amazed by the cave's magical appearance and a floating, golden candelabra as it made its way to them.

Its flames flickered slightly before it began its journey back into the cave, beckoning for the five to follow.

Jake assisted Carolyn in guiding Robin's limp body into the cavern as Bailey and Aura tied the horses' reins to a nearby tree.

A cooling mist of rainfall began to pitter-patter against the forest floor, sending a pleasant wash of familiarity of the Massachusetts shore over the twins.

If only life was still just as simple as it was before Fabula—when they spent rainy spring afternoons looking out onto the Massachusetts Bay. When the most troubling things in their lives were the school musical and acing Chemistry. The chemical composition of the sisters' minds was now utterly enervated, the ghost of their prior happiness having long since fled their consciousness. The thoughts occupying their minds were now far less trivial—flitting between the murder of their friend's baby brother and the vacillating health of the elusive Robin Hood.

Carolyn carted the bulky man into the cave, studying his face carefully as he experienced his first moments of consciousness in hours. He had only fallen asleep once they reached the safety of Caeshire's wooded border, as if his insignificant level of alertness could've somehow protected the girl that pulled him from the gallows, had the Crystian army come for her. Robin smiled down at her now, pushing through the pain the scrapes on his face brought him until she returned his grin.

Carolyn's hazel eyes twinkled as she tightened her protective grip on him, the honey flecks in her irises brighter than before as the flames of hundreds of candles danced around them. "You're gonna be okay," she whispered as a reminder, though it was more for herself than Robin. You have to be, Carolyn thought as they wandered down the path.

The cavern was homier than most, with fabrics of rich, warm shades lining the stone walls. Some stalagmites protruded from the floor but were shaved down at the top to serve as elaborate, natural candleholders.

The cave's path soon opened up to a large room, a bright space lit by a seemingly never-ending number of candelabras and lanterns. On one end sat a long, wood table carved from a fallen cedar tree, a small amount of moss still residing on its legs. A vase of daffodils and colorful irises perched on one end of the altar, the rest of the table decorated with quartz points, amethyst geodes, and other small crystals. Fistfuls of healing herbs and powders were organized into piles along the wood, letting off a strong, earthy aroma.

Aura noted each element on the altar, from the wide variety of plants to jars of rainwater. She recalled one of the books from her grandmother's extensive library—a novel depicting the work of witches and old healers.

"Welcome," a calming, mature feminine voice stated.

The five travelers turned their heads to the other side of the cave where, with her back leaned against the wall and her arms crossed, stood a goddess of a woman. She was tall but far from intimidating, with kind, russet brown eyes. A burnt orange dress hugged her curvy figure and accentuated her smooth, mocha-brown skin.

The enchanting woman floated over to Bailey, her bare feet leading her in a graceful waltz across the cave, exuding a certain amount of elegance untouched by the post-war world raging on just beyond the forest. Her kinky, ink-black curls tickled Bailey's cheek as she pulled her into a gentle embrace. Bailey breathed in the woman's warm, comforting scent—a cross between citrusy bergamot and a cool ocean breeze.

"I'm so sorry about Tristan," the witch offered her genuine condolences, pulling away from the hug and holding Bailey's hands in her own. She looked up, her eyes alarmed at Robin's condition, and beckoned Carolyn and Jake to bring him to a long, glass table in the center of the room.

"My name is Althea," the woman stated in her smoky, serene voice as she helped Robin lay on the counter.

"I'm—" Carolyn started before Althea cut her off.

"—I know who you are, sweetheart," she flashed a smile before carefully tugging Robin's tattered shirt off of his muscular torso and assessing his numerous, grisly wounds.

Althea looked over Robin's body for a few moments before nodding to herself. "I can heal him for sure, but it'll take a couple of weeks. His injuries are extensive, to say the least. He's lucky he escaped Caeshire with his life."

"Wait," Aura started. "You know what happened?"

The witch smiled warmly as her eyes flashed a bright gold. "My talents lie not only in healing the sick, dear."

"She's a psychic witch," Bailey explained as confusion deepened the lines running across Aura's forehead. "Known best for her healing abilities."

Althea curtsied playfully at the formal introduction. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, but no wrinkles were evident on her features, and she had a youthful energy about her—a charming, refreshing glow.

Jake stood off to the side, his mind swirling at the never-ending stream of impossibilities that had plagued his reality throughout the past ten days. From the existence of fairytales to the phenomenon of magic, Jake was caught on a ceaseless carousel, and if he didn't find a moment to breathe soon, he would be sure to fall from his horse. "I think I need some air," he rushed out before following the path back into the forest.

"You're welcome to wait, if you'd like," Althea offered to the three girls, noticing the boy's departure.

Carolyn nodded, sitting down beside the glass table as the witch began her work. Robin grabbed Carolyn's hand as a steady flow of green mist flowed from Althea's palms. He pulled Carolyn's hand to his face and pressed her palm against his cheek. "It's okay to leave," he stated.

The blonde nodded in understanding, a sad smile on her features. "It's better to stay."

Bailey joined Althea where she stood and offered up any useful bits of information she possessed about Robin's injuries as Aura followed Jake back to the cave's opening. Aura tugged at her ear nervously, knowing an unwavering flood of questions would surely crash towards her. She led Jake back to the cliff as the soft rain slowly came to a stop, a small jar of turmeric in one hand and a fistful of gauze-like material in the other.

Aura popped the cork off the bottle of orange powder with her thumb before delicately pouring a thin layer over a small abrasion on Jake's stomach. She let out a soft chuckle as she pressed it into his skin. "Last year in Culinary class, Mrs. Wainwright told us that turmeric is supposed to help prevent infections. Let's hope she was right, for once." The smile dropped from her face as she looked up and noticed Jake's troubled expression.

A pang of guilt wormed its way through Aura's stomach. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all of this sooner," she apologized, wrapping the gauze around his wound. "And I hate that this secret ended up getting you hurt."

"It's okay. But I'm gonna be honest, when you said your grandmother had been hiding something from you, this is not what I thought you meant," Jake sheepishly admitted.

Aura laughed before flashing a half-smile. "I never expected this, either."

"Is this actually real?" Jake asked, astonished as he looked around himself and recalled the things that had happened over the past ten days. "I've been arrested, held in a dungeon for over a week, and met the Robin Hood on his execution day. I just can't wrap my brain around this."

"It gets easier with time," Aura reassured him. "I always wished that somehow, someway, my parents were out there somewhere. I would've accepted any impossible fantasy if it meant they were alive." She looked down then, her cheeks reddening as she reminisced on the times she thought up outlandish scenarios. Maybe her parents hadn't died in a car crash—maybe they simply disappeared. Aura would've sooner welcomed a top-secret life of crime for her mother and father than their fiery, heartbreaking deaths which she thought to be true for over sixteen years.

"Wait," Jake interrupted her train of thought. "You mean your parents are alive?"

Aura quickly recalled her life over the past two months, from Carolyn falling through a mirror and happening upon Fabula to their quest of fixing the Stories to meeting her mother. They sat in silence at the end of her story, Jake baffled by the events of Aura's life he had been so blissfully unaware of.

The blonde's mind wandered over her confession to him before a thought struck her. "Um...Jake?" He looked away from the cedar trees, their eyes meeting. "How long did you say you've been here again?"

The pair quickly marched back into the cave, where Carolyn was still clutching the strong hand of a, now sleeping, Robin. Althea had taken a break from her work to speak with Bailey, though their attention was quickly diverted to Aura's noisy entrance.

"We've been here too long," Aura rushed out. "I mean, even with the time spell, it's gotta be, like, midnight back at school."

Bailey paled as she came to the same realization. "Bloody hell"—she turned to Althea panickily— "our potion to get back to Earth was taken when Onyx arrested us, I—"

"—Be calm, dear," Althea soothed her, placing her hands on Bailey's shoulders. "I can get yous home."

Carolyn rubbed the back of Robin's hand as he stirred from his sleep again, his jade green eyes a paler shade as result of his frail state. "We'll be back in a couple weeks. Are you gonna be okay here?"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about me. Go home, see your grandmother."

"I know it sucks," Aura chimed in. "But we gotta go. It's probably nearing one in the morning on Earth and I'm pretty sure our high school isn't open for 24 hours like the Taco Bell down the road."

Carolyn let out a soft laugh, but her eyes were worrisome when she turned back to Robin. She used her free hand to push hair out of his face before agreeing to go. Carolyn slowly slipped her hand out from under Robin's before rising to her feet.

Bailey bent down, giving him a gentle hug before telling him briefly about Althea's healing methodology and bidding him goodbye.

Jake quickly grabbed Aura's hand in shock as a blinding blast of rainbow magic flew from Althea's fingertips, colliding with the cave's wall and forming a vivid whirlpool.

Aura squeezed Jake's hand before they followed Bailey through the portal.

Carolyn looked back at Robin who only offered her a weak smile before he slipped back into unconsciousness. She took a deep, shaky breath before stepping through the whirlpool of colors.

Bailey shuffled around the black room blindly before her fingers wrapped around a dangling metal chain. As she pulled down, the room was enveloped in a sickly green that was bright enough to allow her to see the twins and Jake.

"Our school doesn't have security guards, right?" Aura asked as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.

Carolyn laughed. "You honestly think our district would fork out that kind of money?"

Jake creaked the door to the janitor's closet open, peeking out into the hallway. "There are alarms on all the outside doors except one."

"And you know this because...?" Aura whispered as they walked through the moonlit hallways.

Jake shrugged, his face momentarily glowing red in the light of an exit sign. "I may have snuck in with the seniors a couple of times to pull some of their pranks."

The four turned the corner and were met with their exit barred off by a metal gate. Jake bent down and lifted it high enough for the three girls to slide under. He lowered the gate as quietly as he could after he passed under it.

"Teachers use this door in case they decide to work late so it doesn't set off any of the alarms," Jake explained as he pushed the heavy door open and led the way through the back parking lot.

"God, I hope they don't have the cameras on right now or whoever's watching is probably pretty confused," Carolyn joked as she patted the soiled skirt of the Crystian maid uniform that clung to her body.

The other three laughed as they approached their cars, the only ones left in the student parking lot.

Jake chuckled to himself as he fished his car keys out of his backpack. "My dad's probably called the cops by now."

Aura cringed at the thought of him possibly being punished. If only his dad knew where he had actually run off to.

She leaned against the red body of his sedan as her sister and Bailey made their way to her car. "I really am sorry that you got dragged into this—that's the whole reason why I was distant in the first place, to try to keep you out of it."

He moved next to her and lightly nudged her arm with his elbow. "Aura, it's fine, really. I get it."

She looked up at him, a small smirk on her face. "You understand that you can't tell anyone about this, right? Or else I might have to kill you."

Jake let out a deep laugh. "Noted." They stared at one another for a few seconds, a comfortable silence falling over them.

Jake cleared his throat before pushing off of his car. "I guess I'll see you on Monday?"

Aura nodded, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeah."

Jake wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. A small smile grew on Aura's lips as a heat blossomed in her cheeks.

Aura jumped onto her toes and pecked his cheek before scurrying into the backseat of Bailey's Toyota.

Her blush deepened as Carolyn looked over her shoulder from the passenger's seat. "You just missed the best opportunity, girl."

"Oh shut up. I just saved him from our psychopathic sister, give me a break," Aura groaned, slouching down into the seat.

The car ride to the twins' house was silent apart from the wind that howled through the open windows as Bailey drove through their sleepy coastal town.

Carolyn's hand grasped at the blowing wind as it hung from the window. Her mind was calmed by the familiar salty air and normal dark blue sky with only one moon. The simplicity of her life on Earth was a welcome, albeit minimal, change from the dangers that seemed to lurk behind every tree in Fabula. She closed her eyes and basked in the cool evening air as they neared her and her sister's traditional, suburban neighborhood.

As their maroon front door came into view, Carolyn turned to her friend.

"Are you gonna be okay?" she asked quietly.

Bailey's knuckles turned white as she gripped the leather steering wheel. "No, but I just need to see my mum. I'll talk to yous later, okay?"

Aura lightly squeezed Bailey's shoulder and gave her a comforting smile through the rearview mirror.

The second Carolyn closed the passenger's door, Bailey quickly reversed out onto their street and zoomed out of their neighborhood.

Before either of the twins could grab their keys from their backpacks, their front door swung open to reveal Silvia in a blue night robe.

Their grandmother immediately wrapped them in one of her warm hugs before guiding them inside.

"I am so proud of you two," Silvia whispered as she pulled them into another hug. When she pulled away, a small frown formed on her lips. "You two don't seem to be very happy, though. What's wrong, dears?"

Aura's throat burned as tears welled up in her eyes. Her mother's parting smile and Tristan's lifeless body filled her mind. She wanted to be happy that she and her sister were able to finish the task given to them, but she knew that no matter how great of a feat fixing the Stories was, it couldn't outweigh the burden of Bailey's brother's death or their separation from their mother.

Silvia led them to the plush brown couches in the living room. With a wave of her hand two white, mugs with warm tea appeared in the twins' hands and soft blankets wrapped themselves around the girls' shoulders. "Now, tell me what happened?"

Carolyn and Aura looked at one another, neither knowing where to begin.

"Well..." Aura started, running her finger around the rim of her mug. "We found out that we have an older sister who isn't very nice."

Silvia's rosy glow faded as she nervously fiddled with her hands. "Look, I know that—"

Carolyn calmly raised her hand, halting her grandmother. "I wish you would have told us, but right now we don't have time to bicker anymore." She gave Silvia a small smile before clearing her throat. "But in addition to finding out Onyx was related to us...we ran into Mom."

Silvia's amethyst eyes sparkled, her heart fluttering with sudden happiness. "Felicity's alive?" She covered her mouth as a soft cry left her lips.

"But she sacrificed her freedom so that we could get back to Crystia and fix the Stories...so we don't know where she could be."

Aura placed her mug onto the circular coffee table and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "What are we even supposed to do now? So many people have already gotten hurt. It's like us trying to fix the Stories have done more harm than good."

Her grandmother went quiet as her gaze drifted to the staircase behind the twins. "Follow me." The blankets around the twins dissolved into clouds of blue mist as the Fairy Godmother led Aura and Carolyn up to the attic.

The second her slippered feet stepped over the threshold and onto the dusty floorboards of the attic, Silvia walked with a determined pace as she scoured the metal shelving units. She peeked in dozens of dusty cardboard boxes before a bright smile took over her face.

"I haven't used this in years." The Fairy Godmother gingerly picked up a large crystal ball from a faded purple velvet box. As the orange-toned attic light passed through its transparent interior, shards of purple and green danced across its surface. The orb was attached to a sculpted gold base with small sapphires and emeralds molded into swirling designs.

"I wanted to use it to see you two were safe, but it can only work if a portal to Fabula is open. I didn't want to even further risk your lives," Silvia continued. She snapped her fingers and a small rag appeared in her hand. Flashes of the Sheriff's attack on the camp raced through her mind as she wiped off the remaining specks of dust that clouded the crystal ball's surface.

She grabbed her wand before carefully sitting down on the attic's wooden floor. With a flick of her wrist, a blast of light shot out of her wand and collided with the mirror, instantly creating a whirlpool of color.

Silvia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She hovered her hands above the crystal ball and concentrated on visualizing Fabula. A pale, sparkling mist began to fill the crystal ball's interior until it was a soft shade of periwinkle. The Fairy Godmother let out a sigh of relief, grateful that it still worked after so long.

Flashes of sparks and echoes of swords rang through her mind until the crystal-clear image of an armed skirmish between peasants and men in armor clashed to the forefront of her mind. Silvia's eyebrows knitted in confusion at the images she was seeing. More skirmishes in different territories spun around her brain as hundreds of people chanted the same word over and over again: FREEDOM!

The Fairy Godmother's eyelids fluttered as more images entered her mind. "The revolution has begun..." was all she murmured as she tried to concentrate even harder.

Aura and Carolyn looked to one another with wide eyes, both a little uneasy as they watched their grandmother sit in some sort of trance.

"Gran? What are you seeing?" Carolyn hesitantly asked, slowly stepping toward her grandmother.

Without a word, Silvia shot another blast from her wand, closing the portal in the mirror. The mist in the crystal ball disappeared as Silvia slowly stood back up.

A confused expression still hung on her features as she returned the crystal orb back to its box.

"It showed me visions ofGlassimere," Silvia stated as she turned to face the twins. "Queen Cinderellahas taken back her throne."