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"If you know the enemy and know yourself youneed not fear the results of a hundred battles." – Sun zu
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The house was abuzz as everyone awoke early the next morning, determined to gather the needed supplies to return to Fabula later that afternoon.

            Felicity, Anthony, and Silvia looked over the map one last time as Carolyn, Bailey, and Aura scurried around the house to fill up their satchels with extra food.

            The sound of the doorbell made everyone jump. Anthony unsheathed his sword as Robin loaded his arrow, aiming at the door.

            Aura cautiously looked through the peephole, worried more for the poor unsuspecting visitor on the other side. The mailman will have so many questions. She let out a deep breath when all she saw was Jake standing on the front porch in a light jacket. "It's okay, you guys."

            She opened the heavy door and smiled at him. "Hey."

            Jake sheepishly smiled back at her. "Hey! I, uh, was just coming by to check in after you had texted you were back." He glanced over her shoulder at Felicity, Anthony, and Robin, who were already dressed in their gear. "And it looks like you're already heading back?"

            Aura shuffled back and forth on her feet, the thick leather of her boots letting out small squeaks. "Um...yeah, look I really appreciate you coming around to check in, but now's not a really good time."

            "Well is there anything I can do to help?" Jake jerked his thumb behind him to his car. "Even if it's just to get yous guys some coffee?"

            "No!" Aura exclaimed holding out her hand, thinking about Robin the day prior when he discovered the caffeinated beverage. She cleared her throat, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "Thank you for the offer, but the last thing some of us need is coffee."

            "So nothing else then?" Jake said through a forced laugh, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

            Aura was silent for a second, tugging on her ear. It pained her to see the hurt in his eyes, she knew how much we wanted to help; however, the idea of seeing him that beat up again sent a wave of nausea racing through her system.

            "Oh for Pete's sake, let the man in," Carolyn called from the stairs. She walked towards them, looping her fingers through her hair as she finished styling it into a braid. "Of course you can help, come on in."

            Aura hesitated before she opened the door wider as Jake stepped inside, wiping his sneakers on the floor mat. As he slowly walked further into the house, Aura pulled Carolyn close and gave her a stern look. "What are you doing? Last time he went to Fabula he got hurt, I don't want that happening again," she whispered.

            "First off, we all get hurt each time we go to Fabula," Carolyn whispered back. "And second, we need all the manpower we can get. There's no telling how many or how little people got Mom's call."

            Aura let out a deep breath before catching up to Jake and leading him into the living room. "Uhm Jake, these are my parents. Mom, Dad," she paused as a small smile grew on her face as she said the two names she never thought she'd have an opportunity to speak, "this is Jake, my um..." He looked down at her with a small smirk as she tried to come up with the correct word. Aura cleared her throat. "...he's here to help."

            Anthony walked around the table to stop in front of Jake, standing a few inches taller. He shook Jake's hand firmly, asking, "Pleasure. Do you know how to wield a sword—or a weapon of any kind?"

            Jake rubbed the back of his neck. "Erm...I've got a mean swing, plus a few years of fencing under my belt—does that count?"

            Anthony shrugged. "Good enough."

            Aura led Jake into the attic and ruffled through her grandmother's dwindling collection of Fabula-appropriate attire. "Here," she said as she tossed a pair of thick brown slacks and a padded, long-sleeve tunic behind her. She passed a pair of black riding boots back with her feet.

            When she turned around, Jake had already begun to lift his Red Sox tee over his head, his toned chest on full display. Aura's cheeks burned as she quickly turned back around, looking at everything and anything she could.

            "So this is it, huh?" Jake asked. "The final stance."

            Aura let out a shaky breath. "Yeah...I guess it is." She wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Her breath hitched in her throat as a more masculine pair looped on top of hers.

            Jake rested his chin on the top of her head. "I know you don't want me to come because you feel like me getting hurt last time was somehow your fault." He gently turned her around to face him, lifting her chin up with his thumb. "But there is nothing I would rather do than to be by your side through this whole shitshow, alright?"

            Aura gave him a small smile, her bottom lip quivering. "I just got my parents back after being without them my entire life, I don't know what I would do if I lost anyone I cared about."

            Jake placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "You're gonna win this, alright? You have proved to me time and time again how courageous you are. Whether it's standing up to Casey Williams or beating up countless guards to save my or Robin's ass."

            Aura let out a small laugh, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

            Jake wiped it away with his thumb before they shared a single kiss.

            They pulled apart as the attic door creaked open. Aura cleared her throat as everyone piled into the room. Carolyn sent her sister a smirk, patting Jake on the back as she passed them.

            "Oh good, you're all ready," Silvia stated, closing the attic door behind her. She grabbed the last sword on the wooden rack and handed it to Jake with a smile. With a wave of her wand the mirror came to life.

The eight stepped through, walking straight into the edge of a makeshift camp that was set up at the bottom of a grassy hill. A militia of 250 milled around the camp, readying their armor and sharpening their weapons. They weren't trained soldiers by any means, yet their presence was reassuring, nonetheless.

            "Robin!" a deep voice boomed. Little John ambled towards him, placing a hefty hit on his back. "I almost took you for dead when you four didn't return!" The giant of a man quickly took off his black bycoket and bowed when he saw Felicity and Anthony. "Yer Majesties, it is an honor. I gathered up all the men I could when we caught wind of yer call. They're the finest group I know."

            Felicity smiled at him before grabbing Anthony's hand. "Come, introduce us."

            Carolyn broke off from the rest of the group and trudged up part of the hill and sat down, admiring her sword, the diamonds in the emerald dragon's eyes glimmering in the sunlight. She felt a presence as someone sat down next to her. A smile took over her lips as her hazel eyes connected with warm green.

            Robin playfully bumped her shoulder. "Are you okay? You've been chewing on your lip nonstop."

            Carolyn quickly freed her bottom lip from her teeth at his words and let out a sigh. "I'm scared—terrified, actually." She placed her sword on the grass and pulled her knees to her chest. "What if we can't do this? I mean, anytime we've gone up against Onyx, we've barely made it out alive. This could be our only shot at ending this, but I'm tired of pretending that everything is going to work out smoothly when I know there's a very real chance that it won't and I—"

            "—Hey, hey, hey," Robin interrupted, taking her hands in his. "You and Aura are the two strongest people I know. You can do this." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He rested his head against hers until he felt her breathing slow down.

            Carolyn's eyebrows furrowed as the ground beneath her began to rumble as the faint echo of voices climbed over the hill.

            Aura and Bailey met them on the hill and the four raced to the top. Their stomachs dropped as they saw a calvary of nearly a thousand Villain troops enter the valley surrounding the castle and Caeshire, led by the Villains themselves.

            The four friends flew down the hill and quickly mounted some of the militia's horses as the soldiers in the camp hastily grabbed their weapons, the ground beneath them continuing to vibrate as the enemy troops drew closer and closer.

            Robin led his horse to the base of the hill as their small army prepared, turning to face the volunteers. "There's a lot of them but stand by what I say: no casualties and take no prisoners. Our main goal is to get the princesses to the castle, understand? We will fight to the end if we have to, but Fabula will be ours once more!"

            The militia erupted in yells and cheers as they trudged up the hill. When they reached the precipice, a black raven circled above them before diving into the valley and rejoining the sea of Villain troops.

            Carolyn took one last deep breath, her grip on her sword tightening as she locked eyes with her sister before they descended down the hill.