Red dropped down to the floor with a huff. Chloe turned on her chair to see Red curled up on the floor, surrounded by papers and books

"What are you doing?"

"Wonderland changed so much that even the laws are unfamiliar to me now," she groaned and lifted one of the books. "Like, you have a physician's approval to use enlargement mushrooms."

Chloe grimaced, "I don't know what that is but it sounds reasonable."

Red quickly sat up and pick up a piece of paper on the floor.

"I didn't expect things to change so much. I'm happy it's not under dictatorship now. But it's still...so different."

Chloe looked at her sympathetically and sat down next to her. She smiled and gently pried the paper out of Red's hand.

"Well, we are in a school filled with royalties. You can still learn about your land's law and make up plans for the future for it. It may be different, but it's good now," Chloe told her and Red slowly raised her eyes to meet Chloe's bright and encouraging smile. So Red smiled too.

"Yeah. You're right." And then she frowned again and groaned. "But that woman's assignment is going to kill me, I swear!"

"She told you to use the time machine, didn't she? Why won't you just use that?" Chloe asked.

Red scoffed and threw her hands over her head, "No one else knows about it besides you, me, Hedith and Headmistress Uma."

"What if she wants you to create a proposal on the use of time machine?"

At that, Red's eyes widened as her brain started ticking. She went quiet and had a thoughtful look on her face before she went to look around the scattered papers. Chloe would have asked what's wrong but Red raised her hand to her to keep her quiet. Her roommate crawled to a paper and grabbed it.

"There is another clock-themed item in Wonderland. It's called a Chronosphere but despite it being associated with Wonderland, it is far from being under its jurisdiction. It's under the control and care of Father Time. He's my mom's ex-boyfriend."

"Okay," Chloe nodded along.

"There wasn't a law that is passed for the Chronosphere because, yet again, it's not under Wonderland's jurisdiction. Much less Auradon's. And that is one of the things that remained the same in this timeline," Red cheered with a grin but Chloe just smiled at her in confusion.

The daughter of the Queen of Hearts rolled her eyes and huffed, "That means I could like use Chronosphere as a substitute to the time machine because it's actually something that is here."

"I think you might be a bit reaching into things unnecessarily?" Chloe tried to gently tell her and Red groaned, slumping back down to the ground.

"The time machined wouldn't even be a public knowledge. It will stay between us."

"Miss Hedith assigned that to you specifically. There may be a reason."

"I only have two days to finish this.

Chloe smiled at her encouragingly.

"You can do it."

Red just let out another groan.

---

And the annual pep rally just needs to happen the day before the case study was supposed to be passed and Red had barely started feeling great with her output before the faculty basically forced them to be in the field for the event. If she is bent down on her laptop for the rest of the pep rally, it is none of their business.

Well, at least Chloe seems to be enjoying it. 

"Hey, there's Miss Hedith," someone from behind her said and that made Red look up from her laptop.

Walking towards the field is Hedith together with Headmistress Uma. The Princess of the Underworld had her huge two-headed hellhound trailing after them in its full size. It startled a lot of students as it walked by their stands since it stood taller than the stand, itself.

"Wow, that is one huge dog," Chloe said in awe as her eyes trail after the dog who laid down behind the teachers' booth.

Red's face scrunches up, "What did they feed that dog?"

"Happy Dug Pellets?" Chloe shrugged.

"Have you heard?"

"What?"

"Miss Hedith apparently took the Vow of Perpetual Chastity a year ago," some of the students behind them told their friends and it inevitably took the attention of the duo.

"What's that?"

"Oh yeah, wait. You're not from Greece," the first guy chuckled sheepishly. "So, basically some goddess who don't want to marry or want to remain a maiden takes this Vow of Perpetual Chastity to keep themselves well...unshackled by earthly pleasures and matrimony as some would put it."

"Really? She's the Queen's sister, isn't she? That would mean she would probably have a lot of suitors."

"Well, she did. But that was years ago. But the suitors stopped coming about five years ago, I think? But she just recently took the vow so I don't know what really got her to make that decision."

"Maybe she's one of those people who says I hate all men or some stuff," the guy laughed and it made Red's eyebrows scrunch together.

"Hmm, she looks like the type to say that so maybe?" The other laughed along. "A lot of people actually thought she'd end up with Therimachus, the son of Heracles. But nothing came of it."

"Oh what if she's playing hard to get?"

"What if she's just not interested?" Red blurted out, unexpectedly feeling annoyed on behalf of the woman who is currently making her life more difficult than it should really be. "What if she just wants to stay single for the rest of her immortal life because she doesn't want an additional headache to think about? Wouldn't that be a perfectly reasonable reason? And why do you even care so much? It's her personal choice."

The two students who were just talking amongst themselves gave Red a look that Red knows for sure was not friendly in any sense of the word.

"Jeez, relax. You're not even part of the conversation."

Red felt embarrassed by that but she rolled her eyes.

"Well, it's kind of rude really. Especially since it's a teacher you're talking about. The Queen's sister, no less."

"Wow. Did not take you for some goodie-two-shoes."

"Who are you calling a go--"

"I'm sorry for her. She's new to Auradon," Chloe interrupted with a sugary smile while putting her hands on Red's shoulder. "But I also think it's rude to speculate about someone else's personal choice. So, I hope none of these happen again."

And Chloe redirected the conversation away from the previous one, befriending the two students in the process. All while Red slumps back down on her seat and glared at her laptop screen. She didn't know why she felt so strongly about that matter. It was grating her bones to be honest but she just shook it off and tried to pay attention to the pep rally since she's stuck on her case study anyway.

The cheerleaders finished their routines and everyone clapped after their performance. It was then followed by a speech by Headmistress Uma. She's flashy as always, keeping the students' energy high and keeping them from straying away with her own youthful energy. Then she turned to Hedith who was checking her nails. The two women's eyes met before a look of understanding passed through their eyes and the Headmistress turned back to the students.

"There will be a new program that we will be implementing in Auradon Prep. The Enchanted Apprenticeship Program or EAP. We have certain faculties that also have specialties in fields that a lot of you may find interesting. Something that you might pursue as well after you graduate. And they have volunteered to share their knowledge and experiences with apprentices."

"Sir Julian Rhys Bubblewater for Knighthood Apprenticeship. Miss Katherine Smithy for Royal Scribe and Rune Master Apprenticeship. Princess Hedith of the Underworld for Curse Breaking and Magical Items Apprenticeship. And yours truly for Sea Navigation and Management. Only three slots for each faculty will be offered. Anyone who is interested, please inquire the Student Council for the process. Passing of application will last until this Saturday and the results of who qualifies will be on Friday next week."

There were chatters after that. Some are actually considering it and some being excited to sign up. Chloe was all for the Knighthood Apprenticeship, so are many others. She would have to fight for one of those three spots.

For Red, she couldn't decide whether it was something she loved or hated. Curse Breaking sounds so cool for her. In the name of her mother, Wonderland has a lot of cursed stuff that needs to be breaking and it would probably be a huge help to ease some of her kingdom's problem. Wonderland is coocoo enough for regular a Auradon person so anything coocoo for any Wonderlanders is already a sign of big trouble.

And she'd read a lot of stuff about these coocoo stuff from the stuff she has been reading for the past few days.

The only downside meant apprenticing under Hedith of the Underworld.

---

Hedith was walking around the campus of Auradon Prep. Mavros shrunk to the size of a regular greyhound and has now been running around the grounds. Hedith's turquoise hair flutter around the air as she walks toward a certain part of the wooded part of the campus, Mavros never straying too far from her.

She had to admit, Auradon Prep was never something that gives her nostalgia or good feelings. She's neutral at best about the institutions. This was the place where she was able to first feel her dormant power emerging, the place where she and her sister reconciled, and the place where she grew closer to two of her closest friends. But it never gave her a sense of nostalgia as its alumni feel about it.

She was bullied here, despite her potential to probably raise hell on them. She was never accepted in this school during her time as a student here. Her only console here graduated that year and her two other friends were also outcasts such as her. It did gave her a sense of guilt that she left them after she dropped out to focus on her goddess training, but no one really held a grudge on her for that.

But there was something that shackled her to this school. Or at least, its property.

And that's a grave of a beloved friend.

Dude was a school mutt. And despite Carlos basically adopting him, the school was still his home so when he died, he was buried in its grounds with a tombstone to mark his last resting place. 

She remembered when Dude died. Carlos was in a depressive state for so long. When he came out of it, they visited Dude's grave together and they stayed there for so long. He would then tell her that he may be sad that hid best friend died, but he was happy that he lived a long and happy life surrounded by people who loved him.

That was the first time she hated being immortal. Because that would mean that this man she loves would die and she would live on with only his memories. But she was consoled that he would live long and happy surrounded by people who loves him. Like Dude. She believed that he would grow old with her by his side until his deathbed when he's old and wrinkled. She would be there when Thanatos comes for his soul and he would pass away in peace.

And then she would take the Vow of Perpetual Chastity as there will never be another Carlos De Vil.

But it was ripped away from her. From everyone who loves him. And she wasn't even there to witness it. She wasn't even there to hold his hand and know that she loved him.

And she cannot even visit him in the Elysium because it hurts too much to know and see a Carlos who does not love her the same way her Carlos did.

"Mavros, come here," Hedith called and the dog shadow traveled to her side and licked her hand. "Good boy."

Hedith looked at the gravestone on the ground. It's starting to have some algae growing on it and starting to mold. With a frown. With a click of her tongue, Hedith magicked the offensive molds and algae away, leaving the stone relatively clean again, showing the carved image of Dude and his name.

"Hey, Dude. How are you doing?" Hedith smiled and placed a bouquet of Hydrangea in front of it. She sat down on the ground as Mavros grew to a larger size so that Hedith can lean against her. "Sorry I wasn't able to visit. I wasn't sure if you were buried in the same place."

No one replied of course. Despite being around the dead more often than others, Hedith knew for a fact that the physical bodies of the dead are unable to hold a two-way conversation. But the souls would hear them.

"I was...also not sure how to speak to you as you probably also know me the same way as the others does," Hedith continued and stared at the gravestone a bit longer. "How's Carlos doing? Have you met him already? I hope Elysium is up to your and his liking. I never really visited. I just look over from the administration building than actually roam around the place really. But that may be not the only reason."

Hedith should really stop talking. She knows how she is starting to sound like. And Dude actually hear these stuff she's saying and by any chance, he might blabber all of these to Carlos and both of them would wonder why she sounds...strange to them.

"Well, we must be going now," Hedith said and stood up. Mavros whined before walking towards the gravestone and touched Dude's image with both his noses. "Tell...Tell Carlos I said hi."

And with that, both Hedith and Mavros dissolved into the shadows of the graveyard.

---

I said that I will be updating every Thursday, right? I would like to apologize because of my lack of foresight. I'm currently on my third year of college and the academic year just started just about the same time I was writing this chapter. I wasn't able to finish this and haven't found the time to finish it until now.

For clarification, I did not drop this installment of Sister. The updates will just be very slow. I am also contemplating whether to cross post this fic to AO3 but I might need to make a heavy editing before I do so. And I would need some time for that.

I hope you remain patient with me and read through this. Thank you and see you in the next update.