Author's note: I wrote this with my friends as characters in the story. The story does not have inside jokes so anyone can enjoy it. I hope that you do.

Vee stepped into her new dormitory room. Already her new roommate had covered the walls in canvases with streaks put through them. Whoever had done this could only be mad. Vee would have been relieved to find the jester as her roommate, but Medine, daughter of the Mad Hatter, had come in with Vee and checked into the room down the hall.

Vee adjusted the red hood of her jacket to cover her head even more. Her blood ran cold as she scrutinised the canvases of streaks- no, slashes- no, they were scratches. Mother always warned her to be careful of those with big claws.

Vee reached out to feel the lacerations on the canvas. Before her fingers could even brush against the fabric, a loud boom sent her into the air. She turned around. Her hands were trembling but she promptly hid them in her pockets. The wooden bedside table had a dent right in the middle of it. Small splinters poked up at the fist that just slammed down.

"What strong hands you have," Vee commented without much thought.

"Don't touch my art," the girl practically roared at Vee. This building of a person shadowed over Vee.

Vee was shaking in her shoes, unsure how to respond to the creature raging in front of her. "I'm sorry," Vee practically squeaked.

"Keep your paws off my stuff and we should get along fine," the girl barked.

Vee nodded in compliance.

"Emma, daughter of Beauty and the Beast," the girl introduced.

Vee nodded again, staring at Emma.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" Emma asked impatiently. When Vee did not respond, Emma tried to coax her, "Look, I'm sorry I scared you. What's your name?"

"Vee," Vee managed to get out.

"Ah yes, Little Vee Riding Hood," Emma replied. "You don't go by that name amongst your friends, do you, Ryder?"

"You've heard of me?" Vee's eyes widened, unsure of what to make of it.

"No, red hood was the giveaway. But it is not quite the cloak everyone in your family has."

"It's not."

"Yea, you requested grandma to sew it onto a jacket for you because you thought it would look cool. You try to upkeep an appearance to feel less vulnerable, less little. Little Vee was too minimising so you went the other way. Vee Riding Hood, still reminded you too much of your mother's story with the big bad- I shan't say it lest I hit a nerve. So just Vee but Vee isn't hitting enough. You want something 'cooler'. Vee Ryder."

Vee took a deep breath, processing that someone just read her like a book.

"My mother did always teach me to see beyond what meets the eye."

Without Vee asking, Emma had answered one of her many questions. Vee was still shaken to her core. She sat down on her mattress. Her eyes trailed the room, past the walls of scratched art, Emma had a stack of books towering next to her bed.

"I should have guessed Belle's daughter would bring a year's supply of books," Vee muttered.

Emma turned to Vee, "A year? This is my weekly reading."

"You kid." Vee crossed her arms.

"I don't. I finish this in a week and then I get a fresh stack of books from my mum's library."

"This isn't normal," Vee said tactlessly.

Emma did not even flinch. "I think your friend would tell you that there's nothing interesting about being normal."

"What? Did you deduce that I'm friends with Medine from the way I curled my hair or something?"

"No, I saw you two walk onto campus together from my window."

"Oh."

Vee decided to leave the room. She was not sure what was more obnoxious, the detective work of Emma Holmes or the jarring violence Emma had put on their walls. Vee knew that mauling furniture was a big part of Emma's dad's story but did Emma have to be so in-her-face about it? Imagine if Vee showed up with a fur rug of the big bad wolf. That has got to ruffle some feathers…or hair… or fur? Whatever Emma has.

Vee met Medine in her bedroom. She slumped herself onto Medine's plum-coloured sheets with swirls in a lighter shade of purple. She stared at the ceiling where Medine had already placed a clock right above the bed.

Vee complained, "Medine, you don't get it. She's weird!"

"Yea, but weird is awesome!" Medine insisted, steeping her tea in a conical flask.

"Maybe to you!"

"C'mon, Ryder can't handle a little beast? What would your mum say? She took on a whole wolf."

"No," Vee snatched away the paint brush that Medine was using to stir her tea, "the hunter took on the wolf."

Medine pulled out a pen and continued to stir the tea for a few seconds before pouring it into a flower pot to drink.

"I don't want to stay with a beast! My mum warned me all my life of the dangers of wild animals and now I have to live with one."

"Vee Ryder can't handle her little roommate?" Medine sipped her tea, or she pretended to, considering most of it had drained onto the table.

"Medine…" Vee let out a sigh.

"Or if you're so pusillanimous, I'll have to call you Li-"

"Don't you dare," Vee snapped. "Fine, I guess I'm stuck with her."

Vee could see Medine's smirk from behind the rim of the flower pot. "As I thought."

"Can you come with me? I wanna go pick some flowers to put in my dorm room," Vee said.

Vee and Medine returned to Vee's dorm room with baskets of flowers they had picked from the campus garden. Vee unwrapped the vase she had brought, stripping it of the bubblewrap, and filled it with clear water. She set it down on her mahogany desk. The golden beams of sunlight should be enough for the blossoms to survive for a couple weeks. Vee had remembered to trim some leaves along with the flowers, as her mother always advised. They make them last longer.

Vee trimmed the stems to size while Medine gazed at Emma's side of their shared room. Medine remarked, "This is interesting."

In the time Vee was gone, Emma had covered the blank mangled canvases in blood red strokes. Vee commented snidely, "I can only hope it's paint."

"Vee!" Medine rebuked. "Of course it is. Only the Queen of Hearts paints roses red with people's heads."

"Is that how your story goes?" Vee asked, fumbling over the storyline of Alice In Wonderland.

"Why do you think she's always screaming, 'OfF wItH tHeIr hEaDs!'?"

"Drama, I assumed," Vee muttered. "Our stories aren't all that different, huh? We all have our big bad wolves coming after our heads."

"Not a problem for me. I've already lost my head!"

"Medi, you've lost your mind, not your head," Vee corrected.

"I'm gonna lose it!" A familiar voice growled. Emma stood in the doorway. Her fingers were curled like claws, twitching as she held herself back.

"What did I do now?" Vee's words quavered as she spoke.

"You picked the roses from the school garden. Those belong to the Beast!"

"Hang on now. There wasn't a sign that said I couldn't pick them."

"You don't just go into someone's garden and take their flowers. How would you like it if I walked into your home and ate your grandma?"

"I feel like that's not a comparable analogy…"

"I think she's cou cou!" Medine taunted with a giggle. "And a Wonderlandian would know."

Emma inhaled sharply. Vee and Medine stared at her while she consulted her consciences. They should have known better than to poke the bear. Emma could feel her blood boiling. The devilish Beast on her shoulder whispered in malicious encouragement. Had Emma listened, Little Red and her hatted companion would not have survived another two minutes against the taekwondo black belt. Lucky for Vee and Medine, Emma had the self control to walk away instead.

A roar of frustration bounced off the walls as Emma marched down the corridor. She soon found herself by the school pool with the Neverland sisters, Nahiomy and Nico. Both were daughters of Peter Pan and his favourite of the pearls in Mermaid Lagoon. The girls indulged their fins in the chlorine-laden water. They adjusted the shells and corals adorning their hair while admiring themselves in the identical gold hand mirrors, which their mother had found in a shipwreck. Emma sat down at the edge of the pool. Instead of bathing with the mermaids or basking in the sun, Emma just stared at her reflection in the water and sulked.

Nahiomy flicked her tail, sending a splash of cold water into Emma's face. "Nah!" Emma scolded.

"Join us for a swim," Nahiomy said, pulling Emma by the fabric of her dress.

"No, I'm not in the mood," Emma sighed.

"Too good for us, eh?" Nico huffed.

"Hush, Nico," Nahiomy snapped. She turned to Emma, "What's got you down, darling?"

"Nasty roommate," Emma replied. She shared with the mermaids her unpleasant encounter.

"Bring her here. We'll drown her for you!" Nico cheered playfully.

"Thanks Nico," Emma chuckled, "but if I wanted her dead, I could do it on my own."

"Fair enough," Nahiomy said.

"Mother says Father and I need to stop using violence as a way to get whatever we want," Emma shared.

"Oh but getting what you want is so much fun!" Nico cried.

"Your parents never taught you that you can't always get your way?" Emma asked.

Nahiomy raised a brow. "My mentally-still-a-teenager dad or my mum who tried to drown Wendy because she was jealous?"

"Touché," Emma admitted. She sighed, staring at her reflection in the water. Often, Emma thought she resembled the grace and beauty of her mother, Belle. At that instance, she felt more like a monster, unsure of what to do about her anger. She decided that she should not have yelled at Vee but she was very upset about what Vee had done. Emma realised she was more like her father than she had thought - territorial and aggressive like wild animals.

"Don't look so down." Nahiomy lifted Emma's chin. "I'm sure a big, strong beast like you can handle her."

"Nah, I don't wanna be," Emma moved Nahiomy's cold hands away from her face before continuing in disgust, "like Gaston."

"Fair enough," Nahiomy said. "I suppose you're right. I remember the last time you lashed out, like really lashed out."

"Ooh, that was fun!" Nico recalled.

"Was it?" Emma said in despair.

"Yea, you grew hair all over and your nails turned to claws. It was like a fluffy Hulk!" Nico clapped her hands together like a sea lion.

"Thanks, Nico," Emma said flatly and left.

"What did I say?" Nico asked Nahiomy, who was also clueless as to what offended their friend.

"Forget about it," Nahiomy told her sister. "Emmie is in a mood today. She'll be fine."

As Emma walked, she muttered to herself, "A fluffy Hulk…" The idea of being seen like that made Emma's skin crawl. Lamentably, it was not a new feeling to be seen as a monster. Emma was hoping that starting at a new school would help her reputation but it seemed she would continue being a thorn among the roses.

At least the people here have yet to start throwing sticks at her while yelling, "Fetch!" It did not even make any sense. You do not throw sticks at a dog. That is not how fetch works! Apparently, you cannot really expect school bullies to make much sense.

Emma knocked on the oak door before entering the room. She had only seen it for two seconds and already the pristine white walls were too jarring for her taste. With her first step into the room, she had already tripped over someone's shoe.

"Oops!" Claire said, helping Emma to her feet.

"Honestly, what did I expect from the daughter of Cinderella besides leaving shoes lying around?" Emma chuckled as she dusted herself off.

"Take your shoes off," Claire instructed. "I do not want to have to scrub the floors again."

"So you don't wear shoes in your dorm?" Emma asked.

"My roommate taught me that. Honestly, I wish I had learnt it sooner. Would've saved me a lot of time cleaning."

"Taking shoes off inside, how odd!"

"You're one to talk."

"You're absolutely right. I should give it a try. I hate cleaning too. I guess that's what happened when I grew up with so much help at home."

"So, pumpkin, what's bothering you?" Claire asked.

"My roommate is being difficult. First, she tried to touch my art. Then, she picked the roses my dad sponsored for the school garden. Those aren't for picking!"

"Woah, Emmie, you're getting yourself worked up."

"I'm so mad! Madder than the hatter who called me coucou!"

"Medine?"

"Yea, you've heard of her?"

"No, I heard her. Girl is loud. Very loud."

Emma shook her head. "What do I do, Claire?"

Claire gave Emma an endearing look, reminiscent of the sweet smile of Cinderella that charmed the world and Charming himself. She spoke gently, "Given what is already done, why don't we try to get an apology out of them? Just to ensure they don't do it again."

"I suppose that's what we can do."

"Not ready to let it go?" Claire asked, noticing the slight snarl in Emma's tone.

"I just don't know how I can forgive her."

"I do remember your grandfather did the same thing and the Beast has forgiven him."

"Yea, after holding his daughter hostage," Emma rolled her eyes before seeing the tired look on Claire's face, "but I suppose that isn't your point."

"As I was saying," Claire huffed, "your mum has also forgiven your dad for a lot. I'm sure you can forgive your roomie for a few roses. Flowers grow back but if you hold a grudge, your friendship may not."

Emma confessed that Claire was right. She decided to return to her dormitory room to talk things out with Vee. Just before taking her leave, Emma halted. She turned to Claire and requested politely, "Do you think you could come with me? Remind me to be cool?"

"Oh, of course!" Claire looked around the room somewhat disorientated. "Now if only I could find where I have lost my shoes?"

Emma took the small gold key out of her pocket and put it in the lock. She fiddled with it for a moment, struggling to get the door open.

"Watch it!" A squeaky voice remonstrated. Emma and Claire exchanged glances and the voice shouted again, "Down here! Stop that!"

"Did the door knob just speak?" Claire asked in astonishment.

The lock promptly spat the key into Emma's hands. It said impatiently, "If you wanted in, you should just say the magic word."

"Is it 'please'?" Claire guessed.

"Actually, it was 'dishwasher' but I'll let you in because you're pretty." The knob twisted spontaneously and the door flung open.

"This isn't my dorm room…" Emma said, peeking through the door.

"Certainly not," Claire attested.

"Hurry on in. I can't stay open all day!" The door slammed shut, pushing the both of them into the garden that had seemingly replaced Emma's room.

"Wait!" Emma turned to exit but the door had vanished. She was just feeling the air like a fool. She bore a discombobulated look. "What? Did the door just evaporate?"

"This looks like the school garden," Claire commented.

"Yea, what are we even doing here-?" Emma cut herself off upon seeing a familiar red hooded figure bobbing among the rose bushes. "Oh." With each heavy step, the gravel beneath her feet trembled.

Vee turned to Emma and greeted her with a smile. Emma was a metre away from Vee but for safety reasons, Claire decided to keep a tight grip on Emma's arm.

"What did you do to our room?" Emma snarled in vehement rage. Claire squeezed Emma's arm and shot daggers at her. Emma sighed and repeated herself in a slightly less aggressive tone. She could only be so gentle when she was so used to being hostile.

"Let me explain what I did. I'm so sorry for picking the flowers. I tied them up and am returning them to you." Vee retrieved the bundle of roses from a wicker basket on the ground. She handed them to Emma.

"This is very nice but these are dying," Emma said, still failing to hide her hostility.

"Yes, I know, so we wanted to surprise you by growing new bushes but we only managed to find a spell for white roses so-"

"Hi, Emma!" Medine yelled across the rows of rose bushes where she was painting white roses red. She waved at Emma frantically while holding a wet brush, dripping paint everywhere. Emma stared at Medine distraught but waved back in instinctive politeness.

"I didn't know the Hatters had magical powers," Claire remarked.

"We don't!" Medine's enthusiastic high pitched voice startled the princesses as she appeared from a bush behind them.

"How did she get there so fast? Actually, nevermind," Emma asked, then decided not to question Wonderland logic.

Medine explained, "We tried to get Fairy Godmother but she was busy-"

"As always," Claire added.

"So we got Meilin!" Medine exclaimed.

"Who?" Claire asked.

A gorgeous girl descended from the sky. She was perched on a fluffy white cloud that complemented her smooth dark skin. A cascade of shimmers followed in her wake. Her long velvet cloaked dangled centimetres from the ground as she hovered in front of the girls. "Meilin, daughter of Merlin the wizard," she introduced.

"So what's with the doorknob?" Emma asked. "And our dorm room?"

Meilin explained, "Yea, it was supposed to stay locked until we were done because the new bushes were a surprise but I guess I messed up. Still getting the hang of this magic thing!" Meilin waved her wand around frivolously. A blast of magic shot at a tiny frog and turned it into a goose.

"Meilin!" Vee scolded.

Claire picked up the frightened creature and cradled it gently. "I think I'll call you, Karolina," Claire declared as the fowl nuzzled against her shoulder.

"Wait wait," Emma drew the attention to herself, "so to make up for picking the flowers, you found yourself a wizard to grow some roses but the roses were white so your friend is painting them red and you made our dorm door lead to the garden to surprise me but the door knob led me here too early?"

"Yes, I'm really sorry about the roses. I won't pick flowers from gardens without permission again. Please forgive me," Vee apologised. With shaky optimism, Vee waited for Emma's response.

"Thank you for your apology," Emma said softly. Claire nudged Emma discreetly. "I forgive you."

"And?" Claire prompted explicitly.

Emma added, "And I hope that we can be friends."

"Yes!" Vee jumped up and hugged Emma in excitement. Then she quickly let go, realising that Emma had stiffened. She straightened out her dress and said, "I mean, I would love to be friends. I'm really sorry we got off on the wrong foot."

"Me too," Emma mumbled but it must have been loud enough for Vee to hear because the girl in the red hood brightened up right away. "Can I go back to my dorm now?"

"Oh, yes, of course!" Meilin waved her wand, transporting them.

Emma requested politely, "Can everyone leave, please? I would like some rest."

"Bye Medine, I'll catch you at dinner!" Vee bade her friend goodbye. The door closed behind Meilin, Claire, and Medine as they left.

"Vee, have this." Emma handed the bouquet of roses to Vee. "I don't really have anything to do with cut flowers but I suppose you can put them in your vases."

"Oh," Vee said softly, taking in the sweet scent of the blossoms she held in her hand. "Thank you."

"Yea yea," Emma said nonchalantly, immersing herself in the next chapter of a book she had left half read.

Vee arranged the flowers in her vases. The brilliant red of the petals juxtaposed handsomely against the immaculate porcelain.

Emma noticed that Vee had left some leaves and trimmings on Emma's desk. She got up and walked over to Vee. She said, "Can we set some rules?"

"Like what?" Vee asked, skeptical of Emma.

"Three things," Emma started. "One: Keep your things," Emma swept the leaves off the desk and into the bin conveniently below the edge of the table, "off my side." There was a tinge of authoritarian vigour in her tone. "Two: Paws off my stuff without permission."

"I'm really sorry I tried to touch your art. They scared me," there was a slight hesitation before Vee continued, "and then you scared me… and it was scary… I was scared."

Emma pressed her lips together. She pondered over Vee's words, taking in her emotions into strong consideration. "Okay, I will remove them," Emma decided.

Vee stared at Emma with bewilderment but her words conveyed more appreciation for the gesture, "Thank you." It would really put Vee at ease, not having to see bloody murder on the walls every day. "Can you also promise not to yell at me?"

Emma sighed, "I will try my best."

"So what was your third rule?"

"I changed my mind."

"What?"

"I changed my mind," Emma asserted. "I have two rules."

"Oh, okay."

"It's almost time for dinner," Emma commented. She indicated her page in the book with gold leaf and preserved rose petals encased in a clear resin bookmark. The champagne gold tassel dangled from the bookmark and hung over the edge of the table, where Emma set her book down. Emma left the room in search of the dining hall.

The queue had already begun to snake between the tables. Emma opted for a hot sandwich and soup from the vending machines to avoid having to wait in line. Collecting her food, she took her place at an empty table, where Claire had already started feasting.

"Hayley!" Claire exclaimed at a girl trying to spot an empty table after getting her food from the stalls. Claire beckoned her over with a wave. "Emma, this is my roommate, Hayley."

Hayley set her tray on the table but before she took her seat, she asked politely, "May I?"

"Be our guest." Emma gestured to the empty chair and then introduced herself to Hayley.

"I'm Hayley, daughter of 花木兰(huā mù lán)," the girl introduced herself. Her jet black hair was twisted loosely into pigtail braids. As she brought her teacup to her face for a sip, the lenses of her thin round frames fogged up, concealing her lovely brown eyes and, more importantly, her vision. She took her glasses off to clean them.

The doors to the dining hall burst open and in came Vee and Medine in a frenzy. "Karolina is gone!" They both cried simultaneously.

"What?" Claire stood up abruptly, shaking the table causing Emma's tomato soup to spill across the tabletop.

Ignoring Emma and Hayley scrambling to clean up the mess, Vee explained, "We saw her coming out of Claire's dorm. We tried to chase her but she flew out the window."

"How is that possible?" Hayley asked. "We remembered to lock our doors."

"I don't know…" Vee uttered in response.

Meilin, who was at the next table, had overheard. She came over and tried to cast a spell for Karolina to return.

"Not Karolina," Meilin said as she summoned a stack of books. "Still not Karolina," Meilin said as bundles of empty scrolls appeared. "Okay, that definitely isn't Karolina."

"Also, she left this behind," Medine said, raising a single solid gold egg. Claire took the egg from Medine and scrutinised it.

"Wild," Emma commented.

"As wild as a goose chase," Medine chirped.

"Oh, we have to find Karolina," Claire's words shook in trepidation.

"We will, come on!" Emma proclaimed.

The girls ran out of the dining hall, leaving the tissues stained with red soup littered on the canteen table.

The girls ran into the courtyard where Vee and Medine had led them. Vee pointed to the window where the loose goose had vamoose. The window stood two storeys above the ground upon the grey stone walls of the school.

Vee said, "It's been a few minutes. She couldn't have gotten far."

The girls split up wandering across the empty lot, promising to call or text the moment they pick up on the goose’s trail. Claire and Hayley checked out the bushes in the far left of the courtyard. Medine and Meilin explored the rocks on the right. Emma and Vee brought their investigation into the woods ahead of them.

The trees climbed into a rich canopy of fronds over the pair of girls. Light poured in streaks from the dense entanglement of muted green tones, brushing gently on the fallen branches that crunched with every step. Creepers curled around their ankles, tickling their calves as they trod.

Vee screamed as a chill ran down her spine. She grasped onto Emma in fear of whatever monstrosity had brushed against her shoulder.

Emma nudged Vee off her. "It was a leaf," Emma pointed out brushing the dried blade off Vee's shoulder.

"Oh," Vee let out a nervous chuckle.

"You don't like the woods, huh?" Emma jibed.

"No, I don't." Vee grabbed Emma's arm, checking their surroundings with anxious scrutiny. "Can we please hurry up and find Kay so we can get out of here?"

"Kay?" Emma raised her brow.

"Short for Karolina."

"Aw, a nickname for a goose. None for me?" Emma teased.

Vee rolled her eyes in annoyance. Emma dogged as she walked ahead.

"Does anyone hear running water?" Emma asked, her British accent more pronounced than ever.

Vee paused to listen closely. "And singing," she added.

They arrived at the source. A cloak of water poured over moss-covered rocks, falling into the lake below. The cascading currents roared with triumph. A cloud of fog sprawled across the surface of the lake. The mist lightly kissed their faces as the girls walked closer. The beads of water coalesced on their skin, running down their cheeks, like pearls from a once gorgeous necklace now snapped.

A grey hare dipped her snout into the lake, taking tiny sips as she watched her surroundings. Small hedgehogs gathered by the water's edge, joining her in staying hydrated. Their spines lay flat against their backs as they relished in the tranquillity of the scene.

"Hello there, darlings," Vee greeted the woodland creatures with a voice softer than feathers.. The rabbit nuzzled its soft fur against her ankles. The hedgehogs paused their drinks to observe the friendly giant that had arrived. Vee reached out her hand near the head of one of the hedgehogs. It poked its nose close, sniffing before rubbing its head on her finger in affection.

Emma crouched down beside Vee. Instantly, the rabbit backed away slowly before fleeing in a sprint. All that was left in her wake was the rustle of shrubbery. The hedgehogs hissed, raising their spines like an aggressively cute cacti.

Emma pouted as Vee giggled. Emma muttered to herself, "Even the animals think I'm a monster…"

"What was that?" Vee asked.

"Nothing."

"You gotta be gentle if you want the animals to warm up to you." Vee cooed at the puff balls of needles. The hedgehogs settled down, slowly letting their spines lay down. Vee pet the creature with a light hand. She looked at Emma. "Now you try."

Emma reached out her hand, slightly shaky. The hedgehog retreated in hesitation but Vee's soft coos assuaged the tiny thing. It leaned itself against Emma's hand.

"Now hold out your hands like this." Vee cupped her hands together to demonstrate. She effortlessly picked up a hedgehog.

Emma cupped her hands as Vee had instructed. She set them down beside the second hedgehog. The hedgehog sniffed her hand and then crawled onto her palm. Emma lifted it carefully. "Oh, it's adorable!"

"Aren't they?" Vee whispered to the critters, "Emma loves you both."

The singing voice intruded on the moment. They set the animals back onto the ground, remembering their quest.

Vee observed the water's surface, messy as it crashed onto the unmoving rocks poking out towards the sky. They followed the bank of the lake. Wet pebbles crackled under their feet.

Without notice, Emma halted in her tracks. "We are going the wrong way," she declared.

Vee stopped too. "How are you sure?"

"We can't hear the singing anymore," Emma rationalised.

"The waterfall is rather deafening."

Emma pondered. Vee was right but the singing was audible when they were next to the downpour. The robust onslaught of water should have drowned the melody.

Without as much as a word, Emma trod back to where they first arrived at the lake. The chorus of the sweet voices was apparent once again.

"Well, we're back here. What now?" Vee asked.

Emma shushed her with impatience. She listened with keen observation. "I have a guess at where it's coming from," Emma pulled her boots off, "but you might want to take off your hood for this."

Vee screamed as Emma dove into the lake. A splash of water washed over Vee. She huffed in annoyance at the cold as wind blew past her. Vee sighed in compliance. She left her shoes next to Emma's and submitted herself to the water.

The girls cut through the currents. Bubbles swirled around them with each kick. Vee tailed Emma closely. She was not much of a swimmer but she did not want to be left behind by herself.

Emma hoisted herself onto a rock ledge. Then she hauled Vee out of the water. They found themselves in a dim cavity behind the cascade. In the grotto, the singing echoed louder than ever. Two mermaids sat together. Their gills vibrated as they sang to each other. Whatever semblance of light came into the cave bounced off their iridescent scales like a mirror ball. A million hues were casted on the rocky walls. The girls were seemingly enchanted by what sat on the rocks between them - a singular golden egg.

In the dark of the cave, the egg appeared to have a beaming halo of light. Emma and Vee exchanged glances, both recognising the golden egg from the goose. They approached the mermaids in the middle of  a chorus. The mermaids looked less than pleased at the disruption but decided to include the girls in admiring the egg.

"Isn't it neat?" One of the mermaids sang.

"Yes," Vee patronised.

"I'm Livia (he/him), by the way. That's Laurel. We're the Little Mermaids."

"Taking your mother's title, I assume," Emma said.

"Yes," the two mermaids said together.

"Livie Laurie -May I call you that?- Do you know where the goose went?" Vee asked.

"Oh, a goose?" Livia and Laurel looked lost.

Vee described, "Bird. Long neck. Webbed feet. White feathers."

"White feathers?" Laurel sounded surprised. "I believe the bird we saw had golden wings."  Livia agreed with his sister.

Emma and Vee exchanged confused glances. Emma broke their stares and asked the mermaids if they had seen where the goose went.

"The lady took it upstream," Livia recalled.

"Lady?" Vee asked, surprised. "Why would a stranger want to take a goose?"

Emma shook her head. "Easy. The goose lays golden eggs and is turning gold itself. Surely, a rare creature like that has a pretty price tag."

Vee nodded.

"Upstream, you said?" Emma clarified. "Yo, Vee. We need to call the others."

The girls thanked the mermaids for their help. They dove into the lake and returned to the bank where they put their shoes back on.

"Livie and Laurie," Emma said.

"Pardon?" Vee blinked in perplexity.

"More nicknames…"

Vee did not understand what Emma was going on about. It was cute to give nicknames, at least Vee thought so.

Vee gave the group a ring as the girls ran along the trail. "Medi, you have to get everyone to meet us at the edge of the forest. We have a lead on Karol-" Vee stopped in her tracks.

"What happened?" Emma asked. When Vee shushed her, she demanded, "Tell me what happened."

Vee shot daggers at Emma. Emma let out an exasperated grunt. She paced as she listened to Medine's voice coming from the phone in incomprehensible screeches. Finally, Vee said, "Okay, Meds. We're on our way."

"So?" Emma's patience had worn itself thin by this point.

"Someone got Claire. We have to go back."

"What do you mean they 'got Claire'?" Emma asked in confusion and anger.

"Somebody took her, Emma," Vee spoke choppily, each word with her whole chest. "Emma, are you alright?"

Emma did not answer. She just ran. Her senses were nothing but the thud of her feet on the hard soil and Vee's faint screaming, clouded by the equally loud rage festering in her brain.

"Emma, please slow down. Don't leave me behind," Vee pleaded, running after her like a terrified unathletic duckling.

They arrived back in the courtyard. The rest of the girls were already there.

"Where did they take Claire?" Emma was growling again. The whole world appeared to be spinning around her. The sounds of the scene were unclear against her harsh breath and her heartbeat thundering in between her ears.

"That way," Medine pointed. They had taken a different path through the forest than Emma and Vee had just returned from.

"Come. You can tell me what happened along the way," Emma ordered.

"Why are you and Vee dripping wet?" Meilin asked.

"We had a swim," Emma answered. Before Meilin had a chance to question further, Emma asked Medine for details of Claire's abduction.

Hayley recounted, "So we were checking out the bushes when I heard Claire scream. Next thing I know, this lady had taken her. This lady- she-" Hayley hesitated, trying to figure out how to string her words together. "She was made of fire."

"Fire?" The colour in Emma's face was washed away. Emma turned and headed towards the school building.

Hayley questioned, "Where are you going? The fire lady went that way."

"I need to do something," Emma muttered.

"Emma-" Vee began to say.

"I said I need to do something!" Emma snapped, cutting Vee off. "I need to do this so we can save Claire."

"Emma, don't you think we ALL want to save Claire?" Vee gave Emma a weary stare. She asked firmly, "What do you need to do?"

"You wouldn't understand!"

"Emma, please!" By this point, Vee was holding back her tears like a decrepit dam, ready to break open. Her hands were quivering and not from the cold. "You promised not to yell at me."

"Fine, I won't," Emma said calmly.

Vee sighed as she watched Emma disappear into the school building. "Lead the way," Vee said to Hayley.

"We aren't waiting for her?" Hayley asked.

Vee gazed at the school which, at this moment, appeared to be a cold fortress. Vee turned to Hayley and shook her head. "No, she chose to go back. We have to go save Claire."

"Okay then. This way."

Hayley directed the girls into the woods. The dirt path slowly merged into a trail of ashes. The trees were charred black. Burnt pieces of wood crumbled and fell onto the pathway.

"Thank goodness it rained recently," Hayley commented. "The whole forest could have gone up in flames."

"At least we have a trail to follow," Vee said.

"A trail indeed!" Medine chirped, fascinated by the golden embers still crackling on the edges of the blacked foliage.

Vee scolded, "Medi, don't eat that! Trail mix and trail dirt are not the same."

"How did you know I would-? You weren't even looking at me!" Medine cried with her mouth full.

"I've known you for ages. I've familiarised myself to your… tendencies."

"It smells like a barbecue."

"That doesn't mean it is." Vee forced Medine further down the path. The atmosphere of the woods gave Vee an unsettling feeling. If it were up to her, she would not be in there any longer than she had to.

The girls found themselves at a broken bridge by a brook. The end of the bridge was submerged among the steady currents that washed downstream. It appeared that the rope had been seared off at the other bank.

"What do we do now?" Hayley asked.

"Let me try," Meilin said. She hovered over the water. First, she tried to lift the bridge with magic. It was a failed attempt. Then she yanked the wooden pieces in hopes of lifting the bridge. Once again, to no avail.

"Meilin, what is happening?" Hayley called out.

"I think it's in the rocks. I can't lift it!" Meilin yelled as she returned to the bank.

"Can you fly us across?" Hayley asked.

"My levitation skills are subpar, especially when it comes to something as heavy as people." Meilin frowned.

"Aren't you levitating now?" Hayley asked, skeptical.

"Flying is different from levitating," Meilin explained and added, "in our magic anyways."

"Where has Vee gone?" Medine asked.

"We lost another one. Oh my god!" Meilin exclaimed.

"We're dropping like flies!" Hayley cried.

"Oh wait, nevermind, there she is!" Medine pointed to the red hood among the trees.

Vee returned to the group. "I went to get help." With a smile, she pointed to the two girls swimming down the river towards them. "Livie! Laurie! Over here." Vee guided the girls to where the bridge had fallen and caught itself in some rocks.

Livia and Laurel grabbed the wood firmly. The tugs and pulls did little to displace the plank that was stuck. "We can't get it out!" Laurel grumbled.

Meilin floated over to help. Even with the three of them jerking and prying, they could not move the bridge. They tried to push the rocks aside but that was useless too. The rocks were too heavy against their futile efforts.

"What's that over there?" Hayley asked, seeing a figure swimming in the distance.

"Another mermaid!" Livia exclaimed. He waved his arms to attract the attention of the fellow water nymph. Livia asked the mermaid for her help. The mermaid agreed.

With the four of them pulling their weights in collated strength, they managed to dislodge the bridge. As Meilin secured the bridge at the other bank, the 3 mermaids swam over to the bank where the girls were waiting.

"I cannot express enough thanks," Vee said to the mermaids.

"You're Vee, aren't you?" The third mermaid deduced.

"Yes, how did you know?" Vee asked, almost certain that she had never seen this mermaid before.

"I'm friends with Emma. We all go to the same school." The mermaid grinned. "My name is Nico."

"Very nice to meet you, Nico."

"Pleasure is not mine," Nico muttered in Vee's ear. "Emma told us about you. I didn't know the Little Riding Hoods could be such a big pain in the a-"

"AS I was saying," Medine's voice boomed before returning to her normal volume, "we should have a tea party to get to know everyone at school a little better."

"Right," Vee agreed, still trying to shake off the words Nico had so condescendingly whispered to her.

"So what are you doing around here?" Livia asked Nico. "I've never seen such a beautiful mermaid in these parts."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Laurel crossed her arms. "I'm right here, Liv."

"Shush, Laurel," Livia snapped before turning back to Nico with a smile.

"Looking for some flowers and pretty pebbles to decorate my dorm room," Nico answered.

Livia alerted, "You're headed the wrong way. The flowers and pebbles are further downstream and if you take a right and make your way through the delta, you'd come across a beach with the most stunning seashells."

"Oh, thank you for letting me know. I better be on my way then. I don't want to be out too late. I could get lost once it gets dark." Nico paused for a moment. "Unless…"

"Unless?"

"Unless you'd come with me."

"I could come with you," Livia jumped to accept the invitation. "I mean, if you don't mind. I could be your guide. I know this area well."

Vee had a foot on the bridge that teetered side to side. Her mother had always warned her of danger. Each step was with conviction, but not with poor judgement.  She moved carefully if a bit stiff, ensuring the next plank would hold her.

Behind her, Medine was bursting with zest. With the way she was rapt, you would think she had never seen a wooden bridge before. You would be right. She screamed in delight with each sway of the wooden bridge as Vee gave her a disapproving look. Vee was quaking in her boots and Medine had the impertinence to be squealing away.

That fear, however, was nothing compared to the state Hayley was in. She held the ropes tightly. The torrents moved rapidly below her. She watched the water in the gap between the planks. The water sputtering at her ankles only reminded her how close she was to being swept away.

"Hayley," Medine's chipper voice cut into Hayley's thoughts. "C'mon, we have to move."

"No, I can't." Hayley ran off the bridge onto the safety of the bank.

"Hayley, what's wrong?" Medine asked but Vee instructed her to go across the bridge and wait with Meilin.

Hayley was seated by a tree, shaking with trepidation. Her head was riddled with fear-inducing thoughts. Vee approached Hayley with small, gentle steps. "Is it okay if I stand here with you?" Vee asked softly.

Hayley nodded.

"What is happening?" Vee continued to inquire.

"Afraid," Hayley mumbled.

"Of the water?"

Hayley nodded in confirmation.

"Hayley, I'm scared too," Vee let out a nervous chuckle, "terrified even."

Hayley looked at Vee. "Clearly not, you made it halfway across before turning back."

"No, I was afraid. I just did it anyway." Vee sat down next to Hayley. "My mother always warned me of danger. Don't talk to strangers. Wear your seatbelt. Beware the poison ivy. All that jazz. So naturally, I'm a bit more cautious- a lot more cautious. Being so wary, I worry a lot too."

"Oh?" Hayley looked at Vee. "But you don't seem scared."

"Trust me, I am. I can't avoid the world. I can only trust my judgement and act accordingly. Like with Emma, I was very scared of her but I decided to do something nice for her. Then she became a lot less scary-" Vee cut herself short. "No, I shan't tell you more."

"Why not?"

"Personal reasons."

"Alright…"

"Point is, you overcome your fears by facing them, a bit at a time. We don't have to tackle it all at once. We don't have to dash across the bridge like Medine. We can take it at a comfortable pace. What do you say?"

Hayley pondered for a moment and decided, "Okay." She stood up and moved towards the bridge with Vee. Vee walked a step ahead of Hayley on the bridge. Hayley put a trembling hand on the rope.

"Does it help if I hold your hand?" Vee reached out her open palm. Hayley took her hand. "Take a breath, Hayley. Just focus on the step in front of you. You'll be alright."

"I really wish that I knew how to swim," Hayley remarked.

Vee kept talking to Hayley, getting Hayley to concentrate on the sound of her voice and each next step. Vee looked ahead to see a few more steps in front of her.

"The fire lady!" Medine cried, pointing towards the sky.

A shadow as dark as ash descended from above. The lady removed the hood of her cloak to reveal her face. There were cracks along her neck, with incandescent magma peeking out from under her skin. "Excuse me, I have a name!" She huffed.

"Hayley, we have to run," Vee said before quickening her pace. Hayley rushed behind her.

"Maybe this will teach you to remember. My name is Paige!" The lady scorched the middle of the bridge, snapping it into two.

Vee grabbed Hayley by the waist and tossed her over the remaining steps. Hayley screamed as Meilin and Medine scrambled to pull her onto the bank.

The bridge collapsed. Vee held onto a plank. She dangled with her legs in the gushing water up to her knees.

"Don't let go!" Medine cried.

"You'd think I already know that!" Vee responded sarcastically. Vee looked at the end of the bridge where it snapped. The wood was set ablaze. Flames were lapping at the rope and planks, creeping towards Vee.

Vee pried her way up the ropes and planks, grunting in pain. Climbing was really not her strong suit. The rope began to fray. Vee's heart lurched into her throat as it snapped and her body dropped into the water. She grabbed another rope to hold herself.

"I can do this," Vee whispered to herself in encouragement. Her eyes were watering from the smoke. The heat of the fire exhaled at the back of her neck, as though it was whispering to her in mockery. Vee ignored it. She grabbed the rope firmly and hoisted herself.

Vee managed to pull herself onto the bank before the fire could catch her. She lay on the dirt, panting in a combination of exhaustion and relief. The rope burnt, breaking apart. Whatever was left of the burning wooden pieces was thrashed around the currents in a steaming mess of burnt matter.

Vee was ready to give Paige a piece of her mind but Paige had disappeared in the cloud of smoke. "She's just gone," Vee uttered.

"I'm afraid so," Meilin responded.

"Hayley!" Vee remembered, checking on her friend. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Hayley said, "that was terrifying."

"But you did it! I'm so proud of you." Vee held Hayley's hands. They smiled at each other, gasping in the aftermath of what just happened. "We need to get going," Vee declared without savouring the moment.

"Yes, Claire needs us," Hayley stood up even though she was still evidently shaken.

They moved further down the burnt trail. The charred leaf litter crackled under their feet.

"Vee, I just want to say thank you," Hayley did a little jog to catch up with Vee who was walking ahead of her, "for saving me back there."

"My pleasure," Vee replied with a smile. "You were really brave back there, overcoming your fears and all. By the way, why are you afraid of water?"

Hayley gave a grimace in discomfort.

"You don't have to share it with me if you don't want to," Vee reminded her.

"No, I want to tell you," Hayley decided. She told Vee about the memory that haunted her.

Hayley was about eight years old. Mulan had taken her on a trip to visit the palace at the Emperor's request. Her mother had left her alone for a moment. Mulan took a basket down to the river where she was trying to catch some dinner.

Hayley sat in the carriage, brushing out the jet black plastic hair of her wooden dolls. She hummed the tunes to her favourite nursery rhymes.

The carriage began to shift. Hayley stopped. She looked up. The carriage was rattling around her as its wheels rolled over the jagged path of stones and pebbles. Hayley screamed at the top of her lungs, wondering if anyone could hear her.

There was a splash. The rogue carriage was no longer speeding uncontrollably down the hill. That did not bring Hayley the relief it should have. She peered out the window where water was splashing into the carriage. The carriage had fallen into the river. It was tossing about in the currents. Hayley continued to cry for help. She looked out the window once again. To her horror, she saw that she was headed for a cliff.

Hayley calculated her surroundings. She had about five minutes before she would be thrown off the waterfall like another piece of debris. Hayley unlocked the carriage doors and hauled herself onto the wooden roof. Between her and safety was aggressive river water, crashing violently into rocks and fallen branches. If Hayley falls in, she would be swept away.

An arrow was shot in the roof, barely missing Hayley herself. There was a rope attached to it. At the other end, Mulan sat upon her stead, anxiously gesticulating. Hayley construed her mother’s wild gestures. She grabbed the arrow and secured it to a hook on the carriage.

Mulan grabbed the reins of her stead. She squeezed her legs around its body. The horse began to gallop upstream. The river was strong. The horse pulled with all its strength. The carriage was pulled closer to the bank but the current was making it swerve unpredictably.

The carriage caught itself on some rocks. The abrupt jerk threw Hayley forward, like an unbuckled child in a car crash. She fell into the water.

Immediately, Hayley was hit by the cold. She was engulfed by the freezing river. Then there was the torrent, rushing up against her body, pushing her downstream. The river enveloped Hayley. Her weight pulled her down, sinking her like a brick. Her instincts told her not to inhale, knowing the water would choke her. That intuition overrode the agonising starvation for air.

Or it did for about a minute. Carelessly, Hayley let her last gasp of air slip. Her scream came out as faint gurgling. Amidst the taunting volume of the waves, Hayley's scream was nothing but a whisper in a room of thundering applause. Hayley's breath was intruded with water, sharp from her nose all the way down into her lungs. The water burned her from inside out.

For the first time since falling in, Hayley remembered she was supposed to swim. She wanted to flail her arms, to thrash, and hopefully to rescue herself from the watery grave she was being buried in. Unfortunately, she could not. Her arms were stiff. Her legs would not budge. It had to be some kind of cruel joke. Hayley was forced to lay back and just experience the cold, the burning, and the shock, as she drowned. She did not even get the chance to attempt to save herself.

Hayley felt someone hold her. Strong arms wrapped around her body, lifting her up. At once, she felt like she had been put in a safe place. There was light. The sun shone brilliantly, practically blinding. The air was-

Air!

Air!

Hayley was above water. Her chest twisted. She coughed, expelling the water from her windpipe. Never in her life had the simplicity of being able to breathe provide her with so much relief.

"You're alright," Mulan cooed. "I got you." She pulled herself and Hayley back to safety by the rope she had attached to herself before jumping into the water. She  secured the other end tightly around a tree. Mulan pulled Hayley onto the bank. Hayley collapsed on the dirt.

"And so, I never really liked water," Hayley explained.

"Thank you for telling me." Vee took a breath. "Wow, that sounds like a really scary experience."

"You have no idea," Hayley scoffed jokingly.

"It was really brave of you to face your fears so we can go and find Claire and Karolina."

Hayley smiled sweetly. "I guess so," she said before bumping into Medine who had abruptly halted in front of her.

"Why have we stopped?" Vee asked but Medine shushed her and pointed to the sky. "Bees?"

A swarm was buzzing aggressively above them.

"This is not normal," Medine murmured in low volume.

"I'm sure the Wonderland girl knows a lot about normal," Meilin bickered.

"Look who's talking, Witch," Medine retaliated. "Those are bumblebees, usually harmless. They are almost too fat to fly, let alone pick a fight."

"Maybe we got a bit too close to their nest?" Hayley suggested.

"Yea, I don't think so," Vee stammered. The bees were flickering golden. At first, it was just a small glow illuminating from their round fuzzy bodies. They flickered and burst into flames.

"Yes, okay, the bees aren't normal," Meilin admitted before taking to her heels. "Run!"

The girls hurried down the path. The swarm of bees were hot on their trails. "Medine, what should we do?" Vee asked. "You know about bees."

"Yes but not angry magic bees!" Medine cried.

"Should we hide in the trees?" Hayley suggested between breaths.

"No!" Medine protested. "Swerving will only slow us down. Keep running while I think."

"What if we jump into the stream? It's only a few minutes away from here," Vee suggested. "Bees can't go into water."

"No!" Medine and Hayley objected simultaneously.

"No water, please," Hayley begged.

Medine explained, "Aquaphobia aside, bees will wait to sting when you surface. I agree with Hayley - no water. The only way is to hide somewhere enclosed: a car, a house, or something."

"Where are we supposed to find that in a forest?" Meilin reacted impatiently. She flicked her wrist and cast a spell from her wand. Magic enclosed around the swarm of bees, giving the girls hope of an escape. "Oh no."

"Oh no, indeed," Medine commented. "The bees turned into a kangaroo?"

"A very angry kangaroo. Run!" Hayley yelped. The girls fled.

"Oh, great. The kangaroo is on fire too! Faster!" Medine shouted, wondering if a flaming kangaroo was better than a swarm of blazing bees. The kangaroo caught up to them with a few powerful leaps.

"Wait, you're not supposed to run from a kangaroo." Vee realised their error and redirected the group, "Follow me!" She ran into the trees.

"Vee, Medine said swerving past trees will only slow us down!" Hayley reminded Vee. Her words fell on deaf ears. Vee decided kangaroos were different from bees. They needed to approach it differently.

"Get behind me!" Vee instructed. The rest of them obliged. Vee held up a large fallen branch, putting distance between the girls and the ferocious kangaroo.

The kangaroo hopped erratically, searching for a weak spot where Vee was not blocking with the branch. It flailed its razor sharp claws in vain attempts in scratching the girls. Vee thrusted the branch, scaring the kangaroo back. The leaves on the branch rustled with each jolt. Vee cornered the beast against a tree.

That was when the kangaroo retaliated. It charged through the branch, setting the dead leaves ablaze. With a powerful kick, it struck Vee in the chest. A singular kick was enough force to knock Vee to the ground. She dropped the branch, leaving the girls defenceless. The kangaroo eyed the rest of the girls, growling in hostility.

Vee grunted, experiencing unbearable pain in the chest and head. She touched the back of her scalp. It was wet. Her fingers were soaked red. The image of the kangaroo intimidating her friends began to fog. She was in so much pain preventing her from getting up. She wrapped her fingers around the branch of burning leaves. Vee swung her arm, throwing the branch at the kangaroo.

There was a menacing yet familiar bark. Emma shielded the girls behind her. Her teeth had turned to fangs. Tufts of fur stuck out from under her clothes. With one swipe of her claws, she had the kangaroo squealing in terror. It scratched Emma.

Emma roared, standing tall above the kangaroo. She grabbed the animal and threw it against a tree. The kangaroo whimpered upon impact and as it hit the ground. It gathered itself quickly and bolted the scene, afraid of Emma attacking again.

Immediately upon safety, Medine rushed beside Vee. "You're bleeding!" Medine cried.

"Just a little," Vee mumbled.

"Here, use this." Emma handed Medine a clean towel from her backpack. "Apply pressure to the wound."

"I'm tired," Vee said softly. Her eyes drifted shut.

"Rest for a bit," Emma whispered.

"Okay."

When Vee woke up, she had her head in Emma's lap. She bolted up. "Easy, easy," Emma cooed. "How is your head?"

"Still hurts," Vee touched the wound where the bleeding had stopped, "but otherwise, alright. How long was I asleep?"

"About twenty minutes. We figured we needed the rest too. Don't worry. Hayley told me all about Paige and the mermaids and the kangaroo so I'm all caught up with what happ-"

Vee got up without so much as a response to Emma. She brushed the dirt off her clothes and walked away. She announced to the group, "Come on, guys. Claire needs us."

Vee maneuvered through the forest, careful not to trip over fallen branches or tree roots that stitched itself into the earth. The girls followed closely behind as Vee led them back to the burnt trail.

Emma did a little jog to catch up to Vee. She put a hand on Vee's shoulder to get her attention. Vee recoiled in discomfort. "What? No 'thank you'?" Emma said jokingly. "I just saved your life back there."

Vee stared at Emma with her jaw quaking as she struggled to verbalise herself. Instead, she changed her mind and continued to walk. Emma reached out to Vee's shoulder again. Vee retreated abruptly. "Don't touch me," Vee stated firmly.

"This is about my beast, isn't it? I promise you I won't hurt you like the big bad wolf hurt your family."

"Get away from me."

"Vee, I am not a monster so stop treating me like one!" Emma lost her patience. Her voice echoed through the trees. The quiet of the forest made her volume seem even louder. Chatter stopped amongst the other girls as they halted and stared at Emma. A heavy silence fell upon them. Emma covered her mouth, realising how loud she was. She immediately apologised, "Vee, I'm sorry."

Vee stared at Emma with a sheen of tears glossed over her eyes. Her lips trembled. "You promised not to yell at me." Vee's voice was shaky.

"I know. I'm sorry," Emma said.

"Just stay away from me." Vee walked ahead. The rest of the girls exchanged worried glances but decided to continue on their quest without putting their noses into Vee and Emma's discord.

Emma snapped, "It's fine by me if you don't want to talk. Let's just go and get Claire so we can go."

Vee decided not to give any affirmation. The group walked in silence. The only noise from them was Vee's sniffling.

Pain tore at Vee's chest. She looked at Emma, detesting the things the beast had said about her to Nico. It was one thing to call her a pain behind her back but to yell in her face after promising not to was adding fuel to the flames.

They continued their hike until the trail stopped at the bottom of a tall cliff. Hayley deduced, "She must've flown but how will we get up there?"

"I think we have more pressing issues," Medine stammered.

A dragon was glaring at them. It was the size of a boar but with its sharp claws visible, it was clearly more dangerous than one.

"Okay so we know about bees. We know about kangaroos. Anyone here know about dragons?" Meilin asked, to which everyone turned to Hayley for an answer.

"I only know the Chinese ones!" Hayley exclaimed.

"We're doomed," Meilin sighed.

"No, Emma, you can take it in a fight," Medine urged.

Emma hesitated. She bared her fangs once and all that did was turn her new roommate against her after everything seemed to be going well. Things were not as they appeared.

Emma shook her head, resisting Medine's persuasion to attack the dragon. Smoke billows from its nose. "Is this another one of Paige's cursed creatures ?" Hayley wondered.

"Maybe if I just-" Meilin took out her wand to which everyone else opposed.

"No!" Vee cried, snatching the wand. "No more spells. We can't have another kangaroo. We barely escaped the last one. We'd be dead if it were not for- Nevermind."

Emma sighed. She supposed it would take a while for Vee to warm up to her again, if ever. At that point, Vee would not even say her name. Emma was not ready to be treated like this again, like she was a danger.

The dragon unfolded its wings, growling at the girls. The scales on its face crumpled over each other as it opened its mouth to bare its teeth. With a mighty flap, it soared into the air and swooped down at the girls.

"Oi!" A voice called. The dragon immediately ceased its attack. "Get over here."

The dragon flew to a girl standing on a rock. The girl's grey top was cropped above her high waisted jeans. She pulled a biscuit from her pant pocket and gave it to the dragon, which sat obediently beside her. The vibrant beads strung on her wrist rattled as she pointed at the girls, demanding to know, "Why are you all here?"

"We are looking for our friend." Vee pointed to the trail. "The person who took her burnt this path."

"Wait, you mean the fire lady?" The girl asked. "She took my dragon, Draco, and I want him back!"

"Well, we need to get up this cliff," Vee told the girl.

"I think I can help. The name's Dana, by the way," Dana introduced herself. She led the girls into a nearby cave. Inside, hundreds of torches were burning on the walls, illuminating the nest of a hundred dragons. "Meet my family."

Dana summoned two of the fittest dragons to take them on their quest. Medine excitedly greeted the dragons with hugs and coos. Hayley was assigned a dragon with Medine. Meilin decided to levitate herself. That left Emma to ride with Vee.

Emma straddled the dragon, patting it softly as it turned it's long neck to sniff her. Vee stared at the magnificent creature, intimidated by its immense size. Emma reached out a hand to Vee, telling her to be brave. Vee rejected Emma's help and mounted the dragon independently, sitting behind Emma.

Dana was mounted upon her own dragon. The dragons waited for her cue. "Onward!" Dana announced. The dragons spread their wings, spanning open like sails on a great ship.

The dragons soared into the sky. Vee lost her balance. Her arms wrapped around Emma, grabbing on to stabilise herself-". Emma chuckled quietly but did not say a word about it to Vee. Vee quickly released her hug, turning away in embarrassment.

"You can hold onto me if you want," Emma said in a gentle voice.

"I don't want to," Vee asserted, to which Emma frowned. "I'm upset that you-"

"I'm sorry that I'm a monster. I can't help it!" Emma cut her off, turning around to face Vee.

"You can help it!" Vee insisted. "Maybe if you took some accountability for the hurtful things you do, you'd be able to help it."

"Yes, I'm a beast. I take accountability for that," Emma let out a heavy sigh, "but I was only a beast so that I could save you."

"What? No, Emma. It's not the beast. I'll admit the sharp teeth and claws are kinda scary…" Vee shuddered at the thought of the formidable nature of Emma as a beast, "but I'm not mad that you have fur in some places. That would be ridiculous-"

"It was not ridiculous to the other kids," Emma murmured.

Vee scowled, anger smouldering under her stone-cold glare. "Stop making this about yourself. I'm trying to tell you that you hurt me! You swore you wouldn't yell at me but you did. Plus, we met Nico. You told her about me, that I'm a pain in the-" Vee choked on her words as she blinked her tears away. She sobbed, "That hurt me, Emma. How could you badmouth me like that? I can't believe I tried so hard to be nice to you and you just drag me through the mud."

"Vee- I- I'm so sorry. Vee, that was before we made up. I was angry-"

Vee inhaled sharply. Her breath released slowly as she collected her thoughts. "Regardless, it was not very nice."

"Oh." Emma's eyes shifted to her fiddling hands. She hung her head low and her gaze lower. "I'm sorry. I will be nicer."

"Okay." The tightness in Vee's chest dissipated. "But this doesn't mean I forgive you."

"I understand," Emma replied softly. She turned back around to face forward.

The dragons were gliding over an ocean of viridescent leaves. The sun crept behind the horizon, leaving orange and purple hues in its wake. Slowly, all the rich colours darkened to reveal the twinkling pearls stitched into the night sky.

The burnt path they followed stopped upon a barren formation of earthly matter. "The volcanic arc," Dana pointed out. The girls' attentions were directed to the row of hardened magma mountains. Chatter was heard in a caldera. Dana led the dragons to hover above the crater. Waves could be heard from the sea nearby. "Oceanic continental convergence," Dana spewed some geography jargon. In the caldera, there was a platform made from solidified magma. A witch was perched on a rocky throne with Paige beside her. They conspired in the darkness of the night. Only the incandescent molten rock illuminated their faces from the magma pool below.

"Look, there's Claire and Kay!" Vee exclaimed. She quickly covered her mouth, realising she exposed their location to Paige and the witch beside her.

"Who are you?" The witch demanded to know. Dana instructed the dragons to land.

"I want my Draco!" Dana insisted, marching up to the witch. "And return their friend too!"

The witch cackled, "You mean Claire? I want nothing to do with her."

Claire was released. She ran directly to Emma who wrapped her in a protective embrace. "Are you alright?" Emma asked.

Claire nodded.

"Why did you take her?" Emma barked at the witch.

"Because you kids ruined my plans. Karolina, here, was supposed to live her days as a frog. You see, I'm Natalie. I'm a nature manipulator. I can control nature. It was part of a bargain that I punished Karolina for the things she had done. It was all good until you changed her into a goose. I never meant to take Claire. I meant to take you!" Natalie jabbed a finger at Meilin. "Paige just can't take instructions."

"What do you want with me?" Meilin asked defensively.

"To show you what happens when you mess with the wrong witch!" Natalie hissed.

"And Draco?" Dana cried.

"Yea, I didn't want him at all. Paige just thought he was cute. Take it up with her." Natalie responded nonchalantly.

"What did Karolina even do?" Claire asked.

Paige crossed her arms and snapped, "She stole my cat and dyed it key lime green!" Paige pointed violently at a sweet little kitten that was coloured a bright shade of almost neon green. The gentle feline purred as it rolled around, scratching its back on the volcanic rock. It seemed unbothered by the strangers present.

Emma choked on her laughter to Paige's vexation. "I'm sorry but this is too funny," Emma admitted. "After 6 baths, pet dye will wash out. Your cat will be back to normal in a couple months."

"I don't want a green cat!" Paige raged.

"Fine, then it can stay with me," Emma decided and lured the kitten into her arms with a friendly "pspspsps".

"No!" Paige lunged at Emma who dodged before Paige could lay a fiery finger on her. Emma quickly climbed out of the caldera, bolting down the hill.

Dana tried to grab Paige but Natalie used magic to break a hole in the solidified magma. Dana fell through, grabbing the edge at the last moment. She could feel the heat of the churning molten matter below her feet.

Vee dragged Dana up onto the platform. "Quick, we have to help Emma," Vee said. Dana summoned her dragon with a loud whistle. She and Vee mounted it hastily.

They zoomed out of the caldera after Paige and Emma. Natalie levitated herself above the volcano. She cast a spell on the grasslands before the sea. The small blades reached into the skies in the form of tall trees, hindering Emma's path. Emma swerved and jumped over the undergrowth and large tree roots. Paige was following closely behind her on a cloud of smoke and leaving a trail of smouldering plants.

Meilin levitated herself to Natalie's level. She casted a spell on Natalie but missed. Natalie snickered ostentatiously. She waved her own wand and struck Meilin down.

"Hey, that's our friend!" Medine announced in displeasure. She and Hayley were atop a flying dragon. On Hayley's cue, the dragon let out a breath of flames, charring the wide-brimmed fedora off of Natalie's head.

Natalie chanted a spell. Medine, Meilin, and Hayley found themselves tied up with a magic vine. They struggled to free themselves but their efforts were in vain. Natalie flew away, cursing the girls and their dragons for destroying her hat.

Dana instructed the dragon. It breathed fire onto Paige. Paige just howled in laughter, "You can't fight fire with fire, idiots!"

Emma panted as her chest ached for more oxygen. Beads of sweat dripped down her face as she ran. She peered behind her, seeing Paige gaining pace.

A wave of discomfort crawled on Emma's skin. She considered what happened the last time she used her beast. Vee was scared. "I'm not a monster," Emma told herself.

Emma reached the coastline. She looked at the water, jittering in her toes. "C'mon, where are you?" Emma mumbled anxiously.

Paige appeared from the trees. Her eyes were glowing red with fire and fury. "Karolina needs to pay for what she did," Paige conjured a ball of flames, "but since she won't, you will."

Dana and Vee were dropped off on the beach. The dragon flew above them, waiting at Dana's command. Natalie arrived at the scene, obliterating the forest she created as an obstacle.

Paige fired at Emma. At Dana's whistle, the dragon shielded Emma under its wings. Its fire-resistant scales provided refuge for her and itself.

Dana unsheathed her machete. She handed Vee a dagger, the only other weapon she had at her disposal. Natalie whispered an incarnation. Enchanted snakes grew out of her sleeves. The snakes hissed at Dana and Vee.

The left snake lurched forward and sunk its teeth into Dana. Vee cried as Dana fell unconscious.

"Don't worry. It's just a sedative." Natalie smirked. "I'm not that evil."

Vee grabbed Dana's machete and swiped at the snakes. Both heads fell to the sand, cut clean off. To her dismay, Natalie just had to whisper another incantation for the snakes to regrow.

Vee decided that she had to hit Natalie in order to stop her. She struck the snakes, killing them one after another. The beach was littered with snake heads but Vee was no closer to getting her hands on Natalie. She was struggling to avoid their venomous fangs. They seemed to regrow quicker and quicker. "Help!" Vee cried.

Emma noticed that Vee was in trouble. She could use her beast. She was fast and strong. Taking Natalie down would not be a problem. Emma's hands trembled in nervousness. She knew what Vee thought of her sharp teeth and big claws. Vee was terrified. There could only be more judgement if Emma attacked someone, right?

Emma weighed her options and made her decision. Her claws came out. Fur grew out of her skin. She left the dome of the dragon's protection. Her paws were more powerful than her feet. She ran to Natalie and tackled her onto the ground effortlessly. Vee picked up an almost dead snake head and pierced its fangs into Natalie's skin.

"Don't worry. It's just a sedative." Vee smirked. "I'm not that evil."

Natalie gasped before she lost control. Her head dropped motionless onto the sand. All her muscles relaxed as she fell into a sleepy trance.

Emma and Vee diverted their attention to Paige. Paige redirected her blaze at the pair. Emma stepped in front of Vee, taking the hit of Paige's fire. Emma screamed as her skin was scorched.

A tall wave crashed into Paige, disrupting her powers and knocking her on the beach. She cried in frustration. Emma fell onto her knees, groaning in pain as she collapsed. "Took you long enough," Emma snickered.

"I'm sorry!" Nahiomy approached Emma. "Srishti refused to get out of bed."

The sea sorceress smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I did not realise how badly my assistance was needed."

"Okay, we are here!" Medine announced as she, Hayley, Meilin, Claire, Karolina, and the dragons arrived. "We had a bit of a hold up but we escaped! And we came to help- oh, it seems you have it under control here."

"Yes, we do. Thank you, Medine." Vee gave her friend a hug.

Srishti turned to Paige, glowering. "Paige! What did Uncle Poseidon say about using your powers for vengeance?"

"Please, you clearly don't know Papa!" Paige shot back.

Srishti shook her head. "I'm stripping you of your powers as punishment for misuse."

"That's so unfair!" Paige flew into a fit of rage. She kicked the sand that the wind only blew back into her face. "Ugh!"

Claire set Karolina on the sand. "I believe she was cursed. Can you uncurse her?" Claire asked Srishti.

Srishti looked at the goose. "Not my division." She turned to Meilin. "You're the daughter of Merlin. You can do it!"

"Yeah, I don't think so… My magic has been all wonky lately," Meilin lamented, waving her wand around recklessly. The rest of the girls retreated, fearful of being a part of her next magic mishap.

"Have you tried turning it off and on again?" Srishti asked.

"Oh, I didn't think-" Meilin tried. She chanted, "Offlin Onlin." Meilin cast a spell on the goose to test her wand.

Enchantment clouded around the goose like smoke. In its evanescence, a princess was revealed. Her gold dress was adorned with feathers. Milky white angel wings sprouted out of her back, juxtaposing her dark skin and even darker curly hair.

"Karolina?" Claire called out.

"That's me," Karolina said. "Thank you for ridding me of this curse."

Claire nodded. "You're very welcome."

Srishti hauled Paige into the ocean. The girls flew back to the school with an unconscious Dana on her dragons. Natalie had a nice nap on the beach.

In the morning, Emma said to Vee, "I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what about?" Vee smiled. When Emma hesitated to answer, Vee bit her lip, waiting anxiously.

Emma blurted, "I know I turned into a beast and you're afraid of my teeth and claws but I hope you know that it was for a very good reason. I just wanted you to be safe and you looked like you were in danger so I used my beast to protect you. Please don't think I'm a monster."

Vee took a moment to process the ramblings. Then, she responded with a sweet smile and, "Okay!"

"Wait, okay?" Emma clarified, startled by the positive reaction.

"Yes."

"You're not scared? Angry? Gonna throw sticks at me?"

Vee giggled. She kissed Emma gently on her cheek. "Thank you for having my back."

"So I take it you're not mad at me anymore?"

"Yea," Vee paused then added, "but if you do it again, I will be doing more than just throwing sticks at you!"

"Chains and whips excite me." Emma winked.

Vee shook her head. "I'm going for breakfast. Bye."

"Maybe we can meet for a walk in the garden this afternoon?" Emma suggested, jumping at an opportunity.

"Sure," Vee responded as she disappeared into the corridor.

Emma had the stupidest smile plastered on her face for the rest of the day. She went by the pool to thank Nahiomy for help with the sea sorceress.

"And then she said she wasn't mad at me anymore," Emma shared about her interaction with Vee from earlier that day.

Nahiomy explained, "Yea, I told Nico about what happened. The white roses, the goose, everything. Nico felt bad so she went to apologise to Vee."

"It was very mature of you to apologise. Thank you, Nico," Emma remarked.

"Eh, don't expect too much maturity from me. I'm still a Neverland girl."

Emma waited for Vee in the school garden. She sat with her ankles crossed but the shake in her legs gave away her prim demeanor.

Vee soon arrived. As she sat on the park bench, her lighter fell out of her pocket. Emma picked it up and brushed the dirt off of it.

"Cigarette?" Emma offered Vee.

"No," Vee responded, "I don't smoke." She pushed away the box of "cancer sticks", as her mother would call them.

"You're scared," Emma said. Her fingers adjusted its grip on the bear head of her cane. As if holding a cane was not breaking enough folkways for a kid in this generation, she just had to have one with a bear. Emma's outfit was bizarrely stylish. Only she would wear a suit to a park.

Vee insisted, "I'm not. I just don't smoke."

Emma let out a patronising chuckle. "I'm not talking about the cigarette, love. First time living away from your family?"

"Yea, how did you know?"

"Scared I'm gonna kidnap you?"

The reality of that joke was too on the nose for Vee. Her hesitation was enough of an answer for Emma.

"Don't worry, I won't."

"And I'm supposed to trust that?" Vee tried to banter.

"I was just hoping you'd trust me enough not to bring a makeshift flamethrower to go out with me," Emma said in an ironically steady tone.

"Excuse me?" Vee blinked, taken aback slightly.

"Your lighter. Earlier, you dropped it out of your pocket," Emma stated.

"You can't tell a lighter from a flamethrower?"

"No, but I also see the can of deodorant in the water bottle holder of your backpack," Emma pulled the can out and flipped it in her hand, "on the right, like your dominant hand. Easier to aim, I presume. With the lighter in your left pocket, that will make a good mock flamethrower."

"How did you deduce that?"

"Well, you don't smoke and I don't suppose you go to enough birthday parties to warrant carrying a lighter around."

"Hey! I might be attending one of Medine's un-birthday parties. You wouldn't know." Vee pouted at Emma's inquisitive gaze. "Stop reading me."

"I wish I could, honey. You're just so readable."

"Okay, Emmie bear." Vee rolled her eyes.

"Emmie bear?"

"You did ask for a nickname when we were in the woods so Emmie bear."

"Emmie bear."

"The other option was Elmo."

"I'll take Emmie bear."

"Okay, let me try a hand at it. This reading-people, seeing-more-than-meets-the-eye thingy."

"Be my guest."

Vee scrutinised Emma and started, "Your cane."

"Yeah? What about it?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"You bring it around but you're not disabled," Vee observed. "Is it sentimental?"

Emma nodded. "That would be correct."

Vee continued, "It's engraved 'Boobear'. That's a nickname for you?"

Emma blushed a little at the pet name. "Yeah."

"Nicknames, sentimental, I'm guessing a present from a boyfriend?"

"Nope."

"Girlfriend?"

"And you've missed the nail head. Vee, I don't have a girlfriend. We are on a date!"

"Wait, this is a date?"

Emma looked like she wanted to drive her skull through a wall, and not the cheap apartment drywall, the hard stone ones they use to make castles. "Yes, this is a date," Emma mumbled.

Vee pondered. "So ex-girlfriend?"

"Mother," Emma said, smiling at the ground. "It was a gift from my mother."

"Oh."

Emma chuckled. "I guess the only thing you can observe is what big teeth I have, huh?"

"Ugh, that's my mother's line."