A/N: January 19th, 2016. That was when I posted the first chapter. It's January 19th again, but of 2017, and I'm posting the final chapter. I can't believe it. It's been exactly a year. So much has happened…I often go back and reread my first few chapters. Ah, the memories. Princess MH, remember? You were my first reviewer. I remember waking up, logging on, and seeing your review. I was so happy. You've stayed with me until The End, and I am grateful. There was also purplewombat225 and TimeLordBud—they were there for the beginning, but I have no idea if they're still there or not. I don't know if you guys are reading this, but I just wanna thank you so much! Purplewombat225, I recall your messages to me about ideas for the story—they were so encouraging. Best of luck to you with your own Ever After High fan fictions. You were so helpful and inspiring. You too, TimeLordBud. And I personally give a shout out to Rivera92 and purplewombat225, the first users who added an alert on Falling Apples, the day after I published. Then so many others followed—I can't even…I'm struggling not to cry. The journey's been great. 42,000 reads in one year. Sure, there were times when I wanted to delete the story and give up. But I didn't. There were things I wanted to say, more things I wanted Apple to experience. Who knows? Maybe the story will continue. Maybe it won't. But I do know one thing—Apple's story hasn't ended. She lives through our imaginations. Let's keep her legacy alive. I want to continue Falling Apples in another story, but I have no idea what to say or what the plot should be. Perhaps it's best left alone as a single story. I dunno—maybe I should ask Apple, just as TimeLordBud suggested a year ago. She'll tell me.

I think I've finally found the perfect song for the Sparrow x Apple ship: "Style" by Taylor Swift. Ya know, that song that goes, "you got that James Dean daydream look in your eye, and I got that red lip classic thing that you like and when we go crashing down we come back every time". I've been obsessively listening to it since late 2015, and it's gotten me through several chapters of Falling Apples. I listened to it while I wrote the1st chapter, and I listened to it again as I wrote the last. I think the song's perfect for Apple and Sparrow. It's not like all those other love songs when they talk about sex. It's seriously focusing on a relationship—one that didn't work out in the beginning. When the song first started, Taylor tells us the relationship is in trouble—"could end in burning flames or paradise". I think this is Apple's and Sparrow's relationship. They know their romance is forbidden and could most likely result in never ever after for the both of them. Apple knows this and tries to end things with Sparrow, but tried and failed, and the cycle repeats itself—"I should just tell you to leave 'cause I know exactly where it leads but I watch it go round and round each time". Sparrow's a bad boy and thinks all girls love him and knows Apple knows this, but he can't he can't keep Apple off his mind—"can't stop thinking about you and I." Apple, who has that "good girl fate" just can't bring herself to break up with Sparrow and they go "round and round each time".

I know, there's still a lot to introduce and explain, but it's best I leave those questions unanswered for now. What would be the point of a sequel—if I'm writing a sequel—if everything was explained and resolved in the first story? Besides, cliffhangers are an author's weapons. They keep the readers active, anxious, attentive. I want you guys to remember this story—remember that there are still questions to be answered, conflicts to be solved. And most of all, that The End is only The Beginning.

Ya know, I'm gonna miss this story. I think my overall favorite chapters were Chapter 1, 7, 13, 20-22, and 53. What about you guys? Man, I meant to add in some Darise, but that sort of didn't happen. In Epic Winter, did you guys see how Cerise was checking out Beast Daring? That's gotta mean something. Who knows? Maybe I'll tackle Cerise and Daring in another fan fiction.

Well, here's the "last" chapter. I put just as much heart and love into it as I did with the first chapter. I hope you all love it. And may you all live Happily Ever After!

Rosalite, 2017.

Apple groaned as the sunlight soaked through her eyelids, burning her eyes. She slowly sat up, squinting against the light beams pouring into the room. Gala jumped up onto her bed and rubbed against her mistress's arm. "Hey, Gala." Apple smiled, petting her snow fox on the head. The girl was about to push back her comforter and get up out of bed, but stopped when she became aware of the fact her bra was on the floor over in the corner. What the…?

Oh yeah. Last night's occurrences suddenly flashed in Apple's mind, making her blush. She and Sparrow got a little…wild last night. Apple glanced over at Raven's side of the dorm room. The dark princess was gone as usual. Though no one but Gala was around, Apple covered her bare chest with her arms as she slid out of bed.

The princess changed into a fresh, clean outfit and was about to make her way down to the castleteria, but paused when Snowflake suddenly crossed her mind. Her beautiful, beautiful little baby. It had been a while since Apple had seen her baby. In fact, during the whole Mira and dragon games crap, Apple hadn't even given her daughter a second thought.

She frowned. What kind of mother neglected her child like that?

Apple changed course, swiping her phone off her nightstand. She was about to call her mother, but stopped. She didn't need permission to see her own daughter. Not even from her mother. Besides, Snow couldn't keep Apple from Snowflake even if she tried to.

So instead of dialing Snow's number, Apple dialed up her chauffer. Though it was a Friday, there weren't any classes though to school's undesirable condition. Apple would be able to escape to her grandmother's mansion without any suspicion. And Snow wouldn't know—to her knowledge, her perfect little daughter would still be at school.

And it wasn't like Apple was keeping Snow in the dark to be rebellious or anything. She just knew how her mother worked and didn't want to risk upsetting her again. It seemed Apple had been disappointing a lot of people lately, and the last person she wanted to add to the last was her mother.

After scheduling an appointment with her chauffer, Apple sat down on her bed and sighed. Ever since Snowflake's arrival, she and Snow's relationship had been…different. Yes, Snow still treated her the same way, but Apple could sometimes sense her mother's disappointment in her. And Apple couldn't blame her. Any mother would be upset to know her daughter went out and got pregnant with a guy she barely knew. And being a queen of high standards, disappointment wasn't even the right word to describe how Snow felt about Apple and her mistake.

Mistake. Was all of this really a mistake? Apple sometimes pondered that question. So many good things had come from her mistake. Truth, love, friendship. None of it would've been possible if it hadn't been for Apple's and Sparrow's mishap. And you know what?

Apple didn't regret a thing.

Duchess stretched out across her bed, setting up her Mirrorpad on its stand atop her comforter. Pirouette flew over and landed in her owner's arms. Duchess allowed herself to smile as she stroked the black swan's soft feathers. It felt nice to have their right minds again. Seriously, Duchess had never felt so relived to be in her own body—the one with two hands and two legs. Having her own swan transformation, Duchess had always known what it was like to live in a swan's body firsthand, but she never experienced what it felt like to be trapped. When the Evil Queen hexed them with her magic, Duchess had been forced into Pirouette's body, meaning she couldn't transform into her graceful, two-legged human form. She had to endure dwelling within a swan without her magic. Without any hopes of reverting back into an elegant, beautiful ballerina. And that was pure agony. Duchess didn't want to ever experience that feeling again. Ever.

On the other side of the dorm room, Lizzie, who was buried under her covers, was snoring loudly, cuddling her hedgehog, Shuffle. Duchess growled at her obnoxiousness. Yeesh. That Wonderlandian seriously wasn't considerate in the slightest.

Duchess pushed Lizzie out of her mind as Blondie's perky, smiling face filled the screen. Just Right''s logo—a periwinkle-colored hair mirror with a bear-themed microphone and a blond mane identical to Blondie's—was radiating in the bottom-right corner. The ace-reporter herself was sitting close to the camera, hers and Cupid's dorm room serving as a background. "Good evening fellow fairytale!" she exclaimed, smiling bubbly and exciting. "Welcome to another livestream of Just Right!" Her mirrorcast's theme song played on cue. "And boy, do I have a scoop for you!"

Duchess rolled her eyes. It was obvious what Blondie was going to report. After all, it wasn't every day the most evil person in history—who had been assumed dead—broke out of mirror prison and took over the most prestigious school in Ever After.

"Get this: the Evil Queen, the same one who everyone thought was dead, was freed from her mirror prison!" reported Blondie with a big grin, "that's right, the villain in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves escaped the Mirror Realm! And her first action as a free woman? Hot revenge! The devious, sneaky Evil Queen disguised herself as a teenager and infiltrated Ever After High as a student—Mira Shards!"

Duchess bit her lip. She still couldn't believe that harpy had been the Evil Queen. Though when she thought about it, it made sense.

"And around the same time, dragons were returning to the school—watch the last episode to learn more about that. Apple White, daughter of Snow White, thought it good to bring dragon sport back to Ever After High, and with the help of her mother, dragon games was spellebrated once again!"

Duchess sneered. Apple White. Why was she always basking in undeserved glory? It wasn't fair. Everything she did was praised by her mindless followers.

"And the Evil Queen used this to her advantage! Snow White appeared on the scene and 'Mira Shards' revealed herself to actually be the Evil Queen, Snow's old enemy."

The swan princess tuned out Blondie as her mind wandered elsewhere. She couldn't stop thinking about that torture she went through in Pirouette's body. Was that how her destiny would feel as the next Swan Queen? If she didn't choose to murder herself, she'd have to live out the rest of her life as a swan. As an animal. And as a swan, Duchess would have no way of communicating with the rest of the world. She'd be forced to watch her friends' lives without any hope of living out her own. While they lived Happily Ever After, Duchess would be suffering her own Happily Never After. It wasn't fair. Why was Duchess the only one with such a horrible fate? Why was she the only one cursed with such a destiny?

"And then, within the shadows, the Evil Queen poisoned Apple White!" went Blondie's voice.

Duchess's ears perked at that. Apple had been poisoned? But how? The swan princess had just seen Apple a few minutes ago in the hallway! Her fan club was still fawning over her banishing the Evil Queen back into her prison like idiots. How was she awake?

"Saddened by the next phase of Apple's story, Raven Queen and the others safely secured Apple within a glass coffin, all of them mourning Apple's enchanted sleep."

Duchess hissed. "If only that witch would've stayed poisoned." Half of Duchess's problems literally would've washed down the drain if she hadn't been cursed to hear and see that chipmunk-voiced enchantress every single day.

"And when all hope was lost, Daring Charming arrived to rescue his destined true love from sleeping forever after!"

Duchess's heart nearly stopped beating. Her Daring Charming locked lips with Apple White?! That was hardly fair! He was supposed to be with Duchess, not Apple! Apple had given Duchess her story, after all! That meant she and Daring were no longer destined to be together. "I can't believe this!" raged Duchess, nearly chucking her Mirrorpad across the room. "Apple gets everything she wants! The perfect mom, the perfect happily ever after, the perfect prince!" Duchess had had enough! She was going to give Apple a taste of her own medicine if it was the last thing she did!

"The prince daringly rushed in, eager to save Apple," continued Blondie dramatically, "and just when everyone thought Apple was saved: major bombspell! His kiss didn't work!"

Duchess nearly choked on air. WHAT?!

"You heard me, folks! I repeat: Daring's kiss was a major fairy fail!" confirmed Blondie.

"YES!" shouted Duchess, leaping up with joy. That blond bitch wasn't her man's princess! She couldn't have Daring! They weren't each other's true love! Duchess laughed out loud, dancing around the room on her tip-toes. This was music to her ears! Ever since nursery-rhyme school, everyone had been making a big deal about Apple and Daring and their "shared" destiny. They always saw them as an item. The perfect couple. But not anymore! Apple and Daring were now a thing of the past—a short-lived dream.

And frankly, Duchess had always known Apple wasn't worthy of Daring, but she was glad that the truth was out for the entire school to hear. That way, everyone would know of Apple's humiliation. Well, at least one of them.

But more importantly, Daring Charming was officially on the market, for the taking! And there was nothing Apple White could do about it!

"And to add on to the drama, it one of Apple's biggest secrets was revealed!" Blondie smiled extra big. "Remember last year when all those rumors about her and Sparrow were floating around? Well, turns out they weren't rumors! They were the truth!"

WAIT! Everyone knew about Apple and Sparrow? They couldn't own it! Calm down, Duchess. It was a good thing everyone knew about Apple and Sparrow. Now, everyone would see how imperfect Apple White was. Starting now, she'd face the wrath judgment of everyone across the Fairytale World. Besides, Duchess still had her trump card to play. No biggie.

"Apple White and Sparrow Hood were an item. A secret item. And I thought Ashlynn Ella and Hunter Huntsman were a bombspell." Blondie giggled. "Seeing only he could save Apple, Sparrow came clean about their relationship. Reminder: he was with Poppy O'Hair at this point, and the dirty truth completely turned things upside down! But regardless of how tense things were, Sparrow decided to go through with his intentions and actually saved Apple with his kiss! Now isn't that a major surprise? Who wouldn't thought? Apple, a good girl, and Sparrow, a bad boy. They claimed things had died down between them when Apple left Ever After High, but now that it's official that they're meant to be with each other, will they honor their fairytale destines or choose to break the script with their royally-rebellious romance?"

Duchess yawned. Blondie was making too big of a deal about this. It seemed she was enthusing more about stupid, irrelevant Apple and Sparrow rather than the Evil Queen's history-making appearance. She should've been focusing on other, more important people for her mirrorcast. Hello! Duchess had been cursed by the Evil Queen herself! As a firsthand victim of the queen's revenge, wasn't Duchess's opinion the most important? The swan princess had been talking about her hexing all day, but everyone had turned a blind eye to her. Again.

Duchess was about to turn off her Mirrorpad, but stopped when Blondie's newest announcement caught her attention. "And guess what? To make things even more hexciting, I managed to get Daring Charming to agree to appear on the show and give us his opinion on the matter. Introducing: Daring Charming!"

The screen made a clicking noise and Daring's handsome face replaced Blondie's annoying one. "Hello, everyone," he sniffled sadly, wiping his dripping nose with his sleeve. The prince was a total mess! His hair looked more like a bird's nest, he had HUGE dark bags under his eyes, and his usual blinding beam was gone and replaced with a gloomy frown. He was lying in shame in his bed in his dorm room. It broke Duchess's heart to see her prince in such a terrible condition.

The screen then split in half, one side showing Blondie and the other Daring. "So Daring, how do you feel about the fact you're NOT Apple White's prince of destiny?" asked Blondie a little too excitedly. Duchess just wanted to reach into the screen and stab that princess wannabe right in the face! Didn't she have any regard for Daring's feelings? Didn't she see he didn't want to be bothered with that swap rat Sparrow and blond with Apple's foolishness?

Daring sniffled again. "I-I think there's some mistake," he answered gruffly, "me and Apple just made sense! But my kiss didn't work! I just don't understand, man!" he buried his adorable face in her pillow. "Why in the kingdom did Sparrow Hood win Apple's heart over a Charming! That just doesn't make sense! How am I not worthy of Apple's love?

Duchess growled. Poor Daring shouldn't be beating himself over those useless lumps on a log. It wasn't that he wasn't worthy of Apple's love—it was Apple who wasn't worthy of him. But poor, kindhearted Daring hadn't recognized that yet. He was too disappointed to know that the destiny he'd grown up to accept and love wasn't really his destiny after all, but nothing more than a lie. Poor, poor Darie. He was so dutiful but sadly (for him), he and Apple were threw.

"If the crown fits," giggled sickeningly annoying Blondie, "Sparrow's kissed work like a charm—no offense—meaning Apple's heart has chosen him, not you. That being said, what's your next move? Since it's obvious you aren't Apple's prince of destiny, that means you're part of some other princess's story. But the only question is: whose?"

"Mine," declared Duchess in a low murmur as Lizzie's obnoxious snoring got louder. Daring was her prince. And it wasn't fair that her prince was heartbroken over stupid Apple White. And the bitch probably didn't even care that she had broken his heart either. Duchess gritted her teeth, growling lightly. Apple White was going to pay.

"It's all just so much," admitted Daring sadly, "maybe this is all just a mistake. Maybe Apple and I really are supposed to be together somehow. I'm sure the two of us will overcome this, and I pray that the two of us will one day live Happily Ever After."

Duchess's eye twitched. What? Daring still wanted Apple? How could he be so…so naïve? Couldn't he see that there were wayyyy better girls out there? Girls like Duchess? Enraged, Duchess turned off the mirrorcast and started pacing around the room. Daring was being so stubborn! Why couldn't he open his eyes to the truth?

"This is all Apple White's fault!" Duchess stomped her foot. "She literally ruins everything!"

Duchess had had enough. She couldn't take this any longer. Every time when things started to go right for the swan princess, stupid Apple always butted into her life and ruined everything. Duchess was tired of becoming humiliated and overlooked. She was tired of dancing in Apple's shadow. Now, it was her turn to experience the exact same embarrassment Duchess had been dealing with. It was her turn to see what unfairest life could be. And Duchess knew just what to do.

She plopped back down on her bed, a smirk tugging at her lips. She grabbed her Mirrorphone and went to her pictures. She then went all the way to the back of her album and pulled up the photo of Apple, Sparrow, their secret love kid, and Maid Marian. She smirked. Stupid Apple White. The princess thought that Duchess had deleted the picture. But little did the stupid blond know was that Duchess always had a backup.

Duchess pulled up her contact list, locating Blondie's number. "Sorry, princess," snorted Duchess with a smile, "but it's only fair." It was. Apple had violated their terms of agreement when Daring kissed her. She had broken their contract. And now, Apple was fair game.

Duchess composed a quick text to Blondie, adding in the bombspell photo. Without any second thoughts, Duchess forwarded them both to Blondie. She laughed lightly.

"You're threw, Apple White," she said to herself, pleased. Blondie would no doubt jump at the chance to deliver such breaking news—she'd probably make a mirrorcast about it within the next thirty minutes or so—all the better for Duchess. After this, Apple White's perfect little life would turn for the worst. She'd lose everything she once treasured as "the Fairest of Them All". She'd be more than humiliated. More like devastated. Degraded .

And when all hell broke loose for her, Duchess would be right there, ready to take her place. She'd gladly take the Snow white story for herself and Daring Charming. She'd live a life of glory, fame, love, and fortune. Meanwhile, Apple would be living the exact opposite. Due to her scandalous actions, she'd become a tier two princess. Hex, maybe tier three. Everyone would lose respect for her and forget all about "sweetheart" Apple White. She'd be ruined forever after.

Yes, it was only a matter of time now. Duchess would be spared for her happily ever after as the next Odette—saved from suicide of life as a swan forever after. She'd been dreaming of this moment ever since she'd known about her destiny—to have a real happily ever after. And now, she'd FINALLY have one. She'd fulfill her wish of becoming queen and marrying Daring Charming. She'd finally be accepted as a real princess.

No longer would people draw a blank whenever Duchess mentioned her story. No longer would they ignore her and treat her like a commoner. At long last, she'd have the life she rightfully deserved.

Duchess started to pirouette around the room. Yes, she could see it now. Duchess Swan, Fairest of Them All and Queen of the Land. A title befitting of a graceful Swan.

Duchess had waited years for this day. The day when she'd finally be taken seriously. After all these long, miserable years, the day when she'd finally live happily ever after.

"How are you holding up in there, Mom?"

Raven approached her mother's repaired mirror that set in the middle of the floor. Her mother swirled into visibility on the other side of the glass, looking calmly.

The Evil Queen shrugged. "I hate to say it, I sort of got used to this wretched place. Although, a dark fortress beats this prison any day."

"Must be hard," commented Raven, "living in a place full of mirrors without being able to look at your own reflection." And being the Evil Queen, Raven's mother was obsessed with her appearance. Hex, she practically made mirror-gazing a sport.

"Tell me about it." The Evil Queen rolled her eyes. "There isn't a better way to torture an evil queen. But what about you, my darling blackbird? Did you have fun during our short but hexciting evil mother-daughter power trip?"

"Hardly," replied Raven frankly, "but, I think I have a new liking for dragon games." Raven had to admit, in the beginning, she hadn't liked the thought of the sport because it had been one of her mother's favorite pastimes, but she had actually come to enjoy it.

The Evil Queen clapped her hands together, squealing. "That's my little songbird! Taking up after your dear mummy! I knew you had it in you!"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Still not being evil, mom. Unlike you, I don't enjoy manipulating others into doing my dirty work."

"Oh, but you already have," reminded the Evil Queen, "you played Faybelle into betraying me so she could go unlock that stupid little booking glass. And your plan worked so flawlessly! Whether you want to admit it or not, dearest Raven, you think just like an evil queen."

Raven shrugged. She hadn't necessarily used Faybelle—just showed her the right path. In the beginning, the dark fairy hadn't realized the Evil Queen had only been using her. She hadn't realized that she didn't mean anything to the queen outside of scheming.

"'Necessary evil'," smiled Raven, using the excuse her mother always used to use.

The Evil Queen matched her grin. "I hear you, sister. I'm proud of you, you know."

"Huh?" Raven raised an eyebrow. "But I'm not evil."

"Yet," corrected the Evil Queen, "evil's in your blood, Raven. You might be resisting the call of evil now, but you'll come around. I can guarantee it."

Raven rolled her eyes. Moms. It was hard to get through to them sometimes. "If you say so, Mom." As the Evil Queen on about the fun in being evil, Raven's Mirrorphone suddenly chimed within her pocket, and Raven pulled it out to see Blondie's face taking up her screen.

"Hello, fellow fairytales!" she exclaimed excitedly, "Blondie Locks here with another episode of Just Right! And let me tell you: I have the biggest scoop of the century! One of my secret sources just sent in this bombspell photo!" A picture appeared onscreen and Raven gasped. The photo was kind of dark, but Raven could clearly make out Maid Marian, Sparrow, Apple, and little Snowflake. How did…?

Duchess.

"Mom, I gotta go!" spoke up Raven in the middle of the Evil Queen's speech, pausing the video. She turned around sharply on her heels and started down the spiral staircase. "Love you!" she called over her shoulder, descending the tower.

"Love you more, my dark princess!" The queen shouted back.

Gotta find Apple, gotta find Apple, gotta find Apple, said Raven over and over again in her mind as she mega-paced through the school in search of her roommate. All around her, students were on their phones, whispering and gossiping amongst each other. Oh no, oh no, oh no.

"Apple?!" called Raven when she burst into their dorm room. Apple's side was empty. "Hex," muttered Raven. Maybe she was with Briar and Ashlynn. Hopefully, she'd already seen Blondie's mirrorcast and was already taking precaution.

Seeing Apple was nowhere in sight, Raven changed course and proceeded back down the hall. She had to find her friend now. She didn't want the other students to assault the princess with the news. She'd be devastated, which was a sensation she'd experienced enough already. On top of everything Apple had been through, this was the last thing she needed. Especially since she was in the middle of finding her peace. This would just scare her all over again!

Ugh. Duchess's name was written all over this. But why'd she rat on Apple out of the blue? Though Raven usually wasn't one to resort to black magic, that girl deserved a serious hexing. Well, they did say karma was a jerk. Duchess would receive her just payback soon.

But Raven wasn't stressing Duchess. Right now, she needed to find Apple and fast.

Before her whole world fell apart.

Apple smiled at the dwarf butler as he loaded her suitcase into the back of the stretch carriage. It hadn't taken him long to arrive and Apple was thankful for that because she was more than ready to see Snowflake again. She'd been neglecting her responsibilities as a mother and was eager to make up time with her daughter. She might've been young, but Apple was ready to be a mother and do anything for her child. She knew parenthood was going to present its challenges as Snowflake got older, but that was the beautiful thing about being a mom. After taking care of Apple's luggage, the dwarf circled back around the carriage and opened the door for his princess. "Thank you," smiled Apple, proceeding to board the carriage.

"Wait!" cried out a voice.

Apple paused as a maroon smile flashed into visibility beside her and immediately expanded into the rest of Kitty Cheshire. Upon coming face-to-face with Apple, the tricky kitty frowned uncomfortably. "Uh, can I take to you for a minute?" she asked nervously.

"Sure, Kitty." Apple smiled warmly. She led the Kitty aside, still beaming. "Is there something you want to discuss?"

Kitty couldn't even make eye contact with the princess. "Eh, remember Briar's party last year? After Legacy Day?" she fidgeted, rubbing her arm anxiously.

Apple nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

Kitty looked around to make sure no one was nearby. "Okay, so remember how Maddie offered you that iced tea?" she asked after a while. Apple nodded again. She remembered how potent it had been. But that was all she could remember about that party. That and a few…hot moments with Sparrow. "So…it turns out that wasn't Wonderlandian tea," confessed Kitty, "I switched it out with something else."

Apple blinked. "What?"

"That idiot Tucker was passing out beer and—I sort of got an idea." For once in her life, Kitty looked ashamed. "I-I only intended for it to be a prank, I swear! But after you drunk your first cup, you kept going back for more and more and…and then you disappeared with Sparrow and…I went outside but I couldn't find you guys. I didn't know what happened. I got a little scared, but I saw you the next day and you were alright…and…well…I just wanted to get that off my chest. Guilt doesn't suit a Cheshire, ya know."

Apple couldn't breathe. So it was Kitty's fault all this had happened to Apple the past year? It was her fault Apple had to live through pain, isolation, and depression?

Apple could've blown up at Kitty. She could've yelled and cursed and blamed her for everything. But instead—

Apple threw her arms around Kitty, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you," she whispered, giving the Cheshire a squeeze. Sure, Apple had been through hell over the past year, but beautiful things had always resulted from Kitty's prank. If it hadn't been for her action, Apple wouldn't have had her darling Snowflake. She wouldn't have gotten with Sparrow. She wouldn't have found out about her brothers. She still would've been the Old Apple White. The one who constantly and selfishly thought about her own happily ever after, instead of honoring Raven's choice. The one who only knew to judge people by their cover. The one who had thought she needed to be perfect. The one who didn't know she had a choice. A choice in her OWN destiny. Her OWN life.

"Wait. What?" Though she was confused, Kitty sounded relived. Apple pulled away from her, smiling widely. "You're a weird one, Apple White." Kitty rolled her eyes, though smiled as well. "Anyone else would've flipped their crowns, but you just give a thank you and a smile? Maybe you are an alien after all." She started to disappear, but then became visible again. "Oh, and by the way, I was never here, okay?"

Wait, what? The Grand Prankster Kitty Cheshire didn't want anyone to know about her mishap? That was so unlike her. Or perhaps the girl was ashamed. Ashamed that her "harmless prank" could've put Apple in danger. And in a way, that made Apple proud. Proud that Kitty DID have a sense of right and wrong and was decent enough to come forth and confess to her mistake. The princess nodded, holding back her happy tears. If it hadn't been Kitty, Apple wouldn't have been so blessed. Blessed with Snowflake. Blessed with knowledge. Blessed with understanding. Blessed with truth. Blessed with real happiness. "I'm forgetting about it as we speak."

"Purrrfect." Kitty smiled Cheshire-big, disappearing into thin air.

The second she was gone, Apple allowed a few tears to trickle down her face. "Thank you," she whispered with a small laugh. "Thank you so much."

Briar stared at her lap, where the Storybook of Legends set. Its jewel-encrusted cover gleamed gloriously, tempting Briar to look into it just one more time. It wouldn't hurt to look one more time, right? Besides, maybe Briar's future had changed over the span of a few weeks. Plus, Ashlynn was gone, so no one would see her. She had nothing to lose. Hopefully.

"Briar?"

Raven's sudden voice made Briar nearly jump out of her shoes. Briar's head snapped up to see Raven standing in the doorway, her eyes wide and locked on the Storybook of Legends in Briar's lap. With a steady hand, she pointed straight at it, her mouth dropping open. "Is that…the Storybook of Legends? The real one?" she gasped, "Briar, how did you—"

Briar leapt up, pressing the book against her chest. "Shhh," she hissed, pressing a finger against her lips. She couldn't risk anyone overhearing them. Then Briar would be forced to give up the storybook and live her predetermined destiny. "Close to door," she ordered a sharp whisper.

Raven pressed her mouth shut but obeyed. "Where did you get that?" she asked seriously but lowly, approaching Briar. "How?"

Briar sighed. She could trust Raven. She out of all people would understand. "I…I found it during thronecoming last year," she confessed, bowing her head. "It was right here in my dorm room the whole time."

Raven arched a high eyebrow. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? My mom roomed here when she attended Ever After High! Her dorm room would be the only ideal place to hide it." She eyed Briar oddly. "You've had it the whole time?"

"Raven, you can't tell anyone! If the headmaster finds the book, I'll be forced to sleep for a hundred years—"

Raven held up a hand, silencing Briar. "For one, nobody can force you to live a life you don't want. Second, your secret's safe with me. What were you going to do with the book?"

Briar bit her lip. "I…I was going to look at my destiny," she confessed quickly, "I…I wanted to see if…" How could she explain this to Raven? How could she explain that she'd seen her future once before and that it was terrible?

Raven seemed to detect her hesitation, because she smiled. "You don't have to explain yourself. I understand. But do you really want to do this? You might see something you don't like."

Briar forced a small smile. It was already too late for that. "Don't worry—I'm sure." Both girls took a seat on the edge of Briar's bed. Briar took in a deep breath. It was time to try this again. A pink-and-black key then materialized into thin air and Briar grasped it tightly. Sighing, she stuck the key into the golden keyhole and turned it, unlocking the storybook with a click. Immediately, Briar's key dispersed into pink magic and the Storybook of Legends started to magically flip through its pages. Briar gulped down her worry. She had nothing to fear. The Storybook of Legends couldn't plan out her life for her. It couldn't determine her future. The book stopped on Briar's page, and the caption on the center of the page started to play an animated slideshow.

A dark expression spread across Raven's face. "It works just like the fake one," she said coldly, obviously recalling Legacy Day when the Storybook of Legends—the fake one—had shown the dark princess her own fate.

The beginning of it played out the exact same way it had last time—Briar standing in front of the school, giggling with her friends, receiving her diploma on graduation day. Those weren't the parts that concerned Briar. It was what happened next. Briar frowned and Raven stayed quiet when the next picture was of her touching the spindle inside the tall thorny tower. Next, it showed Briar falling asleep, her parents sobbing over her body, and then her friends forgetting all about her as they went on with their lives and happily ever afters.

Nothing had changed.

"Oh, Briar," whispered Raven softly and sadly, reaching out and giving Briar's hand a squeeze. Briar didn't say anything or take her eyes off the book. She just sighed, already knowing what came next. Regardless, she kept a brave face as she watched the next picture—Apple proceeding to kill Briar with an evil look on her face. She held up the knife right over her friend's unconscious body, ready to pierce her heart.

Crestfallen, Briar closed her eyes tiredly and Raven let out a scream. "That's APPLE!" she nearly shrieked, pointing a shaky finger down at the caption. Her dark eyes were filled with horror and shock. They locked with Briar's and upon seeing how quiet and disappointed Briar appeared, Raven's eyes grew wider. "You—you've already seen this," she gasped, automatically interpreting Briar's expression. "Briar, you—"

"I know, Raven!" snapped Briar a little too aggressively. Seeing how startled Raven was, she calmed down a little. "I know," she said again, this time in a gentle whisper. Angry tears started to trickle down her face as she gritted her teeth and clenched a fist. That wasn't Apple. It could've been! The Apple White Briar knew would never do something like that to ANYONE!

This was a lie. It had to be.

Briar found herself wailing, her tears soaking her page. "It can't be true," she wept into her hands. "Raven, tell me it isn't true." Raven stayed silent, making Briar cry even harder. Her destiny seemed even more terrible when someone else came to its realization. Accepted it.

"Briar…you and I know Apple way too well for that," said Raven softly, forcing a smile. She looked sad too, but Briar didn't see a single tear. Or maybe that was because her own tears were blurring her vision. "She'd never do anything like that. Not even to someone who deserved it."

"I know but…but it's all so scary! That's my best friend forever after!"

"Is that what you want to happen?" questioned Raven lightly, "is that the destiny you want to share with Apple?"

"Never! Never in a hundred years!" hissed Briar with a sniffle. "I'd rather sleep for two hundred years instead of letting this happen." There was no way Briar or Apple would ever agree to live such a life! Without thinking and overwhelmed with all kinds of emoticons, Briar wadded the page in her palm.

"Briar, no!" screamed Raven, grabbing Briar's wrist.

But it was too late. With one tug, she pulled the page straight out of the storybook. Upon realizing what she'd just done, Briar dizzily let out a yelp and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to experience serious pain or flip out of existence or something. There was a moment of silence, the only noise being the girls' hard breathing. They were both waiting. Waiting to see what would happen to Briar next. But when nothing happened, Briar opened her eyes to see the crumpled page was still in her fist. However, it was turning a glittery golden color and slowly bleeding into her hand.

A bubbly, tingly, enchanting feeling coursed through Briar as the rest of the page seeped into skin as magic. "What just happened?" she asked slowly, blinking. She looked down at the book. Her page was gone, the only things left of it being a few pieces of paper that were still attached to the seam.

"I think…I think you just…absorbed your page of the Storybook of Legends," breathed Raven. It took a moment for both of them to process this. Once it finally hit Raven, the girl perked up. "Briar! Do you know what this means!?" she exclaimed, grinning ear—to-ear.

"I'm free?" guessed Briar hopefully, brightening up.

"Yes!" Raven jumped to her feet. "You absorbed your page of the Storybook of Legends—your fairytale magic! Your page is a part of you! Your story is a part of you! Your future is you!"

Hope bubbled inside of Briar as she caught on. "So you're saying I'm free to choose my own story now that I have my page?"

Raven nodded. "It all makes sense!" she exclaimed. She turned around on her heels sharply. "Since this is the real Storybook of Legends, my page's still in it, right? The one I tore out at Legacy Day was a fake."

Briar nodded, standing up and handing the book over to Raven. They were quiet as Raven's air materialized and she used it to re-unlock the book. It flipped to her page, where her story started to play out. However, Raven didn't give it a chance to show her future after graduation day. She ripped her page clean out without a second thought, leaving nothing behind. Instantly, her page glowed golden and flowed into her arm as magic. After the page was gone, Raven's arm glowed for a second before her fairytale magic sank deeper into her skin, disappearing.

"Wicked," breathed Raven, observing her arm.

"So…what does this mean?" asked Briar unsurely. "What happens next?"

The corners of Raven's lips curled into a smile. "We do the right thing," she replied. She put on a serious face. "Let's face it: as long as this thing is around, there will always be problems. While some people will choose to forge their own paths, others will choose to live by-the-book. There's nothing wrong with that—that's their choice. But a book shouldn't have to make that choice for them. We all have the right to live life the way we want. The choice should be ours. It is ours. But while the storybook exists, a lot of people won't come to realize that. Look at Apple. It took a while for her to realize she has a choice. It took a lot of denial, tears, and frustration. No one should go through that. So we're gonna save them the headache."

Briar gasped. "We're going to destroy the book?" Though she didn't want to live her predetermined destiny, wasn't it a bit unfair for them to destroy the book? The same storybook that had been honored for a few hundred years? Destroying it would be too big of a jump. Besides, there were still people who actually wanted to sign it of their own volition.

"We're not destroying it. You saw what happened when we tore out our pages. We fused ourselves with our fairytales' magic. And now that we have it, we truly have the power to shape our own stories. Everyone deserves that option," insisted Raven, "don't you agree?"

Briar thought about her own predetermined fate. Sleeping for a hundred years, leaving behind everyone she ever cared about. Briar would've had to live with that pity for the rest of her life. And there were people with WAY worse stories than hers. People who were doomed to fall victim to a curse, or even death. They didn't deserve that, not even if they were ten times viler than Duchess. Everyone deserved the right to freedom. "Totally," she nodded slowly. "Our lives are ours to live how we choose."

"Hexactly." Raven bobbed her head in agreement. She flipped back and forth through the Storybook of Legends, confused at all the blank pages.

"It doesn't let you see anyone else's page," explained Briar, "they have to unlock the book with their key."

"Doesn't matter. They're coming out regardless." And with that, Raven ripped a page straight out of the book. The page then started to fade into the same golden magic and flowed out of Raven's grasp as a glittery bolt. It then zoomed across the room and out of the window. Smiling confidently, Raven tore out another page. It too turned into a bolt of magic, but flew underneath the door and into the hallway.

"It's time to start a new chapter at Ever After High," announced Raven, ripping out more and more pages. "Whether you're a Royal or Rebel, everyone can shape their destiny to their liking. We can all live happily ever after."

Briar managed to smile, completely astonished by each page turned into golden magic, lighting up the room. They bounced off one another and exploded like fireworks, all of them creating a beautiful light show. Briar hurried over to the window as Raven kept tearing. Gasping, she looked down at the campus, where most of the magic was escaping to. One by one, each golden bolt zapped into a student like shooting stars, enchanting everyone with their fairytale magic.

The dorm room door suddenly swung open and Ashlynn appeared in the doorway. "Hey Briar, have you—" A bolt of magic suddenly flew from Raven's hand and straight into Ashlynn. The girl startled for a moment but then relaxed, smiling warmly.

Raven lifted the rest of the Storybook of Legends into the air with her lavender magic. The storybook then turned gold and began to release its pages by the dozens, each one transforming into magic. The girls watched in awe as the magic escaped through the window, enchanting the students all over campus.

"What just happened?" asked Ashlynn slowly once the show was finished and the Storybook had completely disappeared.

"The blazing of a new trail. The beginning of a new chapter," replied Raven with a confident smile.

"Out with the old, in with the new," added Briar with a matching grin. She couldn't believe it. She was free. They ALL were. "I'll explain once I find Apple—"

"Apple!" exclaimed Raven and Ashlynn in unison, startling Briar. Panicked expressions spread across their faces. "I almost forgot!" Raven facepalmed. "I came to find Apple!"

"She could be in danger!" Ashlynn's eyes were wide.

Briar felt her face falling. "Danger? What?" She pressed her lips together. "What are you two talking about?"

"You mean…you haven't heard?" Raven frowned sadly, taking out her Mirrorphone. She pulled up Just Right's homepage and held up the phone for Briar to see. A picture was posted on the homepage. Briar's mouth dropped open. It was of Maid Marian, Sparrow, Apple, and Snowflake—all of them inside the Merry Men's shack in the woods. And beside it was a more magnified version, one specifically zoomed in on Apple, Snowflake, and Sparrow. Blondie had scribbled a big red arrow pointing at Snowflake in Maid Marian's arms, and then had smaller blue ones pointing from the baby at Apple, Sparrow, and his mother. Blondie had a caption written in caps underneath the photos, but Briar was too sick to read it.

"How did this happen?" demanded Briar. She didn't even need them to answer, because she already knew who was behind this. "Duchess," she growled lightly. "Wait, where's Apple now?"

Raven shrugged. "I came here to see if you knew. Do you think she knows about this yet? I've tried calling her but…"

Briar gritted her teeth. Seriously, it was always one thing after another. Briar sighed, walking over to the windowsill where her Mirrorphone set. Apple might not have been answering Raven's calls, but she couldn't ignore her BFFA. Briar picked up her phone to dial Apple's number, but gasped when something caught her eye. Down below in the school yard, Briar spotted a stretch carriage with the White family crest engraved in its side and a dwarf was helping Apple into the vehicle.

"She's leaving?!" shouted Briar. Raven and Ashlynn were at her sides in seconds. Briar pointed down at the carriage. "Oh hex no!" she hissed, boosting herself up onto the windowsill.

"Briar! What the hex are you doing?" snapped Raven, "get down!"

"No way!" Briar wasn't even fazed by the fact she was standing on the edge of her windowsill at the top of the castle and if she fell, she'd plummet miles down. "The last time Apple left, we didn't speak for a few months! I'm NOT losing my bestie again." And with that, she started to strap herself into her harness. Oh, did she forget to mention that there was a zipline right outside her window? Why not? You only lived once upon a time!

"Wait, Briar! At least let me get your helmet!" pleaded Ashlynn, turning around sharply on her heels, her eyes darting around in search of Briar's gear.

"No time! I gotta flllyyyyyy!" shouted Briar, already zooming down the line. She zipped all the way across, flying above and over the courtyard. She then touched down on the balcony of one of the school's towers. There, Jillian Beanstalk was seated on one of the benches, in a deep conversation with Farrah Goodfairy. "Jillian, I need a beanstalk STAT!" exclaimed Briar, unhooking herself from the harness. "It's an emergency!"

"Sure thing, mate!" Jillian dug into her pocket and touched Briar a giant, green bean. "Good luck!"

Briar nodded and then peered over the railing, down at the courtyard. Apple was already in her carriage, which was about to take off. "Not on my watch," said Briar, narrowing her eyes. And with that, she tossed the green bean downward, and the thing descended toward the ground. The wind blew it a little off-course and it landed a few feet in front of the carriage, just as it was slowly rolling across the gravel. Instantly, a thick, leafy, green beanstalk sprouted up out of the ground, causing the carriage to screech to a halt.

The plant grew bigger and bigger until it disappeared above the clouds in the sky. Nice! Briar hoisted herself up onto the railing and grabbed one of the stalk's thick, green arms. Determinedly, the girl used it to swing onto the stalk and slide all the down it.

"Wooooohooooo!" she laughed all the way down.

Once she made it to the end, she let go and landed on the ground on her feet in front of the carriage, hands on her hips. Putting on her brave face, she marched around to the back, where Apple was rolling down her window. "Briar? What's wrong with you! You could've gotten hit!" scolded Apple.

"But I didn't. Anyway, where the hex are you going?" Briar raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry—I'm just visiting her for the weekend." Apple smiled. "I'll be back, Briar. It's no big deal."

She didn't know. It was obvious. Briar bit her lip, noticing how people were staring at Apple and whispering to each other. The news was already out. "Apple…you mean you don't know?" asked Briar softly.

Seconds later, huffing and puffing Raven and Ashlynn jogged over. "Note to self: learn teleportation," breathed Raven heavily, holding her side.

"Know what? Guys, what's going on?" asked Apple, confused.

Briar bit her lip. She didn't want to break Apple's spirits. But she needed to know. Besides, it was better for her to hear it from friends instead of criticizing strangers. "Log on to Blondie's website," directed Briar lowly. "It's all there."

Apple arched a brow, but took out her Mirrorphone. It took her a moment to pull up Just Right''s homepage and when she did, her face twisted with pain. "Wow," she whispered sadly, "just…wow."

"I'm so sorry, Apple." Ashlynn looked down at her feet, ashamed. "We…I…I wish we could've done something to stop this."

Apple closed her eyes. "It's…okay. I should've seen this coming. I should've known nothing would stop Duchess." Pained, she turned away. "I have to go."

"Apple, wait!" Briar felt tears welling up in her eyes. "You don't have to—"

"I have to go, Briar!" repeated Apple louder, her voice laced with tears. "I have to go." And with that, she rolled up her window before Briar could see her cry.

"Apple, no!" Briar reached out for the handle, but the vehicle suddenly sped off down the road. "Apple!" cried out Briar, running after the carriage. But it was too late. The carriage had already disappeared.

Briar wiped her eyes as her hair blew in the wind. "Do you think she's coming back?" asked Ashlynn as she and Raven joined Briar. The princess rested a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Apple's strong. She'll overcome this," assured Raven with a nod. "She always does."

Briar nodded, the wind stinging her wet eyes. She knew this was not The End, but she couldn't help but feel sad. It seemed like Apple was always the one suffering, always the one caught in the middle. But Raven was right. The girl was stronger than she thought. And so was Briar. She now had the power to write her own destiny. She wouldn't lose her family and friends to a hundred-year sleep. And she definitely wouldn't lose her BFFA to a stupid betrayal.

Whether Apple knew it or not, Briar would always be there for her. Through thick and thin. Through the good and the bad. Through the pain and the happiness. That was what BFFAs were for. To stick by each other no matter what.

And that was what Briar would always do.

Apple cried the whole car trip.

She couldn't believe this. Duchess snitched. She said she wouldn't. She promised.

Ugh! This was so unfair! Why was it every time Apple trusted someone, they ended up betraying her in The End? Without thinking, Apple found herself taking her Mirrorphone out of her purse and dialing Duchess's number.

"Hello, Apple White," went Duchess's smug voice after the first ring. Apple could practically hear her smirking.

"You said you wouldn't!" Apple screamed. "We made a deal! If I gave you my story, you'd keep quiet!" Apple was thankful the driver couldn't hear her, because she was outright furious. And though she usually didn't angry like this, her daughter's safety could not be taken lightly.

"Well, you should have thought about that when you kissed Daring!" countered Duchess, sounding equally angered.

What the hex?! "Are you serious?! I didn't kiss him! He kissed me while I was unconscious! I didn't know what was going on! Besides, Daring was only doing that to save me! Besides, he isn't even my Prince Charming!"

Duchess snorted. "Thank my fairy godmother. But anyway, you violated our terms of agreement first. When you gave me your destiny, you also gave me Daring, meaning you were supposed to have nothing to do with him."

Apple wanted to break something. That harpy! In Apple's opinion, she was acting more like the devious, sly Black Swan than the pure, wholehearted White Swan. "Forget it! The deal's off! You gave Blondie that picture, I get my story back."

"Whatever after, blondie. You might think the Snow White tale is yours now, but you'll be singing a different tune when my photo goes viral! You'll be humiliated! Degraded! You won't be innocent, perfect little Apple White anymore! You'll be nothing more than a joke. Then no one will see you fit to be the next Snow White. And guess what, Apple? I'll be there to take your place, seize your story! I'll become the next Fairest of Them All whether you like it or not! And the best part is that you won't have anyone to go run and cry to. Everyone will know you're a scam and won't want anything to do with you. Ever. Let's see how you'll like being a rejected princess."

Apple sniffled, gritting her teeth. "This isn't over," she said, her voice laced with tears. "Y-you won't win."

"Poor, pathetic Apple White. I already have," laughed Duchess.

And with that, the call ended.

Apple inhaled slowly as the carriage pulled up into her grandmother's driveway. Wiping her eyes, Apple didn't wait for her chauffer to come around—she swung open her door and started up the steep hill toward the mansion. Her unlocked the front doors and stepped into the foyer, the soft smell of cookies greeting her. "Grandmother?" called Apple, starting up the stairs as the chauffer left her bags at the front door. "Grandmother?"

Apple was making her away down the hall toward her grandmother's room, but stopped when she came across Daphne Ann's ajar door. The princess pushed the door open further, stepping in the light pink and white room.

"There's my wittle baby girl," cooed Apple, reaching into the crib and scooping up her beautiful baby girl. Snowflake laughed as her mother pressed a warm kiss on her cheek. Cradling little Snowflake, Apple walked over to the window, staring out at the horizon. Her phone was buzzing with hexts, but she wasn't going to pay any attention to it. Everyone was probably wondering if Blondie's latest mirrorcast was true—if Apple really was the mother of Sparrow Hood's daughter. Apple held her daughter closer as she watched the sun shine above the green hills in the distance. Apple wasn't concerned about anyone else right now. Though, she knew from here on out, things would be different. Everyone all over the Fairytale World would know about little Snowflake. Everyone all over the Fairytale World would be giving their opinion, whether it good or bad. They'd all have something to say—they'd all judge the White family harshly. Apple didn't know if she was mentally ready for that, but her feelings didn't matter now. The truth was out, and there was nothing Apple could do but accept it. She'd leave tomorrow's problems to tomorrow. But as for now, she'd focus on her little baby girl. Her family.

She then winced. Having been obsessed with the White family's reputation, Snow White would definitely have something to say about this. And whenever Snow got involved—as proven during the dragon games—the tables could turn dramatically, usually for the worse (for Apple). The queen was probably going to jump at the chance to straighten things out and do anything "necessary" to restore the Whites' flawless image. She would resort to her ruthless, sly ways again. And whenever she started scheming, the unpredictable and disastrous always followed. And to be honest, Apple wasn't prepared for whatever her mother had in store—come to think about it, she actually never was. She just prayed everything would work out in the end.

The princess startled when her Mirrorphone started to chime atop Snowflake's white bureau. It was singing "I Knew You Were Charming" by Tailor Quick, the ringtone Apple had set for her mother since it was one of the queen's favorite songs. Apple gulped. Her mother was calling. Apple already knew what Snow wanted, but she had no idea what she wanted. It was hard to explain.

Apple slid her thumb across the screen, declining the call. She didn't want to talk right now. She wasn't ready for a Snow Scolding yet. But a rejected call wouldn't stop Snow—Apple knew that all too well. The queen was as relentless as she was cunning. She'd come looking for Apple. And when she wouldn't' find Apple at Ever After High, she'd come straight to the Good Queen's mansion. Apple couldn't face her mother yet. Not now. She needed to go someplace else. But where? Apple didn't know where else to go. Well, nowhere her mother didn't know of. There were always the beach houses, one of the countryside mansions, the other White castle…But Snow would look for her at all of those places. She'd even take it a step further by visiting Briar's or Ashlynn's in search of her lost daughter.

What about Raven's place? If Apple recalled, Raven said her home castle was in the middle of the sea, which was not out of Snow's reach. Apple didn't know if Snow knew where Raven lived, so she didn't want to take the risk. No way would Apple even consider Blondie's place, and Apple wouldn't be able to handle Holly's and Poppy's. Not after hurting Poppy's feelings with the revelation of her and Sparrow's relationship. And then to add on to that, finding out that Apple had a kid with her crush? Absolutely not. Apple didn't want to trouble Cerise and her family again, so they were a no-no.

Sparrow. That's who Apple could go to. Snow White had no idea where in Ever After the Hoods stayed. She'd never find Apple at Sparrow's place. The perfect hideout.

Apple didn't waste time. Setting Snowflake down on her play mat, Apple grabbed her Mirrorphone, ignoring the dozens of dozens of unread hexts in her inventory. She scrolled through her contact list and then speed-dialed Sparrow's number. While Snowflake played with Bun-Bun, Apple impatiently tapped her nails against the surface of the bureau as she waited for Sparrow to answer. She couldn't waste time, because her mother probably felt the same way tenfold. The queen was probably scattering her forces right now.

"Hello?" went Sparrow's gruff voice after the third ring.

"Sparrow? It's Apple. I need a favor," said Apple quickly, getting straight to the point. "For one, are you going home this weekend?" She didn't even give him time to answer. "Can Snowflake and I come over? If it's not too much trouble with your mom and dad. I just…want the weekend away from everyone. I need to take a breather before…" She didn't even have to say it.

"Sure. Mom's actually trying to drag me down there for the weekend—Dad's still out somewhere swinging from vines or something, so he doesn't give a damn." Sparrow took a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't I tell you what?" Apple raised an eyebrow.

"About Duchess. That she used you. That she knew." Sparrow sounded hurt. "I could've…I could've done something."

Apple bit her lip. "I…I didn't want to worry you," she confessed, using her elbow to keep her phone pressed against her ear as she opened Snowflake's closet. "Besides, there wasn't anything you could do. You know how Duchess is," she sighed, taking out one of Snowflake's diaper bags. "I didn't even do anything to her. She…she double-crossed me."

Sparrow growled. "She never quits, does she? Dammit…"

"Please don't worry about it," said Apple softly as she wandered around the room, grabbing a few of Snowflake's necessities and stuffing them into her diaper bag. "What's done is done."

"Yeah, but I thought you trusted me. We could've worked something out."

"Look, I'm sorry Sparrow—I really am—but I just didn't want to pull you into the situation," admitted Apple, packing Snowflake's baby formula. "Duchess just would've found a way to hurt you too, and I didn't want to put you in harm's way."

"That's sweet, but I don't need you protecting me." Sparrow's voice was serious, yet affectionate. Stern, yet loving. "It should be the other way around. A guy always protects his princess, right?"

Apple felt her face flush. It tickled her to know she was Sparrow's princess. To know he thought of her that way.

"But anyway, I guess what's done is done. There's a wishing well nearby my place—I'll send you the coordinates."

"Okay, thank you. See you in a little bit."

Apple hung up as she finished packing Snowflake's diaper bag. "C'mon, sweetie," she said, reaching down and lifting her baby girl up into her arms. "We're going to go see Daddy." She filled one of her backpacks with a few of her own necessities and slung it over her shoulder with Snowflake's diaper bag.

Snowflake smiled and babbled something as Apple proceeded into the hallway. A wishing well wasn't far from here—about three of four minutes away. Apple's phone buzzed with a hext from Sparrow, containing the coordinates of the wishing well nearby his house.

Apple stopped in the middle of the hallway, eyeing her grandmother's room door. It was closed and Apple couldn't hear anything coming from the other side. Her grandmother must've been asleep. Just to make sure her grandmother was alright, Apple pushed the door open just a bit, peaking into the room through the narrow opening.

The only thing she could see was her grandmother seated in front of her window, her back turned to Apple as she stared out at the green hills on the horizon. She was quiet. Motionless. She was in deep thought again.

"Go on ahead, child," said the Good Queen suddenly, startling Apple. Apple opened the door all the way, stepping into the room. "As furious as she may be, I won't say a thing to Snow."

"I'm going over to Sparrow's for the weekend," said Apple quickly, looking around for something to write on. "I can leave you his number just in case—"

"No, dear. That will not be necessary. I trust you both." The Good Queen never turned around, never moved. "And the two of you need to trust in each other. Time to come might prove perilous for you, him, and the child. These hardships will last for many seasons, and comfort can only come from those you love and trust."

Apple bit her lip. Her grandmother was right. The ones she loved would always be there for her—Raven, Sparrow, Briar, Ashlynn. But there was still one person Apple wanted at her side the most—the one Apple wanted to trust with all of her heart. "What about Mom?" she asked lowly.

"She loves you, Apple. And Snowflake. And it's her undying love for the both of you that drives her to go at such extreme lengths. Snow's ambitious—always was, always will be. And it's that trait of hers that makes things worse for her. She doesn't understand that one cannot simply rush into everything and hope to resolve it instantly. You yourself are learning this every day. And know this: you cannot avoid your mother forever. You are mother and daughter—you should not drift apart from each other. Yes, you might always see eye-to-eye, but that's life. She's your mother, and you are her daughter. You mean the world to each other, and your love for one another will eventually overcome this. I feel it."

Apple held back her tears. "Thank you, Grandmother."

"Now, you best be going. Your mother might show up any moment. You know how she is. And give my regards to Sparrow's mother."

Apple nodded and proceeded down the hall without another word. She and Snowflake were beginning a new chapter in their lives—one that was going to start off rocky, but turn into something beautiful in The End. As long as Apple believed in their happily ever after and kept moving forward, everything would work out in The End.

They always did.

"Guess who decided to stop by for a visit!" announced Adrian, appearing within the doorway. He was greeted by a mound of spaghetti to the face.

"Sit the hell down, you little shrimp!" snapped Augustus, stabbing his fork into the cheap-ass table. It was dinner at Great Uncle Jace's the kids of the house were eating together—all eight of them. Cousin Memorye hadn't even touched her food because she was too busy texting, Cousin Jane was yelling at her doll again and making a mess with her pasta, and the twins were chasing each other around the table, chucking their pasta at each other and tracking red spaghetti sauce everywhere. Cousin Brayden—who even at twenty five was considered a kid (he had the brains of one in Augustus's opinion)—was mumbling into his cheap flip phone, deep in a conversation with his videogame-nerd friends. Being the oldest of the kids, he should've been handling the twins, but was too busy getting excited about "the hot female character in the new Call of Beauty game". Atticus, who was the next oldest, also could've been putting the twins in their place, but he was too busy doing something with his smartphone underneath the table. Thus, that forced all responsibility onto Augustus.

Adrian wiped the spaghetti off his face and cautiously licked a bit of the sauce on his fingers. He winced immediately. "Mariah cooked?"

"What the hex are you doing here?" asked Augustus dully, grabbing hold of the older twin as he was running by. "One of your girlfriends broke up with you?" Ever since being forced to live with these animals, Augustus was slowly losing respect for his dad.

Adrian gasped like he was offended, though his face suggested otherwise. "Can't a father see his kids every once in a while?"

"By 'everyone once in a while', you mean every few weeks," countered Augustus with a snort, scooping up both of the kicking and screaming twins. "Shut the hell up, you little tikes."

Adrian pretended like he didn't notice how much of a mess the dining room was. "Cut me some slack—it wasn't like I was just sitting around on the couch all day." There was a moment of silence as Adrian searched for the right words. "Crystal and I kind of…um…separated…"

Augustus hissed. "I told you she was trash," he insisted, letting the twins squirm their way out of his arms and escape into one of the bedrooms, still trailing pasta sauce.

"Wait. I thought you were seeing Cherry," went Atticus from under the table, absorbed in whatever he was doing on his phone.

"Cherry, Crystal, same person. The thing is, I wanted to talk to you boys," informed Adrian, waving away Atticus's comment. He frowned. "There's actually something I need to get off my chest."

Augustus snorted. "More like somethings." It was time to face the facts: Adrian was a shitty-ass dad.

Again, Adrian pretended like he didn't hear Augustus. Instead, with a blank look on his face, Adrian gestured for his boys to follow him outside. Grumbling, Augustus stuffed his hands into his pockets and followed. "What the hell is this about?" he demanded, stepping out onto the front porch.

The rest of the trailer park was quiet, the only activity being a few old guys smoking in lawn chairs on their front lawn. Atticus stayed in the doorway, hexting. Adrian sat down on one of the porch steps, taking a deep breath. "You guys are growing up," he said randomly, obviously in deep thought.

Augustus rolled his eyes. "Took you long enough to finally realize."

"And…well…I don't think I can keep this from you any longer," he went on guiltily, "you deserve to know."

"To know what? That you lost all your money in a poker match?" Augustus wrinkled his nose.

Adrian looked up at him. "Who your mother is."

Atticus looked up from his phone, and Augustus felt his mouth turning into a grim line. Adrian hardly spoke about their mother. This was going to be important. He gripped the trinket around his neck.

"Before we begin, she wanted to keep this away from you. For your own protection."

"She's not a pornstar is she?" blurted Atticus suddenly.

Augustus punched him the arm and Adrian looked taken aback. "What? No!" Adrian shook his head. "She…she was actually…a queen."

Augustus felt his eyes bulging out of his head, but Atticus just laughed like it was a joke. "Yeah, right. Like you got that lucky." Adrian gave him a dead-serious look. 'Whoa," gasped Atticus, "no way."

Augustus pounded his fist onto the railing. "So who the hell was she?" he demanded.

Adrian winced. "You're probably not going to believe me," he said slowly, "but…it was…Snow White."

Atticus and Augustus looked at each other and then burst out laughing. "Okay, I'm with Atticus on this one," Augustus managed to say, wiping a tear from his eye. "You're totally joking."

Adrian sighed. He dug into his pocket and took out a thin photo. He handed it to a laughing Atticus, looking away. As soon as Atticus's eyes landed on the photo, he stopped laughing and his face turned white.

Seeing how uncharacteristically unnerved Atticus looked, Augustus's mouth fell open. "You're kidding," he spat. Without waiting on Atticus's reply, Augustus snatched the photo straight out of his hands. The picture was of baby Augustus and little Atticus, both of them holding hands. And holding them was a lady with flawless white skin, blood-red lips, and flowing black hair. Her face glowed with youth and happiness and her eyes…those blue eyes. They were the same pair that had enchanted Augustus's dreams.

"Fuck," was the only thing Augustus could say. He had been the child of the most popular queen in Ever After this whole time and Adrian had just bothered to tell him that now?

"Duuuude. How'd you even…" Atticus raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem a bit disturbed about all of this. Augustus, on the other hand….

Augustus was too furious. "You motherfucker!" he roared, lunching at Adrian. However, Atticus grabbed the collar of his skirt, holding him back.

"Please. Calm down, Auggie," he said, his voice laced with disappointment.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell us?" Augustus yelled at Adrian, struggling against her brother's hold. Augustus couldn't believe this. His life had been a shithole all this time, when things could've been better for him and his brother.

"Auggie—"

"No! Shut the fuck up!" snapped Augustus, interrupting his dad. He pushed Atticus off him and ran down the stairs past Adrian.

"Augustus! Wait!" shouted Atticus.

But Augustus didn't look back. He couldn't believe this. In the past, he figured his mother had been someone poor. Someone who couldn't afford kids. Someone who hadn't felt worthy of being a mother because of her past choices. But this? This was bull.

With a broken heart, he kept running.

The wishing well's magic dropped Apple onto a patch of grass, her feet landing on a patch of plush, thick green grass. Holding Snowflake close, Apple looked around. They and the wishing well were in the middle of a big green clearing, dense trees surrounding them on all sides. The air was thick and smelt of sweet pinecones and the sounds of nature were echoing all around.

"Yo."

Apple turned to see Sparrow walking up the trail that snaked through the grass, hands stuffed in pockets and a bad-boy grin on his face. Apple allowed herself to smile. Upon seeing her dad, Snowflake started squealing and squirming and reaching out for Sparrow.

Sparrow reached out and picked up his daughter, lifting her high into the air. Snowflake laughed and grabbed Sparrow's nose. As Sparrow cuddled his daughter, Apple focused on Snowflake. She looked just like Sparrow, especially when they were side-by-side. Their pale skin. Carrot-red hair. They were nearly identical, except Snowflake's eyes were different. Unique. Her eyes were layers of blue and green, touching but never blending. They were so intense. So lively.

"C'mon. Mom's waiting," said Sparrow, giving Snowflake a kiss on the nose as he started back up the trail, gesturing for Apple to follow.

Apple couldn't help but feel nervous as they proceeded up the winding trail. This would be her first time being in Sparrow's house. And his mom was there. But the Hood clan was huge, right? What if some of the other Hoods were there? Well, it wasn't like they'd have to hide Snowflake now since the whole Fairytale World knew about her existence and true heritage. It was just…Apple wanted to make a good first impression. And she still had yet to meet Robin Hood, Sparrow's dad. What would he think about her?

Apple started to bite her nails nervously as she followed Sparrow into the woods. The trail turned into a bridge that ran across a creek, then into a gravel walkway. Apple noticed several gazebos and patios as they walked. Hmm. Sparrow must've had neighbors deep in these woods.

And eventually, through the thinning trees, Apple spotted an enormous log cabin atop a bluff in the distance. Wow. Sparrow's neighbors were really loaded.

"So…is your dad home yet?" asked Apple slowly, anxiety bubbling within her stomach.

"Nah—the old man hasn't showed himself in weeks," yawned Sparrow like it was no big deal, "as I said earlier, he's still doing that whole steal-from-the-rich-and-give-to-the-poor thing. At this point, he's probably breaking out of jail or hiding in the trees."

"Oh." Apple felt her heart fall just a little. Poor Sparrow. So he didn't see his father a lot. That couldn't be easy. And speaking of father, Apple wondered what kind of relationship Robin and Sparrow had. Considering Sparrow really didn't respect authority, it was not unknown he probably gave his dad a hard time.

"Well, here we are," announced Sparrow, startling Apple out of her thoughts.

They were walking up a steep driveway, making their way up toward the huge cabin Apple had spotted earlier. Apple's mouth dropped again. This was Sparrow's house?! No offense, but Apple had always thought Sparrow lived in a hut in the middle of a swamp or something. "This is your house?" asked Apple, dumbfounded.

Sparrow flashed a devilish grin at her. "Surprised?"

Apple looked up at the massive house again. It was way bigger than her grandmother's mansion, and made entirely of logs. There were a lot of large windows and balconies, and stone features.

"Sure, it ain't a castle, but it sure beats what Charming and everyone else thought I was living in," snorted Sparrow, leading Apple up toward the front doors. He pushed them open, bringing them into a wooden foyer with high ceilings, a crystal chandelier, and a spiraling staircase that led up to a second story landing. Laughing and the sound of a blaring TV alerted Apple.

"You have company?" she asked in a jittery whisper, freezing.

"Don't worry—it's just my cousins," called Sparrow, proceeding past the staircase and further into the house with a babbling Snowflake in his arms.

Apple bit her lip again. With shaky legs, she followed Sparrow into the living room, where a huge TV was on full-volume. And seated in front of it was no other than Sparrow's bizarrely dressed cousins Vivienne, Anastasia nicknamed Astro, and Veronica.

"Yooo! S!" Vivienne held up a peace sign at her cousin. Her eyes landed on Apple. "Sugar! It's been a long time!" Astro and Veronica echoed their greetings.

Apple smiled shyly. "Hey, everyone. It's nice to see you again."

Vivienne's eyes landed on Snowflake and Apple held in her breath, expecting her to start throwing shade. But instead, she blew a kiss at Snowflake and went back to watching TV. Apple sighed in relief, following Sparrow through the living room and into the large kitchen. There, his mother, Maid Marian, was seated at the kitchen table reading the paper. Instead of dressed in her usual gown, all she sported was a sweatshirt and a pair of matching sweatpants. Her red hair was pulled up in a messy bun, making her look like an every-day mom instead of a famous fairytale figure.

She looked up and a smile spread across her face when she laid eyes on Snowflake. "There's my little angel!" she cooed, rising to her feet. Apple couldn't help but smile as Snowflake reached out and pulled on her grandmother's hair. That was the Hood in her. Maid Marian sent a warm smile at Apple. "How are you, Apple?"

"I'm good, ma'am." Apple smiled. Though to be honest, it was weird being in your teacher's house under even weirder terms.

After giving Snowflake a quick peck, Marian handed Snowflake over to Sparrow. "Sparrow, show Apple up to one of the guest bedrooms, would you?" she said, going over to the stove.

"Sure, thing."

Marian gave Apple a small smile before she followed Sparrow out of the kitchen. Apple smiled back. It was nice to know Marian actually accepted and welcomed her. Snow felt the complete opposite with Sparrow.

"Your house is really cozy," commented Apple as she followed Sparrow up the stairs. "I like it." She meant it. Sparrow's house felt like an actual home, unlike Apple's home castle. There, the place was full of workers and anyone who was visiting the queen and king.

"My great-great-great grandfather built it," informed Sparrow as they made it upstairs. "From the ground up. I'll inherit it one day. I'll keep it."

Though his words were simple, they were heartfelt. Apple understood what he was saying. Money-driven Sparrow Hood wouldn't sell his family's legacy. He'd honor it to keep his family name alive. Maybe he and Apple were alike after all

Sparrow brought Apple into a bedroom at the end of the hall, setting Snowflake down on the bed. "Just call if you need anything." And in deep thought, Sparrow turned to leave.

Apple set her and Snowflake's bags down on the floor as Sparrow closed the door behind him, leaving the two girls alone. Snowflake, who was now on the bed, giggled and started playing with her toes. Apple sighed and sat down beside her, kicking off her shoes. It felt nice to finally rest.

Apple slowly looked around the room, taking in its interior. Like the rest of the enormous house, the walls and floors were made of wood and a stone fireplace was placed against the wall. A tiny sitting room was attached to the room with a wide window that outlooked the surrounding forest.

"Meow."

That tiny purr caught Apple's attention and she nearly startled to see an orange cat coming out of the closet. Upon seeing Apple, the nimble cat jumped up into her lap and rubbed against her. "Hey, little thing," said Apple gently, stroking its backside. Apple didn't know Sparrow had a—

Wait. Yes she did.

The princess recalled the beginning of Legacy Year, tenth grade. It hadn't been long after Legacy Day, and Apple hadn't been aware of the fact she was expecting. Oh, yes. Apple remembered now. Due to her insecurities about her story, Apple had gone out into the forest to speak with the animals, but then Sparrow interrupted. At the time, nothing had really gone on between them—apart from the hookup she had yet to remember and Sparrow had been keeping quiet about. Apple could remember telling Sparrow about her troubles—Raven not signing the Storybook of Legends and their story flipping out of existence—and Sparrow had compared her worries to the time he got a cat.

Yes, Apple could remember the whole story. Around Sparrow's six birthday, he'd been told he was getting a puppy. Excited, the young Sparrow researched and prepared for his future puppy so he could be the best possible pet owner. But then something had come up and Sparrow ended up getting the complete opposite of what he wanted—a cat. This upset Sparrow and he did everything in his power to try to persuade his dad to give him the puppy he had been promised. In the end, he didn't get his puppy and was in a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Since he really had no choice, Sparrow got used to his cat and ended up loving it more than the idea of getting a dog.

Back then, Apple couldn't understand—what did a story about dogs and cats have to do with Raven not becoming the next Evil Queen and putting their story in jeopardy? But now Apple understood it clearly—just as Sparrow was told he was getting a dog, Apple had been told she'd become the next Snow White after her storybook villain, Raven, poisoned her and she'd live happily ever after for the rest of her life. And just like Sparrow had prepared for his responsibility as a puppy owner, Apple had been groomed for her destiny. But things changed for the both of them—Sparrow didn't get his puppy and Apple's dreams had been shattered when Raven tore out her page of the Storybook of Legends. The things they'd yearned so much for had been taken away from them. And then on top of that, they ended up getting the opposite of what they wanted—Sparrow a cat and Apple an Evil Queen-less future. Thus, they tried doing everything they could to change the outcome—Sparrow begged for a puppy and Apple tried her hardest to get Raven to change her mind about being a Rebel. Their attempts had been useless, and the two had no choice but to accept things. And in the end, they ended up being at peace with what they got—Sparrow formed a bond with his cat and Apple honored Raven's decision to follow her own path. They benefitted and learned from their choices.

Who would've thought Sparrow had been on to something. That he actually did understand what Apple had been going through.

Apple looked at the orange cat's collar to see he was named Moshi. Little Snowflake was reaching out for him with huge, curious eyes. "You want to pet the kitty cat, honey?" Apple set Moshi down beside Snowflake, who reached out and touched his head. Moshi purred and rolled over onto his back, eager for more petting.

Snowflake laughed and started playing with Moshi's feet. She would probably be a cat person, just like her dad.

"Hey! I'm on TV!" went Sparrow's sudden excited voice from downstairs, startling Apple.

She scooped up Snowflake and proceeded into the hall. "This photo had gone viral over the past few hours," the loud TV was blaring as Apple descended the stairs and walked back into the living room. Sparrow and his cousins were crowded around the television, which was playing the news. A flashing red bulletin was stretching across the screen, underneath the enlarged photo of Apple, Sparrow, their baby, and Maid Marian. Apple felt herself getting weak. It was happening already. Maid Marin was side leaning on the archway leading into the kitchen, frowning deeply.

Apple sat Snowflake down on the couch so she wouldn't drop her. The princess was getting weak. She couldn't…how…? She stared at the photo as the news anchor continued her report. This wasn't good. If this was important enough to be on the news, Snow was definitely watching.

"Dude, I thought I told you to lose the fedora," commented Astro as the photo took up the screen. "It makes you look too much of a gangster." She and the other girls didn't seem one bit troubled that their cousin was the headliner of a scandalous report. In fact, they seemed…proud?

"Tsk—the hat's part the Sparrow Hood's signature touch," insisted Sparrow arrogantly, puffing out his chest.

Apple bit her lip. Sparrow might not have seen it, but this would be a huge problem. "Her Highness Queen Snow White is about to go live in a few minutes to share the truth behind this photo," went on the reporter, "and answer the question on everyone's mind."

Apple felt herself becoming lighthearted and the next thing she knew, she was falling backward onto the couch beside Snowflake. Her head was spinning. "No, no, no!" she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Problem, love?" Veronica snapped her gum, flipping her single pink-streaked golden-ish blond hair over her shoulder.

"My mother," replied Apple, slouching. "She's going to make things worse!" She knew how her mother worked. She might've appeared innocent in public, but she was cunning and ruthless. Who knew how she was going to complicate things.

"We'll see," said Astro simply as a commercial came on.

Apple was having trouble breathing. This was a major fairy fail! She gritted her teeth. She could practically hear Duchess celebrating from here. Curse her. She was probably hexting Apple right now to mock her, but the princess had left her phone at home. Apple stayed quiet through the commercial break, and bit her tongue when the news came back on. The princess's stomach started to do summersaults as her mother appeared onscreen.

She was seated at her desk, and Apple made out the background to be her private study in the White Palace. "Good evening, Ever After," greeted Snow in her usual "innocent" voice. "I understand—many of you have questions about the latest rumors pertaining to my daughter and her…friend Sparrow Hood."

"'Friends' don't hookup, baby," smirked Astro.

"And I will confirm these rumors—the two of them do have a baby together."

Apple's mouth dropped open. What? She expected her mother to come up with some bizarre lie or something. But she actually told the truth? On live TV?

"But, it isn't what you all think," went on Snow, suddenly looking very serious. "My daughter did not willingly acquaint herself with the young man. During her depression after the disastrous Legacy Day, the young man deviously intoxicated her and took advantage of my poor daughter. And we all know what—or who the result was. Though she was completely innocent and didn't wish such a fate upon her, my dutiful daughter decided to keep the child and look after it, even after this Sparrow Hood fellow abandoned them."

Apple's mouth dropped open. "What?" She burst into tears.

"Bogus!" Sparrow jumped to his feet, gritting his teeth. He clenched his fists, growling. "That isn't what happened!" He whirled around, pointing at Snowflake. "I didn't abandon them! Snowflake knows me! She knows me! If I wasn't there, she wouldn't have a—this is screwed up, man." He started pacing.

His cousins, however, remained calm and continued watching Snow's report. In the archway, Maid Marian sighed and disappeared back into the kitchen. Not long after, Apple heard her mumbling—probably into her phone. Maybe she was talking to Sparrow's dad.

"Dude, she's accusing you of sexual assault," said Vivienne with a snort, "you can go to jail for that."

The room was so full of tension. Apple couldn't take it. After making sure Snowflake would be okay by herself, Apple excused herself. She lightly walked across the room, sliding the back door open and stepping out onto the deck. The sky was dark and the moon and stars were shining brightly in the sky.

Apple immediately burst into tears. This was a disaster! Snow was basically putting the blame all on Sparrow when Apple was equally as guilty. She was making him look like a terrible person! Indecent! Inhuman! That wasn't how things went!

Why, why, why? Every time Apple got pulled into something, she always got others in trouble along with her!

"Mind if I join you?"

Apple turned around to see Vivienne standing in the doorway, taking out a cigarette. Apple managed to smile. "Sure," she said, turning to look back up at the moon.

Vivienne slid the backdoor closed and stepped out onto the deck with bare feet. "We all know it's not like that, ya know," she said simply, lighting her cig. She took a long drag of then, and then released a long puff of smoke up at the sky. "All those things your mom said."

Apple sniffled, wiping away a few tears. "I don't know what's wrong with her," she admitted lowly, "she knows things didn't happen like that. Sure, technically Sparrow took advantage of me, but it wasn't like that. We were both under the influence. I explained that." Snow could do all she wanted to Apple, but ruining Sparrow's reputation was inexcusable.

"Moms are weird like that." Vivienne wedged her cig between her lips and shrugged. "They think they know what's best, but they always end up making things worse." She chuckled. "Trust me, I know. I haven't spoken to my mom in five years."

"Mom doesn't understand," sighed Apple, "she's just making things worse for Sparrow and the Hoods. She's badmouthing them when it's not their fault."

"Eh, don't worry about us. We Hoods are like steel," insisted Vivienne, waving away Apple's worries like they were no big deal. "We can take anything. This ain't our first rodeo."

"But if anything happens to you guys, it'll be my fault!" cried out Apple, "I never should have ran away from my mother like that!"

"Chill. The queen was probably going to start those accusations anyways." Vivienne took another drag. "A White has to have reputation as pure as its name, right? From the way it sounds and looks, I'll bet the queen's trying to scrub away the grit off your name and rub it onto Sparrow. Either way it went, she was going to target him anyways."

Apple frowned, though she knew Vivi was right. Snow was ruthless. She wanted Apple to have a pure image, to look perfect. But now that the truth was out, Apple looked anything but pure, and Snow didn't like it.

"Don't kick yourself in the vajayjay for your mom's doing." Vivienne yawned. "You aren't her. She isn't you. Simple as that."

"So…What should I do about it?" Apple felt her face flushing. She was kind of embarrassed—asking a girl she barely knew for help.

"Don't give in," answered Vivienne matter-of-factly, putting out the stub of her cigarette. She then flicked it over the railing into the yard below. "The queen wants to 'make things right', but she's not doing it the correct way. She thinks she can pull you back if she dumps all the blame on Sparrow."

"But that'll only make things worse!" pointed out Apple, her tears blurring her vision. "My mom's relentless! She'll keep doing what she's doing until Sparrow and the rest of your family is finished! She won't back down!"

"So you shouldn't either. As I said—we Hoods can take it. In fact, it's great that our names are all over the news. Maybe now that bodyguard at the club downtown will let me in. Been trying to get in for months."

Apple allowed herself a smile a little. This girl was crazy. But in a good way. Apple liked her. A lot.

"You're still a piece of work, you know that?"

Apple and Vivienne turned to see Cerise standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. She had on her usual red clock, and sported a white boxy tee, loose sweatpants, and mesh high tops. "Yo. Long time no see," said Vivienne, lighting another cig. "How ya been? Where's Aunt Red?"

"Still at home. She's coming tomorrow via the wishing well."

"You ran here again?"

Cerise smiled. Apple wondered how no one had noticed her fangs yet. "Yeah. I haven't when cross-country running in a while. I needed to stretch my legs."

"Sweet. Girl, I swear you must be part wolf or something."

Cerise was here? Apple didn't know she and Sparrow were close. Cerise must've noticed Apple's look, because she rolled her eyes. "Hood family reunion's this weekend," she informed.

Apple startled. Sparrow didn't say anything about that. Oh, no. That meant most of the Hoods would be all under one roof—with the same girl who claimed to have a baby with one of them. There was sure to be drama.

"Don't worry, Sugar. We Hoods don't ask questions. Usually." Vivienne smiled lightly. "You'll be fine. And if someone insults you, just punch 'em in the face. That's what I always do. That'll show everyone how much of a 'good girl' Apple White is. BRB. Gotta go and get some more cigs."

Cerise rolled her eyes as Vivienne went back inside. "The family's weird, right?"

Apple smiled. "I actually like it. How everyone has a different personality. We Whites on the other hand…we all have to act a certain way all for the camera's sake…" She decided to change the subject. "So how are things with you and Ramona?"

Cerise sighed, joining Apple at the railing. She looked up at the moon. For a split second, her eyes glowed yellow, but reverted back to their usual color. "Things are good, I guess. Sure, we may feud at times, but we're still sisters."

Apple nodded. And speaking of sisters, Apple still had yet to speak to her brothers. She wondered if they knew about her and if they were just as eager as her to meet one another.

"It must be hard," spoke up Apple, glancing at Cerise. "Not being able to flip your hood. Not being able to show your ears. Your wolfness."

Cerise frowned. "Yeah, it's hard. Ramona has so much more freedom than me. She can proudly be a Badwolf, yet I have to hide. Though we might have different last names, we're still blood sisters. We're both half wolf. Except she can openly show it—I can't."

"Don't worry. We only have one year of high school left—as soon as Graduation Day comes, you can flip your hood and be the real you."

"Trust me—I'm counting down." Cerise smiled a bit. "And speaking of being a wolf, where's the meat? Ever since last week I've been having cravings. Must be the approaching full moon…"

Apple giggled as Cerise went back inside. Yep. Hoods were weird alright. That's what Apple liked most about them. Apple frowned. It killed to know she was putting them in danger now.

"It's not your fault, you know."

Apple turned to see Sparrow standing in Cerise's place, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Yes, it is." Apple frowned. "I…I could've—"

"Could have what? Swan's a bitch—it wouldn't matter what you tried to do. Humiliating you is her goal. And your mom? Well, she's naïve as hell."

"What about Snowflake?" asked Apple, her face falling even more. "I don't want her future to be…to be rocky because of us."

"It won't as long as she has us." Sparrow took Apple's hands. Apple gazed into his beautiful green eyes. She could feel her cheeks warming. "Real life isn't picture perfect, White," pointed out Sparrow, giving her a hug. "Everyone's got their problems. Even a White."

Apple nodded. Tell her that about a year ago, and she would've denied it. But now…now that she had experienced things for herself, she thought different. She was a better person. A wiser person.

And sure, she had faults. But that was what made her human. As she'd learned, no being was perfect. Not even a White. Everyone made mistakes, and Apple had learned from her own. And though Apple had done some things she was still regretful of, she'd learned not to look back on them, to keep moving forward. And yes, there were still a lot of things she'd have to overcome, but she was ready. She wouldn't let anybody or anyone tell her otherwise. Who knew what the future had in store. Apple nor anyone else would predict what was to come next. Destiny and only Destiny knew what would come next.

Yes, Apple still wanted her storybook happily ever after but she would get it some other way. She didn't need to bite into a poisoned apple to achieve it. But she did need Raven. Not an Evil Queen sort-of way. She needed Raven as a friend. The girl was so encouraging. So inspiring. She didn't let tradition or opinions get in her head—if her mind was set on something, she did it. Simple as that. This whole time, Apple had been living in her mother's shadow, hoping to be just like her. Deep down, Snow was a really good person, but Apple needed to be her own person, just like Raven, Briar, and everyone else. Perhaps they could all write their own happily ever afters together.

Writing her own destiny. Ever since early childhood, Apple always yearned for her storybook destiny as the next Snow White. But now, she felt differently. Her birth story didn't have Sparrow or Snowflake or even Good Raven. They were all a part of her life, and Apple couldn't imagine a life without them. That's why it was time to flip the script and write them into her story. After all, it was her life and everyone had the right to live the way they wanted. Everyone had the right to forge their own happily ever after. If only Duchess would realize this and bring peace to her soul.

So did this make Apple a Rebel? No, Apple didn't think so. Sure, she wanted to change her story, but she was still a Royal at heart—she just believed in the rebel cause. Life was an open book! Why not explore its chapters?

And it wasn't like Apple was completely doing away with her story. She still wanted to be a traditional queen like all the ones before her and bring honor to the White legacy. She'd just accomplish her goals a way different than her mother's. The road leading toward her dreams would be bumpy, but Apple would walk it like a queen—proud and true. And she wouldn't be alone.

Apple's heart skipped a beat as Sparrow held her closer, tighter. She needed him. Snowflake needed him. They both needed his love and support. And he needed them. Apple would stay with him forever after. She knew there would be times when they'd disagree or bicker. But true love was always tried. True love would always pull through the thick and thin.

At the beginning of Legacy Year, Apple would've denied ever falling in love with Sparrow—in fact, she had. But now, she couldn't imagine life without him. His love made her feel special. His love is what helped shape her into what she was now.

Apple lifted Sparrow's face, observing his deep green eyes. She was thankful for everything that had happened over the past year. She didn't regret anything. Nope. Not a thing.

"I love you," whispered Apple affectionately.

Sparrow gave her his mischievous bad-boy grin. "I knew it from the beginning," he smirked arrogantly.

And with that, they shared a kiss under the moon.

~The End~