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Chapter Text

A cup of tea sparkled slightly in the dark, shooting red from its handle. A hand reached out to pick it up, carefully bringing it to her bright red lips. The older woman wore a long, red dress with lacy sleeves that dipped to black at the ends. Her crown tilted slightly on her head, the gems shaped like hearts.

"Your majesty," a man said, bowing before the woman. He wore a blue chest plate, with a red undershirt and shoulder plates. The shape of his chestplate resembled a heart, and he had dark red pants on, with clocks. His sword lay by his side. His hat, resembling a red crown without the jewels or the crowns, rested on his head.

"Bring me my daughter," she commanded, gently placing down her cup of tea. The man nods, hurrying out of the room. On one side, a man with tired eyes and light purple hair, covered by his top hat sat. He wore a long coat over a black shirt and pants, with a tiny white rabbit pin on his hat. And on the other, a blonde woman sat with one foot over the other, her blue dress overshadowed by the white cardigan she wore over it.

"Not too much longer, I hope," the woman exclaimed, her face as dead as the plants behind her.

The man hurriedly marched down the corridor, clutching his sword. He turned to a door suddenly, raising his hand in a fist, before lightly tapping the door. "Princess Red?"

Silence fills the corridor once again. He tried again, this time raising his voice slightly. When he heard no response, he tried one more time, this time warning the princess that if she didn't respond, he would be coming in. And as expected, there was no response from the princess. So, taking a deep breath, he turned to his side, using his full body weight to break the door down to...nothing. The room, with its checkered interior, heart-shaped bed and of course, hundreds of red clothing pieces everywhere, is lifeless. He apologised to the door, before turning back on his heel and marching back to the previous room. The door sprang back up into place as he walked off.

Walking back into the room, the man apologised before admitting he could not find Princess Red. The woman sighed deeply, shuffling the stack of cards in her hand whilst staring at him.

"Go find my daughter, and make it quick," she commanded, and the man bowed again.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he muttered, before hurrying out the door again. The man to the left looked down at his hand.

"Your Highness," he started. "I do need to excuse myself. Do I have permission to leave the table?"

The woman nodded. "Hurry back, Maddox."

Maddox nodded slightly before pushing his chair up. He quickly tucked it back in and walked out of the room, leaving the two women by themselves. He looked as the guards rushed out of the hallway before he slid into a room close by.

A tall figure dropped a black duffel bag by their side. Being slightly open, the many spray cans were visible to anyone around. They bent down to pick two cans up, and in the light, a black broken heart with thorns poking out of shun against a red leather jacket. They shook the cans as they brought the cans closer to the wall, their black leathered gloves spiked with white gems glowing as the cans glided in front of the wall.

Giving it a slight shake, they stepped back to reveal another broken heart, this time a red one, with a lightning strike directly through it. Underneath they wrote 'Fuck The Queen'. The figure, a redhead girl with a devilish smirk, scoffed before picking up her bag.

The yells of the guard, screaming "find the girl!" filled the area, and the girl started sprinting off. She ducked behind a wall, narrowly avoiding a duo of guards running past. Her eyes narrowed, covered by a thorn-like blood-coloured mask. She slowly stood up, sprinting to the other wall, keeping an eye on the guards dispersing everywhere.

She threw the strap of the duffel bag over her shoulder, taking the opportunity to take a spray can out. She shook it slightly, spraying something on the wall. The sound of the can alerted a nearby guard, who ran to the wall just as the girl left, seeing 'Off With Her Head' sprayed on the wall.

As the girl ran from wall to wall surrounding the courtyard, she started to spray more phrases on the wall. From 'Long Live The Tyrant' to 'Red Will Rise', every wall is covered with a message.

The girl climbed up a wall, her dark red cargo pants seemingly weighing her down. She looked down at the guards, her gaze moving down to the courtyard as it emptied, her smirk only rising as she saw the vases.

She dropped her bag, bending down to pick up a crowbar. As she picks it up, she swings it on her back, taking one final look at the vase.

"I'm on a path of destruction."

She walked back slightly, dropping the crowbar to her side

"This is gonna be fun!"

She ran, jumping off the building to land in front of the vase. Standing up, winding up her hit. She smashed the vase in front of her. She walked up to the next vase, smashing another and another. She smashed another vase, this time striking it from the top.

She looked up, standing up and sprinting forward.

"Vandal!" A guard yelled, alerting all the nearby guards. The girl, hearing the yelling, ran off to just behind a wall. The guards all rushed in, standing in rows forming a heart in front of a blonde-haired man. One guard stood in front of the heart.

"Jack of hearts, sir," he started, holding his sword by his side. "Shall we find the princess or the vandal?"

"Vandal," he announced. "Find the vandal. Bring her to justice. And then find the princess. Soldiers at the ready?" He called out as the guard stepped back.

"Sir, yes, sir!" They shouted back and brought their hand to their foreheads to salute Jack. The guards responded, mimicking Jack's body language. She ran behind the guards, blending in at the back. She joined in as they drew their swords, pointing them forward in solidarity, mummering something about the details of her costume. They dropped the swords to their side. They started yelling.

"Red! Red! Red!"

The girl grinned, mouthing her name in unison. "Oh, if only they knew," she thought. Red's grin grew, reaching into her pocket. She slowly pulled out a few cards. Slowly, she aimed her cards, quickly throwing card after card at the guards' feet.

"Off with their heads!" Red screamed, quickly disappearing to an alleyway as the cards turned to small, harmless explosions at their feet, causing them to jump around and look for the source of the sound. She smirked as the guards scattered, shaken by the explosion.

She took the opportunity she created and ran to the nearest wall away from the destruction. She took out one of her spray cans, shaking it. "I'm on a path of destruction." She muttered, bringing the spray close to the wall and holding the button down. "I'll let 'em know what I want."

She threw the can backwards, the tumble of the can altering nearby guards. She locked eyes with a nearby guard. Her eyes widened as his eyes narrowed. The moment he took a step forward, Red sprinted off in the opposite direction. Red turned a corner with a slide, touching the wall with her hands as she did to feel the rough edge.

She took a second to look over the wall she had come face to face with. She noticed the ridges and pulled out bricks, Wonderland creating an escape for her. With a forceful nudge, she pushed herself towards the wall and readjusted her grip. She climbed up the wall, every movement being easier than the last thanks to Wonderland's help.

"Up all night!" She could hear the guards yelling as she climbed to the top. She took a second to look over the view. Guards were scattered everywhere. "Never question orders! Or we'll pay the price!"

Red couldn't help but chuckle. It was obvious from the moment the Queen came to order that she would be a tyrant, yet the guards still followed her every word. "Protect the Queen's borders!"

The cards, the Queen's royal guards, had three jobs. Protect her, protect Wonderland and listen to her every command. Unfortunately for Red, they were good at all three, especially the last one.

"Remember what she said, it's either off with their heads or off with our heads!"

Another unfortunate thing was that the consequence of Red's actions was death. A small pit of guilt flickered in the back of Red's mind at every beheading she's ever been to, yet, nothing could stop Red from exploring the night. Exploring what could be.

"Get the girl, get the girl, get the girl, get the girl!" The guards yelled, searching behind every wall and through every hole. Red watched from above, looking down at the guards becoming ever so agitated as they failed to find her. Her smirk grew, and she found herself chuckling.

Behind her, she heard a quick swoosh and slowly turned to see Maddox poking his head through the wall using a hole that lead to a dark room. She sighed a breath of relief, picking up the duffel bag she had left there before causing a riot, and shoved it towards Maddox, who picked up the bag and disappeared into the hole, before she too walked into the hole.

The hole took the duo to a dark room, where Red found herself looking around, confused. Maddox flicked on a light silently, revealing it to be his room.

"Thanks for the assist, Maddox," Red thanked, a slight perk on her lips making Maddox roll his eyes.

"That was dangerous, Princess. You know I won't always be here to save you?" Maddox responded, watching Red slide off her Red wig, revealing her natural hair, black and wavy with red highlights.

"I don't need saving," Red sneered, ripping her mask off her face.

"Mhm," Maddox responded, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Your mother was looking for you."

Red rolled her eyes, opening the duffel bag Maddox had dropped as he entered. "Of fucking course she was."

"Watch your language, young lady," Maddox scolded. Red stuffed the mask and wig in the bag before zipping it up and shoving it under the bed.

"Sorry, DAD," Red responded, emphasising the word 'dad'.

Maddox sighed, turning to face his drawers. "One day, you'll understand that your actions have consequences."

Red scoffed. "One day, you'll learn to watch your mouth," Red said, shoving her finger in Maddox's face. "I am still the Princess of Wonderland, and you are nothing more than a lowlife, cruddy, peasant," she continued, spitting in his face as she pushed more into his personal space. "Respect your royalty."

Maddox spoke no words as he lowered Red's hand down. "If you call me a peasant once more, your highness, I shall cover for you no longer. Let's see how your mother reacts to her own daughter destroying her land, shall we?"

Red's eyes widened, and she took a step back. "Sorry, Maddox."

Maddox nodded before turning back to his drawer and picking out a Pocket Watch. He placed it down on the desk before turning to another drawer and grabbing a set of tools.

Curiosity got the better of Red, so she took a step closer, looking over the watch. "What's that?"

"That," Maddox starts, holding up his tool set to his eyesight. "Is a time travel machine. Currently, I have built it to take you to where your heart truly desires in the moment you press the button," Maddox continued, setting down the toolbox. "I am tuning it to be able to choose any specific moment."

Red looked over Maddox at the pocket watch once more as she stepped to block her view. "You best be going, Princess. Your mother still awaits your presence, and you smell like sweat and paint." Red rolled her eyes. "And I shall be too, our meeting was not over when you rudely interrupted."

Maddox pushed past the princess, leaving her alone in the now dark room. Once Maddox was out of sight, she felt around for the watch before sliding it into the pocket of her cargo pants and tiptoeing to the door. She creaked it open, watching for an opening, and sprinted across the hall to her room.

Taking Maddox's advice, she took a shower and changed into black sweats and an oversized jumper with the words 'Long Live The Queen'. The phrase felt ironic to her, but since the rebel debuted her skills, the Queen of Hearts had taken a special liking to that specific phrase.

"Where have you been, Red?" The Queen of Hearts questioned, meeting her daughter's gaze as she walked into the room. On one side of the table, Maddox sat impatiently, eyeing Red. On the other, Alice, the human who had wandered in Wonderland, and spent her whole life in the shadow of the Queen, training to run the land behind the scenes, to be Red's future right-hand woman. Red did not like her very much.

"In the shower," Red responded, slumping away from her proper posture. "Then in my room. I heard you needed me?"

"Yes, I requested your presence twenty minutes ago. I have some news for you," The Queen of Hearts exclaimed.

Red took a seat on the opposite side of her mum. "What?"

"You have received an invitation to attend Auradon Prep alongside other villain and hero kids. You shall start your education there at the start of the upcoming week," The Queen of Hearts informed, picking out the letter from Auradon Prep. She slid it across to Red.

"How? The border-"

"Do not worry about that, my daughter."

"But-"

The Queen of Hearts slammed her hands down on the table, causing both Red and Alice to flinch at the noise. She narrowed her eyes down at Red, who looked away from her gaze, her attention focusing on the interesting wooden table leg. "Do NOT question it, Red. You will be attending Auradon Prep. Do you understand?" She asked, maintaining eye contact. Red didn't reply. "I said, do you understand?" She asked again, this time slamming her hands again. Red flinched once more, muttering "yes."

"Good, you are dismissed."

Later that night, after Maddox had returned to his room passed the meeting, he immediately noticed the desk. As he walked over, he realised that the Pocket Watch he had left there had gone missing. Sighing, he placed his tools back into the drawer and turned off the light.

Chapter Text

As the key unlocked the dorm, emptiness flooded the area. The dorm was so... bland. 

Red looked over the room, soaking in the feeling of freedom that washed over her. After the night had passed, the Queen of Hearts had sent away her daughter without a second thought, not even bothering to show up before Red left Wonderland. She had tasked Maddox with escorting her to the school, ensuring her 'safe' arrival, as her mother had put it. But Red knew it was because her mother wanted to make sure she had actually arrived. So, despite the bland room, Red couldn't hide the perk in her lips. 

She started to observe her surroundings. There were duplicates of everything, with bedframes and a queen-size mattress in the back middle of the room, with wooden drawers on either side. There were identical desks on either corner of the room, with an uncomfortable-looking office spinning chair. Red had heard about spinning chairs, the idea of having one appearing in a dream she had once had. Not that she had mentioned it in front of her mother, as she had always been told dreaming is for the weak, and nightmares should be enslaved in the minds of her people, the royalty, plaguing and fueling them to show dominance.

The dorm has two doors, excluding the entrance and three windows. She walked up to the window, peering at the view outside. Her dorm is located relatively high up, so a fall from this height would cause damage. Looking up, she noticed the roof is an arm's length away from her. She took note of that. Then, she headed for the doors. One door leads to a small bathroom with a glass shower, the whitest toilet she's ever seen, and a small sink underneath a small-sized mirror, in comparison to the ones her mother had around the castle. She closed the door behind her as she headed for the last door. 

Red missed the quiet footsteps from the corridor as the final door swung open to reveal an empty walk-in closet. She took one more look around the plain white walls, unable to hear a rustling sound getting louder before a click is heard. The door swung open, and in front of her stood a young girl with multiple suitcases that she was dragging in. She closed the door behind her and dropped the suitcases immediately. As she turned around, the girl came face to face with Red.

Their eyes linger on each other for a second too long. The girl, shorter than the princess, had beautiful dark blue curls, to the point where her hair looked black, but closer inspection shows that her hair was truly blue. Her jacket was noticeably bigger on her body, with the SS sewn on the front in gold. The dark blue jacket had gold accents, white sleeves with gold stripes across the elbows. She wore a light blue buttoned-up shirt and loose light navy ripped jeans with glass shoes, or what looked to be glass shoes. Interesting choice.

Red looked down at the girl, her brown eyes inviting. She smiled at Red.

"Hi, I'm Chloe! I'm gonna be your roommate," she greeted cheerfully.

"Duh," Red replies, rolling her eyes. Chloe's smile dropped, but after a quick pause, she went back to smiling. 

"What's your name?" She asks, a glint of hope in her eyes.

Red doesn't reply; instead, she walked past her and left the dorm. Chloe looked back at the girl, wondering why the girl was wearing a black shirt and cargo pants. "Rude," she muttered.

The moment Red walked back into the dorm, her roommate had left. Their bags are in the corner, separated by a small gap. She looked at the wall on her side of the room, and it was too plain. She does not like the white.

Red walked over to her bed, bending down to pull out the same duffel bag she used to keep under Maddox's bed. She grinned, grabbing a red spray can. She bounced up, dashing to the wall and shaking the can. Then, she slowly pressed down the button and let her hand glide. Occasionally, she rushed between the wall and the bag, switching colours. Then, she stepped back, her grin widening as she admired her work. 

Red hearts, red roses, red phrases, just like she did back home. And glancing at her work, she felt a sort of peace, like the sick feeling stirring in her stomach had started to settle down. She dropped the spray can in her hand back in the bag, then walked off to the bathroom. 

After a few minutes, Chloe walked back into the room, her eyes falling onto the spray paint instantly. Her face dropped, and her eyes widened. She slowly walked up to the wall, hesitantly raising her finger. 

"What," Chloe muttered, pressing her finger to the wall. "The," she continued, lifting her finger off the wall and inspecting it. "Heck?"

Chloe spun around just as Red exited the bathroom in her sweats and a bra, her towel hanging off her neck. Chloe's eyes narrowed, her left eye slightly twitching in a way that was unsettling towards Red. "What's up with your eye?" Red asked, walking towards her closet. 

"What in the world is wrong with you?" Chloe asked, grinding her teeth. She took a couple of steps forward. 

Red opened her closet, searching through the shirts. "A lot of things," Red responded, pulling out a shirt. 

"Yeah, I can already tell. What did you do to our walls?" Chloe questioned, further closing the gap between the two. 

"Just had a little fun with it," Red smirked, pulling the shirt over herself. "Reminds me of home," she exclaimed, turning around.

She hadn't realised just how close Chloe was until she came face to face with the girl, her brown eyes locked on Red's. "You're going to paint it back to white," Chloe stated.

"Says who?" Red asked. 

"Says me."

"Make me."

Chloe lifted her hand, and Red closed her eyes, turning away from the hand. She braced herself for the impact, but instead...she felt her shirt tighten, and she was yanked forward. "Don't make me say it again, Hearts," she muttered, keeping her eyes locked on Reds. 

Red gulped, holding, before she felt her shirt untight, and she walked off to grab her white spray paint. Chloe stood behind her, tapping her foot impatiently as she watched Red cover up her art. 

"Happy?" Red asked as she finished up, turning with a hand on her hip. 

"Very," Chloe responded, her frown replaced with a smile. "Good girl," she said, patting Red's head, before skipping to her bed. 

Red's eyebrows furrowed. "Weirdo," she muttered under her breath. 

"I can still hear you," Chloe responded, plopping onto her bed. 

"Good."

Chloe rolled her eyes. 

It doesn't take long before the sunset sets, and Chloe had passed out in her bed, the sound of her soft snoring filling up the room. Red took one long look at the sleeping Chloe, before opening the window and gripping the top of it. She pushed herself through, using the ledge to balance herself as she turned around. She then climbed up to the roof, bringing her hands to her knees as she tried to make herself comfortable. 

She pulled out her deck of cards, staring into the sky. She started shuffling her cards, occasionally flicking out a card that would result in a tiny explosion that looked like a firework. 

Red sighed, leaning back against the roof. The night was quiet.

Too quiet. Red could feel something brewing in her stomach. Maybe it was her dinner they called 'pasta' or maybe It was...

She groaned, standing up suddenly. 

The Principal of Auradon Prep was rumoured to be a scary pirate octopus human. But from what Red observed as the door swung open to her office, Principal Uma seemed to be a normal human. 

"Hello Princess Red," Uma greeted, gesturing to the seat in front of her. "How was the journey here?"

"Uneventful," Red replied. "I have something to tell you."

"Of course," Uma responded, as Red took her seat. 

"I...I have this strange feeling. My mother is going to try something during the welcoming ceremony. She's had this resentment building for years and...this is her one opportunity."

Uma nodded, her eyes narrowing as Red spoke. "Thank you for telling me, Red. Is that all?" Red nodded in response. "Very well. You should return to your dorm and get some rest. I'll implement more security for tomorrow, and your mother's luggage will be thoroughly searched to ensure she's bringing no weapons."

Red nodded, the feeling starting to die down. She stood up and excused herself. After she walked out, Uma sent out an order to have more security on-site for the event. 

"Perfect," a voice stated. "It's all going according to plan..."

Chapter Text

The moment Red saw her mother standing by the entrance, a pit formed in her stomach. She took a second, studying her mother's sly grin and the way she shuffled her cards in her left hand. Red narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling to the cards. 

She bit her lip, before slowly, and displaying a level of fake confidence that deceived her mother, walking towards her mother. Her mother's grin smoothly transferred to a soft smile, but Red noticed the way her eye twitched slightly. 

"Good morning mother," Red greeted as she approached. 

"It is a good morning indeed," the Queen of Hearts smiled.

She walked up to Red, turning her around in a swift motion, and interlocking her hand with her daughter's. 

"Are you ready for today, my darling?"

Red doesn't get a second to clarify before her mother yanks her towards the sign in both. 

"Name, please!" the woman cheerfully exclaimed. 

"You know who we are," the Queen of Hearts scoffed, slamming her hand on the table. 

The woman visibly jolts at the sudden gesture. 

"Bridget?"

Red felt her mother's arm pull away suddenly, and a glance revealed her narrowed eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows and scrunched her face. 

"Ella."

Red turned around first, catching a slight glimpse of the dark blue curls that plagued her mind all of last night. She audibly scoffed, causing her mother to snap her head towards her daughter, then follow her gaze to see a girl.

Standing next to Cinderella. 

Her Ella. 

"I didn't expect to see you here," Cinderella exclaimed, a slight perk at her lips forming as she stepped closer. Red's gaze turned back to Chloe, who stood, folding her arms. She took a step as her mum did, then met Red's gaze. 

She sighed, dropping her arms. "Let's try this again, shall we?" Chloe asked, holding out her hand. Cinderella smiled, noticing her daughter interacting with Red. The Queen of Heart's face stayed disgusted. "Hi, I'm Chloe Charming. Princess of Cinderellasburg. You must be Red Hearts, Princess of Wonderland."

Red's eyes narrowed, but she did not respond. 

"You know, I've always wondered what it was like there," Chloe continued, grinning and nervously laughing at her joke. 

Red raised an eyebrow, folding her arms as she took a step forward. "You should come sometime. I'll introduce you to the Jabberwocky," Red smirked, leaning forward. 

Chloe's smile brightened, while the Queen of Hearts' face fell. She looked at Red with curious eyes. "Fun! What's a Jabberwocky?" Chloe asked. 

"A monster that eats annoying bitches, like you."

The Queen of Hearts snorted, before covering her mouth. Chloe's face fell, and she took a deep breath in. "Alrighty then. You chose to be a rude ass, so you'll deal with the consequences."

"I'm gonna make your life a living hell, Charming," Red responded, leaning in closer. 

"Try me, Hearts," Chloe added, also leaning in, so close that Red could feel Chloe's slow breaths across her face. Her face softened slightly, and she pulled back. 

"Maybe I'll just head back to our dorm now," Red said, starting to walk away, deliberately slamming her shoulder against Chloe's. "I'm sure my bag is-"

Before Red could continue, Chloe grabbed Red's wrist, forcibly tugging her back, then, using her other hand, gripped her shirt, twisting it around for a better grip, and yanking her closer. "Don't you dare," she muttered, edging her closer and pulling upwards to lift her off the ground. 

Red's eyes widened for a second, quick enough that the parents didn't notice, but not enough that Chloe didn't. She furrowed her eyebrows, slowly lowering Red down as Cinderella jumped to try to diffuse the situation, while the Queen of Hearts stood back with an obvious grin. 

Chloe slowly released her grip, muttering an apology while looking away. Red pushed Chloe back, dusting her shirt, before walking off to her seat without another word. Her mother followed suit, stopping to roll her eyes at Cinderella, before walking off. 

Cinderella rolls her eyes, before looking at her daughter. "Your roommate is Red?"

"Unfortunately," Chloe responded. 

Red doesn't pay attention much during the welcoming ceremony. The speech from the fairy godmother does not interest her at all, and the introduction of the new principal of Auradon Prep, Principal Uma, whom she had met the other day, does not pique her interest either. Instead, she's too focused on the blue-haired girl sitting on her right. How she giggles at every joke. How she's tapping her hands against her knees in excitement. How she's whispering to her mum about how excited she is for the school year. 

She can't stand it. Every second of hearing her voice makes her skin crawl.

Until Principal Uma mentions villains. 

"...Beyond the old way of villains and heroes," Uma said, as Red's focus drew back in. "So, in that spirit, I'm proud to introduce Princess Red of Wonderland, and her mother, the Queen of Hearts."

The cheering coming from the crowd takes the royalty in shock. Behind her, she can hear people loudly clapping and yelling 'Welcome, welcome!'

The Queen of Hearts suddenly stood up, and the applause fell short. "If I may?" she asked, gesturing towards the stage. Principal Uma motioned for her to take the stage, standing off the side as she walked up the steps. 

The Queen of Hearts smiled, one that sent shivers down Red's throat. She had seen that smile before. It was the same smile she had before one of her guards released the rope, and the screams were silenced, replaced with the thuds of a rolling head, then the thump of a lifeless body. 

"When I received the letter, I was delighted that my daughter was going to receive a chance to study here, that I was receiving a second chance," she smiled brighter, reaching into her pocket. "That you were all still dumb enough to think villains can change."

"Wait-"

Red yelled, standing up. But it was too late. The Queen of Hearts had taken out her cards, throwing three directly at the Fairy Godmother's wand, turning into dust in the godmother's hands. 

"Guards!" Principal Uma yelled. 

They sprinted out, surrounding the exits. A few charged forward headed for the Queen. Red breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing the guards already on.

Until she saw the patch of her mother's cards on their shoulder. And before she knew it, the guards had swung at Principal Uma, knocking her out in one swift motion. She dropped to the ground, the gasps of the crowd filling the courtyard. 

"If any of you try to leave, the guards will off your head in an instant," the Queen threatened, signalling to her guards, who formed a circle around the civilians. "Oh calm down, you're attacking like you've never seen a coup before."

Red leapt forward, walking up to her mother. "Mum, this is crazy! Even for you!"

She grinned. "CRAZY it's taken this long. It's been YEARS."

"Clocks, I should have known this was never about me," Red exclaimed. The Queen of Hearts' face dropped. "It's never about me. It's always about you and what you want."

The Queen of Hearts stepped forward, grabbing Red's jaw and squeezing it tight. "Everything I do is for you," she muttered. "So you will never live the life I had to endure."

Red's eyes started to water. "This was my invitation. My school. MY life. And you just ruined it."

The Queen of Hearts pulled Red down, flicking a card at her that made her kneel. "Some day, you'll understand."

Red choked back a tear, bound by the power of the cards to keep her head down. 

"Stop it, Bridget!" Cinderella yelled, charging forward. "You're better than this!" The guards grabbed Cinderella's shoulders, but The Queen of Hearts instructed them to let go. Cinderella walked up the stairs to come face to face with The Queen of Hearts. "I know you are."

"You don't know anything," she spat, relinquishing her power on her daughter, who shot back up straight away. "You didn't care back then, why would you care right now?"

"I-"

"You will all pay for what you did! For the life you gave me!" The Queen of Hearts yelled. "Starting with you," she exclaimed, her eyes narrowing on Cinderella. The guards grabbed Cinderella's arms. "My dear daughter, don't you want to make me proud?"

Red hesitantly nodded. 

"Tell me then, what do we do to traitors?"

"We...behead them," Red muttered. 

"Excellent!" She cheered, putting her hand on Red's shoulder. "So what shall we do to this traitor?"

Red hesitated, looking between Cinderella and her mother. As the silence grew, the grip on Red's shoulder tightened. 

"Come on Bridget, even your daughter knows what you're doing is outrageous. She can't do it!"

Red's eyes narrowed, and her head turned swiftly to Cinderella's. Can't do it?

"We behead them. Cinderella, you are hereby sentenced to beheading for treason in the first degree! Guards, take her away!"

"Mum!" Chloe yelled, as the guards dragged Cinderella away. 

"It's okay Chloe, you'll be fine," Cinderella reassured. 

"Good job, my darling," the Queen of Hearts whispered, releasing her grip. "I'm so proud of you."

"Mum, no!" Chloe yelled again, pushing forward, but being blocked by the guards. 

"I love you, Chloe. Be strong," Cinderella yelled, as they dragged her out of the courtyard. 

"MUM!" 

With tears falling from her eyes, she turned to the Queen of Hearts. "YOU'RE EVIL!" She screamed, pushing passed the guards forcibly. "AND YOU! YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR MUM. AN EVIL MONSTER FEEDING OFF THE PAIN OF INNOCENT PEOPLE!" Chloe continued, drawing out her sword. "YOU'RE WORSE THAN YOUR MOTHER! YOU'RE THE REINCARNATION OF THE DEVIL!" 

"Deal with her," The Queen of Hearts muttered. 

Red stepped forward, and Chloe extended her sword. She narrowed her eyes, watching as the tears flooded from Chloe's eyes and she couldn't help but...

The pocket watch! Her eyes widened in surprise, and she reached for the device she had stolen a couple of days prior. Seeing the watch, Chloe leapt forward, lunging at the device. And just as Red pressed the button, Chloe touched the watch. 

The girls woke up on the ground, surrounded by a familiar, yet unknown courtyard. The chairs, stage and decorations disappeared, replaced with blue and green bands that stretched across the courtyard. The fake grass was replaced with real, patchy grass with little flowers growing out of it, and the solid pavement was replaced with lumpy asphalt. 

Red groaned as she lifted her head, pressing her hand to her head to try to relieve the pressure of the pulsing headache. As she looked up, she noticed a pointy mental object in front of her. 

Chloe stood with her sword pointing at Red. "Where are we?" She questioned. 

"I...I don't know," Red answered. 

Chloe jabbed her sword closer. "WHERE ARE WE?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Red yelled, putting her hands up. Chloe narrowed her eyes, but after a second, lowered her sword. She reached out a hand, which Red accepted. Chloe pulled her up, turning her hand to grip her wrists tightly. 

"Try anything, and I will end you," she muttered. Red nodded, gulping slightly. 

Chloe let go of her wrists, sliding her sword back into her off-stem. She looked around briefly before her eyes landed on the banner. "Merlin Academy?" She whispered. She turned to Red sharply. "Is that a time machine?" 

Red's eyes widened. "Wait how did you-"

"We're in the past," Chloe stated, looking down at the watch. "You've sent us to the past. Why?"

"I-I just wanted to stop my mum," Red admitted. 

"I don't believe you," Chloe responded. She lunged at the watch, but Red pulled it back. 

"Back off, Princess," Red said, holding the watch above her shoulder. "This is mine."

"Give it!" Chloe exclaimed, reaching for the watch. 

"Tsk tsk Charming," Red said, holding it up higher. 

"Hand it over, Hearts," Chloe responded, extending her sword. 

Red scoffed, pushing down the sword hard enough for Chloe to drop it. Chloe looked down as the sword hit the ground with a clank, then back at Red. She quickly bent down to pick up the sword, swinging as she stood back up. Red's eyes widened, leaning backwards just enough to dodge the strike. Red started backing up, as Chloe moved forward. 

"I need that watch," Chloe stated. "I need to get back to my kingdom. My mum. I need to save her."

"You'll die if you go back, we need to-" Chloe swung her sword again, and Red ducked to avoid it. "-figure out another plan."

"Work with you?" Chloe scoffed. "Not in this lifetime," she continued, swinging again. Red dodged, her eyes scanning the surroundings. If she could just get to the flag pole, she could use it. Dodging another swing, she ran off to the right side, Chloe quickly following her. She jumped on the table, jumping into a sprint as she hit the ground. She reached for the pole, knocking it out of its spot before she noticed Chloe catching up to her. She ducked, heard the sword hit the wall with a clank, and sprinted over to the other side. The poles on this side were too high for her to quickly grab. She jumped on tables, flipping over benches till she used her momentum to step up the wall, knocking the pole up and catching it as she fell. She turned back around, a grin on her face, to see Chloe's sword being swung at her. She blocked it with the pole, but Chloe pushed hard against her. 

Red's back hit the wall, the pole pressing up against her throat as she desperately tried to keep it away. "Give me the watch," Chloe demanded, pressing her sword further, pushing the pole closer to her throat. 

"You can't go back to the present," Red stated. 

"I don't care what you have to say," Chloe continued, pushing the pole right up to Red's throat. 

Red coughed as the pole hit her throat. "We were meant to be here!" 

Chloe blinked, pulling the pole back slightly. "What?"

"The watch," she started, pausing to cough. "It is meant to bring you to a point in time when your heart most desires. It was meant to take us here. Maybe instead of going back to the present to save your mum, we have to go back in time and save my mum."

Chloe's eyes narrowed, but she pulled back her sword. "Your mum attended Merlin Academy too?"

Red chuckled. "Our mothers were best friends. You didn't know?"

Chloe shook her head. "That...explains a lot," she said, dropping her sword. "...Did you really want to stop your mum?"

"I want a normal life. I'll do whatever it takes," Red stated, slowly dropping the pole. 

Chloe sighed, putting her sword away and stepping back. "I still don't like or trust you," she started. "But for some reason, I believe you," she continued, extending a hand. "If we both want to stop your mother, we should work together to do so."

Red took her hand, shaking it hesitantly. "Mother never talked about what happened. Or how she used to be. But I know something happened to turn her into an evil dictator, and I know it happened sometime during her time at Merlin Academy."

"So, find out what happened to your mum, stop it, and we should be able to return to my mum not being dead?" Chloe confirmed, and Red nodded. "Okay. Let's go find your mum," Chloe commanded, as she turned on her heel. She walked off, her shoulders pushed back and her chest puffed up. She walked with elegance but determination. 

And as Chloe walked out of the courtyard, Red's eyes lingered on the girl just a little too long. 

Chapter Text

Red lurked a distance behind Chloe, fighting every urge to duck between walls, structure and bush they passed. Her eyes locked onto the blue curls, narrowing them as the girl walked carefully, one hand gripping her sword and the other locked to her side.

Her mind flashed back to the moment before, still feeling the pole up against her neck, the roughness of the brick against her back. The feeling of Chloe's gaze locked on hers. Something stirred in her chest, light and restless, fueled by a mix of emotions she didn't yet understand, or care to address.

"Stop staring at me," Chloe barked.

Red spaced back in, meeting Chloe's narrowed eyes. She noticed her scowl. "Don't flatter yourself, Charming. I wasn't looking at you."

Chloe rolled her eyes before turning back. She continued walking, turning the corner. Red took a deep breath and started following her, but stopped as she saw the girl sprinting back.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Red heard a voice scream from around the corner.

Chloe grabbed Red's arm as she ran past, dragging her to behind a wall. They pressed their backs against the wall. Red listened to the footsteps, slamming her hand onto Chloe's mouth as her breathing mixed with the heavy, rushed footsteps. As she heard them coming closer, her eyes scanned the area, landing on the brick that felt slightly out of place.

Her smile grew, while she fidgeted around in her pocket, trying to pull out her cards. Chloe reached for her hand, dragging it down enough to speak.

"What the-" Chloe started, but Red pushed her hand back up to her mouth. She took the cards out of her pocket, throwing a few to the ground, watching as the cards grew into stair-like platforms. Chloe bit down on Red's hand, causing her to pull her hand away quickly and start running up the stairs. Chloe quickly joined suit, as they reached the top, Red wiped her hand on Chloe's jumper, who jumped back and squealed in disgust. "EW!"

"You BIT me, you can't speak," Red responded.

"Don't touch me next time!" Chloe yelled back.

Red rolled her eyes, slapping her hand on Chloe's shoulder. Chloe grabbed her hand, twisting it around as Red yelped in shock. "Please, that hurts, stop!"

Chloe let go of her hand, grinning as she dropped it.

A voice cleared its throat. Both girls looked down to see an old man in a coat staring up at them, with his hands folded. "Get down," he commanded.

Red shot a look at Chloe before jumping down and landing with a thud. She turned to face Chloe, who started climbing down the wall slowly.

"Who are you two?" The man asked, his voice low and cautious.

"We're..." Chloe started, scowling, trailing off under his threatening gaze.

"...transfer students!" Red finished, pushing Chloe slightly back. "We were both homeschooled, but our parents transferred us here!"

The man's gaze narrowed, looking over at Chloe, who nodded quickly, too quickly. "I haven't received any transfer papers."

Chloe looked over at Red, her eyes softened, and she slightly bit her lip, a contrast to the look she gave her a second ago. She felt an unknown sensation in her chest, but she brushed it off before turning back to the man. She pulled out a card from her pocket, sliding it in her hand, transforming it into papers. She handed the papers to him with a smile. "I'm sure there was a miscommunication with the application on our parents' end. Here are our papers," she said, as the man took the papers.

His eyes scanned the papers, flicking the pages. He sighed, rolling the papers and shoving them in his pocket. "My apologies, Red Rose and Chloe Swords. Welcome to Merlin Academy. I am the principal, Mr Merlin, and I also teach honours alchemy, which all students are required to take. I shall take you to your dorm, which is the Stardust Room!" He exclaimed, taking out his wand. "Although we have a strict no swords policy," he continued, waving his wand at the sword. "That will be transferred to your dorm. Right this way."

As Merlin started to walk off, Chloe turned to Red. "Chloe...swords?" She questioned, a slight hint of a grin on her lips.

"Well, I couldn't use Charming, now could I?" Red retorted. "Wouldn't be a very accurate description of you either."

Chloe's face dropped. She muttered something under her breath and walked after Merlin.

Red frowned, shoving her hands into her pockets and following them.

"Aha! Here we are!" Merlin exclaimed, gesturing towards the door. "This will be your dorm," he continued, pulling a key from behind his ear. He pushed the key into the door, unlocking it with a click. "Someone will be by to collect you for lunch, but please do not leave your dorm area, as the teachers will assume you're a trespasser and eliminate you on the spot. Got it?"

Red and Chloe nodded quickly. "Good. I will be by tomorrow morning to take you to Honours Alchemy, which will be the only class you attend this week until your classes start next week."

By the end of his speech, Red had zoned out. She spared a glance at Chloe, who was enchanted by the conversation, and Red noticed a slight pout as Merlin closed the door and walked away. She turned around to face Red, seeing her eyes on her. She raised an eyebrow, cueing Red to talk.

"I'm sorry about my comment earlier, it was uncalled for," Red apologised, bowing slightly, keeping her eyes glued onto Chloe's.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "I don't care, don't talk to me," she said back, walking past Red towards the bathroom, deliberately brushing Red's arm as she walked by.

And there it was again, a sensation in her chest.  This time it was gentle, like a little flutter that spread across her whole body. She scrunched her face, softly placing her hand on her chest, and taking in a deep breath. "What was that?"'She muttered, looking down at her arm.

They sat in the dorm for a few hours, not talking. Chloe paced around the dorm, eventually finding a book and settling on her bed to read it. 

Red, on the other hand, lay on her bed, drifting in and out of a light sleep. Every gasp, snort and giggle from Chloe woke her up. Red groaned, sitting up. 

"What?" Chloe said harshly, not looking up from her book. 

"Shut the actual fuck up, I'm trying to sleep," Red responded. 

Chloe rolled her eyes, setting her book down. "Make me, Hearts," Chloe retorted. 

Red looked at Chloe, her eyes narrowing. And for a split second, she imagined jumping on her, pushing her face into the bed, as she used her body to keep her down. She imagined moving her hands from her face to her arms, pinning them down and watching the breath escape Chloe's lips. She imagined her leaning down real close, and-

Red's eyes widened, breathing in sharply. She looked up at Chloe, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She stood up, walking over to her bed. She looked down at Chloe before reaching in for the book. 

Chloe, noticing Red's movements, moved the book slightly out of reach. Red reached for it again, but Chloe pulled back more. Red narrowed her eyes before lunging for the book. Chloe pulled it back, falling on her back. 

"Give me the fucking book, Charming," Red muttered, reaching towards it. 

"No, get off me!" Chloe responded, using one hand to push her off. 

Red kept inching closer, nearly reaching the book, when there was a soft knock at the door. Red paused, looking at the door, then looking back at Chloe. 

Her eyes widened as she realised that she was now on top of Chloe, pinning one of her arms down. She jumped off her, wiping her shirt and scoffing audibly. But she could feel her heart racing out of her chest as she walked towards the door. 

She fiddled with the doorknob, opening it slowly and peaking out the door. On the other side, a young girl with bright pink hair and a dress made of cards waved at her, smiling brightly. 

"Hi!" she cheerfully greeted. "I was sent to pick you up for dinner!" 

Red awkwardly smiled, looking back at Chloe to signal to her to stand up. Chloe rolled her eyes, brought herself up to her feet and walked towards the door. 

"My name is Bridget, what's yours?" the girl, Bridget, asked. 

Red and Chloe's eyes widened, looking at each other, before looking back at the girl.

"Bridget?"