Chapter Text
❤️
It is truly horrifying to wake up and know nothing.
My room unfamiliar.
My mother is a stranger.
A strange girl shoving a bow in my hands, chugey and sooo not my style.
I should be sick to my stomach; I should be horrified, but this is what I had always dreamed of.
The warm embrace of a mother, the cheerful laugh of an adoring little sister, a wonderland full of color and life.
This is my life now, and I will do anything to keep it that way.
🩵
Expectations, expectations, so many expectations.
When I left home, my mother was loving, giving me hugs, cheering me on.
But now…
Something has changed
Ever so slightly
She's a bit colder, a bit harsher; a minor mistake met with a disappointed look.
I once walked on clouds, but now I walk on eggshells.
This person is not my mother; she is a stranger.
I need to talk to Red about this.
❤️
“First day of school, Red, aren’t you excited? I can't wait! I wonder who my roomie will be. I hope we’ll be the bestest of friends, like you and Chloe.” Pink squeals in the back of their mother's convertible.
The queen of hearts smiles back at her daughter through the rear-view mirror. Red looks at her mother; it's unfamiliar, this emotion of warmth. She can't help the smile that rises on her face.
“Yeah, it's exciting!” Red smiles, not wanting to blow her cover or share too much; she wants to fit right in to her new role.
Her mind flashes back to the pocket watch, locked safely away in the vault, guarded by the bandersnatch, never to be seen again.
“Oh my hearts, I’m going to miss you two so much. Please be sure to keep me updated on all the wonderful things you’ll do this semester!” The formerly booming voice of her mother has now taken on a melodic tone, emotion quivering as she thinks of her daughters spreading their wings and leaving the nest.
“Oh mama, I’m going to miss you tooo so so much, I will write to you each day!” Pink leans forward, pushing herself in between the two front seats, looking at her mother with adoration.
Their mother smiles at Red and Pink; an impish grin rests upon her face.
“Hold on to your cards, my dears, through the rabbit hole we go.”
Wind blows across Red's face as her family hurdles through the once blocked-off entrance to Auradon.
That's new.
A flash of light.
Colors, objects, memories that aren’t her flash by. Chloe and her as children playing in the Tulgey Glade; in this timeline, they knew each other long before orientation? Pink crying at her 6th birthday after a talking flower broke her favorite teacup; Red struggling to comfort the young child, choosing to scold the flower instead.
Off with its head.
Where did that come from?
Red finds herself lost in the visions of another life, a life that was never hers.
The car rocks forward as they safely land on the cobblestone roads of Auradon. Red looks out the window, smiling.
Nothing much has changed here; that's good. She’ll find her way and be able to fit right in.
Her perfect life.
🩵
“Did you pack your AP spellcasting textbooks? I was sure to order you the extended edition, so you can have that extra practice. I was also in talks with Fairy Godmother; she thinks you would be a wonderful assistant to Professor Jay in defense arts. How does that sound? It would look wonderful on your resume!” Cinderella was rushing through Chloe's room with a checklist, attendants swarming behind her, crowding Chloe in her already cluttered room.
“Yeah, uh, that sounds uh good.” Chloe was overwhelmed; she didn’t know the first thing about spell casting, but the rows of academic decathlon trophies and medals on her wall begged to differ.
Just say yes, and you’ll figure it out later. Chloe couldn’t have her mother realize that she really wasn’t the charming Chloe she knew. Even if she was found out, who would believe her? Time travel- that's impossible; that's what she thought.
Just act like everything is normal; it will all be okay.
“Wonderful, that's what I like to hear. Hurry up with your packing; the carriage is almost here!” Cinderella placed a gentle kiss on her daughter's forehead, as if that could smooth over the ever-growing list of expectations.
Chloe sat on her bedroom floor as her mother and her gaggle of attendants filed out of her room, taking luggage that she wasn’t quite finished packing, not that it seemed to matter.
The young girl sighs as she gets up. What has she gotten herself into?
Chloe approaches her empty desk; a few photos remain. A brace-filled smile as she hugs Red, who is still wearing glasses; they look to be in middle school, that ever-so-awkward time of your childhood, where you’re older but not old enough. She smiles at her friend; when she first met Red, it was tumultuous.
Her mother's life was on the line after all.
Despite those harrowing circumstances, she couldn’t help but be drawn to the crimson-adorned girl. Even in this timeline, they were friends for years.
Perhaps in every timeline, they were meant to be friends.
Red will know what to do.
❤️
“We’re here!” Red’s bubbly younger sister skipped out of the car, stretching gleefully as their mother summoned guards from her card deck to assist with unpacking.
It was just like yesterday when she arrived here in her previous timeline, but they couldn’t be any more different.
The cold, revenge-driven authoritarian was replaced with a sugary-sweet nurturing Queen of Wonderland.
Just as it should be, Red deserves happiness; she deserves this.
“Thank you, my dear cards!” Red's mother thanked the diamond suite guards as they hauled Pink's copious amount of vibrant pink boxes to the dorms.
Red chose to pack a lot lighter; she was still getting familiar with her new living circumstances, getting overwhelmed with the amount of choice she had. Her previous mother was never a generous soul, but this Queen of hearts seemed to love showering her lovely daughters with gifts.
“Oh, hearts do be careful with that; that's my pink spotted tickler rose bush; they feel it if you’re too rough with them!” Pink rushed after the jack of diamonds, who was carrying one of her boxes quite aggressively.
Red heard a chuckle beside her, the melodic voice that she was still getting used to.
“I know you’ll take good care of her, my sweet Red,” her mother complimented. “She's always been a sensitive soul.”
“Oh yes, she's in good hands, uh, Mom,” Red responded awkwardly.
“Red, I'm so, so proud of you; you are going to do great things this semester.”
She was facing her mom; her mom was looking down at her with so much love. Red felt herself choking up.
Once she was never enough for her mother, but now she had gotten everything she had ever wanted. She couldnt believe it.
“Thanks, Mama.” She couldn’t help the water that started to fill her eyes; she urged herself to get it together, but a couple of tears started to fall down her cheek.
“Oh my dear, why are you crying? Come here.” The Queen of Hearts pulled her daughter into a warm embrace, calming her child.
They stood there for a beat; Red could hear her mother's heartbeat. A repetitive sound providing instant comfort.
Badump
Badump
Badump
“Doing better, my dear. Saying goodbye is always hard, but I'm always one card away,” Bridget pulled back from her daughter, smiling down at her.
“Yes, Mom, I-I love you,” Red said the words she always longed to say to her mother; she was used to cursing at her, defacing the wonderland she used to grow up in, but she had no idea her mother was just a good person who had been done wrong.
The horrid actions of those cowardly individuals. Those who made Red's life a living hell.
But she fixed it now, and she'll never go back to that. She fully embraces her life with her mother and new sister, no matter how strange it seemed.
“I love you too, my dear; you and Pink are my heart.” The queen of hearts caresses her daughter's face, Red falling into the comforting action.
“Bridget!” A sing-song voice interrupts the mother and daughter.
The fairy godmother skipped down the steps of Auradon Prep's entrance as she rushed to greet her dear friend.
“Faye!” Red looks surprised as her mother runs to embrace the school's headmaster.
The Queen of Hearts, she knew, hated the fairy godmother; oh, how the timeline had changed.
As her mother catches up with her friend, Red stands awkwardly by the car, moving to go unload some of her bags and bring them to her dorm.
“Mom, I’m going to get some of my stuff to the dorm!” Red announces to her mother, who smiles at her.
“Okay, my heart, have fun saying hi to your friends. I’ll be right out here if you need me.” Bridget continues to catch up with Fairy Godmother.
What friends? Chloe isn’t here yet, Red thinks to herself.
The princess of hearts struggles to get her luggage up the steep stairs of the entrance, the wheels scraping against the stone.
She looks up into the schools foye, familys are gathered around, introducing themselves, catching up with old friends, heroes and villains mingling together, the perfect utopia under Ben and Mal.
As the young princess braces herself for another step, she looks up and sees a familiar face, well, not quite familiar.
A boy stands in the middle of the hallway, choppy purple bangs, a short top hat, a long cloak, looking like a much younger Maddox Hatter. But Maddox didn’t have a son, right? Where was Maddox anyway? She didn’t even have a chance to tell him everything that had happened, that his invention worked.
The boy noticed her staring; the look on his face could only be described as a longing contempt. It sent a shiver down her spine. Who was that boy?
She stepped forward, keeping eye contact with the boy, a confused look on her face that seemed to cause a crack in the boy's hateful facade towards the princess of Wonderland.
“Need a hand, princesa?” a booming voice startles the girl, causing her to tip backwards.
“Ahh,” Red prepares herself for a nasty tumble but finds herself with clammy hands catching her fall.
“First save’s for free.” A handsome boy looks down at her, teeth a blinding white; luscious curly black locks frame his face as he gives her a cheeky grin.
Totally not her type.
“Excuse me,” Red is startled by his cocky response.
“A gracias would be nice.” The boy is taken aback by her slightly rude response; he basically saved her from a trip to the hospital or some nasty healing magic, depending on the severity of the fall.
Red wriggled her way out of the stranger's grip, face almost as red as her hair. She looked down and choked out a small,
“Gracias,”
The boy's frustration immediately melted away and was replaced with an eagerness that was comparable to a golden retriever, always a bit too much.
“Any time, princesa; I’m Luisa Madrigal’s son after all, saving the day is in my DNA!” He flexed his muscles as he took the luggage from Red's hand.
Luisa Madrigal. Red heard stories of the strong woman, so this was her son. What was his name? She needed to figure that out sooner rather than later.
She was thankful for his assistance, but was taken off guard. She followed him up the stairs and looked up, hoping to see the purple-haired boy, but he was nowhere to be found. She felt disappointed; her curiosity was not satiated.
Red remained silent, not really knowing what to say to this boy who had quite literally swooped in.
“So how was your summer? I’m sure summers in Wonderland must be a blast; I should visit some time.” The boy was inviting himself over, so Red must have known him from the past timeline, but how?
“Uh, it was good.” A bland response, Red knows, but telling some stranger she time traveled and changed the entire space-time continuum isn't a usual summer activity; that's for sure.
“Awesome, my summer was alright, just a lot of family events and saving the day, you know. The expectations never end when you're Luis Madrigal, that's for sure.”
Luis, so that's his name! Noted. He's a bit conceited, but seems to be under a lot of pressure; Red had a little trouble empathizing with his qualm he came from a loving family, something Red used to dream of having.
“Totally,” Red responded, short and curt.
They walked through the hallways of Auradon, and Red went to look and see where her dorm was located by approaching the bulletin board.
Dorm room 145, Floor 2
Resident Assistant: Hazel Hook
Chloe Charming, Red of Hearts
Red smiled to herself; she was rooming with Chloe! Awesome! She couldn’t wait to see her again.
“So, did you think about what I said last year? I’ve kind of been waiting for your call like allllll summer.” Luis looked to the side, a blush tinging his tanned skin.
What was he talking about? The pair were walking up the stairs to Red's dorm, and Red just wanted to get out of this situation.
“Uh, I’m sorry, but I need a bit more time to uh, think on it,” Red gave him an awkward smile.
“Oh,” He immediately deflated. “Totally, uh yeah, take your time, even though 3 months should be enough, haha,” Luis stammered.
He totally didn’t expect that response.
“Red! Oh, goody, we’re neighbors!” Saved by the bell, Red turned to smile at her sister, who approached the pair, popping the awkward bubble that was starting to fill the room.
“Pink! Yes, do you want to help me decorate my room?” Red turned her back on Luis, attention focused on her little sister.
“Would I? Of course I would! Oh hi, Luis, excuse me!” Pink shimmied between the two and grabbed the bag from his hands, scurrying into her sister's room, jumping on both of the beds.
“I gotta go keep an eye on her, talk to you later, uh bye then.” Red panicked and, wanting some space, slammed the door on the eager boy, leaving him in the quiet hallway.
💜
Luis stood in the hallway dejected; maybe he was a bit too eager; he's always too eager. Easy to push away someone always pushing forward.
“Ouch, getting rejected by the princess of hearts, that's gotta hurt, fragile little Luis.” A smarmy voice startled the sulking boy as he felt the sharp edge of a hook scrape against his back.
“Hazel, can you not right now?” Luis started walking away, but the girl couldn’t help but follow and tease the poor boy.
“Oh, but it's so fun to tease you, fish bait.” She cackles.
Luis stops in the middle of the hallway, plants his foot down, and turns around, towering over the girl.
She didn’t seem intimidated in the slightest.
“ What are you even doing in the girls' dormitory anyway? Are you some kind of creep, Madrigal?”
“I was clearly helping Red get her luggage up here,” Luis defended himself.
“She didn’t seem to happy with all the help you were giving her, but maybe I’m reading into it too much!” Hazel smirked up at him, as Luis saw red.
“You know nothing, shes probably tired from a long drive…or something!”
“Yeah sure,” Hazel chuckled into her hook.
“Hazel, the Smees ripped a mattress!”A purple-haired boy popped his head out of an empty dormitory.
Hazel's attention was suddenly ripped away from her teasing of Luis.
“Smees!” She rushed into the empty dorm, leaving Luis alone at last.
He sulked yet again, letting her words get in his mind. He looked up and saw Max Hatter. His mood soured even more.
Max looked at him, confused about what he could be upset about.
“What are you doing here, in the girls' dormitory, Max? Are you some kind of creep?” Luis wanted to take out his aggression somewhere.
“Dude, can’t you see I’m helping Hazel wrangle the Smees! Don’t make this weird.” Max crossed his arms, standing his ground.
“Whatever.” Luis shoved past Max in the hallway and made his way to his own dormitory with Robbie Hood,
Max couldnt help but laugh to himself at the absurdity of the situation. What was that about?
“Smees have been put on lockdown; where did fish bait go?” Hazel snuck up behind Max.
“You just missed him, Hazel, but dont worry; he was in a really bad mood,” Max smirked at his friend, who shared an impish grin with him.
“Perfect, you should’ve seen it, Max. I don’t know what got into her, but finally the little princess of hearts has developed a bit of a backbone. She totally rejected him!” Hazel nudged Max's arm.
“What are you talking about?” Max's face reddened slightly at the mention of the Princess of Hearts.
“Isn’t this good news for you? You’ve been pining for her since we were in diapers. Don’t lie to me; I can see it all on your face! This could be your chance, instead of longing like you always do!” Hazel said matter-of-factly.
Max’s embarrassment melted into sadness; there was no way that would even be possible. Not with his father, not with what his father did; Red is much safer if he stays away. He's alright watching from the shadows.
“I don’t think that's a good idea, not with everything that has happened.” Max chuckled dryly to himself.
“Hey. Don’t be like that… Your father's actions are not yours.” Hazel looked at his brother seriously. “Uma has always told me someone else's actions do not define your own.”
Max smiled at his friend, a shared moment of understanding between the two villain kids.
Although he wouldn’t take her advice, he knew there were many kernels of truth in her advice.
“Thanks, Hazel, you’re right. It’s a new semester after all, new beginnings!” Max pumped himself up!
“I’m always right; I gotta attend to some more check-in appointments, but I’ll see you later, kay!” Hazel rushed off down the hallway, leaving Max.
Max walked to his and Felix's dormitory, passing Red's dorm room. He paused, staring at the oak door, his heart clenched in his chest as he thought of her confused face earlier this day. Max thought she hated him now; could he have misunderstood?
Maybe he could see, show her that he is nothing like his father, prove to everyone that he is not the monster they think he is.
He rummages in his pocket and looks at the small heart gemstone from a long, long time ago.
Flashes of a memory: two children playing in Wonderland; wading through the water, a little red-haired girl hands him the gemstone.
He looks down at the gemstone and smiles at it, shoving it back in his pocket. The purple-haired boy walks away whistling to himself.
🩵
“And here’s your dorm, princess.” Chloe followed Hazel through the twisting corridors, her mother close behind, basically breathing down her neck.
“Thank you.” Chloe gave Hazel a strained smile.
Hazel stared at the girl getting under Chloe's skin before the pirate gave a gentle curtsy and left the mother and daughter.
“I wonder if Red is already here,” Chloe said to her mom as he went to twist the knob of the door.
“Chloe, before you get all set up, there is something I want to tell you.” Cinderella looked at her daughter; she was a lot more uptight than the mother she grew up with in her previous timeline. The face of beauty, grace, and hard work had changed.
“Yes, mother.” Chloe looked up at her, unsure of what Cinderella would be telling her.
Her mother stood there for a second, as if she were struggling to get what she wanted to say out of her.
“I expect you to have a wonderful school year. I love you so much, my child,” Cinderella patted her shoulder, too afraid to get any closer.
“I love you too.” Chloe gave her a meek smile.
“Well, I’ll see you later for orientation. Have fun with your friends.” And just like that, Chloe was watching her mother exit the hallway.
“Bye,” she responded to no one.
Chloe took a sigh; at least she'll be with Red now. The blue-haired girl twisted the doorknob, opening the door, greeted with colors of black, red, and bright, vibrant pink.
“Why would you say that to him?! It's been 3 months since he asked you out! Just say yes! He's so DREAMY!” Pink exclaimed, as Red's face turned even redder.
“Oh, wow, uh, I dunno, that's a lot,” Red felt kind of bad for being so rude with his feelings, but she didn't really know, did she?
The redhead didn't notice the girl standing in the doorway.
“Chloe! Hi!” Pink leaped off Red's bed and jumped to give Chloe a hug.
“Oh, hey you!” Chloe shared a look with Red that basically said she didn't know who this person was.
“Hey, pink Chloe has got to unpack. Could you give us some space for a bit? Maybe your roommate is here now!” Red responded with a sweetness Chloe wasn't aware she had in her.
“You’re so right. See you later, Red.” The whirlwind that is Red's sister Pink exited the dorm, leaving the two girls with a moment to catch their breath.
Chloe closed the door behind them and looked up at Red with an exasperated expression.
“Hey Chloe,” Red smiled at her friend, concerned about her friend's tired expression.
“Hey Red, we need to talk.”