by Chris Colfer
“Yes, I choose you,” Red said, and a small smile appeared on her face. She pulled him a little closer and kissed his slimy green lips, not repulsed by his appearance or texture whatsoever.
The vines climbed over Red and began wrapping around Froggy, too. Jack grabbed hold of one of his legs and Goldilocks grabbed the other. The vines were too strong for them to pull Froggy and Red free, but Jack and Goldilocks weren’t giving up. The vines moved past Froggy and began growing around the whole group, pulling all four of them toward the ground.
Alex and Conner were on their way to help when they heard another cry.
“Butterboy!” Trollbella yelled from across the camp. The vines had wrapped around her and were dragging her into the ground, too.
Conner grunted and looked around. “Can someone else save Trollbella?” he called out, but all the other trolls and goblins were too afraid of the vines to go near her.
“Save me, Butterboy!” Trollbella cried.
“Okay, fine! I’m coming!” Conner yelled. He and Alex changed their course and ran for the young Troll Queen instead.
Conner grabbed Trollbella’s hands and Alex grabbed Conner’s feet. They tried to pull her free but the vines were too strong.
“This would be so romantic if it weren’t for the possessed plants pulling us apart, Butterboy,” Trollbella whispered dreamily into Conner’s ear.
The vines began to creep past Trollbella and onto Conner, pulling him with her.
“Alex, you have to let go of me!” Conner yelled behind himself. “You can’t let the vines get you.”
“I’m not letting you go, Conner!” Alex yelled back.
“You have to save the fairy-tale world, Alex!” Conner said. “You have to save the Otherworld and Mom, too!”
Alex’s grip around her brother’s feet tightened. “I can’t save anything without you,” she said.
“Yes, you can,” he said. “It was always meant to be you! You’re the one who got us here and you’re the one who is going to get us out! You heard the ghosts—you’re the heir of magic! You’ve got to defeat the Enchantress so this world can go on!”
The vines had wrapped almost completely around Conner. Alex was shaking her head profusely.
“I can’t do it alone!” she said, terrified to lose him.
“Yes, you can,” Conner said. “I’m really sorry about this!”
Conner kicked Alex off of him and the vines consumed him entirely. They dragged him and Trollbella down into the ground and disappeared.
“Conner!” Alex yelled after him, but it was no use. He was gone.
Alex looked across the camp just in time to see the vines pull Red, Froggy, Jack, and Goldilocks into the ground with one final heave. As soon as Trollbella, Red, and the others clinging on to them had been taken, all the vines in the campsite disappeared into the ground. They had come for the queens.
Alex got to her feet and looked around in shock. In a matter of minutes, all of her friends and her brother had been taken from her. She had no choice but to finish their quest alone—it was all up to her now.
Bob ran up to Alex. “Where have they been taken?”
Alex was wondering the same thing. She looked down at the large cracks the vines had left in the ground. They weren’t just in the campsite, but stretched off into the distance, as if the vines had left marks on their way to and from their destination.
“I have to go,” Alex said. She ran to their tent and retrieved the Wand of Wonderment. She placed it in the troll’s satchel and threw it over her shoulder. Alex ran off into the distance, following the cracks in the ground as if they were a trail.
“Where are you going?” Bob asked as he ran after her, but she didn’t respond. “Alex?!” He tried chasing after her, but she was a third his age and ran three times as fast as him.
Alex never stopped running. Her feet hit the ground in rhythm with her racing heartbeat. She was fueled by adrenaline but mostly by fear. She could have sworn she heard Red’s screams and Conner’s shouts as they were dragged under the ground below her.
She prayed she would get to the Enchantress before she could harm her brother or the others, and wished with all her might that once she got there she would have a plan to take Ezmia’s most prized possession away from her.
Alex had to think of a way to steal Ezmia’s pride, not only for a moment, but for the rest of her life. What could she say or do to her that the Enchantress would take to heart and not brush off? How could Alex emotionally scar Ezmia so deeply that her pride would never return completely?
Could an evil enchantress take to heart anything that was done or said by a thirteen-year-old girl? Ezmia had spent a century imprisoning the souls of kings, soldiers, and fairies in jars—was someone like Alex capable of leaving a mark on someone like that?
Then, like a flash of lightning, Alex realized something for the first time—what she thought of as a disadvantage was actually in her favor. It was because she was a thirteen-year-old that she had a greater chance of bruising the Enchantress’s ego. If Alex could muster up enough courage to say something to the Enchantress that a king or fairy never had the bravery to before, perhaps it would have an even greater effect on her.
Alex had to choose her words wisely, though. She had to get straight to the point and straight to the punch; the Enchantress wouldn’t be listening for very long.
It had to work, because Alex had run out of ideas and out of time. After following the cracks in the ground for hours, Alex found herself staring up in horror at the Enchantress’s new home in the Charming Kingdom.
The vines dragged Queen Red and Queen Trollbella and the people who clutched on to them for miles and miles underground. They reached the Charming Kingdom and were pulled up the sides of a massive pillar of earth and into the menacing coliseum on top of it. The vines instantly pinned the newcomers to the walls.
Froggy was hung upside down next to Red. Jack and Goldilocks were pinned together, each with their weapon hand behind them. Conner scanned the coliseum and was sad to see they weren’t alone.
Hung across the wall from top to bottom were Queen Snow White and King Chandler, Queen Cinderella and King Chance, Queen Sleeping Beauty and King Chase, Queen Rapunzel, and the members of the Fairy Council. And now, with the inclusion of Red and Trollbella, the entire Happily Ever After Assembly was at the Enchantress’s mercy.
“Oh good, we’re all here,” Ezmia said upon Red and Trollbella’s arrival.
The Enchantress sat imperially on her golden throne. Her hair and cape flowed around her more aggressively than ever. Rumpelstiltskin peeked out from behind the throne, looking regretfully at all the confined monarchs around the room.
A large crater was indented in the floor, with a small magenta fire burning a pile of skulls like firewood in the center of it. Six glass turquoise jars were placed in a line in front of the Enchantress—Conner knew his grandmother was trapped inside one of them. And to Conner’s horror, as he looked around the room, his grandmother wasn’t the only member of his family being held prisoner in the coliseum.
Pinned to the wall across from him in a giant birdcage was Conner’s mother. She cradled Princess Hope in her arms; the child’s cries echoed through the coliseum. The toddler princess could see her mother tangled in the vines beside her and reached through the bars of the cage toward her.
“Mama!” Princess Hope cried.
“It’s all going to be all right, darling,” Cinderella said, hoping it wasn’t a lie.
Charlotte’s jaw dropped and the little color in her face drained away as soon as she saw her son.
“Conner?” she mouthed, so thrilled yet so terrified to see him in such a horrible place.
“Mom!” he silently mouthed back.
“Where’s your sister?” she asked.
Conner wasn’t sure what the best answer was to give her. “Safe,” he decided to say.
Ezmia stood at her throne. “Let’s begin, shall we?” she said. The Enchantress gazed around the coliseum
with her index finger pressed tightly to her lips, as if she was a little girl in a candy shop.
“Let’s start with the Charming Kingdom,” Ezmia said.
The vines began to rustle. The plants hoisted Cinderella and King Chance off of the walls and forced them both into a kneeling position on the ground in front of the crater.
“You soulless monster!” Cinderella yelled up at her.
“Let our daughter go!” King Chance demanded.
“If you want your daughter back, then renounce your throne and hand your kingdom over to me,” Ezmia said to him, as if it were a simple decision.
“You will never have my kingdom!” King Chance yelled.
The Enchantress glared at him through her long lashes. “Fine,” she said. Ezmia snapped her fingers and her vines reached through the cage and pulled Princess Hope out of Charlotte’s arms. The child was screaming; tears and snot ran down her terrified face. The vines dangled the princess over the flames of the fire.
“No!” Cinderella screamed. “Do it, Chance, just do it!” she begged her husband.
King Chance looked to all the other kings and queens around the room, but no one pleaded with him otherwise. The world they had tried to protect with honor and integrity was long gone.
“Very well,” King Chance said. “I renounce my throne and my kingdom to you, Ezmia.”
As he spoke these words, the Enchantress threw back her head and her victorious laugh filled the coliseum. The flames in the crater grew higher and a trail of thick black smoke began to fill the sky.
“Now, was that so hard?” Ezmia asked with a large grin. She snapped her fingers again and the vines dropped Princess Hope into her mother’s arms. The family was only reunited for a moment before the vines jerked them back against the wall.
“Let’s move on to the Fairy Kingdom,” Ezmia said with a bright smile.
The vines brought the seven fairies off the wall and to the edge of the crater.
“You know what to say, Emerelda,” Ezmia said and leisurely inspected her nails. “Make it quick so we can finish this at a decent hour—or do you need further persuasion as well?”
The vines wrapped around the jar containing the Fairy Godmother’s soul and held it over the fire. All the fairies shouted for it to be released.
“If it makes your cruel wrath come to an end any sooner, fine. I hand over the Fairy Kingdom to you,” Emerelda said, against her will.
The flame in the crater grew even higher and the black smoke thickened. Ezmia closed her eyes and soaked up the moment for all it was worth. Her whole body tingled with triumph. She had waited centuries for this, and it was all finally happening.
One by one, the Enchantress called the monarchs before her and forced them to give up their kingdoms. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Trollbella all renounced their thrones with teary eyes and heavy hearts. And with each surrender, the magenta flames rose higher and higher and the smoke condensed.
“I just have one thing to say before you put me back on the wall,” Trollbella said, begrudgingly staring at Ezmia with intense eyes. “You stopped my dancing, and you will never be forgiven.”
The Enchantress, along with every other person in the coliseum, stared oddly at the small Troll Queen, not knowing what to make of her statement. Finally, there was only one ruler left to relinquish her throne.
“Last but certainly not least, I call Queen Red Riding Hood of the Red Riding Hood Kingdom to the floor.”
Red gave a small squeal at the sound of her name. The vines lifted her to the front of the crater. Froggy fought desperately against the vines hanging him as she was moved.
“Queen Red, do you willingly surrender your kingdom to me?” the Enchantress asked, as if she already counted on Red’s submission.
Red looked up at Froggy and at Jack and Goldilocks for strength. She knew that with her renunciation the Enchantress would have successfully conquered the world.
“Well,” Red peeped, “I’m not sure I’m in a position to do that.”
All trace of accomplishment vanished from Ezmia’s face. As if it weren’t already impossibly high, the tension in the coliseum grew.
“Excuse me?” Ezmia asked with a terrifying scowl.
Red went pale.
“It’s easy to explain,” Red said. Her hands trembled as she spoke. “Unlike everyone else here, I’m an elected queen. My kingdom doesn’t necessarily belong to me; it belongs to all the Hoodians.”
Conner, Jack, Froggy, and Goldilocks were beaming proudly at her. Even if Red had only bought them a minute, it was a minute not owned by the Enchantress.
Ezmia continued to gaze frighteningly at Red and contemplate her next move. “Very well,” she said. “I’ll just have every last person in your kingdom killed until you’re the only one left.”
“No!” Red yelled. “I lied! I’m the only one with the true authority! It’s called the Red Riding Hood Kingdom, not the Hoodian Republic!”
The evil smirk came back to the Enchantress’s face. “Then I suggest you proceed,” she demanded.
Red’s eyes filled with tears; she’d never thought she would be robbed of her own most prized possession on the journey—her kingdom.
“I, Queen Red…” Red started, but her voice trailed off.
“Yes, get on with it,” Ezmia ordered.
“I… I… I…” Red continued with difficulty. “I willingly hand over my kingdom to—”
“HEY, EZMIA!” said a voice behind Red. Everyone looked up to see Alex at the front of the coliseum. She was panting and sweaty; she had just climbed up the pillar.
“Alex!” Charlotte gasped.
The Enchantress was infuriated to be interrupted when Red was so close to finishing. “Who is this?!” she asked Rumpelstiltskin.
“I don’t know,” Rumpelstiltskin said. “I’ve never seen her before.”
Alex made her way farther into the coliseum. She was out of breath and so tired from the climb she could barely stand.
“Little girl, if I were you I would turn back around and throw myself to the ground,” Ezmia yelled. “Trust me, it’ll be much less painful than what I’m about to do to—”
“I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!” Alex yelled.
The coliseum went dead silent; even the fire seemed to burn quieter.
“What did you say?” the Enchantress said blankly.
Alex knew the time had come to leave her mark, and she didn’t have much time to leave it in. “I said I’m not afraid of you,” she repeated. “I’ve dealt with girls like you my entire life—you want everything because nothing will make you happy! You’re not an all-powerful and terrifying enchantress, Ezmia—you’re just a brat! And no matter who you kill or what you conquer, people will always pity and laugh at you because of it!”
The entire coliseum held its breath. Ezmia maintained her stoic expression but everyone knew she was outraged beyond belief, because her hair flickered violently above her head and small flames burned straight out of her eyes.
The Enchantress left her throne and slowly strolled over to Alex. Alex reached into her satchel—she could feel the Wand of Wonderment activate itself in her hand. She had succeeded in taking Ezmia’s pride.
“Well, I hope that little display was worth it,” Ezmia said. “Because it’s the last thing you’ll ever do.” The Enchantress pointed her finger at her, and with a bright violet flash, Alex was blasted out of the coliseum and into the sky.
“ALLLEEEXXX!” Conner screamed from on the wall.
It happened so fast Alex wasn’t sure what had happened. The last thing she heard was her brother’s scream; the last thing she saw was a bright flash and then the coliseum suddenly becoming smaller and smaller as she soared farther and farther into the air.
Everything around her—her sight, her sound, and all her other senses—went black. It was as if Alex had fallen into a very, very deep sleep.…
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE DREAM
Alex slowly opened
her eyes one at a time. She was lying on the ground facing a dark ceiling. She didn’t know where she was and didn’t remember how she had gotten there, but got to her feet to look around.
Alex was standing in a dark cave. A lantern was on the ground beside her. She picked it up and journeyed deeper into the cave. There was something about this place that Alex found very comforting. Despite its darkness and mystery, for whatever reason she knew she was safe.
Up ahead she saw a light. She continued toward the light and two large boulders came into view. Two little girls were standing on top of the boulders and two were standing beside them. As she got closer, she was able to make out what they were wearing.
The first little girl wore a sweater, a skirt, and a headband, just like Alex. The second little girl wore a long nightgown and no shoes. The third little girl wore a puffy dress with an apron over it. The fourth little girl had braided pigtails and wore silver shoes.
All four of the girls stared blankly at Alex, as if they were waiting for her to say something.
“Who are you?” Alex asked the girls with a smile.
“You know who we are,” the little girl in the nightgown said.
Alex raised the lantern higher and took a second look at them. “I do?” she asked. “How do we know each other?”
“You know us, but we don’t know you,” said the girl in the silver shoes. She spoke with an adorable twang in her voice.
“I’m afraid I don’t,” Alex said.
“You’ll figure it out if you think about it long enough,” said the girl in the sweater in a charming British accent.
“You all look very familiar,” Alex admitted. “It’s as if I’ve met you before or seen you in a movie or read about you…” Alex gasped. “Wait a second—are you who I think you are?”
The girls shared the same amused smile.
“Hello, I’m Lucy Pevensie,” said the girl in the sweater and curtsied.
“I’m Alice,” said the girl in the apron.
“I’m Dorothy Gale,” said the girl with braids.
“And I’m Wendy Darling, darling,” the one in the nightgown said.