After going back in time to save Chloe's mother from her mother, Red finds herself drawn to her new friend. What she doesn't know is that Chloe feels the same way. When they learn that they're going to be roommates for the school year, Red tries to...
After a few days, Red receives a letter from her mother explaining that strange fires have begun appearing in Wonderland. The letter explains that the flames are blue, and they can't be put out with water or anything else that's available in Wonderland. Red's mind goes to Hades, whose hair could turn into flames that burned blue, and she brings up the situation with Chloe. "So you think that Hades is starting fires in Wonderland?" Chloe asks. "Yeah. It's the only explanation I can come up with," Red replies. "Maybe he has another kid that no one knows about," Chloe suggests after a few minutes. "It's possible. The question is, where are we going to find him?" Red asks. "Let's worry about that in the morning, okay?" Chloe asks, covering her mouth as she yawns. "Yeah. For now, let's worry about sleep," Red replies. "That sounds like a plan," Chloe replies, climbing into her bed while Red turns off the lights and gets into her bed as well.
The next morning, Red and Chloe are awakened by a loud knock on the door. "I got it, princess," Red says, getting out of bed and answering the door. "Principal Uma? What's going on?" She asks. "There's someone who wants to talk to you and Chloe. All he said was that it was urgent that he speak with the two of you," Uma explains, stepping aside so that Hades can enter the room. "Let me guess, you're Red?" He asks, and Red simply nods. "And that must be Chloe," he says, gesturing to Chloe, who is still sitting in her bed. She nods, and Hades lets himself into the room. "Red, I'm sure that you know this already, but someone is starting fires in Wonderland. Fires that have blue flames, and they can't be extinguished through conventional means," he says, and Red nods again. "My son, Hadrian, went to Wonderland a few days ago, right around the time the fires started to appear. I'd like the two of you to go to Wonderland and try to stop him," he says, and Red looks at Uma. "If you two decide to go, I'll excuse you from classes until you return, but you'll have to catch up when you get back," she says as Hades leaves the room. Red turns to Chloe, who nods in understanding. "Yeah, we'll go. After all, it is my home," Red says, and Uma tells them that she'll arrange for a car to take them to Wonderland shortly. Red gets dressed in the bathroom, while Chloe gets dressed in their dorm. Once they're dressed, they meet Uma at the front entrance of the school, where she wishes them luck before they leave.
On the way to Wonderland, Chloe notices that Red seems distracted by something, so she gently nudges her. "Red, what's up?" She asks. "Oh... I'm just thinking. Well, daydreaming, more like. I've been experiencing a strange sensation that I can't explain. My heart flutters, and I feel like I've got butterflies in my stomach. It's kind of... nice," Red says, and Chloe gives her a smile. "What?" Red asks. "It sounds to me like you're in love, Red," Chloe replies, and Red suddenly moves as far away from Chloe as she can. "Maybe I should do this on my own," she says quietly. "Red, what's gotten into you? You've been acting a little strange ever since we got back from the past," Chloe says. "Don't worry about it, princess," Red snaps before she can stop herself. "Um... okay," Chloe says, and the rest of the trip is spent in silence.
When they arrive in Wonderland, Red's mother, Bridget, is waiting for them. Red whispers something to her mother, who nods. "Chloe, would you mind giving Red and me some time alone? She wants to talk about something with me," Bridget says. "Of course, Your Majesty," Chloe replies with a curtsy. She decides to wait in the garden until Red and Bridget return, admiring the flowers.
Meanwhile, Red and Bridget go to the throne room for privacy, sitting down together on the floor. "What's up?" Bridget asks. "Well, I just learned what falling in love feels like," Red says. "That's wonderful, sweetheart. Who's the lucky guy?" Bridget asks, her face full of curiosity. "About that... it's not a guy," she says so quietly that Bridget can barely hear her. "So what if it's a girl? As long as you're happy, that's what matters," Bridget says after a few moments. "Thanks Mom. The thing is, I'm not sure that she'll feel the same way, and I'm scared of losing her friendship if I tell her and she doesn't feel the same way," Red says, avoiding her mother's eyes. "Red, you don't know if you don't try. Whenever you think the time is right, you should tell her how you feel," Bridget says. Red opens her mouth to continue the conversation, but she's interrupted by a familiar scream. "Chloe!" She shouts, getting to her feet and sprinting out of the castle, her mother following close behind. When she reaches the spot where Chloe had been, she finds only a note telling her to come to the forest at midnight, alone, with a fancy H to identify who had written it. "Come with me. I have something for you that might be useful," Bridget says, leading Red to the castle armory. She stops in front of a long, ornate box decorated with rubies. She opens the box, removing a red sheath from within, handing it to Red. "This sword is mine. I never had any use for it, but something tells me that you might," she explains. Red gently pulls the sword from its sheath, studying the hilt, which features a heart-shaped ruby near the blade, as well as rubies on the sides of the cross guard and the pommel. Red replaces the sword in its sheath, slinging the strap over her shoulder, letting it hang beside her hip. "I'm worried about Chloe. What if something happens to her?" Red asks. "Don't think about that. It's only something that will distract you," Bridget says, pulling Red into a hug. "I'll do my best," Red says, heading out to the courtyard to practice with the sword her mother gave her.
Red heads to the spot where she first tried to host a party, one hand on her sword, just in case she needs to use it. When she reaches the clearing, she notices Chloe, on her knees near a blue fire, and a young man she's never seen sitting across from her. "What do you want, Hadrian?" She asks. "Straight to the point, I see. All I wanted was your attention. I wanted you to see what I'm capable of. If I wanted to, I could burn Auradon to the ground, but then again, what's the point in taking over if there's nothing left to take over," he replies. "Put out the fires and leave," Red demands, taking a step closer to Hadrian. "Done. Be seeing you, Red of Hearts," Hadrian says, snapping his fingers and leaving in a cloud of blue smoke. "You okay, princess?" Red asks Chloe. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go back to Auradon in the morning, okay?" Chloe replies. "That was the plan," Red replies with a smile.
When they return to the castle, Red and Chloe head to the former's bedroom, with Chloe making a makeshift bed on the floor. "Good night, princess," Red says softly. "Good night, Red," Chloe replies, and they fall asleep after a few minutes.
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Enjoy! Here's a picture of Hadrian, the son of Hades (portrayed by Jake Munro):
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