Felicia didn't dare move, not with two wands pointed directly at her. She held her breath without realizing it, afraid that one wrong exhale might be her last.

T stood rigidly beside her. Though she tried to appear unfazed, a flicker of worry passed through her eyes as she glanced at Felicia. Just as quickly, she masked it, her expression hardening as she turned back to the Fairy Godmother.

The Fairy Godmother's sharp gaze never left Felicia as she spoke. "You say you're from the future, and that he succeeds?"

Felicia swallowed, her throat dry. "I didn't—we didn't—"

Vanity cut her off, her voice bright but urgent. "He does! Shrek ruins everything. You're defeated, the factory is destroyed, and my father—" her voice faltered for a split second, "loses everything. All because the King chose not to give Fiona the right tea."

The Fairy Godmother drifted closer, her wands lowering slightly, though they still radiated quiet threat. "And yet," she said, amused, "here you are. Delivered to me at the precise moment everything in my life begins to unravel."

Her gaze sharpened as it settled fully on Felicia. The twin wands lifted again, their pale purple glow casting light across her face. "You are his daughter. Therefore, you cannot be trusted."

Felicia stared at the pointed, glowing tips. "I-if you already know who we are, then you know we're innocent. We just want to go home."

"Incorrect," Vanity said coolly. "You want to go home. I want to stay and save my family."

The Fairy Godmother floated back, folding her arms. Felicia finally released a shaky breath.

"The tea from King Harold, you say..." the Fairy Godmother murmured, more to herself than to them. Felicia could practically see the gears turning behind her eyes. "I could send you home," she added with a soft chuckle. "But that would be such a waste."

Her smile widened. "You both have knowledge I do not. Insight into future events. After all, failures," she tilted her head, "are merely missed opportunities."

Felicia's breath hitched again.

With a sharp flick of both wands, magic pulsed through the room. In an instant, the girls' clothing shifted, their outfits transforming into simple palace servant dresses.

"You girls," the Fairy Godmother said smoothly, "are going to help me."

Felicia's stomach twisted. "With w-what?"

"Tonight, there is a ball celebrating Fiona and Shrek's engagement. But you knew that."

The ball. Of course. The realization clicked into place before the Fairy Godmother even continued.

"At that ball," she went on, her tone tightening, "it is crucial that everything unfolds exactly as it should. That my plan does not fail... this time."

She floated toward the massive cauldron, still bubbling and smoking. Leaning over it, she carefully scooped a portion of the shimmering pink potion into a small vial. Corking it with precision, she turned and glided back toward them.

"This," she said, holding it up between them, "is a very important potion. It will be delivered to the King today. You will ensure that he uses it properly and that the correct person drinks from it."

The girls exchanged a glance. They both knew exactly what it was: the love potion meant for Fiona. The very one King Harold would ultimately refuse to use.

Felicia's hands curled into fists at her sides.

The Fairy Godmother's voice sharpened. "I want no interruptions. No mishaps. No surprises." Her eyes flicked to Felicia. "And no ogres ruining it."

"We'll do it," T said immediately.

Felicia turned to her, stunned. "T—"

"It's Vanity," she corrected, her tone firm. Final. Whatever inkling friendship they possibly had left was gone.

The Fairy Godmother chuckled softly. "I knew I liked you," she said to Vanity.

"You will both go to the castle and blend in," she continued. "You will not be seen. You are there to assist, nothing more. Stay near the kitchens. Follow the King once he receives his nightly tea. Do whatever is necessary to ensure everything goes according to plan."

Felicia hesitated. "Or what?"

The Fairy Godmother's smile vanished.

"Or I will remove you both from the story," she said coldly. Her grip tightened on the wands. Their glow flared red, crackling with small lightning cracks of energy. "Permanently."

The red sparks intensified, and then, with a sudden surge, the two wands fused together into one.

Felicia's heart dropped.

Their way home, gone.

Vanity opened her mouth, ready to argue that it wouldn't be fair to punish her too, but the Fairy Godmother snapped her fingers before a single word could leave her lips.

At the sound, an invisible force seized both girls. They were spun around and shoved toward the doors, their feet barely able to keep up beneath them.

The heavy lock on the door popped like a bubble and vanished. The doors flew open.

"Now shoo!" the Fairy Godmother called after them. "Off to the castle. We have a happily ever after to secure!" she sang.

Fairy Godmother spun in the air, tapped herself with her wand, and disappeared while sparkles filled her place and shimmered to the ground.

At the same moment, the unseen force hurled them out onto the factory floor. Behind them, the doors slammed shut with a resounding thud.

The girls exited the factory and began trudging back toward the woods. The knights must have left.

Felicia's legs felt unsteady beneath her, like the ground might give out at any moment. Vanity, on the other hand, walked ahead without hesitation, her pace sharp and determined.

After crossing the creek's bridge, Felicia reached out, grabbed Vanity's arm, and pulled her to a stop.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Vanity yanked her arm free. "Walking."

Felicia frowned. That clearly wasn't what she meant.

Vanity huffed. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm fixing this!"

"You just agreed to help the literal Fairy Godmother!"

"Yes," Vanity snapped, "because that's how we win."

"We?" Felicia stared at her. "There is no 'we.' I said we could talk. Compromise. Not this!"

"Yes, we. Me, my father, and the Fairy Godmother."

Vanity turned and continued marching forward, her steps heavier now, each one punctuated with frustration.

Felicia groaned under her breath and hurried after her. "Why are you so fixated on this? Why can't you just talk like a civilized person instead of teaming up with her? She's a trickster! A liar! And destroying my family won't bring you any peace!"

Vanity spun around on her heel. "Destroying your family will bring me peace because you destroyed mine first! Not once, but twice!"

Felicia blinked, taken aback. "My father was manipulated by a wicked king and nearly died rescuing a princess from a death trap of a castle!" Felicia continued, her voice rising. "Then, my parents' marriage was threatened by Fairy Godmother and Charming, which is what's happening right now as we speak! After that, Rapunzel teams up with Charming to overthrow the crown again. Not to mention my mom spent most of her life alone just because she looked like this!" 

Vanity stepped closer, her voice trembling with anger. "My mother is spending her life imprisoned. My family was torn apart without so much as a second thought, all because of yours!"

Felicia faltered. Vanity hadn't spoken much about her mother before. "I—I don't even know who your mom is."

Vanity scoffed. "Rapunzel, you nitwit."

And there it was, the final piece clicking into place.

Of course. Not just the Fairy Godmother. Not just Charming. Rapunzel, too.

Now she understood the resentment, grief, and anger that had been simmering beneath every word.

"Besides," Vanity added, her voice quieter now, edged with something softer, sadder, "we don't have a choice. If we don't help her, we both lose. You expect me to just accept that?"

Felicia hesitated. "Not that it matters much now, but... I think I finally understand you."

Vanity didn't respond right away. When she did, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I can't let your father have his fairy tale while mine gets nothing."

"That's not—"

"I finally have a chance," Vanity cut in, her voice cracking. "A chance to be who my father needs me to be. To matter to him. To be remembered. Admired." She swallowed. "Loved."

For once, Felicia had no argument. No clever response. So instead, she stepped forward and pulled Vanity into a hug.

Vanity went rigid, her arms stiff at her sides, her eyes wide. For a moment, she didn't move at all, but her eyes welled with tears she refused to let fall.

Felicia pulled back gently. "There has to be a way for both of us to get what we want."

Vanity quickly wiped at her face and lowered her voice. "Be careful. We don't know how many of those bird-elf things are watching us. I wouldn't put it past her to send spies."

They continued walking for a bit longer, following a worn dirt path carved by countless travelers before them. Felicia's mind spinning.

Silence stretched between them until they reached an abandoned barn.

Felicia slowed, staring at it.

She knew this place.

This was where her father had woken up as a human. And Donkey as a stallion.

She approached slowly, peering past the broken wood. In the distance, the familiar Far Far Away sign stood on the hill. She had seen it her entire life, but now, it felt different.

"Hey!" Vanity called. "We can admire the view later."

Felicia motioned for her to come over.

With an exaggerated sigh, Vanity obliged, arms crossed as she followed.

The girls stepped inside the barn, scanning quickly to make sure they were alone. Donkey's hoof prints were still fresh in the dirt. A pale of water was turned over on the ground.

"I've been thinking," Felicia said. "I'm trying to figure out a way for both our families to survive."

Vanity raised a brow. "Unlikely. But go on."

"Time is... complicated," Felicia began. "Magic even more so. And when you combine the two—"

"You're losing me."

"Just listen," Felicia snapped, then took a breath to steady herself. "Time travel often creates loops. Events that have to happen the way they already did. Turning points in stories. Cinderella losing her shoe. Alice falling down the hole. No amount of time travel can erase those events."

Vanity tilted her head slightly, considering.

"So, if this is a loop," Felicia continued, "if all of this has already happened before, then there's only one way for both of us to win and for the Fairy Godmother to lose."

Vanity's eyes narrowed. "And what's that?"

Felicia met her gaze. "Nothing," she said. "We do nothing."