Vanity had rolled down her sleeves and tucked the wand inside. While the party was, once again, in full bloom, both girls snuck back into the castle and retraced their steps, exiting through the kitchen and out the secret door.

The boulevard was now completely empty, like a ghost town. The only thing giving it any life was the distant bass from the celebration at the castle and the faint glow of whatever streetlights still worked. Because of Mongo's destruction, craters split the brick roads, trees had toppled over, and several shops were shattered or partially collapsed. Many of the billboards had been destroyed too, including Fairy Godmother's.

The girls walked in silence, careful not to trip over loose bricks or broken glass as they passed empty shops and abandoned eateries. Each remained lost in her own thoughts, trying to process everything that had happened.

Vanity knew Felicia had been right from the beginning, but there was still a lingering fear in the back of her mind that Felicia would not be able to keep her promise; that the kingdom would never allow her or her father back into Far Far Away.

Felicia, meanwhile, understood her parents better now than she ever had before. She finally understood why they had fought so hard for one another. Why Charming, and later Rapunzel, had ultimately been punished for what they had done. More than anything, she hoped Vanity understood now too.

They left the boulevard and began climbing the hill toward the forest.

"Where exactly are we going?" Felicia finally asked as they passed the old barn overlooking the Far Far Away sign.

"Back to the factory, obviously. The magical users will eventually find the wand there before demolishing the place." Vanity slid the wand from her sleeve, the purple star pulsing softly at her touch. "That way it still ends up in Fowlfeather's classroom. You know, for the next me."

The wand glowed faintly between them, casting violet light across the dirt path as they continued toward the factory.

Felicia glanced back toward the distant castle. Even from here, she could still hear the muffled sounds of celebration drifting through the night air. History was continuing exactly as it always had.

The past was safe now, and so were their futures.

Vanity rotated the wand carefully in her hands. "It's strange," she admitted quietly. "My whole life, I thought my family had been robbed of something. That Fairy Godmother was misunderstood. That my father was cheated." She let out a humorless laugh. "Turns out they were both just completely insane."

Felicia snorted softly. "Yeah, well... insanity seems to run in the family."

Vanity shot her a look before laughing despite herself. "You really knew this entire time," she said. "You actually tried to tell me."

"You didn't exactly make it easy."

"No," Vanity admitted. "I didn't." She hesitated before asking quietly, "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can."

To Felicia's surprise, Vanity hugged her first.

Felicia hugged her back immediately.

"I'm sorry too," Felicia admitted. "I was pushy at the beginning. I just..." She sighed. "My family's been through so much that I always feel like I have to fix everything."

Vanity pulled back slightly. "Well, not trying to fix everything is probably something we both need to work on."

Felicia laughed. "Fair."

They continued side by side after that, the tension between them finally gone.

Before long, the factory emerged. The chimneys no longer produced smoke and every window was dark.

The girls slowed to a stop, staring silently at the massive structure.

"When we get back..." Vanity hesitated. "Do you really think King Arthur and your parents would let us back into the kingdom?"

"You and Charming?"

Vanity nodded slowly.

Felicia took a moment before answering honestly. "I don't know."

Vanity's shoulders sank slightly, though she appreciated the truth more than false reassurance.

"But," Felicia quickly continued, nudging her arm, "I am absolutely going to fight for it. They have to listen now. Especially after everything my family's been through."

Vanity remained unconvinced.

"Far Far Away's changed a lot since Arthur became king," Felicia continued. "Look at Maris. Captain Hook is literally a full-time pianist now."

Vanity blinked. "That's horrifying."

Felicia laughed. "My point is people change."

"But could they forgive the villain who led the other villains?"

Felicia thought for a moment. "Puss once tried to murder my dad."

Vanity stopped walking. "What?"

Felicia waved dismissively. "Long story."

Vanity stared at her in disbelief.

"The point is," Felicia continued, "half the heroes in this kingdom used to be cowards, thieves, criminals, or selfish, foolish idiots. People change all the time. King Harold literally turned into a frog." She smiled softly. "We can choose to be better."

Vanity rolled her eyes, though there was no real bite behind it anymore. "That was comforting," she admitted. "And incredibly corny."

"I'm serious!"

"I know."

Felicia studied her for a moment before speaking again. "You know, you're not really what I expected either."

Vanity arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Well, after you admitted who you were, I thought you'd be waaay worse."

"Wow. Heartwarming."

Felicia grinned. "I genuinely thought you'd side with Charming no matter what."

Vanity looked away. "I almost did."

"But you didn't." Felicia's voice softened. "You're difficult, dramatic, and kind of mean—"

"Rude."

"—but you're not cruel."

Vanity went quiet.

"You're nothing like them," Felicia finished.

"Well, you're still far too anxious to be an ogre."

Felicia had no comment to that, just an eye roll and a smile. After this adventure, she doubted anything would ever frighten her again.

Together, they approached the factory doors and pushed them open.

The waiting room sat in complete darkness. Without the sunlight or Fairy Godmother's magic, the once bright pink walls now looked dull and gray. Almost as if everything was black and white. Maybe it was only the lighting, or maybe the absence of Fairy Godmother had changed the place entirely.

They crossed the silent factory floor. Shattered potions still stained the tiles. White feathers littered the ground from the birds. Conveyor belts sat frozen in place, and not a single worker remained.

"Maybe they all escaped?" Vanity questioned quietly, clearly unwilling to consider the alternative.

They slowly walked through the factory until they reached Fairy Godmother's office.

The giant cauldron sat cold and empty. Behind it, the wall of fairy tale records remained untouched. Every carefully manufactured story, spun by Fairy Godmother herself, still sitting neatly on the shelves.

"Ready to go home?" Vanity asked, staring at the books.

"Absolutely." Felicia crossed her arms. "You do know how to get us home, right?"

"I think so," Vanity answered, though the confidence was not especially reassuring.

Like before in the classroom, Vanity climbed onto Fairy Godmother's desk and raised the wand high overhead. This time, instead of moving forward like clock hands, her arms rotated counterclockwise.

The star at the tip of the wand flared bright violet.

Vanity chanted, her voice echoing through the empty office.

"Glitter and gold, stars align—
Return us now to our own time!"

Pink lightning exploded outward from the wand, ricocheting wildly across the ceiling before crashing to the floor. A swirling blue and pink portal ripped open beneath them.

Silver sparks crackled through the air as the room began shaking violently. Oddly enough, it no longer felt terrifying. It felt familiar. Comforting, even.

The pull of the portal intensified immediately, tugging at their clothes and hair.

The wand continued to spark and crack in Vanity's hands. Suddenly, the shaking of the wand became intense.

Vanity held the wand out at arm's length, afraid of what would happen. The wand began to pull apart, splitting into 2 identical wands. Once continued to spark with the portal, the other simply glowed.

"Unstable! I knew it!" shouted Felicia proudly.

Vanity hopped down from the desk and walked toward the portal, but before stepping closer, she turned around and carefully placed the glowing wand back onto Fairy Godmother's desk beside her nameplate, exactly where it would one day be discovered. The other she continued to grip, taking it back to its proper timeline.

The girls stood side by side at the edge of the swirling portal.

"Thank you," Vanity shouted over the storm raging around them.

Felicia blinked. "For what?"

"For not giving up on me."

The sincerity in her voice caught Felicia completely off guard.

Before things could become too emotional, Vanity added quickly, "Don't let it go to your head, though. It's big enough already."

Felicia grinned. "There she is."

Laughing softly, the girls clasped hands and jumped together into the portal.

The rift snapped shut behind them.

Silence fell over the factory once more, as though nothing extraordinary had happened at all.

On the desk, the wand pulsed once.

Twice.

Then the star dimmed softly, as though the wand itself had finally exhaled into a peaceful sleep.