Warbringer

***"How is everything I've heard... real?"***
This piece of *Evie and Mya* literature is outdated and is scheduled to be rewritten or tweaked in the future. Please note that some events currently depicted will be heavily altered or removed when said content is updated. Read at your own risk of discombobulating the series canon in your head!
And spare yourself from Av's old writing, please.
"I'm not there yet!"
 This page contains ***major spoilers*** for the series. If you're not caught up, stay back! Av's not gonna be too thrilled if you react to spoilers prematurely...

## Warbringer

### Director

Potato Flakin

***Warbringer*** is the tenth episode of *The Adventures of Evie and Mya* in Season 3, and the thirtieth overall. It is also the finale of Season 3 and the series finale.

## Synopsis

The final battle for Pineshadow begins - and soon, it is up to Mya to right every wrong she has made before the girls are murdered by Harlow and Ivanna.

## Content Warning

*This episode contains blood, violence, psychological abuse, mature language, sexual harassment, immense amounts of gore, and content which can be found as unsettling. Viewer discretion is heavily advised.*

## Transcript

Mya continued to cackle wickedly as Evie's eyes, widened in disbelief and horror, watched her.

*I'm so foolish! Why did I do this? I'm... I'm dead!*

As if she read her thoughts, Mya then stated, "How *foolish* could you ever so possibly be, Evie? You let yourself fall right into a trap. Weren't the warning signs *clear*?"

Evie was about to fight back with a response of her own when she heard rustling in the distance. She craned her head far enough, and despite everything being upside-down in her perspective, she could make out the insidious, bloodthirsty figures of Harlow and Ivanna.

"*Well done*, Mya," Harlow praised. "Our plan is almost complete."

Evie's heart fell to the bottom of her chest with a *thunk*. Mya hadn't done this on her own.

*Harlow and Ivanna* had orchestrated this entire trap themselves.

"**What**?!" She shrieked, her voice brimming with pain. "They want me **DEAD**?"

Harlow snickered. "Tsk, tsk, Evie. You should have never underestimated our *power*... Mya. *Finish it*."

"Mya, *please*! You can't do this!" Evie pleaded. "I know you would never stoop that low. You have a *heart*!"

Ignoring her completely, Mya gave a small nod to Harlow. Then, she raised the dagger up, gripping the handle with both hands.

"Oh, *Evie*. We both know how this goes. You always put your nose in places it shouldn't have been in. Countless times, your scheming has *meddled* with *my* plans. I told you, we were meant to be *apart*! But clearly, you haven't learned your lesson... And it's time you paid the *price* for your felonious *interference*!"

Tears were streaming down Evie's face in a frenzied torrent, and sniffing, she begged for the final time to the person she had *loved* for years.

"Mya. You are *not* a killer. *Don't* kill me... Please..."

"Love is blind, Evie. It *always* has been," Mya warned vaguely, a wild smile appearing on her face. "You were a mistake. *This* is for the greater good. *Sweet dreams*, you *imprudent heathen*!"

And with the jerk of both hands, Mya raised the dagger up, high above her head.

And then, she swung it down.

Time had frozen, hung in the air with mere seconds.

Mere seconds that Evie knew was life and death.

Any moment, that dagger would slice into her throat, and Mya would have a front-row seat to the murder she had just committed. She'd be branded as a criminal with her blood on her hands. She'd watch the blood *pour* from her throat and savor it.

The dagger was halfway to her throat. That was when Evie's heart swelled, mixed with fear, but tinged with something more...

All of a sudden, she no longer feared death. She knew a truth, and it was a truth so powerful that it sat on the tip of her tongue.

The dagger was almost at her throat now. Tears slid down her face. It was then, Evie realized, that she couldn't keep it in any longer. Shutting her eyes, she spoke softly, but loud enough to make her point *everlasting*.

"Mya. Even if you choose to kill me and stain your hands with my blood, I will **ALWAYS** love you."

Suddenly, the dagger screeched to an abrupt stop, just a mere *inch* away from Evie's throat. She gasped in surprise, then glanced up at Mya.

Mya's face was *petrified*, twisted in shock and many other underlying emotions she couldn't identify.

"*W-What*?" She questioned in a whisper, her arms shaking. One hand fell from the dagger and to her side.

"No!" Ivanna exclaimed in the distance.

Evie weakly managed to break a smile on her face. "Mya, never have I once stopped loving you for who *I* see inside of you. To others, you're a spoiled, selfish, and vicious queen hellbent on making everyone who "wronged" you suffer. But I never saw that in you, don't you see that? I've seen the you that I've *always* cherished passionately - the comedian, the courageous girl who'd leap in front of a train... The *perfect* girl that I so happened to chance encounter at the park...

"You were never a villain. Nor will you ever remain one. I love you, Mya Elise Heartley. *That* alone will *never*, *ever* change. You changed me... Forever."

Mya's resentment and determined, hardened fury had faded, vanished into the night like fog. Her face had softened deeply, revealing the part of herself she had hidden for far too long - her compassion. Sympathy. The sweetest heart in all of Pineshadow.

More importantly, she knew again what was morally right and what was wrong. She held up the dagger, and on the blade reflected two images of her.

On the left stood a callous and narcissist queen, bound for royalty and wearing a cape and crown, that wanted *nothing* but everyone around her to bathe in *misery* for the rest of their lives.

On the right was an innocent, young teenage girl with auburn hair, beautiful green eyes, and a cyan t-shirt with the cutest, smallest heart imprinted on it. She never wanted to kill anybody, or bring harm to anyone. Now she paid the price for her greed, and the weight of all that she'd done - the horror, the gluttony, the *madness* that had poisoned her body - pinned her down.

This was when the tears were unable to be tamed any longer, and immediately, they dripped from Mya's face. Her lip was quivering madly, betraying her guilt.

"No... I can't," she finally managed to whisper. "I can't do this to you... I just can't."

"Traitor!" Ivanna hissed, seething, and she and Harlow slunk back into the shadows.

"Mya?" Evie asked soothingly, reaching out to touch her. Before she could feel her skin on hers again, Mya rolled off of her, and with a yowl of agony, she threw the dagger sharply to her left. It landed on the ground some distance away.

Crawling to her feet, Mya stared at the ground, sobbing quietly, but loud enough for Evie to hear. She got up too, approaching her carefully. "Mya...?"

"I'm *sorry*!" She wailed to the sky, almost appearing as if she was yelling to the stars. "I... I *can't* kill you! You still *love me* after all the... The things that I did... But how? The girls hate me, I know they do..."

"Because I can see right *through* you, Mya. You've always been vulnerable. I knew that if I told you I still loved you, you'd *never* want to kill me."

"How could you love me? I tried to *kill you*. You... You shouldn't forgive me at all!"

"The real you has *returned*. I never stopped believing in you to give up on this charade and be the *you* you always have been. I've *hoped* for this moment for as long as this has been going on. Always."

Mya gaped, dumbfounded. Even after *everything* that she'd done to make Evie suffer, causing her to break down and chase her ghost, pinning her as the cause of the Parkers' problems, her love for her had stayed loyal and true.

Evie wouldn't ever leave her side, not even if she had been killed by her.

They were linked. Forged in fire forever.

"Evie... I don't know what to say. I... I-"

Evie inched closer to her, brushing her nose up against hers in a passion-filled move. "Say it," she teased.

Mya blushed, and for the first time in almost a month, she laughed out of sheer fun. She felt free and happy and had wings and everything.

*This* was the her she was truly destined to be.

"I love you, Evie Ophelia Ly."

They gripped each other's wrists, and touched noses, connecting in bliss, sharing the moment of silence between them that Evie chose to break a minute later. "Okay. Now that we're together, we *have* to get back to Hollowleaf and find where the rest of the girls are. Then we get the *hell* out of here."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Come on!" Mya was just about to bound away, Evie trailing by her side.

"Just *where* do you think you're going? You're not going *anywhere*!"

That snarl froze Mya dead in her tracks. It was too aggressive to *not* recognize.

And before she could even utter a word, Harlow swung directly at Mya, dagger in hand.

*THWAP!*

At once, Mya let out the most *blood-curdling*, *ear-piercing* scream Evie had ever heard. It was *vile*. Beyond sickening.

Mya sunk to the ground, hitting the dirt with a sharp *thud*, and she grunted in the most pain she had ever been in. Blood stained her backside, and Harlow's dagger was stained a scarlet red.

"**MYA**!" Evie screeched, falling to her side and shaking her. "Get up, please, I'm right here..."

"Oh, Mya. What a shame, what a shame," Ivanna taunted. "You *seriously* thought you could get out of this whole deal in *one piece*? Betrayal comes with a *heavy* price in this family."

Evie turned, finding Mya looking up at her with pleading green eyes, wide as pools, that were wet with tears. It communicated what she had wanted to say all too well.

*I didn't know that this was going to happen.*

Her heart breaking, Evie guarded her, trying to help her to her feet.

"You were too *much* to control, Mya," Ivanna admitted, her voice stone-cold. "Greed truly destroyed the fervent loyalty you showed to us. It was about time you were thoroughly *disposed of*."

"Game over, Mya," Harlow growled.

His remark ended up fueling Mya, for she finally jumped up, wiping away the tears on her face and standing defiantly by Evie's side. "This *isn't* game over, Parkers. If you want to take me, then *fight me*!"

"Sure thing." Without warning, Ivanna slammed her into the ground, and Mya cried out, her limbs going slack. She could see so many stars and colors in her vision, and weak, she groaned.

"*Mya*!" Evie yelped, her two fists clenched in growing fury.

Now blood dripped out of Mya's mouth, likely from her tongue, which had a cut across it.

"She's good as done," Harlow muttered. "Take her back to the mansion, Ivanna."

Nodding at her husband, Ivanna picked up Mya by her shirt collar and dragged her back in the direction of Hollowleaf. Her arms hung limply at her sides, and her eyes were half-closed. It *infuriated* Evie.

Actually, that was an understatement. She was *stark-raving* mad.

Letting out a cry of rage, she leapt at Harlow and kicked his dagger right out of his hands. It went flying into the woods nearby.

"Insolent child!" He hissed, attempting to counter her with his arm, but Evie wasn't finished yet. She flipped up in the air and landed squarely on him. Both impacted the ground with a thud.

"I don't care how many times I'll fight you, but I will ***make sure you are DEAD*** for what you've done to **my Mya**!" Evie snapped, gripping Harlow's jacket with her fingernails and pulling at the fabric.

"What makes you think you can remotely achieve that? *I* can kill you right now if I wanted to."

"Are you *blind* as a *bat*? I **disarmed** you. Your dagger's gone, Harlow. Better think *twice* now."

"Afraid I've already thought twice, my dear." Harlow surged upward, turning the tables on Evie, and he slammed her against the ground, hand pinning her throat firmly.

Coughing, Evie felt her limbs weakening, losing the fire they previously had. Multiple colors flashed across her sightlines as Harlow pressed down on her neck even harder.

The last thing she knew, Harlow reached under her and picked her up, and the world faded to a still black.

When Evie awoke, she lay flat on a wooden floor, moonlight shining on her face from windows high above her. Groaning, she felt her head, then felt some other portions of her body.

Nothing seemed broken, out of place, or out of the ordinary. Good. Harlow hadn't delivered crippling damage.

Staggering up, Evie observed her surroundings. The walls were made of cobblestone, and they were hidden by dark wood shelves stacked full of dusty barrels. There was also a barrel full of brooms and two, big windows at the top that allowed the moon to shine in.

The air was pungent with wine and alcoholic beverage. *Ah, so I'm in a wine cellar. That's just great,* Evie thought with annoyance.

But her annoyance quickly turned to fear once she remembered everything. Mya breaking through. The dagger. Almost dying. Harlow and Ivanna figuratively and literally backstabbing her girlfriend.

Time was ticking away. Evie - no, all of the girls, were in a race against the clock to stop Harlow and Ivanna's tyranny and slow destruction of Pineshadow.

*I have to get out of here!* Desperate, Evie scanned her dim surroundings, looking for anything that would benefit an escape attempt. She saw the door, and it appeared to be wooden.

Cracking her knuckles, she flung herself at it and slammed into it with her shoulder. She bounced right off, muttering a few curses to go along with the pain.

Okay, that didn't work. Take two. Evie kicked at the door, recalling her martial arts training. Her foot was blasted with *more pain*, and the door didn't have a single crack in it whatsoever.

Frustrated, Evie swung a fist at the door. Her knuckles were not thrilled, to say the least, and they glistened a pink shade.

Aching in pain, Evie sat on a wine barrel, burning with the fire to escape this hellhole *somehow*. She *had* to. Mya's life was depending on her.

*All of the girls* were depending on her.

She glanced back up at the windows. Hmm... Maybe she could climb up onto the shelves, smash the window, and jump out. That seemed solid.

Evie grabbed a lone wine bottle off a shelf and aimed it, about to throw it, when she stopped.

Those windows were *high*. The shelves were old.

That idea was eliminated as quickly as it came.

"Fudge it!" She spat, irritated and itching with the most frustration she had ever felt. Getting out of here was the most difficult, enduring task, apparently, and things were hung in a precarious balance.

The more she spent time in here, the more likely it was that the rest of the girls would die, and Harlow and Ivanna would win.

Pineshadow would *fall*.

Growling, Evie let loose all hell on the room and clawed, kicked, and tore apart *everything* in her path. Yet, after two minutes, the cobblestones hadn't moved, the door hadn't budged, and the barrels were scratched, yet revealed no secrets or method of freedom.

Her hopes were crushed, and Evie sat back on the floor, lying on her back. The moon's rays tickled her, though it served as no comfort.

Shivering, she placed two hands close to her chest, sighing. "Oh, if *someone* out here can hear me. No, I don't care if you're from heaven or from some other place up in the sky, but I need *someone*, please. Please save Mya and get me and the girls out of here. Stop Harlow and Ivanna. Make them suffer on repeat. This is *all* I ask for."

Evie was *far* from religious, but if anything, she needed her prayer to be answered. Right then, right now. Time was too precious to be wasted.

Almost on cue, *bang*! The door creaked.

Startled out of her wits, Evie got up, raising her arms defensively. "Hello? Who's that?"

Another bang sounded. The door's wood was chipping away. Then another bang, and the door fell flat on the ground, leaving a dust cloud. A tall figure approached Evie, and panicking, she screamed.

Then, something warm flew against her body, pinning her to the ground and placing a soft, cold hand over her mouth. "Evie, shush! Sssh!" A voice sharply demanded.

Trying to scream out, Evie squirmed under the pressure of her captor, every instinct telling her to fight. The dust around her parted, and the hand on her mouth retracted itself.

Blinking, Evie's eyes focused on a pale, serious face, orange-amber eyes, and slick black hair. She gasped.

"*Daniela*?" She breathed, dizzy with horror and shock.

"Ssh, Ev. Keep your voice low. We can't draw Harlow and Ivanna onto us." She pulled her into a small nook between two shelves. It was here that Evie finally noticed that Daniela's outfit was shockingly different. She wore black leather, spikes, studs, and a choker on her right arm.

"Dani... You look-"

"Yeah, I know, there's no need to question that," she said, flushed. "I'll tell you later, if there is a *later*." She shuddered, her face grim.

Evie thought better, changing course in her head. "Right, sorry. What's going on? Are you okay? You just disappeared and never returned."

Daniela sighed, gripping her hand. "I... I almost convinced Mya to switch sides. But she chose to betray me and revealed it was all a facade all along. She was deadpan ready to have me executed, I'm sure. The Parkers have held me prisoner since, and they wouldn't let me leave that *boring* ass room. Until I escaped myself, of course."

"Where are Winter and Amira?"

Her friend winced. "Evie, it is *not good*. Win and Ami are being held prisoner too, though I don't know where. I only heard Ivanna throw Amira down the stairs and Winter screeching bloody murder. But the silence after a bit told me they had to give in."

"Ivanna did **what** to Ira?"

"Ivanna is a sneaky bi-" Daniela coughed, correcting herself. "*Fox*. She likes to play into Amira's trauma from her days with Shetani, and I'm betting she used her as a pawn to make Winter avoid slitting her throat wide open."

Evie felt sick, and she gagged, swallowing a small amount of vomit. Ivanna was *despicable* and a *psychopath* for using Amira's vulnerability against Winter's molten-hot anger.

"Anyways," Daniela continued. "How on *earth* did you end up all the way down *here*?"

Evie's eyes stretched wide, and she gulped nervously, recalling the sickening, scarring events she had witnessed back in the forest.

Seeing her distressed, Daniela took both of her hands. "Stay strong, Ev. You can do this."

Nodding gratefully, Evie slid into a small state of calm, allowing herself to explain.

"Mya invited me to meet her alone in Hollowleaf Forest. Her letter to me was too genuine, and I thought she would change for the better. We walked together and admired the starlight, and I thought we were on the right path. Mya would be the Mya I'd come to know and love.

"But out of nowhere, she threw me into the ground, pulled Harlow's dagger out on me, and revealed her intentions to **kill me**. The Parkers were there. They masterminded it. Mya almost stuck the dagger in my throat..."

"**WHAT**?" Daniela questioned, her tone frantic. "Mya wanted to **kill you**? Harlow and Ivanna wanting you **eliminated**? How... How are you *alive*?"

"I... I-I told Mya that I still loved her and always would, even if she killed me."

Daniela gasped. "Evie, how *could you*? After *everything*?"

"I have never once seen *evil* in Mya," she admitted, holding her chin high. "The real her would come through. In times like these, I was taught to have hope and to have confidence. To lead. I knew in my heart that deep down, the real Mya had always been there. Layers of darkness just hid her away. And when I peeled them all back..."

"She returned," Daniela finished for her. Evie nodded, and her lip shook as she brought herself to continue on.

"Just as quick as we'd reunited, Harlow took the opportunity to figuratively and literally backstab Mya. He used his own dagger on *her*. She's very weak, and the last I saw of her, she was taken back to the mansion. Harlow threw me here, it seems."

"So Mya is a prisoner just like Winter and Amira!" Daniela exclaimed. "We *have* to find them as soon as we can. Harlow and Ivanna want us to play smoke and mirrors, so we're going to have to beat them at their *own* game."

Evie got up, heading toward the door, Daniela following her confidently. "There's no time left to lose, Dani. We act now, or Pineshadow falls to Bonnie and Clyde."

She was about to walk out, but a thought lingered in her mind, and she turned to her friend. "Wait. If you said you were held prisoner by the Parkers... *Who* captured you?"

Daniela looked away, but brought her gaze back onto Evie. "Harlow."

Evie's blood went *cold*. "**HARLOW DID WHAT**-"

Daniela waved a hand to quiet her. "It's true. He held me hostage. But I figured out how to escape him..."

**TEN MINUTES PRIOR**

Daniela stared blankly at the wall ahead in her "prison room." It was yet another day of being trapped here, held against her will by Harlow, who had been constantly breaking her consent just to fondle her face and stick his fingers where they shouldn't be.

Worst of all, she couldn't *do* anything about it, having been restrained with chains that were less than comfortable. She strained for the five-hundreth time, but they didn't give way.

Dread kept hold of her like two invisible hands. With Amira and Winter's capture, no escape was certain, even with the door being cracked from Winter's fiery destruction of it. Daniela sighed, closing her eyes.

Then, the door creaked open, and Harlow stood in the entrance. Startled, Daniela glanced up to meet his ardorous hazel and gray gaze.

"Ah, we meet again, Dani," he greeted politely, leaving one hand on the doorway. "Hmmpf. It seems too *dark* in here today. Let's have some light, shall we?" He propped the door open so it was slightly ajar, allowing light to fill the mostly empty room.

Daniela's heart lifted upon seeing the sliver of light, but sank again. This wasn't her path to freedom. Harlow was here to play more mind games and take advantage of her body like he always was every few hours.

Harlow then saunted over to her, smile plastered onto his face, and he sunk down next to her. "Oh, what a crown jewel you are," he murmured in awe, beginning his session. Taking a few of his fingers, he combed them through Daniela's slick, black hair, not caring about the low growl she emitted or her heels dragging on the ground.

She had learned that scolding him for his predatory behavior was practically *useless* - Harlow always sought what he wanted and wouldn't stop until her innocence was a mere figment of her imagination.

Shuddering, she continued to slide her boot heels on the floor, biting her tongue to avoid a confrontation. Pleased with her obedience, Harlow put a hand on her shoulder, knuckles resting at the spikes. "You'll enjoy my company today," he promised, kneeling down next to her again. The taint of Icebreakers filled the air, and Daniela held in a cough - ugh, that *mint* was so painstakingly potent.

She brought herself to turn away from Harlow, facing that sliver of light in the doorway. Freedom was *right there*, but here she was, restrained against her will with a smooth-talking creeper who wanted nothing but to abuse her sexually.

Daniela almost hung her head. There was nothing in the book she knew that would sway Harlow and persuade him to let her free. No fight, no screaming, no blackmail, no nothing. She recalled her first time meeting Harlow at Pinelake Park; he strutted right up to her, threw her consent right out the window, and laid his fingers right in the hook of her dimples.

*You can call me a "special friend."*

*Special friend.*

Suddenly, a *devilish* idea crossed her mind. One that was so wicked that inside, a voice squealed with excitement.

This idea was the definition of *ostentatious*.

*Harlow wanted to appear special to me. Well, I think it's time I returned his favor.*

*Cue the inner good girl gone bad.*

"Oh, Harlow," Daniela called out to him innocently, blinking. "I've thought about what you told me in the past."

Harlow perked up, eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Oh?"

"I think I was *wrong* to judge you so harshly. You're just a man seeking some company, something Ivanna *can't* give you. So to speak, are you looking for a *special friend*? One with the utmost obedience to you?"

Now Harlow rubbed his hands together. He was entertaining the notion of this. "Go on, please."

"Well... Being in here has taught me a lot, but mostly this: law is *pointless*. You can bend it to your own will, you don't have to obey it. And you were right when you said love has no boundaries - romance isn't illegal. For once, maybe our *companionship* doesn't seem all that scandalous... Because I'm so used to breaking all the rules and laws in the book, I don't think I care about what *punishment* I might oh-so-truly face for this."

Harlow smiled, his eyes *glinting*. Daniela wasn't playing him for a fool, she too had wanted that something *more*! He quietly prompted her to go on, admiring her fondly.

"Not too long ago, I lived on the wild side of life. *Crime*. *Violence*. All of it is what I truly *lived* for. Drinking in the fear of others, making them suffer, fear me... It was all so *satisfying*. But since then? I've gone soft. Weak. I want to fortify myself again... You're a well-deserved partner in crime."

Feeling pride beam in her, Daniela glanced over at Harlow, locking her strong amber gaze with his, and he stared back, entranced by her. Time to turn the temperature up.

"Harlow, I will give you *exactly* what you want at this very moment. You *know* it's undeniable, and I'm here to fuel this fire you've built." To emphasize her point, Daniela slowly licked her top lip with her tongue, slowly - and *seductively*.

Harlow's senses were going into *overdrive*, and he just barely resisted the urge to drool. This child had tugged at his heartstrings, challenged him before, but now, wanted to give up her purities to him. He couldn't believe it. All of that, all of his hard work, had finally paid off. She was enticing, and his lust was spiraling out of control.

Almost in a trance, he got up, the excitement forming goosebumps on his skin. He felt like a kid on Christmas opening a present.

Except this present was *pure* and *untouched*.

He knelt down by Daniela for a third time, placing a pale finger underneath her chin, tracing the skin with his fingernail. She closed her eyes, smiling, even exhaling in peace.

Sweet mother of *god*. Harlow was winning tonight.

"You want this?" He asked Daniela in a very seductive whisper, his lusting dripping out of his mouth.

"Oh *yes*. Definitely."

Daniela opened her eyes, finding the finger still under her chin. Harlow was quizzical, probably deciding where to place his fingers next - it had to be somewhere he hadn't gone yet.

"Aww, are you too shy to get on with it, boy?" She teased. "Don't hide your true colors from me. Anything illegal can go on here... Let's do something we *shouldn't* do." The heat in the room was rising, and so were Daniela's efforts to successfully pull this off without foiling her cover and Harlow punishing her for her deception. Yet he was perfectly spellbound right here. She had to keep this up.

"Make it easier on yourself by releasing me from the chair. Cause, you know. More room to *work* with."

By now, Harlow did not give a damn that he was going to give his hostage a route to escape. He pulled a small bronze key from his pocket and went behind Daniela. In a split second, the chains around her had fallen, and he pulled them away from her, setting them on the floor.

He bowed. "Your wish is my command, dearest Dani."

"Shall we?" She asked.

"Indeed. Come close." Her heart pumping, Daniela obliged, and Harlow slid his hands down to her waistline, tugging her into his body. Already he could taste the warmth in his mouth, and saliva dripped from his lips thinking about the prospect of Daniela, how she'd brought on so much for him.

"Your rockstar fit is mighty impressive. Very attractive for a young girl like you... I *adore* it," he stated, his tone filled with hints of seduction. Inside Daniela, she was screaming. Harlow's one true weakness was facing a young teenage girl *seducing him*.

Disgusting, she knew. Outrageous, she knew. But if it worked as a method of escape, she was here to push his buttons.

"I hope it's what you like, Harlow," she responded with a wry grin. "Because I've brought every single delicacy I could offer."

Harlow licked his lips. He was ready to *dig in*.

Immediately, he advanced on Daniela, pressing his lips on her forehead and connecting for a kiss. He moved down to her cheek, gradually, and then reached her neck. Oh, the room was *hot*. Literal fire. The earth was *burning* with the passion of love.

Before he could leave his mark on her neck and examine her chest, however, Daniela placed a hand on his jacket collar. "Uh-uh, boy. When we're in here, we choose to play by *my* rules."

Harlow *blushed* in surprise, having never expected Daniela to appear so dominant in this *companionship*.

He was willing to be submissive.

"Lay down, please."

Harlow nodded and obliged, slowly crawling back against the bed until he lay stretched out on it. Daniela jumped up next to him, crawling two fingers up his chest, up until where the skin was exposed, and she scratched there, back and forth. Harlow sighed in much peace, a slick grin on his face. He was *enjoying* every last second of this game, especially now that Daniela was fully on his side.

*If only you knew that I'm playing you like a fiddle.* Daniela chuckled to herself, devious thoughts in mind. It was one thing for Harlow to be a dangerous mastermind molding Mya into being a criminal, exactly like him and Ivanna. It was *another* thing that he chose to target her and pray on her for her fears around adult men.

But it was certainly *one thing* for how easily he could be tricked by an ex-villainess.

Far more than confident now, she let her fingers tickle his chin and scratch him there too. "Hang tight, Harlow. I have another surprise for you."

"I'm very eager to see that, Dani my dearest."

"Bet. Close your eyes, though. No spoilers!"

Harlow sighed in approval, shutting his eyes firmly. *Now* was Daniela's time to strike, and she had to time her next move right. One slip up, and she'd be back in that chair, no innocence left, and possibly dead.

*The lives of young teenage girls hang in the balance. You can do this, Dani. Show everyone that you're more than just any girl they've seen.*

While Harlow's eyes remained closed, waiting for her present, Daniela saw Mya's cape resting on top of the bed pillows and grabbed it. As steathily as an assassin, she crept around to the other side of the bed, facing Harlow, who smiled, likely imagining all of the treasure he would obtain.

*In your dreams, asshole.*

"Don't worry, Harlow. You won't feel one thing," she whispered in the most seductive tone she could muster. Harlow giggled.

"I won't need to. I'll be in *heaven*!"

It was now or never, no more time was left to waste.

In one single, swift motion, she threw Mya's cape over Harlow's face, and he sat bolt upright, gagging. All he could see was purple and blackness. What was going on?

He didn't need to answer that any further, as the next thing he knew, he was struck *hard* on the jaw and collapsed onto the bed, screeching in pain.

*Yes!* Daniela cheered for her lone audience of one. She had just *successfully seduced Harlow* into thinking he was getting her innocence, and now, he was as good as a dying spider.

Without another word, she bolted out of the room. She heard scrabbling noises downstairs, coming from the right of the mansion, and she took off at the sound of it.

Things were only just getting started in Hollowleaf Mansion.

"Daniela... I'm... ***YOU SEDUCED HARLOW***??? ***SEDUCED*** somebody???" Evie was shaking her, her eyes stretched incredibly wide with incredulity and astonishment. Her heart fluttered right out of her chest, and her skin had gone pale.

Daniela blushed, then quieted Evie by raising her index finger. She understood her shock, no teen like her had *ever* done something as *insane* as her - but she had now.

"It was the only way I could have escaped him. I honestly had no choice, and I know it's gross, but I'm here now and I've rescued you," she said, dusting off her leather jacket.

"I... Never expected that out of you. But Daniela... You're honestly one of the most *badass* girls I could have ever gotten to meet. You have some courage and wit I wish to have sometimes."

Daniela nodded her head, acknowledging the remark somberly. "This is nice and all, but enough chit-chat! We have a mission to do. Come on!" She and Evie ran out of the wine cellar and back into the dining room. The two glanced around, searching for Harlow and Ivanna. Nowhere in sight.

Before they even knew it, they had pinned their backs to each other, and they gripped hands.

Find your way into this wonderland

Cross the maze, the dark, the innocent

"Okay. I'm going to go find Winter and Amira. Evie, it's your duty to find wherever the hell Mya is being hidden away in. Are we clear?" Daniela ordered.

"Roger that, Dani."

"Just know that there's a chance we won't make it out of this alive."

Chase the faith, the thrill, the heaven sent

I got your world upside down

"Agreed, but if there's the slightest chance of escaping, all five of us, we have to do it. Life and death is on our hands."

"We're in this as one."

The labyrinth will guide you far away

To a place where senses will decay

"Good luck, Daniela," Evie wished in a low whisper.

"Good luck to you too, Evie. Let's do this!"

Your ghosts in mind will shadow play

I got your world upside down

At once, the two broke away from each other, and while Evie took the right, Daniela took left. Her heart thudded as she ran to the left corridor, busting down the first door she saw.

Nothing.

Frantic, she ran back to more doors, kicking them open and knocking them off their hinges with the weight. Still, none of them revealed the girls she was searching for.

"*Amira*! *Winter*!" She called out, and a *thonk* sounded from right next to her. Across from her was the big room, one that Winter had told her about.

*The weapon room!*

The door proved to be no match for her, as she slammed into it with enough weight to send it flying into the inside wall. There, sitting next to the dagger case, was Winter.

"*Dani*!" She exclaimed, hugging her, decently surprised. "How did you-"

"No time. C'mon, we need to find your girlfriend!"

Nodding urgently, the duo dashed out of the weapon room and back into the corridor. Only five doors were left.

Winter picked one door's lock with her knife, and she flung it wide open, finding an empty office room.

Daniela had destroyed the other three doors, discovering nothing and leaving only one left.

This room reeked of unwashed socks and a hundred other foul things Daniela chose not to name. She kicked at the door twice, but it didn't give way.

"Together!" Winter shrieked. Knowing what she meant, she kicked in sync with her, and the door finally broke down.

Inside the laundry room, huddled next to the dryer, was Amira. Her nose and lips were stained with dried blood, and she looked rather pale. Upon seeing the two, however, she squealed in delight and jumped up into Winter, kissing her on the cheek.

"Hurry! We'll hide under the dining room table as we wait for Evie! I'll try to catch you two up on everything."

Meanwhile, Evie searched the right side of Hollowleaf Mansion, slamming open a dark-wooded door that led to a small library. No Mya in sight. Howling, Evie tore open the next door. Closet room, no Mya. She proceeded to kick down the last three doors in the hall. Junk room, storage, spare bedroom. Mya was *nowhere*, and her heart fluttering, Evie panted in exhaustion, wiping sweat beads off of her forehead.

Doubt prickled her, needles sharp as cactai. Mya *had* to be here! She scanned the corridor again, but all of the doors were wrecked.

She was deeply panicked at this point, and her breathing was heavy, mixed with trepidation and the dagger-deep hesitancy that Mya could actually be dead.

*Ivanna can't have killed her! I refuse to believe that!*

"*Mya*!" She screamed out desperately. "*Mya*, if you're in here, answer me, please!"

Silence.

Evie hung her head. She couldn't keep screaming out Mya's name, opening up empty rooms, and wasting the time the girls had before Harlow and Ivanna pounced.

She brought herself to take a step in the direction of the dining room, about to tell the girls that Mya was likely dead and lost.

However, without warning, she heard a soft sound *in* the walls.

*Inside the walls.*

*What?* She thought. *Am I going bananas?*

To contradict her internal question, someone weeped. A faint set of cries, nails scratching against the floor. Evie's heart flew all the way up to her *head*.

*Mya!*

This way you fear

In shades you'll disappear

But how on earth would she even *get* to her when the sound was *inside* the walls? There were no doors on this side of the wall. Ivanna had somehow gotten Mya *stuck* in there with no way to escape or bust out.

*She sealed her in. Knew she would be too weak to break free herself.*

*That moldering, two-faced PSYCHO!*

"**NO**!" Evie wailed, and in a moment of sheer frustration and yearning, she slammed her entire body against the wall.

*Crack*! At once, a piece of the wall fell flat onto the ground, opening up into a small chamber with carpet and white walls. *Booyah! There's that secret compartment!*

And there, in the middle and curled up into a ball, was Mya Heartley, her backside red with blood. Craning her head, she pushed herself up, tears slithering down her cheeks.

"Evie..." Her rasp was so faint that Evie's heart twisted, but jumped at the same time. Mya fell back to the ground, her gaze never leaving her love.

Find your way into this wonderland

Cross the maze, the dark, the innocent

"Mya!" Evie whispered, grabbing her wrists and helping her to her feet. "It's me. It's just me. You're okay. We're gonna get to the girls now."

Snapping out of her disorientation, Mya nodded. "O-Okay." They dashed back to the dining room, where the remaining three girls crawled out from under the table.

"Evie! You have Mya!" Amira breathed. Winter locked stares with her sister, who looked back, her mouth forming an o.

Chase the faith, the thrill, the heaven sent

I got your world upside down

"Mya... You're back."

Mya didn't respond, and her eyes had a degree of blankness in them, but she acknowledged Winter with a simple blink.

"Alright, we're all reunited. But we *have* to get out of here before we're all killed!" Daniela stated pointedly.

"Wait," Evie interrupted. "There's a wrong that still needs to be righted here."

The labyrinth will guide you far away

To a place where senses will decay

Daniela furrowed her brow, confused. "What on *earth*?"

Refusing to let her say another word, Evie whipped out her phone and desperately went into her contacts.

*Where are they where are they where are they...*

Your ghosts in mind will shadow play

I got your world upside down

"Evie, we don't got time for this!" Winter warned.

"Hang on! You *need* to trust me!"

Footsteps sounded from upstairs just as Evie reached into her contacts and typed out two sole messages to her two targets:

*Your daughter has been found*

*It's time for you to set things right*

Mya looked over, and she saw the name of the contact, gasping.

"My... My parents..."

"You messaged the *Heartleys*?" Amira questioned, surprise in her eyes.

"They can't run away knowing their daughter is safe. Now let's get out of-"

"**YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE**!" A single feminine voice hissed. Gasping in unison, the girls turned around, and there stood Harlow and Ivanna, blocking their one-way exit with looks of sheer menace on their faces.

"*All five* of you toxins will never see the light of day *again*," Harlow growled, reaching for his pockets. "Say goodbye to everything you've known."

"Not if we can't help it!" Daniela retorted. "Girls, *run*, **NOW**!"

Upside down

Suddenly, she steamed past Ivanna, grabbing a vase off the dining room table and throwing it in the direction of Harlow. He ducked, and the vase crashed against the side wall, shattering into pieces. With the distraction, the Parkers were momentarily dazed and blindsided, Harlow's head spinning with déjà vu and Ivanna appalled, allowing Evie and Winter to shove open the mansion's doors.

Mya and Amira dashed out first, then Evie and Winter, and then Daniela. Snarling, Harlow and Ivanna gave chase, hammering the ground as they hunted the five girls down.

"Keep running!" Evie exclaimed, panting. "If we go into Hollowleaf Forest, we can shake them off our trail!"

The girls fell into her lead, heading into the thick forest. Despite the terrain advantage, Harlow and Ivanna still refused to be deterred, trailing them as if they were bloodthirsty hunting dogs.

Mya ran alongside Evie, despite the throbbing pain in her backside from the stab wound. She was finally free. They were going to escape Harlow and Ivanna, and she would recover from this. She would live the perfect life with Evie, whom she'd loved so dearly. She'd-

All of a sudden, her thoughts were cut short as she entered a clearing. Her foot became lodged in a tree root, and she slammed face-first into the dirt.

The girls had kept running into the middle of the clearing and to the bottom of a small hill when Evie realized it. The realization was a *blow* to the throat.

"**MYA**!" She yelped, panicking, sweat beads dripping down her face. The other girls skidded to a stop with her. Mya was at the top of the clearing, attempting to scrabble back to her feet.

Evie ran up to meet her.

But it was already too late.

Upside down

Seconds later, Harlow and Ivanna appeared at the top of the hill, triumphant and already scheming up a storm.

"Well, well, well," Harlow snickered, lips pursed in amusement. "Mya, this is *such* a predicament you seem to be in."

"Leave me alone!" Mya snapped, staggering to her feet and facing the rest of the girls. However, she never took a step further, as Ivanna slammed her into the ground, pinning her with a boot heel dug firmly into her chest.

"Back *away*!" Daniela growled.

"Son of a *mother*!" This roar of defiance came from Evie, and snorting, she attempted to charge forward. Yet Winter and Amira restrained her from leaping onto Harlow and Ivanna by her arms.

"Ev, you can't fight them by yourself!" Winter exclaimed. "You'll be killed!"

She was correct about that, and Evie eased, noticing the fear in her and Amira's eyes. *Remain calm,* she urged herself tightly. *Play your cards wisely.*

"Look at you, Mya," Harlow said, circling her, a proud pep in his step. "So *pathetically* weak compared to all of the power you could have obtained if you hadn't chosen to tarnish your loyalties. But it doesn't matter anymore... We don't *need you* to get what we want, you weak, useless fool!"

"*What*?" Mya's face was *bone dry*.

She should have realized it from the start, but she hadn't. She was foolish, having fallen for fools' gold.

Harlow and Ivanna were *using her* as a way to take over Pineshadow and to dissolve her family. Now they had achieved everything they'd ever *lusted* for.

"After you killed Evie, you were to be disposed of anyway," Ivanna scoffed. "Then you decided your *romance* with the heathen was more prudent than *us*."

Mya sobbed, shedding drops of tears that stained her cheeks, her leaf-green eyes so deeply frightened. "*No*! I thought you... Didn't you..." Wincing, she couldn't bring herself to finish it.

"Love *you*? *Derisory*! You are a **TRAITOR** to this entire family! Choosing to **spare** your sworn foe and go back to living a soft life instead of *eliminating her*! You turned your back on *us* for the you we thought you clearly *deserted*." Ivanna's words were the bullet of a gun, and she pressed her boot down harder on Mya's chest; she jerked, gasping for air. Evie's anger hardened, and she felt heat rising up in her. The other girls could sense it as well, and Daniela had two war-ready fists clenched.

"Stop, Ivanna! *Please*!" Mya begged, her voice twisted in such a heartbreaking way that Evie growled, struggling to control her already wilding temper. Ivanna ignored her granddaughter's pleas and instead moved her boot heel up to Mya's *neck*. The soft flesh there was easy pickings.

With the added weight, Mya wheezed, and that, combined with her wailing, made the girls' blood boil.

Like a hungry piranha, Harlow paced around Mya again - there was *more* to say to the already tormented girl in his and his wife's clutches.

"Oh, Mya. You *fell* for every damn lie *we* fed you. You were *never* royalty! You were *never* a chosen one! You **were never supposed** to be the most powerful queen in Pineshadow's history. *This* is what happens when you live a *lie* and let your fickle heart dictate your actions. Just look at where that's landed you now..."

A thoughtful finger curled around his chin. "*Ooh*. Not to mention, my dearest, you truly *failed* one of your best friends when she needed you to defend her the most..."

A gasp sounded from one of the girls in the distance.

The veins in Mya's heart were slit *open*.

Instantly she knew *who* he was referring to, and the guilt was *devastating*.

*Daniela.*

Every single word Daniela had told her, at the dinner party *and* in the prison room, was true.

Harlow was a *pedophile*. He was a *sexual abuser*. And she had allowed him to get away with all the acts he had committed. *The marks on her throat. The bruises.*

*I'm the spawn of the devil.*

"And to put it this way," Ivanna added, breaking her thoughts in a fell swoop. "You could have *never* become so stony-hearted and conniving if you hadn't let your little curiosity get the better of you. Curiosity *killed* the cat, or did you forget? When we got hold of your useless self, you allowed us to mold you into a *criminal*. Played like the flute..."

Breaking away from her rant to laugh wickedly, she glanced down at Mya's agonized, perturbed face, savoring the deep amount of physical pain she was in. "Bonnie and Clyde were one thing - legends. But they never had an accomplice in their lives..."

*I was their accomplice.*

*I let innocent civilians and their storefronts be shot up.*

*I'm a criminal.*

As the searing realization sank in, Mya wept, her sobs being in such *distorted agony* that Winter could feel her eyes becoming watery, and her grip loosened on Evie's arm. Daniela took to standing by her side, taking her other arm in hers and trying to brush it gently.

"*Please*!" Mya pleaded. "Just have mercy on me... I don't want to fight you, or live any more lies! I know I've made horrid mistakes, but please just let me *atone* for them! Please..."

"Really?" Harlow cackled, clearly delighted. "Oh, Mya. Such an innocent soul tainted with the darkness inside of her. How *stupid* do you think we are? We aren't going to let this go *peacefully*! You're a traitor that needs to be *punished* *duly*. Right this instant, to be precise..."

A thought crossed Harlow's mind, and it was one so devious, so poisonous, so *hell-raising* that it gave him immense joy and the most pleasurable feeling. He licked his lips.

It was time to reveal one of their deepest secrets and let things unravel.

Now was the time.

No more cover-ups.

"Mya, would you *care* to know how your grandparents *really* died?"

The girls screamed in horror. Evie's blood went *colder* than December ice. Winter thought she was going to be sick for months, and Amira and Daniela agreed with her, eyes peeled back in horror.

Mya was *mortified* now, her mouth flopping open and closed, eyes betraying her stress, fear, anxiety, and *everything* culmulating inside of her.

"I know where this is going," Amira murmured shakily. "This is too familiar."

"Elloise and Luca were once fine grandparents, Nita's mother and father, caring. But those hearts were destructable. Weakened by kindness. We were *superior*, but Elloise and Luca were the talk of the town. We *weren't*," Harlow admitted, allowing Ivanna to take over from his lead.

"Those sappy elders had *all* the money in the world that could save us all. Every time we came to them, they *shunned* us, called us insane and a terrorizing force in the family. Feared we would ruin Mya from a young age... El and Lu *rued* the day they'd cross us, those *repulsive twats*!"

"All it took was one, single spark," Harlow coldly explained. "That mansion was set ablaze, engulfed in the flames of *vengeance*. Just minutes later, both were dead. Their money was transferred to us. From there, we built an entire facade, made it seem like we cared. We paid that entire fancy funeral, yada yada. But it was *never enough*! We wanted *more*! *All* of Pineshadow to respect our **GLORY**!"

Ivanna nodded, finally taking her foot off of Mya and joining her husband's side, tickling him under his chin. "Your *unplatable* and two-faced family threw us into the dirt. Left us for *dead*. It all started with your grandparents, Mya..." She looked at Mya, who had now scrambled up to her knees, and she locked her blue eyes onto her.

"Then, it sat in the middle with your *puny*, scum-breathing parents. Now, it ends with *you*."

Mya's heart had shattered into pieces that she knew wouldn't be repaired. She couldn't stop the waterfall of tears coming from her eyes. She couldn't stop her arms from shaking, couldn't stop the hurricane whirling around her now.

Her grandparents that she never met were *dead* because of Harlow and Ivanna.

They had killed them because of their longing for power and vicious greed.

The murder was a cold case because the Parkers lived on the run from the law - they had since she was *three* - and had perfectly covered everything up with lie after lie after lie.

"You're *lying*!" She sobbed, ripping up the grass in chunks. "Tell me you're **LYING**!"

"Why lie now in the most crucial moment of our lives?" Harlow innocently put his hands in his pockets. "Defying the law and running from it is like the brush of a gun. Thrilling. A yearning you can't ever rid yourself of. Elloise and Luca never stood a single *chance* against us."

"Murderers!" Winter snarled, hatred clear on her face.

"When you came into our life, Mya, it was the *perfect* storm," Harlow then told her, his chin pointed to the treetops around them. "You served your purpose, as depressing and shriveled as you are. We've *almost* obtained our well-deserved victory. But you're a *traitor*, and traitors like you deserve something only fitting to their *slimy* bodies."

He approached her, and Ivanna kicked her wounded backside, making her crawl back up to her feet unsteadily. With as much venom and warning in his tone, Harlow gave her a single order.

"*Run away*. *Never* return to Pineshadow. You are a callous traitor and convicted criminal. Stay here, and you will be arrested for your role as our accomplice, thrown into the deep end of *juvenile prison*. Locked up for the rest of your life. *Nobody* will accept you or turn a single eye to you *again*, Mya Heartley, you vile *demon*."

"Don't listen to him, Mya, please!" Evie encouraged at the top of her lungs.

"He's lying his ass off!" Daniela joined her.

But by now, his words were *dead* certain for Mya. She was a criminal, a traitor to *everyone* in Pineshadow.

Blind devotion, empty notions

A traitor to her *family*.

A traitor to her *friends*.

A traitor to the love of her life.

Blinking away the tears, Mya turned tail and stumbled away into the woods, away from everything she had ever known and fought for.

Like a roaring ocean, slowing motion

"She is *disposed* of," Harlow told Ivanna. "Come, darling. We have final preparations to make."

Before they could walk away from the scene, however, Evie called out to them resolutely.

"**HEY**!"

Lay down your troubled mind

We are only kind

And we'll kindly cease to be

The Parkers whirled around, suddenly remembering that they still had to handle *four* teenage girls waiting no longer to fight a war.

"Call yourselves *sly* all you want, but we have the ability to *tell* the entire world of what you've done!" Evie proclaimed.

"Get lost, foolish child!" Ivanna spat, her blue eyes flaring with irritation.

As we intertwine with the universe

And its cosmic symphony

However, Evie didn't heed her order, and only grew more defiant. The other girls around her flanked her, battle-ready expressions on their faces.

They were united as *one*.

"You *punks* will regret the day you *chose* to manipulate *my girlfriend*, turned her into a cruel *queen* bent on power. I'll see it to it that you suffer for the damage that you caused to my friends, making all of them relive experiences *none of them* wanted to touch upon *again*.

"You messed with me. You messed with those I *love*. You messed with *Pineshadow*. Our home. You are *felonious criminals* who only wanted to see the **world burn**. If there is one thing I know standing here now, ***WE'LL DIE FIGHTING YOU***!"

The smoke lingers after fire

With a piercing caterwaul, Evie leapt forward, charging at Harlow like the crack of a whip. Flying up into the air, she squarely landed on him, sending him smashing into the dirt. Daniela skidded to her side, ready to fight alongside her with passion. On the other side of the clearing, Winter drew her pocket knife, blade out, and faced down Ivanna, Amira's shoulder blade pressed right up against hers.

Ivanna approached the duo, appearing ready to scratch out Winter's eyes, saliva dripping from her lips. Yet Winter was prepared for her, as she blocked her right hand and tore at her blouse with the knife. Hunks of white fabric fell to the ground, and Winter kept ripping, cutting, and slashing with her blade while Amira grabbed Ivanna's left arm, restraining it against her chest.

"I paid *three hundred bucks* for that blouse, you freak!" She hissed acidicly. Enraged, she kicked at Winter's legs, and unbalanced, her adopted granddaughter fell to the ground. Stunned, Winter looked around in a daze.

Perfect chance. Ivanna took it madly, shaking Amira off her other side and picking up Winter by her pink shirt collar. Then, using as much strength as she could muster, she whammed Winter's head into a nearby tree.

Winter thought she could see the sky splitting open, and before she knew it, her pocket knife had slipped out of her hand, traveling through the air. Dazed, she struggled to see her blurred surroundings.

Then, Hollowleaf Forest came back into focus, and so did Ivanna, who laughed witch-like. Much to her *terror*, she had her *knife* in her hand, and it was pointed at Amira - her face was contorted in fear.

"Should have been more careful with your *weapon*, dear!" She taunted over her shoulder, and instead of choosing to take the knife's blade out on Amira, Ivanna targeted Winter.

The smoke lingers after fire

She jumped right up to her, hand already digging into her neck, and she placed her knife at the skin. The blade cut through, and blood trickled down to her shirt.

"**BACK OFF FROM MY GIRLFRIEND, YA OLD HAG**!" Ivanna's hackles jolted upon hearing the remark, and she whirled around.

The next thing she knew, Amira crashed into her at full force, and they impacted the ground with a *thud*.

The knife was soaring through the air again, but Amira caught it and tossed it back to Winter, who nodded gratefully at her.

"*Brats*!" Ivanna snapped, throwing Amira off and into a tree root. Clambering back up to her feet, she stared at Winter.

But she had already anticipated her upcoming move and flew up right into her face, connecting her knife's blade with her cheek. Blood droplets went *flying* everywhere, splattering the grass and the tree.

Ivanna was momentarily distracted by the pain, and Winter slid over to Amira. "Come on, we have to keep fighting. Let's-"

"*Not so fast*!" Ivanna screeched, interrupting her moment. Suddenly, she kicked Winter in the chin with her boot, and she *flew* into the tree. Hard. And brutally.

The sky split open for an agonizing *second* time, but this time, Winter landed on the ground with a thud, completely unconscious, blood dripping from the back of her head.

*No!* Amira panicked; she'd now have to face Ivanna in a one-versus-one. The fear dissolved fast, however.

"You think you can walk in and try your hand at **MURDERING MY GIRLFRIEND**?!" She screeched. "Well, you have another thing *coming*!"

In a quick move, she slid down to Winter's knocked out body, hooking her pocket knife in her fingers. She dashed in between Ivanna's legs, and rose back up in front of her, slashing violently with the prominent desires of revenge.

Meanwhile, Evie and Daniela dueled Harlow back-to-back near another set of trees.

Blind devotion, empty notions

Harlow, vicious, sought the upper hand, raising Evie up into the air, looking around for something to bash her skull in with.

This gave Daniela a sickeningly-sweet idea, and seeing his exposed stomach, kicked him there with her sharp, pointed boot heel. *Directly* in the pelvis.

Harlow *screamed*, backing up and dancing around like a madman, clearly in pain. His lucky charms were certainly not *excited*, but Evie was, as she landed neatly on the ground.

"Hey Harlow! Think fast!" Evie jumped back up into the air, landing perfectly on Harlow's backside. Groaning in pain, Harlow tried scratching wherever the hell she was, but she wasn't bothered.

Like a roaring ocean, slowing motion (yeah)

In another swift action, she wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled back, much like she had done fighting Shetani at the Pineshadow Bridge. Harlow reared upwards, exactly like a horse, attempting to throw the teenage girl off of him.

Finally, his nails touched her skin, and he dug in, scratching. Wincing in pain, Evie slipped off, and he shook himself free of her.

Harlow whirled around, searching for the next girl to attack next - Daniela. She was ready to meet him - *beyond* ready.

The smoke lingers after fire

"Here's some food for thought, you leech-sucking piece of *rubbish*!" She swung a clenched fist at his jaw, causing Harlow to yowl. Teeth and blood drops went flying through the air.

Shaking off the dust, he got back to his feet, spitting out a few more loose teeth, blood staining his lips and chin. He charged at Evie, but she leapt up, avoiding him. Then, she turned to Daniela, meeting her gaze.

"Daniela! Get out of here and find Mya!"

Daniela, shocked, felt herself slow. "Evie, I can't just abandon you here! Harlow's going to overpower you!"

"So what? Mya *needs* to be found."

"I cannot leave you!"

"*Just go*!" She snapped, headbutting Harlow in the chest and then kicking him in the stomach, sending him almost flying into a tall bush.

Daniela knew that there'd be no complaining from the leader of the girls - if she meant an order, it had to be executed - especially when this was a battle of *life* and *death*.

Obliging, Daniela nodded and sprung away from the battlefield, running at a speed she had never even managed before - the speed fueled by her hard determination to find the friend she saw as her equal.

The last thing she saw before entering more of Hollowleaf Forest was Amira tearing at Ivanna's blouse with Winter's pocket knife, her girlfriend slumped on the ground and unmoving.

She had to act fast - *everyone's* lives were depending on her now.

Daniela bolted into the thick shrubs and bushes of Hollowleaf Forest, tearing them aside aggressively. "Mya! *Mya*, can you hear me?" She called out, cupping her hands to her mouth.

All around her, the trees stretched up to the stars, looming over her ominously. She could sense the building claustrophobia in her, but the anxiety never came, her worries for Mya overshadowing them in a fast eclipse.

"*Mya*! *Mya*!"

Silence. Not even an echo. Daniela glanced around, brushing aside a thornbush. However, something on one of the spindly thorns caught her eye.

The thorn was red.

*Blood!*

Mya had *definitely* gone this way, especially with that backstab wound of hers. With her lack of strength, it was likely she had gained a few cuts or two, leaving behind a trail of blood.

*Praise the heavens.* Observing more blood droplets on the ground, Daniela followed them, winding around a thick western hemlock tree and peering through two bushes. In front of her lay a small clearning surrounded by towering ferns.

What she saw in the middle made her gasp, stomach churning, anxiety welling, earth bending and breaking.

*Mya* was laying on the dirt, her face resting to her left, eyes closed. Her entire body was sprawled out and *lifeless*, blood staining her cyan t-shirt, her face battered and bruised, a cut on her arm stained with dirt and dried blood.

*No! I... I can't be too late... You're not dead!* Daniela walked up to her, checking her heartbeat. Mya did not stir, and her chest seemed cold.

"No..." Daniela managed to whisper, almost collapsing by her side. Her hope, delicate as candlelight, began to die away. Her soul began to die away...

But then, the remarkable happened.

Mya's fingers twitched, and her legs moved briefly. She was alive!

Waves of relief washed over Daniela. Mya hadn't succumbed to her injuries, and if she wasn't dead, they had a shot at winning this war.

"Mya. Mya, wake up!" She urged, shaking her awake and causing her eyes to open, bewildered. "It's me, Dani. It's just me. You're okay."

Groaning, Mya got herself up to her knees, confusion and stunned disbelief lining her gaze. "Daniela... *Why* did you follow me?! What are you doing?"

"Doing what needs to be done. I'm rescuing you from this *hell*, and we're-"

"Don't *save* me!" Mya snapped, surprising her, and she reeled back. "I'm a *criminal*! No one wants me anyway. I've damaged my reputation and betrayed every single person I loved. I *deserve* death, just go on and *leave* me here!"

"I don't care about that status!" Daniela retorted. "Mya, the girls are **fighting for their goddamn lives** out there! You can't turn your back on us, especially when we need you the *most*! Please! We *need* you!"

"Forget it, I'm no use to you. I had the opportunity of a lifetime, and I squandered it by destroying the lives of civilians, broke my girlfriend's heart, left my family in shambles, turned into a **queen** who wanted others to **suffer**! I'm not your fairytale hero, Daniela. I didn't save lives. I let everyone drown."

She turned away from Daniela, placing her head on her knees and curling up into a ball of incomprehensible shame. She sniffed, tears dripping from her face once more.

"You were *never* the monster, Dani - *I was*."

Daniela gasped at her remark, and dizzy, she collapsed onto her knees, her amber eyes clouded. Mya wailed to the sky, sobbing to herself, defeated and broken.

Back during their meetup outside her place, Mya had singled out Daniela for blinding Harlow in his left eye. She used her past actions against her, calling her a "monster," their relationship rotting faster than old wood.

Daniela's past trauma had been instantly triggered, and the memory was a searing reminder of her prison days spent spiraling into insanity and questioning everything life had thrown on her.

When Mya brought that up now, however? She felt different. Motivated. Tenacious.

The word meant nothing but a simple phrase, one that grew roots in Daniela and took ahold of her.

*I am more than my mistakes.*

Smiling, her eyes grew clear once more, and she had a new plan in mind.

Mya would see the light.

She then crawled up to Mya, taking her wrist, and she gasped in surprise.

"Look, Mya. I know you have your qualms, but we seriously *need you right now*! I'm here because *Evie* sent me to find you. She's fighting Harlow **BY HERSELF**!"

"E-Evie?" Mya murmured, eyes broad with astoundment. "She wanted *you* to find me?"

Daniela nodded. "She's fighting Harlow *alone*; I fought him with her. Amira's dueling Ivanna solo, and Winter's unconscious and bloodied. We aren't going to win this, Mya - not unless we have you on our side willing to serve justice."

She got up, seeing that Mya was drawn onto her, and she went back to the bushes at the edge of the small clearing. "Come on, there is *no time* left to lose! We have a town to save!"

Daniela shoved the bushes aside, making a beeline back toward the main clearing. Behind her, everything was still and silent.

*Too silent*.

Her heart fell with disappointment, and she headed back. Sure enough, her suspicions were correct - Mya remained on her knees, staring at her with sadness and a gloom that was unnerving.

"Mya, *what the hell* are you just sitting there for?"

"Dani... I *can't* fight alongside you and the girls. You heard what Harlow and Ivanna said... I'm *weak*. I've been *stabbed* in the *back*! If I face my grandparents again, they'll just take the *opportunity* to *kill me*! I'll die as a *freak*..."

"No they *won't*! You're much stronger than you think you are. We have to *go*!"

"Leave me to *die*! I'm just *rotten*, and nothing will *ever* change-"

Suddenly, Daniela slid over to her side, pulling her directly up to her face by the shirt collar. Then, she *slapped* Mya across her cheek, and she gasped from the small amount of pain handed to her. Her friend stared at her, locking a strong, unwavering amber gaze onto her own leaf-green.

Her heart bloomed with rebellion and the notion to dispel the darkness in her friend.

"**Listen to me**, Mya! You are **not weak**. You never *have been*. Deep down, inside of you, you have the most awe-inspiring courage I've *ever* seen. This you is one I should have cherished long ago, and the you I should have come to realize was special."

She placed a hand on her shoulder, softly caressing it. "For a year, I made one of the worst mistakes of my life in choosing to make you my bullying target. You never should have had me breathing down your neck and making you miserable for simply being the *you* that you *enjoyed* being! Even when I was the definition of pure evil, I realized just how brave you were the moment you deflected the blow of that steak knife with your shoulder. All because you saw Winter as your sister and wanted her away from my clutches.

"I should have *never* ripped into you or have thrown your reputation around in the mud. You didn't *deserve* the opportunity to get to know me. I was selfish, vicious, and only cared about murder and making everyone around me suffer."

Daniela moved her hand up to Mya's cheek, causing her to blush with shock. "My past self is an entity that I made sure to destroy. Before I learned to love others, I had to learn to love myself. *Accept* myself. You were one of the girls to teach me how to grow into my new skin and take a chance at my *new* life, Mya. You're every single color of the rainbow to me, and with those colors, you can defeat the evil that wishes to burn Pineshadow down in their hands."

She pressed her nose against Mya's, gripping both of her hands, and she gripped back.

"Face the music of your actions, blow by blow, bit by bit. Fight it until you've *bled* everything. Follow the light that sets *you* free. Forget about the pain; just because it burns you doesn't mean you're going to die. Every single blow you receive will be *worth it*, as by then, you'll save everyone you love, and those who've come to hate you will come to love you again. Take the agony like a valkyrie, and *fight* with the strength of a warrior."

Daniela pulled herself away from Mya's face, a warm smile now present compared to the serious frown that was there before. All around her, she could see tons of invisible lights, glowing just for her and Mya in this moment.

The storm brewed in their own skies.

"We have our scars, Mya. Both of us have done the most *horrible* things we could have ever done, and to a degree, they *will* define us. Forever. But... I think you can find that *we* are both *more* than our mistakes."

Finally, for the first time since running away, a new feeling blossomed in Mya, the petals of desire that she thought were gone having returned. Daniela's words struck home, and in a way she was forever going to be grateful for. Slowly, the pain from her vanished, replaced with sharp confidence. A strong will. The strength to persevere.

More importantly, she was *conscientious*.

Wrongs had to be made right tonight.

She staggered up to her feet, her leaf-green eyes blazing with fire, and a softness she had only for Daniela in that moment. "Thank you," she whispered. "You're right. I've let myself be a coward for far too long - there are two well-deserved *asses* needing kicking. Let's go!"

Daniela nodded at her, then led the way out through the bushes. However, Mya hung back for a final time. There was one more hurdle to address.

"And Dani?"

Daniela turned back to face her.

"I forgive you. For everything."

The words, ones truly so unexpected, yet so heartwarming, made Daniela's heart melt. After *everything* they'd gone through, their conflicting frame of mind, Harlow's influence, and the fighting... Mya's heart had returned.

She finally - and truly - saw Daniela as a redeemed person.

Mya then flung herself at Daniela, and for the first time in their history, the two shared a fond, loving hug, their personal connection making them glow brighter than the stars.

"Right. The battle awaits us. Come on!" Daniela exclaimed, and she and Mya ran side-by-side back through Hollowleaf Forest, dead set on ending this war once and for all.

Two minutes later, foiliage had been trampled, stamped on by desperate shoes and boots, and the clearing opened up for Mya and Daniela. Atop the hill, they got a glimpse of the war. What Mya saw was *revolting*.

Near a set of trees, Amira fought Ivanna desolately, battered and bloodied. Her face had multiple, purple bruises, and her hair was ruffled and dusty. Despite her lean figure and swiftness, she was clearly exhausted, and Ivanna was gaining the upper hand on her. As for the female Parker, her silver hair was a mess, blouse ripped and shredded in multiple places, and a streak of blood ran from her cheek to her chin.

Beside them, Winter lay on the ground, still passed out, blood-stained knife now resting by her hand.

"Ami isn't gonna last much longer!" Mya whispered, her eyes not leaving her at all. "What should we do?"

Her question would never get answered, as just a second later, an ear-splitting scream rang out throughout the clearing. One Mya knew all too well. Her heart thudded violently, falling to the bottom of her stomach.

That scream was *Evie's*, and she finally brought herself to turn to her.

She wished she hadn't.

Evie had been cornered up against a thick pine tree with gnarled roots by Harlow, a cut on her left cheek smeared with dried blood. She had bruises under her chin, and one of her sleeves had been torn. Like Amira, she too was critically exhausted, and Harlow took advantage of her weakness.

Snarling, he jumped up against her, pulling a *pistol* straight out of one his back pockets, loading it. Evie screamed again in sheer agony, backing up.

Suddenly, Harlow kicked her in the stomach viciously, and she flew back into the tree, sinking to the ground, terribly winded. Her foot *twisted* upon impacting the dirt, and she cried out in blazing pain. The world was blurred in her vision, her glasses uneven, but she managed to re-adjust them.

Just in time to see Harlow pointing a *gun* at her *face*. She went *mute*, unable to speak a word. Around her, she was reliving the day she was baited into that dreadful, *revolting* game of Russian roulette, except this time, the stakes were higher.

And Harlow was almost certainly going to murder her in cold blood.

But Mya *would never* allow it to happen.

"No!" She exclaimed, retreating into her mind to build a plan. Harlow was going to fire soon, and Evie would die.

Not unless she took the bullet first.

Then she got the idea.

"I know what I have to do. Dani, just trust me on this one, okay?"

Daniela took her hand briefly. "All my faith is in you, Mya. Whatever it is you need to do."

"Alright. It's game on." After whispering something into her ear briefly, Mya crept toward Harlow steathily, managing to near him just as he began to speak. Bingo.

Evie knew it was over. Her foot throbbed like *crazy*, and she had definitely sprained it. She couldn't get up. She couldn't move or run.

She raised her arms to her face, peering through them to hear Harlow chuckle.

"You should have *never* messed with the Parker name, Evie," Harlow warned, tone full of toxic madness. "I hope you're happy with the fate you've chosen. Prepare to say goodbye to *everything* you've ever known!"

He laid one finger on the trigger, about to pull back.

Evie gasped, shutting her eyes.

In less than five seconds, she would be dead.

"***FREEZE***!"

Startled out of his wits, Harlow lowered the gun, and Evie, stunned, reluctantly lowered her defensive stature.

Harlow turned behind him.

There, much to his absolute *shock* and ire, stood the defiant, no-nonsense, and warbringer Mya Heartley, who faced him with visible disgust, hatred, and determination. This was *not* the girl he had told to run away anymore.

"**WHAT**?!" He screeched. "You should have *ran away* by now! What are you doing here???"

"How is this *possible*?" Ivanna shrieked from some distance away, becoming distracted. Amira, with a triumphant smirk, leapt on her back, pinning her to the ground. "Last laugh," she muttered.

"Yeah, I really should have ran out of here by now," Mya agreed, just the slighest hint of amusement in her voice. "But I've come back, Harlow - because I have an *offer* for you."

Even more surprised, Harlow hung his pistol by his waistline, and Evie peered around him.

"Go on," Harlow encouraged gruffly, intrigued. Evie whimpered, not liking a single direction this was going in.

"I want you to spare Evie's life..."

She trailed off, preparing what she wanted to say next.

Harlow scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, please, what kind of an offer is-"

"...And *kill me instead*."

Harlow gasped, the look on his face *priceless*. Compared to the ruthless murderer he just was, he now looked like he saw the ghosts of Elloise and Luca Heartley staring him down. His lips trembled - the vicious nature inside of him temporarily subsiding in the wake of Mya's words.

"You said *what*?" Ivanna questioned to Mya, her mouth gaping open, which displeased Amira, and she punched her jaw upward. Ivanna sunk back to the ground, wincing.

"You're right when you say I'm a *criminal*, Harlow," Mya started, her chest puffed out, bountiful with pride. "No one deserves me after what I've done. *Absolutely nobody*. I stand here, fighting, but knowing that *I don't belong here*. I won't belong in Pineshadow ever again - I'm an outcast. A rogue. Almost a killer. That is why I want you to *kill me* and spare the brilliant, intelligent young girl behind you."

"Mya, please!" Evie was trembling and crying at the same time - let alone staring at her was heartbreaking. "You don't have to do this... After everything we've fought for, I can't *lose you*!" Harlow silenced her by pointing his gun at her temple.

"No, Evie. I'm sorry. It's my time to *atone* for my actions and my mistakes - ones I will *never* be able to go back from. When I die, Pineshadow will heal again. They don't need a traitor like me among their ranks..."

Tearfully, she pointed to her girlfriend, and she stared at her finger intently. She was singling her out - but not for malicious intent this time.

"But Evie has never done anything morally wrong. She never defected to darkness. Shed her blood to pledge a war. All she's done is work hard to save the place we all live in, and she's done all she can to protect the girls. Bled all of herself to set us free. Meanwhile, I haven't. I almost killed her. Disowned someone I never should have disowned. Strained my relationship with my girlfriend, *my love*, all for greed and power. It was *never* worth it... Evie *must* live. I can't."

Harlow had been moved by her words, and he inched closer to his granddaughter, leaving Evie to cower by the gnarled tree's roots, trepidation marring her battered body.

Mya hung her head low, arms crossed over each other. The pose of defeat.

"There's no future for me anymore. I took a hammer and destroyed it. If I live, the days will remain in darkness because of me. Everything I've loved is torn to pieces. I can't live a single second on this earth any longer knowing this. *Kill me*, Harlow. Death's waiting to claim me, and you're the only one who can fulfill that. Spare Evie, take me instead."

"Very well, if you insist..." Harlow replied, his voice having just a hint of a rattle from Mya's unexpected, gut-wrenching request. She wanted an assisted suicide, and it was inconceivable, but he wasn't a person to say no to this demand either.

He raised his gun, pointing it square at Mya's forehead. Seconds ticked away, and in less than a minute, Mya's sacrifice would be complete. She'd be collapsed on the grass, bleeding out from her head, while Evie escaped to live another day.

The dark was set on *fire*, and the storm was *unleashed*.

Harlow put his finger on the pistol's trigger, staring at his granddaughter with two eyes poised to make the requested murder. "Any last words?" He asked, quizzing her with narrow, prying snake-like eyes.

This was when Mya's adrenaline kicked in. This was when her gears switched courses.

This is when the tables were *turned*.

"I have *always* been more than just a mortal." A wide, sneaking smirk was on her face.

Harlow paused, puzzled out of his *sanity*. "Child, what are you-"

And without warning, a battle cry rung out behind him. Before Harlow could even react, Daniela had slammed into him from behind, and he went careening into the dirt. His gun flew out of his hand and landed on a tree root near Evie. Her eyes were stretched unbelievably wide in astonishment as she took in the new scene taking form in front of her.

Mya hadn't actually wanted to die. She had *convinced* Harlow of that, but here she was, still standing and proud.

She had *fooled him*!

As Harlow muttered on the ground in pain, Daniela bunched up with Mya back-to-back, and they stared at each other, sharing courage and the hunger to end this battle in whatever way possible.

They were *in it* to *win it*.

"Dani, you know what to do. Help Amira fight Ivanna. I'm gonna take this bonehead on *myself*," Mya instructed.

Daniela winked. "My pleasure, Mya." She ran off to Amira's side, skidding up next to her.

The *real* final battle had begun.

"*Traitorous scum*!" Harlow hissed, crawling up to his feet. "You will *rue* the day you stained this family's line!"

"I don't think I will, *asshat*!" Mya retorted. She rose up into the air, and for a graceful moment, she grew the feathers of a phoenix. Then, she landed on Harlow's back with both feet.

Agitated, and seeking vengenace, he threw her off and to the ground, pinning her. A triumphant, toothy grin emerged on his face.

However, Mya wasn't ready to give in yet. "Betcha haven't learned what *these* bad boys can do." As swift as a blowdart, she spat in Harlow's only good eye, and he fell back, trying to rub the disgusting slobber off of himself.

While he was distracted, Mya charged forward with her head, headbutting Harlow, and he groaned, severely pained. Blood leaked out of his nose, satisfying Mya. *It's what you deserve.*

"Oh, you son of a..." Harlow growled, stumbling back up to face Mya's persistent challenge that she easily countered with a valiant fist and swift kicks.

Back near another set of trees, Amira and Daniela lined up in front of a snarling, wild Ivanna, her blue eyes seething with hate.

"Ready to kick ass, Ami?" Daniela inquired.

"I was *born* ready to do this. Roll out!"

Swiftly, Amira slid under Ivanna's legs, surprising her, and she stumbled around, trying to find where she had gone. Once she had turned away, Daniela swung a fist at her cheek, and the force was so jarring that Ivanna heard a *crack*.

Her cheek hurt like *fire*. Daniela must've broken something. It only made her loathe her more.

Spitting teeth and blood from her mouth, Ivanna flung herself at her rebellious foe, pinning both of her wrists behind her back. Her lips were stained in scarlet blood that she licked away with a snake-like tongue.

"Hey, you *wicked witch* of the *west*! Mess with my *best friend*, and you'll be burnt at the **STAKE**!" Amira declared, snarling. She jumped up into the air and came crashing down on Ivanna, hand landing on her soft, silver hair.

*Payback is magic, hag!* With a single, effortless move, she ripped a strand of Ivanna's hair completely off her head, dropping it on the ground daintily.

"You're welcome!" She jeered, nodding in a seemingly polite manner.

"Why *you*...!" Screaming in rage, Ivanna bore down on Amira, grabbing her by the cheek and then slamming her violently into the ground. Stunned, her bearings spiraled, and Ivanna took the opportunity to sock her on the side of her head with her boot heel. Amira yelped, and the sound of it was *morbid* to Daniela.

Just as she bear-hugged her foe, squeezing her body to restrain her, grunts and yowls caught Ivanna's attention, causing her to turn toward the other side of the clearing.

There, Mya rose up into the air and kicked Harlow on his chest. His face was bloodied, part of his jaw crooked, teeth missing. Bruises were scattered along his forehead, and his clothes were badly tattered.

"*Harlow*!" Seeds of fury and retribution, which had been planted into Ivanna's head the day the Heartleys chose to make a mockery out of the Parkers, went into full growth. She flung Daniela off of her body with an effortless flick and charged toward the other battle, fists clenched and hungers out of control, leaving Daniela to tend to Amira in shock.

"Want more, Harlow?" Mya teased as she ducked under him, then kicked him in the stomach, two blows enough to make him cough.

Harlow saw something out of the corner of his eye then. Hope. A glimmer still remaining in the fog.

Mya was *going* to fall. He'd make sure of it.

As his granddaughter made a move for his exposed chest, he struck her in the neck with an enclosed, rock-hard fist. The air left Mya's body fast, and dizzy, she fell right back onto the ground.

*No you don't!* She thought, leaping back up to her feet with ease. She turned around and ran straight into the figure of Ivanna Parker.

Her heart *sunk* as Ivanna shoved her out in the middle of the clearing. Now, *both* Parkers had joined in the battle against her.

She was *stranded* out in the open with no single way to escape the brutal, heartless killers circling their prey.

"What!? *No*!" Daniela yowled in the distance, Amira clinging onto her arm, exhausted, but worried.

From her spot by the tree, Evie gasped, horror taking ahold of her, icy hands and everything. Throughout the battle, she had been cheering for Mya and Daniela; the two were remarkable and a duo that worked splendidly. But now, Harlow and Ivanna had the advantage, and Mya was alone - nobody was there to help defend her.

*I can't defend her.*

*She... She's surrounded!*

Harlow and Ivanna continued to circle around Mya, sheer menace and greed in their slitted eyes. Mya's stomach turned inside out, and every instinct told her to dig a burrow, run away, and hide.

"What's wrong, Mya? Was that show of dominance all just a *lie*?" Harlow taunted.

"Your time is *over*, Mya. The atonement plot was great and all, but now it's *clear* you're just a weak little crybaby," Ivanna added.

Stranded in the open

Dried out tears of sorrow

Mya growled, attempting to rebuild herself back up. She *had* to win. She just *had* to! Pineshadow was in jeopardy!

"Oh, Mya. You seriously think you can win this? *Just give up*. Besides, what would your *parents* think when they find out you let us shoot up the town? That you almost killed the person you loved the most?"

The blow was a *dagger* to Mya's throat, one that hurt more than the backstab wound, and she fell to the ground, struggling to fight the tears that wanted to sail from her eyes and down to her ripped, stained shirt.

*Her parents* had been gone for more than a day now. Harlow and Ivanna were the reason they were missing. They didn't know of her bad motives and her lust for power.

Lacking all emotion

Staring down the barrel waiting for the

*If... If they find out I tried to kill Evie and almost did it...*

*I would never be their daughter again.*

She sniffed, a few tears falling from her face.

Daniela, seeing everything unfold, saw her hopes diminishing. Mya couldn't let the light in her burn out now. She had to keep glowing bright!

"Mya, you have the ability to *vanquish this darkness*! You are more than your mistakes!" She exclaimed.

"Come on, Mya! Believe in yourself! Rise up!" Amira joined in.

Evie said nothing, but willed her girlfriend on silently, praying for herself to remain loyal and true.

Meanwhile, beside another tree on the right of the clearing, Winter finally stirred after what seemed like an hour. Her eyes reluctantly blinked awake, and her head throbbed, her entire body sore.

In her vision, she could see figures. And Mya.

Wait a damn minute. *Mya*?

*Mya* was in the clearing *surrounded* by Harlow and Ivanna Parker.

All she could to do to comprehend her sudden burst of terror was gasp.

Mya retreated into her inner thoughts. There were many repurcussions to this battle. She'd lose the respect of Pineshadow, her reputation was in tatters, and her parents would never accept her again.

Final gates to open

To a new tomorrow

*I'm just a rogue.*

It was almost easy for her to fall under the pressure and give up, let Harlow and Ivanna burn her entire family to ashes.

But inside, a spark remained in her heart. That spark grew into a fire. Then a wildfire. Then a full-blown *inferno*.

Mya was no rogue. She wasn't a criminal. She wasn't a queen.

She was Mya Elise Heartley, and as long as she'd breathe, she'd go down knowing one thing.

Harlow and Ivanna Parker would *never* see the light of day *again*.

Slowly, she ascended back up, shocking Harlow and Ivanna, who reeled backwards.

"*What*?!" Ivanna shrieked.

Moving with the motion

Following the light that sets me free

Mya spun around, casting lethal green eyes onto her stunned grandparents.

"You thought this battle was over. But you're wrong! This battle is *not over* as long as you two remain alive. I'm not going to let that happen. Until my dying breath, I'm going to take you down, and make you **REAP WHAT YOU HAVE SEWN**!"

Sets me free

It was a true second wind for Mya, and in that moment, she thought she was just as powerful as a phoenix.

Truly reborn.

Infuriated, Harlow and Ivanna tried to lunge at her, but Mya *leapt* high into the air, the highest she had ever leapt, and both Parkers smashed into each other, stumbling around in a daze.

"Dani! About time we finished this!" Daniela appeared at her side upon hearing her heavenly summoning.

"Hell yeah. Wanna trade places? There's a sack of ground baloney I need to *shred* here."

Mya nodded, and while Daniela went straight for Harlow, she took on Ivanna, who was descending into insanity the more this battle raged on.

"You *drugged me*, Ivanna! You wanted me silent so you could scheme. And the cat's out of the bag. It's ***JUDGMENT DAY***!" Mya roared as she came down on Ivanna's face with two war-torn fists. Blow to her cheek. Blow under her chin. Two blows to the side of her forehead. She wasn't stopping.

After a minute, blood spilled out of Ivanna's mouth, and her cheeks were turning purple with fresh bruises. It only made Mya more determined to eliminate her.

As for Daniela, she smiled wickedly. Harlow growled, jumping on her and grabbing her waistline.

"I'm gonna r-"

"Don't even think about it, bozo brain!" Daniela scratched across his scarred cheek with her nails, and Harlow winced. Then, Daniela jumped on him, *pummeling* his face with strike upon strike upon blow upon painful, blissful agony.

To him, this was psychological torment. To Daniela, it was her well-deserved revenge. She could hear the bones breaking in his jaw and the gargle of blood in his mouth, all while she screamed, "This is for trying to assault me! This is for poisoning Mya with your filthy plans! *This* is for trying to have us all **KILLED**!"

*Feels so good to be bad for one day,* she thought, her heart beaming.

"To think I let myself be *seduced* by you!" Harlow sputtered, placing a hand around her neck and digging in, momentarily catching her off guard. "I'll see to it that there's no bit of *air* left in your body!"

Much to his utter, dumbfounded *increduilty*, Daniela them remarked, "Damn, that's quite *sexy*. Keep squeezing me, boy. I *enjoy* the pleasure that comes with the pain."

"*You're a maso*-" Daniela punched his scandal-monging lips, giving him no chance to even confirm his suspicions out loud, and she kept punching away at him, making sure those clothes and his face were to her temporary sadist liking.

For a tense minute, she and Mya ducked under the Parkers, swatted at them, and served blow after blow brimming with rage and vengeance, truly melding into a force combined. Mya swerved left of Ivanna, distracting her enough to land another blow on her cheek. Ducking with the pain, she didn't see her granddaughter barreling toward her, and she swung her fist at her forehead.

Howling, Ivanna fell back onto the ground, out cold. Harlow snarled, saliva dripping from his lips, clearly desperate to win this battle now that his wife was out. However, Daniela still had unfinished business to tend to, so she punched the back of his neck. Instant knockout, and just like Ivanna, he went limp and fell to the ground next to her like a domino.

Panting, Mya wiped rivulets of sweat off her face, also taking opportunity to rub off the blood. She definitely had a lot of scratches and cuts, in addition to bruises, from the fight. Daniela looked relatively unscathed, much to her surprise, but her face had some bruises and cuts like her own. That rockstar fit worked wonders.

The Parkers still didn't move. Mya felt her hope build a little.

"I don't know if it's over yet," she admitted to Daniela, moving close to her. "But this is the next calm before the storm. Check on Amira-" She paused, glancing at Amira and noticing another girl had crawled up to her knees. Her heart leapt. *Winter*!

Winter had finally awoken after being knocked out earlier, and she looked confused and stunned at the same time.

"Actually, check on Amira *and* Winter. I'll stay with Evie."

"You got it!" Daniela saluted Mya briefly before rushing off to examine her friends.

Mya, on the other hand, ran back up to the tree where Evie lay by, and her heart thudded seeing her girlfriend looking at her through narrow, exhausted, and fearful eyes.

Evie leaned up a tad, meeting her concerned gaze. "Is the battle over?" She questioned hoarsely.

"It seems to be, but we don't have much time left. We *have* to get out of here before Harlow and Ivanna get back up again," she said, taking her hands. The warmth was welcoming and so spine-tingling at the same time.

She tried to pull Evie up, but she grunted in pain and fell back. For the first time, Mya saw her sprained ankle; it was twisted a few degrees sharply to the right. "Oh, Evie... I'm so sorry-" She began to apologize, tears forming in her eyes...

Until a loud, shrill, and *horror-inducing* voice spoke from behind her.

"***ENOUGH***!"

The warmth in Mya's body turned to *ice*.

She turned around.

And there, right in front of her, was Harlow Parker, his jaw crooked and almost certainly broken in several places. Much of his front teeth had been shattered, and his face was splattered with bloody cuts, his jacket and inside shirt torn apart and bloodied.

Mya screamed, falling right up against Evie, and she could feel her mortified heartbeat against the back of her chest.

Even more so when Harlow pulled *another* gun out of his *other* pocket, pointing it at the two with so much malice that Mya thought her heart was going to *explode*. Hate and manic, chaotic energy brimmed in Harlow's hazel and gray eyes.

Without a single doubt, that gun was *loaded*. And he was ready to kill them *both*.

"*Mya*!" Winter screamed in the distance, stumbling up to stand beside Amira, who linked her arm with her own.

Daniela looked on, the hope in her that almost faded earlier close to fading again.

"Fight him, Mya. Please," she begged, voice cracked.

Out of the corner of her mind, Mya remembered that Harlow had lost his previous gun when she had started to fight him, and it still rested against a tree root within arm's reach. Before she could even know what she was doing, she grabbed it with both hands and raised it up, aiming it at Harlow, a finger on the trigger.

Evie gasped, hiding behind her defiant girlfriend.

"I'll **KILL YOU**, Harlow!" Mya threatened vehemently. "I'll *pull* this goddamn trigger and do god's work in taking you out, whether you want it or **NOT**!"

Harlow scoffed, laughing at her threat, which to him, was so pathetically meager. "Oh, *please*... You don't know *how* to shoot a gun like I can, Mya. You seriously think you can defeat *me*? The greatest mastermind in Pineshadow's ***HISTORY***?"

Brushing his finger along his chin, he cracked his neck back, pistol still pointed at both Evie and Mya. "I **MADE YOU** into a ***MONSTER***, Mya! You should have ran away and never returned, but of course, you have to play the role of a hero and try salvaging everything you blew into pieces. Less I remind you that you're a *putrid double-crosser* that caused your parents to disappear from Pineshadow? ***YOU RUINED YOUR LIFE***!"

Mya shrunk, crawling back until she had unintentionally pinned Evie against the tree. Her hands were shaking madly, making the gun rattle in her hands. Evie dug her fingernails into her shoulders.

Harlow snickered once more, elated and never going to come back down from his high. "You had *every card* in your hand, Mya. Yet you let them slip, let yourself grow all soft. Why would you think I'd want some *demon* like you for a lackey?"

He altered the position of his gun - letting it point itself at Mya's *forehead*. Mya gulped, swallowing down everything.

Harlow briefly chuckled. A deathly snicker. "You were the greatest granddaughter I could have had... And here you are. Trying to think you can *out-criminal* the most *intelligent* criminals in all of Pineshadow! A shame you will go down as such a *colossial* failure. It's about time those *snake eyes* of yours were elimated... **FOR GOOD**!"

He moved it even closer to Mya's forehead, and her lips trembled, one arm still shakily pointing that gun.

This was it. This was the final moment of her and Evie's *lives*.

Harlow had won. He was going to mercilessly slaughter them *both* and go on to take Pineshadow down one by one.

She hadn't done enough to stop him.

Daniela, Winter, and Amira watched on, helpless, Ivanna blocking their path hastily.

Squeaking, Mya managed to hold the gun steady, fingers ready to pull the trigger herself in a last ditch-effort to prevent her entire world from crashing down around her again.

Harlow smiled. Smiled knowing he would relish in murder once more after all these years. The two dark horses who had tried to take him down would be dead.

He was seeing far more than just *red*.

"This is what you chose, Mya Heartley... You pathetic little chosen one!"

In Evie's eyes, time slowed down. Almost *froze* completely. Her surroundings melted right before her, turning into cozy walls with shelves, a table, and all antiques in her presence.

She was right back in Winter's cabin. Chained to a table against her will. Right in front of her was a mysterious man, and next to a shelf, Mya and Winter were bound together. She was playing a tumultuous game of Russian roulette to save them both.

She saw the fear in Mya's eyes.

She saw the gleam of satisfaction in the man's eyes.

She saw the gun in his hand.

She saw the execution about to take place.

Evie could **never** let it happen.

*You will NEVER take my girlfriend from me!*

"*No*!" She exclaimed suddenly, returning to the dark and mysterious atmosphere of Hollowleaf Forest.

Time was still slow.

And Evie did not stop her body from falling forward, allowing herself to grab onto Mya firmly, pulling back with all her might.

Mya was startled beyond comprehension, and her hand went flying up. Her finger was curled on the trigger.

Before she even knew it, her finger went all the way back. The *trigger* was pulled back.

All of a sudden, the *loudest bang* the girls had ever heard went off, and screaming, Mya dropped the gun in front of her, jumping back into Evie, and they whammed into the tree with a *thud*.

With shock, Mya realized that she made the gun *discharge*.

A single, thin, gold bullet went straight for Harlow's head. Too late, he didn't notice it, too aghast to move, too transfixed on his granddaughter.

The bullet pierced his forehead in a sole, crushing, *lethal* blow. Blood dripped from the wound.

Harlow groaned, swaying and dropping the other pistol. His body went slack, and he landed on the ground.

Three seconds later, his body was still.

He was dead.

"Holy shrimp," Amira breathed.

Mya's face was *mortified*, distorting with disbelief, trepidation, and everything else she had experienced, all swirling around her.

*I killed Harlow. I actually killed him. I'm... I'm a murderer!*

"***HARLOW***!" Ivanna screamed in anguish, rushing over to her dead husband and shaking him violently, sobbing, her wails breaking the air. "Please, you can't be dead! No! Please wake up... *Please*!"

Mya almost wanted to feel bad for Ivanna and take pity on her.

Nah. That *old hag* deserved hell. No need to throw a pity party for her.

Crawling up to her feet, she put a hand on Evie's shoulder. "Stay here, I'm going to check on the other girls," she stated.

Evie nodded, understanding in her dark green eyes.

Swiftly, Mya bolted toward the other girls, being careful as to not perturb Ivanna, who's grief would likely make her more ruthless should she be noticed.

She reached Daniela by a tree, and Amira and Winter were by her side. The latter two were holding hands, and Winter had her other placed on her head.

"Are you all okay?" She whispered.

"All clear here," Amira reported. "But okay, did you just *shoot* Harlow?"

Mya confirmed this nervously with a small nod. "I'm... I'm a killer! Am I going to go to jail for this?"

"Nah." Daniela disagreed. "You had a valid reason to kill him, and also, you killed him in self-defense. That *inglorious* smelly boot was gonna murder you and Ev and likely finish off the rest of us. So, I think you committed a crime *worth* committing." She winked at her - clearly proud of her "good girl gone bad" move.

"Phew. That's a relief." Mya then strode up to Winter, who gazed at her with ice-blue eyes so piercing that she blushed.

"M-Mya," she stuttered. "You did it... You *saved* us!"

"I did what I had to do. The *right* thing," she murmured, noticing Winter's gash that she gave her - worth a shudder - was reopened again.

"The... The gash... Do you feel alright?"

"I-"

"***YOU MURDERER***!"

Jolted out of her compelled state, Mya swirled around, along with the rest of the girls, to find Ivanna glaring insane blue *fire* at them. Harlow's other gun was in her hand, and she had it loaded and aimed at Mya.

Screaming, she backed up into the other girls, and they crowded around her as if they were fish in a pond.

Ivanna *stormed* up to her granddaughter, her mouth twisted in a scowl filled with poison, and she placed the gun right up against Mya's *chest*.

She wanted her *heart* on a silver *platter*.

"I don't know how long it will take, but I will **DISMEMBER YOUR BODY** *piece by piece* until nothing is **LEFT** of your backstabbing *behind*, you sack of *pus*!" She growled, curling one of her wrinkled fingers around the trigger, poised to pull when she wanted to.

"Oh," she then added, "*Then* I'll shoot up your precious little gang of girls and make sure all of you **REPENT** for what you've done to **MY HARLOW**!" Her hair was wild, bun loose and untamed. Her top lit was semi-split, teeth were missing, and blood droplets were scattered all across her ripped blouse.

Ivanna had the appearance of a *psycho*. She pretty much *was* a psycho.

Bonnie would not compare to her at this point.

But Mya, for one, didn't feel the fear anymore. Around those she loved - her beloved sister Winter, the spunky and rebellious Amira, and good girl gone bad gone good Daniela, her true light in the dark in this moment - she only grew stronger. Ever the more protestant. And even more *defiant*. The embers of the phoenix still glowed in her, but it was time to spark back up again.

One more target was in her sightlines, and she too needed to *repent* for her grisly crimes.

"Want to kill me, Ivanna? *Then bring it*!" Mya snapped in protest, her leaf-green eyes asking her to fulfill her challenge. Winter had her knife back in her hand, and the girls were ready to all fight Ivanna.

With a potent war cry, Ivanna charged at Mya, expecting her to crumple from her force and the gunshot she would plant in her heart.

She was *sorely*, very *sorely*, mistaken.

As a figure clad in black leather ran in front of her, slamming the gun sky high, and confused, she looked up, trying to find where it had gone.

It fell down, down, down.

And right into the hands of Daniela Burton Vunquist.

"**WHAT**?!" Ivanna was *dumbfounded*, her face a laughing stock and priceless. "*How*?"

"You're a dumbass, Ivanna," Daniela said simply, smiling jokingly at her. "Yeah, you're a *dumbass*. You thought with your head and first instinct. What good will it do to you to *kill Mya*? Hmm?"

"She *killed* my husband! Payback is-"

"Magic. Nope! Payback is only sweet to the enemy till it ain't so sweet anymore. Killing Mya because she *killed* your husband won't ever bring Harlow back to life. I would presume you have been watching too much *Young Frankenstein*..."

"I have *not*!" Ivanna retorted indignantly, arms crossed.

"Oh, look at you being the child," Daniela teased. "What, you didn't get a lollipop at the candy store and you're throwing a tantrum over it! Even I was more professional than *you* ever were."

"Shots fired!" Winter whispered into Amira's ear, and she giggled. Never had a fight looked so entertaining in her life.

"On a scale of one to ten, Ivanna, you're a six. Great villain, tried to kill us all, already a killer, carbon copy of Bonnie. But you never had wit and determination of a *true* villain. Has anyone seen you outside of who you think you are in your puny head of yours?" Daniela was *having* a blast, but Ivanna was *humiliated*.

How *dare* this child pander her in such an *agonizing* way?

"**I WILL KILL YOU, YOU INSIDIOUS TWAT**!" She screeched, dashing toward her. Instead, Daniela put the gun she was *still* holding right at her neck, making her back up.

"I bet Mya's told you, but shall I remind you that *I* once floated in the same boat as you?" She laid her finger on the silver trigger. "Evil held me in its clutches for a straight year, all because I let myself believe my ex caused my downfall. I prayed on everyone's suffering, lusted for pain and seeking to destroy my enemies. At one point, the girls who are now *my friends* almost died at my hands. But unlike you, I actually *fought* for my redemption. Tooth and nail. I gave up my ways for a better life. I made amends and now? I'm the person I want to be..."

She moved the gun up to Ivanna's chin, and she growled at her, a rabid dog wanting to tear her prey apart.

"People like you will *never* change, Ivanna. You're hellbent on murder. Harlow *deserved* to die for what he did in that broken house of his to me. For what he did to Mya. And I can *kill you* right now if I want to, which, I'm pretty certain I'm gonna do."

Ivanna backed up, one of her eyes twitching, that twisted, aggressive scowl still on her face. "Oh, there is no *way* you could possibly kill me! You're a **CHILD**! You're in no way as powerful as *I am*!"

Daniela walked up to her again, pointing the gun at her face. "Then *try me*."

She walked even closer to Ivanna until they almost touched chins.

"*Bitch*."

"Ooh *snap*!" Amira cheered, perplexed and jumping for joy at the same time. Winter and Mya watched in *amazement*.

"***YOU MONSTROUS DEMON CHILD***!" Ivanna roared, *livid* and steam pouring out of her ears. Stomping her foot, she tried to grab Daniela, but she sidestepped. That gun was in her hands. She backed up, gaining more ground and giving Ivanna more room to charge.

Ivanna, so desperate to avenge Harlow and to destroy the other girls, blindly charged at the blatantly disrespectful, foul-mouthed child in front of her.

Daniela raised the gun, and when the Parker got close enough to her, she swung it at her face.

*Crack*!

Ivanna stumbled backwards, hands covering her forehead, which blistered in volcanic-level pain. She muttered a slurry of curses to herself, still backing up into Hollowleaf Forest.

Without warning, her boot heel caught in a very gnarled tree root, becoming lodged in between it and the ground. She fell back, unable to see a jagged rock behind her.

The next thing the girls knew, Ivanna came crashing down on it with a horrendous *snap*. Her head lolled to the side, her eyes still open.

The fall had instantly killed her.

Daniela stared ahead, a proud gleam in her amber eyes, and Mya joined her side. Quickly, she tossed the gun aside into the woods. No one was likely to discover it for a long time now.

"It's *over*. Harlow and Ivanna are dead. Pineshadow hasn't fallen. We've *won*," Mya proclaimed boldly, the embers inside of her still burning.

*She'd done it*. Harlow and Ivanna had been slain, and now, the girls were free. Mya felt like herself again.

"We did it!" Daniela whispered in her ear, and Mya nodded at her.

The two really had proved they were capable of redemption.

"Mya!" A voice called, and her heart soaring into the skies, Mya turned to find Winter looking at her lovingly.

"Winter!" She jumped right up to her, seeing her battle-scarred, bloodstained face. "Your face..."

*No. That gash...*

*I gave her that. I wanted her to suffer...*

"I... Winter, I gave you that gash... When I robbed our family... I'm so sorry, I know you won't want to forgive me." Instead, Winter brushed away the tears from her eyes, deftly and affectionately. Mya blushed.

You paint a picture in my mind

You want to leave it all behind

"I'll be okay, sis. All things will heal with time."

Mya felt the stars above her glow a little brighter. *True that, Winter.* At once, Mya pulled Winter close in a tight hug, resting her chin on her shoulder.

In a world that's turning all the time

Nothing could stop me longing for your eyes

"I missed you, Mya. I really did," Winter then admitted, and Mya smiled. "I don't wanna quit hugging you ever again."

"I can't let you go. I should have *never* disowned you. You're still my sister, and *that* alone will never change."

I won't let it die

I can feel you when you're not around

"Oh come here, you adorable dork!" Winter teased, pulling Mya up to her, and in a pure moment of sisterly affection, she kissed her on the cheek.

Mya blushed, and her heart thumped. Winter had *never* kissed her before - but it opened up her gates, and her heart sprouted wings. They were sisters once more.

When the night gets cold

I won't, I won't, I won't

I won't, I won't

I won't be alone

Light footsteps then approached her, and Mya recognized the beautiful, thin brown eyes of Amira.

"Ami... You were right. I turned into Shetani and forced you to relive your trauma again. I'm sorry," Mya apologized, sullen.

We won't be alone

"Don't sweat it, Mya. It's said and done. Besides, *all* of us have gone through some real traumatizing stuff."

"Wanna hang out more with me? I... We really should spend more time together. As friends."

"Bet!" The two hugged, and Amira giggled, which warmed Mya even more.

Pulling out of the fond embrace, Mya locked her stare on the last remaining girl she hadn't embraced tonight. Her hero, savior, and resident badass with the courage of no other.

"You know... I'm here standing because of one of us. I came back to end this war because of a very special girl whom I judged too harshly. She deserves of all our support, and I couldn't thank her enough..."

Before Winter and Amira could take their guess, Mya strode right up to Daniela, who was blushing and had a wide smile on her face.

"Thank you, Dani," she whispered, and the two held hands.

"*Dani*?" Winter was *flabbergasted*. "*You're* the one who rescued her?"

Daniela nodded shyly.

We won't, we won't

We won't be alone

"I took a chance on faith tonight because she taught me something - everyone is more than their mistakes," Mya stated, crossing her arms neatly and gazing at Daniela as she spoke.

"*We* all are more. I see Mya as every single color of the rainbow. She's a warrior, I am too, and so are the rest of us combined. I had to do what was right, and if it meant running into a forest to find her, then I was happy I was able to be the friend she needed. I *always* will be."

Her face then turned pink, a flustered mess that she sometimes was when a little too proud. "Uh, did I also just kill somebody as a good guy?"

"Of course you did, you nicknork!" Amira snorted, jumping onto her for a hug. Winter and Mya joined in, cheering her name, and Daniela's entire face went red out of her pride and embarrassment.

She wondered if *this* was what being a hero was like. Who was she even kidding? She really was a hero.

"You're my savior," a voice told her quietly. Mya. She touched her nose to Daniela's, and closing her eyes, Daniela felt truly at home.

"Mya!" A voice rasped from a distance away, and it was a voice Mya knew all too well. Adrenaline shot through her veins again, and her heart stopped kicking.

We won't be alone

By that one tree, Evie had tried clambering to her feet, struggling to get to her girlfriend with such a strong yearning in her eyes that it Mya *move*. Swiftly. Quicker than a lightning bug, she joined her side.

"Evie! Relax, it's okay. Let me help you up." She clasped Evie's wrists and yanked, but Evie shrieked and went back on the ground again.

Her sprained ankle was a burning fire, one which wouldn't go away. Mya imagined a giant hand whapping her on the face for putting more pressure on the pain.

"Oh, your ankle... Here. Stay on your knees. It won't hurt as badly that way," she eased, and Evie obliged. *Much* better. Her heart was aching, and for the first time that night, Mya saw how truly battered she was. Her shirt was ripped, one sleeve almost completely torn off. Multiple battle scars tore through the soft flesh on her cheeks, and blood and dust covered her clothes. She had faced the brunt of Harlow's wrath and almost lost her life. Almost, if it hadn't been for *Mya*.

This lake of fire burns my skin

How could love wear so thin?

"Oh, what have I done..." Mya whispered, voice shaky. Evie was hurt *because of her*. Because of her foolishness and callousness. Harlow had almost killed them all - and she'd almost killed her *love*.

"You... You don't *deserve me*, Evie. I tried to murder you in cold blood. Abandoned you. Branded you as scum. Made you suffer... I'm so sorry." Mya hung her head low, a single, lonesome tear falling from her eye and splashing onto the ground. How could Evie love her after she almost died *twice* that night? She was no better than Harlow and Ivanna.

Then, a soft, elegant, graceful hand touched her cheek, brushed her fingers along it tenderly. Mya's cheeks grew hot with the touch.

"You've atoned for everything... My valkyrie."

I'm sinking in the hollow ground

Nothing can stop me wanting you somehow

Her eyes widening, Mya finally glanced up at Evie, and right into eyes she single-handedly wanted to *die* for. Evie didn't hate her. No, she *never* did. Evie gazed at her so fondly and with the sweetest, most friendly smile ever, despite all the horrible actions and the war between them.

She had *never* even stopped loving Mya for a minute. That was clear now. Mya's heart galloped into motion, and she began to melt again. In the moonlight, here under this tree, she was free from the conformity of darkness and dagger-deep poison of the Parkers.

I won't let it die

I can feel you when you're not around

Mya longed for this feeling, the feeling she had so bitterly rejected in her path of power and royalty. Her heart opening up wide and ready to swallow it whole. She wanted it to take ahold of her body and make her fly away. Steadily, she grabbed Evie's wrist and pressed her hand against her cheek, wanting that lingering, passionate touch against her face for as long as she could savor it.

To her, the skies were parting, letting the moonlight dance around them in dapples. The leaves rustled soothingly. The earth opened up, and Mya heard whispers travel through the air.

Evie moved closer to her, and so did Mya, who wanted to get closer to her above all else. This was *their* moment, and she was more than determined to make it count.

When the night gets cold

I won't, I won't, I won't

I won't, I won't

I won't be alone

As gently as down feathers, Mya grazed her nose against Evie's, fondly, lovingly, and strongly. No, this was no fight for dominance, it was sheer passion and undeniable romance blossoming between the two. The touch of Evie's smooth skin against Mya's own ignited the fire inside of her, only making her want to touch her more. She rubbed her nose again. Shivers went right down her spine. This feeling was more than *enjoyable*. It was what she wanted to do *forever*.

She couldn't deny that the honey lingering on her tongue and the vanilla drifting through the air, all from *her* Evie, was beyond *irresistible*. Her skin was itching, her thoughts whirling, the sky splitting open.

But none of it was painful. None of it was agonizing.

*Every* moment she was with Evie, Mya was alive. She was free.

And all she wanted, right here and right now, in this battle-torn field, was to taste the secret sugar lying in plain sight, right on Evie's face.

We won't be alone

At that moment, Mya finally lost her remaining self-control and thrusted her face into Evie's, connecting her lips with her own in the most fiery, passionate kiss they had ever shared between them. The aching in the two did not ease, and they wanted more of each other, hearts throbbing, minds locked in bliss, eyes closed and dreaming away.

When Mya kissed Evie, she grew the wings and golden halo of an angel.

When Mya kissed Evie, she kept kissing her back, unable to hold herself back from biting down on her lip softly and gently.

When Mya kissed Evie this time, she felt *complete* as one, her insides being lit on fire, one she *never* wanted to be extinguished. Here in this clearing is where she wanted Evie to remain *hers* forever.

Aching for more, Mya wrapped her arm around Evie's neck and turned their simple kiss into a small make out session, which only made Evie lose more of her control, and she pulled Mya into her too.

They grazed noses, rubbed each other's cheeks. Felt each other's hair, giggled, and kissed again. They could not *stop*.

Harlow and Ivanna could never keep the two apart. Their love was *everlasting*.

Forged in fire together.

They were *one*.

They were *linked*.

We won't, we won't

We won't be alone

After a few minutes, and exhausted from their drug-inducing high, the two collapsed on the ground laughing, nestled close to each other.

Evie laid one of her arms around Mya's shoulder, her black hair sprawled out behind her. "I want to run away with you," she whispered.

Giggling, Mya nuzzled her under the chin, placing her head under it. "Yeah. We should. In our *imaginations*."

"Let's." Evie re-positioned herself so her nose touched Mya's neck; then, she pressed her lips against the skin, kissing there a few times, and Mya sighed peacefully. Oh, she had gone far too *long* without this!

Romance was bliss. She wasn't going to let go of her girlfriend again.

Speaking of her girlfriend... Mya got an idea. While Evie was still touching her neck with her nose, Mya snuck her hand across her back and right to her own neck - and started scratching.

"Hehehe! Hey! Stop! That tickles! Ahaha..." Evie laughed *hysterically*, and so did Mya. Love had returned.

She hadn't meant to, but she had fallen into Evie's arms. She loved her more than she could ever dream.

There was no place else she'd rather be. It was only her who could take away her pain.

We won't be alone

Looking up, Mya finally noticed the other girls looking at her and Evie, and faces flushing in sheer *embarrassment*, they sat up.

"Okay, chuckleheads," Daniela said, very clearly amused. "As much as we could sit here all day watching you two continue to fall in love... We have to *get out* of here before any weird stuff keeps happening."

"How are we even gonna go home?" Amira inquired.

Evie brightened, her face thoughtful. "Oh! I think Rex has been waiting for me for two hours..."

"**MOM**!?" Daniela's mouth gaped open, her amber eyes shocked.

"She said she'd wait as long as possible for me to speak to Mya... She *has* to still be here! I remember where she parked."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Daniela, still decently surprised, beckoned with her hand. "Come on!"

Mya staggered to her feet, gripping Evie's wrists in her hands, and finally, she managed to get Evie to stand up straight. However, she hobbled, her right ankle sprain preventing her from putting weight on her right leg.

I won't let it die

I can feel you when you're not around

Slowly, the girls followed Evie's lead as she led them back in the direction of Hollowleaf Mansion, with Daniela supporting Evie as she limped forward. Mya stuck to Winter's side, exhaustion making her move slower.

Suddenly, pain shot through her backside, and a severe case of vertigo struck her. The world spun around, the trees and sky a blur. Mya's arms and legs went limp from the pain, and before she even knew it, she passed out on the ground, hearing Winter scream her name.

When the night gets cold

We won't be alone

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Groaning, Mya blinked open her eyes at last, air drifting down on her face and tickling her, her surroundings a blur.

Then, they came into focus, and she was staring at a ceiling fan. Wait a minute, a *ceiling fan*?

This house wasn't Hollowleaf Mansion or Mya's own place. She was in *someone else's house*, laying in a fuzzy blanket on a cushy sofa. Startled, she looked around, so utterly confused.

"Hey there, sleepyhead!" A happy voice greeted.

Jolting, Mya sat up and whirled around, staring into jovial, orange-amber eyes and looking at a friendly, passion-brimming smile.

"*Dani*? Is this where *you live*?" Mya asked in disbelief, glancing around at the living room, which was surrounded with bookshelves, plants, and a lavish coffee table smacked square in the middle. Her gaze headed back to Daniela, who, compared to earlier, no longer wore her rockstar outfit and had returned to her typical black jeans, boots, and Washington State shirt.

"I mean, isn't it obvious?" Daniela chuckled. "Yeah, this is where I live. Bet you've found it cozy, eh?"

Mya found herself unable to respond. She tried to recall what had happened after the war with the Parkers, but time made no sense to her, all boggled and muddy in her mind. She didn't know how long she'd been inside the Burton Vunquist household. And she had overwhelming questions.

*Where are the other girls? Is Evie okay? Are my parents alive and back? The police? Why do I feel painless?*

"I don't know..."

"Oh, Mya! I'm so glad to see you're awake!" Greeted Rex, who took a seat next to her on the sofa, Daniela standing close by. "I've been told of this horrid battle... It's been one week since it happened, Mya. Since then, you've stayed with us, slipping in and out of consciousness - very possibly why you can't remember much."

Mya remembered the battle, swallowing down vomit from seeing the blood, pain, and deaths. *There was DEATH*. "Dani killed Ivanna!" She blurted out abruptly, and Daniela blushed, sheepish.

"Uh, yeah, mom knows about that..."

"Who am I to complain?" Rex responded. "Ivanna was one of Pineshadow's most dangerous criminals. I'm very proud of Daniela for taking her out... In the most honorable way." She winked, and Daniela winked back.

Sighing, Rex returned her gaze to Mya. "I took you and the rest of the girls to the emergency room, paid all your medical bills and fees. Mya, you had to get *two* blood transfusions! I'm not sure how you even fought losing that much blood, jesus..."

Mya was aghast, her mouth unhinged. She truly had never detected the amount of wounds she had gotten during the final battle, or had even cared - too set on making sure the Parkers would reap what they had sewn. She hadn't physically *felt* the blood leaking out of her soul or the agony of the scars she had come to bear.

Knowing damn well who gave her the vigor in her veins, she subtlety pointed at Daniela. "She showed me that I had to fight. I couldn't be more thankful that she convinced me not to be a coward."

"Oh, now I see." Rex smiled, continuing to report her status update. "Evie's sprained her ankle, but it's been put in a cast and healing well. Amira and Winter's injuries got treated, both are good as new. Oh! Mya, I think it would be a little present if I revealed that me and Dani have kept the girls here, heh!"

Mya jumped up excitedly. "Really? Can I see Evie?"

Rex shook her head. "Don't disturb her, Mya. She's taking a much-needed nap in the guest room right now." Mya nodded in understanding, allowing Rex to move further with her explanation.

"Ah, the girls. It only felt right to give them some shelter here instead of dropping everyone off since I paid their expenses. See, I'm everyone's mother these days..."

Mya giggled. "You are, Rex." She laid back on the sofa, reaching down to tuck her shirt in under her jeans, something she always did as a typical habit when she wanted to rest.

When she touched the fabric, she gasped. This wasn't rough, unlike her shirt - this was *smooth* and almost felt like a squishy blanket. *Something* was off.

Her heart fluttering, Mya brought herself to look down. The cyan she was expecting to see had changed to *light blue*.

She stared at Rex, eyes puzzled and troubled. "*What happened* to my shirt???" She asked frantically.

Rex's face became downtrodden, and she scratched the side of her head. "I'm sorry, Mya. Your shirt was ruined with all that blood, and the doctors had to *cut it* off of you so they could-"

"*Mom*. Let's spare Mya the details," Daniela warned pointedly, and relieved, Mya gave her a nod.

"Right, my apologies. Mya, I know it won't be as nearly as iconic as your old one, but I put you in one of Dani's shirts. Hmm... You look *cute* in it!"

Surprised, Mya finally glanced down to examine the shirt further. It was a *wonderful* shade of sky blue, and across it, a single rainbow was imprinted all the way to the other side.

Daniela's words from the battle, plush as birdsong, re-entered her head. *You're every single color of the rainbow to me.*

The worry Mya had about her outfit change dissipated, and she flashed her teeth in a *very* happy smile.

"Are you kidding? I *love* this shirt!" She jumped around for joy. "Thank you so much! How can I ever thank you *enough* for your kindness and hospitality?"

Rex bent down, affectionately patting her head. "No worries, you won't have to repay anything to me *or* Dani. You're welcome, darling." In the most motherly thing ever, she kissed Mya on her forehead, and the young girl swelled in delight.

Daniela strode up to her. "Would you like to see my bedroom, Mya?"

"Sure!" She agreed brightly, and immediately, Daniela took her pale hand and dragged her up the gray carpet-covered stairs. Mya was bright with glee and eager to follow her friend around all day.

After a turn to the left, they arrived at a white door. "Here we are. Are you ready?" Daniela inquired. Mya nodded.

"Show me."

Daniela turned the handle to her door.

Mya thought she was in an enchanted *paradise*.

Daniela's room was small, tidy, and *breathtaking*, and she gasped at the sights. Fifteen glass butterflies hung from the ceiling, reflecting the light from her window all around the room, causing rainbow splotches to appear everywhere.

"Whoa!" Mya was so stunned that she could only mutter one word from her mouth.

"Found the butterflies, I see. They represent hope to me. My will to fly after prison and almost killing myself. Fifteen of them hang because on fifteen days of my sentence, I almost committed suicide. If you couldn't tell, they mean a lot to me..."

"They're so special," Mya managed to murmur, taking her eyes around the room again. In a corner lay a small reading nook and small, wooden bookshelves jam-packed with novels, mostly mystery, adventure, and fantasy. Two cushions and a blanket sat by the nook as well, and to Mya, it looked cozier than anything.

To her right sat Daniela's dresser, color-coded knobs sticking out to her, along with a silver-rimmed mirror next to her closet door, locked up tight. The bedroom's walls were painted a light blue, and at the top were fluffy, almost realistic, white clouds that Mya wanted to jump up and touch.

Daniela really lived in the *sky*. The sky, to her, was the limit that she could so easily push with her resilience.

On the walls were many picture frames, and Mya thought her heart was going to burst from how giddy she was. The pictures were of Daniela and her friends - herself included, along with Rex, outlined in orange lighting from the lights at the top.

"Wow," she breathed. "I... Your room is the best bedroom I've ever seen... It's just so beautiful!"

Daniela giggled. "Oh, wait until you see the bed!"

Curious, Mya trotted over to her bed, which had pink bedsheets, fluffy white pillows, and so many *adorable* animal plushies sticking out. All Mya wanted to do was hold each one and squeal - *plushies* were her golden apple.

But what she saw next truly amazed her.

On Daniela's front and back frame, a bird was carved into the wood, delicately, its feathers long and majestic. Mya realized what it was from tales she had heard all throughout life.

*A phoenix! No way!*

"You have a *phoenix* carved into your bed frame? That's hella *awesome*!" She exclaimed.

"Mom helped me to carve it in... The phoenix symbolizes rebirth and redemption, and I thought, why not make my bed represent *me* a bit?"

Mya couldn't help but smile again. Daniela was a creative, expressive genius, hidden under all her layers of bravery, determination, wit, and the proficiency to *kill*. She was very much a remarkable human being.

Before she could stop herself, she leapt up onto her friend's bed, her mattress springy and cool to the touch, making her sigh. Daniela hopped up a second later, hooking out a plushie from under her pillow and cradling it in her hands - a gray tabby cat.

"This is Sammy. He's my anxiety reliever and *very squishable*," she explained, tossing him over to Mya, who started squishing him. "He's so soft!"

Laughing, Daniela showed Mya her other plushies, tossing them to her, and when she was done viewing them, she tossed them back. After a wolf had gone sailing over her head, Daniela rolled to Mya, cradling her hands affectionately.

"To be honest... My room hasn't *always* looked like this," she admitted, and Mya turned toward her, eager to learn more.

"When I still dated Winter, my room walls were beige, I didn't have the picture frames, and everything wasn't as vibrant and decorative as you see now. I was pretty simplistic and didn't need much to be happy."

"So what happened when you... Uh... Turned evil?"

"I wanted the room to *scream* fear, so I forced Rex to paint my walls dark blue. I put my rockstar stuff *everywhere*, insisted on black bedsheets and nothing cute - cute was a *weakness*. Also, my pillows were *blood red*. Freaky-deaky if you ask me."

Mya shuddered. "Yeesh, that does sound frightening."

"Luckily, Rex redid everything when I went to juvenile prison. And I couldn't be more thankful she helped me build the room of my dreams - because now, I can share it with my friends - just like you."

Wishing that I could run away with you

Imprisoned by fear just pull me away, pull me away

Mya blushed, curling up closer with Daniela. "You're more than just a friend to me, Dani. You're not only my hero - but you're also my idol too."

"Isn't Evie your idol?" Daniela questioned, surprised, but feeling welcoming to being idolized.

"Yeah, and you're my second one now." She moved closer to her until they touched, and Daniela laughed.

Secret fantasies of me and you

Will they ever see the light of day, light of day

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and then, it flew open altogether - revealing Winter and Amira.

"Win! Ami!" Mya greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Joining you, of course," Winter replied.

"Whoa, My! Rad new shirt you're rocking!" Amira commented, and Mya stood up, allowing her and Winter full view of her new shirt. Winter beamed, hugging her.

"You're so beautiful!" She whispered. "It fits you so well."

"Thanks, sis."

I don't know where you are

But I will find you, I will find you

Winter and Amira plopped down next to Mya and Daniela on the bed, and Mya observed that they were mostly alright, though still had bandages on them. Winter had a huge, circular white bandage on the side of her head, and Amira had one on her fingers - both of them still bore faint bruises from the battle.

But things were all okay.

Winter nestled close to her sister, pulling her into her arms tightly for another fond hug. "Man, a lot really has changed around here," she commented.

"Yeah... It honestly has. We've gone from being young and innocent to learning the dangers of the world, most notably from the evils lying within our own families. Yet we stopped it all, rose up to defend and save Pineshadow all those times. Grew into the most badass human beings ever. And learned a lot."

"We're all more than our mistakes," Daniela repeated.

"Always stand up to what you believe in," Amira echoed.

"You can't run from your past, but instead face it and learn from it," Winter murmured, thinking back to a few months ago.

"Nobody is perfect," Mya murmured. "And perfect is not everything. I'm glad I was able to teach Evie that."

So if you're out there, just run until the edge

And fall into me and see where this could end

*Oh, Evie!* Mya had definitely taught Evie a lot, sticking with her all these years - but she'd shown her a lot as well.

"Falling in love with Evie is one of the best decisions I've ever made," Mya declared proudly. "Without her, I wouldn't have accepted myself as bisexual, would have lived in fear. I wouldn't have been able to defy my bullies-" Daniela gave a small nod. "And she's done so much for all of us. Our leader. Bringing us here."

We'll make our own life and leave this world behind

"I never intended to meet someone as charming and unique as Amira, but I'm never changing a thing. I love her. She made me fall in love again, and together, we kicked Shetani to the *curb*. Done so much," Winter chimed in.

"You're forever my savior, my girlfriend, and my rescuer. Winter, words can't describe how much I *freaking love you*." Amira was starstruck and pulled Winter into her for a kiss, making her giggle.

So, can you hear me?

Do you feel me in the night?

Daniela cleared her throat, yearning to speak. "As I lay here, thinking about everything... I never expected to get where I am today. Causing my life to fall apart, morphing into a villain, almost killing the person I used to love the most. Going to prison, spiraling into a breakdown and almost killing myself because I crumbled under the pressure and regret. But I fought. Long, hard, tooth and nail for this. When I came back, all of you were the first to accept me as changed... I couldn't be more thankful for that... You're all the *best things* that have happened to me." Sniffing, Daniela let a few tears fall from her face.

"Look at you being soft," Winter teased.

Night, night, night

With you

Suddenly, a realization hit Mya, and her eyes widened. What had happened to all of them in these past few months had stemmed from one thing in particular - the whole start of their saga.

*Family*.

Daniela, made bitter by the breakup with her *ex-girlfriend*, seeking revenge on her flame, but ultimately coming to reunite with her and become her friend.

Shetani, Amira's *aunt* who was cruel, vicious, and made Amira into an unwilling slave forced to obey her every command and will, all while she took over the school and bore an ugly disdain towards the gay community within its grounds.

And lastly, Harlow and Ivanna - Mya's *grandparents* who had been running from the law since murdering Elloise and Luca Heartley in a mansion fire, laying their clutches on her when she made the fateful decision to chase her family's history. They manipulated her and built her to be a rotten, power-hungry, conniving queen, only to backstab her at the very end.

But the girls, brought together by the most unforeseen and *crazy* circumstances, had stopped this evil right at this source, made unexpected friends, found love when everything seemed dire, and saved they town they'd worked hard to live in and keep safe.

"We're not just friends," she blurted out of a sudden. "We've proven to be far more than that now - a *family*."

"Mya's right," Amira concurred. "We're a large family, and all our adventures have brought us close. We have a sworn leader, and we're a team... Don't you think we should give ourselves a fancy-smancy name?"

"How about the Golden Girls?" Daniela suggested.

"Nah, we're not *old*," Mya muttered jokingly.

"The Gay Five?" Winter proposed.

"Nah, doesn't pop."

"The Pineshadow Rangers?"

"No..." Then, the name hit Mya, sat at the edge of her tongue.

It was perfect. And maybe a little sheepish. But she chose to roll with it.

"How about the Golden Gays?"

"That's the perfect nickname." That remark came from *none* of the girls next to her.

Mya whirled around, and much to her surprise, and utter, utter *delight*, Evie was in the doorway. *Evie*.

I don't know where you are

But I will find you, I will find you

"**Evie**!" Immediately scrambling off the bed, Mya flung herself into her girlfriend's loving arms, nuzzling her sweetly and kissing her on those oh-so-sugary lips of hers.

Evie's right leg was in a cast, but she was clearly able to put more weight on it - she was healing. Everyone was.

"You proposed us to have a group name, didn't you, My-My?" Evie asked, amusement in her tone.

"Don't you try copying Benji!" Mya's cheeks flushed, but she chuckled. "Yes I did. You love it?"

"More than you could ever know." She cast her eyes on the shirt. "Oh my god... That's stunning, Mya! You truly are such a rainbow!"

"You're a bookworm."

"Idiot."

"Fool." The two laughed hysterically.

Then, Evie approached the other girls, her dark green eyes brimming with pride and the true confidence of a leader.

"Girls - or, Goldens, as I should call you now - it's been an honor to serve as your leader through everything. To think this all started when I met Mya at the park, then grew to a girl in a cabin, the renegade with a hidden secret, and the good girl gone bad gone good - you all have some true bravery within yourselves. Be proud of it, and never be afraid to share it."

I don't know where you are

But I will find you, I will find you

She made her way up to Mya. "You, out of all of us, are the most humorous."

"Indeed." Mya stuck out her tongue in approval.

"Winter, you're the bravest."

"I'll fall off a cliff for *anybody*."

"Amira, you're the swiftest."

"Boy, you can't touch this!"

"And Daniela," Evie said, viewing her with a deep, royal regard, "you're the strongest and have the true heart of a *warrior*."

Daniela nodded, accepting her role passionately. "And you're our leader - the most intelligent of us all."

Wishing that I could run away with you

Imprisoned by fear just pull me away, pull me away

Chuckling, Evie dived onto the bed with the other girls, and they all laid side-by-side.

They were the Golden Gays - and perhaps they were the best group of young girls in Pineshadow's history.

Secret fantasies of me and you

Will they ever see the light of day, light of day

The next morning, Mya stabbed her silver fork into the most delicious, appetizing Belgian waffles she had ever tasted, crafted by Rex, who floated it as her signature breakfish dish. Around her were the girls, digging in eagerly. Syrup was dripping off of Amira's mouth as she sat between Daniela and Winter.

*Adorable idiot,* Mya thought to herself. Evie seemed delighted, resting up against her.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Coming, coming!" Rex yelled, still wearing her slippers. She trudged to the foyer, rubbing her eyes, and opened it.

Immediately, she gasped in amazement, drawing the girls' attention onto the door. Daniela gasped, Amira and Evie squealed, and Mya and Winter stood there *frozen*.

No way. Mya blinked. They were remaining there, looking at them fondly.

She had to be kidding herself, right? She rubbed her eyes.

The two figures were real and there. She had to stop denying it.

And in the doorway, approaching her and Winter now, were *Nita and Patrick Heartley*.

"*Mom*! *Dad*!" Mya exclaimed, jumping up into her father's arms and shedding a torrent of joyful tears, Winter watching from a small distance away, tears in her own eyes.

"Oh, Mya!" Nita hugged her. "Sweetness, you're *alive*! All of the girls are alive!"

Mya glanced at the other girls, who stared at her parents in shock, yet relief, and the guilt from earlier returned to her - it was strong, overwhelming, and bleak. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking in dejection. "For all of this. I was a terrible daughter, letting my grandparents almost kill you and drive you out of Pineshadow. I... You've probably heard what I've done. Shooting up the town, betraying everyone I love, almost doing the unthinkable to Evie... Go on and reject me if you think that I'm-"

"*No*, Mya! Who are you even kidding?" Nita then retorted, much to Mya's surprise, and she gazed at her with criminality. "Mya, it was never *your fault* that you went down a dark path - it was *ours*. We ended up taking the fall for you, letting you live a lie since you were young - a lie we should have *never* told you. Being your parents, we let you down. We've made a mistake we'll *never* go back from."

Patrick finally chose to chime in, leaning against Nita's shoulder, his face crestfallen. "Every single one of us has made mistakes. Some will have ripples that won't completely fade away. However, what we can do is *move* on and start anew, bond as a family again, and never cover up the truth from ourselves. What do you say to that?"

Mya's light grew bright in her again, and she smiled, wiping away more tears of joy. "I... I don't know what to say. But I don't want you taking all of the blame - I made my own decisions in this... This madness, that caused us all to fall. Almost crumble. We can share the blame together, learn together, and rebuild the bonds we once had. Thanks, mom and dad, for seeing me again." They pulled her back in for a loving embrace; then, they turned to Winter, who faced them with no more animous eyes, but eyes seeking only one more thing.

An apology.

"Winter. This has been long overdue, but we *cannot* apologize enough for lying to you and breaking your trust. We should have been honest to our daughters from the start, but instead, we chose to be the people to betray you for a third time. We know now that what we did was dishonorable and wide of the mark, and we hope we can earn your trust back again," Patrick stated, he and Nita hanging their heads in shame.

"Earn my trust? Oh, come on! You're already *forgiven*. Families don't split up or break apart - they heal and remain *strong*." Winter's words alone were enough to bring the entire Heartley family together in a hug, all while the other Goldens watched proudly.

Humanity had been restored for real.

*Not quite,* Mya then corrected.

One last piece of closure was missing.

"Mom... Your parents," she blurted out.

Nita, genuinely surprised, pulled out of the hug. "Elloise and Luca... What about them, baby?"

"We... We solved the murder...."

"*What*?" Nita questioned, her yellow-green eyes broad, glimmering. "That murder has been a cold case since you were three! How on earth did you even? Who are the killers...?"

Mya brought herself close to her mother, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Harlow and Ivanna lit the fire, mom... They wanted them to burn for not giving up their supplies. And when grandpa and grandma were dead, all that money was theirs, and they used it to make that funeral and trick you into thinking they actually had a heart!" Mya panted, breathless, watching as her mother's gaze trembled under her own.

Finally, Nita smiled weakly, and she held Mya onto her lap. "Oh, baby. It was so obvious from the beginning, but those snakes played us bad... You did it. You solved the murder..."

"*Wait*!" Another voice shouted; this time, the shout belonged to Amira. "Dani, the diary! The scribbled pages!"

"Holy *crap*!" Daniela responded. The two looked at each other, knowing something clear as day with all of what unfolded around them.

"What diary?" Nita asked.

"Harlow's diary!" Daniela mentioned. "Those scribbled pages me and Ami found must have been Harlow confessing that he and Ivanna killed Elloise and Luca!"

"But he didn't want the evidence discovered, so he made it unreadable! It makes perfect sense..." Amira concluded.

"Amateur detective work, eh?" Daniela teased, patting her friend on her back.

"No shrimp, Sherlock," Amira agreed, hugging her.

"Thank you, my dear children," Nita said proudly, her heart swelled just like a balloon.

Finally, there was peace, closure, and no more war and destruction.

Pineshadow was safe.

"I do love happy endings," Rex sobbed lightly from the kitchen.

"Mom! Don't let all those sappy movies get to you again!" Daniela warned, joining her mother.

**LATER THAT DAY**

In the afternoon, every Golden had decided that it was time to return home, and they bidded Rex, along with their new "lord and savior" Daniela, farewell.

On the porch of her house, Amira dashed up into her grandmother's arms, and Dahlia squealed. "Amira! You're all safe and well!"

"Grandmama, you should have *seen it*!" Amira began talking excitedly about the battle again, showing off her scars, which frightened and impressed Dahlia at the same time. "Me and Dani have the *greatest* dynamic. When we fight together, some serious *ass* gonna be kicked!"

"You truly are such the fighter, darling. Mikayla and Heather were just a bunch of *dorks* in their youth. Come along, now. I baked up some chocolate chip cookies just for you!"

Amira licked her lips. "I'm gonna be stuffed for days."

At the Heartley residence, Mya and Winter jumped onto the sofa together, and Winter landed on top of her sister. She felt the new blue fabric of her shirt in the hand, and then the rainbow.

"Did Dani really tell you that you were every single color of the rainbow?"

"What can I say? I represent each one."

"Yep." The two chuckled.

Evie pushed open the door to her place, and as fast as bullets, her parents sped toward her.

"*Evie*!" Opal shouted in excitement, scooping her up into her arms. "My baby's safe! You're okay..."

Anderson sniffed, his eyes welling with tears. "Our baby's a leader. She led a battle and won it... I need to lay down." He sped off to their bedroom.

"Evie, we were so worried about you..." Opal glanced down, noticing her cast and ripped sleeve. "*Gracious*! Your sleeve! Your cast! Do you-"

"Mom, don't fuss over me. I'm fine. My ankle was sprained, but I can walk on it again. Also, let me keep the torn sleeve - I'm one of those leaders who likes keeping battle scars. Strength."

Opal nodded, accepting this decision with an open heart.

Back at the Burton Vunquist household, Daniela settled close to Rex on the sofa, and she scratched her head.

"You, Dani, are the most *perfect* daughter ever," she praised. "Honestly, I thought you were done for when prison happened. But you showed me your second nature. Your beautifully complex heart and mind. You saved Mya and the lives of so many more, and you *proved* to Pineshadow that you were worthy of redemption. I'm just... I'm just so proud."

Daniela blushed. "Thanks, mom. I love you so much."

"I bet you'll love me more once you read this." In a flash, Rex held a letter in her hand, addressed to Daniela in the most delicate blue pen ink.

Tearing open the letter with her fingernail, Daniela pulled out a long piece of paper. It read.

*Dear Daniela,*

*This has been sent to you on behalf of I, Mayor Elbert Moneet. Your story has amazed me greatly - never in my life could I imagine a dangerous, vile girl turn into a full-blown warrior, survivor, and mentor to us all. We can always give second chances when they have been earned. Daniela, you've earned it all right. You're a hero.*

*I've heard about what happened with that Harlow Parker, and I've decided that what we have in terms of law will not do. I am working to convince the legislation to pass a law in your honor - yes, you heard me. Your honor. Daniela's Law will severely impose more sanctions and punishments on child predators and pedophiles. Never again will there be a disgusting man or woman like Harlow Parker, and I hope to not see it again.*

*Do keep shining, Dani. Your future is bright and promising, and you've set an example for all of us.*

*Sincerely, Mayor Elbert Moneet*

By now, Daniela was crying in happiness, and she hugged her mother, squeezing her hard. "Pineshadow *adores me*! Pineshadow *adores meeeee*!"

"Pfft, you have so much fan mail. Wanna see?" Rex offered.

All Daniela did was scream, "**YES**!" and bounce up and down.

**ONE WEEK LATER**

A crisp, summer air drifted through the dark green treetops that Mya admired, her skin tingling, especially with Evie by her side. In front of them loomed gloom and shadow, lit up by the moonlight and stars, and they were surrounded by dark green grasses.

They were back in the mysterious, enchanting gloom of Hollowleaf Forest - but for a different reason this time around.

"W-Why are we here, precisely?" Evie asked, confusion in her tone, and Mya gave her an honest smile - this was no trick.

"There's something in Hollowleaf that I've wanted to show you... I *was* going to show you. But then, Harlow and Ivanna's brainwashing spiraled out of control, and so did I. They're gone now, and I just think it's the right time to show you, if that's okay..."

Now Evie perked up. Mya had something special to show her, the *true* and *pure* Mya who always liked surprising her when she least expected it. Her nerves settled, and her happiness bounced.

"Okay!" She squealed. "Take me to it!"

I'm staring at these sudden waterfalls

Tears that don't make sense to me at all

"Of course... But you gotta catch me first!" Mya then blew a raspberry, and without another word, took off running into the darkness of Hollowleaf Forest. Giggling, Evie made haste and took off in a mad pursuit of her.

As she followed Mya through Hollowleaf, Evie caught glimpses of stunning, hollowed tree trunks, leaves patterning the ground in many shades. From here, the leaves really did stretch up into the sky, which was flecked with so many stars it made her dark green eyes glint.

This life's what happens when you're making plans

Don't know what happens next or where I stand

Around her, flickering yellow-green lights hovered above the shrubs and berry brushes and the plants, flying around her and sheltering in the trees. *Those are fireflies!*

One landed on Evie's nose, its green light capitivating her, even after it flew off.

Wanna live this wild life, wild, every day

Ooh

Wanna say the things people never say

Ooh

An owl hooted in the distance, adding to the mysterious atmosphere, and Evie felt herself soaring.

Even more so when she finally caught up to Mya, leaping onto her and pinning her in a small clearing.

I'll take all the love and all the pain

Ah

Wanna live this wild life, wild today

"Mark my words, Mya Heartley! *This* will be the last time you ever see yourself alive..." Evie snarled in an obviously hilarious tone, sliding her fingers across her throat to indicate death.

"Noooooo!" Mya pleaded, but unable to hold a serious note any longer, as she broke out into prolonged laughter, as did her girlfriend.

"Nah, you're not doomed." Evie rolled off. "Are we almost to this special place?"

"Few more steps," Mya responded, placing her hands over her eyes so she wouldn't be spoiled. "Alright. Just walk forward. If you fall, I'll catch you."

Ooh

Ooh

Amused, and temporarily blinded, Evie let her feet guide her forward as Mya guided her. Soon, she could hear the sound of water dripping, just *water* altogether, and it was a peaceful, non-sinking feeling.

"Hmm... Almost there. Take a few more steps, Evie!"

Give me all your love and all your pain

Gonna live this wild life wild today

Evie took cautious steps ahead until Mya stood in front of her, still covering her eyes with her hands. "Okay. Prepare to be shell-shocked in three, two, one... *Behold*!"

Mya took her hands away from Evie's sightlines, and instantly, she *gasped*.

Right in front of her was a gleaming, small pond, water dripping from rocks intertwined with a tree. The waters were a cyan so *luminous* her eyes were watering, and she sunk to her knees to get a better look, and it was clear to Mya that she was transfixed, unable to take her face away from the waters.

I'm staring at these faded signs ahead

But all these turns just fill me up with dread

"This is the Pond of Ori. I can tell you find it beautiful, don't you?" Mya questioned.

"Yes... Yes, it is," Evie blankly replied, the pond's lull pulling her more and more into a fascinated trance. "I understand why you wanted to show me this... This really is something *unworldly*."

Curious, she let two of her fingers touch the pond's waters, and what she felt was cool to the *touch*, so she stuck more of her fingers in. Water lapped against her fingers peacefully, weaving in and out, and Evie sighed.

Her body grew numb with the peace this pond gave. Mya was insanely correct - this was special. *Very* special.

But life's what happens when you're making plans

Dive or step right in but please don't stand

Ooh

"Evie, look at our reflection!" Mya exclaimed, pointing at their heads as they appeared in the water - distorted, but melded together as one.

*We are one.*

Wanna live this wild life, wild, every day

Ooh

Wanna say the things people never say

Ooh

A new feeling washed over Evie then - freedom. They were one, together, linked, and unable to be broken. They had defied everything opposing them, and there was nothing left to face but living a true, real life.

This is when the idea crossed her mind, and a dangerous smirk crossed on her face.

"Evie?" Mya would have no time to ask any more, as in that moment, Evie grabbed onto Mya's shoulders and threw her - along with herself - right into the Pond of Ori's transfixing waters.

*Splash*! The girls landed, backsides now soaking wet, water droplets landing on their faces, and for a moment, Mya thought she was going to drown in the most sacred waters in all of Pineshadow.

*No! It's the lake of fire and the dead bodies dream, I'm going to die-*

I'll take all the love and all the pain

Ah

I want to live this wild life wild today

Wait. She wasn't *drowning*. She was lying on stony pebbles, wet as ever, in a shallow pond - right next to her girlfriend, who was laughing her *ass* off. Mya shivered from the cold, but a smile adorned her face.

"Evie! You crazy goose! How do you think *our parents* will react when we come back all soaking wet?" She inquired, not even close to hiding her entertainment.

"I don't give a damn. I only want to spend my time here, in this pond, with you. Because *you're* the only thing that matters to me right now - what we do and the secrets we'll keep and all that. Mya, I want to spend the rest of **my life** with **you** - forever and always."

Ooh

Ooh

"You are *so drunk* right now," Mya murmured affectionately, scratching a finger along her chin and tracing every indent she could find.

"Ah, but I never lied... You're still my valkyrie. Formidible, tenacious, *hot as hell*." Evie turned to face her, draping her arms around her shoulders and admiring her so deeply, Mya thought she could see *everything* in her for miles.

No, she saw *everything* in her life for miles. What road lay ahead.

She was loyal to Evie, loyal to her, and that was *everlasting*. After all they fought for, she had retained enough purity to break Harlow and Ivanna's iron grasp on her and break free, becoming herself once more. She had gained the embers of the phoenix, the strength of the valkyrie, and the swiftness of the assassin, all in one.

When her skin grazed Evie's own, their hands interlocking in the most perfect match, she beamed brighter than diamonds.

Give me all your love and all your pain

Gonna live this wild life wild today

When she snuck her hand around to Evie's neck, she could feel the ecstasy pulsing through her veins and taking over, allowing her to pull Evie closer to her.

When she touched her forehead to Evie's, Mya saw the sky, the clouds, the stars, and all the birds and the forests and the animals for miles to come. She had her wings.

She was not the Queen of Daggers. She was Mya the Valkyrie, and she was a hero.

A hero wanting to do only one thing a young, bisexual, fourteen-year old girl would dream of.

"I don't want this to die, Evie. I can't let it. I... I really do *want* to run away with you."

"We can do that, Mya," Evie reassured. "Come close."

The two drifted closer to each other in the waters, grazing noses. There was no more war to be fought, no more divides and cracks, and no more lies.

This was real love. And Mya was ready for Evie to show her it.

Immediately, against the coolness of the pond's water and the dizzying warmth of Mya's skin, Evie let her shoulders fall loose, and she let her control shed off of her.

Then, she threw her face into Mya's, meeting her lips, and the adrenaline was *scorching* as she kept on going, sweetness touching sweetness, flowers blossoming in their heads, minds galloping, hearts pulsing with the sparks of love.

Evie pulled back, knowing Mya was beaming. "How was that?"

"If that's what running away was like, I want my turn at it." Evie obliged, closing her eyes, and Mya kissed her neck before moving up to her lips. From here, they saw the heavens, felt the warmth build in them as Mya tenderly kept kissing Evie until she was too motivated to stay still - she kissed back. And for who knows how many times that night, they made out in the moonlight.

Their shoes touched each other, and they leaned in close, waters parting around them. They had formed the shape of a heart, these two lovebirds willing themselves to fly.

"I love you, Evie. And I knew that I would love you until the day I die," Mya admitted.

"I love you too, Mya. Wanna keep running away?"

"Oh, don't leave me yearning for it. Of course."

Mya lost her remaining self-control in that moment and let her hands go all the way up to Evie's head, neatly brushing aside her bangs. She grazed her nose up against hers - oh, the *euphoria* that was - and she kissed her again.

Evie kissed her back.

And as the moon shone bright that night, the two nestled close, learning more of each other's secrets and sharing the eternal love between them.

Pineshadow was safe, and the darkness was gone, chased out and banished into the infernal gates of hell.

Light had prevailed, all thanks to two warriors, the modern valkyries, who had fought all evils and won.

And their names were Evie Ly and Mya Heartley.

**THE END**

## Cast

* **Dakota Fanning** as Mya
* **Udo Kier** as Harlow
* **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Evie
* **Pam Ferris** as Ivanna
* **Eden Riegel** as Daniela
* **Mae Whitman** as Winter
* **Zoe Saldaña** as Amira
* **Nora Dunn** as Rex
* **Wendie Malick** as Nita
* **Trent Garrett** as Patrick
* **Miriam Margolyes** as Dahlia
* **Lauren Tom** as Opal
* **John Hodgman** as Anderson

## Songs

* NIVIRO - *The Labyrinth*
* T & Sugah x NCT (feat. Miyoki) - *Stardust* (snippet)
* Varien (feat. Cassandra Kay) - *Valkyrie II: Lacuna* (snippet)
* Ben Moon (feat. Veela) - *Majesty* (instrumental snippet)
* Warriyo - *Mortals* (feat. Laura Brehm)
* Laura Brehm - *We Won't Be Alone* acoustic
* Mynerva & Nytrix - *Find You*
* Varien (feat. Laura Brehm) - *Valkyrie III: Atonement* (snippet)
* Killabyte (feat. Danyka Nadeau) - *Wicked Ways* (instrumental snippet)
* OneRepublic - *Wild Life*

## Trivia

* This is the first and only episode to be posted in May 2022.
	+ As noted above, this is also the finale of the entire series.
	+ In addition, the episode was posted exactly one year after *Two-Sided* premiered.
* Clocking in at over an hour, *Warbringer* is the longest episode in the series.
	+ It also has the most songs for any episode at ten and the biggest cast for any episode.
* For the third time, an artist in the episode has two or more songs appear (Laura Brehm).
* This episode is inspired by and named after the 2021 song by TheFatRat and Everen Maxwell.
	+ *Warbringer* is also inspired by *Majesty*, *Partners In Crime*, *We Won't Be Alone* by Feint, and Varien's *Valkyrie* trilogy.
* It is revealed that:
	+ Harlow and Ivanna were following Mya to make sure she fulfilled her ultimatum.
	+ Evie still loves Mya.
	+ Harlow and Ivanna wanted Mya to be disposed of by killing her.
	+ After her capture, Evie was locked in the wine cellar.
	+ Daniela seduced Harlow in order to escape him.
	+ Winter was locked in the weapon room, while Amira was trapped in the laundry room.
	+ Harlow and Ivanna have been running from the law for over eleven years. They are also responsible for setting the fire that killed Elloise and Luca.
	+ Daniela knew Mya had bravery the moment she deflected the steak knife in *She's Plotting Something*.
	+ Mya's plan involved her insisting to Harlow that she should die in place of Evie for her crimes. However, this was a ruse, as Mya was actually stalling for time to allow Daniela to ambush Harlow.
	+ Following the battle, Rex took the girls to the emergency room and paid their medical bills, and when they were treated, took them to her place for a temporary stay. She tells Mya that she had to receive two blood tranfusions for her wounds, and that Evie's leg is now in a cast because of her sprained ankle. In addition, Mya's signature shirt, worn since the very beginning of the series, had to be cut off of her by doctors so her wound could be assessed. As a replacement, Rex put her in one of Daniela's old shirts, which Mya finds symbolic due to the rainbow on it, and she accepts it warmly.
	+ Daniela has fifteen glass butterflies hanging in her room to symbolize the fifteen days she almost took her own life in prison. A phoenix is also etched into her bed frame to represent her redemption.
	+ The scratched out pages of Harlow's diary were going to reveal the revelation that he and Ivanna killed Elloise and Luca.
	+ The mayor of Pineshadow is wanting to pass legislation in Daniela's honor to impose more strict sanctions on predators like Harlow, having been impressed and fond of her story.
		- Daniela also learns that Pineshadow adores her.
	+ Before she became completely corrupted, Mya wanted to show Evie the Pond of Ori.
* Harlow praising Mya for ambushing Evie, along with her ordering her to "finish it," is a reference to the *Warriors* book *The Darkest Hour*. The scene is notably a parallel to Tigerstar commanding Blackfoot to help Darkstripe kill Stonefur.
* For a second time, Mya alludes to the Malinda song *Don't Make Me* when she tells Evie that they both know how this goes.
* Evie telling Mya that she changed her is a nod to the Laura Brehm song *One You Wanted*.
* Mya staring at the dagger blade and seeing her reflections is a parallel to the *Bells in Santa Fe* scene in *Ultimatum*. However, she notably sees the good in her instead of the bad compared to the previous episode.
* Several times throughout the episode, the Jim Yosef and Anna Yvette song *Linked* is referenced.
* This episode marks the first and only time where Evie's middle name, Ophelia, is directly stated out loud. It is also notably not stated by Evie herself, but instead by Mya.
* Harlow stabbing Mya in the back with his dagger is similar to how King Andrias impales Marcy with his fire sword in *Amphibia*.
	+ Av says that this wasn't meant to parallel *Amphibia*, but actually the moment in *Beauty and the Beast* where Gaston manages to stab the Beast in his back before meeting his demise in a fall.
	+ However, Mya's reaction and guilt afterward was meant to reference Marcy's behavior when Anne and Sasha expressed their disappointment in her for deliberately trapping them on Amphibia.
* While talking to Evie in the wine cellar, Daniela almost directly calls Ivanna a "bitch" before saying "fox" instead. This foreshadowed a later event in the episode (see below).
* The scene where Daniela seduces Harlow to escape the prison room is inspired by two prominent pieces of media:
	+ The first was the Arthur & Medic song *Broken House*, specifically the ending, where Veela describes her revenge on the sexual abuser that tormented and killed her friend in the song. Daniela references the line "I hope it's what you like / Because I brought my tools" when she prepares to "surprise" Harlow.
	+ The second was the 2020 Tehlor Kay Mejia novel *We Unleash the Merciless Storm*. Daniela's method of seducing Harlow was inspired by how Carmen successfully seduced Jasmín with their past romantic relationship so she could retrieve a paper handed to her by prominent La Voz figure Ari, who had wanted to kill Carmen and her girlfriend, Dani.
	+ While it didn't inspire the scene itself, Av states that Daniela's behavior when using seduction reminds her of the 2009 Rihanna song *Rude Boy*.
* Daniela calling herself soft is a reference to how Boscha viewed Amity as weak after Grom in *The Owl House*.
* When Daniela encourages Harlow to let them do something they shouldn't, she alludes to the Krewella song *Can't Control Myself*.
* During Daniela and Evie's mission to rescue the rest of the girls, the NIVIRO song *The Labyrinth* plays in the background.
* The room Ivanna trapped Mya in is inspired by the Whispers' secret hideout in the *Scarlet and Ivy* book *The Whispers in the Walls*.
* Daniela throwing a vase at Harlow was a parallel to *Memories of the Past* when Harlow also threw a vase at Patrick, hence his déjà vu afterward.
* Once again, *Minecraft* YouTuber TYBZI is referenced when Evie exclaims his catchphrase, "Son of a mother!" when the Parkers trap Mya.
* Evie reminding herself to play her cards wisely is a reference to a common thought of Dani's in the 2019 young adult novel *We Set the Dark on Fire*.
* As hinted in the episode, Harlow and Ivanna's vengeful and borderline psychotic behavior was inspired by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (Bonnie and Clyde), two notorious criminals who robbed banks and killed thirteen people (nine officers and four civilians) between 1931 and 1934 before being killed in a shootout with police.
	+ Oddly enough, Ivanna shares the same last name as Bonnie, Parker.
* When talking about running from the law, Harlow references *Partners In Crime*, which previously appeared in *Two Lives, Many Horrors*.
* Harlow ordering Mya to run away and never come back is a direct reference to *The Lion King*. In the film, after Scar kills Mufasa in a wildebeest stampede, he encourages Simba to run away from the Pride Lands, convincing him that Mufasa's death was his fault. Burdened with guilt, Simba obliges, but returns in his adult years to defeat his uncle and claim the throne of the Pride Lands.
* During the first part of the final battle, over half of the 2015 T & Sugah and NCT collaboration *Stardust* is played in the background. *Stardust* is notably Av's favorite song from NCS and her third-favorite song overall.
* Evie screaming "**HEY**!" at the Parkers was a direct quote of Amity in *The Owl House* when she interrupted the Blight Industries demonstration.
* This episode marks the first time since *Winter Storm Arising* where someone else besides Winter uses her pocket knife.
* Daniela kicking Harlow in the pelvis was a reference to the internet meme in which YouTuber Liam the Leprechaun screeches "Oh, me lucky charms!" after being kicked.
* Upon Daniela's discovery of Mya in the clearing, the bells heard in a portion of the 2014 Varien song *Valkyrie II: Lacuna* are heard.
* Daniela slapping Mya and encouraging her to fight back is a parallel to Mya doing the exact same thing to Winter in *Winter Storm Arising*.
* Daniela and Mya's argument, Daniela's words of wisdom to Mya, and the two subsequently making amends was inspired by the Tristam and Braken song *Frame of Mind*.
* Daniela references the following songs in her speech to Mya:
	+ "Fight it until you've bled everything." - *Valkyrie II: Lacuna* by Varien
	+ "Follow the light that sets *you* free." - *Mortals* by Warriyo
	+ "Forget about the pain; just because it burns doesn't mean you're going to die." - *Try* by P!nk
		- Notably, these songs all served as inspiration for Mya in Season 3.
* Daniela's tagline of being more than her (and Mya's) mistakes is a reference to the NCS10 release *Mistakes*.
* "The storm brewed in their own skies" is a reference to the 2012 Matduke song *Bloodlip*.
* After Mya requests for Harlow to kill her in place of Evie, an instrumental of the Ben Moon song *Majesty* is heard. *Majesty* is the main inspiration for Season 3.
	+ Also, Mya's "sacrifice" was meant to parallel Nakano Takeko's own when she asked her sister to behead her amidst the Boshin War.
* Mya's pose of defeat is similar to the valkyrie pictured on the cover art of *Valkyrie III: Atonement*, which later appears in the episode.
* "The dark was set on *fire*, and the storm was *unleashed*" is an allusion to the aforementioned novels *We Set the Dark on Fire* and *We Unleash the Merciless Storm*.
* After Mya and Daniela initiate the second part of the final battle, *Mortals*, the series intro, plays as they combat both Parkers.
	+ This marks the first time that the intro is credited in an episode.
	+ During the portion with Laura Brehm's vocals, Mya rising back up and refusing to fall under the pressure parallels the song's theme of the final moments before death and following the light that frees a person from their old life.
* For the first time since *Devil's Dungeon*, Mya spits in someone's eye.
* When Daniela joins Amira in fighting Ivanna, Amira shouts "Roll out!" - which was a reference to a frequent command of the Autobots in *Transformers*.
* Before Daniela cut him off, Harlow was going to deliver a full sexual assault threat.
* Daniela thinking that it feels good to be bad for one day is a reference to the Rihanna song *S&M*.
* There are several parallels to the ending of *StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm* in Mya's final confrontation with Harlow:
	+ Just like Arcturus Mengsk to Sarah Kerrigan, Harlow spits that Mya is a monster and a great failure.
	+ Mya is considerably weakened, which is similar to how Mengsk drained Kerrigan's strength with the Keystone and almost killed her with it.
	+ Just before Harlow fires the shot that would have killed Mya, Evie saves her life by pulling her back. In *Heart of the Swarm*, Jim Raynor arrives in time to destroy the Keystone, allowing Kerrigan to regain her full strength.
	+ Both Mya and Kerrigan would get revenge on their former advisaries. However, a notable difference is that while Mya inadvertently kills Harlow due to being startled by Evie, Kerrigan directly killed Mengsk by injecting him with heavy amounts of psionic energy, causing him to explode.
* Some of Harlow's dialogue to Mya in their confrontation references the 2012 Feint song *Snake Eyes*.
* The scene where Daniela belittles and confronts Ivanna was a reference to one of Demi Lovato's appearances on *The Late Late Show With James Corden*. After their microphone had been dropped onto the floor, Lovato asked Corden to pick it up, repeating themself soon after and then adding "bitch," causing the crowd in the studio to erupt with laughter.
* Ivanna calling Mya a sack of pus is a reference to one of Miss Trunchbull's quotes to Matilda in the movie of the same name.
* Daniela calling Ivanna a "bitch" marks the first time more severe foul language is used in the series.
* Following the deaths of both Parkers and Mya individually reconnecting with the other girls and Evie, Laura Brehm's acoustic version of the 2015 Feint song *We Won't Be Alone* plays in the background. *We Won't Be Alone* is Av's favorite song from Monstercat and her favorite song overall.
* *Chance on Faith* by Heather Sommer and Uplink is referenced yet again during the *We Won't Be Alone* scene.
* The scene where Evie and Mya become intimate with each other again was inspired by one of Carmen and Dani's scenes in *We Set the Dark on Fire*.
* Some of Mya's thoughts on Evie when they lay on the ground together are allusions to the Laura Brehm song *London Sky*.
* Mya's new shirt was meant to be symbolic to Daniela calling her every color of the rainbow.
	+ It is also the same shirt that Daniela wore in Winter's flashback in *The Dinner Party*, which was confirmed through one of Av's artworks.
* The butterflies hanging in Daniela's room were inspired by the decorative butterflies hanging from the ceiling at most Neiman Marcus stores.
* During the scene where the girls meet up in Daniela's room one week after the battle, the 2019 Mynerva and Nytrix song *Find You* plays in the background.
* Daniela's proposed name of Golden Girls, along with Mya instantly responding with "We're not *old*," is a reference to *The Golden Girls*.
* Starting from this episode forward, the girls now identify as a group called the Golden Gays, with Evie serving as their official leader and the smartest member.
	+ Mya serves as the most humorous member.
	+ Winter serves as the bravest member.
	+ Amira serves as the swiftest member.
	+ Daniela serves as the strongest and warrior member.
* Amira saying "Boy, you can't touch this!" was a reference to the famous and popular meme song *U Can't Touch This* by MC Hammer.
* Rex's Belgian waffle recipe is based off the waffles served by restaurant chain First Watch.
* When Mya reunites with her parents, the first drop of the 2015 Varien song *Valkyrie III: Atonement* plays in the background.
* Amira's comment to Daniela, "No shrimp, Sherlock" is a reference to the vulgar slang "No s\*it, Sherlock."
* After the girls head home, an instrumental of the Killabyte song *Wicked Ways* is heard.
* While Evie and Mya run through Hollowleaf Forest and visit the Pond of Ori, the OneRepublic song *Wild Life* is played in the background. This is the final song to appear in the series.
* Evie running through the fireflies was a callback to when Winter was surrounded by a field of fireflies whilst chasing Amira in *Unbroken Love*.
* Evie and Mya's heads appearing merged in the pond water was a nod to a similar scene in *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, in which Kovu and Kiara peered into a puddle and saw their heads melting into one another, an indicator that they were one.
* The moment where Evie threw Mya into the Pond of Ori was inspired by the Rootkit song *Real Love*.
	+ Mya also saying "Oh, don't leave me yearning for it" is a reference to the song itself.
* Mya's second-to-last line of dialogue is a callback to one of her most famous lines in *Winter Storm Arising*.
* Av likes to imagine that *Blank*, the series outro, actually plays in full to symbolize the ending of *Evie and Mya*.