the book unfinished

Isolated within the small church, she’d made sure to check with the fairies that she could be in here while it was empty, kneeling before a line of lit candles. a lighter in hand that she’d presumably used to light the said candles, her eyes tight shut. “I confess to God almighty, To blessed Mary ever Virgin, To the blessed archangel Michael, To the holy apostles, to all the saints — “ She’d stop in her words the moment she heard a voice behind her, her eyes shot open, quickly getting off her knees and backing up, incredibly careful to not knock over one of the candles, she’d never hear the end of it if she burned down a church. 

“So-..Sorry. You probably need this more than I do. I’ll – uh, be on my way.” She gulped roughly, trying to get rid of this lump in her throat that stopped her from continuing with her prayer, she was uncomfortable with doing what she felt she needed in front of people, her faith had been disproved not too long ago yet, here she was.

Ruby hadn’t even noticed the other teenager in the church, huddled as she was near the alter. She hadn’t heard her speaking, so caught up in the scenery around her, and discovering she’d disturbed someone left her feeling a bit like she’d been caught with her hand in a cookie jar she shouldn’t have been touching. She reached out, but hadn’t gotten close enough to touch the other teen, concern etching her features. “No, no, I don’t need it at all.” She wasn’t a believer, unfortunately; the concept of a god was something she’d tried not to think about all too much, after all.

She gestured back at the line of candles, taking a step back. “I was just- I’m learning my way around town and thought this place was beautiful. I’m sorry I disturbed you. Please, carry on. I’ll just be over there, minding my own business, I promise.”

Truth be told, Ruby wasn’t a religious person. She was rather more too interested in the world around her to consider what was involved in a life beyond this one (and besides, now she knew there was a literal Underworld, so that helped a lot), and as a result, she’d never really considered what she’d believed in. Despite that, she knew beauty and serenity when she saw it, and that was what she’d found from the outside of the small church. Some of the nuns (fairies, she’d all but squealed in excitement) were scampering around, but they left her almost completely to herself as she walked into the main hall of the building, marvelling at the architecture around her. She could almost feel the solemn nature, how many people had come here with their sorrows and joys... It was truly inspirational. “I knew I should’ve brought a notebook,” she grumbled to herself.

One of the things Ruby was enjoying about Storybrooke was all the new places dotted around that she could explore and investigate, like the occult shop down the road with all the interesting goodies inside, or the library with thousands upon thousands of new books for her to read. It was beyond inspiring, but the young woman had no idea of what her limits were. Seeing a tavern wasn’t daunting either; she hadn’t been subject to strict rules around her age and alcohol in the Enchanted Forest, and she didn’t expect it to be any different as she walked into the bar, a smile on her face. She spotted a woman behind the counter and all but danced over, leaning against it as she smiled. “Good afternoon,” she greeted brightly. “Do you have any recommendations?”

“oh my god Ruby!” Ellie shrieked laughing at her sisters words as she playfully slapped her sisters shoulder “Shut up, Aspen and I are just friends! it’s not like he would ever like me like that anyway!”

Ellie nodded at the comment about Rowan, they did really seem to have their priorities straight unlike a number of people that she had run into throughout her wanderings. “He ran when the portals opened, I haven’t caught up with him yet; he’s probably with Rowan by now?”

It’s not like he would ever like her like that... Ruby stopped running away to gawk at her sister like she’d grown a third head. No, she couldn’t possibly be that naive. Anyone with even one good eye could see how he looked at Annie, and yet she was asking that. “Don’t be soft. He adores you,” she replied, shaking her head. No, Annie was being modest, that was all.

Ruby nodded. It made sense; siblings sought out siblings, she supposed. If Annie had done it for her, it made sense that Aspen had done it for his sibling. “I’m sure you’ll see him around. I’ll even help you hunt him down, if you need it. Or perhaps we can find his sibling and get them to tell us,” she suggested.

Rapunzel held her daughter close to her, fingers gingerly running through her hair, before she eventually pulled away from the hug, not before dropping a kiss to her forehead, and afterward keeping Ruby as close as she possibly could. Nothing in this world or another would have the power to separate, Rapunzel from her girls again, she would make sure of that. It warmed her heart to know that Ruby had been helping out in the town. “Granny is lovely,” She smiled, fond memories from her cursed life in Storybrooke, even then the elderly lady had always been one of the nicest.

“As long as she’s safe, as long as both of you are.” 

Ruby couldn’t help but feel warm with her mother nearby, being held like she enjoyed when she was a far smaller child. But she was almost fully grown now, and perhaps she shouldn’t have enjoyed her mother’s hugs quite this much. She’d blame the twenty eight year absence from her life for such sentimentality. Beaming, Ruby nodded in agreement. Granny had proven to be a sweet woman who cared about the people in town, and Ruby felt fortunate to have stumbled across the old woman.

“Annie’s the smart one, Mom,” Ruby replied with a light laugh. “And she has people looking out for her in this world besides us already. Good people, too.” She wasn’t sure how much she should say about Aspen or his relationship with her sister (or his heritage), but Ruby was confident he’d keep her safe in Ruby’s absence. “Do you know where Daddy is?”

Overall, Ginny didn’t get why so many people disliked or avoided her whenever they could. She didn’t see herself as that bad, sure a few issues here and there, but as long as no one pissed her off - which most people seemed to do - she was rather easy to get along with. Or that was just her opinion on herself, the rest of the Isle would most likely disagree. 

 The girl’s words were affecting her in ways that she didn’t want to think about - this was why she liked to keep everything bottled up so others wouldn’t get inside her head and voice her deepest concerns and worries because once other people voiced them, it made everything that much more real. Ginny wasn’t good with dealing with her own emotions, they often overpowered her and left her in a worse state than she had started. “That’s what gets to me the most.” Eyes fluttered closed for a second, she had no idea who this girl was, or why she was opening up to her, but as much as she wanted to hate it - she couldn’t, she was thankful someone was there to listen to her. 

“I already know I’m not worthy of the life I had, never mind having to live it now and make it count because she died, she should’ve just let me die..” Her words were followed by a sigh, all in all; Ginny was a mess and she was only cracking further. 

Ruby bit her lip as she watched and listened to Ginny breaking down further and further. This whole thing had shaken her up to the point where she seemed like she could do something rather daft at any given moment, and Ruby... Ruby was, at the end of the day, rather selfish. She was finding this about as difficult as she had ever found anything. “Everyone’s worthy of a decent life. Unless you’ve gone and murdered someone, and I mean actually taken something and physically killed them yourself, then you do deserve it.” She didn’t see how else she could make the other young woman understand, but perhaps it didn’t matter. Ruby could talk until she was blue in the face and never get through to her.

Which was why she stepped close and reached out to touch her. Just gently, a hand to the shoulder, to offer physical comfort. “What you need to do right now is process this. You’re in a strange place, people you care about are gone... It’s a lot to take in.” Like Ruby could talk. She was going through the same thing, except she still had Annie. She had to stay strong. “Come with me. We’ll get a hot drink or... What do you like?”

“Shut up Ruby” Ellie huffed with a pout as she shoved her sisters shoulder lightly, she didn’t mind the teasing and knew that sooner or later she’d need to figure out what exactly was going on between her and Aspen. “I reminded him of his family and that’s that”

“They weren’t as dangerous as the Sanderson family were said to be, although I think that’s because I mentioned Aspen and they figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to be mean to me when I’m Rowan’s brothers best friend” She shrugged lightly, she didn’t know Rowan’s true self because she didn’t know them well enough but she did know that they would do anything to keep their family happy. “Of course we are, because we’re together”

Ruby laughed, clear and happy, as Annie pushed her so gently. This was what they needed, a fresh start and happy thoughts to keep them going. She stuck her tongue out at her younger sister and danced out of her reach before adding, “Reminded him that he wants a family, more like!”

“It sounds like they have their priorities straight,” she admitted. That was good. As concerned as she was by the concept of her sister befriending a family of known-evil witches, she also trusted Annie’s heart when it came to her judgement of people. If she said they were okay, then that was that. “So where is Aspen, anyway? I’m surprised to not find him hanging off you.”

Ruby laughed as her mother pulled her close, scolding her for... She wasn’t entirely sure. Chasing her into the Underworld so she could bring her mother back without a plan? For surviving? For leaving Annie alone? Regardless, she nodded against her mother’s body. “I promise, I have no intention of scaring you any more.” She hummed as she pondered her mother’s question. “Oh, she’s not lost. We got a little room between us at this place called Granny’s, and I offered to help serve the food there in exchange. She’s really very kind. But I don’t know if Annie will be there. There’s a library and all kinds of things, she might have wandered off for a while.”

The teasing wasn’t lost and Ellie blushed, Aspen was just a friend to her but she also knew that her feelings for Aspen went deeper than friendship; the boy was her best friend, he knew her better than anyone and she knew him just as well except for his family. He looked after her, he kept her safe and he kept her sane.

“He was like you, didn’t like me being in my room all the time” she smiled lightly, Aspen would drag her out of her room quite often and pull her in on his adventures “and you know it, it was the healer in him that wanted me out in the open world, that’s all”

“He has two, I’ve only met Rowan so far and they are not as I expected” Ellie hummed lightly, Rowan was interesting but not like Aspen but she didn’t mind that; it would be nice for her to get to know the sibling that Aspen obviously cared so much about. “We were definitely luckier than we thought we were, I don’t think I would have coped learning that I had been split from you for so long”

Annie had a crush but she was completely oblivious. It was worse than Freya and whoever it was she had a crush on; she had no idea who, because the redhead hadn’t told her, but she knew it was there all the same. “Sure, sure, he was just a wannabe doctor making sure you were healthy. There was absolutely nothing else to it whatsoever,” Ruby replied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. Honestly, her sister could be hit with a brick called love and still have no clue.

“What were you expecting? What were they like?” It was important information for Ruby, to know what her future in-law-in-laws would be like. They were going to become family as soon as Aspen and Annie got their heads out of their asses. She gave her sister another sympathetic smile and continued pulling her along the street, keeping an eye out for options. “Well, you didn’t have to learn and you won’t have to now. We’re going to get through this,” she reassured again.

“I think Annie’s not quite so far gone that she wants me dead,” Ruby replied, hands behind her back as she watched her mother in awe. She was so glad she was alive, that they could all be together now. At least, if they could find her father… “Speaking of Annie, we should find her. She’s missed you so much, Mother. We both have.”

@towergvrl

Ellie rolled her eyes at the mention of Aspen being a bit of excitement in her life, he was her best friend and he did bring excitement into her life but that didn’t mean she liked the fact that her sister brought him up to make a point. “Aspen wasn’t my only point of excitement you know, he just happened to be the one that instigated most of the things”

Being separated would have been horrible for Ellie and Ruby, it would have been completely heart wrenching should she have woken from the curse without her sister by her side. Part of her despaired at the idea of her parents being separated within the town but another part of her wondered if it would be good for her family to see how life would be while separated.

“Let’s hope they were together, or if not, at least happy” She frowned lightly and then perked up a little as she mentioned meeting one of their schoolmates mothers “I remember Chad but Ella isn’t truly known to me at this moment; I met Aspen’s sibling earlier though, they showed me that it’s lucky that we were allowed to live together”

“Of course he was,” Ruby teased, grinning at her sister. Oh, she’d missed this a little. Annie had such a clear crush on Aspen, it was adorable, and she could see why. Then again, she didn’t know Aspen was a villain - but he’d been nice enough in Auradon. As long as her sister was happy, so was Ruby. “Sign of a good friend, being the instigator.”

Ruby gave Annie an encouraging smile, but she didn’t have quite the same hopeful outlook in this instance. She’d seen too many people in this town looking for their loved ones already to think it was likely their parents had lucked out, and her conversation with Ella had told her that the curse was meant to hurt. She was confident her parents had been separated. “Here’s hoping,” she replied instead. The older girl nodded, heart warming to know Annie had wanted her around. “Aspen has siblings?” she asked, surprised. “Yeah, I guess we were. Luckier than we thought.”

Ginny held back an eyeroll, which no doubt would’ve been followed by some sort of ‘heroes suck’ comment. Everything about this girl had screamed Auradon from the moment Ginny had laid eyes on her, her words of how heroes always got what they wanted would’ve fallen deaf so why bother? But against her own better belief, it seemed that Ruby had spoken the truth about some things, it wasn’t the heroes fault for the curse, and even before the curse, Ruby’s parents didn’t condemn Ginny to the life she had, she had no reason at all which she could currently see, to feel a hatred towards them. But she did because she was bitter and hateful. “Forget I even said this, but you sort of have a point.” She mumbled, clearly not happy to be agreeing with the Auradonian.

This time she didn’t hold back her eye roll, arms closing around herself, a way of closing herself off from the girl before her. “Talk about what? How I should be dead right now, but I’m not? But that’s not even the best of it, because of one of the only people on the Isle who had some kind of idea of good and bad - and god, was she annoying always pushing it, and trying to redeem people - but her, the one that should’ve lived is dead, because of me. For some god damned reason, she thought I deserved a second chance.” Her hands ran through her hair tugging at the roots in some hope that it would calm her down and stop her own rant. She’d had all of this built up since it happened, getting worse and harder to control as the days passed by until she just lost it and broke. 

Blinking back the traitorous tears which formed in her eyes, the brunette pressed the palms of her hands harshly into her eyes, giving herself a moment to regain her control. And after a few seconds, when she finally managed to come back to her senses, an emotionless mask was covering her features, a one she used often. “There’s nothing good in me, at all. Trust me, no one wants me to let them in.”

Ruby would have danced at the confirmation that she’d made a good point, but it would have ruined the whole vibe she was going for so she refrained, instead fiddling with the bottom of her shirt to distract her hands for a moment. Ginny didn’t seem so bad, really, just angry, and she had to believe that perhaps there was a perfectly good reason and a perfectly good way to help the other teenager.

Ah, there it was. Survivor’s guilt. Ruby tilted her head, expression sympathetic as she listened to Ginny’s words. Whoever this girl was, she’d been a good person to put someone else first and she couldn’t imagine the devastation of seeing someone die in front of you. “I’m so sorry that you’ve gone through that,” she managed quietly, her tone completely sincere. She felt deeply, even if she could be a bit selfish, but who couldn’t feel emotion at a time like this? She let Ginny get a grip on herself, not wanting to push the other girl too far. “Well, this other girl thought differently. I don’t mean to be crass, but you’re telling me she died because she thought you were worth something. I don’t know you, but I’d like to think that there’s something good about you too. You wouldn’t feel this bad if it wasn’t the case.” She bit her lip before she spoke again. “You’ve been given a second chance to live, so live, if not for you then for the girl who thought you deserved to.”

Giggling at her sister, Ellie shook her head fondly. Both her parents and Ruby were the adventurers of her family, her mother was a lot more responsible but she would never have her family any other way even if it meant Ruby being more responsible. A responsible Ruby was scary. “And I would never want that to change, just don’t drag me off too many times”

The advice was nice to hear from her sister and Ellie couldn’t help seeing it as her older sister teaching her a little life lesson. Her sister would always be the first thing on her mind no matter where they were, her sister and her parents but - with the way the curse had separated them - she wanted to find Ruby first so that they could find their parents together.

“Although wouldn’t they have shelter already set up if they lived here together?” Ellie questioned carefully, something that had only just come to her mind

Ruby gave her sister a smile but shrugged cheekily. “I make no promises about that. You need a bit of excitement in your life that isn’t Aspen Sanderson,” she replied, taking her sister’s hand. As much as she approved of the friendship, she really did think Annie needed to get out more.

“We don’t know if they’re here together or if they’re separated. We don’t know anything and we can’t assume they were as lucky as we were.” Ruby felt rather awful thinking that way, but she knew it was true. She’d met enough people here already to realise that much. It had been a curse, after all. Her parents being together would have meant they’d be happy and the curse couldn’t allow that. “I met Ella, do you remember her? Chad’s mother? She was separated from her husband too. I don’t think it’s likely they were together.”

Ginny paused before her reply, being very much unlike herself and having to think before actually speaking, she wasn’t used to it - being cautious over her words. But in this situation, it was obvious the girl knew more about family, and love that she did. But Ginny had never had anyone to love or care about, and she preferred it that way, people only hurt her in the end and she felt better having no one around her. 

“I guess if you say so. But nothing is ever really like the stories.” The dryness that held in her words was Ginny’s own way of closing herself off from this conversation, then having to admit that actually, she had no idea what the girl meant, she had no one that she would feel it if they were dead. And no one would care if she died. 

“No, I don’t deserve it. You don’t know what happened, you weren’t there —- It should’ve been me.” Her words trailed off, eyes growing wide as her own words sunk in. Of course, it should’ve been her, she had known it since Claudine had pushed her out of the way, and now she was dead, and Ginny was here. 

“Why would I want to do that?” Letting someone in, was not something she had in plan, ever.

Ruby gave a faint nod at that comment - nothing was ever quite like the stories. The details might not be step for step and she knew that she was often considered a bit daft for believing so strongly in such things, but Ruby would rather be a dreamer than let reality keep her down for too long. “I guess not, but I can’t- my parents, they’re about as lucky as you could get. It’s not their fault that someone else’s story dragged all of us into this. I can’t be mad at them about it or think there’s any reason it won’t all work out in the end. If I stop believing that, then what’s the point in anything at all?”

The outburst wasn’t something Ruby was expecting, but it spoke volumes. Ginny had lost someone in the collapse of the realms. Ruby had to fight the urge to hug the other girl - she didn’t seem like the type who would respond well to that, given her other reactions, and instead she lowered her arms, trying to make herself more open. “Do you want to talk about it? What happened?”

“I’ll always love you no matter what Ruby, remember that; no matter how many times you disappear on me or forget about me, because you are my big sister and my family” Ellie repeated firmly as she sensed that there was something still wrong with her elder sister “You and dad have always come back for me, and I know that that will never change”

A strange new town and magic that is causing an adventure, that definitely sounded like something her father would enjoy.

“I haven’t really gone looking for somewhere to stay, the first thing on my mind was finding you” Ellie admitted and she felt a bit sheepish because she hadn’t really tried to find somewhere safe when going into the town because she was more focused on finding her sister.

Annie really was the best and Ruby had no idea what she’d done to deserve such a great little sister. She was the only person she could be herself with completely, without fear of being told she was silly or simpering or away with the fairies. She simply gave the younger girl a smile as she pulled away, taking her hand and squeezing it. Yes, she loved her too. “It’s literally our job. Find everyone, drag them off,” she joked.

Big sister mode, activated. Ruby nodded and squeezed her sister’s hand again. “Shelter should always be the first thing on your mind in a strange place,” she advised without scolding. Survival tips, camping in Auradon, that was what she’d been good at. Ruby had never really felt she’d make a particularly good queen and knowing that one day she’d take over from her parents had always been something she’d avoided thinking about. She couldn’t be queen, but she was going to have to learn to be - or force it on Annie, something she also didn’t want to burden the other girl with. “Come on, we’ll go find somewhere now and then we’ll worry about Mom and Dad, okay?”

“How? Unless you were with them, which seems kind of unlikely, it’s been twenty-eight years, anything could’ve happened.” Ginny’s tone held a mocking in it, yet the thought of death left her own chest aching as flashes of Claudine’s body played into her mind. She had to put an end to these feelings of guilt before they burdened her worse than they already were. Swallowing thickly, the brunette attempted some form to keep her face emotionless, she was already feeling shitty, didn’t want everyone else easily seeing it.

As the girl before her drawled on, she found herself wanting to zone out of the conversation but something kept her involved in it, the situation reminded her too much of the body of the girl she left behind, the one who had sacrificed her own life for Ginny’s, and now plagued her with guilt. She even had to hold back a snappy remark of, not everyone was that lucky and got out unharmed, or even alive, but somehow she remained silent on the matter.

“I doubt I’m the good deed that you’re looking for, nothing good comes from helping me.” 

Ruby hesitated. She wasn’t sure how to answer that. She didn’t have magic like her mother; of the two girls, it was clear that Ruby had taken after her father in more ways than one, but she couldn’t help feel that... “I’d know,” she repeated, glancing back at Ginny after a brief silence. “It’s, it’s love, isn’t it? Not true love, family love. I’d feel it in my heart if they’d died. Like in the stories.” Perhaps it was naive but Ruby couldn’t bear the thought that she wouldn’t be aware of her parents or sister dying. It was too much to bear and she wouldn’t be able to keep going on. 

If the rumours were true, then following the old woman’s advice meant that Ruby would be able to find her mother down here. It would mean she could fulfil her promise to Anxelin about keeping her safe and not doing anything too silly, and it would mean her mother would finally, finally be back with her girls. Aside from making sure they got back out, Ruby couldn’t see too much of a negative to her plan... At least until she got to the Underworld itself.

It was massive.

She didn’t know how long she’d been down there for, wandering around and keeping an eye out for her mother, when a vaguely familiar face started approaching her. Ruby hesitated; not everyone down here was necessarily going to be as good as they were in Storybrooke or Auradon, and she had to err on the side of caution. Or at least, she thought she had to until she saw the other woman’s face.

“Grandma!” she cried, all but flinging herself at the older woman. Arianna laughed as she caught her granddaughter in her arms; rambunctious like her mother, excitable like her father.

“Hush, Ruby, I can hear you. We’re in the afterlife, I’m not deaf,” she teased, stroking strong fingers through the teenager’s hair. Ruby didn’t care where they were any more, however; she’d missed her grandmother dearly since she died and it hadn’t crossed her mind that she could potentially catch up with her too.