#both slightly

Valentina shook her head, trying to dislodge the nightmarish scene before her, her mind still muddled from the grim venom in Dread's bite. Unfortunately, her vision remained the same: Isabel kneeling beside her, her face perfectly masked into horror and confusion, Ravenzella approaching her with purple, glowing hands, that horrible laugh integrating itself into Val's skull. The rest of the Sapphires stood a little way away, with varying expressions of shock and desperation. Why were they looking at her like that? She hadn't done anything wrong, had she?

Isabel blinked, trying to fix whatever had gone wrong in the last minute. Beside her, River and Cinder were neighing loudly, either in distress at the situation or joy in seeing neither were hurt. Val wasn't looking at her, her gaze laser-focussed on Ravenzella. 'You're a fool.' Val hadn't actually said that, had she? After Isabel had risked everything to save her, told her she loved her? She must've misunderstood, the venom must still be in her system. She must've...otherwise Isabel was about to lose her unicorn bond for someone who clearly didn't think Isabel was worth a second thought. She couldn't have read the signals so wrong, could she?

Ravenzella cackled, drawing closer to the two unicorn riders. "Oh this does please me so!" She began, swooping close to Isabel. "You, our brave, athletic, lovestruck heroine, ready to risk it all for her one true love! And you!" She turned her attention to Val, who struck her with a withering glare that would've felled even the strongest of oaks. "Our perpetually spoilt, hot-headed, whiny, little PRINCESS who couldn't care less about her! Oh the tragedy! Oh the heartbreak! Oh! I'm going to enjoy this!" She flew back around to her throne, snapping her fingers at Isabel. "Come here, dear, bring your unicorn."

Isabel stared mutely at her, her expression so forlorn it would've melted even the coldest of hearts. Well, maybe not, Ravenzella's heart was particularly frozen, but everyone else's, certainly. Dazed, she grabbed River's harness and started pulling him towards the Queen of Grimoria. To everyone's surprise, River obliged without a fuss, although his eyes remained permanently downcast.

Cinder bellowed angrily, steam flying from his nostrils. He nudged Val harshly, jerking his head in the direction of the water pair. Val raised her eyebrow at her unicorn. What could Cinder expect her to do? She hadn't asked Isabel to trade her bond for the antidote, and Solaira Furi would have to come back from the dead before Valentina considered giving up her own bond...a shiver ran through her spine at the thought of no longer being a unicorn rider. Not only would she no longer have Cinder, but her family would completely disown her. She'd be cast out into the 'Real World' with no resources, connections, basic provisions, she'd be eliminated from all family records and photographs. A fate worse than death.

Glancing at Isabel, Valentina reassured herself that Isabel had nothing to lose from this encounter other than River. Her family would still care for her, still love her, she'd have a home to go back to. She could afford to make such a foolish mistake. 'Because I love you.' Was that true? Did Isabel truly love her? That didn't make any sense! Love was a grown-up concept, something that came over time through many years of marriage and child raising. She'd asked Mother once when had she fallen in love with Father: 'When it happens, I'll let you know'. Her reply had made sense to Val at the time, so what in the world made Isabel think she loved Valentina Furi? Even beyond the ridiculous timeframe, they were both girls! They'd had this conversation before; that sort of lifestyle was unacceptable for a Furi! So why, oh why, had Isabel traded everything for an impossible future?

Still, the voice in the back of her head, not the one that sounded like her family, told Valentina that she had to do something. Sighing, Val climbed onto Cinder's back and charged him forward, cutting Ravenzella off from Isabel. "I'm afraid that deal will have to be voided, Ravenzella. None of us are giving you our unicorn bonds! Not now, not ever! Cinder!" Her unicorn snorted in agreement, sending several fireballs directly at the villainess.

Snarling, Ravenzella dodged out of the way, retailing with some grim bolts of her own. "I don't believe this has anything to do with you! My deal was with Miss Armstrong over here!" Looking out the corner of her eye, she could see the other brats gearing up to attack her. That wouldn't do, that wouldn't do at all! "Dread! Contain them!" She shouted, calling to her beloved pet resting beside her makeshift throne.

Hissing wildly, the enormous snake moved towards the Sapphires, corralling them, like cattle, away from Isabel and River, who were slowly preparing for battle. He circled the group, his scaly hide deflecting any of their meagre attacks. Once they were all enclosed, he started to glow, the veins along his body pulsating with purple energy, much like Val's wounds a moment ago. Then, without warning, a translucent purple dome encapsulated them, leaving Isabel at the mercy of Ravenzella.

"No!" Sophia yelled in frustration, aiming a burst of light at the forcefield. It bounced off easily, dissipating into the air as though it never existed. Job done, Dread settled back down to take a well-deserved nap.

Rory and Layla joined in, lighting bolts and ice shards that would usually decimate the toughest of stone merely caused ripples on the surface of their prison. "This isn't working!" Layla panicked, moving Glacier back to the centre. "We need to regroup and think of a way to help Isabel!"

"Ah!" Val gasped loudly, sending her friends into a panic. To their surprise, Ava had stationed Leaf beside Cinder and pushed Valentina to the ground. "What was that for?" She snapped, brushing herself off. "I nearly died a minute ago!"

"I know! And if it wasn't for Isabel, you would be dead! And you called her a fool? Are you HEARTLESS?" Ava yelled, jumping down beside her. The two girls glared at each other, both their unicorns whinnying nervously.

"I'm not heartless!" Valentina argued, drawing herself up to her full height, so she looked down on Ava. "I'm realistic! To lose a unicorn bond over supposed love," her face contorted into a disgusted scowl, "is foolish!"

Ava shoved her again, directly in the chest. "The only foolish one here is you! I didn't think you could be SO SELFISH!" Tears sprang to her eyes, before she hastily wiped them away. "IGNORE THE TEARS! I'M FURIOUS WITH YOU, VALENTINA FURI!"

"Ava..." Sophia hurried over to them, wrapping her arms around her best friend. "Calm down. We'll find a way to fix this. Right now, we all just have to get home, with our bonds, and our unicorns. Fighting amongst ourselves, however justified, isn't going to solve anything." She gave Val a pointed glare, and guided Ava away.

Val scoffed, folding her arms. "However justified? Are you saying you'd give up Wildstar if Ava was dying?" Before Sophia could speak, Val continued. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't have called Isabel a fool, but surely none of you think she made the right decision? Yes, I'm grateful she saved my life, but she should've found an alternative to losing her bond. Layla? You agree with me, right? It's illogical!" She turned to Layla, who seemed to have gotten over her terror of being in Grimoria. Instead of trembling, she was frowning deeply at Val.

Clearing her throat, she turned away from her. "I think the only illogical part of this, is that you think Isabel was wrong to do whatever it took to save you." Val started to speak, but Layla raised her hand to silence her. "So no, I don't agree with you, and I would hope any of us would do the same for any one of us if needed. I know I would." Glacier neighed in agreement, staring coldly at Valentina.

"Here, here!" Rory added, all traces of humour gone from his voice. He moved Storm over to Glacier, Leaf, and Wildstar, where they started discussing how to get out of their prison.

Shocked, Val stood still, lost on how she'd ended up being the bad guy here. She'd nearly died! Was she meant to be grateful that Isabel had ruined her life for her? She hadn't asked her to! Cinder rubbed his head against her shoulder sympathetically, but, somehow, Val could feel the reproach in that action.

A sudden noise on the dome made them all jump. Ravenzella waved cheerfully at them, and pointed to their left. Following her finger, the Sapphires gasped as they saw Isabel and River tied up by grim vines, separated from each other. "I thought you might like to watch the show!" She called, her horrible grin back on her face. "It's quite a sight!"

"Wait!" Layla called, moving Glacier closer to the Queen. "You said we're your second group. Who were the first? What happened to them?"

Ravenzella paused for a moment, considering. "I know what you're doing." Layla laughed nervously, moving away. "But you can't escape...and it is a good story...okay! Get comfy!" Snapping her fingers, Ravenzella moved Isabel and River until they were right beside the dome, but not in, nor free. Then, the surface of the dome changed, rippling to become a screen, where they could see four unicorns and their riders in front of a younger Ravenzella, but it was hard to tell.

Valentina gasped, moving towards the four girls slowly dazed. "Mother?" Reaching up, her hand brushed the image of the rider furthest left.

"That's your mother?" Sophia asked, incredulous. None of them had ever met Val's mum, but she wasn't what any of them expected.

Ravenzella chuckled, her throne suspended above the group. "Why don't you identify our intrepid explorers for your friends, Miss Furi?"

Val nodded, barely hearing her. She looked up at the teenage girl with deep red hair tied back in a long, thick, singular braid. To match her unicorn, large sections of her hair were grey or black, similar to Layla's or Ava's. "That is my mother, Luna Furi, and her unicorn, Umbra." The second Furi came into focus and Layla gasped.

"I know her! That's Serena's mum! Sienna!"

Valentina hummed in surprise, intrigued by how similar Serena looked to her. Although her hair was red where hers was white, and the lilac strips were more vivid than Serena's red, they were almost identical, including the glasses. "We don't talk about her." She muttered eventually.

"Is that Ms. Furi on the end?" Rory asked, pointing to the youngest on the far right, with deep red hair shaved on one side, reaching her waist. Just as in the present, a light blue/turquoise strip highlighted her hair.

"Yes. Giovanna and Ghost. And then the third one is Adrianna, my cousin Regina's Mother." She gestured to the girl in-between Ms. Furi and Sienna. She had her hair pulled back into a high bun, with glittery silver lines running through it. "Her unicorn Ferro has metal magic, one of the rarer magics at the Academy." Valentina explained, pride blossoming in her chest at seeing her family.

Isabel coughed, straining slightly against her bonds. Val stiffened at the noise. "Why was Sienna expelled?"

"Oh! Pick me! I know!" Ravenzella called, grinning manically. "Watch and learn, kiddie-winks!" With a snap of her fingers, the image above started to play.

"There! I can see the Gemstone!" Luna shouted, urging Umbra forward. Her horn glowed a bright red, and the pair disappeared into the shadows.

Sienna gasped, cantering after her. "Luna! We have to stick together!" Hypnos bellowed in agreement, rearing up as a Grim magic barrier appeared. A familiar cackle echoed around the cavern, setting the sisters and the unicorns on edge.

"Oh here I come!" Ravenzella cheered, sending grim popcorn raining down on an unfortunate Rory.

"Hey!" He snapped.

"Shush!"

On screen, Ravenzella had appeared before them, her crown sparkling in the twilight. "My oh my! What do we have here? Four little piggies, far away from home!"

A blast of shadow magic hit her in the shoulder. "We're not piggies! And we're not afraid of you!" Luna yelled, sending another attack her way.

Growling, Ravenzella counter-attacked with her own grim magic, the energy bolts coalescing into a large snake made of black and purple scales.

"Oh Dready, look! It's your birthday!" The present Ravenzella cried, wiping away imaginary tears. Nonplussed, the current Dread merely lifted his head and went back to sleep.

Ferro neighed in alarm, his horn illuminating silver as he sent a shard of metal at the snake. "It didn't do anything!" Adrianna cried.

The trio threw several different attacks at the creature, each one as ineffective as the last. Ravenzella concentrated her efforts on Luna, who had nearly freed the Fairy Gemstone. However, the Queen of Grimoria was making her task very difficult indeed, and her pet was making its way towards its master.

"Giovanna! Get Luna! We need to get out of here!" Sienna ordered, nudging Hypnos. With a grunt, her unicorn's horn glowed a light pinky-purple, trying to catch either Dread's or Ravenzella's eyes.

Giovanna nodded at her eldest sister, and Ghost made the pair invisible, teleporting to Luna's side.

"Luna! We need to leave!" Giovanna begged, trying to grab her hand so she could teleport them both away.

Luna snatched her hand away, glaring at her youngest sister. "No! Go home Gia, this isn't a place for you! You're just a child! No one wants you here!" Ghost bellowed in fury at her words, teleporting himself and Giovanna away. They did not reappear.

Ava gasped, clutching Sophia's hand. "What happened to Ms. Furi?" She asked, directing her question at either Valentina or Ravenzella.

Ravenzella shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I imagine her unicorn took her back home to darling mother Mona, where she snitched on them all, based on what happens next."

Valentina stared at her with wide eyes. "What happens next?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, glancing at Isabel.

Before Ravenzella could reply, Luna gave a strangled gasp, staring down at her leg, where two familiar purple pinpricks twinkled through her boot. The Sapphires shrieked in horror, including Val and Isa.

Adrianna screamed, rushing Ferro over to her side. "LUNA! WHAT DO WE DO? SIENNA? WHAT DO WE DO?"

Sienna shook her head, turning to face a smirking Ravenzella. "What do we do?" She asked quietly.

"Well... I have an antidote for my pet's poison here." She twirled the black vial around in her hand. "I could be persuaded to give it to you...for a price." She cackled as Sienna looked puzzled. "Your unicorn bond, deary."

"Oh no..." Val breathed, realising where this was going.

To her horror, she was proven right. Sienna sent Adrianna away, leaving just her and a bitten Luna to face Ravenzella. They watched as Sienna hugged Hypnos, leaving her glasses on the ground. Hypnos lowered their horn, a pinky-purple tinge surrounding the frames. When they stepped back, the formally dull glasses had a glittery sheen to them.

"Go on then." Sienna snapped, standing proudly before Ravenzella. Behind her, Luna coughed, and it could've been a plea for her to stop. Unfortunately, her strength was too far gone, and Ravenzella was hungry for unicorn magic. Grim magic surrounded the pair, swirling faster and faster until Sienna and Hypnos were surrounded by a maelstrom of evil. With a gut-wrenching scream, Sienna collapsed to the ground, knees buckling. The magic leeched the lilac from her hair, prematurely aging her. Hypnos bellowed loudly, but they didn't seem to be in as much pain as their dearest former rider.

It was over in a couple of hours. Or a couple of minutes. Time froze under Sienna's pain. Eventually, she stood up, shakily. Hypnos helped her, although their markings were gone, offering her her glasses. "Here you go." Ravenzella threw the delicate vial at her, and Sienna raced as quickly as she could to an unconscious Luna.

At that moment, Mona Furi appeared, Giovanna and Adrianna behind her. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" She bellowed.

Luna coughed, the antidote working as quickly as it had with Valentina. "We tried to get the Fairy Gemstone, Mother." She explained, Umbra helping her up.

Unconsciously, Val retreated from the anger blazing in both of her grandmother's eyes, despite her not being real.

"Leave." She commanded of Ravenzella.

The Queen shook her head. "But I won't interfere." She offered, creating a similar makeshift throne to her current one.

Mona rounded on Sienna, glancing at Hypnos's unmarked back. "What did you do?" She asked quietly.

To her credit, Sienna stood her ground, standing opposite her mother with her head held high. "I traded my unicorn bond for the antidote that saved Luna's life."

"Why?"

Sienna looked at Mona as if she was stupid. "Because she's my sister? Because I love her?"

Mona sighed, the sound so heartbreakingly disappointed it sent a chill down the younger Ravenzella's spine.

Then she slapped her.

Sienna recoiled, stumbling over loose rocks, her hand to her stinging face. "Mother-"

"I am not your mother!" Mona hissed, ignoring the cries and gasps from her younger two. Luna remained silent. "From this day forward, I have three daughters. Three unicorn riders. You," she spat, "are nothing and no one. You shall be wiped from everything except our memories. And we shall do everything in our power to forget you. You will leave the Island, and never return. And," Mona stepped closer to Sienna, who was teary-eyed but not crying, "you shall never use the Furi name ever again." She stepped away from her, and walked over to Luna. "Are you alright, my dear?" She asked gently.

Luna nodded smugly, hugging her mother close. "Just peachy, Mother. Shall we go?"

Mona nodded, helping Luna onto Umbra. Following her lead, Luna and Adrianna (waving apologetically) left Grimoria, and Sienna. Giovanna didn't move, staring at her eldest sister in terror.

"What are you going to do?" She asked quietly.

Sienna wiped her eyes, smiling ruefully. "Don't you worry about me, Gia. Focus on your studies. I'll find good work in the Real World. Far more career opportunities than a teacher or rider out there. I'll be famous!" Giovanna lept off Ghost and ran towards Sienna, catching her in a big hug.

"I won't forget you." She whispered, clinging to her neck.

Sienna laughed mirthlessly, patting her head. "Yes you will. If you know what's good for you. I don't want a roommate, you understand me?" Giovanna nodded. "Good girl. Remember Gia, love is the worst poison of all. Run along now." Giovanna nodded solemnly, waving goodbye. Ghost neighed in farewell to Hypnos, and then the pair teleported away.

The younger Ravenzella clapped her hands excitedly. "Don't worry. Now I have your hypnosis magic, you can stay here as my personal assistant. Pay starts at £0.00 a lifetime. Now how does this work?"

Sienna turned on her heel to face the Queen of Grimoria. Despite her tears, her expression was one of steel. "I'm sorry, what hypnosis magic?"

"The one I stole from your bond." Ravenzella explained, too preoccupied to notice the smirk on her face.

"Oh!" Sienna flicked her glasses down, staring Ravenzella down. "I think you're mistaken. Now, go back to your castle, and forget what happened today." She hissed, her glasses glowing the same pinky-purple as Hypnos's horn.

Ravenzella's eyes also changed colour. "I'll go back to my castle and forget what happened today." She repeated, monotone. She left in a cloud of Grim magic.

The scene became static-y now Ravenzella was gone but it was clear enough to see Sienna and Hypnos hug, then gallop out of Grimoria for one last ride.

The memory ended. Valentina was crying. Tears ran down her face, dampening her clothes. She turned to Isabel, who looked very, very tired. "Isabel..." She turned to Ravenzella, imploringly. "Please don't take her bond! There must be something I can do! I'm sorry!"

Ravenzella looked at her for a long moment. No one spoke. The only sound was Isabel's and River's tired groans from being tied up for so long. "...Fine." She sighed eventually, as though she'd been asked to do something inanely boring. With a flick of her wrist, she released River and Isabel, who collapsed, and removed the dome that imprisoned the rest of the Sapphires.

Sophia frowned at her. "You're letting us go?" She asked.

"Sophia!" Rory hissed, looking very concerned. "Don't make her change her mind!"

"Yes, I'm letting you go."

"Why?" Layla asked, ignoring Rory's expressions.

Ravenzella sighed, tossing the Fairy Gemstone between her fingers. "A new monarch of Grimoria is chosen by usurping the previous one. To wear this crown, I killed my own Mother. To rule this land is to rule alone. Despite this, never once in her motherhood, did my Mother ever make me feel the way I saw Mona make her daughters feel that day. She always said she was proud of me. She wasn't very affectionate. Except when she was dying. Understandably so, for love weakens our power." She turned to the Sapphires, a most serious expression on her face. "For you and your unicorns though, love strengthens you. And I didn't like what I saw that day. Nor any other day when a Furi has been involved." She stared pointedly at Valentina. "You are not next in line for Grimoria's throne. So don't sacrifice the very thing that makes us different trying to be someone you're not. Otherwise I'll be very bored." With that, she waved her hands at them, as though they were annoying flies. "Go back to your school now. Looking at you all is giving me a headache."

The Sapphires left without another word, Cinder and River galloping side by side. Only once they were out of Grimoria, on the beach, did they stop.

"How do you feel, Isabel?" Ava asked.

Isabel groaned. "Like I've run a 10K marathon without any prep." She turned to Val, who looked stricken. "Am I still a fool?"

Val shook her head so fast Rory worried she'd get whiplash. "No, no, no! Isabel! I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry! I just... I don't know! I panicked! The thought that you would risk something like your bond for me..."

"You didn't think you were worth it." Isabel finished, moving River closer so she could hold her hand. "I think you're worth it." She whispered, wiping Val's tears.

Val smiled weakly at her, struck again by how beautiful Isabel could look. "I don't know if I love you too." She whispered back.

"I'm not asking you to." Isabel laughed. "I just wanted to know you weren't going to treat me like a fun little thing to laugh at with your rich girl friends." She leaned her head forward, hoping she was reading these signals right.

"Oh..." Val breathed, the panic in her chest lessening. She followed suit, the idea of kissing Isabel far from repulsive.

Just as their lips were inches apart, a gust of cold air hit the group. "Ms. Furi! Hi! How are you?" Rory's overly loud voice broke the atmosphere, Isabel and Valentina springing apart.

Ms. Furi raised an eyebrow at the pair, but said nothing. "I'm glad to have found you all. You're all in big trouble."

"Big trouble?" Layla spluttered. "Why?"

Ms. Furi raised her hand, counting on her fingers. "Well let's see, one, sneaking out past curfew, two, going into Grimoria, and three, clearly getting into a fight. It's extremely dangerous in there, you could've died!"

No one mentioned Luna or Sienna, or that history had nearly repeated itself. Silently, they walked back to campus.

"Auntie?" Val asked eventually, as the Academy came into view.

"What?"

"I'm sorry about Aunt Sienna."