Red was nervous.

She realized that her future was on the other side of the bend, and every possible scenario ran through her mind at that moment, so she wanted to distract herself.

They traveled on a large boat, and she was too used to the heavy wind and rowdy sea from living on a small island, so she needed something else to ease her thoughts.

Dawn, meanwhile, was relaxed by the water beneath her feet. A large sea enveloped the small island she was born and raised on; the rugged waves became something of a lullaby to her.

The sea was therapeutic to the girl. Most of her days growing up were spent outside, away from all of her rowdy brothers, with her toes buried in the gritty sand, fierce waves splashing up to shore and striking her.

"How'd you learn to do this?" Red questioned, analyzing her aunt as she sailed the sea.

Dawn's heart sped up, hands gripping the wheel tightly as memories of the pirate she once knew played through her mind.

The young girl nodded in realization. "Right. No questioning your past," she muttered.

*******************************************
The guards of Auradon were stunned when the Queen of Hearts arrived from Wonderland with the children who were invited, accompanied by their parents.

Could it really be her?

The entire kingdom gawked and gossiped as she drove recklessly to the prep school, even Hans' daughter was surprised.

Red had been dropped off and slowly made her way through the crowd, and then as she watched Cinderella greet the evil Queen of Hearts, she recalled what her aunt said about her.

"That place made her that way."

Dawn was ready to speed off and flee back to the comfort of her small island after sending her niece off, but she felt stuck as she glanced around the Kingdom, taking it in.

Merlin Academy was now Auradon Prep, but it was just as bright and lively as she remembered. She hated it suddenly.

All of the horrible memories came flooding back and it motivated her to leave and never step foot there again, until she saw the building open up and found headmaster Uma followed by a boy she had only ever seen in her dreams.

It was her son.

Suddenly, the unsteady ground beneath her caused by the once comforting waves now made her feel sick to her stomach as her eyes were wide and she forgot how to breathe.

The boy looked just like his father but she saw herself too when he turned to the side. He was a product of true love, born into unfortunate and unfair circumstances.

Dawn's body trembled, heavy heart thumping loudly against her chest as tears ran down her face. She lost her balance and nearly fell into the equipment behind her.

A sob bubbled from within her chest and fell past her lips when she saw James emerge from the building and follow his son.

She felt betrayed by Captain Hook for the second time.

Meanwhile, during the ceremony after Uma greeted the new students, the Queen of Hearts interrupted; she was eager for revenge. Then as Red attempted to reverse the time to stop the chaos that followed, she and Chloe Charming were instead sent much farther back in the past.

And Red would finally uncover the truth about her aunt's past.