The Sleeping Witch's Final Whisper
"I didn't even say 'I won!' or 'I finished it!' yet." Despite the fact that she looked dead by any measure, Caroline's voice echoed once more. At her master's command, the ominous green energy that had been gathering in Gimpis's maw dissipated as if it were a lie, and the giant tree lizard retreated with heavy, thumping footsteps, clearly displeased. Along with it, the presence of the various magical beasts and wild animals that had been watching from afar began to fade. It was an order to disperse.
"What? Where are you?" Gretel, who had been crouched down like Hansel, scanned her surroundings, but it was difficult to pinpoint the source of the voice that had echoed like a mountain tremor.
"Over there, look at the remaining body," Pinochia said, pointing precisely to the origin of the sound. She had been the first to catch the anomaly occurring in Caroline's remains, which had been reduced to nothing but a lower torso.
Caroline's lower half shattered like porcelain, and from the shards, a pale green ghost princess emerged. Though her entire form was a single shade of light green, her appearance and attire were identical to Caroline Roselia from moments ago. Her crown of thorns had changed into a simple tiara, the ominous jewel embedded between her breasts had vanished, and most importantly, her vicious expression had softened considerably. As the atmosphere shifted, Hansel opened his eyes. What he saw was a ghost of Roselia, looking nearly identical but with a remarkably gentle demeanor.
"A star of hope carrying the dreams of the night sky, the fate of a hero who might drive away the great evil. Now, I see it clearly. For a brief moment, the chains of that curse have loosened, and everything is distinct."
"...Sleeping Witch, have you come to your senses? Now that you're dead?"
"I am as good as dead already. This land, where only the traces of my body and my people—who I must constantly resurrect—remain, is both a prison and a curse that binds me, yet it is the only legacy I must protect. Ever since I was defeated by the Snow Queen long ago, my soul and everything else have been tied to this place, leaving me in a state from which I cannot escape."
To Hansel's question, Caroline replied calmly in a voice that was plain yet tinged with sorrow. The power of starlight that Tinkerbell had awakened and bestowed upon them was able to briefly lift the curse of the Snow Queen and the curse upon her soul. The faint, faded scenery of the past and the scattering sands of memory caught the starlight, briefly forming a complete shape. Even if it wouldn't last long, it would sparkle in its original form for a short while.
"I offer my gratitude to you, who found the light for me, if only for a short time. Two hopes of the future, and... a being who wears human skin but is not human."
Before the three, the one who had once been a princess of a kingdom bowed her head and expressed her thanks. It was a stark contrast to her previous behavior, where she had attacked without a word, claiming that shadows lurked beneath the light.
"That's a rather cold and dry title for an expression of gratitude. The emotions I feel right now are unpleasantness, self-mockery, and cynicism. Is that correct?"
"You should know your own heart."
Pinochia gave a bitter smile, as if the remark about her imitating a human continued to prick at a corner of her heart. After tossing a word to Pinochia, Hansel checked on Gretel. 'I don't really know what's going on, so you ask everything and handle it. I'll trust you and help you no matter what.' Even though Gretel hadn't spoken, looking into her eyes made it feel as if those thoughts had been transmitted. Hansel nodded once and decided to ask about a few points of curiosity.
"Hey, you said there's a shadow hiding within us. What does that mean?"
"Exactly as I said. It was a fairy from Neverland who awakened that starlight power in you, was it not?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"That fairy bestowed upon you the light to guide you, but she did not see the shadow hidden beneath it. But I saw it. Something that exists even before the stain on your souls, which originated from the Queen's poisoned apple that intoxicated this world. Do not let your guard down, lest that blackness—whose origin is unknown—swallows you completely."
It meant that a darkness different from the former Snow White, the current Snow Queen, had already claimed the siblings. It was something other than the soul-poison that easily stains hearts with evil. It was so secret that even Robin Hood and Tinkerbell hadn't noticed it, and it was unknown how or when it had stained their hearts. It was hard enough to face the Snow Queen, but now another trial and danger stood in the siblings' way.
"Ha, it's just one mountain after another, isn't it?" Hansel sighed. He had prepared himself to face all sorts of trials as he began the fight to defeat the Queen, avenge his father Robin Hood, and secure a happy future and life for the two of them. The fire within him hadn't gone out, but facing a new, unknown obstacle made it impossible not to sigh.
"If the burden you carry between you is too heavy and you fear it, find those who will share the weight and seek their cooperation. I cannot leave this forest, and the clarity I have regained will not last long, but are there not many in the world who can stand against the Snow Queen? The guardian of the forest and friend to travelers, the four singing Sacred Beasts, a pirate sailing the night sky far away in Neverland, and the fairies and dream-keepers who oppose him. If the fairy of Neverland could share her power with you, it seems she still has some leeway."
"Um, wait a second. Those people..."
All the figures Caroline mentioned shared a common trait, but she seemed unaware of it. Pinochia, who knew well as a former subordinate of the Queen, stepped forward to say something.
"It was a pleasure to be able to converse with a sound mind, if only for a while. For a time, all the vast forests of this world will not harm you. May the grace of nature be with you as you walk the thorny path of steep trials and hardships."
Before Pinochia's correct observation could even be finished, Caroline's green ghost closed her eyes with a peaceful expression, and her form began to fade and blur like mist dissipating in the morning sun rising from the east. Like fine soil being blown away by a gentle breeze, Caroline's light green spirit went back to fall into a deep sleep after enjoying a brief liberation. Someday, she would wake again to punish those who ran rampant in the forest, but a new fragment had been inserted into the gaps of her memory, which were always filled with the same noise and difficult to discern: that they were the future hope to defeat the Snow Queen and save a world submerged in great evil. She had woken up once every few months or years, wiped out all intruders, and fallen back into the same endless, nightmare-like sleep, but today was different. She fell into a comfortable sleep, smiling while cradling the small, sparkling star of hope.
Hansel called out to Caroline desperately. Was this a touching moment where he desperately called the name of a princess of a nation who was falling into a deep, inescapable sleep just after regaining her sanity and clarity?
"Hey, wait a minute! Hey! Hey!"
It was not. Like Pinochia, Hansel had realized one strange thing from Caroline's words. In fact, you'd have to be a fool not to.
"Did I hear that wrong, by any chance?" Gretel also doubted her own ears. Because everyone Caroline mentioned was dead or neutralized.
"Your father Robin Hood, the four Sacred Beasts of Bremen, the three who came from Neverland. As for those who resisted and could defeat the Snow Queen, they have all been dead or neutralized for a long time. All that's left are troublemakers, mischief-makers, or rather, the chaff, who aren't even worth calling terrorists. Before that, that graveyard-keeper princess who guards this twisted forest while dead doesn't even know how much time has passed or what has happened since she became that way."
In summary, it was all outdated information. No matter how wise and sagacious one might be, if they wake up after 10 or 20 years and don't know how the world has changed or what has happened, they are nothing more than a foolish old person spouting nonsense. He had hoped to get some useful information from the sleeping witch who had fought the Queen in the past, but she had only told him things that were far too late. In other words, she had said nothing of any help.
"Come to think of it, didn't Dad and Tinkerbell say something about there being something in Bremen?"
While his energy was completely drained, Gretel recalled one fact. Robin Hood, who told them to go to Bremen, and Tinkerbell, who was about to say something about why they should go there, only to be shot and killed by Pinochia's gun.
"Dad told us to go, and Tinkerbell's tone was like, 'Why go there?' That witch told us to go. I heard the four Sacred Beasts weren't dead but sealed, but it's a bit unsettling. Still, we have to go, right?"
In the end, the only option was to head to Bremen as Robin Hood had originally instructed. Hansel nodded at Gretel's words, and Pinochia expressed her agreement without a word. Ultimately, the destination remained Bremen. They would have to go there themselves and see with their own eyes whether it would turn out to be a success, a failure, or something in between. Wasting time just worrying was useless. The three siblings, connected by blood and reconnected by thick, rich bodily fluids and pleasure, moved their footsteps toward Bremen in the now-silent forest. Perhaps the blessing wasn't just empty words but truly effective, as their steps felt remarkably light despite being exhausted from the fight. However, for some reason, their hearts felt heavy.