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2024-04-11
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We Certainly Aren't in the Hundred Acre Woods Anymore

Summary:

Piper Finch, a 17 year old girl from England who loves playing with her stuffed animal friends in the woods, was attending her final year of boarding school. She hoped to just do what she has always done: assist people when needed, survive, and get back to the woods when the year was over.

She certainly knew that this year would be different considering it's the last one, with the new changes and adulthood sneaking up on her. But she never expected for it to take a huge turn.

For after her first few days, she suddenly found herself upon the campus of Nigh Raven College. And wouldn't you know it, she is the only student there that does not know magic.

As she is waiting for a way home, she might as well try to do what she does best, assist others the best she can in another world not made for her.

But maybe, just maybe, she will learn she is braver than she believes, stronger than she seems, and smarter than she thinks. And possibly pass that on to the people there.

Notes:

Hello all of you lovely people of AO3! Welcome to my first official fanfiction on this site! I hope you have a good time and enjoy my girl, Piper's journeys! But real quick, gonna give a few notes on things such as possible triggers, content warnings, general stuff, and all that good pre-fanfic stuff. So, if you don't mind or don't care for that stuff, feel free to skip and enjoy the fic!

But maybe look at Piper's character profile before you read so you get a better understanding of who she is before reading:

https://www.tumblr.com/stephiethewephie/734362930445991936/twisted-wonderland-yuu-piper-finch?source=share

Everyone else sit your but down and listen/lh

First off, If you could not tell, my Yuu, Piper Finch, is based off of Christopher Robin from Winnie-the-Pooh. She is not a self-insert (I'm an adult American Woman) besides a few things that I gave her based off myself that I will explain later. The reason why I chose Christopher Robin is because I am a HUGE Winnie-the-Pooh fan. It been a huge part of my life ever since I was a child and I thought it would be cool to bring that part of me into this new hyper fixation of mine. Plus, I thought it would be interesting to imagine what would happen when something as innocent and pure as a Winnie-the-Pooh character is put into the world of Disney Villains.

Piper is kind of a mix of in-game Yuu and Christopher Robin, so a lot of the events that are cannon in the game are going to be cannon in the fic with modifications here and there to fit the character of Piper more (including the first few chapters being before she came to Twisted Wonderland). One of them, of course, being the inclusion of her stuffed-with-fluff friends. You will find them throughout the story, helping Piper along with her trifles (mostly in her dreams). Each OB character will be assigned their own member of the Hundred Acre Woods crew that assists Piper which I will reveal on my Tumblr soon.

The world she's lives in is our world: She lives in the UK, there is no magic, life sucks, etc. But, it's kind of like Wizard of OZ and Fionna and Cake where there are versions of the characters of twst that look and act like their counterparts but are not (you'll see what I mean). They all go to this prestigious boarding school and do normal teen stuff. She also has a black cat named Edward.

Piper is also an undiagnosed autistic girl. At her home, no one really knew what autism was. Or, if they did, they did not think she had it because she did not show some of the traits in a "stereotypical" way. So, a diagnosis was never considered. A lot of her experiences, traits, and internal and external struggles from not being fit for the neurotypical world as an autistic person are based on my own as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. I also put in some traits and experiences from other people on the spectrum while making her character.

With the struggles, there will be depictions of autistic masking which includes; suppressed stimming, not saying what is on the mind (especially when it comes to special interests), forced eye contact and communication, endurance of sensory overload without proper accommodations (headphones, sunglasses, etc.), people pleasing, not setting boundaries, and tolerating uncomfortable situations such as being touched without permission. With those comes the depictions of burn out, meltdowns, anxiety, social anxiety, anxiety attacks, low-self esteem and self-care, feelings of incompetence, imposter syndrome, inferiority complex, shutdowns, and feelings of loneliness.

Some external struggles include bullying, miscommunication or no communication, isolation/abandonment, misunderstandings, infantilization, threats of violence, depictions of harm (mostly on the twst side), manipulation, and pretty much everything Yuu goes through in the cannon universe. So, if any of these topics are not your cup of tea in the slightest, I am more than understanding if you need to skip this fic.

Also, Spoiler warning for pretty much everything in the main story of Twisted Wonderland. But, it won't be for a long while until I write in all the content so far, so you have plenty of time to catch up on the story before this fic gets to it.

I believe I have covered everything I wanted to here! I hope you enjoy my story and let me know when you can what you think about it! Have a lovely day and every day after that!

Chapter 1: A Final Farewell Party

Summary:

"You said the cake and lemonade were for a 'Farewell Party' that you were having with your friends," Piper's mother said, almost worried.

"I did," Piper said with a confident and truthful smile.

Her mother took a deep breath as if she knew where this conversation would lead, but decided to press on in hopes that this time was different. "Did your friends already leave?"

Piper herself knew where this conversation was going. It always made her feel awful. But, maybe this time her mother will be more... accepting? Would that be the right word?

"My... my friends are right here..." Piper said, not daring to look at her mother and just hoped, begged to herself that she would just say "ok" and let her move on with the rest of her life.

But, of course, her mother gave a disappointed sigh. God, that stung Piper more than a thousand bees ever would. The one thing she hated most was making those around her unhappy. And, once again, it happened this year.

Piper," her mother started. "When you said that you were having a party with your friends, I hoped that maybe you were inviting some..." she tried to choose her next words carefully. "Some real friends."

Notes:

TW for low self-esteem, inferiority, autistic masking (uncomfortable situations), people pleasing, dishonesty about feelings, mentions of isolation and bullying, and feelings of being alone.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Here we see Piper Finch as she spends her last moments of summer in the woods behind her house.

With her, some of her best friends in the whole world: An owl, a donkey, a piglet, a rabbit, a tigger, a kanga and roo, and, most of all, a pooh bear which she had since she was a wee babe. All her friends were plush and stuffed with fluff (in the donkey's case, sawdust), but to her, they were just as friends as those of flesh and blood.

All of them were sitting around a picnic table, which has been dressed in a white table cloth. Plastic silverware, dishes, napkins, and cups surrounded the sides of the table. A cake was placed in the middle of the table, infused with honey, with a pitcher of honey lemonade which stood beside it. Honey flavored frosting adorned the top of the cake with writing that said, "Happy Last Year of Boarding School!"

Piper got up from her seat to slice the cake. She gave a slice of cake as well as poured a drink to each of her friend, who were dressed with party hats and white bibs, before serving herself. She herself was also dressed in a white bib and party hat, plus a pretty blue sundress. She raised a glass before giving a speech.

"My dearest friends," she started. "It has been a great pleasure to have you by my side again for this, our last summer break, together. For I may be gone, have joy that this is my last time away. While adulthood and university will be within my grasps, and with that comes the fact that we may need to... say goodbye to these woods for a while longer..." She lowered her glass as if to mourn the loss of a loved one before continuing. "Know that when that time comes, you shall be with me on my journeys. Till then, let us enjoy this final get together, before the one that will be forever. And I will wish you farewell! Cheers!"

She took a sip of her glass before sitting back down at her place on the bench. She began to eat her slice of cake. But, before she could swallow her next bite, she heard a voice in the distance shout her name. The surprise caused her to choke on the piece of cake she had in her mouth. She pounded her chest with her fist to get it out before looking at the direction of the voice.

"Piper!" The voice yelled again, upon glace she saw her mother walking angrily towards her. She wore a beekeeper suit and still had a few bees swarming her. "I kept trying to call you! We leave for boarding school in 10 minutes!"

Piper, puzzled but filled with anxiety, pulled out her phone and turned on her lock screen. To her shock, the time on her phone said 9:50am. Bellow it displayed multiple missed calls and texts from her mother ranging from 45 minutes ago to 5 minutes ago. Piper was supposed to be back at her house by 9:30 to prepare the rest of her stuff for moving day to leave at 10:00.

"Oh d-d-dear! I'm sorry, Mum," Piper exclaimed before hurriedly and frantically packing up the party. Starting with the food, she placed all the uneaten slices of cake back into the slots of the cake she cut them from. She went on to pour all the lemonade from the cups back into the pitcher. "The party was so lively, I lost track of time!" She placed the cake and the pitcher of lemonade into the wagon she brought along to carry the supplies before going on to fetch the silverware, cups, and plates.

Piper's mom looked around as if she was searching for someone, but could not find it anywhere. "You said the cake and lemonade were for a 'Farewell Party' that you were having with your friends," she said, almost worried.

"I did," Piper said with a confident and truthful smile as she placed the utensils and table cloth in the wagon, "that's what this get together was after all."

Her mother took a deep breath as if she knew where this conversation would lead, but decided to press on in hopes that this time was different. But with the looks of Piper's stuffed animals with the hats and the bibs, her hopes were slim. "Did your friends already leave?"

Piper stopped her tidying up for a second, as she herself knew where this conversation was going. It always made her feel awful. But, maybe this time her mother will be more... accepting? Would that be the right word? After all, Piper was becoming an adult, so her mother will have to respect that this is who she is eventually.

"My... my friends are right here..." Piper said, picking up the donkey plushie and placing him into the wagon, not daring to look at her mother and just hoped, begged to herself that she would just say "ok" and let her move on with the rest of her life.

But, of course, her mother gave a disappointed sigh. God, that stung Piper more than a thousand bees ever would. The one thing she hated most was making those around her unhappy. And, once again, it happened this year.

"Piper," her mother started. "When you said that you were having a party with your friends, I hoped that maybe you were inviting some..." she tried to choose her next words carefully. "Some real friends."

There it was. The 'real' friends conversation that Piper and her mother have been having since she was 5. Why were her stuffed animals not considered 'real' friends to her mother? They were 'real' to her. No matter the trifles or strife that Piper's life had given her, they never left her side. She could always return to the woods, return to them. Why doesn't her mother see that?

Piper was going to argue that thought to her mother, but chose against it. She was never one for confrontation and did not want to make her mother more crossed than she was already. So, she simply did not give an answer. She instead placed the rest of her stuffed animals in her wagon, not giving a glance at her mother.

As if her motherly instincts could tell what was in Piper's head, her mother went over to her daughter and made sure she was looking directly at her. While Piper found it uncomfortable, as well as her current emotions telling her she was definitely not ok with it, she tried to keep eye contact with her mother as to not seem rude. But, Piper was somewhat comforted by the warm smile that adorned her mother's face once she glanced at it.

"Hunny," her mother started. "You know just as well as I do that I would not be pushing this on you if I knew that this is not something that you want as well."

While her mother has the tendency to misunderstand her thoughts and behaviors, Piper knew that her mother could read her like an open book when it came to wanting a social life. While Piper was content with only having her stuffed friends in her life, the thought of having un-stuffed friends was always something that she pinned for, but never fully had the grasp of. All of her attempts were temporary, and each one of them hurt like the devil when they ended. Some much more than others.

She remembered all the night time phone calls she and her mother would have where she cried for hours about one of her boarding school 'friends' leaving her without a single reason why or bullying her into leaving them. She knew those calls were just as hard on her mom as they were for her, so she tried her best to stop those calls when she got into her mid to late teens from not forming connections at all or keeping her feelings hidden. But, she could never avoid the fact that she comes home friendless every year, and her mother finds out eventually. And it always comes back to this moment.

Piper only nodded and placed her head down to stare at the ground. She was holding onto her pooh bear plush as well, so she gave him a squeeze to give her some comfort. Her mother lifted Piper's chin up to see look at her again. Piper allowed it despite the sudden touch sending another uncomfortable feeling down her body, as she did not want her mother to think she was harming her. It just bothered Piper that she was not used to it. She should be used to it right?

"What have I always told you?" her mother said. Piper was about to respond, but her mother answered for her. "You are an incredible person. You're kind, passionate, loving, tons of fun, beautiful," she gave Piper a kiss on the forehead. Piper predicted it, so she wasn't filled with discomfort like the last touch. "Anyone would hit the lucky jackpot to have you as a friend!"

No matter how many times her mother has told her that, why could Piper never believe that herself? Maybe it was because, as a mother, she has to say that to her daughter. There was something her mother was missing out on. Something wrong with Piper. Something that, no matter all the good qualities, was keeping her from being friends with others. But, no one has ever given her an answer to what that 'something' is.

Piper just gave her mom a nod, knowing that it's what she wanted from her. That it would make her happy. And, luckily, it seems that it did based on the smile on her mother's face getting bigger.

"I know that it has been a big struggle," her mom said. "But, I know that if you just put yourself out there a bit more, give yourself more opportunities to make friends, that some are sure to come to you!" Piper could tell that her mother was trying her best to come up with solutions that she has not made in the past, but they were just wrong. She was out there, she did give herself opportunities, she tried everything and no dice.

If only Piper could give her mom a good explanation to why her efforts have failed. The only reason Piper could come up with was that something in her mind forbid her from fully understanding how people worked, or grasping how to be a 'person' her age. She always felt like the only one behind. Everyone else seemed to get something automatically while she could take months to years to get it. And by then, there was something new everyone had already mastered. No one was ever willing to be patient or accept where she was. They all got tired of waiting. Never giving her more than one chance.

Piper wasn't dumb. She had high grades in all of her classes and was considered an honors student and teachers pet. She just didn't know why it takes her so long to be a person. Or why some things she could never get a hold of. No matter her efforts, she always ended up back in the woods, with those always at the same place as her. Those who could always be patient and accepting. She would stay there if time was not a constant nuisance, forcing her body to be something that her mind was not prepared for.

Piper figured that the whole thing would have sounded ridiculous and absurd to her mother, or anyone else. And what would she do to prove her reasons were rational? So, she just kept those thoughts to herself.

Piper gave her mother the answer that she wanted. "I... did see that there would be a new nature watch club," she gave a fake smile that she has mastered at this point. "I may want to give it a shot."

Her mother beamed and opened her arms to offer a hug. Luckily, Piper was feeling more than accepting of the hug, though she still would have hugged her mom even if she was not. No matter what, she knew that her mother loved her dearly and only wanted what she believed was best for her. And while some of it may not be entirely to her liking, Piper loves her mother and appreciates the effort and care she gives in order to give her the best life possible. Plus, she's her mother, of course Piper can trust that all of what she is doing is all for the best.

The two pull away and Piper's mother puts up her index figure. "1 friend," she said. "Or acquittance. Either way, I just ask for one person in your life who you form a connection with."

Piper, again, nodded to give her mom the answers she wanted. This one was a bit more determined to make her mom happy. Even if it meant trying again to make one connection outside of family.

After she nodded, she noticed a bee had flown up-close to her. When it landed on her nose, she tried to blow it away with her breath. Both times, the bee would fly up before landing back on her nose. The third time she blew it, it went closer towards her. Piper backed away in fright and hid behind her mother, who caught the bee soon after, being careful not to accidentally crush it.

"Looks like the queen lost her way," Piper's mother said as she looked closely at the bee in her palm before enclosing it with both her hands. "I'll take her back to her hive before her workers and drones come searching for her." She looked back at Piper. "You should head back to the house, put that stuff away, and help your father. He's been packing all your stuff while we were gone, so you should at least assist with the last of it."

Piper felt a tinge of guilt from her mother's last statement, but nodded in obligation. She grabbed the handle of the wagon and she, her mother, and her stuffed friends left the woods and headed to their house. All the while Piper took glances back at the woods, waving goodbye as if saying goodbye to an old friend.

Unbeknownst to her, this may be the last time she has to say goodbye to her dear old woods.

Notes:

Oh wow! You actually read to the end! Hello again!

I hope you enjoyed this huge exposition dump of a chapter! It took me SO LONG to write, rewrite and revise (as well as the fact that the original draft was deleted by AO3 because I stupidly forgot to post it in the time before the expiration date), and I'm so proud of it! I love Piper to bits and really wanted to bring her story to life! And it's only the beginning!

It's probably not perfect, but I did my best! Let me know your thoughts down below!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have fantastic days!

Chapter 2: May I Return

Summary:

As her father started the van and they moved the first few feet from her house, Piper squeezed her Pooh and frowned as she saw her house, her stuffed friends, and her woods move further and further away from the rearview mirror. She knew it would not be forever, that she will return after a few months. But even a week away from home felt like hell to her and she never knew why besides homesickness and her inability to make friends. She would survive it for her parents, but by the skin of her teeth. At least she will have Pooh to help her through her time there. She will have to thank her father for that.

Suddenly, Piper noticed something strange in the mirror. Something...green. Piper squinted as she tried to get a better look at it, but the image suddenly became more clear. They were flames, green flames, engulfing the mirror.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Piper pulled her wagon along the pathway that lead to her house. All the while looking back from time to time to make sure nothing fell out. As she got closer to her house, she noticed a middle aged man with a receding hairline try to place a bin into a van. The bin was presumably heavy considering the struggle of the man to even lift it. Sunlight reflected off his glasses from each attempt to lift the bin as if signaling in morse code for assistance. After noticing and processing that he was indeed struggling, Piper let go of the handle and rushed to help the man out. Before the man could tip over the bin, Piper took a hold of the other side and lifted up so the weight was equally distributed between them.

"Piper!" the man exclaimed, both in relief that he didn't lose hold of the bin and of happiness to see her.

"Sorry I'm late, Papa," Piper said with a smile that was happy she made it in time, but showed some guilt for leaving him to the work.

"It's alright, deary," her father said as he motioned himself and Piper to the trunk of their van. "Papa needed some physical labor, been at the desk all night yesterday writing and editing." Her father always tried to lighten up situations in whatever way he could. Piper appreciated him for it, but the shame she felt still resides even when he forgives her. "Got to make sure my lesson plans are updated and ready to go by Monday. Can't give the little kiddos nothing now yeah?"

Piper gave him a small chuckle and nod as they both placed the bin with the other objects packed up into the van needed for boarding school. Both let out a sigh as the weight was taken away. Piper looked at the open garage of their house too see if there was anything else needed to be put away. She was shocked to see there was nothing left of her stuff to be put away. Did her father put most of her things in the van by himself while her mother tended the bees. That made Piper even more upset at herself than she was before. Before she could spiral down into self-deprecation, her father spoke.

"So," Piper's father leaned on the edge of the trunk, most likely out of exhaustion. "How was your farewell party?"

Piper's face lit up as a wide smile formed on it. She flapped her hands rapidly and hopped up and down a few times, making a giggling noise in excitement to tell her story. "Well, my friends ad I were making the preparations for the party..." she began her story. Going into detail of all the events she created in her head which she projected into her stuffed animals. "...We had to make sure Pooh wasn't trying to take a small smaceral of cake before the party...." She paced back and forth as she was telling her tale to her father, her hands still flapping and moving around. "...Then a huge Heffalump came by, and we thought it was going to steal the cake!"

"Oh my!" her father exclaimed, showing his fascination to the story. Piper's father always listened to her imaginative adventures in the woods. Being a well-known children's author alongside his primary school teaching career, he always found enjoyment and intrigue through her tales. He always said that she got her creative mind from him. Piper loved this. She loved that he encouraged her adventures and listened when she told him about them. It made her feel heard, understood, and supported in a way that no one else has. But of course, that can't last forever.

"...We soon figured out that they just wanted to join the party," Piper kept going. "So we-"

"Ahem," before Piper could finish her story, she head the voice of her mother interrupt her. Piper looked over at her and saw that she was no longer wearing her beekeeper outfit, her short brown hair and black dress now fully visible. She also brought the wagon of stuffed animals and supplies that Piper had left.

"Ah, thanks mum," Piper said before she took the wagon off her mother and headed into the garage. Piper didn't realize she was lost in her story again, but she wasn't so surprised. Whenever she started talking about her adventures, she found it hard to stop. Her longest record was 3 hours, no kidding. During that time, she would usually forget what she was doing or had to do until someone, like her mother, interrupted.

She placed the wagon on the side wall of the garage, grabbed some of the food and supplies, and headed into the house. Piper and her parents lived in a one story house. It was standard when it came to houses, everything pretty much clumped together. The kitchen, dinning room, and living area were connected with no doors or walls between them. The only separate rooms were the bedrooms and a tiny office. It didn't mind much to Piper as she mostly spends her time in the woods anyways. Plus, the thought of living in a bigger house or apartment near the city was not to her liking.

Piper placed the food in the fridge and the supplies in the cupboard before making another trip. She paused before she took her stuffed animals back to her room. She sighed, upset at the fact that, again, she would have to leave most of them behind. Her mother only allowed her to bring one of her stuffed animals whenever she went to school since her early teen years. While she understands why her mother would want her to only bring one, so she can be "more her age," what was the harm in bringing more than one? She could just hide them while her roommate is there. Still, she considered her mother to know what was best for her. So, she took her stuffed animals in one big swoop and headed towards her room.

Piper's room was always the same since she was a child. Her walls were white, never painted. A twin sized bed, held up with a white frame and adorned with sky blue sheets, stood in the corner. A brown coocoo clock hung on the wall above it, wooden leaves surrounding it. Other things that were hung up on the walls included a framed map of the woods, Posters which displayed different types of bugs, including butterflies and moths, and crafts that she made from objects she found in the woods. A window with white curtains adorned with blue butterflies stood above a blue storage bench in between two white clothes drawers. Piper looked at all the items that defined her childhood. The toy soldiers handmade and painted by her father. Her remote control train that needed fixed after she drove it into the lake. Her toy horse that she got from the ranch her mother always sold honey at. Her blocks which allowed her to speak the words that she never could verbally say. Her ballet shoes which she only wore a few times before letting her stuffed animals wear them.

Piper sighed before placing her stuffed animals one by one on the bench. First her tigger, then her donkey, then her piglet, then her rabbit, then her owl, then her kanga and roo. She was about to place her Pooh bear on the bench, but she reconsidered once she thought how lonely it would be without her best friend with her. It's the same thought she had every year she went to boarding school. Her mother always told her that Pooh would "hold her back from making friends if she just focused on him all the time." But, it's been him that has kept her from having a meltdown everyday at school. She knew she would probably get a talking from her mother about this like every year, but she considered it worth it. She kissed all of her stuffed animals goodbye before heading outside with Pooh

"I'm ready," Piper said cheerfully holding onto Pooh. Her father and mother were excited to see her and get going. Her mother's face, predictably, fell concerned when she say Piper with her Pooh.

"Um, Piper dear?" Piper stopped when she heard her mom. She knew what conversation she was going to have. She looked at her mother and was ready to compromise with her mother why she should bring Pooh with her. It's the only thing she would try to fight with her mom for. "I know you love your Pooh-"

"So you should take it with you!" Piper and her mother were surprise to hear her father say those words with a cheerful tone. He usually never intervened with Piper and her mother's conversations. Piper cheered for her father's support and ran to her seat into the van before her mother could say anything else. But, she could still hear the conversation them.

"Alexander! What are you thinking? She can't take a toy with her," Her mother said clearly frustrated at her husband.

"Oh come now Daphne," her father said in a more relaxed tone. "It's her final year of school. Surly no one would care."

"She is 17 years old. She should have grown out of these rubbish stuffed animals by now," her mother retorted which offended Piper a bit.

"They are special to her," Piper smiled as she knew her father supported her. "And besides, everyone at her school knows she has it."

"That's the problem," Piper's smile dropped at her mother's words. "No one in her grade has a stuffed animal. She's a laughing stock to her class." Piper looked at her Pooh as she thought about her mother's words. She knows her mother is true, but she does not know why she has grown out of them, nor does she want to. But, would she really have to give Pooh up to be accepted by her classmates?

"You don't know that for certain," her father said back. At this point, Piper decided that she could not take listening to them anymore and covered her ears. Trying to drown out the argument that they are having because of her. And she assumed that intervening would only make the conversation worse. But, the fact that they ARE having this argument because of her made her feel awful.

She suddenly saw the doors open at the front of the van. Her father held a poker face, but her mom looked annoyed. She was about to apologize to them until his father looked back at her and smiled.

"Are you ready to rock your last year of school?" he asked at his place on the wheel. His cheer made Piper feel more at ease as she nodded enthusiastically, even though she knew she would never be ready.

As her father started the van and they moved the first few feet from her house, Piper squeezed her Pooh and frowned as she saw her house, her stuffed friends, and her woods move further and further away from the rearview mirror. She knew it would not be forever, that she will return after a few months. But even a week away from home felt like hell to her and she never knew why besides homesickness and her inability to make friends. She would survive it for her parents, but by the skin of her teeth. At least she will have Pooh to help her through her time there. She will have to thank her father for that.

Suddenly, Piper noticed something strange in the mirror. Something...green. Piper squinted as she tried to get a better look at it, but the image suddenly became more clear. They were flames, green flames, engulfing the mirror. Piper's eyes widened in shock as they completely came into view and everything before it disappeared, leaving only the flames. She looked in the other car mirrors to see that they were also covered in the green flames. In the front mirror, she saw two glowing yellow dots that lined together like eyes. Starting to panic, Piper looked behind her through the back window, but when she did there were no flames in sight. She looked back at the mirrors to see the flames have disappeared. She squeezed onto her Pooh to help her breath slow down.

"Are you ok?" Piper jumped when she heard her mom ask that. She looked at her concerned. While Piper would love to tell her mother what she saw, chances are she wouldn't believe her because of her active imagination. Piper honestly does not believe it herself. She tried to excuse it as an anxiety-filled hallucination, her mind playing tricks on her. But, it felt too real for that, nothing her imagination could have ever brought up. But, for the sake of herself and her mother, she would let it go.

"Oh, sorry I thought I saw a bee in here," Piper said as she made a fake smile and laugh, which thankfully worked as her mother decided to look back front.

Piper sighed and looked back at the mirrors. This would be a very long year.

Notes:

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!

I'm so sorry for the wait! A lot has happened in my life and I did not have the time and motivation to complete this chapter. But, I'm back and I hope to write more chapters and get them out sooner than this! So stay tuned!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have fantastic days!

Chapter 3: Begining of the End

Summary:

The awkward silence that soon filled the room caused Piper to tense up. She knew she needed to say something to her, but why couldn't she think of something. Piper darted her eyes around the room. One because she was trying to find something to talk about, and two because she didn't want to look Naila directly in the face. As she thought she knew she would be thinking that she was weird by now. Or asking herself why Piper hasn't said anything yet.

She tapped her fingers on her forehead and closed her eyes tight. "Think, think, think," she said to herself. However, once she caught herself doing it, she quickly began to feel nervous again. What was she doing? Normal people don't do this! Why is she doing this in front of a stranger? The lower she looked, she realized that she was still holding onto Pooh as well. At that point, she knew it was over. Naila had definitely considered her a weirdo by now. How could she not have noticed these details about her already? Goodbye to another chance of making an actual friend. Maybe she should just run away to the closest forest and live there.

"So, what class are you in?" The sudden question from Naila caused Piper to jolt.

Notes:

TW: Descriptions of anxiety, sensory overload, self-deprecating thoughts, disassociation/maladaptive daydreaming, and self-doubt.

(also, yes there are versions of twst characters in her world, they are given different names however because Wizard of OZ Rules)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The trip down was relatively smooth. No other surprises, thank goodness. However, there were times when a sudden bump in the road caused Piper to jolt from her seat. Normally on these trips, Piper would fall asleep. Her headphones blocking the roar of the engine, the blasting of her dad's... interesting music taste, and whatever conversations her parents were having that she would always be shooed away from if she tried to contribute. Her Pooh bear giving her the comfort and softness she needed in this time where most of the familiar comfort and safety is taken away from her, her only solace. She would dream to escape the reality she was in. To live in the fantasy of her own world once more before everything crashed down on her.

However, this time, Piper could not even rest her eyes. The image of the fire she saw before still burning in her mind. She tried to convince herself that it was just her imagination. But, she had no idea why her brain would even fathom up such a thing. Especially with such realistic imagery. Her home, her woods, engulfed in flames. She was never one to believe in visions, but the possibility that being the case only filled her restlessness and anxiety. Would her woods still be here when she returns. She wanted desperately to tell her parents to turn the car around, to run back to those woods and never leave them again. But, that would only make them upset, and they would never believe her with the active imagination she has. Plus, her prevalent desire to stay in the woods would only make it seem like an excuse. So, she kept convincing and convincing before she finally put the image to the back of her mind. Yet it would still linger on for a while.

The exclamation of Piper's father saying, "we're here," snapped Piper out of a trance she didn't even realize she was in. She looked out the window to see the rustic, traditional school building in front of them. In the heart of London, the massive stone building of Ravenbrooke Academy stood with it's intimidating figure. A great tower in the middle housed the main office and welcome center. Walls pertaining hallways and classrooms created a box, with smaller towers on the corners for the cafeteria, auditorium, and other large rooms. The whole building resembled a castle from medieval times. All of this would have excited Piper, and it did when she first arrived there as a child, but she knows now all too well that there is no such adventure or quests inside. A courtyard with planted grass, trees, bushes, and other plants were encased in the center, given a small teaser of the world beyond the city. While Piper would find some solace in the area, the bustling sounds of the city, the light pollution filling her once starry sky, the smell of gasoline, pollution, and other unnatural scents destroying the "fresh air," all served as a painful reminder that the prison was taunting her with the pathetic imitation of the woods.

The van parked in front of a building next to the main school building. This building, as well as a similar building on the other side housed the students for the year. They were lucky to find a spot so close as it looked like hundreds of students were checking in for move in day. Once they stopped, Piper took a deep breath before walking out of the van. She looked at all of the families and kids unloading supplies and necessities from their own cars. While she was curious as to what they were bringing, she was also looking for someone who had objects that showed similar objects to her. Alas, nothing was found, which was unfortunately typical. However, one thing she found herself staring at for a while was a cactus, noticing it's round stature, evenly distributed prickles, and the yellow flowers blooming on it. It was quite a beautiful plant. Maybe, just maybe, there is a chance that she could talk to the student that has the plant about other plants, and she can actually make a friend. Or at least there was a chance until she heard the words, "Are you staring at me?"

Her face of fascination soon turned into one of terror as Piper looked at the figure holding the cactus. What she saw was a rather tall and muscular young man with tan skin and white hair. His faced displayed traits of anger and confusion. She realized that she had once again been staring for too long. She wanted to explain that too him, that she wasn't staring at him, but his plant. But, no one ever listened or believed her when she did, so why would now be any different? She took a glance around to see that other people were staring at the two of them. And she felt that even more eyes were on her.

"I-I'm so sorry," Piper just said with her bundle of nerves. Before the young man could say anything to her, she dashed off into the building's lobby, passing by her parents without saying another word. She tried her best to look and act like she wasn't stressed before heading to the bathroom and locking herself in a stall to catch her breath. She held onto her Pooh bear and placed her headphones over her ears as her breath stabilized again. Once she was able to calm down, self-degrading thoughts clouded her mind.

'Oh bother! What kind of reaction was that?,' she thought to herself. The price to having a grand imagination is that it can backfire in the worst ways, especially when it comes to emphasizing the worst aspects of Piper. 'Did you have to run away like that? What a childish thing to do!' She scrunched herself into a ball as the thoughts raced. Her breathing starting to quicken again 'You're supposed to be 17! You could have had a mature conversation! Explained it to him, maybe he would have understood and you would be friends! But, no! You had to screw it up and now you look more like a child than you already are! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!'

Her racing thoughts were interrupted when she felt the vibrations of her phone. She stood up and saw text messages from her mother:

"Where did you go?"

"Come on out, we have to get you registered."

Piper forcefully snapped out of those thoughts and placed them in the back of her mind. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, she didn't want to be a bother. With a splash of water on her face and a deep breath, she put on the most convincing smile she could muster and headed out the door. She tried to ignore the stares at her and her Pooh bear as she searched for her parents. Though it was incredibly difficult, she could practically hear that thoughts she believed they had in their heads. 'She still carries a stuffed animal, what a weirdo,' she thought. She just wanted to find her parents and get to her room as fast as she could. Luckily, she was able to find them in only a few seconds in line or registration. She made a silent sigh of relief as she walked towards them.

"There you are," Piper's father said as him and her mother looked at her. Her fathers face looked excited while her mother's looked displeased with a hint of concern. "Just in time!" And he was right, they were the next ones to register. That's a relief as she wouldn't have to deal with the stares anymore. Once her mother had successfully registered Piper, and a congratulations from the secretary for making it to her senior year, it was finally time to head to her room.

The only thing that bothered Piper about her room is that she would have to be sharing it with someone else. Technically, since she is a senior, she could have a room all to herself, but her mother insisted that she would at least try to befriend a roommate. She never minded too much as all of her roommates before would never really interact with her. Besides the occasional "hi" they usually kept to themselves and were never a bother unless they accidentally did something that made her feel uncomfortable, like play music too loud or keep the lights on past 10pm. She never bothered to them them though as to not be a bother herself. Plus this stuff shouldn't be bothering her anyways, it never bothered anyone else did it?

She expected to be met with another person just scrolling on their phone and saying, "hi" before going back to what they were doing as the family unpacked and set up Piper's half of the room. However, as Piper and her parents got to the room and opened the door, a young lady with dark skin, grey eyes, and long dark hair tied in a pony tail quickly got up from her bed and greeted them with a smile."

"Hello there," the young lady said with a cheerful voice as she waved to the three at the door. Piper did not know what to do in this situation. This was such a change to the norm that Piper could only freeze in place. Her mother leaned down to whisper in Piper's ear.

"Go on," she said. "Introduce yourself to the lovely lady."

Snapping out of her state and realizing, 'oh yeah, someone is trying to greet me, I need to great them back,' Piper gave her roommate a smile, matching her cheeriness, before waving back and reciting the introduction she had practiced and recited over and over before. "And a hello to you to! My name is Piper, may I have your name?"

"It's nice to meet you, Piper," the young lady replied, which made Piper feel a bit of happiness. "My name is Naila. I just transferred to this school with my brother. He's an upperclassman."

"That's lovely," Piper responded. While she kind of based her responses off of scripts in her mind, there was a bit of geniuses and a want to learn more from Naila. Though from Piper's experience, getting too deep would be a problem, so she kept herself on the surface for now.

While Piper wasn't able to see her face as she was trying her best to keep eye contact with Naila to not be seen as rude, the way her mother softened made her know she was smiling. Someone is actually talking to her daughter. The possibility that this could lead to much more, for her daughter to finally have a friend, filled her heart with glee. While Piper didn't want her mom to get her hopes up as she did not see this relationship going anywhere, she wasn't going to eliminate that feeling of hopefulness and joy.

"Why don't you two get to know each other?" Piper's mother offered. "Me and your father will unpack the caravan."

Piper suddenly felt her heart sank as she heard those words. Her mother wanted her to talk to this complete stranger, alone? Was she trying to have her make friends, because right now she was setting her up for failure. Hopefully her nerves didn't show her facial expression.

"Are you sure?" Piper asked, trying to get herself out of the situation. "I can always help."

"I can also help," Naila added, which was also something Piper did not expect out of her roommate.

"Nonsense," Piper's father said as he caught on to what her mother was doing. "We can handle it ourselves. You two just have a nice chat and we will be back in a tick!"

Piper could only nod in defeat as the two grown-ups began to leave the room. Her mother giving her an encouraging smile while her father gave her two pats on the shoulder. They made her flinch, but she got the message clear. After they left, Piper found herself alone with Naila. The awkward silence that soon filled the room caused her to tense up. She knew she needed to say something to her, but why couldn't she think of something. Does she talk about the weather? It has been surprisingly sunny, but maybe that would be too cliche. Does she ask about her family? She mentioned her brother. But, maybe that would be pushing too deep. Piper darted her eyes around the room. One because she was trying to find something to talk about, and two because she didn't want to look Naila directly in the face. As she thought she knew she would be thinking that she was weird by now. Or asking herself why Piper hasn't said anything yet.

She tapped her fingers on her forehead and closed her eyes tight. "Think, think, think," she said to herself. She would always do this to come up with ideas. However, once she caught herself doing it, she quickly began to feel nervous again. What was she doing? Normal people don't do this! Why is she doing this in front of a stranger? The lower she looked, she realized that she was still holding onto Pooh as well. At that point, she knew it was over. Naila had definitely considered her a weirdo by now. How could she not have noticed these details about her already? Goodbye to another chance of making an actual friend. Maybe she should just run away to the closest forest and live there.

"So, what class are you in?" The sudden question from Naila caused Piper to jolt. Was she actually trying to get to know her? Did she not notice all the weird stuff about her. There must be a catch to this, there always is. But, she was nothing but a polite lady, so she had to respond.

"I'm a senior," Piper responded, she had gotten a lit better at conversation. She used to be a stuttering mess who couldn't even pronounce some letters correctly. Nowadays, she is able to be like a professional actor who memorized a script. She felt proud of herself for doing it, yet something about it felt off to her.

"That's so cool," Naila exclaimed. Piper was still confused and in disbelief at her attitude towards her. "I'm a sophomore, and my brother is a junior."

"That's lovely," Piper said, again going off the script in her mind. Another wave of awkward silence hit. Naila was probably waiting for Piper to ask her a question. Yet still, Piper could not think of a thing to ask without thinking of how the response could go for the worse. Luckily, or unluckily, Naila asked her another question.

"Are you excited for this year?" the younger lady asked. Piper was hesitant to be honest with her. That she was not excited at all and would rather be back home. But, she learned that a normal person does not want to hear anything sad about a person they just met. Or at all. So, she delved into the scripts of her mind once again and said what Naila probably wanted to hear.

"Absolutely chuffed!" Piper said trying to put as much fake enthusiasm she could into it. Luckily, the smile that formed on Naila's face showed she believed it.

"I'm excited too," Naila responded. "It's my first time being in a new country. I can't wait to experience everything it has to offer with my brother!"

'She should have a lovely time.' Piper thought. 'She seems sociable and optimistic while also being down to earth. What the people here want.' At least what Piper presumes they want. 'Plus she has a brother here as well. I hope for the best for her, at least everything I can never have.'

After another amount of silence, this time it wasn't as long (at least from how Piper felt). Her parents soon arrived with Piper's stuff. While Piper was relieved that the awkward silence was over, she found it quite pathetic that she was only able to answer two questions before they came back. Piper quickly got over to them and helped bring the stuff in her room. Naila came to help as well which was yet another surprise for Piper. They set up the bed, put the toiletries in the shared bathroom, filled the drawers and closets with clothes (which were multiple versions of the school uniform), and Piper decorated the room with the decor she brought from home. A lot of it centered around nature ad plants. Most of the plants, besides the ones in the terrariums, were fake plants because she never wanted to bother her roommate by asking if they had a sort of allergy. While it was fake, it gave her a bit of the comfort she felt at home. After placing the desk lamp up and a few school supplies in a separate cabinet, plus releasing Edward out of his carrier, who Naila gleamed at knowing she would be sharing a room with a cat, Piper gave a quick look around her room. Giving a good look at a copy of the same map of her woods she had in her room back home. The longing for that freedom again hitting her like a truck.

The last thing that was placed in her room, with the help of Piper's father, was a large, oval shaped floor mirror that laid flat on the wall next to the door. It's been with her for as long as she was at the school. Once she had told her parents about her tough time at school, her parents had sent her this mirror. It was stationed next to the door so Piper would always look at it, at herself, before she walked out. On the top of the mirror, her father wrote a mantra, an affirmation, a quote from one of his books:

"You are Braver than you Believe!"

"Stronger than you Seem!"

"And Smarter than you Think!"

It's a quote he would read to her even before she went to school. It fills her with nostalgia and comfort. It's a good temporary confidence booster she guessed. It helped her get through many days. However, as she has gotten older, she finds that quote harder and harder to believe. Still, the support and encouragement fills her with the desire to make him and her mom proud, as well as providing another comfort of home.

Another thought that came to mind when the mirror was places was the flames that enveloped the car mirrors. Her breath grew quicker as the thoughts of them appearing again filled her with fright. Thankfully though, those thoughts were interrupted by her mother.

"Splendid," she said to the entire room. "Now, there is a welcome party happening in the main event room. We'll probably be able to meet some of your classmates there." Piper was unwilling to spend time at a party unless it was a small one in the woods. She would rather lock herself in her room and read a book. But, since it's her mother, she never wants to disappoint. She nodded to her mom with a smile. Piper placed her Pooh bear and her headphones on her bed before heading out the doors. She didn't want to do that as she knew there was a chance that she would need those. But, "normal" people her age don't need them, so why should she? She wanted to fit in as much as she could.

Unfortunately for her, the party was filled with bright lights, the sound of music mixed with many conversations that tried to invade her head all at once, and the crowds of people making her feel like everyone was in her imaginary bubble. She could even tell some people, mostly whom she recognized, were looking at her. It was almost too much for her to handle. Yet, she knew how to handle it, to tolerate it. Once she got some snacks because food is always the best cure for anxiety according to her, she sat at a table in the corner where no one was and let herself fly away. Fly back to her woods, to her friends, and eat the sweets there. Everything was perfect once again.

That was until she felt a tap on her hand, causing her to snap out of the daydream and crash back down, and jump in shock, backing away from what touched her. She looked to see a young man around her age with fair-skin, cyan eyes, and short, dark blue hair looking at her concerned. Something about him seemed familiar, she just couldn't put her finger on it. Seeing her jump made him jump back as well.

"S-sorry," the boy quickly apologized. "I-I didn't mean to scare you."

How did Piper end up like this, and the first day has not even begun.

Notes:

This chapter is getting way too long, so I'm just gonna make it: To be continued...

IM NOT DEAD HI!

*Promises to not wait 3 months to make a new chapter again and instead 4 months past by*

IM SORRY!!! A CYBORG COWBOY BECAME A HOMEWRECKER IN MY BRAIN AND REFUSED TO PUT ME BACK! Also I've been burned out for a bit but still.

I promise this time I will try to get the next chapter out within a month or less now that I'm back in the game. No huge promises though.

Thank you again for your patience and reading this! You're all wonderful human beings and I appreciate you very much!

HAVE A LOVELY DAY!!!!