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Chapter Text

Chloe had heard very little about Wonderland growing up. She heard the adults talk in hushed whispers about the cruel and ruthless queen. The most she ever learned about the land was that the people there were “All a bit mad”. She wasn’t sure what they had meant at the time, but watching her roommate have seemingly no understanding of Auradon customs and traditions she could see how people could jump to that conclusion. Now she didn’t think Red was ‘crazy’ or anything like that. She just needed a little help figuring out how to adapt to Auradon’s customs. One of the first things she noticed was the way Red swept the room every day. Every night before bed the taller girl took her broom swept the whole room and poured the nearly nonexistent pile into a small bin under her desk.

Another thing was at meals Red would set her fork parallel to the tray at the bottom and her spoon and knife at the top. The napkin was set underneath the table where no one else could see it. Upon questioning the redhead shrugged and asked why Chole set her table the way she did. Touche.

It wasn’t until Red got sent to Principal Uma’s office for the first time that Chloe worried. Red fumed as she retold the situation to her. “That asshat of a teacher should be fired for such blatant disrespect towards a student!” Chole was so confused at the girl’s reaction but sat patiently until the girl finished venting.

“So what did he do exactly?”

Red looked at her as if she had grown three heads. “He made me switch seats!”

Chloe nodded. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to puzzle out why that was offensive. “Because he wanted you to be closer to the front, correct?” She could understand how that would be frustrating or annoying, but Red was reacting as if it was a personal slight.

“As if that excuses him commanding me about!” The girl continued to pace and ran her hands through her hair. “I would never do that to another person!”

Chloe sat up and caught Red’s gaze. “I’m so sorry, I don’t understand why this is such a big deal, can you explain it to me?”

A grunt was her reply, but after a moment words followed. “Seat placement is very important in Wonderland, even in a casual context. Forcing someone to move is like- hmm” Red paused her pacing as she thought of an analogy. “It’s telling someone they don’t matter and that their position is lower than the floor that you walk on.” Red shook her head. “I don’t know how to explain it, but you do NOT force someone to change seats, you can ask and if they move it’s a sign of respect.”

Chloe soaked in the response for a moment and sat with it. So from Red’s position, it was as if the teacher had told her she was a sack of dirt and didn’t belong in the class. Her heart broke for the girl in front of her. She was trying so hard to be good in Auradon and it felt like that teacher just spat in her face. “So when he made you move it was like he was saying that you didn’t matter?” Red nodded. “Oh Red, I’m so sorry that’s awful.” The taller girl huffed and crossed her arms.

“I’ve been trying so hard to be ‘good’ that I forgot things are different here.” She laid back on her bed and screamed into her pillow. “Clocks, I just want to do something right.”

“Hey, you are doing things right. And it’s not your fault you didn’t know.” Chloe sat beside her friend. “You are doing your best and that’s enough.” The redhead was facing away from her but she could tell by the rise and fall of her chest that she was fighting tears. A mumble came from the girl and Chloe leaned closer to hear.

“It’s never enough.” Red turned towards her, a frown deeply etched on her face. Tears threatened to spill as she continued. “As soon as I figure out one thing, something else pops up.” A frustrated scoff fills the air. “I’ll never belong here. I don’t belong anywhere, not anymore.”

Chole felt her eyes fill and spill over as Red spoke. How could her best friend think that? She belongs here! With her! Didn’t she know that Chloe would do anything to help her? “You belong here Red.” You belong with me. “I can help. Some things are a little different, but if you ever have questions or are confused you can always ask me.”

Red watched her for a moment and Chloe could hear the gears turning in her mind. “Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you.”

Chloe smiled offered a hand. “I'm hoping you never have to find out.” Red reached out and squeezed.

“Me too, princess.”

Chapter Text

Chloe was never one to shy away from a fight if she felt it was the right thing to do. She tried to stand up for what was right and used her words and sword to defend others. So when she heard arguing in the halls she gravitated towards it. Upon seeing Red in the middle of the gathering shouting in Gregg’s (A dwarf boy) face she pushed her way into the middle. “-don’t you ever let me catch you doing that to another person ever again!” With a shove the boy stumbled back as Red pushed past him. She didn’t even seem to notice Chloe as she stormed off in the direction of their dorm room. Turning to the dwarf she helped him gather his stuff that was scattered on the floor.

“Gregg, are you okay?” She handed him a stack of books to put in his bag.

The dwarf nodded. “Yeah, I have no idea what happened! I was just giving Holly some fruit punch powder and she asked me to mix it for her while she was in the bathroom and when I gave it to her, Red came out of nowhere and started yelling at me for trying to “Beshrew” her.” Shaking his head he began to walk away. “I have no idea what that means, but I’m just going to avoid her as much as I can.”

A frown grew over Chloe’s face. “I’ll talk to her, Gregg. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.” Gregg shrugged as they parted ways and Chloe made her way to her shared room. Opening the door she found Red on her bed with a history book. “Hey Red.”

“Hey Chlo.” Looking over Chloe could see Red was tense. Brows furrowed in concentration as she studied the pages in front of her. Moving to stand beside her she waited until the redhead raised a brow at her. “Can I help you?”

Chloe cast her gaze down and swallowed. “I saw you had a fight with Gregg.” Red’s face fell, but it was quickly forced into a neutral position. “And Gregg is usually pretty nice, so I was just wondering what happened?”

“That slurvish asshole tried to beshrew Holly.” A deep frown now set on her face, the normally cautious eyes were now dark and unreadable.

Chloe gingerly sat next to the princess and rested a hand on top of hers. When Red didn’t pull away she gave a small squeeze. “I’m sorry, what is beshrewing? We don’t have that word here.” Red’s face twisted as she puzzled out a way to explain her words. Chloe always felt horrible when she didn’t understand the words Red said. She wished there was a dictionary full of the Wonderland terms she didn’t know. She knew it was frustrating for Red to try and explain it to her since some of the terms only made sense in Wonderland.

“It’s like poison and a curse at the same time. It can be made with different stuff but it’s always a powder that’s mixed in. It has different effects depending on the color.” Red squeezed the hand in hers. “It’s nasty stuff and it can ruin a person’s life sometimes.” Looking up their gazes met and Chloe could see the pain in her eyes. They seemed to glaze over for just a moment before she fixed on the blue haired princess again.

“I promise Gregg was not trying to beshrew Holly.”

Red’s eyes flared. “I saw him mix it into her drink when she wasn’t there!” She tried to pull her hand away, but Chloe held on.

“It was fruit punch!”

There was a pause. “What?”

“There are packets of powder that make water taste like a different drink. It often changes the color as well. There is no magic involved and there is no harm to the person who drinks it.”

The girl sitting in front of her stiffened. The deep frown returned and a frustrated growl rumbled from her throat. Tears began to build in her glossy eyes but it was clear that she was trying to hold it in. Her gaze was firmly set on the book in her lap and even when Chloe squeezed her hand Red refused to look at her.

“Clocks, I really am gallymoggers aren’t I?” A hollow laugh filled the room. Chloe’s heart pinched as tears slipped from her princess’s eyes. “I’m so tired of messing everything up. I never know what is going on!”

Taking a risk Chloe wrapped both arms around the girl and held her close. After a few moments she felt her relax and they sat there for a while just letting the struggling girl get her frustration out. “It’s not your fault Red. You didn’t know.” More tears followed the statement and Chloe tightened the embrace. “You’re doing your best. You thought Holly was in danger. No one will be mad at you when you explain. It’ll be okay.” They continued on for what felt like hours. Chloe quietly reassured Red as she cried and squeezed out her fear. Eventually exhaustion overtook them both and they got ready for bed. Tucking Red into her bed and making sure everything was alright, she pressed a kiss onto her forehead. Turning to her own bed she felt a tug from her hand.

“Nunz” Her hand squeezed. “Don’t go.” A smile graced Chloe’s lips as she crawled into bed beside her princess and held her close.

“I’m right here Red.”

The next day Red apologized to Gregg. Or at least the closest you could get to an apology from her and he said they were cool. (As long as she asked what he was doing next time and didn’t jump down his throat right away.) Chloe was secretly very proud of Red for explaining the situation to Gregg. Maybe one day Red would see the good in her the way Chloe did. Until then she’d be happy to remind her everyday.

Chapter Text

Chloe has finally convinced Red to join her for family dinner. Red was always invited of course, but she didn't feel comfortable going since she didn't actually know anyone but Chloe. This time the blue-haired princess bribed the taller girl by promising to have her favorite desserts AND help Red with a prank on Principal Uma.

“Are you sure this is just a casual dinner?” Red fidgeted in her seat as they rode to Chloe's castle.

“I promise, only my parents and us will be there.” She squeezed Red's hand and leaned on the taller girl's shoulder. Feeling her relax beneath her touch helped her release her own anxious breath.

They arrived at the palace and were escorted inside by guards and servants. Once their belongings were sorted, Chloe led her princess to the dining room where her parents waited. “Mom! Dad!” Charming swept her into a big hug and Ella embraced her tightly. Thankfully neither of them tried to hug Red and instead offered her a warm smile.

“Hello Red, welcome back! We missed you dear, how are your studies?” Ella took the girl's arm and led her to the table. They were in the informal dining room so the table wasn't as massive, but it was still quite impressive. Sitting next to Chloe, Red faces Ella and Charming.

“It's going well, though I don't think I'll ever get used to Auradon.” She gave them a small smile and let them take over the conversation. Chloe watched her carefully. Every glace, flinch, or bit lip was noticed and she was ready to pull the plug whenever needed.

Soon the first course came out and it was a thick potato soup. The delicious smell filled the room and they immediately dug in. The conversation turned towards the princess of hearts. “Have you heard from your mother recently?” Red coughed as she choked on her soup. Quickly wiping her mouth with a napkin that appeared out of thin air.

“Yes I have, she just sent me a letter recently. The jabberwocky has thankfully made a full recovery.”

“Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. I know Bridget was so worried.” Ella gave Red a graceful smile and winked before turning to Chloe. “Are you ready for the Swords and Shields season?”

“Oh yeah, we are going to blow away any competition this year. Jaya is practically a god at this point.” The main course made its way to the table. Roast pork, candied yams, roasted brussels sprouts, and rolls covered the table. Set beside Red was a smaller serving dish of fake meat covered in gravy.

“We made sure to request your favorite since it's been a while since you had it last.” Charming grinned from across the table where he pointed with his fork.

“Oh, thank you!” Red looked at the mysterious substance curiously. Putting it on her plate with the rest of her veggies, she cautiously bit into it under Chloe's careful gaze. Her eyes widened as she chewed her food. “Clocks, this is amazing.” Quickly she took several more bites.

Ella and Charming chuckled from their seats. “I remember the first time you tried it the whole dish was gone before your mother could even have a bite.” Red grinned sheepishly at the older couple. Chloe reached over squeezed her hand under the table, and returned to the conversation as Red dug into her new(?) favorite food.

Dessert came and went. Soon it was time for the girls to return to school. “Thank you for joining us dear, we hope to see you soon.” Chloe smiled as Red hugged and thanked her parents. Her heart filled with joy at the thought of Red receiving a taste of the love she always deserved. Arriving back at their dorm room they both changed and crashed onto their beds.

“I don't know what was in that dish, but it was the best thing I've ever tasted.” Red hummed as she remembered the meal. Chloe laughed and tossed a pillow at the redhead.

“And to think you could've had it sooner.” She dodged the retaliation thrown at her and grinned at her princess of hearts. Throwing another pillow and a stuffed animal she shouted when they quickly came flying back. A full-on war ensued and ended up with bed items scattered around the room. Settling down they gathered their things and laid under their covers. Lying in the dark Chloe realized that she had no idea why Red didn't eat meat. Not that she cared, but she felt like she should at least ask. “Hey, Red?”

Shuffling of sheets filled the room. “Yeah?”

Taking in a deep breath to quell the sudden swirl of anxiety she spoke into the darkness. “Why don't you eat meat?” silence. “You don't have to answer of course! I was curious and I thought I should know so I can better respect your boundaries and stuff!”

A snort rang out. “You're fine princess. I'm just bad with words.”

Chloe didn't think Red was ever bad with words. She could listen to her talk for hours at a time.

“No one eats meat in Wonderland. I accidentally ate some when we first came back because I didn't realize people ate meat in Auradon.”

Oh. “Is that why you were sick that first week?”

“Yeah, I haven't eaten meat since.”

Chloe nodded into the darkness as she thought it over in her head. “Is it weird that I eat meat?” What if Red secretly hated that she ate meat? Or thought she was a terrible person. Was she a terrible person? She never thought about eating animals before! Oh gods, what if she was-

“No, well it was at first.” Red’s voice broke her spiraling thoughts. She could practically hear the other girl’s gears turning, so she waited for her to continue. The silence felt suffocating, but she bit her lip to keep from interrupting. “We don’t have the word ‘meat’ in Wonderland, so I thought it was a normal dish I’d never heard of.” The redhead took a deep breath. “I didn’t realize what it was until the nurse explained that I was sick because my body had never eaten ‘meat’.” Chloe was sure that the girl was sitting up now. “I didn’t know what that was, so she explained that it was-” Red paused her head resting on her hands. “It’s the flesh of animals, and I nearly threw up again right then. Principal Uma explained that animals didn’t talk like they do in Wonderland and that people here have been eating animals for thousands of years. So it was weird at first, but I get it now.”

“I didn’t realize the animals in Wonderland could talk.”

“Yeah, I used to joke around with Cheshire Cat a lot.”

Oh, so animals could really think and express their feelings in Wonderland. Chloe would be horrified if she was suddenly in a place that ate her friends. “Are you sure me eating meat doesn’t bother you?”

“Yeah, I’m sure princess. If we were in Wonderland I’d be horrified, but like I said it’s different here.” She heard the blankets toss and turn as Red got settled.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a chance.” Chloe thought the girl had fallen asleep, but after a few minutes, she heard the redhead roll over. She might’ve made up the next statement, but she believed it was real.

“Anytime Clover.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, Chloe?” She looked up from her science homework to the girl sitting on red sheets.

“Yeah?”

“What does it mean if you are ‘slow’?

Anger flashed in Chloe’s chest. Who dared to talk to Red like that? “Who said that to you?” When she got her hands on them it’d be over.

“Ahid said that he didn’t want to be paired with someone who was ‘slow’.”

An actual growl left her throat and she took a deep breath to calm herself. “It refers to someone’s cognitive ability. It’s a hurtful term for people who struggle with learning or other cognitive tasks.”

Red’s face darkened. Nodding she hummed and turned to the book in her hands. “He thinks I’m stupid.” She kept her gaze away from Chloe and fidgeted in her seat. “Clocks, I’ll never figure this place out.”

The blue-haired princess moved to sit next to the redhead. “You’re so smart Red. Ahid is just a jerk.” Reaching over she grabbed the other girl’s hand and squeezed. “I’m sorry he said that.”

“Everything is just so weird here. I didn’t know how different it really was.” She glanced up and revealed the stress in her eyes. “Naught for usal, maybe I should give up,” Chloe swears her heart stopped at those words.

“No! Are you going to let a shithead like Ahid tear you like that?” Red’s eyes were wide at the rare sight of her cursing. “You are one of the strongest and smartest people I know and the fact that you’ve made it this far proves it!”

Red grinned at her and nodded. “I guess you’re right.” Squeezing Chloe’s hand she leaned back on her bed. “Someone’s got to get you to loosen up.” Chloe groaned but relaxed next to the redhead thankful that her friend seemed to feel better. She knew they had to talk more later, but for now, this was good.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

“Good, 'cause you’re stuck with me, princess.” Laughing they started to talk about their days and the awful amount of homework that awaited them.

Chapter Text

Chloe was walking back to her dorm when she overheard someone talking about Red. Following the source she found a group of guys in a courtyard. She could stand out of sight and hear most of what they were saying. Wait, was she about to eavesdrop? “I mean if you don’t know basic history how do you even get into this school?” Yes, she was. She needed to know who was not a fan of Red if she was going to protect her. “She doesn’t belong here and it’s only a matter of time until Principal Uma realizes it. Not even a villain kid can think this is okay.” Recognizing Ahid’s voice her chest puffed up with anger. How dare he talk about her princess like that? She was doing her best to navigate a new landscape and his bullshit didn’t help. 

“I don’t know. Maybe she’s freaked out.” A new voice entered the conversation and she couldn’t place it. “Wonderland is completely different from here.” 

“Gods Eric get it together. She’s a freak.” Okay, so Eric was fine for now. Ahid was really getting on her nerves though. 

“Yeah, I saw her scream at Gregg in the hall the other day. I thought she was gonna kill him.” 

“How can anyone be mad at Gregg? He’s literally the nicest person on campus.” Ahid’s tone dripped with condescending venom. “The only thing she has going for her is her looks.” 

Chloe rushed to her dorm room before she could hear the rest of the conversation. Her fingers tingle with the desire to hit (someone) something as hard as she could. She had to find Red, and make sure she was safe. Gods, how could people be so mean to the girl? Sure she was a little rough on the edges, but the way people treated her just proved her right! Barging into the shared room she nearly tackled Red in a hug. Her body relaxed at the sound of her princess’s laughter. “You okay Princess?” Chloe nodded into her shoulder and gave one last squeeze before releasing the girl. 

“Yeah, I just missed you.” 

“It’s been five hours.” 

A smile spread over her face. “The longes t five hours of my life!” 

“You’re insufferable” 

“You love it.” 

“Yeah, I do.” 

Chloe was gleefully walking through the school with Red in hand. She was telling the redhead all about the latest drama in her book club. They were heading to the gardens where Red could perch in a tree while Chloe practiced her stunt moves for swords and shields. Cutting through the courtyard, Red froze. Following her line of sight, she saw Ahid and tightened her grip on Red’s hand. “It’s okay just ignore him.” She received a weak nod and they continued to the garden. Luckily it seemed that Ahid hadn’t noticed them and they were in the clear. 

The princess of hearts climbed into her usual spot and lounged while watching Chloe warm up. Flipping open her book, she relaxed in her seat. Chloe smiled seeing her princess so relaxed. She loved being able to see this side of her. A lot of people thought Red was rough and cruel. She did have her mean streaks and was rough on the edges, but she was also sweet, thoughtful, and kind. She remembers when Red brought her flowers after seeing her parents for the first time after starting school. “I thought you’d like them to brighten up the room.” The bright blue blooms certainly matched her side of the room. When she had emptied the vase in their room she was shocked to see a new bouquet resting in the same spot. After that, the vase was never empty for longer than a few hours. And that was only one of many little things she did.

Truly Chloe could go on and on about how wonderful Red was, but now was not the time for that. Now was the time to practice her more difficult stunt moves. Running towards the low hedges she lept in the air and rolled on the other side. Returning the same way she began leaping from wall to wall and bench to bench. It often reminded her of the time she and Red fought over the pocket watch and how Red could leap over her. She knew if the redhead wanted she could run circles around her. Even with the air seeming heavier to her, Red could scale walls like nothing. It scared her senseless, but Chloe knew she needed it. 

Looking up she saw Red reading. A small wave and a grin spread across the girl’s face. Lounging on her branch, Red sent her a thumbs up (She just learned that one after another student gave her one, sending the poor princess into a spiral because it meant something else in Wonderland). Smiling, she sent one back before returning to her parkour. 

Stopping to rest and catch her breath she went to find Red. Walking towards the tree she frowned upon hearing shouting. She couldn’t make out what the voices were saying until she rounded the corner, seeing Red perched on her branch and Ahid (of all people) at the bottom of the tree. “Go away you pigeon-livered flapdoodle.” Ahid just stared confusion written on his face. To be fair even Chloe had no idea what the redhead had said. She was doing her best but no matter how many words or phrases she deciphered there were always more. A growl left her throat as she approached the scene. 

“I don’t even know what that means Red!” Ahid’s signature grin had returned and he gazed up at the princess. 

He didn’t even notice Chloe until she shoved him to the ground. “It means get lost asshat.” She crossed her arms at his shocked expression. His grin was gone and he got up to stand over her. She swallowed as she realized how much bigger he was, but she wasn’t afraid. Rage boiled in her veins and made her feel stronger than twenty men. She didn’t back up even as Ahid moved into her space. 

“Who’s gonna make me?” His voice dripped with challenge and she wasn’t backing down. She’d get her hands dirty, she knew there weren’t any teachers nearby even if she wanted to get one. Ahid poked her shoulder and she didn’t flinch. She held his gaze with an unamused expression on her face. 

She grimaced at his foul breath and squared her shoulders. “Your choice, I’ll do what I have to to protect her.” His snarky expression filled with anger. He moved to grab her, but a blur of red tackled him. Red had jumped down from her branch and now grappled with the boy she hated. The shock on Chloe and Ahid’s faces was apparent as Red snarled at the prince. 

“Stay away from her you vazey, gibfaced gal-sneaker!” She had her shins pressed on his hips and her hands pinned his wrist. Not the smartest boy, he put on his best grin and started trying to convince Red that she liked him. Chloe made it by his side before Red ripped into him as she shouted. “Shut your damn sauce box you stupid hornswoggler!” Blood was spilling from where she scratched Ahid. Red didn’t have any form, fury radiated from the girl as she continued to pound on him. 

“Red! Stop it!” Chloe yelled, trying to pull her friend (?) off of the prince. Tears streamed down her face as she heard Red scream. Managing to peel the infuriated girl off her victim she pulls her into a tight embrace. The princess of hearts shook in her arms and her heart broke. Looking down she saw Ahid rise from the ground and for a moment she was afraid he was going to attack them. He looked down at his ripped shirt and the blood that had already stopped flowing from Red’s vicious nails. Wide eyed he backed up before he turned and ran from the pair. Chloe hoped he didn’t go tell a teacher or worse Principal Uma. 

A sob caught her attention before she could worry anymore. Red had tears soaking into her shirt, but she didn’t mind. Squeezing tighter she carefully lowered them to the ground. Her chest stung as Red desperately gasped for air. “You’re okay Red.” A whine left the red-haired princess and she felt her head shake. “Shh, it’s okay just breathe.” She rubbed circles into the girl’s back as she guided her breaths. The sun was beginning to set as Red managed to keep a steady rhythm, though she was still incredibly clingy and fragile. “Are you okay to head inside?” With the hesitant nod Chloe quickly and calmly led the princess to their dorm. Luckily no one stopped them on their journey and she was able to lock the door before turning to see Red on her bed. 

The red hair clashed with her blue comforter, but something about it felt right. Red was curled into herself and hid her face behind her hands, her body was stiff and it made Chloe’s heart ache. Pulling off her jacket the princess of Cinderellasburg wrapped her arms around the hard frame and sighed in relief as it relaxed with her touch. She desperately wanted to ask how Red was doing, but she knew that she needed time so she’d give it. She’d give Red anything she needed. (Anything she wanted really, but she didn’t have time to think about that right now.) She felt the little spoon’s ribs shutter and heard a mumbled string of words. “What was that?” The redhead flipped over and tucked her face into Chloe’s neck. 

“Thank you for stopping me.” Chloe squeezed the girl but stayed silent. “I thought he was going to hurt you.” 

“I’d like to see him try.” Her heart soared at Red’s soft chuckle. It was quiet, but to Chloe, it was the best sound in the world. “I’m tougher than I look.” Red tightened her grip. 

“I know.” Humming vibrations filled the silence and the girls stayed there for a while. “He scared me. He would never go away and I thought he was going to hurt you .” 

Chloe’s chest squeezed. “I’m safe, you protected me.” She smiled when Red tightened the embrace. 

“I’ll always fight for you princess.” Chloe’s heart stopped, and the entire world froze as she took in those words. Time only started again when soft snoring filled her ears. Afraid to wake the exhausted girl she rested in their shared embrace. She knew Red would fight for her, but did the Wonderlander know she’d die for her? Live for her even? Red hated her royal status, but she would always be the princess of Chloe’s heart. 

“Rest well, love.” The blue haired princess allowed the lull of sleep to claim her, knowing she was safe in the presence of her princess.

Chapter Text

Weeks passed before another incident. Chloe flinched when the door slammed open, Red rushing into the room. “We love that where! those vazey teachers ist the fucking tsrow! We're are smart! We grasp wath hues ist!” A snarl left the redhead’s mouth and she threw herself onto her bed. “I’m sick of feeling like a freak.”

The blue princess felt her heart break. Red was still having a hard time adjusting to all the differences between here and Wonderland. “What happened?” 

The redhead rubbed her face harshly. “These teachers think I’m color blind, but they're the ones who can’t see right.” 

That struck the Charming odd. Red had never seemed to have difficulty with colors before. Though maybe they just never really talked about it before. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Groaning Red rolled over and faced the bluenette. “It’s stupid. I was in art class and the teacher told us to paint with our three favorite colors and so I did.” The crown princess shut her eyes and scoffed. “Then she came over and said that she was surprised that yellow was one of my favorite colors!” Opening her eyes the frustration was evident in her gaze. “I didn’t use any yellow paint! And when I pointed it out she had the audacity to ask if I was color blind! She’s the one who should get her eyes checked.” 

Chloe’s eyebrows scrunched together. “What colors did you use?” 

“Blue, red, and kaori.” Her voice carried annoyance.

Oh it was another Wonderland thing. “What color is kaori?” 

Red’s eyes widened. “It’s kaori. How do you not know? That’s like asking what color green is.” 

“I’ve never heard of that color before. Is it like a new one? I know sometimes if you mix dyes you can make different shades of colors.” 

The Wonderlander pulled out her phone. “Here it looks like this!” Holding out her phone for her to see Chloe felt her chest tighten. It was a picture of a partially done painting with the colors blue, red, and yellow . 

“Red I don’t know how to tell you this, but all I see is blue, red and yellow. There’s no other color.”

A growl left the redheads lips and the phone was quickly pulled away. “I didn’t use yellow though!” She typed furiously on her phone and soon Chloe was shown a color sample of a brighter shade of yellow. “This is yellow!” The Charming went to respond but then she was shown the same shade of yellow as before. “This is kaori! A completely different color!” Her voice was pleading, as if begging Chloe to understand and affirm that she wasn’t crazy. 

The blue princess felt tears burn behind her eyes. “Those both look yellow to me.” 

“What do you mean they both look yellow?” The crown princess was pulling at her hair. “How are you not seeing the difference?”  Tears started to fall down her cheeks. It made Chloe want to cry too. “We're are gallymoggers! We're are gallymoggers ! How is nothing so pleasant where?”

Chloe gently pulled away one of Red’s hands and squeezed. “There has to be an explanation. Come on, we'll figure it out.” There had to be a book in the library or something! She knew Red would never go to the principal for something like this. They had a tedious relationship with all the mischief and misunderstandings the redhead was constantly at the center of. “It’ll be okay I promise.” 

After they cleaned up and felt comfortable leaving the room they made their way to the library. Chloe led them to the Wonderland section and it took several minutes to find anything that wasn’t just about the history or politics of the kingdom. Then it was just some novels, plant and wildlife guides and oddly enough one on Naval procedure. 

Determined to find something to help her roommate she went to the librarian. “Excuse me, are there any books on Wonderland anatomy?” The librarian gave her an odd look, but checked the catalog regardless. Turned out there was one book on the subject and it was in the back, so once the librarian returned with the book she hastily made her way over to the redhead. “I found something!” 

Red looked up from her seat and grinned. “You were really on a mission princess.” 

Chloe took on a serious expression. “I’m always gonna help when I can. Especially when it comes to you.” Sitting next to the crown princess she opened the book. It looked a bit old, but nothing too crazy. It was something at least. Looking over at the table of contents she saw there was a chapter on Wonderlander anatomy and turned to the page. 

“Wonderlander Anatomy and the differences from Human anatomy.” Chloe’s eyes widened and she glanced at the redhead. “While the similarities are nearly identical, Overland humans and Underland humans are technically different species. Not Homo Sapien, but Homo Amentia” 

“Oh.” Red sat back in her seat. Chloe didn’t know what to say, it wasn’t everyday that you found out that your best friend wasn’t even the same species. No wonder there were so many differences in Wonderland culture. “I guess that makes sense.” 

The Charming nodded and continued reading. “Major differences between the species include diet, sensory organs, and magical abilities.” She flipped through the pages until she found the sensory organs page. “Wonderlanders are born with several additional senses compared to humans. For example their eyes are much more sensitive to light which allows them to see better in the dark. It is comparable to that of a cat or similar species. In addition to this they have two more color receptors than Homo Sapiens. This allows them to see a range of colors outside of a humans’ capability.”

Chloe set the book down and turned to Red. “That’s why the teacher thought you were using yellow! You see more colors than she can!” 

The crown princess stared at her for a moment. A slow blink as she processed and then she frowned. “Wait so you can’t see kaori?” 

Chloe shrugged. “I guess not.” 

“That’s so sad! It’s such a good color.” Red’s brows pushed together. “How many colors can you see?” 

“I don’t know. A lot I thought.” She grabbed a piece of paper and pencil. “We have three primary colors. Red, Yellow, and Blue. And then we have purple, orange, and green. Which are made by combining the different primary colors. Then you have brown, black, white, and grey.” 

Red looked at her with wide eyes. “Oh we have many more colors than that.” 

“Well we have different shades of each color, but those are the base ones.” 

“We have red, blue, yellow, kaori, and fora. And then each of those have secondary colors when mixed.” 

Chloe tilted her head. “Wow, that sounds amazing! I bet everything looks so different for you!” 

The redhead shrugged. “I guess so. What else does it say?” 

Turning to the book she picked it back up. “Wonders are also known to have an innate sense of time and direction. It is rare that a Wonder is late or lost, even if they’ve been to a location they can usually find where they need to go. It is difficult to determine the cause of these abilities, but some suspect it is in part due to their enlarged thalamus. Another factor may be the inborn magic they all possess. Regardless of the cause this is another trait that is in all Wonderlanders.” 

“Red this book is amazing! It helps explain so many of the different things about you!” Chloe excitedly placed bookmarks in between pages that she wanted to return to later. 

Red shifted in her seat. “Maybe they should make all the teachers read this. It’d make my life so much easier.” 

The bluenette froze. Slowly the gears turned in her head and she turned to the crown princess. “You’re a genius! We should ask Uma if the teachers could read this book so they’ll be aware of any differences between you and other students!” 

Red’s eyes widened. “I was joking, princess! I don’t want my teachers to hate me more because I gave them homework.” 

Chloe frowned. “Red they don’t hate you, or at least they shouldn’t. They can at least read this chapter so they know about the biological differences. It’s not fair that they keep making things so hard for you without realizing it!”  

“I don’t know princess. I’m not a fan of making people do things just for me.” 

“It’s not just for you! What if someone else from Wonderland comes here. Or what if they meet another Wonder and they hurt them by accident! It’s for general awareness, it just happens to help you too.” 

Red shrugged. “If you're that passionate about it I guess we can talk to Uma, but not until tomorrow.” 

Chloe grinned. “Deal!” 

Together they returned to their dorm and once settled in bed Chloe continued to read the book aloud until she heard soft snoring from the other girl. She would help make Auradon a better place for Red even if it was the last thing she did. The Wonderlander was worth it and she wished that she could make Red believe that too.