The sparkly doorway that had appeared in the middle of a giant tree turned out to be a magical teleportation device. Which, granted, Qube should have seen coming.

What she couldn’t have seen coming was the giant frothing Beast standing in what had once been a grove. The moonlight picked out the dead trees, their trunks starkly white against the black ground. The Beast stood in the centre of the clearing, its red eyes the only colour in this world of black and white. The remains of a small cottage lay in ruins behind him, and he was panting as if he had just finished destroying it.

As the group teleported in, he reared up onto his hind legs. He was easily double the Chosen One’s height, and he was part wolf, part man, thin from starvation. Amongst his matted fur there were dark splatters, and a deep open gash on his chest.

“Have you come for me?” He asked, the foam spilling down the sides of his muzzle making his words click. His voice was deep, and surprisingly calm.

The Chosen One looked at the fell Beast.

“I was promised epic loot?” He said. “Y’know, defeat boss, get powerup, epic loot, the usual.”

The Beast stood for a moment, panting.

“Then you have spoken with her.” He said with a tinge of caution.

“Is this gonna be more backstory?” The Chosen One asked.

It was difficult to tell, what with the half wolf/half human nature of the Beast's face, but Qube was reasonably certain that the Beast was pulling the wolf-man’s equivalent of what she had decided to dub the “First Exposure to Chosen One” expression. She resisted the urge to pat the supernatural abomination on the shoulder.

“Come on, let’s see if there’s any loot or treasure here.” The Chosen One said to Qube and Sewer Bard.

“I know it was wrong of me,” The Beast bravely continued despite the fact that his audience had split up and were poking around the dead grove. “But I loved her more than you could ever imagine.”

“Check under the cottage ruins for stuff. But if there’s a basement, don’t go in it.” The Chosen One instructed Sewer Bard. “You,” He said, pointing at Qube, “see if there’s anything in the clearing. I’m going to check the woods.”

Qube felt rather bad, ignoring the Beast as he told the Chosen One’s retreating form his life story. It involved the Dryad Queen transforming a normal wolf into a Beast so she would have someone to talk to, unrequited love, some stuff where it seemed the Beast had gotten metaphorical and literal hearts confused and then him stealing her actual heart and shoving it into himself, transforming the Dryad Queen into Mother Gothel and recreating her home here in the Forbidden Forest Temple so he could feel close to her. This, naturally, caused everything in the Forbidden Forest to turn evil.

Although if everything was good before, why was it called the Forbidden Forest to start with? Unless that was a new name. Seemed rather pessimistic to call it the Forbidden Forest, though. Temporarily Cursed Forest would have been more accurate, and probably lead to people wanting to help.

Qube, having stopped looking for loot in order to better ponder the mysteries of rebranding, was brought back to the moment by the Beast howling at the moon.

“So choose, then Chosen,” the Beast snarled. “Rip out her heart, and leave her broken toy behind, or stand with me against uncaring creators, and all who discard their -”

The Chosen One wandered back from amongst the dead trees, empty handed. He looked at Qube.

“Well if it worked once… [Heal] him.”

“[Heal]!” Qube cried, the noticeably stronger silver light of her mana streaming from her and wrapping itself around the Beast. Qube then instantly threw herself onto the ground, and cast [Lesser Shield] on the Chosen One. Given how violent the healing of Mother Gothel had been, she wasn’t taking any chances on this.

The Beast shook as the mana penetrated his skin, curling around the cavity in his chest and yanking out a human heart. In its place the mana formed a heart, silver slowly turning to red as the gash slowly closed. The Beast screamed, his scream warping into howling as he seemed to crunch in on himself, falling onto all fours and contracting. The small dead grove exploded outwards, revealing that they were now at the base of the giant Tree in the Forbidden Forest.

The gaunt pine trees were stripped back to reveal the lush healthiness of the jungle, and the moon shrivelled under the gaze of the sun. The Beast, now fully reverted to a wolf, abruptly ceased howling.

He was looking directly at Qube.

His thin body and matted fur were now replaced with a sleek physique and thick fur and his maddened red eyes were a deep gold. He opened his muzzle, revealing pure white teeth, jumped up at Qube’s face…. and then gave Qube the biggest, wettest lick ever.

Qube stood in shock as the former Beast’s sign of affection dripped down her cheek. The Chosen One looked taken aback as well, while Sewer Bard just looked around, confused.

“Thank… you?” She managed eventually.

The now wolf gave a happy little whine, his tongue flopping out of his mouth, before running off into the undergrowth.

“Man, I don’t even know what breaking that one did.” The Chosen One said eventually.

Qube looked at him.

“I’m a woman.” She said.

The Chosen One, once again ignoring his Childhood Companion, crouched down and picked up the human heart.

“Not entirely sure what we’re supposed to do with this.” He said, just before they heard a familiar voice.

“Oh Great Hero~!” Sexy Screamy Spider Lady cooed. “You have freed us from the curse laid upon these woods. Us Forest folk are forever in your debt.”

“It’s more jungle-like than anything else.” Qube muttered to herself. Sewer Bard stepped forward, and swept an elaborate bow to Sexy Screamy Spider Lady.

“There can be no debt, when acting in aid of one as lovely as yourself.” He said gallantly.

“So what old Sewer Bard here is saying, is that if you were ugly, you’d owe us big time.” The Chosen One helpfully explained. “Also, Sewer Bard, can you see our Healer?”

“What Healer?” Sewer Bard asked, genuinely confused.

“Half elf chick. With the robes. You rode a giant spider with her.” The Chosen One jerked a thumb at Qube. “Her.”

Sewer Bard followed the Chosen One’s gesture and stared blankly into space for a brief moment. Suddenly his whole body seemed to spasm in agony, and he would have fallen if not for Sexy Screamy Spider Lady catching him in her many arms.

Qube involuntarily stepped towards him, ready to heal.

“A… a million pardons. Both to you, my lady, for forcing you to catch me, and to you,” he bowed where the Chosen One had indicated, nearly headbutting Qube in the process, “my fair maiden. I do not understand how I came to forget you.”

Qube, dodging from his deadly bowing, nodded at him.

“Most likely it’s as a result of us exiting the Temple. The powerful magic in there disrupted the curse laid upon me, so it only makes sense that once we left that area the effects would return.” Qube sighed. She was going to have to find a very powerful Mage to disperse this curse, it seemed.

“She says: I can’t believe you would forget about me, boohoo! I thought we had something special.” The Chosen One deadpanned.

“Don’t give me new verbal tics!” Qube yelled at the Chosen One, who just started laughing as Sewer Bard started bowing and apologising profusely to the empty air. “Tell him to stop!” She yelled, but the Chosen One was laughing too hard to pay attention to her.

When she found that powerful Mage to remove her curse, she was going to get them to teach her some curses too.

Then the Chosen One would see who would boohoo!

Then they would all boohoo!

Tee hee hee.

---

Once everyone had calmed down a bit, Sexy Screamy Spider Lady struck a pose.

“I suppose I’d better hook up with you lot then, make sure to keep the Dryad Queen’s sacred gem safe, huh?” Half of her eyes winked provocatively.

The Chosen One squinted at her.

“I think we already did this.” He said. He looked at Qube. “Did we already do this? I can’t remember right now. Also, I thought you only got your true form back after we restored the Dryad Queen’s heart.” The Chosen One said to Sexy Screamy Spider Lady.

“Yes and how can I ever repay you for restoring the Dryad Queen’s heart and freeing our land from that terrible curse? I would do anything to repay you.” Sexy Screamy Spider Lady purred.

The Chosen One rubbed his face.

“Okay I think she’s stuck in some kind of loop.” He said to Qube and Sewer Bard. “There’s a giant glowing green circle near where we picked up the heart, that’ll probably take us back to the Dryad Queen’s place.”

Qube shifted uneasily.

“Um, Chosen One, last time we were there the Dryad Queen seemed rather… displeased, that I had inadvertently passed on my invisibility curse to her people. She may, in fact, have specifically said that I was to never return.”

“Eh, it’ll be fine,” the Chosen One waved away her concerns “you’re with me, so she can’t aggro on you.”

Qube didn’t quite understand what he was saying, but was nevertheless soothed. That was right. She was with the Golden Prophecy’s Chosen One. There was no way a Good Dryad Queen would hurt her.

The four of them stepped into the green circle, and were instantly teleported into Mother Gothel/Dryad Queen’s rejuvenated grove.

“Your majesty.” Sexy Screamy Spider Lady said, falling to her many knees.

Mother Gothel was standing in the middle of the now lush green clearing, reaching out to the Chosen One.

“Give me my heart, and your friend shall go free.” She croaked.

The Chosen One narrowed his eyes at the still-visible heart beating in Mother Gothel’s chest.

“I’d be happy to.” He said to Mother Gothel, then whispered to Qube: “Can you take that old heart out of her chest? That might fix the, uh, problems we’ve been having.”

“Of course!” Qube said, rather more cheerfully than she meant to. She’d never ripped a heart out of someone before, especially a heart she’d made herself, but if this was the way to fix her mistake…

She crept towards Mother Gothel, whose clouded eyes swivelled and looked at her. Qube stopped, seeing the burning hatred in them.

“Please, I’m trying to help you.” She said quietly. She wasn’t entirely sure why they were whispering, but it seemed right for some reason.

Mother Gothel remained in place, hand reaching out in supplication to the Chosen One.

“My heart.” She said to him. “Give me my heart.”

“Yup, heart, will be giving it to you riiiiiiiiiight now.” The Chosen One stalled. He shot Qube a look. “Hurry up!” He hissed.

“This may sting a bit.” Qube told the old woman, before plunging her hand into her chest.

The mana that had made and connected the heart recognised its owner, and happily flowed back into Qube, the arteries collapsing in an instant, and the heart turning into what looked like a large acorn with a glowing green insect inside of it. Qube stared at it, then saw that the human heart the Chosen One was pulling out of his backpack had transformed into the same wooden knot.

Had being in Mother Gothel’s body for so long caused her fake heart to take on the properties of her real one? Qube pondered.

The instant the Chosen One placed her new (old?) heart in Mother Gothel’s hand, magic exploded around the grove. Fortunately, the magical transformation of the area had already taken place, so it was only Mother Gothel herself who changed this time.

She sprouted up to the same height as the Chosen One, her tattered clothes shifting into ivy leaves and her body’s flesh withering into tree roots twisted together to form limbs. Her milky white eyes dissolved, leaving behind only bright green lights, and her hair turned into mossy, thick roots. She smiled, revealing razor sharp wooden teeth.

“Thank you, Chosen One.” She said, “You have freed me from a terrible curse. For, as you can see, I am no witch but rather the Dryad Queen of-”

“Yup, we’ve definitely done this before, so if you could just give me the gem and the potion, we’ll be on our way.” The Chosen One interrupted.

The Dryad Queen blinked a few times, the lights in her eyes dimming and brightening in rapid succession, as if mentally skipping ahead to the potion and gem part. A giant glowing green gem and a tiny green vial appeared above her cupped hands.

“Of course, Chosen One. For your great deeds I -”

“Thanks.” The Chosen One said, grabbing the two items out of her hands and immediately turning to leave. “Time to go, gang,” He looked at the Dryad Queen, “unless you can teleport us back to the Forbidden Forest so we can clear some social quests?”

“Simply touch my home tree, and it will take you to her sister in the Forbidden Forest.” The Dryad Queen smiled. “You, Wood Warrior, and your friend Sewer Bard, will always be welcome to come visit me.”

“Yup, sure.” The Chosen One said, dragging Sexy Screamy Spider Lady to her feet, and shoving her and Sewer Bard towards the tree. “Come on,” He said over his shoulder to Qube.

The Dryad Queen’s gaze shifted away from the Chosen One’s back to Qube, who was still standing close to her. Her smile widened, until it was only pointed teeth.

“I warned you not to come back.” She said, her voice no louder than the soft creak of the gallows. The light in her eyes flared, expanding until it filled her sockets, spilling out across her face as Qube stared at her in fascinated horror.

A blade swept through the air, stopping to rest on the back of the Dryad Queen’s neck. Qube and the Dryad Queen stiffened in shock and turned to look at the Chosen One, holding his Sacred Sword against the Dryad Queen.

He looked at the Dryad Queen, mildly contemplative.

“I wonder…” He said casually, “if you attack one of my party members, do you think that means I can kill you?” He pushed the sharp edge against the Dryad Queen, but nothing happened.

“Hmm. Guess I have to wait until you actually engage in combat. Pity.” He clicked his tongue in disappointment, then sheathed his sword.

“Come on.” The Hero said, taking Qube by the arm and walking towards the portal. “Time to go get some side quests!”

Qube only looked back once, just before they teleported out. Just enough for a brief glimpse of the Dryad Queen standing, rooted to the spot (no pun intended) staring at Qube and the Chosen One. And in her wooden face (again no pun intended) Qube saw fear.

“We’ll take our leaf now.” She said.

Pun totally intended.