"Reprise: Chapter Five of Happily Ever After" and the backup story, "The Last Cinderella Story, Part One" are contained in the one-hundred-and-forty-fifth issue of Fables. Cinderella's story is presented at the start of the issue, with it narratively continuing into "Reprise". It was released on October 15, 2014.
The story begins on the front cover, as part of Vertigo's "DEFY Comics" initiative in October 2014 across a number of their titles, including Fairest #30.[1]
Publisher's summary
A Vertigo “Defy Covers” issue! Chapter five of “Happily Ever After!” In the aftermath of Bigby's battle with Beast, Rose Red and Snow draw their lines in the sand, but it turns out sand is a crappy medium in which to draw anything with clarity. In the meantime, Fables begin leaving for the Homelands – but is it even possible for them to go home again? Also featuring the Last Story of Cinderella in which the fabled blonde faces her toughest assignment yet.
Plot
A week ahead of the events taking place in the main body of the issue, Snow White meets with Cinderella at the Yellowbrick Roadhouse and asks her about the clandestine missions she performed while under Bigby's command, specifically assassinations. Snow also asks whose side she will take if she and Rose Red came to blows. Cindy confirms that she'll stick by Snow, and asks who she wants assassinated. Snow responds that Frau Totenkinder is back in town and looking to side with her sister.
Back in the present, Snow prepares to face the feral Bigby as he approaches Castle Dark. Before she can, Rose Red and Frau Totenkinder arrive to fight him. Totenkinder states that they're a combination of a golden knight and a sorceress again, as Beast and Ozma did earlier, as she believes in strength in repetition. She also says that she took Rose to a separate world where time moves more quickly to train for the battle. Rose demands that Snow not participate in the fight, and she and Totenkinder move to confront the wolf.
Meanwhile, the members of New Camelot find Weyland Smith's body. While examining it, Brandish shows up and reveals that he committed the murder. Lancelot has him arrested, which the Prince complies with as he wishes to have trial by combat.
Back in Fabletown, Bigby is attacking the gates of Castle Dark. Totenkinder and Rose surprise him and attack, but Rose is quickly knocked down. Frau magically pins him in the air, and tries to remove his left arm. However, Leigh uses her power to blast the witch back, destroying one of her blades, Judgement, in the process. Bigby moves to finish her when Rose recovers and stabs him with her sword. The blow has little effect on him, and he grabs Rose by the throat, threatening to kill her. Before Bigby can do anything, Frau holds her other blade to his neck, and states that she'll cut his throat if he breaks Rose's neck. Bigby angrily throws Rose into the witch, stating that he doesn't kill family, and walks off into the night. The two other combatants help each other back into the castle.
The next morning, Rose complains about her failure to Snow, and swears that she'll kill Bigby next time they fight.
Credits
- Bigby Wolf
- Cinderella
- Frau Totenkinder
- King Cole
- Lancelot
- Lady Maeve
- Luna
- Prince Brandish
- Rockford J. Raccoon
- Rose Red
- Snow White
- Weyland Smith (corpse)
Locations
- Mundane world
- New York City
- Fabletown
- Castle Dark
- Fabletown
- The Farm
- New Camelot
- New York City