Palette

Orange

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. One quote is from Chris Colfer's The Wishing Spell.

***

To Goldilocks, the sunset was the transition between day and night.

She remembered the glowing, setting sun, with orange, sometimes pinkish clouds drifting on the horizon. The sky would be painted with shades of deep orange, fiery orange and rich yellow, with the occasional soft pink. If she waited for the sun to completely set, she would see stars peeking out shyly from clouds and dark indigo gradually setting in.

She remembered perching on top of a branch, watching the sun's last rays fall on the land. The forest leaves were tinted with gold, and Goldilocks' hair shone in the light, looking especially like fire.

Goldilocks jumped down swiftly from the tree, her sword glinting with the movement. She took one last look at the sunset and turned to the forest, which was getting darker by the minute.

"C'mon Porridge," she called to her cream coloured horse, who also had a soft yellow glow because of the sunset. Goldilocks mounted her horse and they sped off to an abandoned farmhouse which she had been temporarily staying at.

The day was over. A lot of animals were returning to their homes, so the forest was quiet. The chirping birds flew back to their nests, and they settled in peacefully for the night. All was calm

Unfortunately, Goldilocks was in the Dwarf Forests, where criminals and monsters roam. The night was deadly, dangerous. You had to be on high alert. A member of the Big Bad Wolf Pack could attack you at any minute. Duels and fights were common after the sun had set in.

Porridge slowed down, hooves barely making a sound. It was a little trick Goldilocks had taught her. The young woman urged her horse to find somewhere safe for the night and she went inside the farmhouse.

Goldilocks locked the door and sat down on the wooden floor boards. She listened intently for any sound of movements. None.

Spending years in the woods had sharpened her senses and mind greatly. Goldilocks reminisced about the time when she had been just a sweet, innocent girl, without a care in the world.

Those were sunny times. As a teenager, she spent a lot of time with her boyfriend Jack, whether they were working, talking or just goofing around. Goldilocks wasn't particularly good at fighting, but because of her looks a lot of boys flirted with her. Jack was naturally angry, of course, and threatened to hurt them with his axe. Throughout the whole thing Goldilocks just stood there, shocked and a bit scared, not knowing what to do. If there was one thing she hated, it was weakness and being a damsel in distress. It made her seem so soft and fragile when she was not.

Not too long later, she found a letter supposedly written by Jack, telling her to go to a certain house, which lead to the events of the infamous "Goldilocks and the Three Bears".

That was the end of those happy times. Goldilocks fled into the forest as people yelled and chased after her. She seeked refuge among the bushes and leaves, shivering with fear and cold, wondering how could she end up like that. The first few days were downright terrible, she had no warmth, no shelter, and she cried herself to sleep every night.

Eventually, Goldilocks started to learn the ways of the forest. One step at a time, she told herself. She hid in an abandoned cave, learned to start a fire, and learned to tell the time by the position of the sun above. Goldilocks knew in order to survive, she had to be a criminal.

It was just small things at first. A loaf of bread. Two eggs. Later, an entire barrel of food. Her recklessness grew and the young girl became more daring, thinking surely I won't get caught.

One day, she tried to rob a witch, Hagetta, but she was discovered! Goldilocks thought she would surely be put to death, but to her surprise, Hagetta was very kind. She not only forgave Goldilocks, but also taught her how to use a sword, which became her main weapon over the years. She gave her hope that she could survive in the cold reality of the woods.

That was Goldilocks' sunset. The transition from a weak, fragile girl to the brave, strong woman she was now. Her sunny times replaced by the harsh dark woods. She grew from the hardships she endured, and became more confident and determined as a result.

Sometime later, she met a pair of certain twins with strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She saw the eagerness and excitement in their eyes. They were still young and Goldilocks decided to teach them what she had learnt from Hagetta. She wanted to pass on the very knowledge that had helped her to change and grow.

"Courage is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you."

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A/N: Thanks for the votes and the comment! And please read and review! :D