Mendyr - A Light Shines Within, A Pen to Write the Future - starofjustice (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Page 1: Flip the Script

Idyllic was just the word.

Small rustic buildings lined the town streets, yet proud trees reached toward the endless blue skies above. Charming little cottage shops beckoned people to come in off the streets and partake of the wonders within, whether it was the new mirrorphones from Mobile Mirrors Inc. Imported pixie dust cosmetics at Fit For a Princess. Even vintage music across all audio mediums in the little building with flaking paint that was The Strange Musician.

If it could’ve (and there were more than a few people who insisted it did, if you looked up at just the right moment), the sun might’ve been smiling down on such a pleasant little town as Book End.

Overlooking the town, though, was a majestic tiered building on a high hill. Towers rose over ramparts, tall windows peered down over parapets. It wasn’t a castle, but it was still a symbol of prominence for the town below.

For this was Ever After High, where the young people with the greatest of destinies in the kingdom would gain all the skills and knowledge that would allow them to recreate the great stories of their parents.

And stretching up the road to the top of the hill was a colorful ribbon of buses, family cars and horse-drawn carriages for the true traditionalists among the families dropping off their children to start their first semester at the illustrious school.

Once upon a time…

…a new school year was starting, and the stars of the next great generation of stories were coming from all across the land to learn their roles.

Some of the most famous students are already here! There’s Briar Beauty, stepping out of that pink limousine her parents just got her for her birthday!

Over there’s Ashylnn, Cinderella’s little girl. Oh, and her carriage is already turning back into a pumpkin. The queen must’ve taught her a lot about tradition over the summer.

And there’s the Charming siblings, showing up in style. Just watch everyone moving out of the way for them. Everyone’s expecting big things of the heirs of the great family of heroes!

Speaking of expecting big things, isn’t that Melody Piper wheeling in all that DJ equipment? Her father was the biggest musical savant in the school’s history, but that probably won’t help her get all that up the stairs!

Anything to add, Brooke?

No, not really. It’s just all the kids showing up for the first day of school, you know? Nothing’s happening yet.

Brooke, honey, you’re here with us because you’ve been saying you’re old enough to narrate too. These are teens your own age, isn’t there anything there for you to appreciate?

That’s not it, is it, Brooke?

…what do you mean, mom?

Did you read ahead, young lady?

…no.

Brooke Page, what have we told you is rule number one, since—

Uh, hey, look! Isn’t that Raven Queen?

Oh, yes! One of the biggest players in the biggest story of them all!

She’s going to have more people keeping their eyes on her than almost any other student starting today.

<Phew>

“Honey, are you sure you want to go in there alone?"

“Yeah, dad. I don’t want it to look like I came in with the whole royal entourage because I was afraid of coming in by myself.”

“I’m just saying, honey, your new classmates probably already know all about your mom…”

“And what do you think it’ll be like if I go in there, hiding behind the footmen while they bring everything up to my room??” she exclaimed, sighed, and took a second to collect herself. “I need to go in there and look calm, confident, and in control.”

“Just like your mother.”

“Sure, like mom,” she admitted, “but in a good way.”

“That word and your mother don’t go together.”

She laughed and kissed his cheek. “Well, then I guess it’s up to me to change that. Love you, dad! Promise I’ll call you lots!”

With that, she joined the disorganized crowd of students weaving their way through the great front doors of Ever After High.

The entrance hall was huge, doors with elaborate carved wooden frames lining every wall, and a giant staircase running up to the second floor, looking wide enough for half the student body to walk up it at the same time. Hanging above the rows of lockers were even flatscreen TVs, although they were broadcasting a blank blue at the moment with the year just beginning.

It was hard to pay much attention to the decorating with all the other freshmen swarming around the hall, though. Raven held up the paper that, amid all the other jargon, had her room number, and started trying to squeeze through all the other kids to get to the stairs.

Before she knew it, she’d bumped into a boy and knocked him flat on his face.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she said, and held out her hand to help him up.

When he looked up and saw who it was, his eyes went wide.

Pale skin. Luxurious black hair streaked with purple, the same colors at the gothic mini-dress she wore. Spiked iron diadem in her hair. Platform heels that made her look even taller. Every inch of her looked regal, there was no denying that, but…

He pointed an accusing finger and screamed, “IT’S RAVEN QUEEN!”

Time seemed to come to a halt across the entire entrance hall. Everyone turned around, and when they recognized her, the students closest to Raven took a big step backward. The students behind them stepped away too, and in a matter of seconds, Raven Queen realized the entire room was formed into a circle of students, all staring at her.

“Uh, heh, hi guys,” she said, waving, and trying mightily to sound calm. “How’s everyone doing to—”

Evidently, Raven had raised her hand a little too suddenly for someone. A scream of terror went up from somewhere. A student tried to run and fell down, judging from the sound that came from one corner. The person next to them fell over, and then complete pandemonium ensued.

Raven clapped her hands over her ears to try without success to block out everyone’s cries of panic. In response, black and purple flames of magic surrounded her body, which only made the screams louder and the other students run faster to get away. Within seconds, Raven stood alone in the entrance hall. Benches tipped over, boxes and backpacks laying abandoned all over the floor in the students’ hurry to be anywhere else. A piece of notebook paper drifted across the room, blown by an appropriately corny breeze, twirled upside down and drifted out the door.

“Well, that could’ve gone better…,” Raven sighed.

“Double you dee why em??” exclaimed someone behind her. “That was AMAZING!”

She looked at the front doors, where it’d come from, in surprise. Leaning in, her body impossibly parallel to the floor, was another girl. Her head was like an umbrella of curly hair colored with streaks of blue, turquoise and purple, the look tied together by the tiny top hat shaped oddly like a teacup and saucer she wore off-center on top of it all. She was grinning like she’d just seen the funniest thing in the world, and Raven had a hard time imagining that everyone in school running away from her could be that funny to anyone.

“Hi! I’m Maddie! Maddie Hatter!” the girl said, extending her hand but staying parallel to the ground. Not quite sure what was going on, but glad to meet an apparent friend, Raven came over and shook it in greeting. “I can already tell it’s gonna be a tea-rrific year!”

“That’s one word for it,” admitted Raven.

More students were still arriving, some climbing off buses and others in the convoy of personal family transportation. One such vehicle was a faded white carriage pulled by a team of regal black stallions, the family slogan painted on the doors in gold lettering: Seven in One Blow. Before the driver even had a chance to jump down and open the door for the passengers, a passenger opened it himself and slid out.

Once, he had probably been quite the dashing hero. Now, his body was a bit heavier, clad in a tropical print shirt and cargo pants. Glasses framed blue eyes that still shined with the light of a man who saw everything, but the smile behind the light brown beard was of a proud father content with the simple life he’d attained.

Next out was a young man, the image of the dashing hero the other hand once been. Trimmed brown hair, a relaxed smile on his face. Handsome in a generic kind of way that had the people who met him peg him as a protagonist, but not from one of the more famous dynasties.

Unassuming was also the word for his wardrobe, with a plain red jacket over a white t-shirt one would have to look at closely to recognize the logo for the Bremen Town Wailers. Worn jeans and white sneakers. The only thing that really stood out about him were the bandages on the tips of multiple fingers.

“How’s it feel, Taylor?” the man asked the boy, smirking him and clapping him between the shoulders. “Miss home yet?”

“This another test, dad?” Taylor said and gave a teasing smile back.

He laughed and reached out to give Taylor a shove on the back of the head, but Taylor ducked and stepped behind his father, getting a soft smile of approval.

“Look, maybe they take it easy on the kids who go to One Thousand and One Nights High, but you’re going to the one where all the big stories are taught!” his father declared, smiling openly now. “You’ve gotta be on your toes to make it around here. You gotta be smart to be hero of your story.”

“Isn’t it still your story until I sign the book?” Taylor asked while he stepped onto a rung on the side of the carriage to start pulling his luggage off the roof.

“Son, we’ve been getting you ready to come here a long time. For one reason, and one reason only.”

Taylor held up his injured fingers. “I know, dad! I’ve got all the needle injuries to show for it!” he laughed, then gripped the handle of a suitcase and lowered it to the ground. “I’m as ready to start training here as anybody could be!”

“Aw, Taylor, is that really how you think of it? Training?” his father’s face fell. “I know I said this school’s gonna ask a lot of you, but you’re still a kid! You’re supposed to have fun and make friends, too!” He paused, and grinned. “How meeting a cute princess? Bet you’ve been thinking about that, now that you won’t be staying at home.”

Another suitcase came down off the roof and landed on top of the first. “I’ve been thinking about a lot of things, dad,” Taylor replied. “Like how now you have to find somebody else to fix Teagan and Thalia’s clothes when they come home from playing in the ravine, all torn up and muddy.”

“I’m not headed for the retirement village yet!” his father laughed. “I was sewing patches for a living before I was your age. Trust me, I’ve handled your sisters too, son.”

A small pile of suitcases and bags now lay by the side of the carriage, and Taylor hopped back down. The two of them gathered up the luggage and headed into the entrance hall, which was surprisingly empty, not to mention messy. Benches had been tipped over and books and bags were laying all over the floor, but Taylor shrugged it off as the result of hundreds of teenagers moving in on the same day.

They found his floor, and, after getting lost a couple times and having to weave through a morass of chaotic teens hauling all their worldly goods with them, found a dorm on the side of the building. Inside were two beds, and already sitting on one, playing video games, was another boy Taylor’s age. He seemed to realize he wasn’t alone after Taylor dumped the luggage on the other bed, and stood up, grinning.

“Hey, roomie!” he said, slapping Taylor on the shoulder with one arm and shaking his hand with the other. He was a thin, wiry specimen, with spiky blond hair and an earring of a black skull dangling on the right side. Not to mention he had on the same Bremen Town Wailers shirt as Taylor himself.

“Hey!” Taylor smiled. “You’re Pyotr Lupus. The new Boy Who Cried Wolf, right?”

“Yeah,” Pyotr replied, a look of disgust appearing on his face, but only for a second before his smile returned. “And you must be Taylor Valiant, the new Brave Little Tailor! And this handsome guy with you must be the original!”

“Well, not so little anymore,” Taylor’s dad said, but smiled.

Pyotr nodded, but turned back to Taylor, his grin turning well, a little wolfish. He said, “It’s great to meet you! I was afraid they were gonna try to make me room with somebody lame!”

Taylor’s dad slapped him between the shoulders. “Looks you already got a fan, sport!”

“Thanks, dad,” Taylor said, looking back at his father. Neither said anything for a second, and Taylor’s eyes started to glisten.

“Uh, hey, I’m gonna go get some pickled pepper chips, or…something,” Pyotr said. “I’ll be back in a bit.” He stepped around the pair, and into the chaos of students situating themselves in the hall.

As soon as he was out of the doorway, father and son hugged each other tightly. Tears flowed from both of their eyes.

“I’m really gonna miss everything,” Taylor said.

“You’re gonna make your mark, is what,” his father said. “My boy’s finally gonna be out on his own, being a brave little man.”

“I’ll make you proud, dad,” Taylor promised.

“I know you will, T.”

Raven Queen managed to find her dorm room too.

What she found waiting for her didn’t surprise her, but sent a chill up her spine all the same.

A beautiful girl with an avalanche of hair like spun gold was busy decorating the room. She had on a satin dress and lipstick as red as the fruit she was named after, and walked with perfect poise despite her precarious spiked heels. It couldn’t be anyone else but Apple White, daughter of the High Queen.

The one who was supposed to be Raven’s co-star in the biggest story of them all.

Before Raven could gather the good sense to find somewhere else to be, Apple had spotted her, and the princess’s face erupted in the sweetest smile Raven had ever seen in her life. “Hey, there you are!” Apple squealed, then grabbed Raven by the wrist and dragged her inside. “You’re even more sinister than in your picture!” Apple giggled.

“Uh…thanks?”

“Come on in! Tell me what you think of how I decorated your half of the room!” Apple continued to grin at her.

“Wait, you did what?” Raven asked, but had already seen the fruits of Apple’s labor. The walls on half the room had actually been papered a dark purple, with the pattern showing black apples and skulls. One wall was covered with polished mirrors, bearing black frames depicting angry animals and monsters, looking like they were carved from actual jet. Even the chair—more like a throne—in the corner was a menacing purple, with the shape of a red-eyed crow carved into the top of the frame.

“Wow, everything looks really…evil,” Raven observed, starting to feel more than a little overwhelmed by Apple’s enthusiasm.

“I knew you’d love it!” the perky princess gushed. “So, like, tell me all about your magic! Do you evil sorceresses turn people who annoy you into frogs?” She giggled. “Or is it lizards? I don’t really remember.”

“I wouldn’t do that to anybody,” Raven protested.

“Oh, right!” Apple replied, her smile not flickering at all. “You guys like to make your revenge personal,” she went on, as if this were a completely casual topic. “But have you ever thought about it?”

Raven took a step back at that. “No. I’ve never thought about cursing somebody. Honestly, my mom scares the hex out of me.”

Apple pouted when she heard that. “Oh, but that’s no good! How are we going to be arch enemies if you don’t think about things like that?”

The floor seemed to ripple beneath Raven’s shoes. Her attempt to make a friendly entrance at the school had already been a gigantic failure. But now, here was the person she’d be living with for the school year, acting excited about getting her to act like a villain.

“Look,” Raven said, sucking in a breath that didn’t help to steady her, “I just met you, Apple, and—”

“Theeeeeeere you are!” some laughed from behind, put a pair of powerful hands onto Raven’s shoulders and started walking her backwards toward the door. She looked over her shoulder to see who her savior was, and was surprised it was no-one she recognized: a boy with spiky blond hair and a skull earring. “I was starting to think you were gonna ghost me,” he said, and led Raven out of the dorm room.

“What are you doing?” Raven whispered to him as they left the speechless Apple White behind.

“Giving a new buddy and his dad some time to say goodbye,” he grinned. “Plus, I heard about what happened when you showed up, and I thought maybe you and I had something in common.”

After a while, Taylor’s dad had left, joining the short column of departing parents attempting to find their way back out of their teen’s dorm. Taylor started to unpack, putting his clothes away and hanging up his suit and his jackets in the wardrobe. His dad had told him to check for magic portals in there, but Taylor wasn’t surprised to only find a bar for hangers and a shelf for shoes.

He thought about setting up his MirrorBox, but then remembered he hadn’t brought a TV. Because when, at his parents’ recommendation, he’d called to greet Pyotr over the summer, Pyotr had promised to bring a TV for them. Taylor had been happy to agree, since it meant he could spend his meager savings on…something else.

But, Pyotr had already set up a MirrorStation on their one TV. He’d never set anything about that on their call. Everyone knew that system only had big, bad games. If Pyotr liked the MirrorStation, what would he do if Taylor disconnected it and set up his own there instead…?

Was he making a huge mistake? Could he really share a room with someone like this for a whole year? Was he really ready to start learning to be the hero of his own story??

“Hey, Taylor!” Pyotr called out, suddenly leaning in through the doorway and grinning. “Come on! I ran into somebody you should meet!...Hey, is that a MirrorBox? Cool! You can show me your games when we get back.”

“Uh, sure,” Taylor said, and put the console down on top of his empty suitcases. He followed Pyotr out, feeling only a little less unsure.

Soon they entered the common room, which divided the boys’ and girls’ dorms. There were tables and chairs set up all over the room, a big-screen TV with three entire couches formed into a little U in front of it. There was even a fireplace, currently empty, also surrounded by couches. Taylor could imagine what that was for, but at the moment the room was completely empty.

Except for the dark-haired girl sitting at a table, doing something on her mirrorpad.

“Hey, Raven!” Pyotr called out and started making his way over. She turned to look at him, and from the look on her face seemed quietly surprised to see Pyotr coming back with someone so ordinary. “I brought my friend Taylor down to meet you!” As surreptitiously as a teen could he whispered to Taylor, “Be impressed to meet her, okay?”

“What? Why?”

“Because everybody got scared and ran away when they found out she was here,” Pyotr whispered back. “She’s the Evil Queen’s daughter, you know.”

“Her??”

“Shut up, man!” Pyotr whispered again. “We’re trying to help her feel welcome.”

Raven waved her hand. “Hey, if you guys have something else to talk about, I can just go,” she said and stood up, realized she’d have Apple White waiting to socialize with her, and sat back down again.

But Pyotr shook his head. “It’s nothing,” he said, and smiled. “How are you liking the place so far?”

She shrugged. “I mean, it’s pretty. The people are kind of…I don’t know, yet. What about you guys? How was the trip into town?”

“Really pretty,” Taylor supplied, smiling a little bit. “We came up the coast on our way in. Supposed to be really good surfing out that way.”

For a second, she looked confused, but then chuckled and put down her mirrorpad. “Wow, that’s not something I expected to hear,” Raven admitted. “Too bad it’s the end of summer.”

“Well, I haven’t ever actually surfed,” Taylor laughed. “Lately I’ve kinda wanted to, though. Didn’t get the chance since we live too far away from the beach, plus I spent a lot of the summer watching my kid sisters.”

Pyotr laced his fingers in front of his face and smirked. “You can call it babysitting.”

“You dragged me down here just so you could have somebody to make fun of?” Taylor retorted, but he was smiling.

Raven rested her chin in her hand. “That sounds kind of nice, actually. Having sisters,” she said, and looked out the window with a slightly longing expression on her face.

“Oh?” Pytor gently prodded. “Just you, huh?”

“Well, you know,” Raven shrugged. “My mom’s evil, right? She wanted one heir to focus all her training on, or something like that.” She sighed, and looked out the window even harder.

Taylor tapped his fingertips together, not sure what to say next. The princess sighed and reached out for her mirrorpad, but it slid off her fingertips, bumped the edge of the table and clattered onto the floor.

“I’ll get it,” Taylor offered, even though Raven was already reaching for it too. When he bent down, something fell out of his jacket and slid across the floor, stopping next to Raven’s mirrorpad. Seemingly out of instinct, she picked it up.

And Taylor froze.

She turned the little case over in her pale fingers, regarding the row of needles of differing lengths, with little spools of differently-colored thread.

“You can sew?” she asked flatly, not seeming quite to know what to make of it.

He shut his eyes and shrugged, a resigned look on his face. “I didn’t really want it to spread around, but yeah. It’s about how my story gets started, you know. Being a tailor.”

To his surprise, they exchanged a look, then both started chuckling. “You’re worried about people making fun of you because you can sew?” Pyotr asked. “How do you think I feel? People already treat me like I couldn’t say an honest word if I wanted to.”

“You think you have it bad?” Raven giggled. “Everybody thinks I’ll curse them if I get mad at them for something! The whole school saw me and ran away!”

Taylor was taken aback at how ordinary Raven seemed, but he shrugged. “Everybody’s got their role.”

Pyotr’s smile faded, and he looked over at Raven. “I’ve thought about that a lot,” he muttered.

She nodded, just as somberly. “Me too, lately.”

“What other choice is there, though?” Taylor asked the others. “Everybody’s tied to their story. If they don’t play out their story, they disappear.”

“Do they?” Raven asked. “Do I have to grow up to be the worst villain of them all?”

“Not tonight,” Taylor replied, which made Raven look up at him in surprise. “Pyotr dragged me down here to meet his new friend, it’s only fair I drag him back up to the room to make him show me the video games he brought. Then we play some so I can prove mine are better than his. You ever play, Raven?"

The princess looked taken by surprise by Taylor’s invitations, but Pyotr’s grin had already returned. After a moment she smiled too, and stood to follow them upstairs. “I better warn you guys, my mom taught me to show no mercy.”

Pyotr laughed, and Taylor couldn’t help laughing too.

Outside, dark shapes at the edge of the forest line watched through the windows as they left.

In the morning, the greasy box from Little John’s Pizza was still on the floor of the bedroom. Pyotr and Taylor were snoring in their beds, still wearing their t-shirts and jeans from the day before; they’d stayed up playing until they dropped, and the screen still showed the game waiting for them to make a move.

It had indeed turned out to be quite a night. Turned out Pyotr’s father had gotten him Charm Bros. Party 9 as a present for going all summer without any making any false alarms. Taylor had gotten stuck playing as Daring, which annoyed him and amused Pyotr and Raven. After the first hour, he’d seized the lead and held onto it until every had started yawning.

Raven had left to go back to the girls’ dorm before it was late enough they’d have gotten in trouble for having a girl in their room, but she was pretty tired by the time she left. Once she’d gotten back to her own room, she was relieved to find Apple already in bed with her hair up in curlers. Raven imagined she was going to be grateful for princess beauty sleep requirements a lot.

A gray light was starting to flow in through the windows, signaling an overcast day, when someone loudly knocked on the door.

“Hey, get the door,” Pyotr groaned.

There was no answer, but the knock came again, louder. Pyotr still didn’t feel like getting up, so he still ignored it. Then a sound that filled him with dread: the hinges squeaking as the door opened.

Raven hadn’t shut it all the way when she left.

Which meant the intruder could just come in.

Which they did.

“Goooooooooooood morning, fellow students!” boomed the boy standing in the hallway, literally flashing the most blinding smile in the kingdom at them. Pyotr and Taylor screamed and rolled out of bed, spots swirling in the air in front of their eyes from the glare.

“You wanted me to let him in?!” demanded Taylor.

“I didn’t know who it was!” Pyotr protested.

They definitely knew who it was now, even though neither could see straight yet. Chiseled features, perfectly coifed blond hair, crown and letterman’s jacket even though school hadn’t even started yet. Most of all, the smile as bright as the sun.

Standing in their doorway was none other than Daring Charming, scion of the Charming family. Expected by everyone to be the latest great hero and heartthrob now that he was enrolled at Ever After High. It was impossible not to see his face on social media, or honestly any media they could think of.

He didn’t seem aware at all of the looks of annoyance on their faces when the two managed to struggle to their feet. “Ready and raring to go, I see!” Daring said, still grinning

“What do you want, Daring?” Pyotr growled. “You were kicking my butt all last night, and I’m liable to hold a grudge.”

“I mean, I don’t remember that, but I am pretty awesome, so I’ll believe you,” Daring replied, steamrolling on. “Anyway! I had the best idea for starting the school year off on the right foot: a big basketball game with all the new students!”

“…what?” Taylor grunted.

“Yeah! I’m getting everyone to meet out by the Enchanted Forest after breakfast! It’ll be spelltacular!” Daring said, still grinning. “Anyway, I need to go make sure the rest of the guys know! See you there!” Then he whisked out the door, slamming it behind him. The boys just stood and stared at it, still not quite coherent enough to process everything that had just happened.

Taylor combed his hair and put on clean clothes, but Pyotr only did the second. They found their shoes and followed a group of boys to the castleteria. Technically the schoolyear hadn’t begun yet, but the kitchens were already open, and students were collecting servings of thronecakes and flapjack sprats from the serving line. Once Pyotr and Taylor had gotten their breakfasts, they looked around for a place to sit, but only found one open table in the room.

Empty, it would seem, because that was where Raven Queen was sitting.

“Hi, Ray,” Taylor said with a wave. “Mind if we sit here?”

“Ray? Hmmm, I kind of like that,” she said, but her face quickly lit up with a mischievous smile. “Does that mean I get to call you Tay?”

“Please don’t. My little sisters call me that,” Taylor sighed while he sat down.

“Sounds like you’ve got enough of those already,” Raven smirked, but let it go at that. “Did you guys hear about Daring Charming’s game, or whatever?”

Pyotr scowled. “Personally,” he replied. “I can still see some of the dots…”

Taylor, though, polished off half a flapjack before he spoke up, looking thoughtful. “Honestly it sounds pretty fun, but does he have the equipment? Where are the wolves going to come from?” he asked his new friends.

That got a laugh from Pyotr. “You know, I almost want to go see just to find that out! Did his family buy him basketball wolves and bring them all the way to school??”

Raven, for her part, was pushing her goose egg omelet around with her fork. “Seeing that would probably be more fun than hanging around in my room,” she said, and shivered.

“Sounds like three votes,” Pyotr noted. “Wonder how crazy this prince is.”

For a few seconds, a cold chill ran up Raven’s back, and she looked over her shoulder. To her relief, Apple White was still nowhere in sight. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Like something very unfriendly was nearby, and it wasn’t happy with her.

It looked like Daring Charming really had been going around talking to everyone in the boys’ dorm, because two dozen boys were gathered on the field behind the school where it butted up against the Enchanted Forest. Not far away was a big metal kennel with the crest of the Charming family painted on the side, and there was indeed a pack of gray wolves circling inside.

“Wow, he seriously brought his own wolves for this,” Raven said in amazement.

A row of picnic baskets were lined up in front of the forest line, and in front of them was, of course, Daring Charming, grinning the grin everyone was used to seeing him with before they’d ever met him. He waved the boys showing up to play to one side of the field or the other, dividing them up into impromptu teams.

“Thanks for showing up, everybody!” Daring addressed the two teams. “The goals have been set up in a clearing north of here—”

Taylor started tuning out, already knowing the rules of basketball well enough, he thought. More than that, he noticed Raven was standing with another group of girls who’d showed up to watch, but she seemed to be looking around for something. He looked around too, and wondered what she was looking for. Their eyes met, and Raven looked back at him with an uneasy expression.

“Hey, what are you looking at?” Pyotr asked, suddenly shoving him on the shoulder. “Daring asked you to come up to for the coin toss.”

“I wasn’t really paying attention to what he said,” Taylor replied, trying to wave it off.

“Heh. I get that.”

He still wasn’t paying attention when he got up to where Daring and the boy from the other team were waiting. A quick glance over his shoulder showed him Raven was still looking nervous about something. It couldn’t just be worrying if her roommate came around, could it?

“Heads!” Daring Charming declared, snapping Taylor back to the situation at hand. “Team A starts with possession.” He passed the ball to the other boy. “Return to your starting lines please, gentlemen.”

Pyotr intercepted him when Taylor got back to his team’s side of the field. “Dude, what’s wrong with you? I get being bored with Daring Charming, but you’re supposed to be paying attention to the game.”

“I saw Raven over there,” Taylor replied. “She keeps looking around for something.”

“Wow. School hasn’t even started, and you’re already obsessed with a girl?”

“It isn’t that,” Taylor whispered back. “Look at her. She seems really nervous about something.” Obliging his roommate, Pyotr looked, and Raven noticed both of the boys looking her way. The dark princess’s expression softened a little when she saw both of them looking her way, and clearly realized both of her knew friends most have noticed how she was feeling.

Again, there wasn’t long to focus on it. Daring Charming blew a whistle and the game began. The members of both teams ran across the starting line and grabbed baskets before charging into the forest to start the game. Next the kennel’s door fell open with a crash and wolves ran into the trees after them.

When all the players had vanished, Daring Charming started leading the spectators inside so they’d be high enough to see some of what was going on in the forest. Raven didn’t follow, though. The feeling she’d been having since breakfast had gotten even worse, and she didn’t want to be around anyone else in case she got jumpy and lashed out with her black magic by accident.

She saw a path leading into the forest and decided that seemed the safest way to go. Part of her wondered if she should try to find Taylor and Pyotr, since they had obviously been able to tell something was bothering her.

What could she tell them, though? When she hadn’t seen anything that justified the way she was feeling. Maybe she was just feeling on edge because she was away from home for the first time, and everyone there had already thought she was evil incarnate…

While she walked, though, Raven felt something weird about her hands. She held them up in front of her face, and gasped in shocked when she saw them glowing with the black fire of her magic powers.

Then she heard the sound.

It was a little like singing, but coming from nothing resembling a human throat. Some kind of hideous gargling. Coming down the trail toward her.

The thought came to run, but as if in direct response, that was when Raven saw them. A procession of dwarves: bearded little men, wearing stocking caps and tunics, picks and shovels resting on their shoulders as they walked. Singing that awful sound.

Weirdest of all was how their bodies were completely colorless, everything about them a shiny black.

And then they saw her, and it turned into a squeal that pierced her ears. Sounding like maniacal joy. Raven raised her hands, a small ball of black fire jumping from her fingers without her entirely meaning to.

It slapped into the chest of the first dwarf.

He wasn’t even knocked off-balance. He stopped where he was, squealing with monstrous laughter even louder and shaking his pick around in joy.

As one, all of the black dwarves charged down the path at Raven Queen.

Brooke, is this what you saw before?

…maybe

I certainly don’t remember any of those from Snow White and the Evil Queen’s time at the school!

Looks like we’re in uncharted territory here. That’s all we need.

Dear, “innovation” isn’t a dirty word.

I hope Raven’s okay…

Looks like we’ll all find out soon, won’t we, Brooke?

You don’t have to rub it in, mom.

One way or another, looks like this is going to be a year no-one will forget!

Chapter 2: The Sword is Drawn

Chapter Text

Page 2: The Sword is Drawn

The story took an unexpected turn last time, didn’t it?

I’ll say it did! Danger right next to school grounds? It’s unheard of! Maybe just what this school needs…

That’s worrying, indeed. What will Raven Queen do to get out of this situation?

I wish I could say something to help. That must be so scary!

Brooke…

I know, I know. Our job’s to tell the story, not to get involved.

That’s more like it, young lady.

(I still wish I could…)

Unwilling lessons in dark sorcery took over. Raven Queen charged herself with the magic powers that were her birthright, and willed a column of dark fire to form itself in front of the charging dwarves.

Or whatever they were.

They just came charging right through it, screaming and cackling and waving their tools over their heads. She wasn’t surprised, after one had shrugged off her magic already.

But twice was enough, and she turned and ran for the forest as fast as she could.

Raven dodged around a tree, but the high heels of her shoe caught on a root. She stumbled, then lost her footing completely on a small hill she hadn’t noticed. Her attention had been on the screaming creatures right behind her.

She gasped and rolled down the hill, bouncing painfully off a bump in the middle and landing in a mud puddle. Raven pushed herself up and looked back up, managing to see the tops of the dwarves’ picks and shovels coming closer. Without another thought, Raven reached down and untied her shoes. Those giant heels weren’t going to do her any good when she had to run for her life away from monsters.

With that she ran into the trees in her stocking feet, closer to the sounds of howling wolves.

Not far way, conflict unfolded.

The ball was passed.

Taylor jumped, holding his basket out in front of him, but the ball whizzed past his side.

One of the boys on the opposing team had caught the ball and was already disappearing into the faint gloom of the forest. Taylor went after him, but it was hard to pick up the pace with low branches and roots getting in the way every few feet. The forest Taylor had played basketball with his olds friends back home wasn’t as thick as the one he was in now. The players made it look so easy on TV.

“Gotcha!” someone yelled from up ahead, and Taylor was relieved to see Pyotr Lupus checking the ball-carrier. It fell out of his basket and Pyotr kicked it across the forest floor to another boy on their team, who immediately scooped it up with his basket.

While the exchange was happening, Taylor was scrambling through a patch of trees to help out. Another pair of boys from the other team appeared and charged the ball-carrier from opposite sides before he had a chance to make a break for it.

“Over here!” Taylor yelled. The ball-carrier swung his basket over his head, lobbing the ball through the top cover before the other players crashed into him and all three went down. Taylor darted forward, holding up his basket and catching the ball after it bounced off a tree branch at a neat angle.

Behind him, Taylor could hear the howl of a wolf, and knew it was time to stop worrying about his human opponents and go. He didn’t need to be dragged face-down through the mud by those things. So, he ran to the tangle of players still picking themselves up and kicked the basket of one of the opposing players away. Now he’d have to spend valuable time going to get it back when the wolves were almost caught up to them.

“Nice one!” Pyotr congratulated him, running side-by-side. Behind them they could hear wolves crashing through the brush and growling as they grabbed the fallen players by their pant legs and started pulling them backward. “We’re gonna score the first goal for sure!”

“Wonder if there’s some kind of prize for winning!” Taylor said.

“What if it’s a kiss from the prince?” Pyotr replied with a teasing grin.

Taylor spat in disgust. “Kiss Daring Charming? What is with you, man??” he demanded, but he found himself laughing. The rush of playing in the game, with a friend who wasn’t afraid of pushing him, was making Taylor feel unbeatable.

“Heh! At least he wouldn’t be able to burn your eyeballs with those teeth of his!” Pyotr laughed.

Despite how out of breath he was getting from the run, Taylor laughed too. He checked over his shoulder to see if anyone on the other team was catching up, but saw something a lot more serious.

A maiden running through the trees, very familiar black and purple hair dancing in the air behind her. She was in view for barely a second, but Taylor was sure of who it was. The glee Taylor had been feeling faded, his enthusiasm for the game replaced with concern.

“Dude, what’s wrong?” Pyotr asked.

“I just saw Raven. Running away from something.”

“All the way out here?” Pyotr asked, looking very dubious.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Taylor said, and took the ball out of his basket. “Here, keep playing. I’m gonna go check.”

Pyotr took the ball and dropped it into his basket like a machine; he was still looking Taylor in the eye. “Godmother, you’re serious?” he asked.

Taylor nodded and headed the way he’d seen Raven going. “I’m here to learn to be a hero, right? Can’t just play sports when somebody’s in trouble! My dad would kill me if I got an F for heroism!”

He ran off, heading after where he’d seen his friend running, but as he did Taylor ran in a few circles, making sure to drag his hands across the tree trunks he passed. It had been in an old story his father had told him; about a boy who’d touched everything he passed, so that everything in the area had his scent. As a result, the dogs used by his pursuer smelled his trail everywhere, and couldn’t tell where he’d actually gone.

Last thing he needed was for the pursuing wolves to find him and try to drag him out of the forest by his pants.

Having taken care of that, Taylor went as fast as he could. The sight of a footprint in the mud—a bare foot, which confused him—told him he was still on the right track. Soon he got to a fork in the path, and the ground was covered by the first fallen leaves of autumn. “Raven?” he asked in a whisper, looking around for a sign of his friend. He wasn’t surprised there was no answer, but Taylor crept forward up to the middle of the fork and called out again, a little louder. “Raven? Is that you?”

“Over here!” a girl whispered back, and a pale hand beckoned him behind a tree. Taylor went over and found a shoeless, dirt-smeared Raven Queen hiding behind it. “Did you see them?” she asked.

He looked around, and didn’t see anyone. “See who?”

“The dwarves who were chasing me.”

“Already? Aren’t they supposed to wait until the end of your story?”

Raven gave him an anxious look. “They weren’t regular dwarves! They were all shiny and black, and they made these…monster noises when they started chasing me!”

His expression of disbelief was unmoved. “I didn’t hear anything when I came,” he said quietly, listening for a little bit before he went on, “Raven, what happened? And where the hex are your shoes?”

"I was just walking by the woods, and then suddenly seven dwarves came walking up and chased me,” she whispered. “My shoes…well, I’d like to see you run for your life in heels!”

Part of Taylor told him to be rational about this, and consider everything he knew. He was, after all, talking to the girl who’d grow up to be the villainess of the biggest story of them all. How did he know it wasn’t some kind of trick? The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

At least, everyone said that was Snow White’s hope when she came up with her daughter’s name.

“You’ve got to admit that’s kind of a weird story, Ray,” he said. “That sounds pretty intense for somebody pranking you.”

“It wasn’t a prank, it really happened!” she insisted. “I got scared and blasted them with my magic, and that didn’t even do anything!”

“Okay, that does sound really weird,” admitted Taylor, and stepped behind Raven to make sure he was out of sight. They waited a minute, but only sounds either of them heard were the yells in the distance of the players in the basketball game, and the yapping of the wolves chasing them down. Soon they were fading away completely.

Raven nudged Taylor in the ribs. “Hey.”

“Huh?” Taylor said, and realized his hand was resting on her arm. A protective gesture he hadn’t even caught himself making. Looking a little sheepish, he pulled it back. “Sorry.” He checked his mirrorphone. “No bars. Guess it’s really true.”

“There’s no service out here to make sure we get used to being on our own,” she agreed. “Not sure who’d believe this, anyway. You don’t.”

“You have to admit it is kind of weird these dwarves chasing you suddenly aren’t around anymore,” Taylor answered her, and indeed giving her a somewhat unbelieving look. “I thought things didn’t just disappear until midnight.” He stepped back and held out his hand. “Still, I can’t just leave somebody out here alone when she thinks he’s being chased by killer dwarves. Wanna head back?”

But she shook her head. “Not on the path. That’s probably the first place they’d look for me.”

Taylor looked even more dubious, but said, “Alright, we’ll have to find our way back through the forest, then.”

Raven nodded, and they started off in silence.

Something bothering you, Brooke?

No.

Sweetie, if you’re going to narrate for real, you have to be expressive.

It’s just…why doesn’t Taylor trust her? They’re friends. Friends are supposed to trust each other (not like I’d know about that).

You need to learn to stop mumbling, honey. The thing is, Raven and Taylor are brand new friends. They haven’t been through much together yet. Aaaaand…Raven doesn’t have the best reputation, thanks to who her mother is. Things don’t always happen like magic, dear. They have to develop on their own.

What your father’s trying to say is, give it a bit more time, Brooke. And most importantly, don’t get too attached to the characters you narrate.

Okay, mom.

The silence was getting uncomfortable after a while. Not just how the forest animals had suddenly gone strangely quiet, but between Raven and Taylor. To her, it seemed like he was making sure to look ahead so he didn’t have to look over at her. Part of her was annoyed, but a calmer part of her didn’t blame him. What kind of story was one about shiny black dwarves that just shrugged off magic?

Not to mention, where were those dwarves all of a sudden? They’d been right behind her.

She was on edge, but the silence was just making it even worse. Finally, Raven couldn’t hold it in anymore. “You don’t believe me, do you?” she asked.

“Look, I was worried when I saw you running past, yeah,” Taylor sighed. “But you have to admit, that does sound a lot like a scenario meant to lure a do-gooder into…an unpleasant situation.”

“I don’t want to be like my mom!” Raven snapped. “I’m not trying to trick anybody into doing anything!”

“But you don’t know anything about those shiny black dwarves that attacked you?” Taylor asked, turning around and meeting her eyes. “I…well, I guess I thought you’d know more about monsters than me.”

Raven sighed, shutting her eyes and pressing her fingertips to her head. She sighed. “I just said it! I don’t want to be evil! I didn’t study the things she tried to teach me! That’s why she—” Raven stopped in the middle of her outburst, and sucked in a breath. “Never mind. Look, if you don’t trust me, why are you skipping the game to help me?”

Immediately, Taylor replied, “It’s what I was brought up to do, to help. So I’d be ready for my story.”

She looked at him for a long time without a word. “Is that the only reason you’d do something?” Raven finally asked.

Taylor didn’t answer. Not that question, anyway. Instead, he asked, “Hey, when did the forest get so…”

“…creepy?” Raven supplied, noticing it too. While they’d been talking, a thick mist had suddenly rolled in, and they could barely see a few feet in any direction. Tree branches suddenly looked like skeletal arms, looking for an unsuspecting student to grab. One tree next to them suddenly seemed to have a giant leering face in its trunk…

“Did we wander out into the Dark Forest?” Raven whispered. “Doesn’t it have scary fog like this, all the time?”

Taylor stepped closer to her out of protective instinct, realized what he was doing, and stayed there anyway. “It’s not that close to school,” he replied quietly, suddenly worried about something evil hearing them. “I mean, it’s pretty far away. You’re only supposed to go there for stuff like Advanced Questing finals.”

Raven made a “pfft” noise. “Did you even do anything fun all summer, or did you just read about classes?” she giggled.

He whirled and looked insulted for a second, but saw her grin and couldn’t help grinning too. Just a little. “Let’s get back to school before it gets any worse,” he advised. “Stay close.”

“Sure thing. Hero,” Raven smirked, and held out her hand for him.

They may have suspected they weren’t alone, but they couldn’t have known just what had its cold eyes on them, as they made their way through the fog-shrouded forest back toward their school.

One of them was little enough threat. There was no need make a point dealing with them.

The other, though…

The other could represent quite a danger, if given the opportunity to develop.

No, it would need to strike. Fast, deadly, leaving an unmistakable impression.

To make an example. Before it was too late.

It was time to make their move.

All around them, the fog was thickening, and the forest seemed to get even more menacingly silent. Taylor had resorted to holding the basket he was still carrying out in front him to make sure no low-hanging branches hit them.

After a while, Taylor called out, “Can anyone hear us?”

Raven shushed him. “Do you want them to come right to us?”

“Oh, right, the dwarves might hear,” he replied, but stopped suddenly. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?’ she asked him, but listened. A minute later she did hear something.

“—en!” a sad voice somewhere in the distance echoed through the forest. They stayed where they were, listening harder, if that was possible. Then they could hear it again, “—ler!”

Neither of them moved, just continuing to listen. Again, the voice called out, but still they couldn’t tell where it was coming from, or who it was. Sticks snapped somewhere nearby, as whatever it was came closer…closer…

“Taylor? Raven?”

Both of them screeched in surprise and spun around to find themselves face-to-face with Pyotr Lupus. He jumped back too at the sound of their response. “Godmother, there you guys are,” he sighed. “I was starting to think you made it back to school already.”

Taylor looked around, and then observed, “You came looking for us by yourself?”

Pyotr sighed again and nodded. “I tried telling the other players you guys might be in trouble, but…one of them said who my dad was, and nobody believed me. So I had to ditch the game to find you guys by myself.”

“Thanks, Pyotr,” Taylor said, smiled a little, and clapped his hand over his roommate’s shoulder.

That brightened Pyotr’s face, and he shrugged. “Hey, with a rep like mine, you’ve got to hold onto the friends you’ve got, right?”

“I can relate to that,” Raven muttered.

With his identity established, Pytor relaxed a little and lowered his arms. “Raven, what were you doing out here, anyway?”

She cast her eyes over at Taylor, but she answered, “I got chased by a bunch of shiny black dwarves.”

His eyes went wide, but then he turned his head, leaning to something in the distance: a sound like a cross between singing and a reptile-like growling. Somehow, it was easy to tell where this sound was coming from: behind Pyotr, and getting closer. “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered, and they started heading in the other direction. That was when they came into sight.

A procession of coal-black dwarves, singing—or whatever that sound could truly be called—was emerging from the cloud. When they spotted the three teens, their horrific parody of singing turned into taunting laughter. They’d caught the group from both sides.

Pyotr dug in his heels. “What do you want?” he demanded. The dwarves just gave low, menacing laughs in response, held their tools in front of them like weapons, and started slowly closing in.

It was Taylor who reacted first. He lunged at the closest dwarf, swung his basket so the tip of its pick axe caught in the inside of his basket, and threw them away into the fog to disarm the dwarf. Next he tried to kick the dwarf as hard as he could, but it was quicker than him, and sank its teeth into Taylor’s leg. Right through the denim and hard enough to draw blood.

“AAAAAAAAGH!” Taylor screamed, and tricked to kick the dwarf off his leg. It held on tight, and one of its friends saw an opening, charged over and hopped onto the first one’s shoulders. Wrapping its arms around Taylor’s right arm and biting down into his shoulder. A third dwarf tackled and bit Taylor’s side. He was pushed backward, jumped around a few times in a hopeless attempt to throw them off.

And fell over the edge of a ravine hidden by the fog.

All the others knew about what happened to him was his fading scream and the echo of a couple painful-sounding bumps, before they heard a faint splash far below.

“Taylor…!” Pyotr said, letting out a hoarse cry, but there was no time to worry about his friend. Another dwarf jumped for Pyotr, but he jumped back, let the dwarf land in the dirt, then bounced off its back and kicked the next dwarf in the face, knocking them down.

“I won’t let this happen!” Raven growled, holding up her hands, which were already surrounded by power. Her magic hadn’t done anything to these…creatures, before, it usually didn’t work well when Raven tried to use magic for things that weren’t, well, evil.

Maybe it only needed to be applied more creatively, though.

She took a deep breath, then jets of black flame jumped from her hands, and Pyotr jumped away from her in surprise. “If I can just…get a little…more…power!” she said to steady herself. “Maybe…I can…clear…this…stupid…FOG!”

Around them the air immediately got even colder, the fog thickening. So thick for a minute Pyotr struggled to be able to breathe. Raven couldn’t even see him, even though before she’d tried, he’d been right in front of her.

It was as if Raven was pushing against something that was all around them, and it was much more used to this than she was. She tried to focus on the lessons of strength and control her mother had tried to teacher. Which at the time, Raven had questioned. Finally, Raven collapsed to her knees, panting for breath after pushing her abilities to their limit. “It’s not working,” she gasped. “Something’s doing this to us on purpose!”

“So what do we do?!” Pyotr exclaimed.

“I don’t know! We’re supposed to learn about stuff like conquering enemies in villainy classes!” Raven exclaimed back. “School’s not even started yet!”

Pyotr went down as the dwarves attacked him from behind, and Raven screamed when she felt one bite her on the leg.

At first, Taylor couldn’t focus on anything except his entire body aching. The next thing he managed to be aware of his underwear being wet and riding up, which got him focus enough to sit up in the stream and try to figure out what had just happened.

The dwarves who’d dogpiled him had been shaken off by the fall. They were sitting up quickly though, and Taylor got up as fast as he could too. He started to walk backward, his footing unsure because of his soaked shoes, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off the shiny black dwarves wading through the water to get to him again.

“Shiny black dwarves,” he muttered. “You were telling the truth, Raven.” One of the dwarves suddenly launched itself at Taylor and he managed to duck so it sailed over his head, but the other two had jumped just after it and grabbed onto his shoulders. He staggered but fell against the side of the ravine.

A scream reached his ears from the top. Right, of course, there were seven dwarves, so there were even more on top menacing Taylor’s friends. He struggled, trying to bash the dwarves against the cliff to make them let go. Instead, they only bit into his skin again.

“I’m sorry, Raven. I should’ve believed you,” Taylor breathed. “I’m supposed to learn to be a hero…I wish I was, so I’d be strong enough to fix this.”

Something happened in Taylor Valiant then. A childhood heroic instinct inspired by his father, raw and yet unshaped by scholastic training, flared up inside him. Letting out a scream, Taylor rolled hard onto his shoulder and squashed the dwarf between his body and the cliff. It loosed its grip on him and Taylor threw himself against the other side, squashing the other one against that slope.

Taylor swung his arms with all his freshman might, and threw the dazed creatures off of him. The last had turned around faced him down, but Taylor clenched his teeth and stood his ground.

Suddenly, something else incredible happened to him.

A ball of golden light form over Taylor’s heart. He touched it, and it solidified in his hand, taking the shape of a sword. A short silver blade on a golden hilt, with shimmering letters that seemed to flow like liquid amber in an indentation on the blade. They formed a word: MENDYR.

That wasn’t all. Around his waist was a golden belt with a small rectangular recess in the buckle. One just the right size for the object in his hand, which had a white-framed cover of a young man in humble clothes who looked a lot like Taylor’s father, holding up a needle which caught a point of light on the end. It had the title “Needle Sharp Hero” on the top, and on the bottom below the image was the strange phrase, “Wonder Ride Book”.

“Hope I’m doing this right!” Taylor breathed and placed the “Wonder Ride Book” into the recess on his new belt. That was when he noticed a hollow behind the buckle just the same size as the blade of his new sword. “Turn the page!” he yelled, the words leaping unbidden to his lips. He slid the sword inside it with a tense breath, felt his body starting to shake with accumulating power, then pulled the sword free again.

Unleashing it.

And in a burst of light, Taylor Valiant was transformed. Even the fog lifted, and the sun was shining down through the treetops again.

“Needle Sharp Hero!” announced a determined-sounding voice from inside the belt buckle. The Wonder Ride Book flipped open, showing an image of a rapier with a round guard.

Instead of tattered street clothes, his body was covered in white armor. A smooth white masked shielded his face, broken by a yellow visor and a thin blade sticking upward from the forehead. Grey boots with pointed yellow knees covered his legs, a black stripe rising up to his waist on the outside of each leg, and identical stripes running down each arm to the back of his wrists. Silvery armor covered his chest and shoulders, ending just above a slender gold-colored emblem on his torso, a needle.

Even the sword in his hand had changed, no longer a shortsword but a slim rapier with a long blade. The hand guard was round, looking to his eyes very much like a spool of thread. Written into the top of that spool was a name: SEVENER. The sword’s?

It seemed only fitting to level its tip at the dwarves, and challenge, “En garde!"

The dwarves charged and grabbed Taylor by the legs again. They bit down, but their teeth only skidded off his new armor. Their third comrade launched himself at Taylor, arms outstretched to grab him by the neck, but he jabbed it in the chest with his new weapon, knocking the dwarf out of the air.

As for the two still hanging onto his legs, Taylor clenched both of his fists and brought them down on the dwarves’ heads. They yelped in pain and let go, flopping down into the stream.

“Incredible…,” Taylor breathed. He’d never fought dwarves—or anything—but right now he was feeling like he could lift a mountain.

“Taylor! Watch out!” Pyotr yelled. He looked up and saw the rest of the shiny black dwarves sliding down the embankment to attack him.

“Careful!” Taylor called back to him. “You start giving real warnings, you’re gonna lose your rep!”

“Ha ha!” Pyotr laughed, extremely sarcastically.

By then the other dwarves had landed in the stream and were rushing at Taylor with their tools brandished. “Relax,” Taylor told himself. “Dad took on giants, and he didn’t have a magic sword. These are the opposite of giants.” He went into a fencer’s stance to await their first move.

One charged, aiming the blade of its pickaxe at Taylor’s midriff. He knocked it away with what he believed was called a deft swing of his blade. The pickaxe was ripped from the dwarf’s hands and somersaulted through the air a few times before embedding its tip in the mud. Taylor thrust Sevener and hit the dwarf in the chest, knocking it through the air. Another dwarf rushed his way, its shovel raised to smash down on his head, but Taylor was ready for that one too. He knocked the shovel away with a low swing, and stuck out his foot to trip the attacker as it careened by him.

He looked up at the dwarves still on their feet, but they had dropped their digging tools and had reached into pouches to produce an unexpected new weapon: handfuls of diamonds. To Taylor’s complete shock, the dwarves shoved the gems into their mouths, then spat them out like bullets at him. One struck his arm, hard enough to crack his new armor. More hit him in the stomach and flecks of his armor were blown off.

“I have to get it together!” Taylor growled through the pain. The blade of his sword started humming with blue power, and as another barrage of diamonds was spat at him he swung it down, creating a great flash.

It didn’t last, clearing after just a second, and the dwarves opened their eyes again to see Taylor standing just where he’d been. Another pelting of spit-covered diamonds was sent his way, but they went right through his body. The dwarves looked at each other, confused, and then back at Taylor just before he faded completely from sight.

All of a sudden he came charging up from behind them, and sent them tumbling down the rest of the way into the ravine with a swipe from his blade. They fell, but the rest were getting up again, and Taylor thought, “I’ve got to find some way to finish this or they’ll just keep coming!” As he did the blade of Sevener was glowing again, and he noticed the buckle of his belt giving off the same light. Playing another hunch, he slid the blade through the buckle.

“Miracle Stitching Slash!” announced his buckle. Taylor pulled it free again, the glow around his blade having turned bright white, but it tapered off below the hilt like a loose thread.

Taylor’s body became a blur as he ran between the dwarves, looping the thread around it and pulling tight to pin its arms to its sides. He kept going, tying all of them up with the glowing thread stretching from his sword. In only a few seconds he’d bound all seven, and with a powerful tug he pulled them into a circle. They screamed and chattered at him, but couldn’t escape. He turned and swung Sevener, the glowing blade passing through all of them.

“Seven in one blow,” Taylor breathed, feeling a certain familial pride.

The dwarves then froze exactly as they were. Cracks formed across their bodies, and then they shattered into black shards that dissolved into the air before they even touched the top of the stream.

Taylor slid the sword into his belt buckle again and closed the front of the Wonder Ride Book as he did. His armor burst into a cloud of pages of unreadable script that fluttered away and disappeared, before he let himself fall against the side of the ravine in exhaustion. He didn’t even care about the mud he felt squelching around his back.

He heard something else and looked up, seeing an exhausted Pyotr Lupus standing above him and clapping slowly. Smiling very tiredly. Raven was standing next to him, but had no expression at all. Taylor didn’t blame her after what had just happened.

“You were right, dad,” Taylor told himself. “I’m gonna have to be on my toes to make it around here.”

The three of them hurried out of the forest as fast as they could, none knowing what to make of what had happened. They entered the school through the back where they were hoping to run into fewer people, and were in luck. Nobody was around to notice them as they snuck up the back stairs, but they hadn’t even made it up those before Raven stepped away from the boys.

“Uh, guys, we need to figure out what all that was, but…not tonight,” she breathed. “I’ll call you tomorrow, though, okay?”

“Yeah,” Taylor agreed. “First thing I need is a shower…”

They split up, avoiding eye contact with anyone they met until Pyotr and Taylor were back at their dorm room and had locked the door behind them. As he’d declared, Taylor changed into a new t-shirt and sweatpants, put the blood and dirt-covered clothes he’d been wearing in the trash. He went down the hall to the showers, and after he got back Pyotr was still lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“Should I talk first?” Taylor asked, to break the silence.

Pyotr didn’t look at him. “Talk first about what? Do you know what the hex those things were?”

Taylor climbed into bed and pulled his knees up to his chin. He replied, “I don’t even know what gave me that sword! Raven’s right, we need to figure out what all that was…until we do, we don’t tell anybody about what happened.”

“You don’t seriously think that’s gonna be a problem for me, do you?” Pyotr asked, and turned his head to face his roommate. The look on his face was only slightly indignant.

Taylor shook his head, but didn’t look back. “School’s just starting, and there’s gonna be so much going on…I’m not ready to deal with this with every single person at school being involved yet. Until we know more, we don’t say anything.”

“Okay, T, okay,” Pyotr said, more calmly. “If that’s how we’re gonna do it, though, we’re gonna need something else to call you in that suit of armor. I mean, if more of those things attack somebody, you’re gonna help out, right? Somebody else’s gonna see you, sooner or later.”

“I mean, yeah, probably. Yeah,” Taylor replied, his voice sounding distant, and stood up. Taylor held his hand over his heart, and like he’d hoped, the sword reappeared between his fingers. The belt reappeared around his waist. He held up the blade, its letters shining still. “What do we call it? That’s easy. Mendyr.”

That was crazy! I never saw anything like that in the old stories you guys showed me!

Well, it is meant to be a new year, with new students. With new tellings of the stories…

Dad, you can’t even tell what to say after that, can you?

Don’t be so hard on your father, Brooke. I’ve never creatures like those either.

So maybe things are gonna be different this year??

It’d be better if you didn’t start getting your hopes too high, honey. The students are there to learn how to live out their parents’ stories, remember.

Yeah, sure, mom. Suuuure…

Chapter 3: Wolf in the Fold

Chapter Text

Page 3: Wolf in the Fold

The trapdoor flipped up. A lantern’s glare pierced the darkness, and its carrier climbed up the ladder and into the darkened room.

“You guys can turn that off,” someone said.

“Are you sure? Do we really want to take the chance of somebody seeing us?”

“I’m not having a secret meeting completely in the dark like some kind of…witch.”

Suddenly the curtains flew open, revealing Raven Queen standing by the turret window. She’d cleaned up since the day before, and Taylor Valiant couldn’t help thinking she was beautiful, like no other girl he’d met was. Powerful. Mysterious. Confident, in a way that reminded him of a sword: impressive, but potentially deadly.

Pyotr Lupus had a seat on top of a crate in the old storeroom where they’d decided to meet up, and discuss what happened to them the day before. He pulled the wrapper open on a stick of string cheese and just leaned back, waiting for the conversation to begin.

Taylor leaned against the wall, and broke the silence. “Okay, so we’ve established Raven got attacked by seven dwarves yesterday. Seven shiny black dwarves. We all know about the seven dwarves, but not even Raven knows about shiny black ones.”

“Ones who shatter,” Pyotr reminded him.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Raven confirmed. “Never heard of dwarves who talk like that, or shatter. Or look like that.”

Pyotr said, around his food, “Did you try looking it up online, or anything?”

“You think I want that on my search history?” Raven scoffed. “I’ve got a bad enough reputation as is.”

“Maybe that’s an asset, in your case,” Pyotr replied. “Think about it, even if somebody does check the school wi-fi, when they see it was the next Evil Queen, they’ll think you’re just getting into the role.”

Raven glared at him, and Pyotr gulped then gagged on the mouthful of cheese he’d been chewing. “I don’t want to be the Evil Queen,” Raven sighed. “And I’m not taking advantage of that. If I do, won’t it just be even easier the next time it might help? And even easier, the time after that?”

She clenched her fists and shut her eyes at the thought, and Pyotr jumped down from the crate, throwing his wrapper on the floor, and put his hands on her shoulders. “Breathe,” he said.

Quickly, Taylor was in front of her too. “It’s okay, Ray. You don’t have to if it’s a big problem. We promise.”

“Yeah, we promise,” Pyotr echoed.

A few deep breaths later, she opened her eyes again, and looked at Taylor. “Are you really calling me ‘Ray’ now?” she asked.

“I…I mean, I just…it just kinda popped into my head,” Taylor stuttered, and both of them grinned.

“It’s okay,” Raven replied. “I think I kinda like it.”

Letting out a soft sigh of relief, Pyotr spoke up, “Well, if Raven doesn’t know anything, what about you, T? Find out anything about what ‘Mendyr’ is?
“Are we trying to figure out what happened yesterday, or are we having our little secret meeting to give each other nicknames?” Taylor asked back.

Raven giggled. “I don’t mind. I never had a friend call me a nickname before.”

Pyotr smirked and nodded. “Well, sounds like even if Taylor didn’t find out anything yesterday, we’re achieving something important anyway. Seriously, though, did you find out anything on the mirrornet about your sword?”

Giving a little sigh, Taylor said, “Nothing. I found lots of ‘menders’ who patch dresses and stuff, but that was it. Stuff about plenty of magic swords, too, but not one named Mendyr.”

Silence blanketed the dingy room. It was a little while before anyone said anything, and it was Raven this time. “Not the most useful secret meeting, is it?”

She and Pyotr were surprised by Taylor chuckling at the question. “Wouldn’t be much of an adventure if we just figured everything out with a little bit of research, would it?” he asked his friends.

Hearing that, Raven nodded, and smiled a little confidently. “That sounds cool, being a hero on an adventure…,” she said, looking out the window at the expansive forest behind the school. Even if it was the same forest where she’d been attacked by demonic dwarves only the day before.

“We’ll figure out what’s going on,” Taylor assured them. “Someday.”

There wasn’t a lot to figure out at their little meeting, since only one weird thing happened yet. So, they broke up the meeting to wait and see if anything else happened. It wasn’t until the next day that orientation officially started, so there was time to kill. Pyotr and Taylor stopped by a vending machine for drinks, then went down to the bookball field to see if a game was going on.

Indeed there was, and they saw a lot of boys from the basketball game before chasing the bookkeeper down the field. It was easy to notice Daring Charming as one of the players, and probably the one who’d organized the game this time, too. He saw Pyotr and Taylor finding a seat in the bleachers and for the quickest of seconds gave them a dirty look Taylor didn’t miss. He didn’t have to guess the prince was annoyed by them finding something more worthy of their attention than the sporting event he’d put together...

“Think Daring Charming’s ever gonna invite us to a game, again?” Taylor asked.

“School year’s starting. You could try out for a team, like a normal person,” Pyotr pointed out. “Then it won’t matter if he does or not. Even if he is a foxing prince.”

Taylor chuckled. “Watch your mouth, boy. There’s ladies present,” he said, imitating his dad.

“There are?” asked Pyotr. “Where?”

He followed Taylor’s finger to where a girl in a black dress and red hood was entering the field. “Well, well, well. Guess who’s here,” Pyotr smirked.

“Is she trying to join the game?” Taylor asked, not entirely to his roommate.

“Looks like it!”

They watched her jog over to the players, who were still celebrating a touchdown, but it stopped when they realized the girl was coming to talk to them. She must’ve said something, even though Pyotr and Taylor couldn’t tell with how she had her hood up. A minute passed, nothing happened. Then a few of the players laughed, and Daring Charming grinned, but even from the bleachers his face looked a little condescending. The girl in the hood stood there and took it for a little while, then pulled her hood tight around her face, turned around and started walking away.

All of a sudden one of the boys ran over and shoved her down. Before she got back up, he stomped on a loose fold of her skirt and ground his foot, tearing it. Before anything else had a chance to happen, a scowling troll groundskeeper ran onto the field waving a rake and yelling at them for “kids messing up my field when school hasn’t even started”. The players ran off the field pursued by the groundskeeper, leaving their book behind in the process.

Other kids in the bleachers who’d been watching the game got up and climbed down the steps. Pyotr and Taylor exchanged a look and hurried down to where the hooded girl was stumbling off the bookball field, holding her skirt together with her fingers.

Pyotr got to her first. “Are you okay, miss?”

“Don’t get closer!” she insisted, glaring at them with steel-grey eyes. Dark hair, streaked white on one side, hung out from her hood, making her look somewhat fierce even without the angrily clenched teeth.

“Why not?” asked Pyotr, a little defensively. “We just want to make sure you’re okay. Right, T?”

More calmly, Taylor explained. “Her skirt’s ripped. She doesn’t want people to see…things.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry, miss.”

“Look, Miss Hood? I think I can fix that, if you’re willing,” Taylor volunteered.

She glared at them even more harshly. “Quit making fun of me, and get out of my way!” she actually snarled. Taylor calmly opened the case on his belt, and got out his mending kit, the girl’s face softening when she saw the needles and thread he was carrying out. Instead, she let out a little giggle. “Oh my godmother, you were serious.”

“Is that a yes, then?” Taylor prompted her.

She studied the two of them for a minute, keeping her fingers clamped around the tear in her skirt the entire time. Finally, she answered, “Okay, sure. But just you, nobody else around.”

“You okay with that, man?”

“I’m not your sidekick or something, T. I got other things going on in my life. I’ll see you around,” Pyotr said with a laugh, and walked off the bookball field. The girl in the hood watched him until he’d gone around a corner and disappeared from view. She looked Taylor in the eye, and led him behind the building with the restrooms next to the field.

“Wait here,” she said, then stepped through the entrance into the girls’ room. A minute later her hand stuck back out, holding her torn skirt. Taylor took it and got to work.

“Excuse me, miss?”

She looked up at the boy who was giving her an awkward hopeful grin, the kind she’d seen so many times she’d lost count. Holding a still steaming latte she was positive he’d bought just to have an excuse to come over and talk to her.

A pretty, but polite and restrained smile formed on her luscious lips. The kind her mother had told her to use for times when she needed to interact with someone, but not to indicate too much interest. “Oh, hi?” she said evenly.

“You’re Apple White, right?” the grinning boy gushed. Without waiting for her to answer, “I’m such a big fan, do you mind if I sit with you?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m waiting for someone,” the princess replied, giving her admirer a practiced apologetic smile.

His face fell. “Oh, right. Yeah, you’re probably pretty busy. Have a nice day.” The deflated fan slid off to an empty seat in the corner of the coffee shop to be by himself.

Part of her felt bad having to say no to someone who clearly wanted the chance to get know her, but after so many years it had become a distant, very quiet voice at the back of her mind. Apple White was the heir of the High Queen, her mother had told her over and over since the day she was old enough to understand. Her subjects needed to adore her, and she needed to be able to maintain that while making sure she didn’t get pulled into the problems of every single person with a teen crush on her.

It was a balancing act, Apple was learning.

Right then she was focused on a more important element of her future, though, and picked up her mirrorphone to see what was taking them.

“r u on ur way” Apple hexted. She sat and stared at the screen, waiting for the bubble showing a reply being typed. It still wasn’t there. Hadn’t been for the last hour.

Didn’t she know this was a team effort??

Apple heard the bell above the door ring, and leaned over expectantly to see just who’d just come in. She bit on her ruby-red lip to hide a squeal when her patience had been rewarded; it was Raven Queen, unmistakable from her dark dress, cascading black-and-purple hair and gothic makeup. But then a girl who was a chaotic blur of blue and purple came in, and Apple realized they were talking to each other when they walked up to the serving counter. After getting their drinks, they came over to the table where Apple was waiting.

“Hi, Raven! Glad to see you! Sit down!” Apple said, indicating the one chair opposite her.

“Oh, hey, Apple,” Raven said casually. “I met my friend Maddie on the way over, and I said yes when she asked if she could hang out. She was worried if it would be okay, but I said you wouldn’t mind. Apple’s the kindest princess in the entire kingdom.”

“It’s hat-tastic to meet you!” the other girl, evidently Maddie, grinned like a literal loon.

Apple only sat there wide-eyed for a moment, not knowing what to say, but slowly becoming sure Raven had done this on purpose. “Um, but there’s no other chair…,” she protested, trying to maintain her equilibrium.

Maddie giggled, and though it didn’t seem possible, managed to grin even wider. “That’s okay! I always bring my own chair!” she said, and whisked a teak chair with purple velvet cushions out from behind her back. “Never know when you’ll need to throw a tea party!”

“How…how did you do that?” Apple said, but shook her head. “Never mind. Since Raven’s was so busy yesterday, I was hoping we could hang out and get to know each other. Since we’ll be so important in each other’s stories, ever after all.”

Raven set down her cup after a long sip, and made a “hmm?” sound. “Sorry, you said something, right? About how we should get to know each other? Great idea! Maddie, how about you go first?”

“Tea-riffic! Thanks, Raven!” Maddie giggled again. “I thought about ordering Earl Grey tea, but then I for like the hundredth time, why’s it called Earl Grey? Did someone named Earl Grey invent it? Who’d name their kid Earl Grey? Don’t you think that’s a silly name, Raven?”

“It sounds pretty silly to me, yeah,” Raven nodded, a comfortable smile now on her face.

Maddie giggled again, and went on, “So then I thought, what bout mandarin orange, and like always I thought, ‘what’s an orange?’ Why would you name a food the same as a color? You can’t eat a color!”

And as Maddie rattled off tea factoids, Apple White sighed a dainty, unnoticed sigh.

Brooke? You look like something’s on your mind, sweetheart.

Doesn’t this seem kind of weird, dad? I know Apple and Raven are supposed to be enemies, but Raven doesn’t really seem mean. She seems like she’s trying to avoid having to talk to Apple, instead. It’s weird.

Honey, Raven doesn’t want to take after her mom. You already saw how everyone expects her to. That’s a lot for a young person to deal with.

You mean a kid.

Raven’s a young woman finding her place in the world. Just like you, Brooke.

Far above Ever After High, an imposing figure looked down upon the grounds. From his hand came the sizzle of powerful magic, surrounding a small, strange object: a Ride Book with a gray frame, but its artwork imperceptible through the thick black cloud around it.

“Last chapter, there was an unforeseen…obstruction,” he said darkly to himself. “This cannot be allowed to continue. The course of things is threatened.”

He looked down at the grounds again, the Ride Book in his hand starting to quiver. Seeming to await the chance for its power to be unleashed.

Practiced motions guided needle through fabric. Taylor stopped to check his work, and was confident the thread wouldn’t stand out much against the material.

“Is anyone coming?” the girl called from inside the restroom.

“Nope,” Taylor answered her. “Would it be that big a deal if another girl came in there, though?”

She made a frustrated noise that sounded like a growl, then sighed, and replied, “Look, I’m just kind of…shy, okay?”

“Okay,” he said. “Can I least get your name?”

“…It’s Cerise.”

He nodded, even though she wouldn’t see. “Cerise Hood. Got it, that’s cool. I used to read your mom’s story to my little sisters all the time.”

A minute passed, and Cerise didn’t say anything. Taylor was about to ask if she was alright, but she ended up talking first. “Are you always this casual?” she asked, sounding amused.

“I mean, yeah? My dad said I need to be friendly with the customers when I’m working on their clothes.”

“Your dad? Who was your dad?”

“He was the Brave Little Tailor. Guy who outsmarted giants?”

“Oh yeah!” Cerise called back, honestly sounding a little excited, and Taylor couldn’t help feeling some familial pride. “So you know my name, what should I call you?”

He chuckled to himself. This had seemed like a situation destined to turn weird, but Cerise didn’t even sound like she was standing behind a wall waiting for him to finish repairing her clothes. “I’m Taylor,” he said. “Taylor Valiant.”

Cerise chuckled. “Wow. Sounds like Daring Charming has a new rival.”

“I guarantee you, I’d have to polish his mirror collection every day for a year before Daring Charming would even talk to me again,” Taylor said. He carefully pulled the stitches tight and tied them off. “I’m done. Want me to toss it to you?”

She stuck her head out. “No. Just hand it to me,” Cerise said, and held out her hand, which Taylor passed her skirt into. With a sigh of relief, she retreated behind the wall. She called out around it, “So, what’d you do to make him mad at you? Did you ask out his girlfriend, or something?”

Taylor made a dismissive little laugh. “Who is she this week?”

She laughed too, but went on, “I’m serious. What did you do?”

“No, nothing.”

“Come on, man. Don’t start telling me a cool story then just foxing stop,” Cerise groaned.

“Okay, okay, I ditched a basketball game he set up yesterday because I found out somebody was in trouble,” Taylor explained. “Happy?”

Cerise stepped out of the restroom, smoothing her repaired skirt back down. She looked up at where Taylor was leaning, a teasing smirk on her face now. She asked him, “Was it a girl?”

“…yeah, but it’s not like that,” Taylor admitted, before his brain caught up with him and he realized nobody in the kingdom would believe that.

The smirk on Cerise’s face didn’t budge. “Was she hot? Was it Apple White?”

“NO.”

She clutched her hands to mouth, to badly hide her chuckling. “Sure, okay. Keep your little secret.” Cerise paused, and her smile faded to a friendlier one. “Look, thanks for fixing my skirt. See you around, okay?”

“Hey, wait. Can I at least walk you back to school?” Taylor offered. Cerise gave him a weird look. “I mean, I guess, in case those guys try something again?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You mean so it can happen to both of us instead of just me? Look, I’m flattered you want to prot…you know what, sure. Let’s go.”

“My lady,” Taylor said, letting Cerise go first with a melodramatic bow.

“Oh, cut it the hex out!” she said, but he noticed the giggle.

Again, he peered down from his window at the school. The Ride Book in his hand had gone beyond sizzling, it was now actually shaking in his fingers, as if waiting with uncontained anticipation to be released to do its job.

“Go, my little messenger,” its owner whispered to it. “Go and ensure Destiny is preserved.”

He opened his fingers and the Ride Book flew away, out the window and arcing over the school like a tiny black comet. He watched it go until it disappeared from view, then walked over to his desk, where the dark light vanished from his eyes.

Apple White got up and left the table, muttering something about needing to organize her materials before orientation, then dropped a handful of gold coins in the tip jar before walking lifelessly out of the coffee shop.

Maddie excused herself to the princess’s room, and Raven let out a heavy sigh. That hadn’t been her proudest moment, although she was pretty sure her mother would’ve approved of the trick she pulled.

“You can’t avoid talking to her forever, you know,” and Raven looked around, icy chills running up her spine at the thought that her mother had actually seen that. Instead, it was only Pyotr Lupus, walking by with a fresh steaming latte in his hand.

She took the last sip of her own, and looked hard out the window. “I thought you didn’t like being forced to do stuff either,” she muttered.

“That’s not the same thing as talking to your roommate,” Pyotr said, taking one look at Maddie’s chair and sitting down instead in the one Apple had just vacated. “Apple can’t force you to act like your mom.”

Raven sighed and looked down at the table, but in Pyotr’s general direction. “I’m worried if I give her an opening, she’ll do something even worse.’

He lifted an eyebrow dubiously. “Worse than force somebody to live a certain way?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Annoy someone into doing that.”

Pyotr swallowed hard.

It wasn’t a long walk from the bookball field back to school, but Taylor didn’t feel like going back in an uncomfortable silence like he had last time. Maybe awkwardly, he tried to start a conversation. “You play a lot of bookball?” he asked Cerise.

She shrugged. “Sometimes, but I meet a lot of guys like that. Girls can’t play sports,” she said in the most mocking imitation of a snide voice Taylor thought he’d ever heard. And he had two little sisters. “Guess that’s why I run a lot. I don’t need a team to do that, and it feels cool to go fast with nobody around to bother you…”

“Oh yeah? I was kind of thinking of trying out for track and shield,” Taylor replied.

Cerise leaned forward and gave him a weird look. “I just said not having a—” She stopped when saw Taylor wasn’t looking at her, but up at the sky. Looking up too, she saw what it was, and froze.

A tiny black fireball, barely the size of her fist, was circling through the sky, almost as if it was looking for something. All of a sudden it stopped, as if it had spotted them too. Cerise braced herself to run out the way, and did when it flew down at them at high speed.

Taylor watched it coming down, wondering what could be happening this time, but threw himself to the side and rolled a few times before the fireball could hit him. Instead of crashing into the ground, though, it stopped a few inches before hitting the sidewalk. A human-shaped outline formed around it, shimmered, then solidified.

It had the hooves and powerful legs of a horse, but the rippling muscles and gigantic arms of a human warrior, and then the head of a horse atop its shoulders. From its forehead extended a spiraling silver horn, and Taylor recognized the beast: a unicorn, but even he’d never heard of one that walked on two legs.

Its coat was a charcoal gray, which contrasted with the shiny black armor that covered its hips and torso, the helmet on top of its head, formed around its horn. Shiny and black, just like the seven dwarves who’d attacked them before.

That was all Taylor needed to see. While the Unicorn turned around to face him his hand was already over his heart, and in a flash of gold Mendyr appeared in his hand. At the same time the strange belt and Needle Sharp Hero appeared too, and Taylor locked the Ride Book into place.

“Turn the page!” Taylor pulled the sword out of his belt, and its power engulfed his entire body just like it had before.

Taylor Valiant had been transformed into Mendyr by a great power he still didn’t understand. His sword had transformed as well into a blade like a long needle, but this time it seemed like a poor match for the beast staring him down.

Surprising him, the Unicorn didn’t attack. A forbidding purple glow shimmered in its eyes, looking like fire dancing in them. “Who are you?” Mendyr asked, but the Unicorn said nothing. “Why do you come here?” he persisted.

It stared at Mendyr with one side of its face, that purple light glimmering in the one that he could see. Its mouth opened, and whispered words came out.

“What did you say?”

Again, the Unicorn’s mouth moved, but still Mendyr could only hear the sound of whispers. When he canted his head, silently indicating he didn’t understand, the Unicorn clenched its teeth and the purple light in its eye flared.

It faced him, lowered its head and charged with its horn aimed at his heart.

Mendyr jumped with all his might, and even surprised himself when his feet cleared the charging monster’s head. He failed to see it suddenly turn around, point its horn at him while he was still in the air, and unleash a beam from the tip of its horn that ripped into Mendyr’s back. A painful cry died in his throat and he was knocked out of the air. Sevener slipped from his hand and at the same time he landed, it jabbed point-first into the grass.

Of course it did. Mendyr almost chuckled at the cliché, except for the pain from being shot by his enemy.

Was this what he’d learn in the Heroics curriculum

Would he survive to learn things in the Heroics curriculum?

Such weird thoughts about his education in the middle of a fight for his life helped drag him back to reality. He felt the ground quaking underneath him and knew the Unicorn had to have turned around and charged him again. There was only a moment before he got trampled, so Mendyr focused hard on the deceptive power of his father’s story, and hurled a rock into the air.

To the rest of the kingdom, it looked as if Mendyr had gotten up and gone jumping over the treetops to escape. The Unicorn snorted and thundered across the field toward the edge of the forest where its target had disappeared

In reality Mendyr darted over to where Sevener was sticking out of the ground and grabbed it. Its thin blade didn’t seem much help against a much nastier Unicorn than he’d ever heard about. What was going on??

By then the Unicorn had skidded to a stop and turned around; Mendyr’s trick had been effective, but short-lived. “Guess dealing with this guy’s need something more direct,” he whispered to himself, watching the Unicorn’s horn charging for another shot.

A flash of light and a blue beam was shooting at his head this time, but time seemed to slow down for just the second Mendyr needed. He held up his needle-thin blade, the beam ricocheted off its side and vanished into the sky.

That power had saved him from more pain.

But had it actually gotten him closer to dealing with the monster attacking him?

Again the Unicorn lowered its head and charged at him, the horn glowing with the power of another shot building up. Mendyr leveled his rapier and ran at the Unicorn. A beam came screaming out of the horn and blasted into Mendyr’s side, tearing away flakes of armor, but Mendyr kept coming. He was looking for a vulnerable spot to stab when he saw something that stopped him right where he was.

Cerise Hood had jumped out of the bushes and bitten the Unicorn on the leg. It whinnied in surprise and jumped around, leaving inch-deep hoofprints in the ground, and looked down at its attacker with an angry glint in its glimmering purple eyes. A giant fist went up, no doubt to be brought down on Cerise’s head. Mendyr had no intention of letting it happen.

He ran forward again, throwing his blade past the Unicorn. The tip skimmed the monster’s armor, getting its attention, and behind it the sword thudded into the trunk of a tree. A thread the Unicorn hadn’t seen was still tied around Mendyr’s arm and he was pulled off the ground, into a jump kick that slammed his foot into its chest hard enough to smash right through the shiny black armor.

The impact knocked the Unicorn back, and Cerise let go and rolled away from it before it remembered being about to pound her. She spat out a puff of horse hair and ran over to where Mendyr was standing. “What’s with this guy? Do you owe him money or something?” she asked. “And what’s with the…uh, suit?”

“He’s a Unicorn! Like the one my dad beat!”

“Coming after you a little early, isn’t he!?”

They were distracted by the Unicorn making another angry whinny across the field and spraying a barrage of beams at them. Mendyr jumped in front of Cerise and raised his Sevener, managing to deflect the first two but the next hit his shoulder, and another hit him in the knee, forcing him down. “Why does this look so easy in the movies?” he gasped.

Cerise looked down at Mendyr, panting hard to hold in the pain. The ominous glow of the Unicorn charging for another shot stretched all the way across the field, and Mendyr tried to stand up to defend them only to collapse onto one knee again.

And then she ran across the field.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!?” Mendyr yelled.

Apparently sensing an attack, the Unicorn fired its beam at her. But one second it seemed like Cerise was coming right at the monster, then in the next she’d changed directions and was off at an angle. It shot again, but she ducked underneath it and was off on another wild angle.

Before the Unicorn could even aim its next shot, Cerise looped around a tree and ran low, right at the thing. Again it fired a blast from its horn. Mendyr choked on a cry of horror when it streaked at Cerise, but she twisted at the last second and it sliced through her cape instead of her body. Before it could attack again, she jumped grabbed the Unicorn’s arm and bit down on it.

For the first time, Mendyr saw her ears. Pointed, furry ears. And her teeth, lodged into the Unicorn’s forearm as it tried furiously to shake her off, looked awfully long all of a sudden. Behind them, though, his sword was still stuck in the trunk of a tree, and its hilt was still tied to his wrist by its spool of thread.

He hoped he was strong enough to pull off his original plan.

“Cerise! Let go!” he yelled, then gave a ferocious tug on the thread. The tree creaked and went flying through the air.

With the same blinding speed she’d shown before, Cerise released her hold on the Unicorn and dashed out of the way. The uprooted tree slammed into the Unicorn, its horn lodged into the very center of wood. Mendyr cleared the distance in one jump and pulled Sevener free, while the Unicorn tried to push the tree trunk off of its head.

“Miracle Stitching Pierce!” announced Mendyr’s belt, before he became a blur. Looping thread from his sword’s spool around the Unicorn’s body. Tying its arms to the tree trunk, then tying its legs together. Finally, the beast couldn’t even stand and crashed to the ground.

Mendyr raised Sevener and the blade glowed white. Now with its power at full, he stabbed it with all his might. Right through the tree and outside the Unicorn’s back. Its mouth opened for it to cry out, but there was no sound. Its body crumbled into black shards.

The battle was over.

Mendyr looked around and spotted Cerise, walking up, holding her hood together with her hands now. She stopped, and looked Taylor right in the eye. “You saw, didn’t you?”

Slowly, he nodded.

Cerise looked away. “School didn’t even start yet, and somebody found out…!” she hissed.

Mendyr reached to his belt and closed Needle Sharp Hero. His armor exploded into pages, and Cerise jumped back, dropping her hood again in the process. She looked at Taylor, who was holding out his hand. “You know my secret too, now,” he pointed out. “I’ll trust you with mine, if you trust me with yours.”

When Pyotr looked up from the movie he was watching, he was surprised to see not only Taylor entering their room, but a girl in a red hood too. Taylor closed and locked the door very seriously behind him.

“Uh, nice to meet you, miss?” Pyotr asked uncertainly.

“Pyotr, meet Cerise Hood. Cerise, this is my roommate, Pyotr. He knows about the sword and the armor and everything,” Taylor made the introductions.

His eyes went wide at the implications of that. “Did you guys get attacked? What was it? More dwarves?”

Cerise looked over at Taylor, and smiled a little. “It was a unicorn. Like the one his dad beat.”

Pyotr whistled and chuckled softly. “I didn’t know your dad had a fight with a unicorn, T. Thought it was just giants,” he said, but his face went serious again. “This is turning into a regular thing…We gotta be careful.”

Taylor nodded, tossing the Ride Book of his father’s story up in the air and catching it again. “Things are only just getting started, I’m sure of that.”

If only he knew about the beautiful redhead unpacking at that moment.

That was certainly unexpected! It looks like Taylor Valiant’s adapting to his new role, a little at a time.

A little at a time? He did pretty good! And that was awesome when Cerise helped him! She bit the monster!

Looks like Brooke’s finally finding something to enjoy about the story.

It’s getting crazy…and it’s so cool! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

As if you haven’t looked ahead, young lady.

DAD!…Don’t ruin it!

Chapter 4: Bound by Destiny

Chapter Text

Page 4: Bound by Destiny

Here we are, the first real day of school at Ever After High. We’ve talked about some unexpected pressures some of the students have experienced already, but now they’ll all be going through the same things their parents did. Whether some of them believe their parents were ever young, or not.

Working a little personal observation into that one, dear?

I am not.

(I sure wonder that about my parents…)

Did you say something, Brooke?

I’m a little worried about Taylor Valiant and his friends, mom. Like dad said, he’s had a hard time with those weird monsters. Now he’s about to meet someone who’ll really surprise him.

Been reading ahead again, young lady?

Only as much I need to be ready for the chapter.

That’s better.

It’s all I can read since mom locked up the rest.

Dear! Did you really??

She needs to learn she can’t do her job properly if she peeks ahead!

Is she going to learn that if you keep her on a leash?

This could take a while. How about we check in on orientation?

It was an absolutely beautiful day, with a bright sun warming the first touch of the autumn chill off the students. They were all gathering on the assembly area out behind the school just above the back of the mountainside. Orientation was about to begin, and that meant an address from the head of the faculty.

Raven Queen held her hand above her eyes to scan the crowds of students, and most of them were happy to stay out of her way to give her room to look. She smiled with relief when she spotted Pyotr Lupus and Taylor Valiant picking seats, and hurried over to sit down in an empty one next to the two of them. The boy who’d been about to sit there started to protest, then recognized the Evil Queen’s daughter. He flinched, held up his hands in placation and hurried to find somewhere else to sit. Somewhere far, far away from where he’d been planning.

“Hi, Raven,” Pyotr greeted her, but there was a slightly disapproving cast to his eyes. “Staying out of trouble?”

She looked down at her feet. “Yeah.”

“What are you guys talking about?” asked Taylor.

“Nothing,” Raven replied. Taylor nodded, but the look on his face before he looked up at the stage said he didn’t quite believe it.

For the moment, she was saved by someone walking through the archway on the stage. Green summer vines were still wrapped around it, looking much more youthful than the man passing under them.

The headmaster was an imposing figure. Or, so he might have liked to think. Milton Grimm was a portly man, his hair and mustache starting to grey. He wore a dark coat and vest that he imagined were the clothes of a distinguished gentlemen, although they were getting a bit small for his frame again.

That day, his attention wasn’t on his pinching waistline. Headmaster Grimm put his hands on the podium and coughed loudly to get the students’ attention. Talking continued in a few corners of the seats, but died when the students realized the headmaster was shooting pointed glares their way. With silence prevailing, he coughed again, and began his address. “Students! Inheritors of the great stories! You’ve all known what your roles would be since you were just children, but today is the day you begin learning those roles in earnest.

“Our kingdom’s always been the home of the greatest stories, and our school’s always been where the participants of those storied were trained. Today, you take the first steps in joining the great legacies of the past, and helping build the glory of the next cycle of all stories.

“Today, you are truly citizens of the World of Stories. I can think of nothing more appropriate to start the new year, than for the key players in the greatest story of them all to join me on stage and say a few words. Miss White, Miss Queen, if you would please.”

A collective “WooooOOOooo!” went up from all over the seats as Apple White slipped into one of the isles. She smiled the glowing smile of a true glamorous queen, graciously waving to the students excited to her see going by. Someone shouted, “I love you, Apple!” and she nodded in the general direction it came from, widening her smile for a few seconds before she turned forward again to make sure she didn’t focus too long on any one spot.

All the cheering suddenly stopped when Raven very reluctantly got up from her spot on the opposite side of the assembly area and was spotted by the other students. Everyone looked away as she passed, her shoes echoing against the floor with how the students seemed afraid to breathe now that attention was being put on the Evil Queen’s daughter. She walked up the steps to the stage, and stood on the headmaster’s right side while Apple stood on his left.

Apple glanced over at Raven, looking hurt for a fraction of a second but her grin returned before she took her place at the podium and faced her classmates again. “Hi everyone! I’m really honored Headmaster Grimm wanted me to say something encouraging…I just wish he told me before, so I’d have had a chance to think of something.”

People laughed. Some boys and even a few girls held up their fingers in the heart shape. The princess waved some more and waited for it to die down before she went on. “Everyone has a place here. Hero, villain. Prince, princess. Wolf, troll, giant. People from humble beginnings become heroes in our stories, because of the challenges Ever After High teaches us to overcome.” She extended her finger and swept her arm over the crowd, indicating everyone. “I’m looking forward to learning that with all of you!”

One more time, the student body cheered. It seemed like the assembly area might shake loose from it, and Apple stood at the podium waving and smiling to her public. After a little while she held up her hands to urge everyone to quiet down. “Thanks everybody!” Apple smiled. “Now, I’d like to turn the mic over to my costar, Raven Queen.” She stepped back from the podium, bowing a little and holding out her arms to indicate it was Raven’s turn to step up.

Very uncertainly, the dark princess did. “Uh, h-hi, everyone!” Raven said, trying to smile. She was rewarded with silence. Frantically, she scanned the crowd and found Pyotr, giving her a reassuring but cheesy smile and showing her a thumbs up. Raven tried to go on, “It’ll be…different, studying with other kids now. I hope we can learn a lot of new things, maybe unexpected things about ourselves.”

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Headmaster Grimm, frowning hard and shaking his head. Raven tried a sheepish smile, and hastily concluded, “So let’s all make this a great year! And I’ll try not to curse too many people!”

Dead silence again. Headmaster Grimm stepped up and reclaimed the podium, saying, “That’s all, everyone. Familiarize yourself with your schedules and start looking at the club offerings, don’t try to just spend the rest of the day playing those computer games in your dorms. Miss White, if I may have a word before you go?”

The students, especially Raven, formed into a blob of people squeezing through the doors back into the main school building. Obediently, Apple waited behind, watching as Raven slipped away from her again.

Once the others were out of earshot, Headmaster Grimm leaned in and whispered, grimly, “Keep an eye on that ‘costar’ of yours.”

Despite the headmaster’s orders, not everyone set about learning the way to their classes, or other school things. A club drive had started out on the quad, though, and teens were handing out lanyards, brochures and even plushies to incoming students looking for something to join.

Pyotr Lupus and Taylor Valiant were two of them. They walked past a booth where one boy with glasses and an egg-shaped head was sitting, showing a trio of other boys with glasses and a collection of hygiene problems how to hack their mirrorphones. In the row behind that was the basketball team’s booth, with last year’s Most Valuable Prince regaling a collection of students—mostly girls—with stories of the previous season.

“Hey,” Taylor nudged his roommate. “What were you and Raven talking about at the assembly?”

“You’re gonna have to ask her yourself, T,” Pyotr said somberly. “Contrary to my reputation, I don’t do stuff like tell other people’s secrets.”

“Listen to the big words you’re using,” Taylor muttered.

All of a sudden, a voice rose out of the general noise around them. “Taylor!” It was both of them who turned around, and saw Cerise Hood running up to them. Panting a little as she stopped, but still smiling. “I thought that was you. Thinking about any clubs to join?”

Taylor shrugged. “I was sort of thinking about a sport—”

Cerise grinned. “Like track and shield?”

“Like that, yeah,” Taylor agreed. “But I was really thinking of signing up for swordplay club, after…recent events. My dad would really like it if I was on a sports team, but I don’t know if I should go ahead and commit myself that much. After…recent events.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “What about you guys?”

Pyotr tapped his chin. “I’ll probably try out for the bookball team when that opens up. Show Daring Charming I don’t care what he thinks of me.” Cerise chuckled when she heard that, prompting Pyotr to ask, “And what’s so funny?”

She answered, “I don’t think he’ll have time! He tagged everybody on Fablebook like ten minutes ago, and he said he’s joining like every team”

“He can do that?” said a very dubious Pyotr.

“Guess the prince gets special perks,” Cerise chuckled, shaking her head as she couldn’t quite believe it either. Taylor was laughing a little too when he saw someone approaching their group.

It was a girl, obviously another student. She had on a figure-hugging dress of purple silk the ended just above her knees, and she walked on golden platform sandals with elaborate lacing covering her shins. Wavy red hair cascaded to the middle of her back, decorated on top by a tiny golden crown leaning at an angle to her heart-shaped face. Captivating blue eyes and a warm smile were aimed straight at them.

Or rather, one of them.

“You’re Taylor Valiant, right?” the beauty asked.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met,” he answered.

She giggled, “Well, let’s fix that! I’m Anna!”

Taylor gave her a blank look.

“Anna Weaver?”

The blank look stayed.

“The princess of your story??” she asked, her smile fading.

Taylor stepped away from his friends, and the girl introducing herself to him without success. “Can I talk to you guys later?” he asked. “I need to call home.”

He walked away from all the booths, over to a quiet and shady side of the quad. Anna Weaver followed him, though. Saying nothing, but clearly not about to leave without getting acknowledgement. Taylor hit his father’s number and leaned against a wall, while Anna did the same and started to flick through things on her mirrorphone.

After two rings, a familiar voice answered. “Taylor? Are you sick of your new school already?”

He was in no mood to joke around. “Dad, do you know about a girl named Anna Weaver?”

“Maybe. Is she pretty?”

“Yes,” Taylor answered automatically, only realizing what he’d said when Anna turned to look at him for a second and smiled again. He frowned and turned back to his phone. “Dad, if you know something about this, please just tell me.”

His father sighed, but answered, “Okay, sport, truth is we did know about you and Anna having the same destiny since you were both little. Your mother and I didn’t tell you about her before, because we wanted to let things happen naturally between you kids when you got to school. From the sound of things, her dad didn’t agree with our idea.”

Taylor looked over at Anna, who looked back and waved. He focused on his phone again, and said, “Yeah, seems like she holds all the cards.”

“Please don’t take it personal, Taylor,” said his father. “We were afraid you’d grow up getting all kinds of expectations about her. That’s not a healthy way to start a relationship.”

“I won’t, dad,” Taylor said, still not sure how to react. “I’ll talk to you later. Love ya.”

Anna put her phone away as soon as she saw Taylor hang up. In the next second she’d stepped to his side. “Let’s go look at some clubs together,” she beamed. “What were you thinking about signing up for?”

He shrugged, not sure about revealing too much about himself to a person he’d just met. Not after the weird black monster attacks of the last couple days.

Even if she was destined to be his True Love.

“I’m not sure, I only started looking,” Taylor answered her. “Were you thinking of anything?”

Her face lit up at the question. It was a sight that would’ve melted most boys, and Taylor felt like he was about to. “No, not really! I just wanted to look around with you!” she exclaimed. Still smiling, Anna looped her arm through his and laced their fingers together, then half-dragged him back in the direction of the club drive. “Let’s find something fun to join!”

Part of Taylor said to pull away, this was all happening too suddenly. His upbringing told him no, he couldn’t say no to someone just trying to be friendly. Especially not…especially not to the girl destined for him.

All the same, Taylor was sure of one thing. This was not what he needed with everything already on his mind.

Like starting high school.

Looking down on the school, he considered his next move.

The previous two attempts had been foiled, by the power of something called Mendyr. Of course, this world contained many great secrets of magic. For all those years, he’d thought they were all known to him.

Clearly, there were exceptions.

Which, given the disruptions he was already detecting, was disquieting.

He turned away from the window overlooking the Ever After High campus, and walked the short distance to his desk. Atop it was a Ride Book, covered by a small black cloud. Its power laying dormant for the moment, still waiting to be inscribed with the face of the horror it would unleash.

First had come from the story of the dissident. Second had come from the story of the one who had befriended them.

Perhaps, it was time to look elsewhere for inspiration. Outside of the stories these particular youths starred in.

After all, was there not an entire world of grand stories to draw from?

For saying she wanted to look at the clubs with Taylor, Anna breezed right by most of the booths. He thought maybe she already had something in mind after all, then he thought maybe she just walked fast naturally. Deciding to play it gentle with finding out, he asked, “See anything that sounds fun?”

“Hmmm, not really. What about the cheer-hexers? Maybe I should think about joining them,” Anna asked, pointing to the side of the quad where the fairies were performing an acrobatic display. Even though most of the spectators seemed to be boys there for the show, instead of any idea of joining.

“Gee, I don’t know,” said Taylor, who honestly didn’t know what else to say to that.

Anna grinned coyly at him. “Oh? Don’t want other boys staring at me? Okay, what about…” She looked around again, then again. “Uh, swim team? No, you don’t want other boys staring at me,” Anna repeated, giving a feeble laugh at repeating her own joke already. “Do you have any ideas?”

Taylor scratched the back of his head. “Well, I was sort of thinking about joining the swordplay club.”

She squinted over at him in confusion. “…but there’s no sword fighting in our story,” Anna pointed out.

“I know, but it’d be cool! Would it be so bad having a hero who’s a dashing swordsman? Besides, what if a dragon gets into town and Daring Charming’s not around to slay it?” Taylor answered, just saying whatever came into his mind at this point. He honestly had no idea how to handle a girl putting him in a situation like this.

Right then, over Anna’s shoulder, Taylor spotted someone watching them. Raven Queen. Her head tilted slightly, eyes a little wide, chewing on her bottom lip in bewilderment at what she was seeing.

He didn’t have long to focus on Raven, because then Anna smiled again. A softer smile than before, but enthusiastic all the same. “That would be cool, yeah! But you have to let me come watch you at practice.” She looked away, at all the booths. “I’ll need to find a club to join that won’t get in the way of that.”

Without waiting for a reply, she led Taylor away, chattering about possible clubs she could join. He had only a second to meet Raven’s eyes before Anna dragged him farther into the Ever After High club drive.

Shafts of moonlight were spilling through the windows of the boys’ dorm by the time Taylor Valiant made it back. Pyotr didn’t look up from his video game. “Didn’t see you at dinner,” he said. “How’d it go with your True Love?”

Taylor kicked off his shoes and fell down on his bed. “She didn’t make up her mind about a club. After a while we went into town and wandered around until we found a coffee shop, and then she asked me to tell her about tailoring. I honestly don’t think she knew what else to talk about. Then she invited me back to her room for dinner.”

Pyotr crowed, “Oh, dang! You got into her room on the first day!...Is that cool, or weird, if you never met her before?”

Taylor sat up and looked around for something to do. Seeing nothing, he sighed, and went on, “Mostly, it felt weird. I tried to ask what she did this summer, but she didn’t want to say. The food was good, though. Anna said she made it to celebrate our first meeting.”

“What was it?”

“Bandersnatch steaks, fruit salad…I swear I didn’t even know there were that many kinds of fairyberry. Best foxing crown cookies I ever ate in my life,” Taylor rattled them off, but his voice was lifeless.

His earlier amusem*nt gone, Pyotr asked, “So…does that mean you enjoyed it?”

Taylor groaned and rubbed his eyes with his palms. “I DON’T KNOW. I mean, Anna’s beautiful, and nice, and she’s a great cook, but…I just…feel like I’ve been dropped straight into dating her.”

After saying that, Taylor laid on his side and shut his eyes tight, trying to start resting. There wouldn’t be much time to get the mental energy to be ready for another encounter with Anna Weaver.

After all, as she’d reminded him over lattes, they were in the same Introduction to Heroics class.

First period.

Every day.

Mom?

Yes, Brooke?

Is it always like this?

What do you mean?

I mean…this. You always talk about how important Destiny is, but everyone in the story’s talking about how they don’t want to be like that. And now Taylor’s really uncomfortable around his True Love.

Stories aren’t meant to be resolved right away, sweetie. You need to be able to savor them, let them sit on your tongue and drip their flavor into your mouth.

Uh…nice metaphor, mom.

Next morning, Taylor was a little glad for the regulations letting princesses sleep in later to get mandatory beauty sleep. The toast and bowl of enriched Charming-O’s helped him feel energized for the day, though, and he headed to the grimmnasium. Besides the main sports floor, there were other rooms off to the sides, and one of them had a mock-up of a castle with towers and turrets. It wasn’t hard to guess what was going to be on the lesson plan for that day.

By the time the bell rang, a collection of other students—half boys, half girls—had assembled in the room with the artificial castle. The teachers came in from a side door. First a surprisingly short man, barely taller than the students, with thick red-brown hair and beard, wearing a green jacket and khaki pants. Second a regal-looking woman in a blue and white dress and pointed hat, contrasted with her cascading red hair and captivating green eyes. The man cleared his throat, and most of the students obediently looked over at him. “Hello, students!” he boomed with a smile. “I’m Professor Hood. This is Professor Marian. We’ll be instructing you in the basics of rescuing, and being rescued.”

Professor Marian coughed demurely into her hand. “Or, we could be a little less stuffy, about it, everyone. This is Robin Hood, I’m Maid Marian. Maybe you’ve even heard our story sometime.”

One the girls hopped up and down, her hand straight up. “I did!” she sang. Her cheeks turned pink as she caught herself for being so excited. “Um, it had a beautiful rescue. I’ve kind of wished I could be rescued like that someday…” Around her, the other girls giggled. One of them was Anana Weaver, if anything looking even more beautiful than the day before, who saw Taylor looking her way and sent a wave back. He returned it quickly, and looked as hard as he could at the teachers.

Robin Hood spoke up, “Okay, boys. Since it’s the first day, we’ll keep it simple. You’ll just have to throw a rope, climb it, and help your damsel back down from the tower.”

“Simple, huh?” one of the other students asked.

“Yep,” Robin Hood grinned. His eyes flashed. “By the end of the week we’ll be having the other boys shooting the rescuer with bows! By midterms, it’ll be with catapults!”

The boy stared at the teacher in horrified silence. Most of his classmates were smirking behind his back. “…are you serious?” he asked.

“Dead serious,” Robin Hood said, grinning even more now. “Good heroes need good aim. Lesson number one.”

A gulp came from the boy, and he retreated behind his classmates. Smiling downright devilishly, Robin Hood announced, “We’ll be going in reverse alphabetical order. That means…” he paused to check a clipboard. “Mister Valiant and Miss Weaver will be going first!”

Anna squealed and hopped up and down in excitement. She walked quickly past the group, flashing her smile at him while she headed to the stairs behind the mockup castle. Taylor got a rope and grappling hook off the rack attached to the wall. By then, Anna had gotten to the top of the fake tower, and blew Taylor a kiss from the turret. With the eyes of the entire class on them, Taylor whirled the hook over his head a few times, then tossed it at the edge of the tower.

It missed. Anna yelped and dodged to her left to keep from being hit, stepping awkwardly and having to grab the edge of the roof to keep herself from twisting her ankle.

“You’re not going to have a long Happily Ever After if that’s how you throw when it counts, Valiant!” Robin Hood laughed, and most of the class laughed along with him. Taylor ignored them and stared straight ahead, so at least only Anna could see how red his face was turning.

She wouldn’t tell, would she?

He had to throw two more times. The next time the hook bounced off the wall. Anna bit her lip while she watched Taylor whirl the hook then throw it, but it sailed past her and pull fast against the wall next to her. Taylor started hauling himself up the rope, straining his upper body to the limit until he was high enough to slither over the edge of the parapet. Once there he leaned on the edge and panted for breath.

His princess looked at him, chewing her lip again. “So, hey? Nice climb,” she said, sounding very unsure if that was the right thing to say to her out-of-breath rescuer. “What do we do now?”

“Wait a second,” Taylor answered. She looked away, getting even more uncomfortable. After a second Taylor stood up, mounted the ledge, and said, “Climb on.” Anna reached out, for him, her hand flinched back for a second, but then she wrapped her dainty arms around Taylor’s shoulders and her legs around his waist.

“If you’re sure about this,” she whispered.

“Hey, we just have to go down,” Taylor tried to smile reassuringly over his shoulder. “That’s the way everything goes.”

With the rescued damsel on his back, Taylor hopped over the side. He almost lost his grip on the rope when his weight, Anna Weaver’s added to it, caught on the side. His breath came out fast and strained from trying to hold up two people, and he climbed down as fast as he could. Anna got off him as quickly as possible, and cringed at the painful-looking red rope marks she saw on Taylor’s hands.

Robin Hood grunted. “Room for improvement,” was all he said, before ordering the next couple to get started.

Anna Weaver didn’t even hear the teacher. She started at Taylor’s hands, which he hid behind his back when he saw what she was looking at. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “That probably wasn’t your dream rescue.”

“Well, it’s…it’s the start of the year, right?” Anna tried an awkward smile, but Taylor just looked away.

“Sorry,” he repeated. Anna was quiet for a minute, looking over at the latest couple already on their way back down the mock tower. She went over to the water fountains, got a cloth out of her purse and soaked it.

She walked back to Taylor and, to his surprise, took his wrist. She pressed the damp cloth against one stinging palm, then took his other hand and put it on top so they were both rubbing against the wet material.

“Push down on that. It should help with the rope burn,” she told him quietly.

Taylor met her eyes, his mouth slightly agape. “Thank you,” he said. “I’ll make sure to give it back later.”

“Okay,” Anna said, and her smile turned genuine.

Still, she went back over to wait with the other girls.

The next bell rang when one of the last boys was still halfway down the wall. Robin Hood barked at the departing students he hoped they’d been taking notes, while his wife calmly reminded them to go over the exercises in their heads that night and think about how to do better. Anna Weaver stood back as the other students left. Taylor caught her eye and started to say something, but she looked away, so he hurried to the next class along with everyone else.

Princessology was next for her, and Anna was very surprised to see Raven Queen sitting by herself a few tables over. Everyone knew about the villain in the biggest story of them all, but what was she doing in the class where royal girls learned to be prim and proper?

And why did she look kind of…sad? Wasn’t she supposed to be vain, and vengeful, or something?

Even more confusing than that, when lunch period came, Anna spotted Raven sitting at a table with Taylor Valiant and Pyotr Lupus. All of them smiling and laughing while Taylor did an impression of one of the other boys, who’d had his rescuee hold onto his neck too hard and couldn’t breathe.

Was Taylor friends, with Raven Queen?

Anna let the rest of the day pass, but hurried out of her last class to make sure she was in the main hallway before anyone else when the bell rang. So, she had no trouble spotting Taylor Valiant meeting up with his friends as class broke. She hurried after them as fast as she could in her tall heels, making sure not to lose sight of the three of them while staying out of sight.

Soon they spilled out the front doors of the school, probably along with most of the students thinking about a trip into town now that classes were over. Much to Anna’s relief, they ran into another girl wearing a red hood, and she and Taylor went off together by themselves. It wasn’t long before the students started to disperse, and she managed to dash up to where Pyotr and Raven were standing.

“Hello,” Anna said, simply but a bit forcefully.

“Uh, hello,” Raven said too, eyes wide with surprise. “Can we help you?”

Pyotr seemed to recognize her. “You’re the girl from yesterday, right? T’s True Love. What’s up?”

Anna’s gaped slightly at being received so openly by Taylor’s friends, with the way things had bee. Still, that was exactly what she followed them hoping for, and Anna answered, “Yes, that’s me. Look, you’re both friends with him, aren’t you? Is…is…” she tried, not sure how to ask now that she was there and they were listening to her. Finally she blurted out, “Is there something wrong? Is he mad at me for some reason?”

“What do you mean?” Raven asked, giving her a curious but slightly cautious look at the same time.

“I mean…!” Anna stopped, tripped up mentally and couldn’t find the words to diplomatically say what she was trying to say. She sighed and reached back, tucking a lock of luminous red hair behind her ear. “I mean, I tried to hang out yesterday night with Taylor, and he seemed like he could barely talk to me. It was even worse this morning, when we did rescue training. Did he tell you anything? About me?”

Raven looked away, and Anna started to get annoyed, but Pyotr held up his first two fingers and waved them to quietly get her attention. “I think he feels like he’s just been thrown into this situation without any warning.”

“But…what does that mean?? Have you been friends with him a long time?”

Pyotr smiled gently, seemingly trying to look reassuring, and shook his head. “We’ve only known each other a couple days.”

“Well, what about that girl in the red hood he left with a minute ago?”

“Whoa-ho-ho-ho,” Raven interjected, looking Anna in the eyes very sharply. Looking just like an evil queen, to Anna’s mind. “Were you spying on us?” Raven demanded.

Anna stammered, “I…I…I wanted to talk to the people who know Taylor! We’re supposed to be together! If something’s wrong, I have to know what!”

“Why?” Pyotr asked, very quietly.

“Because we’re supposed to be together!”

She was surprised by Pyotr holding his finger in front of his lips. “Look, Anna?” he said, still very quietly. “To me, the problem’s pretty obvious: you and Taylor are coming into this with completely different sets of expectations. You got told how you and Taylor were supposed to get together a long time ago, I bet.”

The princess shrugged. “Yes, but—”

Pyotr held up his fingers again, and Anna shut up. To say she was starting to feel indignant was an understatement, but where else was she going to get an answer to this problem?

If he told her to do something stupid as a joke, though, Anna Weaver promised herself this boy would suffer. Not her most maidenly thought, but she was getting stressed and frustrated with not knowing how to make this work.

“Look, you’ve been building up to this for a long time, right? Taylor just had it all dropped on him yesterday morning,” Pyotr explained. “You’ve been coming up with how this is supposed to work for a long time, and he has to figure it out from zero.”

“Look, I’m not trying to make this hard for him! Taylor’s going to be my prince!” Anna exclaimed, then sighed. “I don’t want him to hate me.”

“He doesn’t hate you, no way,” Pyotr replied. “I bet he hasn’t even had a girlfriend before, and he’s just feeling overwhelmed.”

“Wow, admit something like that about your friend,” Raven rolled her eyes.

Pyotr stuck out his tongue at the dark princess. “I’m his roommate. Roommates have to razz each other once in a while. It’s a rule.”

“That is not a rule,” Raven retorted.

“You’re right, it’s not a rule,” Pyotr admitted. “It’s a guy thing.”

Anna stepped away from the two as they bantered. That possibility hadn’t even occurred to her. After all, she and Taylor Valiant were destined to be together. Why would that be a lot to deal with? It was what everyone was at this school for: to get ready for their destiny.

But what if the weird boy was right? What if Taylor was feeling overwhelmed from meeting his True Love?

She slipped away without a word, but not unnoticed.

It had come.

A point where a canon pairing was endangered.

Not the most integral couple, but if the smaller cracks were ignored, that would only give them a chance to spread. He’d built such a beautiful world, he would not allow a bunch of malignant influences to tear it down with their teenage ignorance.

The Ride Book on his desk was actively bouncing around, waiting to unleash its power. Concentrated even more than before. He picked it up, tapped the cover, and let it fly from his hands. Out into the school to do its vital work.

Then Headmaster Grimm sat down at his desk, the dark glow fading from his eyes.

“You know Cerise, your pet…uh, friend’s really cute. I gotta admit, I never played fetch like this before.”

He threw the steak as far as he could, and it hadn’t even flopped onto the grass before the gray wolf pup they were playing with jumped and snatched it out of the air with his teeth. The wolf turned and gave Taylor a judgy look while chewing on the meat.

Cerise Hood laughed, “That was the weakest throw ever after!” She stood behind Taylor and put another cold steak in his hand, then guided him into twisting his middle back. “You need to throw with your whole body, not just your arm.” She looked away, at the wolf pup. “Hey Carmine! Go long this time!”

Uncertainly, Taylor twisted his torso hard as he threw, bending over so far as he finished, he almost fell down. Carmine ran down the field after the flying steak, and actually had to put on a burst of speed to catch it before it hit the ground. “Wow. That went a lot farther. Thanks for the tip, Cerise,” he said with a smile.

“No problem,” she smiled back. “Thanks for coming out here with me. I love Carmine, but it’s kind of cool having someone I can just, you know, be with.”

“Kind of speaking of, they just let you have a wolf in your room?”

She giggled. “That’s nothing. I heard there’s this one girl with a pet narwhal!”

“What’s a narwhal?”

Cerise laughed. “I don’t know!” Taylor gave her a weird look, but couldn’t help laughing too. They stopped when they saw Carmine had come back, and growled at Taylor, then bit the leg of his pants.

“What?! No! Carmine! Bad!” Cerise yelled, until she realized Carmine was pulling Taylor back to the basket of steaks. Then he turned and looked down the field, waiting for a flying hunk of meat to enter his view. Obliging his new friend, Taylor threw another steak and Carmine took off. Cerise stopped by his side, giggling quietly. “He’s warming up to you. I’m kind of surprised, honestly.”

After catching the latest steak, Carmine sauntered back, chewing swallowing the meat as he went. Suddenly he stopped, and turned his head toward a rustling in some bushes nearby. Immediately he dropped his steak and hurried over, teeth bared. Cerise and Taylor approached it too, but yelped and fell on their backs when Anna Weaver was suddenly yanked out of the bushes, caught in the arms of a shining black humanoid with spindly limbs and the face of an ant.

“What the hex is going ooooooooooooooooooooooooooon???” Anna wailed as the Ant disappeared with her into a hole in the forest floor.

She had no idea how fast they were going through the darkness. Thinking that she was being forced to ride on the back of a huge, ugly, chittering bug was more than enough to occupy all of Anna’s thoughts. The darkness didn’t engulf her for long, though.

Soon the Ant carrying her whisked out into a giant crater-shaped area, where other Ants were scuttling around on all six limbs. Sitting on a high pillar of rock in the middle of it all, on a throne of shiny black rock, was a slightly larger Ant wearing a golden crown atop their head that looked almost comical.

The Ant drone dropped her off next to the throne before crawling down the pillar again. Anna froze in place, not sure what to expect, and not wanting to say the wrong thing. Like demanding she be taken back to school at once, which was the first thing that popped into her mind.

Nothing happened, though, and she started shifting her feet uncomfortably. The Ant had brought her before its ruler because they had some plan for Anna…hadn’t they? What else was she doing there? Why else was the crowned Ant staring at her the whole time?

Abruptly something stepped out from behind the throne. A human figure, or at least she thought so, wearing a tattered brown cloak and hood. The hood jerked up and Anna could see a steely grey eye looking back at her from the darkness.

“Wondering why you’re here, I suppose, princess,” asked a deep, unidentifiable voice from inside the shadows of the person’s hood.

“Is this some kind of ransom scheme?” Anna replied, doing her best to sound calm. “Who are you, anyway?”

Whoever they were, they lowered their hood again. “You may call me the Keeper, my dear,” they replied. “As for your first question, in a way, yes, it is a ransom. To see if your hero comes to your rescue.”

Anna’s eyes flashed angrily. “You think he won’t? Just because we haven’t—”

She stopped when she realized the Keeper was laughing. “Oh, I think you misunderstand my intentions. I’m sure he will. That’s exactly what I want.” Her blood seemed to turn to ice. What was that supposed to mean?

Standing over the hole where Anna Weaver had disappeared, Taylor didn’t hesitate. He held his hand over his heart, and the magic sword appeared in response once again, with Needle Sharp Hero in his other hand. Before he locked it into this belt, Cerise asked something that stopped him. “What’s that?”

Taylor followed her finger, and saw something on the ground: a piece of red and white cloth, divided straight down the middle, with an image of a golden unicorn rearing up on its hind legs. He hadn’t even really looked at it before, but knew what it was: the cloth Anna Weaver had given him to deal with his rope burns. The embroidery was incredibly precise, now that he was actually looking at it. It hadn’t been just any handkerchief from her purse.

“It was a…present,” Taylor said, the gravity of the situation slowly dawning on him as he clutched the silk cloth she’d given him.

Anna Weaver had been waiting for years to meet him. Her expectations had been building up for all that time. Who knew what kinds of things, or people, or experiences she might have let pass her by.

Because Destiny had decreed that there was only one life for her. One person for her.

And that person was supposed to be him, Taylor Valiant.

It was hard for him to imagine how lost she had to feel, when he hadn’t swept her off her feet right away, like she’d probably been expecting. But now she was in trouble, captured by more of those strange black creatures. Which meant it was time for Mendyr to act.

“I need to go,” he told Cerise. Needle Sharp Hero was locked into his belt, but as it was he felt a surge of power rush through his body. It gathered in his hand holding the cloth, turning into an almost painful tingle as it rolled into itself, hardening into another Ride Book. Its frame was a pearly shade of white. Inside the frame was an image of a rearing unicorn, under the title “Charge Unicorn”.

If that wasn’t surprising enough, a plate with another Ride Book slot formed on his belt to the right of the front buckle. Taylor gave Cerise a questioning glance, but she only shrugged. Enough time had already slipped away, so he locked that Ride Book in and pulled his sword out of the buckle. “Turn the page!”

White armor formed over Taylor Valiant’s body, but beside him energy started taking shape into the form of a horse, a horse that seemed to be made of plates of metal. A spiraling golden horn emerged from its forehead. It whinnied, shaking a metal mane that clattered against its armored neck, then lowered its head to Mendyr. His battle with an upright Unicorn made him unsure about riding this thing, but the thought of Anna being menaced by giant ants overpowered it.

“Alright, I’m going!” he declared, and his new unicorn approached the hole in the ground.

“Wait!” Cerise cried. “Let me help.”

Mendyr shook his masked head. “If there’s one ant, there’s bound to be more.”

“That’s why you need somebody watching your back!”

Again he shook his head. “Stay here, Cerise. Please.” And the unicorn charged into the darkness.

A powerful light pierced the darkness, shining from the unicorn’s horn as it ran through the tunnel. Mendyr became worried as he rode on, and saw all the other tunnels branching off from the one he was in: there was no sign of any Ants, but where had a giant anthill come from so close to the school?

After a short ride they came to an opening, and Charge Unicorn jumped out, landing at the bottom of a huge crater. All around it were tall, but narrow stone columns. Atop one of them near the center of the area, Mendyr could see a small group of people standing. One was another Ant with a golden crown, but next to them was Anna Weaver.

“Taylor??” she called out expectantly, but her face fell when she saw Mendyr’s mask. “Who’s that?”

“I intend to find out,” the Keeper snarled and shoved her backwards, getting an extremely indignant pout from the princess. Pointing an accusing finger at Mendyr as the masked rider approached, the Keeper demanded, “Who are you? By what power do you enter this sacred place?”

“Mendyr is my name, and the name of the power I wield,” the warrior declared. “Release the princess before I’m forced to use it.”

The Keeper laughed, then. “I think not, sir knight! Even a magic knight can’t defeat an army!” He turned and faced the crowned Ant. “Queen, call your subjects, and overwhelm this nuisance.” His orders delivered, he melted into the darkness behind her throne.

In response to the order, the Queen Ant stood up and shrieked, “SOLDIERS!!” Immediately a hideous chattering started to come from everywhere it once, with more Ants crawling out of the holes all over the sides of the crater and standing up, ready to do battle.

Everywhere he looked, Mendyr saw more of these upright Ants than he could count. Nasty green saliva dripped from their jaws, and he had no plans of letting it get on him. “I hope you’re ready to live up to your name,” he whispered to Charge Unicorn. The metal mount reared back on its hind legs and let out a powerful whinny, then as soon as its hooves touched the ground again it dashed at the Ant horde closing in on them.

One jumped, and it was the first to fall to a stab from Sevener. More jumped, and Mendyr was able to impale three on one stab. He had to kick them off, managing to knock back a group of more Ants closing to attack by flinging the bodies into them.

Still, a wall of the Ants was rushing up from in front of them, and without Mendyr even having to think it, Charge Unicorn jumped. Its bronze hooves smashed into the closest Ants and knocked them onto their backs, then crushed them underneath it when Charge Unicorn landed.

“You’re so strong!” Mendyr gasped in amazement, earning a very proud-sounding whinny from his steed. The unicorn kept running, bashing Ants aside while Mendyr impaled the ones close enough with his thin sword and threw them aside.

It was quickly becoming clear they weren’t making much progress: no matter how many Ants they defeated, the swarm didn’t look to be shrinking at all. Charge Unicorn seemed to sense what he was thinking again, rearing up and then firing a burst of golden rays from its horn that blazed through the Ants and cleared a circle around Mendyr.

“Let me see if I can get a few more!” Mendyr said. He reared back his arm, and threw Sevener. A strand of thread from the spool in the hilt was attached to his arm, and he managed to guide it in a loop around him, impaling Ant after Ant, pulling them behind as the sword flew out in larger circle after ever larger circle.

Then Mendyr jerked back on his arm, and the spool in Sevener started rewinding the strand, pulling the impaled Ants backward into a shrinking spiral. A trail of helpless Ants were dragged at high speed to where Mendyr waited, but his horse jumped with all of its might away. Just before the Ants slammed together and disintegrated with a horrific crash like a hundred mirrors shattering at once.

“He’s…doing amazing,” Anna breathed, with disbelief as she watched Mendyr fight against the seemingly endless hordes of the Ants, and still hold his own. Whoever he was, he seemed like a mystery even to that Keeper person. What was going on? Who were these people??

Anna only noticed the Queen Ant again when the Ant ruler suddenly launched herself down, tackling Mendyr out of the air, and vaulting off his side while he slammed into the ground. She reared back her head and spat a blob of green goo from her mouth, and Anna had to clap a hand over her own mouth to keep from vomiting. Mendyr’s armor was sizzling where it hit, and when he recovered from being dazed he shouted in pain. He was about to try and brush the steaming goo away with his hands, but stopped, seeming to realize that would just get it all over his body.

Instead he threw himself to the ground and started rolling around in the dirt, scraping a lot of the goo off that way. Queen Ant kicked him clean off the ground and into the side of one of the rocky pillars, making it collapse on top of Mendyr. Surviving Ants had piled on top of the Charge Unicorn, dragging it to the ground even as it tried to struggle back to its feet.

One Ant even threw itself on top of the Unicorn’s horn when it tried to blast its way free, exploding into fragments of black glass.

Watching from above, Anna gasped and took a step back in fear, but kept her eye on the back of the platform. “Keeper!” she shouted. “Where did you go? Get back here right this minute, and explain yourself! Why are you trying to hurt this young man??!”

All of the Ants, even the Queen Ant, looked up at her as she made her furious demand. Anna Weaver glared down at them, fire dancing in her eyes. For a moment, they were all distracted by the princess’s disdain.

Which gave someone else watching the battle the opening they’d been looking for.

“Let’s go, Carmine!” Cerise Hood whispered sharply to her wolf friend. The two of them slid down the slope of the crater. As soon as they hit the bottom Cerise and Carmine attacked: Cerise kicked the nearest Ant in the back, and Carmine bit down on another’s leg and pulled, yanking it off its feet and making it fall down on top of the one in front.

One Ant shrieked as they noticed the intruders, and chased after Cerise, while the ones Carmine had bowled over chased after him. They were running in opposite directions around the edge of the crater, and more of the Ants spotted them and chased after them.

“Fox it, Cerise, I told you not to come!” Mendyr hissed to himself, but when the Queen Ant turned her back, he knew it was an opening he couldn’t afford to let pass. He yanked his arm backward and Sevener reeled itself into his waiting hand. He lunged and stabbed its tip into the Queen Ant’s back as hard as he could. She let out a shriek of pain but Mendyr just pressed his attack and stabbed two more times before she managed to turn around and face him.

A blast of her acid spit came his way but now he was ready. Mendyr vaulted over her head, touching Sevener to his belt to charge a powerful attack. “Miracle Stitching Slash!” Sevener flew from his hand while he was still in midair and wrapped around the Ants piled on top of Charge Unicorn. It flew in circles, tying them up with its thread, before return to Mendyr’s hand. He swung its glowing blade, cutting through the Ants and smashing them into black shards.

Right away the unicorn jumped up and Mendyr jumped onto its back. Queen Ant spewed another blast of her acid at him, but Charge Unicorn was much too fast. And with the rest of her minions chasing down Cerise Hood and her wolf, there was no-one to come to her aid. The unicorn kept galloping in circles around her, building up force for an even greater attack.

“Riding End! Binding Shakes the World!” said the belt around Mendyr’s waist. He threw Sevener again, the thread tying itself around Queen Ant. It kept going and tied its thread around the stone column where Anna Weaver was still trapped. Charge Unicorn ran with incredible speed right up the side of the column, pulling the thread so tight Queen Ant was trapped against the tall stone.

Mendyr grabbed Anna as they cleared the top of the column and sat her on the back of his saddle, then pulled as hard as he could on his sword and the thread it’d trailed. Queen Ant let out a last shriek of pain before shattering along with the entire column.

Around the crater the other Ants stopped exactly where they were in trying to chase down Cerise Hood. Each and every one crumbled to black shards now that the Queen was destroyed. Charge Unicorn landed next to the pile of debris that marked the scene of her demise, and peeking out of the debris was the top of a Ride Book. Mendyr reached down and snatched it, noticing the title—“Diligent Ant”—and the image it showed of an ant playing the violin in front of a table loaded with food while a despondent grasshopper watched through a frost-coated windowpane.

“What is that?” Anna Weaver asked over his shoulder.

“I think it’s what created those things,” Mendyr said, but even as he did the Ride Book turned black and crumbled to dust in his hands.

That wasn’t all. Around them the crater, the stone columns and all the ant tunnels were crumbling away too. In only a minute they were all standing on a hill outside the school.

Anna sighed, and leaned heard against Mendyr’s back. “Please take me home. I’ve had an exhausting day,” she whispered.

Mendyr rode to the front path of Ever After High, and dropped off Anna Weaver before galloping away again before she could thank him.

No-one saw her at classes the next morning, and it wasn’t until lunch period that she appeared again and approached Taylor, Raven and Pyotr at their table. All of them stopped and looked up at her, Taylor offering, “Hi, Anna. How’s things going?”

“Can you meet me in front of the library after school?” she asked directly.

“Uh, sure.”

“Thanks. See you then,” she said, and walked past to sit down at a table with a group of other princesses.

Pyotr gave his roommate a questioning glance. “What do you think she wants to talk about?” he asked.

Taylor sighed and looked down hard at his princess-and-pea-butter sandwiches. “Guess I’ll have to go and find out,” he ventured.

After the final bell rang, Anna was already waiting outside the doors of the school library. She nodded at Taylor when he walked up. “Nice to see you. Can I show you something?” she asked politely, but all the enthusiasm she’d been showing the last few days was missing.

“Sure,” Taylor answered. Anna didn’t say a word while she was leading him up the stairs into the girls’ dorm, the route to her room already starting to seem familiar to him. Once they were at her door, Anna waited for a minute, and took a deep breath. Then she unlocked it and pushed the door wide open.

“There it is,” she said, and Taylor didn’t need her to point it out. Hanging over her bed was a colorful tapestry that hadn’t been there the last time he’d come up to her room. A castle on hilltop by a river. Just down the road from it was a party of royals on a hill. Flying by in the skies above was a red-scaled dragon, smoke trailing from its nostrils.

All Taylor could think to say was, “Wow.” He looked over at Anna, was smiling a little again. “That’s spelltactular!”

“Thanks,” Anna said, looking proud.

“Thanks?”

“Yeah, I made it,” she clarified.

“You made that?”

The princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Look, I didn’t show you last time because…I thought we’d just click, and I could tell you later. If I told you I liked art and weaving, I was afraid of seeming like…a dork. I didn’t want my True Love to think I was like that, but I thought about what I was doing, and I decided I wasn’t being honest with you by trying to hide it.”

Taylor looked away too, taking a minute to choose his words carefully. They were, “Anna, there’s two things I need to say.”

“Okay.”

“Well first one is…where were you this morning?”

“Oh, that,” she looked over at him. “Yesterday I got kidnapped by giant ants, and saved by this knight in weird white armor. I tried to tell Headmaster Grimm, but he didn’t believe me. He said nothing like that could happen anywhere near the school, it’s got too many defenses.”

Taylor nodded slowly. “That’s…kind of weird, yeah. But, ah, here’s the second thing I wanted to say,” he said, and took her hand. “Anna, do you mind if we kind of start over? Take things a little slower?”

She smiled, and squeezed his hand back. “I’d like that.”

Smiling, he bowed, and tipped an imaginary hat. “M’lady.”

“Ooooooooooh no!” Anna said, and yanked her hand away. “Don’t do that. Don’t ever say that again. I don’t care if we are destined to be together!” she warned him, but she was smiling.

And Taylor was smiling back.

Down the hall, another girl was watching them. Raven Queen got out her mirrorphone, and dialed a number. She swore it hadn’t even rung once before she got her answer. “Hey, Apple? Do you want to…hang out?”

Wow.

Wow, Brooke?

I didn’t expect how seeing Taylor dealing with his problems with somebody would teach Raven about dealing with hers.

Something heroes of all kinds of stories learn is finding help in unexpected places. Vasilisa would’ve been lost, if Ivan hadn’t earned the friendship of all those animals he’d been ready to hunt.

I’ll keep that in mind.

That night, instead of doing thronework they already had, Raven Queen and Cerise Hood made their way over to the boys’ side of the dorm. Dodging a game of hallway bookball, they knocked on Pyotr and Taylor’s door. Pyotr opened it, waved them in and shut the door. To make absolutely sure no-one was listening in on them, Cerise got out her phone and started a Taylor Be Swift album playing over the stereo. Both of the boys, especially Taylor, cringed, but started the conversation they’d planned to have.

“So, you ran into those things again, huh, T?” Pyotr asked.

“Yeah, a whole anthill this time,” Cerise supplied, then smirked. “I saved Taylor’s butt.”

“Thank you, Cerise,” Taylor said, but Raven smirked too. “I found a Ride Book like the one I use in the remains of one of the monsters I fought, but it fell apart when I touched it. Between that and the ones we’ve already run into, I feel safe saying these are specifically based on famous stories.”

Pyotr pressed his fingers together, making a thoughtful sound deep in his throat. Everyone looked at him, so he voiced his suggestion, “If these guys are gonna keep showing up, it’d help to have something to call them. They’re like dark reflections of stories, right? What about ‘Dark Mirrors’?”

“Wonder just how far that name might go,” Raven muttered, her expression turning serious. “What about that Anna girl, Taylor? Are you going to tell her that was you?”

He shook his head. “I’m not ready for the whole foxing school to find out, I’m sure not ready for her to find out. Come on, Raven, that’d be so much to handle…I’m just a kid starting high school. I’m not Daring Charming.”

Cerise muttered, “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Speaking up, though, she asked, “Where’d you get that unicorn you were riding around, though?”

Taylor shrugged. “I was just holding that thing Anna gave me, and I thought about how I needed to help her, then it turned into another Ride Book. Maybe it’ll happen again, I don’t know yet.”

“Another secret team meeting where not a lot changed,” Pyotr observed, got up, and stopped the music from Cerise’s phone. He sat back down, and also observed, “This is gonna be a pretty long story, seems like.”

“A lot of the best ones are,” his roommate reminded him with a knowing smile.

Well, the story’s taking an unexpected turn. Quite exciting, I have to say.

A villain showed up, at least a little. He must be a really powerful wizard to make so many monsters at the same time!

Indeed, that was quite an unexpected adventure. Still, it looks like one hero met his True Love, and they can start preparing for their story together.

Or, dear, they could always get to know each other better and figure out something that’s healthy for both of them.

Is that the only thing you guys can talk about?? What about all the monsters attacking the kids!?

Oh, Brooke! Lots of stories have monsters in them, but the heroes always win in the end.

For once, I hope you’re right. These aren’t like the monsters in any fairytale I’ve ever narrated.

…what do you mean, “for once, I hope you’re right”?

Looks like this is gonna last a while, too. Hope Taylor and his friends can handle what’s next.

Again, this Mendyr had appeared in the middle of his plans to strengthen the course of Destiny.

Who was Mendyr? What was the source of the power he wielded? Power equal to the creatures he’d faced in every instance.

How was Mendyr’s face hidden, even from the Keeper’s eyes?

Why did he fight to repel Destiny, the very foundation of the World of Stories?

When would he appear again?

Chapter 5: Royal Dragoon

Chapter Text

Page 5: Royal Dragoon

It sounded like the griffin crowing for the sunrise was right outside their window. Halfway through its second crow, there was a loud THUMP and a screech; it seemed someone had lobbed something at it in protest.

Taylor Valiant had stirred from sleep when he heard the first one, as he had the last few mornings. His roommate was sure it was “combat instincts” Taylor was starting to develop, but Taylor himself was hoping otherwise.

He didn’t want his freshman year to be defined by battles.

At least, ones that weren’t good for his grades.

Opening his eyes, he wished he hadn’t. The bright colors of the video game Pyotr had been playing when Taylor fell asleep were the first thing his vulnerable eyes met. Trying it with his eyes still closed, Taylor rolled out of bed and stumbled over to the other where he shook Pyotr’s shoulder. “Get up, man. It’s time for school,” Taylor half-said, half-yawned.

Surprisingly, it worked, with Pyotr groaning and rolling out of bed – literally. There was a thump that sounded almost exactly like the one of something landing on the roof, and Taylor risked opening his eyes to make sure his roommate was alright. Fortunately, Pyotr sat up and rubbed the back of his head with a yawn of his own.

Pyotr got up, muttering, “I had this weird dream I was in Wonderland, and I stopped by this wabe and watched these slithy toves gyre and gimble in it.”

“That’s weird,” Taylor agreed. “You ever seen Wonderland?”

Pyotr shook his head, and said around a yawn, “Just pictures, bro. Unless somebody broke the curse in the middle of the night, and people can go there now?”

“Think we would’ve heard that.”

“You mean, hear it on the news, or hear the sound effect of it happening?”

Taylor laughed but it faded into a yawn too. “Second version actually makes sense too.”

“I hear if you’re trying to make sense of Wonderland, you’re doing it wrong,” Pyotr laughed, then it turned into a yawn.

That discussion didn’t last long, with them joining the crush of other boys as the school came to life for another day. In the castleteria for breakfast, the two of them were a little surprised to see Raven Queen waving them over to their usual table.

“Hi, Ray,” Taylor greeted her. “You’re up kind of early, aren’t you? Usually we don’t see you till lunch.”

The dark princess groaned, “Can’t help it, Apple gets up at the crack of dawn every day. She always throws the curtains open and starts singing about what a glorious day it is. Every. Single. Hexing. Morning.”

Leaning back in his chair, Pyotr glanced around the castleteria. He observed, “She’s not here, though.”

Raven nodded limply in reply. “Uh-huh. She takes forever to get ready in the morning. I always leave while she’s still doing her hair. Guys have it soooooo easy.”

Pyotr and Taylor side-eyed each other.

“…what?” Raven asked, sure she was about to hear about something unpleasant.

“Is Headmaster Grimm threatening to make everyone in your dorm do clean-up to teach them a lesson, if the person who’s been spilling mud on the floor in the middle of the night isn’t identified?” Pyotr asked her.

“What we’re hoping is mud,” Taylor reminded him.

“Seriously, T, shut up.”

Taylor shrugged and dug into his breakfast. There wasn’t much time to focus on something as mundane as breakfast. An entire day of academic challenges was awaiting them, and a cold prickle at the bottom of his neck made him worry that wouldn’t be the worst of it.

As the day wore on, Apple White found Raven in the hallways. Everyone else stared as the blonde princess stopped in front of her costar. “Hey, Raven!” Apple smiled, almost gushed. “How’s Princessology?”

“Oh, I dropped that class,” Raven replied, not even looking past Apple. The only student in the hall who didn’t. “All the smiling made my cheeks hurt.”

“What!? That’s not fair! They already assigned me this evil plant I have to raise for the next project in Home Evil-nomics!” Apple exclaimed, pointing with her arms at the giant purple-blossomed gormitius chompiti on the weapon behind her. The one licking its lips while her back was turned.

“…Apple, you’re the one who decided to take Home Evil-nomics to get back at me for taking Princessology,” Raven replied, but there was an unmistakable tone of annoyance that made the students who could hear her jump out of her way.

Apple puffed out her cheeks indignantly, and students started gathering around to see what was going on. Even though Raven and Apple’s plant being there kept them at a safe distance. “It’s not right! Villains aren’t supposed to study how to be princesses!”

Raven angrily stuck out her bottom lip, and the students near her retreated even further. The smartest headed away from the brewing confrontation as fast as they could. Some, because the two most powerful girls in school were facing off.

Some, because two girls were facing off.

“This is why I didn’t even want to talk to you before,” Raven said, flickers of dark flame dancing around her eyes. “You’ve already made up your mind about everything.”

“Because we’re here to learn how to uphold great traditions,” Apple said, calmly but also a little forcefully. “Aren’t you proud of all the amazing stories we’re learning to portray here?”

Raven scowled even harder, and more sparks of dark magic were forming around her. “I’m not proud of my mom,” she said. “You can’t have your story without me acting like her, can you?”

“You’re acting a little too much like your mom if you ask me, Ray. Take a breath, okay? Please?”

The dark princess’s eyes went wide with surprise, and the dark power around her dispersed when she realized the voice hadn’t been Apple’s. Standing beside her was Taylor Valiant, a slightly apprehensive look on his face. “You okay?” he asked, noticing but ignoring the slightly annoyed look and crossed arms Apple White was aiming at him.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Just, a little stressed,” she said, shooting an accusing look over her shoulder at Apple. “Let’s get out of here, okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed.

As the unusual pairing left, Apple saw a telltale case hanging off Taylor’s belt, and started thinking.

Taylor trailed near the end of the mass of students slipping into the hall after the final bell rang for the day. It seemed like he was bringing back more thronework every day, but he reminded himself that getting educated was why they were all at Ever After High.

Still, it did seem pointless compared to the Dark Mirrors and everything those monters already tried. When would they show up again, and would he be ready for whatever they had planned next?

“Hi!” a beautiful princess, grinning from ear to ear, said as she suddenly stepped in front of him.

He jumped back in surprise and grunted, “Anna, I thought we promised—” Stopping himself in mid-sentenced when he realized this wasn’t the beautiful princess he’d thought it was. No, it was a beautiful princess he knew about, but had never met.

Apple White herself.

“Uh, hello? I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure?” he said, and held out his hand for a handshake, not sure what else to do.

She giggled. “Usually I hold out my hand when I meet someone new, but sure!” Apple said, gave it a vigorous shake. Immediately, she looked him straight in the eye and asked, “You’re friends with Raven Queen, right?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“And you can sew, right?”

“…excuse me?”

“Let’s go somewhere private and talk, okay?” Apple asked, gripping his wrist with surprising force.

This wasn’t the disaster he’d felt coming, was it?

The assembly area where the headmaster had addressed the school on the first day was as pretty as it had been then, but the folding chairs had been cleared and café tables and chairs had been set up in the scenic location instead. A few other students were sitting around, and a few of them looked up as they recognized Apple White leading him to a table out near the edge. Taylor wondered just what they were thinking about him following the High Queen’s daughter around.

Once they were seated, Taylor looked around, expecting a maid to show up with a porcelain tea set for Apple. None appeared, so Taylor just sat in his seat, waiting for Apple to make the first move. Did she know about the Dark Mirrors, or think Raven was up to something weird? And did she think that because Taylor was friends with Raven, he had to be in on it?

“You’re Taylor Valiant, right?” she asked him.

“Didn’t know I was that famous,” he said dubiously.

Apple shrugged, but smiled. “There’s only a couple boys at this school who could sew. I asked the office who the next star of The Brave Litte Tailor would be. You still looking for a club to join?”

“I had something in mind already, actually. I haven’t got a lot of time to spare—”

“What about the fashion club?”

He leaned back in astonishment at her directness, and Apple looked quite amused at Taylor’s reaction. “Just because I can sew?” he asked when he managed to recover his voice.

Apple giggled at the question. “No, not just because you can sew, silly! Just think about it: we’re going to have a bunch of big fashion shows across the year. When we tell everyone who all made the outfits, that’d give your story lots of exposure!”

“Thanks, but I’m not really into fashion design. I just…make outfits. Mend outfits. Behind the scenes stuff, I guess. Don’t think that would really get my name out there.”

“Oh, come on!” Apple giggled again as if she didn’t believe he meant it. “You think I don’t make sure I acknowledge the people who help me get something done? Every role’s important in any story.”

Taylor shook his head, not sure what else to do. Apple was the High Queen’s daughter, but this was still just school. It wasn’t like she could order him around, and he had to obey.

Could she?

She sighed and looked away, then. “That’s too bad. Raven Queen applied to this club, after every other one turned her down because she’s the Evil Queen’s daughter. If she was accepted, she wouldn’t have anyone she knew there with her. That’d be really rough, for someone with a mom like Raven’s.”

“Alright, I’ll take a look,” Taylor agreed. “For Raven’s sake.”

“Great! She’s so lucky to have a loyal friend like you,” Apple beamed, the air around her seeming to glow golden from her excitement.

She stood up and started heading back toward the school, but Taylor stopped when they heard the buzz of the school’s PA system coming to life. “The school’s griffin is traumatized after what happened this morning,” announced the voice of Headmaster Grimm. “Until further notice, all students are on their own for wake-up calls, and any tardiness will be punished with straw-spinning detention to be administered by Professor Rumpelstiltskin. As for whoever threw three pairs of bookball shoes onto the roof this morning…consider them confiscated!”

A pained scream of “WHAAAAT!?” could be heard all the way from the grimmnasium.

Apple placed both ands over her heart and sighed. “What a way to start the year,” she murmured. “I’m going to talk to the headmaster, see if he’ll relinquish those shoes.”

“That’s really nice of you, Apple,” Taylor said, and smiled.

“As soon as I show you the fashion club!”

Looks like Apple’s up to something. I wonder why.

Most good stories are about the main character wanting something very much, Brooke. It wouldn’t be very interesting if they just hung around at home for an entire book, would it?

That’s not really what I meant, mom.

Oh? What did you mean?

I meant…well, I meant Apple’s acting kind of sneaky to get Taylor to join her club. I thought since she’s Snow White’s daughter, she’s supposed to be nice.

That’s another thing about characters going about their goals: there are actions they have to take, compromises they need to make.

Is being sneaky one of them, when you’re supposed to be kind?

Maybe Apple’s willing to consider it, Brooke. She’s one of the students most dedicated to her destiny, after all.

Hey, mom?

Yes, dear?

Does dad get to narrate with us again, soon?

We’ll see, honey. We’ll see.

Inside, the fashion club looked much as Taylor had been expecting. Sewing machines. Dress forms. Bolts of cloth. And a membership made up exclusively of girls and princesses, including one he recognized this time.

Who clearly also recognized him.

“Taylor! You’re joining too??” squealed Anna Weaver, who grinned from ear to ear, obviously excited to see her True Love in the same activity.

“Hi, Anna,” Taylor said, but with some reservation. “Apple said it’d make someone else feel better about joining if I did…Speaking of, where is Raven?”

“Wait, you’re friends with Raven Queen?”

Apple held up her hands. “Oh, she’ll be here soon! I just have to go tell her the good news!” the princess of princesses assured him, then slipped out of the room. Taylor scratched his head and found an empty stool next to one of the tables. All the girls ignored him and settled in to talking amongst themselves, or scrolling Fablebook on their mirrorphones. He saw Daring Charming’s unmistakable visage linger on a few screens, but his own attention was snatched up by Anna Weaver taking a seat on the stool next to him.

“I’m a little surprised to see a guy interested in joining this club,” she admitted, then realized what she’d said and held up a hand. “Not that I mind! In fact, I’m really glad we’ll be in the same club, actually. I bet I’m the only girl in school who’s in the same club as her True Love!”

“Yeah, I bet none of Daring Charming’s fans are in any of the same things he is. Unless you count the cheerhexers,” Taylor replied.

She slid her hand across the table, and pressed it down daintily on top of his. Taylor looked over at it, then up at her. “Hey, do you want to go into town, and hang out for a while after this?” Anna asked, eyes twinkling.

“I wish I could, but I’ve already got a whole forest of thronework,” Taylor replied.

“Maybe later?”

“Definitely, later.”

Anna clenched her hands in front of her and just barely managed to hold in a squeal. Everyone looked up as they heard the door open, and Apple White entered, leading a dark figure behind her. Most of the girls gasped and a few tried to hide behind something. Sheepishly, Raven raised her wand and waved to everyone. “Uh, hi, everyone! I’m Raven…looks like most of you knew that already. Oh, hey, Taylor!”

“Hi, Ray!” he waved her over, and Raven sat down on another stool on Taylor’s other side. Anna leaned over and scrutinized her fellow princess, while Apple launched into a rousing mission statement of what the club represented to the school’s rich history and her goals for the upcoming year.

Ignoring it completely, Anna Weaver leaned back, and coughed demurely to get Raven’s attention. “You’re friends with Taylor?” Anna asked, a little incredulously.

“Huh? Yeah, we’re friends,” Raven said. “I don’t believe we’ve met?”

“Um, Raven, this is Anna Weaver. She’s the princess I’m going to—” Taylor started to explain, but suddenly cut him off.

“—win over through his many daring exploits,” she finished for him, smiling proudly over at him.

“I can believe that,” Raven said, and Taylor whipped around to face her, a finger against his lips. Anna raised an eyebrow, fixing Raven with a curious look.

She asked, “What do you mean?”

Raven shrugged. “I meant, I got in some trouble before school started. Taylor helped me out.”

“…what kind of trouble?”

“I went for a walk in the forest, I didn’t look where I was going and I fell down a ravine,” Raven explained. Her eyes darted to meet Taylor’s for a second, but then quickly back to meet Anna’s.

“So that’s how you guys became friends,” Anna said, but her earlier enthusiasm was gone.

By then, Apple had finished her pep talk to the club, and the members started to file out of the room. Apple smiled and thanked everyone for coming, her eyes positively shining as Raven walked past her. Once they were in the hall, Anna took Taylor by the hand before he could walk off, and led him down another hallway. She stopped when they were halfway down, and no other students were around.

“Taylor, please be honest with me,” sighed Anna. “Was that story Raven told true?”

“About helping her before school started? Yeah, it’s true.”

Tension drained from her face, and she sighed again, but this one sounded relieved. “Okay.”

“Why? What were you worried about?” Taylor pressed her.

“…Taylor, with how weird things were when we finally met, do you understand how maybe I might’ve just thought it was because you already liked another girl? And that she’s Raven Queen??”

He shrugged. “Why shouldn’t I hang out with Raven Queen? She’s nice. Besides, I don’t like her. Not the way you mean.”

Anna shifted her feet and looked away, seeming to search for something to say, and not quite finding it. Almost just to break the uncomfortable silence, she asked, “Don’t you think it’s kind of weird? A guy being friends with girls?”

Taylor shrugged again. “I mean, not really. Not after all the times I had to chaperone my kid sisters on birthday parties and the playdates with their little friends. Do whatever goofy thing they thought was fun with them. Guess I’m kind of desensitized to it by now.”

Very slowly, she nodded and let go of his arm. “Okay. I’ll see you soon, right?”

“Right,” he said with a smile, and she smiled too.

“Is a little goodbye kiss too much to hope for?”

He came over and kissed her gently on the forehead, and she let out an irritated little squeal that made him chuckle. Taylor stepped back, and told her, “See you around, Anna.”

Taylor Valiant was far from the only student with a pile of thronework awaiting them. Raven and Apple sat down at their desks to get started as soon as they made it back to their room. A little peace and quiet to get some assignments done was what Raven had been hoping for all day.

Of course, it was the one thing she wouldn’t get.

“Hey,” said Apple, in a tone that made Raven sure beyond a shadow of a doubt she was already grinning. “You thinking about joining fashion club full-time?”

“I guess so. All the other ones I signed up for turned me down. Didn’t want the Evil Queen’s daughter around, she might sneeze and curse everything, or something,” Raven said, letting out a sigh. “It’s not really my first choice, though.”

“Maybe not, but your friend’s a member. That helps, right?” Apple pressed her.

Raven had to nod thoughtfully, but she was grinding the tip of her pen into her paper. “It’s nice Taylor’s there. I don’t have too many other friends.”

“So, great, right?” Apple giggled.

“Mmmm, maybe,” Raven answered non-commitally, and immediately Apple’s stomach clenched like a fist. “I don’t know if that’s a good reason to join something all by itself, though,” she went on.

“Well, why not? You two could bring a really unique perspective!” a faint edge of desperation creeping into her voice.

Raven made a thoughtful noise, and tapped the end of her pen repeatedly against her desk. “Yeah, maybe,” she said. “We’ll see.” Then the dark princess settled into her thronework.

On the other side of the room, Apple held in a scream.

And on the other side of the school, someone very interested in Apple White’s destiny was at work.

Energy played over another Ride Book, finishing carving out a title: Frivolous Hopper. Its creator watched impatiently as more began to take shape. Perhaps with more repetition, it would take less time to form these tokens of power.

With how that Mendyr kept appearing and upsetting the balance, he was beginning to worry that a faster way to produce its agents would be needed.

Mendyr seemed determined to undermine the protection of Destiny. It was unfathomable to him, but Mendyr clearly represented a threat.

And threats in all the great stories were eventually dealt with. Early setbacks always translated to satisfying payoffs.

It was the way of the world.

All the next day, Apple White was on autopilot. She answered every question asked of her purely on rote memory, and paid no attention to the rest of the class’s admiration. It was what she heard everywhere she went, after all.

Why was her destiny so determined not to go the way it was supposed to? Apple’s mother had told her endlessly that being a proper fairytale heroine was more worked than it sounded like. That had certainly been true; there’d been lessons on everything, from mastering her walk in high heels, to looking beautiful while swooning dramatically. That was just as important to being a proper princess as being able to inspire others and charm woodland creatures.

If Apple was putting in this much effort, why wasn’t her costar?

Didn’t Raven care about tradition? About living up to the legacies they’d been given? Since she could walk, Apple had been taught how to be the right princess for her role. Raven was the daughter of the greatest villain of them all; she had to have been brought up to follow in the Evil Queen’s footsteps. Why did Raven seem like she had no interest in her role, at all?

When the day ended and Apple showed up another session at the fashion club, she was even more disappointed. Raven sat by herself, idly sketching a few outfits with a pencil. Taylor Valiant looked her way every once in a while, and asked if she was doing okay once or twice that Apple managed to hear. Mostly his attention was hogged by a beautiful redhead who kept showing Taylor designs she’d brought, in between feeding him from a basket of cookies and wiping crumbs off his chin.

After the meeting broke up, Apple went over to the girl and gently pulled her aside.

“Hi there,” Apple said, her most appealing smile on her rosy lips. “I notice you’ve been acting really nice to Taylor Valiant the last couple days. That’s great, but I kind of invited him to join because he’s friends with Raven Queen, and I was hoping she’d feel more welcome in the club if they got to hang out while they’re here.”

“Well of course I’m hanging out with Taylor,” the princess smiled back. “We’re destined for each other.”

“That’s great, but me and Raven are kind of destined for each other too?” Apple said, getting a dubious eyebrow raise from her conversation partner. Undaunted, Apple went on. “So, it’d really be fableous if you could give Taylor a little space so he could spend some time here with Raven, and she could start feeling like she belongs,” Apple asked.

“Eeeh, alright,” she said, and Apple beamed. “But I’m not going to completely stop paying attention to him, or anything. Destiny says we’re going to be together, you know.”

Apple nodded vigorously. “I totally get that! That’s why I’m asking to help Raven enjoy herself more. I need her.”

“Uh, right,” the princess replied. “Sure thing, Apple.”

She hurried out of the club room to try to catch up with Taylor.

You see, Brooke? There’s a princess who understands the importance of consistency in a story.

…

Don’t just sit there, not saying anything, young lady.

I’m getting a little worried about Apple, honestly, mom. She’s obsessed with bonding with Raven.

She’s the High Queen’s daughter, and she’ll be the star of the biggest story in the kingdom. That’s a lot to live up to, and Legacy Day’s right around the corner. I don’t blame her for wanting to make sure things go just right.

Isn’t that a different story, mom? One about bears?

That night wasn’t much different than the one before. Raven focused on her thronework, and politely dismissed attempts at conversation with needing to get her work done. Apple finished hers efficiently, then turned in for the night while Raven was still up reading. Beautiful princesses needed another 25% beauty sleep, Apple had always been taught.

Her unease over the last couple days seeped into her dreams, however. Apple saw herself on the podium about to sign her name for her great destiny, but as she reached out with her pen, the book suddenly slammed shut, just barely missing her fingers.

Apple let out a horrified gasp and recoiled, suddenly noticing the sky had filled with thick black storm clouds. Bolts of lightning started to lance into the turrets of the school, setting the roofs and walls ablaze. Standing there staring up at the devastated school was Raven Queen.

“Raven!” Apple screamed.

Raven turned around and locked eyes with Apple, her face completely emotionless. Then the next instant she was gone in a puff of smoke.

“Oh no…! Nooooo…nonononononono!” Apple moaned. She looked around frantically, watching other students poof out of sight. There was Briar Beauty, one of her first friends at her new school. Poof, gone. Cedar Wood, the living marionette who Apple had really wanted to meet. Poof, gone. Ashylnn Ella, the princess who’d given her that super-cute pair of heels she still hadn’t worn. Poof, gone.

Daring Charming stood there, looking at her with a blinding but vacuous smile, then before Apple could even reach out to him, he was gone too. Even her prince had been powerless against the threat to their school.

As soon as the students were gone, the entire school vanished in one huge, choking poof. Apple coughed and desperately waved her hand to try to clear it away from her face.

After what seemed like forever, it did clear, and Apple was standing in an empty black space, but she wasn’t alone. Standing over her was a regal woman in a gown of white satin, a simple golden crown atop her dark hair.

Snow White herself.

Apple’s mother.

“Mom! No, please!” Apple pleaded. “Not you too!” She rushed over to try to grab the impassive-faced queen, hoping against hope that might keep Snow White from disappearing too. Unfortunately, despite years of learning poise, Apple was too slow in her six-inch heels. Another poof, and even Snow White was gone.

She was all alone. The only person in the entire kingdom who hadn’t gone poof, all because she’d failed to secure her destiny.

“Truly an ignominious end, for the light of the first among princesses to go out,” said a soft voice behind her, sounding as if Apple weren’t even there. She looked around, and saw a person in a ragged cloak walking by, carrying a lantern of buzzing fireflies in one hand.

“Who…who are you?”

“I am the Keeper,” he replied, still sounding as if he was talking about her, instead of to her. “The one who respects Destiny. The one who feels it starting to crumble as the new generation comes of age.”

“Well, hey! I care about Destiny!” Apple called out to him. The Keeper just kept walking along, into the distance, so she got up and ran after him. After she caught up, Apple asked, “What’s wrong? What do we have to do to fix Destiny?”

For a while he kept walking without saying anything, and Apple was starting to feel even more stressed. The entire kingdom had just disappeared, and he said he cared about it, so why wouldn’t he say anything! Just when she was about to grab him by the shoulders, he spoke up.

“Is that not obvious, your highness?” he said, his tone slightly mocking. “You need to embrace Destiny. Convince everyone of the dangers of letting it waste away!”

Then the next thing Apple knew, she was laying in her bed, everything still black of her 100% silk sleep mask. With trembling fingers she pried it away from her eyes, and was relieved to see everything was still there. Their beds, their desks, the town in the distance outside their windows. Even Raven was still there, sleeping peacefully.

Apple shivered, got out of bed and put on her slippers. She padded quietly to the communal bathroom, passing another girl coming and one going on the same trip. Once there, she splashed warm water on her face, trying to clear her head.

“It’s not that bad,” she whispered to her reflection. “Everyone’s not going to disappear. The school’s not going to disappear. Mom’s not going to disappear.”

An urge to call home and get her mother’s advice occurred to Apple, but just as quickly she pushed it away. Among the many things her mother had taught her was that a monarch needed to be self-sufficient. How could Apple say she was living up to that, when she’d barely been at school a week, and was already so worked up she was having nightmares about everything disappearing because of her failure?

“Apple…” a distant voice called her name.

“Who’s there?” Apple asked.

“You talking to me?” the other girl asked from inside a toilet stall.

It came again. “Apple…”

She hurried out of the bathroom and down the hall, in the direction she was sure it had come. Well-cultivated instincts compelled her to follow as it came a third time. “Apple…”

Down a staircase, Apple looked into the shadows, trying to spot her mother. Apple whispered, “Mom? Is that you? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

The only answer she got was the call coming again, slightly louder this time. “Apple…come, honey…help me…help me…”

Apple, frantic then, got to the bottom and looked for a door outside. The first one she saw was a fire door, and not even thinking about the alarm she was about to set it off, Apple threw it open and charged through.

What she saw on the other side caught the princess completely by surprise.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one surprised.

Bells started ringing in every hall of Ever After High. Students jumped, rolled and fell out of bed in surprise at the onslaught of noise. Within seconds the halls were full of teenagers of every alignment, many still too groggy to realize those sounds that woke them up meant they were supposed to be evacuating the building.

“What’s going on?” one of them asked Pyotr Lupus.

“I’d say it’s the fire alarm, but you wouldn’t believe me,” he said around a yawn.

“Pyotr, please don’t joke,” Taylor grumbled, clutching at his heart.

“How was I joking? That’s the real fire alarm!” he sighed. “Let’s go.”

“Yeah, let’s,” Taylor sighed, as if he was in pain. Pyotr gave him a look, but they both followed the blob of students flowing out of the school and only stopping when they were on the front drive.

When the students saw it was clear the school wasn’t on fire, they started finding their friends and talking about what was going on, or a million other things Pyotr and Taylor couldn’t hear. A few went off on their own and started scrolling the mirrorphones they’d grabbed before thinking of their safety. One student, though, was running around as if looking for someone. She was a little hard to recognize without makeup, but Pyotr and Taylor stopped and waited when they recognized Raven Queen coming over to them. Panic was written all across her features.

“Have you guys seen Apple??” she exclaimed.

“No. We’re not allowed on that side of the building,” Pyotr pointed out, but shut up when Raven gave him a pointed look.

Taylor tried to defuse the situation, saying, “Seriously, Raven. We wouldn’t joke about something like that.” Still, he was clutching his heart and grimacing in pain. Raven was just about to ask if he was okay when Taylor held out his hand, and a transparent golden arrow had formed in the air just above his palm.

“T, that ever happen before?” Pyotr asked his roommate.

“No,” Taylor replied, with much relief. “But if Apple’s missing, I think I can tell where.”

Amazingly, Apple could see them at that very moment.

At least, she could see the student body of Ever After High congregated outside the main stairs, waiting for the alarms to be shut off so they could go back to bed.

She stood atop a tower on the side of the mountain the school was perched on, which Apple had certainly never noticed before that moment. The princess wasn’t alone, and to her disappointment if not surprise, her company wasn’t her mother.

Standing on top of the trapdoor that appeared to be the only safe way down was a woman in a purple dress with spikes on the belt and shoulder pads. Her hair was more like a mane, standing up in a web of red-tinted spikes. At first Apple had thought it was Raven mother, except for the fact that the Witch’s skin was a shiny black.

“What’s it to be, your highness?” she asked. Her voice had a sneer, but it was hard to notice with how when she talked, there was a high-pitched sound like two panes of glass scraping against each other.

“If you think you can scare me into jumping, you’re out of your mind. Snow White raised her daughter better than that,” Apple declared as haughtily as she’d learned, hoping it wasn’t lessened too much by the fact that she was in a nightgown, curlers and fuzzy slippers.

“I don’t intend for you to jump,” the Witch sneered again, and Apple resisted an urge to put her hands over her ears, to make sure she could hear the villain’s terms. “If you give up your story, I’ll step off this door. You can walk down, go back into school and go back to sleep. Life will go on.”

Apple looked away. “Why are you asking for something like that? If you know me at all, you know I’d never give that up.”

The Witch gave off a shrill laugh, and this time Apple couldn’t stop herself from jamming her hands down over her ears and flinching. Finally the Witch stopped, and waited for Apple to very hesitantly lower her hands before speaking again: “That’s what you were taught to say, princess. Even royalty can change their mind when enough pressure’s applied…” For emphasis, she ground her thumb and fingertip together, making that hideous glass scraping sound, even louder than when she talked.

Apple gulped.

Nobody seemed to notice the trio slipping away from everyone else and down the road. None of them said anything about Taylor’s odd new trick, but after a few minutes of walking, Pyotr pointed to the tip of a tower sitting on the side of the mountain.

Getting closer, they could make out the silhouettes of a pair of people standing atop it: one who looked a lot like Apple White with curlers in her hair, and another with a wreath of spiked hair who had one hand held upright. A small object floated up from their palm and zipped away.

“Either of you remember a tower on the side of the mountain before?” Taylor asked his friends.

Both of them shook their heads.

“Looks like the Dark Mirrors are back,” Taylor sighed, and held his hand up over his heart. The arrow flashed and transformed into a sword, and the belt formed above his pajamas. “Turn the page!”

Raven and Pyotr looked away as Taylor transformed, their eyes still used to the dark. When they looked back he’d become the armored warrior Mendyr once again, astride his Charge Unicorn mount. “I’ll be back soon. With Apple,” he promised. “Head back to school where it’s safe.” With that, he rode off, Charge Unicorn jumping the safety railing on the side of the rode as they headed toward the castle.

Waiting just until Mendyr was out of earshot, Pyotr asked, “Ready to head in there?”

“Definitely,” Raven agreed.

Charge Unicorn skimmed down the mountainside and came to a stop on the plateau where the dark tower was perched. It rode up to the massive front door, and Mendyr dismounted and tried to wrench it open. The door creaked but held tight, even against Mendyr’s strength in this form. He stepped away from it and faced Charge Unicorn.

“See if you can blow it open,” he said, but noticed its horn already glowing with gathering energy. As if it could sense what he was thinking. A spiraling beam ripped from the tip of its horn that smashed in the door.

And as if in reply, a dark form launched itself out of the opening, right into Charge Unicorn, and knocking the metallic beast off the side of the plateau.

Mendyr gasped in surprise and drew his thin blade while the attacker turned around to face him. Less quickly than it had launched its attack on the unicorn, seeming to savor the fear it’d created with its sudden attack.

The creature was tall and spindly, and its long legs bent the wrong way. Its arms were skinny but also seemed sharp in the moonlight. Atop its shoulders was a round head with huge, opaque eyes, above a mouth with insectile jaws. All of it shiny and black, like the enemies Mendyr had fought before.

But engraved into this one’s chest were a series of rough letters, glowing faintly green: H-O-P-P-E-R.

Suddenly the Hopper launched itself into the air, easily clearing the roof of the tower. When he came back down, it was with his feet aimed at Mendyr’s face.

“Time to write a new chapter,” Mendyr said as he entered battle.

Apple gasped when the Hopper zoomed up past her, then came back down toward her would-be rescuer like a bolt of avenging lightning. “What is that thing?” she asked with no small amount of disgust.

“It wears the shape of a creature who played when he should have prepared,” answered the Witch. “Now his energies have been focused toward defeating Mendyr, the one who challenges the course of Destiny.”

“Why would someone seriously try to do that?” Apple blurted out before she realized she’d said anything. The Witch grinned, the white of her teeth standing out eerily against the blackness of the rest of her body.

“Why, indeed,” the Witch mused. “Destiny is the basis of everything. Wouldn’t someone fighting Destiny, be fighting the basis of our entire world?”

The princess didn’t respond, just peering over the side of the tower and watching as Mendyr dodged Hopper’s jump kick at the last second, leaving a crater in the ground that Mendyr dangled off the edge. He heaved himself over the rim and back onto level ground, just in time for Hopper to launch another jump kick at his exposed side. He rolled across the ground before managing to get his feet under him and shakily get up to face Hopper again.

“This is the only rescue you’re likely to get, your highness,” the Witch spoke. “Are you sure you want it?”

Apple kept staring down at the unfolding battle in silence.

Gathering his power, Mendyr swung Sevener in front of himself and created a wall of blinding light that lasted just a second. After it cleared, Mendyr went into a fencer’s stance, ready for his enemy’s next attack.

But Hopper clicked its mouth and the huge faceted eye mounted on the left side of his head shimmered for a second. Over there, another Mendyr was charging in, sword held out to launch a sneak attack. Hopper ignored the first and launched himself instead at the one rushing in from his side.

At the last second Mendyr ducked, and tried to stab Sevener upward, but the tip skidded uselessly against Hopper’s exoskeleton. Instead, Mendyr stood up and threw his sword, trailing the thread tied to his arm. His hope was to tie Hopper long enough to notice some kind of weakness, and as it had in his older battles, Sevener dutifully curled through the air around the Dark Mirror’s body.

“Please work…please work!” Mendyr breathed.

He was doomed to disappointment. Hopper leaned down and bit through the thread. Sevener lodged itself into the side of the mountain, leaving Mendyr unarmed. Desperate now, he ran at Hopper and launched a jump kick of his own at the insect’s back, hoping turning Hopper’s own attack against him might yield results.

Again, Mendyr was doomed to disappointment. Hopper jumped to the top of the tower again, but his speed magically increased on the way down. A slim foot smashed down between Mendyr’s shoulders and drove him into the ground.

“What am I doing wrong?” Mendyr gasped, and just barely managed to roll onto his back. He saw Hopper raise a foot and stomp down right on top of his face. All Mendyr could see were stars, and they hadn’t even cleared when he felt the foot crash down on his mask again. For a second everything went black, and he forgot to breathe.

Above him, Hopper was lifting his foot for another stomp. Before he could, a voice rang out, “Hold it right there! You’re surrounded!”

Hopper did indeed stop, planting his foot on the ground and looking all around with his enormous eyes. There behind a triangular rock was a teenager with spiked blond hair. Ignoring his injured opponent, Hopper covered the distance between them in one jump. Before Pyotr even realized the Dark Mirror was right in front of him, Hopper grabbed the boy and hoisted him overhead.

“No…! Pyotr!” Mendyr gasped, just barely having enough of a grasp on his senses to realize what he was seeing. He covered the same distance in two jumps and pounded his fists into the Dark Mirror’s back. Mighty echoes traveled across the plateau, but despite his thin frame, Hopper didn’t even budge.

Mendyr felt as if he might as well have been trying to punch his way through the entire mountain.

And if he didn’t come up with a better idea fast, Pyotr was going to be thrown off that mountain!

Above, Apple looked on in horror.

“Is that your idea of preserving Destiny?” she demanded of the Witch.

“What is yours, Apple White?” the White replied with a disturbing calm. “You believe getting your Happily Ever After is more important than anything in the world. Yet here you are, on the verge of panic after a little initial resistance.”

Apple scrunched her mouth together, in a practiced resting witch face. She hardly ever used it, being a consummate princess of kindness, but Snow White had made sure she knew how in case she needed it. “It’s not worth sacrificing lives!” she snapped.

“Isn’t it?” the Witch asked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Apple demanded.

“There are winners and losers in every story, your highness. Do you care what happens to the loser, as long as you win?”

That was when all of Apple’s stress and frustration of the last several days came boiling out. Staring her in the eye, Apple declared, a finger pointed defiantly toward the sky, “Madame, one day I’ll be the one on Snow White’s throne! It’ll be my royal duty to think about the good of everyone in the kingdom! If you think you can get me to give up on that just because I’m dealing with some problems right now, I swear on my legacy, I’ll prove you wrong!”

A strange thing happened from Apple’s statement: a golden light started to throb near her heart, and traveled up her arm to the hand with her upraised finger. It solidified into a Ride Book with a red frame, an image of a red apple with a soften golden glow on the cover, underneath the title Apple of Passion.

Without warning, the trapdoor the Witch had been standing on flipped up violently and she was flung right over the wall. Sticking her out of the trapdoor was Raven Queen. “Apple! Are you okay!?”

“Um, yeah…I’m okay, I think,” Apple replied. She looked down at the object that’d formed in her hand. “What’s this?”

“Oh, I think I know!” Raven replied with a smile.

To Apple’s immense surprise, Raven grabbed the Ride Book out of her hand and threw it over the side.

Mendyr reached out and grabbed Hopper, his mind running on pure desperation by that point. This awkward maneuver forced Hopper to drop Pyotr, who hit the ground with an “oof!”, and got up and stumbled his way to a safe distance.

Unfortunately, Hopper was still free to rear back one powerful leg and smash his foot into Mendyr’s side. The armored warrior was knocked flying into the wall of the tower, and fell to his knees, gasping for breath after the awesome impact left his body numb and the air squeezed from his lungs.

He looked up as he heard a mad chirping sound, Hopper grinding his legs together as he readied to jump for another kick surely meant to finish Mendyr off.

“This isn’t how this story ends,” Mendyr whispered, getting to his feet and readying himself as best he still could.

Just before something fell into his open hand. A Ride Book he hadn’t seen before.

But like anyone training to be a fairytale hero, he’d been taught early not to question good luck.

“Catch!” Pyotr yelled, and threw Mendyr his sword.

“Thanks!” Mendyr yelled back, and replaced Needle Sharp Hero with this new book. Thrusting his sword into his belt, he called out, “Turn the page!”

“When the royal dedication is focused, an immovable pillar is formed!”

It flipped open, showing a flail on its unfolded pages. A wave of scarlet power raced up Mendyr’s body, coloring the white of his armor. The eyes in his mask changed to a vibrant green. Heavy boots and gauntlets of a brighter silver formed over hands and feet, and the emblem on his chest changed to a golden apple.

Finally, a flail with a spiked ball, colored apple red, and a looped chain formed hanging from his belt. Etched into the grip was another name: Apfel.

Mendyr unwound it from his belt just when Hopper took a running start and launched into a jump kick aimed at his torso. It hit Mendyr with enough force that the shockwave knocked Pyotr off his feet and shook bricks loose from the side of the tower.

But incredibly, Mendyr stayed on his feet.

Hopper bounced back, landing on his spindly feet, and Mendyr went on the attack. He whirled Apfel’s ball above his head and smashed it into Hopper’s side, sending sharp flecks of black armor flying. He let out a high-pitched shriek of pain, but Mendyr pressed his attack.

Again he swung the flail over his head, but brought it down on top of Hopper with a satisfying crunch. “Like my cousin Tommy used to say, now the shoe’s on the other foot!” Mendyr growled. He grabbed the Dark Mirror by the neck, and threw Hopper against the side of the tower toward the side of the mountain as hard as he could. The thin body of the Dark Mirror deformed the rock as it made contact.

“Fox,” Pyotr breathed at his friend’s display of raw strength.

“And that’s not all!” Mendyr laughed softly with a nod in Pyotr’s direction. He charged across the plateau, lowering his shoulder and delivering a check to Hopper’s midriff that would’ve made a professional bookball player green with envy.

The Dark Mirror monster screeched with, pried himself off Mendyr’s shoulder armor and quickly gathered himself for a long jump to escape while he still could. He arced clear over Mendyr’s head, but the warrior launched his next attack.

Gathering all of his even greater strength, Mendyr swung Apfel, and the chain glowed with red light. Before the onlookers’ eyes it stretched to an impossible length and crashed into Hopper in mid-air, knocking him out of the sky. Before Hopper landed, Mendyr was reeling in the chain, getting ready to attack one last time.

“Ultimate Fruit of Passion!”

Mendyr let the weapon fly once more. It arced through the air, spiked ball growing until it was twice its size. It came down on top of Hopper, cracks spreading out in every direction from the point of impact.

They didn’t stop spreading. Next the cracks spread under Mendyr and Pyotr’s feet, then up the side of the tower.

Just like they were afraid, the plateau started crumbling.

Raven and Apple dashed out the tower door and ran after Pyotr and Mendyr, back to the road up to the school as fast as their slippered feet could carry them. After jumped they extremely awkwardly over the safety railing to the road, Raven turned and held out her hand to grab Apple’s, pulling her off the plateau just before it finished disintegrating behind her.

With one last glance back to be sure the girls were safe, Pyotr and Mendyr vanished into the darkness.

Neither princess said a word as they trudged up the road leading back to Ever After High.

Raven, for her part, was quietly seething that while she was completely covered in dirt and dust, Apple was spotless except for a dried leaf stuck in her hair. All the same, there was an uncharacteristically serious look on Apple’s face.

When the school came into view, Apple grabbed Raven’s sleeve and held on. “You knew what was going on,” the blonde princess said quietly.

“What?” Raven asked in soft surprise.

“You knew what that thing in my hand was, and to give it to that…knight, I guess,” Apple replied, still quiet.

“I saw him fight before,” Raven admitted. “Seven dwarves attacked me in the woods, and he came and saved me.”

“What’s his name?” Apple asked.

“Mendyr.”

Apple shook her head and sighed. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”

Like she was expecting, though, Raven shook her head. “I don’t know, and even if I did, it’s not my secret to share.”

Sighing again, but still holding onto Raven’s sleeve, Apple asked, “Do you know what’s going on? Who those black-colored people were?”

“No, not really,” Raven answered. “I call them ‘Dark Mirrors’ because they seem to be evil reflections of people from stories, but I don’t know what they come from or why they’re doing the things they are.”

Slowly, very slowly, Apple nodded. “Can I ask one last thing? Why did you never tell me before?”

Raven pointed behind them. “Apple, look back there. There’s nothing left of that tower, or even the ledge it was on. What would I tell you, or anybody? And who’d believe me? I’m the Evil Queen’s daughter!”

After a long time, Apple nodded, slowly. “I’m sorry.”

Raven turned away. “Let’s go to sleep.”

“Okay,” was all Apple said.

Wow, that was intense!...But that was pretty cool, when Apple stood up to that Witch!

Just because someone is kind doesn’t mean they can’t also be strong, honey.

Or maybe just because someone’s expected to act a certain way, doesn’t mean they can’t learn something new about themselves.

…Oh, hello, dear. We’ve had a productive chapter, today.

Looks like it! I found the key behind the silverware and oiled the lock, though, honey. Be more careful with it from now on, okay?

…Of course, love.

Hey, dad! A lot of things happened this chapter! Bet there’s gonna be a lot of big changes coming.

Well, isn’t that exciting! Looking forward to seeing them?

You bet, dad!

Back at Ever After High, Pyotr and Taylor made their way back to their room. The halls were empty, and it seemed everyone else had already gone back to bed after the alarm was called off. Both of them crawled into their beds.

“Some night, huh?” Pyotr muttered.

“Yeah,” Taylor answered. “Look, I’m grateful for the help. There was a reason I said go back to the school, though.”

Pyotr yawned and rolled to face away. “You’re not my parents, T. Plus, maybe you got that suit, but who says that makes you the most important person in this story?”

Taylor shut up. He was tired. No sooner had he shut his eyes than he realized Pyotr asked him something.

“Hmm?”

“I said, who’s your cousin?”

“What?”

“You said some quote from your cousin. Who is he?”

“…oh. Tommy Shoemaker. You know ‘The Elves and the Cobbler’? About the guy who gets sick and can’t make shoes, but he left food out for some birds, and they turn out to be elves? So, they make a bunch of shoes for him, and his house gets saved.”

“Yeah, I heard that one, I think. He’s your cousin, huh? He cool?”

“Nah, he’s a prick. Like, bigger than the one that knocks out Sleeping Beauty.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” Taylor replied. “Always gave me a hard time. He was so pixied off that he’d get money for selling shoes, but I’d get to beat giants and marry a princess.”

Pyotr snickered. “Bet he’ll be even worse about it when he sees Anna.”

“Maybe. But I’m gonna worry about that later. I’m tired.”

“Night, T.”

“Night, man.”

To the entire student body’s dismay, they were all called to a surprise assembly as soon as classes were over. It was on the same picturesque platform where Headmaster Grimm had addressed them all on the first day, but this time he wasn’t even pretending to smile when he took the podium and waited for everyone to sit down.

“Everyone, a student has come forward and admitted to last night’s fire alarm. They will not be named, but for the sake of everyone’s safety, the story they told me will be relayed to the rest of you as well.

“This student claims they were lured outside by the call of a witch, and then confronted by creatures they dubbed ‘Dark Mirrors’ because they resembled well-known story characters. Now, the safety of the school is impregnable. If, however, any other student sees something amiss, alert the faculty immediately. Any attempts to do so that are not serious will be dealt with harshly.”

Headmaster Grim cast a warning in the seating area with most of the kids from the villain curriculum when he said that.

While he did, Apple White sat, surrounded by her admirers, but hearing nothing they said.

Wondering only what she would do to achieve her destiny now.

Raven Queen had come to rescue, which only seemed to push the success of Apple’s story even farther away.

Of course, who were those strange people, those “Dark Mirrors”? Had the Witch meant what she’d said?

And how much was going on that neither of them knew about?

Well, Apple White had come to Ever After High to secure her destiny, and that was what she was going to do.

Another attempt, another disruption.

And against what had seemed to be an extremely receptive student. His attempt to test Apple White's dedication to her story had been interrupted.

Worse, Mendyr had come through their confrontation more powerful than ever, thanks to the student he’d been trying to target.

Obviously, it wasn’t good enough to gently nudge things back into place.

It was time to act more directly.

To make sure the importance of its mission was lost on no-one.

To keep the course of Destiny, and the safety of the kingdom, in place.

Chapter 6: Descent into Madness

Chapter Text

Page 6 – Descent into Madness

This week’s going to be a big one for Ever After High. Now, everyone starts prepping for Legacy Day, when all the students officially sign for their destinies.

That’s a really big deal, huh?

It certainly is, Brooke. It certainly is.

That Keeper, the guy who’s trying to make everyone do their destinies. He seems really worried. Is he gonna try to do something on Legacy Day?

Don’t say “gonna” when you narrate, Brooke. Use complete words.

Sorry, dad. I will.

Good.

Do you think he is, though?

I don’t think he’ll be able to stay away…

Even though she’d known it was coming, that didn’t make the fairymail staring up from her mirrorphone any easier to process.

“Mandatory Legacy Day training session after school TODAY”

Raven had been hoping to have a little more room to figure out how she was going to approach this, but between the start of the year, and everything with Apple and the Dark Mirrors, it just hadn’t happened.

Now, here she was, with Legacy Day training in just a few hours. An event the school was not only based around, they had practice sessions for.

“What’s wrong, Raven? Your face is as long as the Queen of Hearts’ front walk!”

The chaotic swirl of blue and purple suddenly appearing next to Raven was still a surprise, but a surprise that was starting to become familiar to the dark princess. Even the slightly oblivious grin on Madeline Xylophone Hatter’s face.

“Is her front walk really long?” Raven asked, obligingly.

“The longenest! She wants everrrrrrrrrrrrybody to think about how important she is, so she has the twi-ih-ih-ih-istiest walk up to the doors of her castle!” Maddie giggled, looked at Raven blankly for a minute before she realized something. “I was noticing you looked upset, I think.”

Raven sighed, and nodded. “It’s just…Legacy Day. I’m really not looking forward to locking in my mom’s life.”

Maddie made an exaggerated thoughtful face, sticking out her bottom lip and scratching her chin while she stared into the distance. She even made a continual “hmmmmmmmmm” sound while she did.

“Do you want me to ask what your idea is, Maddie?” Raven supplied after a little while.

“Oh, this isn’t an idea, this is a conspiracy! A ding-dang-doodle wonderful conspiracy!” Maddie laughed and jumped up.

“…okay.”

“But first I need to talk to the butterflies! I’ll be back soon!”

And as suddenly as she’d appeared, Maddie Hatter hurried away in a blur of teal, purple and exotic teabag wrappers left fluttering in the wind.

Someone whose concerns were more severe was also looking down at the same school message on his mirrorphone. Taylor Valiant kept looking at while he carefully navigated the hallway, his mind occupied imagining all the dangerous scenarios that might erupt on Legacy Day, after what he’d already been through.

Would the Keeper attack the entire school at the ceremony? He’d certainly proved more powerful than any villain Taylor had ever hoped to meet, with the army of monsters he’d been able to summon.

That was the weird thing, though: instead of just conquering the kingdom, or cursing his captives, like most villains Taylor had heard about, the Keeper did things different. He said, at least, that he wanted to protect the existing order. Which meant, by some thread of logic, he’d been focusing his targets on princesses who were either uncertain about their destinies, or whose destinies were being undermined by another important person’s uncertainty.

Would the Keeper attack the event? Invade the school and take students hostage to make them follow their destinies? Make some kind of threat then?

Worst of all, maybe, would the Keeper do nothing at all, only keep the people who knew about him in suspense? Waiting for when he would do something?

“What’s the matter? You look like the giant kids challenged you to a fight already.”

Taylor lowered his phone, and saw Anna Weaver standing in front of him, giving him a curious look. “Oh, hi Anna,” he said, forcing a smile. “Guess I’m kind of worried about that guy who kidnapped you that one time, the one who’s obsessed with preserving Destiny. Since Legacy Day’s coming up.”

She slipped her arm through his and started leading him down the hall. “If he does show up and try something, I know you’ll protect me,” Anna whispered. “Right now, how about we go get some drinks?”

Stopping at the Hocus Latte coffee bar in the castleteria, they armed themselves with fancy coffee before Anna led the way onto the outdoor assembly area. It had been cleared just the other day with tables and chairs for students to have casual meetings, but with the Legacy Day prep, those were gone again already. Instead, rows of chairs facing the stage had already been set up. Anna and Taylor took a seat she picked out by one of the edges where they head a striking view of the village below.

A chilly autumn breeze blew across that platform, prompting Anna to have a long sip of her latte, giving a happy-sounding little shiver while she leaned against Taylor’s shoulder. He leaned back against her, and the princess made a purring sound and shut her eyes.

“It’s beautiful up here, isn’t it?” she sighed happily.

“Yeah. Dangerous, maybe,” Taylor replied.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, before, I just thought about signing for my destiny, then everything would just take care of itself,” Taylor replied. “But now there’s like…a guy making monsters who wants to enforce it. That’s what you said happened, right? What if he tries to do something to enforce Legacy Day?”

Anna shrugged her shoulder, eyes still closed. “What if he does? We just sign for our destinies, like we were going to anyway. Then he’s happy, and leaves us alone.”

Taylor took a long, long sip of pumpkins spice while he thought over his answer. Things had gotten a lot more confusing since he met Raven Queen, after all. She seemed really nice, not like a bigtime villain at all. If she didn’t want to be a villain, did she really have to? Even if she did, what then? Villains always lost in the stories. What kind of life did that leave someone like Raven, after she lost?

Finally, all he could say in reply was, “I really hope you’re right, Anna.”

Soon, the assembly area was filled the rest of the student body. As if he’d been waiting for everyone else to arrive to make an appropriate entrance, Headmaster Grimm entered through the back doors, a measured scowl on his face. Under his arm was a large red book with a purple spine. Walking down the main aisle, he cast a glance to where he heard students still talking, and they quickly fell silent. He got up to the podium, got a list from inside his coat, and addressed the students.

“Apple White, Raven Queen, Madeline Hatter, Hunter Huntsman, and Cedar Wood, please join me onstage.”

The five students stood up and weaved their way through the maze of chairs and came up to the stage from three different aisles. Raven and Apple came up together, but even Apple’s usually dazzling smile looked limp to someone right next to her.

Like Raven Queen.

Now, Apple didn’t look like the photogenic princess Raven had known about before even starting school. The one who’d been trying to subtly get Raven back on track for their shared destiny.

After the other night, and Apple’s first meeting with the Keeper, Raven knew what Apple was mostly managing to hide now.

Snow White’s daughter was afraid.

Headmaster Grimm coughed into his hand, and all five students looked over at him. “Now then, this is only a rehearsal,” he said to the group. “When you approach the real Storybook of Legends, a key will appear in your hand. You’ll use it to unlock the book, which will open itself to your page.”

Maddie raised her hand, but Headmaster Grimm held up a finger to silence her. She didn’t seem to notice, and exclaimed the first syllable of something, before Headmaster Grimm stomped his foot and glared at her. With his domination asserted, he went on, “After this happens, you will address the students. Spine straight, shoulders back, with dignity. State your name, your legacy, and lastly, how you’ll live up to that legacy when the time of your story comes.”

Silence descended on the platform, and a few of the students started fidgeting. Apple looked down at her feet for just a second before looking back up, smiling passively, but Raven hadn’t missed it.

“Do I have a volunteer to go first?” Headmaster Grimm asked. He didn’t, so he scanned the group in search of one. “Cedar, why don’t you go first? It should be easy for you.”

The wooden girl met his eyes, gulped, and pointed to her own face. “Me?”

“Of course, you,” Headmaster Grimm replied. “You’re just telling the truth, which is what you always do.”

Hesitating for another second, Cedar Wood stepped up to the podium and looked out past it. Where every other kid in school was watching her, waiting for what she’d say.

“I’m…! I’m Cedar Wood, and I pledge to follow my destiny and be the next Pinocchio. Well, I mean, not the next ‘Pinocchio’. I mean, actually, I can only tell the truth, while I’m in school. But then, one day, one day, I’m gonna lie!” Cedar’s face lit up with pride for a second, but then confusion fell over her face again. “Uh, but does that mean I’m gonna be like my dad, or, not like my dad?”

While Cedar was making her vow, Raven Queen sidled up to the headmaster. “Um, Headmaster Grimm? I need to ask…what if someone doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends?”

It seemed like he hadn’t heard, as he kept watching Cedar stumbling through her declaration without a single twitch to his expression.

“Sir?” she prodded him.

“Nothing,” he whispered.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“Nothing, because no-one is going to skip out on signing the Storybook of Legends,” he said, a little louder and not a little sternly.

However, the dark princess persisted. “But, what if someone did?”

“Miss Queen, we maintain a delicate balance with this ceremony,” Grimm said, frowning very severely. “If any of the students were to disrupt that balance by not living out their legacy, their story would cease to exist. Everything could…poof. Right out of existence.”

“Go poof?” Raven asked, looking up Grimm a little incredulously, but she gulped when he turned his glare straight at her.

Turning it away and smiling to the crowd, Grimm said out of the side of his mouth, “Do you find the idea of the entire World of Stories disappearing, because that balance was disrupted by one person, amusing?” Raven shook her head. “Then stick to the script, Miss Queen.” Cedar Wood had stepped away from the mic, and Grimm held out his hand to indicate for Raven to step up next.

Raven rested her hands on the podium, looking out over the entire study body for the second time in too soon. “Uh…hi, everyone!” Raven said, smiling very awkwardly. “I’m Raven Queen…most of you probably know that. I, uh, I pledge to live up to my mom’s, um, tradition, and curse a lot of people. I guess?”

She looked backwards, to see Apple White chewing her lip nervously, and Headmaster Grimm not even looking at her. Instead, he’d literally facepalmed and sighed miserably. Raven stepped away and Apple walked up to the podium, taking only a second to prepare her best smile.

“Hi, everybody! It’s really reassuring to see this is as important to all of you as it is to me,” she began, and some cheers went up among the crowd.

It wasn’t as if Raven got to focus on it for long. Maddie, bouncing up and down on her feet, leaned over and whispered to Raven, “What were you and Headmaster Grimm whispering about? Can I play too?”

Sighing, and running her hands through her hair to steady herself, Raven just said, “I don’t think he wants any new players in his little game.”

Eventually, enough of the kids had a chance onstage that Headmaster Grimm said practice was over for the day and sent them back to their rooms. Raven had been called up for a second try, and private Grimm had told her to practice her presentation for when she’d give it again the next day, too.

Raven was about to join the students flowing back inside when she felt someone pulling on the back of her dress. Expecting Apple having something else to say to her, she was surprised when she saw Maddie there instead, grinning and giggling to herself.

“Uh, hi, Maddie.”

“I did it, Raven! I did it! He said he’ll talk to us!” Maddie said in an excited whisper.

“…who will?”

Maddie looked very sly, as she replied, “The one who’s painting the roses red!”

“Oh, him, huh?” Raven said, scratching the back of her head. “What does he need?”

But Maddie shook her head. “He’s got what you need! Answers about Destiny! It’s the thorns, he’s the rose!”

Having a friend who wasn’t scared by her reputation was nice, Raven thought, but for Maddie, sometimes it was a little time-consuming. Gradually the implications of Maddie’s announcement sank in, and Raven’s eyes went wide. “You mean, you know somebody who’s got answers about Destiny?”

Maddie vigorously nodded, teal curls bobbing.

“If that’s true, can I bring someone else?” Raven asked next.

Maddie vigorously shook her head, tea curls waving.

“Why not?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Maddie, please, it’s really important,” Raven implored her friend. “If the…the one who’s painting the roses red, knows things about Destiny, this friend has things he has to know too.”

The mad girl stepped back, looking unsure. “If the hummingbirds are in flight, it’s a sign of bearing blight,” she pointed out.

“That’s probably because he didn’t know, and couldn’t help.”

Maddie walked away, nodding cryptically.

Which was, for her, fairly normal.

Surreptitiously turning up the music on his video game, Pyotr Lupus locked the door once Raven and Cerise Hood were inside his room. “Should we call this meeting of the secret society to order, or something?” he asked.

“This is serious, Pyotr,” Raven retorted.

Cerise Hood didn’t seem to quite agree: “Why not? If we’re gonna have a secret conspiracy about all this Dark Mirror stuff, might as well do something cool.”

“We’ll see, Cerise,” Taylor interrupted.

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise we can talk about rules and rituals sometime soon when there’s no attacking monster or big lead Raven found out about to deal with instead.”

Red’s heir smirked inside of her hood.

Taylor continued, “What did you hear that’s really important, Raven?”

The dark princess explained, “Maddie Hatter was talking to me today—”

“No offense, Ray, but do you not see a problem right there?” Pyotr interrupted.

Raven sighed and looked down. “I know Maddie’s a little…”

“…crazy,” Pyotr supplied.

She sighed again and looked him in the eye. “Okay, I’ll put it another way: do you have a better idea? Do you know where Taylor’s sword comes from? Or where the Keeper and the Dark Mirrors come from?”

“Look, Ray?” Pyotr countered. “In spite of my reputation, I think listening’s even more important than talking. But even I don’t have the energy to listen to Maddie Hatter long enough to try to make sense of what she says.”

“Are you—”

Taylor held up his hand. “And with all due respect, buddy, my dad wouldn’t have gotten where he was if he didn’t seize a good opportunity when one came his way. Maybe Maddie doesn’t talk straight, but it’s a place to start. We didn’t have one of those before this, did we?”

Pyotr shrugged and turned back to the TV. “If you think it’ll help, go for it. I got enough things to worry about to have energy to waste on Maddie Hatter.”

The other three exchanged a look, just before Raven’s mirrorphone buzzed. She looked down at the screen, then over at Taylor. “She says she’ll meet with us both…I’m pretty sure.”

Still focusing on the TV, Pyotr laughed a satisfied little laugh.

I’ve made up my mind: I don’t like Pyotr Lupus anymore.

Because he doesn’t like listening to Maddie Hatter?

Kind of, yeah! I thought heroes were supposed to be nice.

Heroes are people like the people they help, pumpkin. They have things that bother them, too. That’s not really why you’re upset, though, is it?

What do you mean, dad?

It bothered you when he talked that way about Maddie Hatter, because you’re a fan of hers, aren’t you?

What? No.

Brooke, what did we say about lying? Narrators have to tell the true story.

…Is it that obvious?

Believe it or not, your old dad was your age once, too, and I had a few characters I liked in particular. There’s nothing wrong with that.

That’s kind of the opposite of what mom said.

There are rules we need to stick to, Brooke, but there’s rules that just get in the way.

As usual, Maddie Hatter was literally bouncing down the steps of the school library, clutching Raven’s hand. Taylor had to take the stairs two at a time not to be left behind.

Maybe Pyotr had been onto something, he thought, with how Maddie hadn’t had any reaction to another person coming along to meeting her secret source of information. Or at least, nothing coherent. The hatter’s daughter said something really fast about croquet and cottage cheese, flapped her fingers like wings, grabbed Raven and ran down the stairs, grinning like an absolute loon.

Maddie ran into the library’s basem*nt, full of dingy old books that probably even their parents had never known were down there. In the middle of the shelves was a plain wooden door with an empty sign-holder on the front. Ignoring the fact that it was unmarked, Maddie went right up to it and knocked “shave and a haircut”.

At that, a weird blue fog flowed out of the sign emplacement and engulfed the three of them, then sucked back inside, leaving no trace that anyone had been there.

When they could see again, they were in a tunnel that looked like it’d been chipped out of the rock. Piles of old books were everywhere, on the floor and in alcoves carved into the walls. A candelabra sat on top of a trunk at the end of the hall, where they could see a bent shadow cast on the wall.

Maddie informed the other teens, “If anyone knows anything about Destiny and the maaaaaagic book, it’ll be him!”

Taylor asked, “Who?”

“Him!” Maddie gushed, thrusting her arms forward dramatically as they entered the room. “Giles Grimm!”

Standing before them was a thin man with a grey beard and wild grey hair, but twinkling green eyes peered out from behind two pairs of eyeglasses. He had on a dark red peacoat with patches here and there, a ragged waistcoat and khaki pants, mismatched socks and high-top sneakers that Taylor wasn’t sure if they’d originally been grey, or if that was just because of how long he’d been down there.

Even noticing their names, it was hard to believe this gentle-looking man and the school’s stern headmaster might have had anything in common. Giles smiled genially, and bowed. “Feathers and friends, together, hello!”

“…huh?” Raven muttered.

Maddie explained, “He’s speaking Riddlish! He was cursed with a babble spell, and that makes him sound, you know, blblblblblbl!” Gigging to herself, she added, “He says, it’s nice to meet you in person.”

Raven nodded and waved to Giles, then leaned over and whispered to Maddie, “Ask him about the book. If everything would really disappear if someone didn’t sign it.”

“Okay,” Maddie said, then faced Giles, and asked him, “Can a musical chair change its tone, when the table of granite’s inscribed with a bone?”

He tapped his chin through his beard thoughtfully. “Hmm…the king who sings with pages of sky, fears too much the dawn that rises with lies!”

“He says, there’s something wrong with the book. If you don’t sign it your story will continue.”

Raven slumped against the wall and sighed. “What a relief.”

“Potentially,” Maddie added.

“What??”

She shrugged. “Riddlish is not an exact language.”

Taylor put a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Hey, we learned at least one thing. We had a place to start, now we’ve got a place to go next.”

Raven groaned. “And where’s that?”

“Something’s wrong with the Storybook of Legends, that’s what he said.”

“The security on the Storybook of Legends is tighter than all the drums in Robin Hood’s band of merry men put together,” Raven replied. “We’re just kids, Taylor.”

He gave her a knowing look. “We’re kids at school learning how to go on epic quests. An unlikely hero recovering a magic treasure happens all the time. We’ll figure something out.”

Raven sighed again, but came out of it smiling a little this time, before realizing something. “Oh, since we’re talking about magic relics, what about yours?”

Together, they turned back to Maddie and Giles, and stopped when they saw that the pair were sitting at a table that definitely hadn’t been there a second ago. Laid out across it was a velvet purple table cloth and ornate tea set, which Maddie was using to pour Giles a cup.

Ignoring the absurdity of it, Taylor held his hand over his heart, and in a flash the sword Mendyr was in his hand, and the belt around his waist. Taylor sank to one knee and offered the sword for Giles to inspect. “Sir, if there’s anything you can tell me about this, anything at all, I would be grateful. It just appeared one day, when a friend was in trouble, and I wanted the strength to help them.”

The strange-looking man picked up the sword, looking at the inscribed name in the blade for a minute. He gasped when it suddenly disappeared, and Taylor felt a sudden warmth in his heart that he took to mean the sword had returned to him. For a while, Giles sipped his tea and looked distantly at the wall.

Suddenly Maddie slurped her tea loudly, and Giles almost fell out of his chair. “Sorry,” she said, sounding apologetic but giggly at the same time. “But you were taking forever after to say anything.”

Setting down the teacup and composing himself, Giles thoughtfully said, “The sword is a cord to the fate on your plate.” He placed his hand over his heart. “A thing that grand in the palm of your hand, lets you cross the line in the sand, and make a stand.”

All of them, even Maddie, blinked at him in unison.

Giles tried to go on, “It’s a blade that’s made to be played, when hope fades.”

Both of them looked over at Maddie for some hope of clarification.

“He says it’s a symbol of heroic won’t,” she said.

“What?” Taylor sputtered, and Giles shook his head.

Maddie looked confused, which looked even weirder on her, then spoke, “Oh wait, sorry! He said heroic will!” Giles nodded, smiling faintly behind his beard. Maddie bopped the side of her head, and made her eyes roll in their sockets. “That makes a lot more sense, because heroic will’s what gets people to go do crazy/fun/crazy/amazing things!” Maddie actually sang. “It’s how Hansel and Gretel outsmarted the Candy Witch! It’s how Beauty faced the Beast! It’s how Prince what’s-his-name climbed the tower of briars for Sleeping Beauty!”

“Sounds pretty powerful,” Raven casually observed.

“It is!” Maddie agreed, and Giles nodded. “Heroic will’s the thing that lets heroes do the biggest, wiiiiiiiildest feats! It’s what lets them live up to the biggest destinies!”

“Or maybe, fight against Destiny?” Taylor whispered to Raven. To Maddie, he said, “Has Giles ever seen it work this way, before? With a sword and a belt?”

She turned around to the elderly man, and asked, “Do dragons stride, with needles at side, when hedgehogs hide?”

“Rays may cascade, but shades have displayed, I’m dismayed,” Giles said, sadly shaking his head.

“He says no.”

Taylor sighed. “That’s what I was expecting.”

After a round of tea and biscuits, and a few more impenetrable observations by Maddie, the kids packed up and headed for the stairs. Taylor went first, and disappeared into the fog emitted by the door.

Raven was about to follow, but Maddie held the dark princess back, a surprisingly concerned look on her face.

“Your friend Pyotr…does he not like me?” Maddie asked.

“What?” replied a very surprised Raven. “Where’d you hear that?”

“I hear the narrators talking about it before.”

“The…narrators.”

Maddie nodded sadly. “I want them to have a happy story to tell! But it’s hard, because it sounds like they’re having family troubles right now!”

Raven bit her lip, then clapped her hands over Maddie’s shoulders. “Well, we’re working on a happy story for them. That’s why we wanted to get information from Giles. So, you are helping the, uh…narrators have a happy story to tell.”

Again, Maddie’s face lit up, and she threw her arms around Raven. “You’re the best friend a little Wonderland girl could ask for!” she gushed.

“Of course, Maddie. Anything for a friend. Just, make sure not to tell anybody else what Taylor said today, okay?” Raven asked.

Maddie mimed locking her lips with a key and throwing it away. Without opening her lips, she mumbled something Raven couldn’t understand.

“Sorry, I didn’t get that?”

It took a little while of melodramatically straining her mouth, then gasping as the imaginary lock popped open. Once she’d caught her breath from his herculean feat, Maddie explained, “I said, I’d never call down the Spoilers on a friend! Now, you can go ahead,” Maddie said, then sank to her knees and started feeling on the ground with her fingers. “I’ll be down here a little while.”

“Why?” Raven asked, and immediately regretting.

“I have to find the key, so I can lock my lips again,” Maddie giggled. “Ah-duh!”

“…Okay. Let me know if you any…Spoilers,” Raven replied, then went upstairs after Taylor.

Wait, what just happened?

Surprised somebody down in the story can hear you, sweetie?

Well, I mean, I just didn’t think…!

It’s okay! You just ran into your first big surprise as a narrator. There’ll be others.

That means, I can—

No, Brooke, it doesn’t. Be ready to be surprised, and don’t be ashamed of having a favorite character. But never forget, we tell the story they act out. We don’t decide it for them.

No, of course, not dad. I won’t. I promise…

The time had come to strike at the real source of all the trouble.

The queen’s daughter had started to pry into the consequences of her decisions, and that needed to be stopped, immediately. Before the cracks of Raven Queen’s disobedience had a chance to spread any farther.

He picked up the completed Ride Book from his desk, the title Tyrannic Queen now inscribed into the front. Standing beside the desk, awaiting his commands, was the Witch. The Dark Mirror he had created in the Evil Queen’s image, to test another princess’s commitment.

Shaking with power waiting to be unleashed, the Ride Book flew from his hand into her body. She didn’t even flinch, but a change came over her from the infusion of new information. Her body swelled higher, her arms and fingers lengthening.

Glowing with violet fire.

Ready to show Raven Queen exactly what she could be.

Chapter 7: Dark Wings Spread

Chapter Text

Page 7 – Dark Wings Spread

Yet again, Raven Queen faced most of the students of Ever After High. Staring up at her from endless rows of seats, waiting to hear what she’d say.

“Um, I’m…I’m Raven Queen, and uh…”

A voice from the side of the stage angrily whispered, “Hocus focus, Miss Queen. Remember, this is the most important moment of your life.”

Over her shoulder, she saw the scowling face of Headmaster Grimm, waiting for her to deliver her acknowledgement speech. He wasn’t the only one: beside him was the familiar, practically glowing face of Apple White. Offering a supportive smile and an affirmative nod.

Was that only because Apple’s story depended on Raven being in it, though?

“I’m Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen—”

Half the audience recoiled in their seats at the mention of her mother.

But this time, she kept going, “—the most terrifying villain the kingdom’s ever known. I’m asked to live up to her legacy, become every inch the villain my mother was. As of right now, I vow to seize my future!”

Behind her, Apple hopped up and down and clapped her dainty hands. Headmaster Grimm narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

Her practice-declaration delivered, Raven Queen stepped back from the front of the stage. She was greeted by silence, liked she’d been expecting, but she’d also kind of been expecting someone to throw old tomatoes, and was relieved that hadn’t happened.

Sparrow Hood passed her on the way to the podium, electric guitar in hand, and Raven heard him slam a power chord on it just before she realized a giant shadowy form was looming over her. “You’re still off-script, Miss Queen,” he informed her.

“I’m sorry, Headmaster Grimm!” the dark princess apologized, and took half a step back. “I kind of…flinch when I’m confronted? All those kids looking up at me, made me nervous.”

“Well, deal with it,” Headmaster Grimm warned her. “Whoever heard of an Evil Queen who’s afraid of confrontation??” He sighed. “Unfortunately, the signing’s tomorrow, so it’ll have to do, and you’ll have to pick up those better habits in the future. Do pay attention in class.”

The headmaster looked her straight in the eye, and for just a moment, there was a flicker of light. Then it flared in Raven’s eyes, just for a moment, and Headmaster Grimm walked past her without another word.

In his seat, Taylor Valiant couldn’t focus on a word Robin Hood’s heir was singing. He felt an extremely uncomfortable itch start at the back of his neck, then seem to drip inside, down to into his heart. Taylor almost reached down to try to scratch it, catching himself when he realized how pointless that would be, and might make the magic sword appear in his hand in front of the whole school.

Even from where he was sitting, Taylor could see Headmaster Grimm having a private word with Raven. It looked like the members of their little group still had enough drama to worry about, without any of their fellow students knowing about Taylor’s sword.

Having some idea of what the sword was after talking to Giles Grimm reassured Taylor, but also worried him. If all the great stories had taught him anything, it was that having it meant he was supposed to undertake some great adventure. Which, Taylor was worried, would be beyond what Ever After High planned to teach him.

Their parents’ stories were one thing. The students knew all about what to expect from those. What was Taylor supposed to do about monsters trying to terrorize or kill students?

They were just kids!

His eyes followed Raven as she walked down from the stage and behind the seats. Taylor tried not to track her while she made her way back to the empty seat next to his, but Dexter Charming had taken the podium, and the awkward prince was stumbling over his declaration even more than Raven had.

“Loosen up, man,” Pyotr Lupus said quietly to his roommate.

“Easy for you to say,” Taylor mumbled.

“Don’t say that like you’re the only involved in all this,” Pyotr replied, and Taylor had to nod. “I’m saying, don’t let your problems get bigger than they actually are.”

Taylor snickered. “Got some family experience with that?”

Unexpectedly, Pyotr snickered along with him. “I need to know what to avoid if I’m not gonna end up like that.”

That was another thing they needed to figure out. Taylor knew a pair of kids who didn’t really want to live their parents’ lives, and another kid who was hiding the fact that her parents hadn’t lived out the lives they’d been assigned.

Just from the way Headmaster Grimm had been confronting Raven over it, Taylor was sure that was going to explode, too.

And he and his friends would probably be right in the middle of it.

He was glad when his thoughts were interrupted by Raven Queen sitting down next to him again. “Grimm’s still not happy with your speech, huh?” Taylor asked quietly.

“Apparently, Evil Queens aren’t supposed to be afraid of confrontation,” she grumbled.

Pyotr coughed into his hand. “Let’s head into town after Legacy Day practice is over,” he suggested to the others. “Get away from all this depressing junk for a while.”

Raven covered her face with her hands and sighed. “Yes. Please. I don’t even care where we go, just away from…this.”

“Promise,” Pyotr promised. “I’ve got something great in mind.”

“Wow. That kind of worries me,” Taylor admitted.

“I may talk loud, but this tongue does not lie. I am not my dad,” Pyotr stated, and Raven smiled a little, as if reassured.

It seemed to have faded once she realized where they were going.

Papa G’s Game Den looked a lot like the gaming stores Raven had seen before. Seen, but never gone inside. In the tall windows facing the street, there were displays showing action figures of knights and gallant princes, posed as if locked in mortal combat with action figures of dragons and black-clad sorcerers. Above those, a dangling cardboard sign declared, “War Kingdom Saga played here!”

“…so, this is it, then?” Raven inquired. “A comic book store.”

“That’s not what we’re here for,” Pyotr assured her. “Ray, I promise I’ll make you a War Kingdoms hero.”

“The card game is?” suggested Taylor, pointing at the sign in the window.

He nodded and grinned like a demon.

“Oh, no!” Raven said and turned around, her cheeks turning the slightest pink of embarrassment.

“Hear me out, guys!” Pyotr said. “This game takes skill, and concentration. You have to learn a lot to get good at it. You won’t be able to think about Headmaster Grimm or Legacy Day at all!”

Taylor laughed and rubbed his forehead, but realized Raven was laughing softly too. “You know what, yeah! Show me how to play,” she answered, and swept past the two into the store.

The Game Den wasn’t a particularly big place, with racks of comic books dominating most of the floor, while boxed games lined most of the walls. Images of monsters were stuck to the walls above the shelves, looking ready to do battle with whoever were the heroes of the comics their art was taken from. Behind the counter in the back, though, painting a miniature figure, was a dark-skinned, spindly-limbed man with a mop curly brown hair.

Seeing them, the proprietor set down his project and beamed a smile at them. “Welcome, esteemed colleagues!” the man said.

“Hi, Pino! How’s it going?” Pyotr responded, before he looked over his shoulder at his friends. “Everybody, meet Pinocchio himself.”

“Wow, no kidding?” exclaimed Taylor. “I…wow, well, I didn’t expect you to be running a…”

“Place like this?” Pinocchio finished for him, smile undiminished. “I wanted to branch out after my girl left for school, and be close at the same time so she wouldn’t get too overwhelmed. You’ve got to understand, she’s not like the other girls there.”

“We might know better than you think, sir,” Taylor said quietly.

He laughed. “Don’t call me sir, I work for a living! Now, you guys must be here looking for some fun! Who are your friends, P, and what are you guys looking for today?”

Pyotr leaned on the counter with one arm and extended the other toward his friends. “P-Hammer, meet Taylor, and Raven. I promised I’d make her a War Kingdoms hero.”

Fixing Pyotr with a dubious stare, Pinocchio asked, “Is that exactly how you talked her into it? Telling her she’d be a ‘War Kingdoms hero’?”

“Maybe,” Pyotr replied.

The proprietor slapped the counter and let out a laugh. “You really did! That’s a good one!”

However, Pyotr was giving him a confused look. “Are you sure you’re really Pinocchio?”

“Why?”

“Your nose is still the same size after that lie.”

“This way, heroes,” Pinocchio said with a sarcastic smirk, over to a section of the wall where packs of cards in shiny wrappers hung from peg hooks. “Will the gallant Sir Pyotr Lupus be buying his fellow warrior a starter deck?” Pyotr nodded, so he went on, “What’ll it be?”

Tapping his chin for a second, Pyotr suggested, “How about…sun, for her?”

“Good choice,” observed Pinocchio, before he took a pack off its hook and headed back to the register to ring it up.

A very worried look settled on Pyotr’s face when he looked down at his hand, and looked back up to see what card Raven had pulled from hers.

“Stone of Duality,” she said confidently. “It says that means I get to assign a second element to my Cloud Dragon from it growing another head.”

“…yeah, that’s right,” Pyotr conceded, and heard a snide little laugh from behind the counter. “What element you gonna pick?”

“Fire!” Raven automatically replied, but reached for her hand and laid down another card below the other. “And I also play this one, Winds of Providence. That makes my forces so fast, two get to attack in a round instead of one.”

He didn’t respond, and Raven took her opponent’s silence as confirmation she wasn’t breaking any rules. “So, that means,” she went on, “I’m using both my Crusading Fairy and Two-Headed Cloud Dragon to attack.”

“Black Iron Walls have a defense of 500,” Pyotr said, but his voice was hollow as Raven started figuring out the math behind her attack.

“Blazing Sword takes off 150,” Raven replied.

Taylor made another lap around the store. He picked up a comic book that looked halfway-decent, flicked through a few pages, and put it back in disinterest. With no other options, he went to the back counter, going around a couple of boys whispering excitedly to each other about something, and leaned next to the register.

“Not finding anything you like?” Pinocchio asked him.

“Pyotr said he’d play me next, but it looks like Raven’s better at this than he was expecting, and the game’s going a lot longer,” Taylor explained.

Pinocchio shrugged, and when he did, Taylor could’ve sworn he heard the clatter of wood. He leaned over the counter and quietly said to the teen, “That one’s pretty ruthless. Given her family, I’m not surprised she already knows a thing or two about conquering her enemies.”

“Raven’s not like that, though. She hates the idea of being like her mom,” Taylor replied. “Hex, she’s been in trouble with the headmaster over that.”

Smiling teasingly, Pinocchio slapped Taylor on the shoulder. “It’s just a game, kid.”

Looking over at the table where his friends were playing, Taylor watched Pyotr take the cards of all his monsters out from in front of him and put them on his discard pile. Next he rolled the counter representing his life points down to zero, and threw the cards in his hand down on the table with a sigh.

Across the table, Raven smiled confidently. Taylor thought he could see a flicker of light in her eyes while she gathered up her cards.

And for the briefest of moments, he felt a painful itch right in the center of his heart.

A tense silence covered the school library like a blanket. Future heroes and princesses studied under the judgmental eye of the Wicked Step-Librarians, but around a distant table on the second floor, thoughts were on other matters.

Ashlynn Ella cast worried glances in the direction of the front desk every few minutes, since, after all, one of the librarians would be the antagonist of her story one day, and she was sure they were already looking for reasons to form a grudge.

Did they have to do it while she was still in school, though?

An alabaster-white hand reached across the table and touched hers comfortingly. “Relax, Ash. I won’t let anything happen while we’re here. That’s a promise,” smiled Apple White.

If anything, Ashlynn looked just as much the classic princess as her friend, Apple. Mesmerizing green eyes. Creamy pink skin. A cascade of pumpkin-colored hair hanging down to her waist, contrasting magnificently with the pale blue and pink of her dress. And, of course, glass slippers polished to perfect transparency.

She’d always wondered about those, and asked her mom about wearing them all the time, if it was supposed to be special when she wore the glass slippers to the royal ball. Cinderella had told her it was a great way for a young princess to learn poise. Considering the consequences, Ashlynn couldn’t really argue…

Eager to change the subject, Ashlynn whispered, “You think she finally changed her mind?”

“What?” Apple whispered back. “I couldn’t hear you.”

“You couldn’t hear me because Briar’s snoring already.”

Indeed, Sleeping Beauty’s heir was slumped over her textbook, eyes clamped shut and snoring as only a master could. To her friends, the dozing princess appeared to be little more than a pretty face peeking out of a mass of luxurious auburn hair with the odd streak of rosy pink, and they were slightly glad for the noise, as it meant they wouldn’t be overheard.

Although they might have trouble hearing each other, it seemed.

Carefully looking around to make sure the librarians weren’t around, Ashlynn asked again, “You think she finally changed her mind?”

Apple beamed when she understood the question the second time. “Raven said she’s going to seize her future!”

Sighing quietly, Ashlynn answered, “That doesn’t mean she promised to sign the Storybook of Legends, though.”

“What else could it mean?” Apple persisted. Without meaning to, it seemed, her fingers curled slightly around Ashlynn’s wrist. Surprised, Ashlynn met Apple’s eyes. They were wide open, quivering ever-so-slightly in fear.

“I heard what she said too, Apple. But I really don’t think that proves Raven’s decided to go evil after all,” Ashlynn tried to explain to her friend. “Who are those kids she’s been hanging out with? Taylor Valiant and Pyotr Lupus, right? No way they’re in the villain curriculum.”

“Ashlynn, I need her,” Apple whispered. “I’m Snow White’s daughter, everyone’s going depend on me someday. I can’t let everything go poof.”

When she heard her friend say that, Ashlynn looked away. “Maybe it’s not that bad,” she said, strangely quietly.

“What?” Apple asked. Briar’s snoring seemed to have gotten even louder.

Slightly louder, Ashlynn repeated, “I said, maybe it’s not that bad.”

“What do you mean?”

Their eyes met again for a second, and the look in Apple’s eyes had grown even worse. From nervous, to desperate. Ashlynn was afraid to say what she felt needed to be said, with how dedicated Apple was to getting her story, and how hard it was turning out to get Apple’s costar onboard.

“I just mean, maybe Raven has a point? Maybe it’s not the end of the world if we do something different than our stories?” Ashlynn replied with a sigh.

Suddenly a ruler smacked down on the table between them, and Ashlynn and Apple pulled their hands back in surprise. One of the librarians was standing over them. Giving the two princesses an extremely stern look, she held up a bony finger to her lips and loudly shushed them. Then she skulked off into the shelves to find any other misbehaving students.

That was the end of that conversation.

Is your mother around?

No, dad, she’s still out. You’re asking because the girls in the story are talking about if Destiny’s important, right?

Can’t fool you, can I, Brooke?

Well, I mean, it isn’t it? I looked ahead a couple times, and saw what the characters would do.

Let me tell you a little secret, honey.

…okay.

I asked myself about whether the stories can change when I was about your age. And I looked ahead too. But then I looked ahead again, and things were different.

…what?

It’s the truth. The only time I’ve ever seen that stop happening, was after one of the characters signed the Storybook of Legends, and bound themselves to Destiny.

So that means things won’t go poof, if someone doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends??

I don’t know, sweetie. That’s never happened since I started the same training you’re taking now. But I’m sure of one thing: that not everything’s set in stone. Not even in the world of fairytales.

Soon the students started trickling back into the dorms, some to tackle their thronework, some to ignore it. Raven, Taylor and Pyotr stopped in the entry hall.

“That was fun! We need to play again soon,” Raven said, a slightly wicked smile on her dark lips. “See you guys later!” she said with a wave as she headed to the girls’ side.

Pyotr just stared at her back until she disappeared up the stairs, chewing his lip and knitting his brow. Finally, he muttered, “I don’t get it.”

“Get what?” Taylor prompted his roommate.

Shrugging, Pyotr didn’t say anything until the common room was a little emptier, then took Taylor to a table in the corner talk quietly. “Raven took to that game like it was nothing,” he told Taylor. “I barely had to explain anything to her, and she couldn’t have spent more than five minutes reading the rules.”

“So? How long did it take you?” Taylor asked.

“It took me half an hour reading the rule booklet for it to start making sense,” answered Pyotr. “And I didn’t win a single time until my seventh game.”

“Maybe she just learns fast.”

Sighing and shaking his head, Pyotr replied, “Maybe man, but I don’t know. When we were playing, after she started winning, I swear Raven started seeming just plain…vicious. I know it hasn’t been long, but I’ve never seen her like that. Honestly, it kind of worried me.”

Taylor folded his arms and looked down at his hands, making an uncertain noise in his throat. “Maybe you’re right,” he said under his breath. “When you guys were playing, I thought I saw something funny in her eyes. And there was this pain in my heart…just for a second, but maybe it was something after all.”

They stopped talking when they saw someone coming over to them: it was Cerise Hood, a slightly worried look on her face. “Hey guys, what are you talking about?” she asked.

“We’re…we’re worried something might up with Raven,” Taylor said behind his hand. “She seemed kind of…what was the word you said?”

“Vicious.”

“Right, vicious, when she was playing a card game with Pyotr before,” Taylor explained.

One of Cerise’s eyebrows rose, dubiously. “A card game? Are you guys serious?”

Taylor shrugged. “Can we afford to just blow it off, with all the other stuff that’s happened since the year started? Apple White got attacked too, didn’t you hear?”

Cerise waved her hands for them to lower their voices, and pulled up another chair to try to look like they were all just having a normal conversation. “Okay, sure. Let’s assume maybe that isn’t Raven. Who is it, then? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Taylor admitted. “But the Dark Mirrors tried going after Apple White, and that didn’t work. I’ve got a feeling they’ll try something big next, to hit us back even harder.”

He leaned back in surprise when Cerise suddenly thumped the table with her hand. “This is just another story, right? And the hero always figures out how to save the day just in time,” she declared.

“That’s the way Headmaster Grimm and that Keeper want it,” Taylor replied.

“Why can’t it be that way for us, too? Just, different,” she smiled across the table at him. “These are our futures! Let’s make them the way we want!”

Taylor asked, “You saying we should just rebel against the system?”

Cerise grinned and clenched her fists in front of her shoulders. “Yeah! Let’s do it! Let’s be rebels!”

Her door opened, and Apple White saw something that shocked her.

Right before she forced herself to hold in a squee of joy.

Sitting on the evil throne Apple had gotten for her was Raven Queen. Inscribing dark runes in the air, making the answers to her math thronework form on the paper in front of her.

“Oh, Raven!” Apple gushed, clasping her dainty hands together. “So…you like the throne, after all.”

“I’m trying it out,” Raven affirmed.

Apple bit her lip and tried to casually make her way over to Raven’s side of the room. “Does that mean you’re okay with your story now?”

The dark princess looked up from her papers, and a plume of violet fire covered her eyes for a second. “Wouldn’t it be more evil to keep you in suspense?” she grinned like a demon. A real one, Apple thought.

It made a cold chill run up her spine.

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” Apple replied. “It’s, uh, good to see you embracing your role. What’s that you’re drinking?”

“Tea,” Raven replied, holding up the mug of bubbling purple brew. “Want me to make you some?” she asked, just before a wisp of dark steam drifted up and curled itself into the shape of a skull.

“That’s okay…I’ll just let you get back to work.” Apple slunk back to her side of the room to start her own thronework, looking the other way as hard as she possibly could.

The next day, a lot of the student body slept in. Classes were cancelled, since something huge was planned for that afternoon.

It was finally Legacy Day, where they were each expected sign the Storybook of Legends, magically linking themselves to their family’s Destiny. To officially herald the beginning of a new cycle of all the great stories.

A time that a Destiny fanatic like the Keeper and his Dark Mirrors were unlikely indeed to ignore.

Everyone in the dorm got dressed up; when they passed Daring Charming coming out of his suite, a dozen gold-plated cans of hairspray rolled into the hall. Even Taylor and Pyotr had to admit he’d absolutely crushed his look: the prince’s hair actually glowed gold.

Once again, the student body flowed out onto the open meeting area behind the school, and found seats while they waited for the ceremony to get started. Taylor and Pyotr looked around for Raven, only to spot her and Apple White already standing on the stage with Headmaster Grimm. Standing with them was a girl with waves of blonde hair, after which she was named: Blondie Lockes, the girl who’d basically made a career out of reporting on all the school news. Of course she’d be on-stage covering everything on Legacy Day.

Apple was wearing a white ballgown, looking appropriately radiant for Snow White’s daughter, but Taylor had seen her everywhere since he was a teen and didn’t really notice, in favor of the girl next to her. Raven was wearing a black and purple evening gown, and a platinum tiara studded with purple stones of three or four shades. She looked like a true princess, he couldn’t help thinking. Something about her was off, though: that cunning smirk on her ebony-shaded lips was a little too real for Taylor.

“Move it!” somebody yelled behind him, and Taylor realized he’d just been standing in the aisle. He looked for an open seat, and spotted Cerise Hood waving the two of them over. Even she was dressed up, wearing a velvet hood with white fur trim, over a short, clingy red dress dangling with a lot of chains.

“Uh, hey, Cerise, I like your outfit,” Taylor said when he slid into the empty seat next to her.

She shrugged. “I just have it for dumb formal things like this.”

Pyotr chuckled, “You’re not the only one, Cerise. We got held up because Taylor was checking out Raven on the stage.”

“Oh?”

“It wasn’t like that!” Taylor said defensively. “She had this really weird look on her face, and…”

Suddenly, Pyotr’s face was serious. “Really? I can’t tell from here. Maybe I need new contacts?” He held his hand over his eyes and squinted. “If something’s wrong with Raven, then I bet that Keeper guy’s got something to do with it.”

“But what do we do?” Taylor asked.

“We keep an eye out for trouble and deal with it,” Pyotr answered.

“That’s easy for you to say,” Taylor replied. Part of him approved of his friends’ passion to fight for their future, but another part—the one that had not long ago been taking repeated jump kicks from a giant grasshopper—was afraid they didn’t appreciate the dangers they were determined to face. Yes, Taylor’s father had outsmarted giants and mystical beasts, but that had been with the benefit of a full education in doing that kind of thing.

No-one knew much about his power, or anything about the Dark Mirrors. They were figuring everything out as they went along, and they were just kids. They shouldn’t be asked to deal with something like Dark Mirrors, should they?

“We’re at school to learn how to do stuff like face evil, right, T?” Pyotr asked back.

“We haven’t even started learning stuff like that!” Taylor hissed.

“Will you guys be quiet??” hissed another boy behind them. Taylor and Pyotr did shut up, focusing on the stage as Raven Queen stepped up to the podium where the Storybook of Legends rested, as she had many times at practice during the week. This time, she moved with an elegance her friends had never really seen before. She clutched the edges of the podium, and opened her mouth to speak.

“Hi, everybody!” she smiled. “I’m Raven Queen. A lot of you have probably heard of me, and my mom. Dragon Games champion of her class. Poisoned Snow White. Cursed Wonderland. So evil she was magically sealed inside a mirror to prevent her from making anymore conquests. Everyone’s expecting me to live up to her legacy.

“Those are pretty big boots to fill!” the dark princess laughed. A long, sinister laugh and as she did the very sky above seemed to get darker. “If you think about it, I have to work a lot harder to make this story worker than my ‘costar’! What does she have to do, besides eat an apple??”

That got an extremely uncomfortable laugh from Apple herself, and a few scattered across the audience. Moving quickly, Apple stepped forward from where she’d been waiting and whispered to Raven, “Maybe going a little overboard, there, Raven?”

“How are you supposed to get your Happily Ever After without an Evil Queen? I’m just doing what you wanted,” Raven reminded her, grinning wickedly, and turning to face the other students again. Suddenly a pair of black feathery wings unfolded from her back, and a powerful flap launched her into the air.

For a long moment of painful silence, she looked down at the assembled students while hovering in midair, her body starting to give off a purple glow. Having savored it long enough, Raven suddenly dropped back onto the stage, where she picked up the Storybook of Legends. A black key formed in her gloved hand, and she smiled again, more subdued this time. Purple fire danced around her eyes as she said, “If you all thing I’m nothing but an Evil Queen, that’s what you’ll get! I Raven Queen, swear to uphold the legacy of my mother, the tyrant of the kingdom!”

She inserted it into the lock and gave it a twist. By magic, the book swung open to her page, and Raven grabbed the quill resting on the podium for each student to sign their name.

All of a sudden there was a flash of gold, and Pyotr saw Taylor holding his magical sword.

He was about to ask what Taylor thought he was doing, but he and everyone else saw it too. A shiny black shell was crawling over her arms and up her neck. As it covered her face her eyes became two glowing purple gemstones that burned with a purple fire. It crawled over her hair, which climbed into a towering up do.

Now, Raven Queen was almost the spitting image of her mother.

Even worse, she was transformed into a Dark Mirror.

“Raven, stop!” Apple screamed. “Something’s wrong with you! This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!”

“This is exactly how it’s supposed to be!” Raven laughed. “How did you expect to be a heroine without a villain??”

“Not like this!” Apple protested. She grabbed Raven’s arm holding the quill, to keep her from signing under circ*mstances like these. Raven tossed a pair of Ride Books onto the stage, which surged up into a pair of Dark Mirrors: the Grasshopper and a Soldier Ant. Effortlessly, the giant insects grabbed Apple’s arms and dragged the princess away from their leader.

Panic quickly descended on the area. Students fled back into the school, now convinced this wasn’t just part of the show. Daring Charming and a few of his most diehard fans from the hero curriculum formed a rear guard that made sure everyone else made it back into the building before following, and having to drag Blondie Lockes off with them. Headmaster Grimm was still on the stage, cut off from the school by Raven Queen and her summoned minions. Looking on in awe, mouth agape, seemingly unsure of whether to be afraid or gratified he was finally getting what he’d wanted out of the Evil Queen’s daughter.

With fingers that’d turned into long spikes of black glass, Raven grabbed the quill from the podium and was bringing it to the Storybook of Legends to sign her name. All at once a giant glittering needle whipped through the air, stabbed through the center of the book and whipped it out of her hands. She looked up with an angered snarl, seeing the magical book resting in the arm of a boy in white armor.

“The mighty Mendyr shows himself,” she observed.

“I don’t know who you are,” he said quietly, “or why you keep terrorizing us, but I won’t let this go any farther.”

“You think you’re some kind of hero, don’t you?” Raven said, her voice almost completely hidden behind a monstrous buzz by that point. “You want the whole world to disappear, so you can save one girl from signing for her destiny?”

Mendyr quietly replied, “What good’s a hero who’d save a broken system, and not a victim of the system?”

Worrying him, Raven smiled gently and stepped back from the edge of the stage. “Get the book,” she ordered her minions. The other Dark Mirrors let go of Apple White before jumping down off the stage, and Raven grabbed her by the arm instead.

Mendyr surprised his enemies by charging right through the two giant bugs, then at the edge of the stage, he called out, “Cerise, go long!” Then he threw the Storybook of Legends with all his might. It sailed across the platform and a girl in a red hood caught it.

“What do I do with it??” she yelled to Mendyr.

“Take it somewhere safe! Don’t tell me where, just go!” he yelled back. Cerise gave him the thumbs up, before dashing back inside school with everyone else. He hoped she was thinking of someplace far away from it, though.

He had his own problems to worry about, though. The Soldier Ant monster rushed him, mandibles dripping with acid. He stood completely still until the bug was almost on top of him, then lashed out with a kick against the Ant’s waist. The Dark Mirror doubled over in pain, but Mendyr only pressed his attack, slashing his sword once, twice, three times into his enemy’s torso. The Soldier Ant went down hard, gurgling pain through a mouthful of formic acid.

The kick had barely connected before the Grasshopper took an arcing leap at Mendyr. When Grasshopper came down, spindly leg aimed at Mendyr’s stomach, suddenly the masked warrior held up a Ride Book and opened it. Charge Unicorn erupted out of it, catching Grasshopper on its horn and carrying the giant bug back the way it had come, pinning him to the edge of the stage.

“Not bad,” Raven admitted. “But how long can you keep it up?”

“Try me and see.”

Her expression was totally impressive as she said, “Deal with him, then find that girl with the book.” Hearing that, her monsters pulled themselves upright and circled around Mendyr. Behind his mask, he whistled, and Charge Unicorn lived up to its name by dashing off the stage, knocking the Ant aside as it went, and stopping at Mendyr’s side.

Hastily he threw himself into the glittering creature’s saddle, just before Grasshopper had gotten to his feet and jumped at them.

“Let’s see if you’ve learned anything since last time, friend,” Mendyr whispered to the unicorn.

Just in time Charge Unicorn started its gallop, running in an arc to the side and his foot only smashed stone. As they passed, Mendyr made a ferocious slash, his narrow but sharp blade cutting deep into the Dark Mirror’s armored skin.

The Soldier Ant had gotten up by then and was scuttling at Mendyr on all fours. His segmented body twitched horribly before he spat a glob of hissing acid. Charge Unicorn just lowered its head, horn glowing, and firing off a beam of radiant light that cut through the acid and sliced into the Dark Mirror’s head.

A mighty leap carried Charge Unicorn and its rider over the stunned Soldier Ant. It skidded to a stop across, facing the pair of giant bugs. Mendyr slid the blade of his weapon into his belt, charging it for a great attack.

“Miracle Threading!”

He threw his sword, piercing Soldier Ant’s torso, then Grasshopper’s, before the tip lodged itself in the wall.

“DO YOU MIND NOT VANDALIZING MY SCHOOL?!” Headmaster Grimm bellowed, indignation breaking through his fear.

Mendyr ignored him for the moment, focusing only on the Dark Mirror monsters he was staring down. Instead he jumped high, and the spool in the hilt of his sword started reeling in the thread attached to his wrist.

“Threadwork Winding Kick!” exclaimed his buckle.

The thread being pulled in added speed and power to Mendyr’s kick. First his foot crashed into Solder Ant’s body, then Grasshopper’s. There was a blast of light, and when it cleared after a second, the monsters were gone. A sizable dent and an even larger scorch mark was all that remained.

Headmaster Grimm clutched the sides of his head in horror.

“That was fableous!” Apple White cheered, thrusting her hands up in the air.

“Exactly like the prince you hope comes for you, right?” Raven taunted her.

The smile faded from Apple’s face after being reminded.

Raven faced down Mendyr, who was silently staring at her too from the back of his mount. “You’re not bad, Sir Knight,” she said evenly.

“You’d know, Raven,” he answered. “But I’m not talking to Raven Queen right now, am I?”

“Of course you are,” she said calmly. “Raven Queen with nothing getting in the way of her full potential. Why don’t I show you?”

Her hands started to glow with purple fire, but Mendyr had expected this too, and replaced the book in his belt with Apple of Passion. “Turn the page!” he yelled defiantly as he pulled his sword free from his buckle, unleashing the power of this new Ride Book. Red energy passed over his armor, and the blade of Sevener transformed into the chain of the mace named Apfel.

Mendyr whirled his mace above his head as soon as he held it. Power accumulated as it spun, turning the chain and then the spiked head white. Raven lowered her palms at him and a jet of dark flames flew from them, while he stopped spinning his weapon and launched it at her instead. The glowing mace slowly pushed through the clouds of flame, its glow gradually fading as the powers fought against each other. Raven was clenching her teeth as she poured more strength into her magic.

Just as suddenly as Mendyr’s attack that destroyed her minions, there was a burst of energy and the conflict hand ended. At the edge of the stage, now blackened by the heat from Raven’s fire, the dark princess was panting for breath. As fast as he could, Mendyr wound in his weapon and got ready to defend himself again,

It wouldn’t happen that time, though. Instead Raven pulled another Ride Book out of her dress and tossed it on the ground, and it formed into a giant black bird. The dark princess grabbed Apple White and Headmaster Grimm by a wrist and she climbed on its back, then the bird beat its large wings and took to the air.

“You’re a worthy challenge, Mendyr!” Raven called over her shoulder as the bird flew away from the school, toward the darkening forest. “But next time we meet, you’ll see what an Evil Queen can really come up with!”

“I hope I can save the part of you that’s not an Evil Queen,” Mendyr whispered to himself.

Against that, the power of his heroic will suddenly seemed very dim…

Chapter 8: Four Hearts in Synch

Chapter Text

Page 8 – Four Hearts in Synch

Last chapter we saw Legacy Day, which had quite the surprising revelation.

No kidding! Raven Queen went full evil, and kidnapped Apple White!

That’s right. You don’t have to get so excited, though.

Mom, what are you talking about?! Since when is Raven supposed to kidnap Apple and fly away with her on Legacy Day??

You’re getting too involved in the story again, Brooke.

Oh, sorry, mom. I’ll be sure to stay calm when a nice girl suddenly turns evil and kidnaps her roommate!

Villains kidnap beautiful maidens in lots of stories. It doesn’t make any sense to panic every single time it happens.

What kind of person just stays calm when someone’s in trouble, mom??

A narrator, Brooke.

Keeping one eye on the giant bird winging its way toward the Enchanted Forest, Mendyr raised his mirrorphone to his ear, and let out a soft sigh of relief when he heard the sound of his call being picked up.

“How’d it go??” Cerise asked, sounding out of breath.

“Not so good,” Mendyr replied while he kept following the bird with his eyes. “Watch out for a big bird: Raven’s on it, and I’m worried she might be coming to get the book.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll never find where I put it,” Cerise said, oozing her usual well-earned confidence.

At first he didn’t reply, distracted by treeing to see where Raven’s bird was coming down as it disappeared into the tree line. Once it was out of sight, he told Cerise, “It’s heading into the forest. I’m going after it, to try to save Raven and Apple.”

“Headmaster Grimm too, right?”

“Eh…”

Cerise laughed, then added, “I’ll meet you there!”

Immediately a part of him wanted to warn her to stay away. Go somewhere safe while he dealt with the monsters.

But the realistic part of him forced him to face the realization she’d never listen, so he just said, “You think you can catch me?”

“You wanna make that a bet?”

“…some other night, Cerise,” Mendyr said. He whipped Charge Unicorn’s reins and without any hesitation it jumped the railing behind the stage. Its metal hooves dug into the slope of the mountain on which the school rest and it skied roughly down the side.

On the other end of the call, Cerise admitted, “Yeah, some other night.”

Another few seconds, and Charge Unicorn had hit the bottom. Mendyr steered his mount toward the place where he’d seen the giant bird descend. “And Cerise?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

Then he hung up, put his mirrorphone away, and headed into the forest.

Dark Mirrors, “heroic will” that could give an ordinary kid like him awesome powers, and now something that had taken over his friend’s body and turned her into a villain.

Monsters, witches, magic, quests, he knew about those. Everyone did. But everything that’d been happening since the start of school…where was it all coming from? Why now?

Why them?

Holding on tight, Mendyr rode into the forest, hopefully in search of answers.

Meanwhile, the bird circled the middle of the forest, while Raven stood right between its wings. Hands held high while she focused her magic, and a part of the forest seemed to blur, and then a high black tower was just there, as if it had always been, a number of smaller towers surrounding the largest. One more pass, and the giant bird landed on the highest roof.

“Not exactly the trap the story says you fall into, but it’ll do while I’m figuring things out,” Raven said. She grabbed Apple’s dainty wrist and dragged her off the bird’s back. The princess stumbled after her, to the trap door leading into the tower.

“You know, after being taken to the top of a tower two times in a row, I’m getting tired of it,” Apple said pointedly.

Raven turned back to smile at her as they descended the stairs, and her teeth were just a solid white mass in a mouth of smooth black glass. Apple quivered slightly with how unsettled the sight made her, but stopped when she felt Raven’s glassy fingers cut into her skin.

“Last time,” she said, “I made the mistake of trying to convince you to see things my way. This time, we’ll make sure things happen the right way, as soon as I have the Storybook of Legends back. Then you’ll get to live your story just the way you wanted.”

“This is not the way I wanted,” Apple retorted.

“Then you didn’t think hard enough about what you were getting.”

They stopped at a doorway, which Raven threw open, before she threw Apple inside. There was nothing on the other side of the door but a plain stone room, with a flickering torch in a sconce in one corner. Its opposite wall had a triangular window with no glass or bars, and Apple peered out. Only to see she was at least fifty feet up, and the trees below didn’t look like they’d offer the softest landing.

“Maybe if you had a ladder of hair to climb, your hero could get in that way, but I think that’s a different princess,” Raven taunted. “But you’re the next Snow White, so sit tight, and I’ll come get you whenever I have the magic book back.”

So saying, she slammed the door and locked it behind her.

Leaving Apple to sit with her back against the wall, and cry into her palms.

A forceful kick knocked the doors to Ever After High’s back platform wide open, and Daring Charming sprang through, glistening sword and shield in hand. Quickly glancing around, it didn’t take long to see the signs that a fight had occurred there very recently, but in saving the crowd first, he’d missed it.

“Hello? Apple? Headmaster Grimm? Anyone?”

Peering through the doors were a few other students, trying to see what there was to see after all the noise had died down. One of them was Pyotr Lupus, scanning everything with his phone, and trying to get a response from the hexts to his friends.

“DID YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY DITCH ME”

Bubbles appeared in the group hext from Cerise. A few seconds later, came the response: “t sent me 2 hide teh buk idk what happened after”

Furiously, Pyotr hexted again, “T R U THERE ANSWR PLZ”

An answer arrived, but it wasn’t from Taylor. Cerise’s reponse read: “we have to go fight raven stay safe”

Dropping his hands to his sides, Pyotr gave a defeated sigh.

A pull of the reins slowed Charge Unicorn’s courageous gallop through the forest to a stop. He could see a dark tower rising up through the trees, and had no doubt that was where Raven was hiding out now.

Where she was holding Apple White.

And Headmaster Grimm, too, probably.

Mendyr started Charge Unicorn in a cautious walk in a circle around the small fortress, looking for possible ways in. It might be possible to fight his way in, he fully realized, but he’d been raised to solve his problems with his brains. “Any brute can pick up a club, but it’s the man who can trick an enemy into clubbing himself, that’s truly a hero among heroes,” Taylor Sr. had been saying since his son was old enough to understand.

Unless, of course, Raven knew that, and was planning on using it against him.

A strange thought occurred to him, and he put his hand over the mirrorphone in his belt before he stopped himself.

Still, he took it out and opened his contacts, and almost tapped his dad’s number.

The Enchanted Forest was a dead zone for phone coverage, he remembered even before he checked and confirmed he was getting zero bars. Had to make sure all the quests that happened inside it placed their heroes in some true danger. That they’d be on their own except for any allies they were destined to make on their journey.

Raven had probably worked that into her plan.

Chasing down monsters had been one thing. He’d been entering danger to help someone in need, like everyone brought up to be the hero of a story was supposed to do. But this…this was storming into the stronghold of an evildoer.

He really wanted to talk to his dad before doing this. Tell the old man something about what was going on, and get some words of encouragement before penetrating the citadel of evil. Hear something about how he could possibly be expected to go in there.

And fight his best friend.

But that wasn’t going to happen, and he had to figure it out all by himself.

Suddenly his mount stopped and jerked its head to the side, causing Mendyr to look backward. What he saw made him freeze: a ball of light floating in midair, making a hostile grinding noise as it came closer. Wondering what kind of Dark Mirror was about to attack, he unwound his mace from his belt, only to realize it was the headlight of a moped.

On it, he half-expected to see Cerise Hood, admitting she couldn’t make it as fast as he could on Charge Unicorn. Instead, he was surprised to see Blondie Lockes unmasking herself when she exposed her namesake hairstyle by taking off her helmet.

“You don’t look like any knight I’ve ever seen,” she immediately observed. “Are you Apple White’s prince?”

“…what?” the surprised Mendyr could only reply.

She held out her mirrorphone, no doubt recording him and all his reactions for her news segment. “It’s obvious!” Blondie giggled. “Apple White got kidnapped! You must’ve come out to rescue her! That must mean you’re her prince, aren’t you?” Without waiting for an answer, Blondie continued her verbal barrage. “What’s your name, Sir Knight? Where did you get that suit of armor? Why haven’t I heard of you before? I thought all the princes wanted an audience for their heroics.”

“I don’t really know where the armor came from,” he replied, managing to get over a little of his bewilderment. “As for wanting an audience, I’m kind of shy?”

Blondie giggled again when she heard his answer. “Shy? What kind of hero’s shy?”

“…Me?” Mendyr tried to retort. “What are you doing out here, miss, chasing down a powerful villain?”

“Going where the news is,” Blondie said, in the most casual voice in the kingdom.

Mendyr shook his head, and told her, “Well, you can hear all about it later, back at school. Where it’s safe,” with added emphasis on the last word.

But she shook her own head. Still smiling, Blondie replied, “Not unless you make sure I go back. And you probably can’t take the time to do that, when there’s already a damsel in distress needing rescue.”

Again he shook his head, sighing this time, which only made Blondie’s expression even more confident. “All right, but you’ll need to make sure to stay back when something dangerous shows up.”

Shrugging, but her grin staying exactly as wide, Blondie next asked him, “So, what’s your grand plan for rescuing the princess, sir?”

“I’m figuring that out right now. Come with me and maybe we’ll figure one out together.

This is really weird to watch.

It shouldn’t be. A hero’s coming to the aid of someone in trouble. A storyteller’s coming along to make sure the story’s known.

But they’re doing something really dangerous, mom! Blondie shouldn’t be following him like that, when she knows something bad could happen!

That’s the nature of stories and their heroes. Doing brave things, even dangerous things, to achieve their goals.

Yeah, mom.

Sounds like you’re getting a little too attached to the characters, again.

It’s not weird to get attached to the characters in a story you like, mom.

You’re not a reader, Brooke, you’re a narrator. Remember that.

They’d almost completed their circle around the fortress, there appeared to be few entrances. One that stood out to Mendyr was a lower tower, which he thought, just maybe, he might be able to reach with his mace…

“Okay, I think I see a way up,” he told Blondie. “If only I can get this chain long enough…”

Motioning for Blondie to stand back, he whirled Apfel above his head. Soon it was glowing white, and Mendyr brought it behind his back and swung it upward as hard as he could. Just as he was expecting, its chain pulled itself longer and longer while the ball stretched into the sky. Arcing slightly, it sailed up, hit the roof of the tower, and caught itself on the edge of the parapet.

A sharp tug proved it was secure, so Mendyr looped the grip through his belt and pulled himself off the ground. Before he started his climb for real, he gave Blondie Lockes a look. “You still have the chance to head back to the school, instead of sneaking into the evil lair.”

“No way! While everybody else is wondering else what happened, I’m gonna be finding out!” she retorted with a smile that bordered on oblivious.

Mendyr sighed, but said, “You better grab onto my shoulders, and hold on tight.”

That’s what she did. It was no strain on Mendyr with the power his armor afforded him, but this still wasn’t how he would’ve wanted to sneak into an evil sorceress’s stronghold.

Then again, he supposed there wasn’t really a perfect way to sneak into a castle of evil.

No matter what the stories said.

With that thought, he started his climb up the wall. Unaware of the dark shapes crawling out of the shadows below.

XXX

Taylor, Blondie, watch out!

…

What am I doing? I know he can’t hear me…but, what if…?

For the briefest of moments, Mendyr felt a strange trembling. Above him, he heard something crack, and crawled out of the way as quick as he could when he saw a piece of the wall falling their way.

But out of reflex, he watched it fall past them. All the way to the bottom of the tower. In doing that Mendyr saw a trio of round, dark shapes gathered around a tall tree. Pushing on it with their clawed hands.

Pushing it toward where he and Blondie were dangling off the wall, easy targets.

“Oh, fox…!” Mendyr gasped.

“Bears!” Blondie shrieked, although it sounded more like surprise than fear. Not that the difference made much difference to Mendyr’s mind. The tree they were pushing on creaked, and then leaned at a perilous angle.

Moving with all the speed his charged form could possibly manage, Mendyr pulled himself up the chain. Above the parapet seemed to loom mockingly in the distance, still a good thirty feet away at least.

The shadow of the tree fell over them.

Twenty feet.

Its shadow grew. The sound of earth rumbling made Mendyr’s spine tingle while he pulled himself and his passenger higher, faster.

Ten feet.

The entire sky seemed to be swallowed up by a black shape as the tree toppled over completely.

Five feet.

“I’m not dying today!” Mendyr screamed, planting his feet on the wall. He threw himself upward in an awkward jump, and Blondie yelped as a tree branch knocked off one of her shoes as it fell past them. As fast as he could, Mendyr lurched up the wall and dropped them on the solid floor of the battlement.

“That was just right!” Blondie exclaimed the catchphrase from her mirrorcast. “Your timing was perfect! You must be getting A’s in Heroics already!”

“I’ll worry about that back in class,” he replied, and started wrapping the chain of his mace up. “Anyway, Raven must already know we’re here, if she sent some Dark Mirrors to get rid of us.”

“Dark Mirrors?” Blondie asked excitedly. “What are those? The things that pushed over the tree?”

Mendyr shrugged. “Pretty much? They’re shiny black monsters, and they seem to be based on creatures from different stories. I’ve seen a bunch of different kinds already.”

“Really?” Blondie asked, sounding intrigued. “Where do they come from? What are they trying to do? Why hasn’t everyone heard of them? Was Raven Queen their leader the whole time??”

“Those are all good questions, and they’re all ones I’m still trying to find out the answers to,” Mendyr replied, and Blondie frowned. “How about for right now, we settle on seeing what this fort has waiting for us?”

He pushed open the door in the side of the main tower, and stepped inside.

That was close…I’m so relieved Taylor and Blondie saw the Dark Mirrors in time.

But…did I really do that?

Did they see the brick falling because…

Oh, gods…

A textbook sickly green glow blanketed the stark stone room, emanating from the crystal floating in its very center.

Standing facing it was Raven Queen, hands down at her sides, her mirrored face completely expressionless. Opposite her was the hooded figure of the Keeper, eyes shining in the darkness of his cowl.

“Please understand, Raven Queen. I get no joy from taking control of you,” he said. “Nor do I do what I do out of malice. Destiny must be upheld…I must be upheld. Surely familiar stories are better than extinction.”

She said nothing, standing completely still where he’d left her. As he’d expected.

“I don’t even enjoy borrowing this one, but I needed a body to be able to intervene in your kingdom, and he was especially receptive,” the Keeper went on. “I’m only doing what needs to be done to preserve your world. Our world. Your part in preserving things will not be forgotten.”

Still she was motionless, silent. Even her eyes did not betray any reaction. Then he’d left her nothing to respond with. The stakes had gotten too high to allow that, anymore.

“Of course, the Storybook of Legends is missing, but Mendyr can be my instrument to find where,” he continued. “As soon as the bears track him down, and bring him to me…”

The Keeper turned toward the only door in the room to carry out the next steps of his plan. Behind him, Raven’s body quivered ever so slightly, still helpless against his power.

Cautiously, Mendyr pushed open another door, but was almost frustrated to find another completely empty room. Behind him, Blondie was much less quiet about her own frustration.

“Isn’t this place kind of…boring, for an evil castle?” she asked, scanning in their lack of surroundings on her mirrorphone. “Shouldn’t there be cursed weapons on the walls, or cages with angry beasts in them to unleash on intruders?”

“Don’t think we should be giving the villain ideas,” Mendyr muttered.

“But that’s boring! What kind of story is this going to make without any fun encounters to spice up the quest?” Blondie asked him.

“It’s refreshing to hear someone who appreciates the work that goes into an exciting story,” said a voice off to the side, and Mendyr and Blondie whirled to see the Keeper stepping through a door that hadn’t been there a second before. “Again, the gallant hero’s arrived to rescue his damsel from the den of evil,” the Keeper announced.

Blondie gasped and whirled to look at Mendyr. “His damsel? Are you and Raven Queen…dating?”

“No,” Mendyr growled.

The Keeper clapped his hands to silence them. “Oh, no. The brave hero came to save Raven Queen simply because he’s answering the call of duty. And she will be released, as soon as the Storybook of Legends is returned to me.”

Mendyr lifted the mace from his belt, ready for battle. “Not happening. I won’t let anyone force her to sign that stupid book.”

Raising his hands placatingly, the Keeper said, “I know how this all looks to one studying to be a great hero someday. But I’m not your enemy.”

“You’re foxing right!” Mendyr shouted. “Mysterious weirdos who curse maidens are always the villain! If you’re not, let Raven go!”

“This is desirably, really,” the Keeper replied, very calmly. “If I expect the villains to live up to their roles, I must expect the heroes to live up theirs. Very well. Why don’t we see what she thinks of that question?”

He stepped away from the door, and the Dark Mirror that was Raven Queen flew into the room.

With Blondie Lockes holding up her phone to make sure she recorded it all.

It wasn’t exactly stalking prey the way she was used to, but Cerise knew the trail of hoofprints, tinged by Taylor’s scent, had to be leading her the right away. Weird was the trail that joined it partway into the forest, looking like single tire tracks.

The hoofprints stopped right next to a parked moped, with shining stickers from their school on the back. Whoever its owner was had beaten her out there, but who’d want to follow a warrior as he chased villains into a dark forest?

At the same time she realized that’s what she was trying to do.

It was different for her, though, wasn’t it? Not that anybody except Taylor, and their little group knew, but she had her dad’s genes. She wasn’t just some girly-girl princess, waiting around for things to solve themselves without her.

Why would anybody want to be in that kind of story?

Hocus focus, Cerise reminded herself. Above her the black tower was standing tall in the middle of the forest, seeming to dare her to try to find a way in. Finishing her circle around the tower, she couldn’t find any door on ground level, but the walls were as smooth as glass. How was she supposed to get in?

But then, the base of the tower suddenly rippled, and an opening was where a wall had been. Out of it charged three dark, round shapes.

Bears, running on all fours. Mouths hanging open to let out bestial roars as they closed the distance between the tower and Cerise.

A little one, a medium one, and a great big one.

“Papa, Mama and Baby Bear,” Cerise breathed, and was suddenly very sure of who’d followed Taylor out here into the woods.

“GO BACK!” they all roared with one voice, coming from all three mouths. “PLAY YOUR OWN ROLE!”

Cerise took off running, back down the trail. Away from the tower. Away from the demonic bears trying to force her away from it. A few seconds later she could hear their footfalls slowing, as if they were satisfied they’d chased Cerise off. She ran down the trail still, around a tree, and out of sight. They turned around and headed back toward their stronghold.

The Dark Mirrors barely heard the rush of air in the foliage off to the side, the faint crunch of leaves.

Until Cerise suddenly emerged from the trees in front of them, and dashed through the open doorway into the tower.

“My mighty hero came to save me, I should feel so flattered!” Raven cackled evilly. She held her shining, clawed fingers at him, and a jet of dark fire screamed from their tips in Mendyr’s direction. The head of a screeching dragon formed at the front, but was smashed into nothingness by a downward blow from Mendyr’s mace.

The dark princess just waved her hands and another jet of fire jumped from each reflective hand. A smaller billowing dragon’s head spun from each, peppering the area around Mendyr with tiny white fireballs. Once again he whirled his mace and smashed most out of the air, but a few impacted on his armor and left ugly black burns.

“This is Blondie Lockes, reporting from an evil fortress in the middle of the Enchanted Forest!” she reported aloud. “A mysterious hero’s come to rescue Apple White from a monstrous new form Raven Queen’s assumed, but he’s taking a beating from the Evil Queen’s heir!”

“It’s…nothing!” Mendyr replied, but Raven’s glassy lips turned up at the ends in an evil grin.

“Oh, it’s nothing? Then have some more!” Raven seemed to laugh and scream at the same time, her voice echoing with the sound of glass on glass. Another stream of power drifted from each hand, up into the roof of the chamber. Suddenly a giant dark fist formed out of the middle and slammed straight down, right on top of Mendyr’s shoulders.

He grunted and pushed back against it with all of his strength, only to be forced to one knee when Raven’s body glowed and fed more magic into her construct. Suddenly Mendyr yelled at the top of his voice and thrust his arms upward with great force, smashing the fist back against the ceiling and dispersing the cloud of dark magic.

Grabbing his mace from where it had fallen, he threw himself at Raven before she could attack again. The thought of hurting a friend repulsed him, but it was also what convinced him his opponent wasn’t really Raven Queen.

She was his friend, she wouldn’t attack him. What had attacked him was something else that had formed a shell around her, to take control her. And the only way Mendyr was going to save her was to rip break it open and reveal who she really was.

With that grim thought in mind, Mendyr crashed into Raven shoulder-first, sending shards of black glass flying. She was knocked back, drifting on the air, and Mendyr whirled his mace once then swung it at her. The ball crashed into her torso, and more of the black glass fell away.

Yet still Mendyr pressed his attack, swinging his mace yet again, but this time Raven had recovered enough to drift out of its way and the spiked ball smashed into the wall just to her side. “Are you trying to crush your princess?” the Dark Mirror demanded.

“No! I’m breaking her out of her prison!” Mendyr retorted.

His direct attack seemed to have shocked everyone, not just Raven herself. The Keeper clutched his head over his hood and wheezed, “What does he think he’s doing?? This isn’t what he’s supposed to do!”

Blondie, for her part, was keeping her mirrorphone pointed at the battle while she added her own thoughts. “The mysterious knight has started to attack Raven Queen, seeming determined to break the glass covering her, thinking that will set her free. It’s hard to say if his plan will work, but isn’t this exciting??”

Barely dodging another swing from the mace, Raven drifted to the back wall and pressed is hands against the stone. Dark magic spread out from her palms to cover the floor, and form into a whirlpool underneath Mendyr’s boots. “You can pack a punch,” she taunted the masked warrior, “but can you do anything else?”

Already he’d sunk into the floor up to his hips, but Mendyr’s mind seemed to be at work. He was whirling his mace again, and Raven moved one hand in front of herself to form a barrier. But he didn’t swing it at her; instead he swung it straight up, lodging the ball in the ceiling. He kicked his feet forward, back, then pushed off the back wall went swinging hard and fast in Raven’s direction.

For a few seconds he pushed against Raven’s magical barrier, and Blondie Lockes watched in awe as cracks formed in it before Mendyr broke through, pinning Raven to the wall. More flecks of black glass fell off her body from the powerful impact. Half of her face was exposed, and a violet eye locked with Mendyr’s visor.

“Taylor, please…it hurts, but I feel like I’m getting a little stronger the more that falls off,” she whispered.

“I’ll get you out of this, Ray. I promise,” Mendyr whispered back.

Right before she raised a hand and blasted him across the room with dark magic.

Alert wolf ears could hear the Three Bears Dark Mirrors trampling the ground, closer with every second. Cerise Hood was one of the fastest kids she knew, but she’d yet to put that to the test against something like three demonic bears.

When she felt one sink their teeth into the back of her cloak, she wished she had. Her momentum kept the rest of body going the but the clasp on her cloak dug into her throat and she went down with an undignified gurgle.

Everything went dark thanks to the three bears looming over the breathless girl, and then grabbing her arms and legs. She expected to feel them pulling her apart, but instead the bears lifted her and started walking back toward the doors to the tower.

“This place is not for you!” Papa Bear said very sternly.

“I’m trying to save my friends!” Cerise shouted, struggling in their slippery but sharp glass paws.

“You don’t save friends in your story,” Mama Bear reprimanded her. “Stay where you belong.”

“Wait a tick,” said Baby Bear, and his parents stopped suddenly. “It’s the girl with the red hood. The one who the boss said hid the Storybook of Legends, innit?”

The Three Bears dropped her on the floor and formed a circle around the annoyed Cerise. “Hey, you’re just right, little one,” said Papa Bear. “Tell us where you left that book, if you know what’s good for you, human.”

Cerise answered by getting up and running into the depths of the tower again.

Again the bears were running after her, but letting out horrifying feral roars again. If they caught Cerise, there was no chance they’d just try to kick her out of the building this time. But just hiding the stupid book wasn’t enough; how could she just hang back somewhere safe and wait, while she knew her best friend was out risking his life in battle?

“Fox you, Taylor, trying to do something like this all by yourself,” Cerise panted when she found a staircase ringing the walls of the tower and charged up for it, looking for any sign of her friends.

Behind her, the bears had started climbing the stairs on all fours, snarling and bellowing, reinforcing her fears. But at the same time, she felt a new energy filling her body, giving her a second wind to keep sprinting!

Cerise passed an open door, saw something, and just bent down and took the stairs even more quickly. Soon the stairs ended at a landing in front of a hall, and Cerise went down that. Around a corner, through into a square room.

With no exits.

And the bears were getting louder behind her again.

A lot of kids would’ve been scared. Would’ve fall down and accepted their fate. It was what the whole system they were raised in taught them to do.

Cerise Hood didn’t. She threw back her head and howled.

What was that??

Mom! You’re back.

Brooke, what was that? I could feel it all the way outside.

I think something happened in the story …

The Three Bears charged into the empty room, but didn’t find the girl panicked into running they were expecting.

Cerise Hood stood there, but she was clenching her teeth with fury, and a golden amulet hung from her cloak clasp now: a wolf with ruby eyes, and diamond teeth exposed. Finally, in her hand was a red Ride Book: Wide Eyes, Sharp Teeth, showing a black wolf stalking through a forest.

Instinct guiding her next action, Cerise reached to the amulet and pulled its jaw down. The Ride Book locked neatly into the new space. “Turn the page!” Cerise yelled, as she’d seen her friend do to activate his powers. She pressed hard on the wolf’s bottom jaw, and the Ride Book’s cover flipped open.

And Cerise Hood was changed.

Her entire body was covered in black armor, with a hood hiding her face that only two yellow lenses like the narrowed eyes of a stalking beast could be seen within, while the amulet dangled from its front, still. Her feet had become the digitigrade shape of a wolf, and not coincidently, a red emblem in the shape of a snarling wolf’s head had formed on her chest. Red patterns shaped like flames traveled down her arms and legs, also terminating in the heads of wolves.

On the back of her wrists were bronze-colored rings attached to three splayed, hooked claws that extended past her hands.

A word, no, a name, formed itself in her mind, “Scarlet.”

“Scarlet?” echoed Papa Bear. “Is that what you’re called now? I’m sure we’ll be able to think of something else by the time we’re finished with you!” Then the trio of Dark Mirrors rushed at her again. She went into a fighting stance with a skill she’d never known before.

“I’m coming, Taylor! Soon as I’m done with them!” Scarlet promised.

A blast of black fire gushed from Raven’s hands held together. Mendyr jumped for the ceiling and the flame singed the soles of his boots. He landed at the side of the room and swung his mace at Raven, but she held her hands together again and fired off another blast that blocked his weapon.

They pushed against each other for a few seconds, but Raven screamed in rage, pouring even more power into her magic and then forcing the mace away. She kept it up, and the blast got even wider, sweeping Mendyr off his feet and dashing him against the far wall. He slid down, landing face-down and unmoving.

“It seems the hero’s having trouble with his opponent!” Blondie announced for the recording. “Raven Queen’s battering him around the room with her evil magic! Can he recover from a beating like this??”

Mendyr managed to push himself up on his hands and locked eyes with Raven. It seemed the black glass he’d managed to knock off her body was slowly growing back over her skin. One side of her face was still uncovered, and in her quivering eye, Mendyr could see fear.

And that made him think about something he’d heard Blondie comment on the fight.

Raven’s evil magic.

She wouldn’t use it to attack him, though.

Whatever was threatening to take over her body would.

Maybe he needed to aim for a different kind of target to weaken this enemy, first.

And a faint sound he heard through the wall gave him an idea of what it could be.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be quick,” Raven said while she gathered another blast of dark magic, but it seemed to form slowly, as if contradicting her. Mendyr wasn’t surprised; whatever was using her was obviously determined to have her act like a typical evil sorceress.

A plan formed in his head, banking on exactly that. He groaned and clutched a hand to his forehead, trying to look vulnerable.

“So perish all the queen’s enemies,” Raven said, and fired a column of dark energy that filled half the room. Blondie and even the Keeper had to jump away, backs to the wall, to avoid it.

Mendyr, though, swung his mace again, into the torrent of power, adding his force to it. Its spiked head hit the wall, and Mendyr only yanked his weapon back into his hand swung it again into the middle of the column of magic, increasing its force again. Raven’s magic blasted into the wall, which within seconds had turned red, and then started to melt! Soon a hole had formed, and through it, Mendyr was even more sure he heard the sound of a girl crying.

On the other side of the room, Raven fell back against the wall, panting heavily with the exertion she’d just made. Mendyr took advantage of her distraction, and ran, taking powerful, heavy steps that left imprints in the stone floor. On his way he grabbed Blondie over his shoulder, and carried her with him when he climbed through the hole in the wall.

“Hey, slow down! How am I supposed to record what’s going on like this??” Blondie protested, but Mendyr kept going. Through the fortress, closer to the sound of the crying girl, and stopping outside the iron door it echoed out from.

“Apple? Apple White?” he called out to the person inside. “I need you to get away from the door, I’m here to rescue you.”

“And I’m here to get a live reaction of it!” Blondie added.

Knowing that Raven and the Keeper would be after them any moment, Mendyr smashed his mace into the door. It fell off its hinges and clattered on the floor, but to Mendyr’s relief, Apple White was indeed sitting inside, and she looked up in surprise when she saw who’d knocked the door down.

Blondie nudged Mendyr aside to record Apple’s reaction. Apple looked up at them, her makeup somehow still flawless despite the telltale redness in her eyes from prolonged crying.

“Who’re you?” the princess asked.

“Someone who really needs your help to save Raven Queen,” Mendyr replied.

Mama Bear lunged at Scarlet, massive jaws somehow spewing vile spittle as she aimed her teeth at the armored girl’s throat. Scarlet held her claws in front of her masked face just before the bear was on top of her then slashed outward, tearing into the black glass on the creature’s face.

The other two Dark Mirrors lunged at Scarlet around the first one, but she jumped a few feet backward, leading to the bears’ faces crashing together and littering the floor with tiny chunks of black glass. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Scarlet, the sound of the Dark Mirrors crashing together lingering in the air until her feet touched the ground and things returned to normal.

“So this is what it feels like,” Scarlet breathed in wonder. Before the stunned monsters could recover, Scarlet dashed around the room in a circle, moving so fast she was little more than a dark blur. She held out an arm and raked her claws across the glassy hides of the Dark Mirrors for her entire circuit around them.

“Fast means weak!” Papa Bear bellowed and raised one massive, shining paw above his head to slam down on Scarlet.

“Does it?” Scarlet retorted, her tone smirking.

“That’s the way it’s always been!” Papa Bear roared and smashed his paw down. Only to realize he’d hit nothing but the stone floor; Scarlet had dashed away again.

In the next instant she seemed to reappear behind him, just before slicing into his back with her new claws. “Seems to me like things are changing!” she yelled.

“Sounds to me like a child needs to learn to listen to her elders!” Mama Bear yelled as she suddenly swatted Scarlet into the wall.

She and Baby Bear charged at the stunned Scarlet, but she suddenly slashed them both across the torso with her claws, yelling, “You sound just like my grandmother!”

“Maybe you should’ve listened!” Papa Bear roared, tackling Scarlet and pinning her to the wall. He opened his jaws, but Scarlet held up the claws of one hand in front of his face to block him from biting down on her.

“Maybe you guys need to listen!” Scarlet roared back herself. “Why do we all have to live the way you guys say?!”

There was no time to wait for an answer; somewhere in this fort, Taylor needed her help. The only way she’d get the chance to find him and give that help was by getting rid of the minions. Instinct guided her to push the bottom of her amulet upward, and even more power flowed out of the Ride Book into her body.

“Savage Pack Surrounding!” the amulet announced in the voice of Mendyr’s own weaponry.

Scarlet held out her hands, and the wolf designs on her arm came to life, jumping off and racing around the Three Bears at blinding speed. The Dark Mirrors roared and smashed with their mighty paws, doing their level best to defend themselves, but it did them no good. Howling, biting, clawing, and jumping around the room, the wolves tore away at their opponents bit by bit. Soon body parts were falling off the Dark Mirrors, until they’d been reduced to a pile of shiny black debris on the floor.

“That was…spelltacular,” Scarlet whispered, then, grinned behind her mask. “I’d like to see what I can do to that Keeper guy!”

Apple gasped when she saw Raven come around a corner and drift down the hall, bits of the dark princess peeking out through holes in the dark shell that had covered her when she attacked Legacy Day.

“Raven!” Apple screamed, holding out a hand to her roommate in pure instinct.

“Help me…” Raven moaned out of one half of her mouth.

“Ready for your apple?” she sneered out of the other.

“What do we do?” Apple asked with a trembling voice, looking up at Mendyr.

“I think you need to try to connect with her,” he answered. “Help her fight back against the Dark Mirror that’s controlling her.” Apple gave him a confused, helpless look for a second.

Then she managed a nod, and got to her feet. With a practiced conciliatory gesture, Apple held out both of her hands toward Raven, who slowed her approach. “I’m sorry, Raven,” Apple said, very quietly. “This isn’t what I wanted.”

“This is exactly what you wanted,” Raven retorted, her voice having a sharp, keening note like two panes glass rubbing edges.

“No it’s not!” Apple screamed. “I didn’t want you to be like, scary, evil! I wanted you to be my frenemy!”

Raven’s face, even the mirrored surface, recoiled in surprise. “WHAT??!”

“I wanted us to be friends!” Apple went on. “That’s why I had us room together! So we could hang out and get to know each other! Really make it our story!”

“You sheltered little princess…,” Raven breathed. “What did you think happened to the villain of your story? Do you know so little, you think villains get happy endings, too?”

“I was hoping if I got really involved, maybe I could…help with that?” Apple offered. “This isn’t what I wanted, though! Not a Raven Queen who’s just as bad as her mom!”

“She had no idea what she was doing,” Mendyr muttered, covering his visor with his hand.

“Her attentions were just right, though,” Blondie replied.

Raven stopped drifting closer, a villainous sneer on her reflective lips. Instead, her body was twisting and contorting, then started crashing into one wall, then the other. Apple yelped in terror, ran forward and tried to grab Raven and hold her still, and Mendyr jumped forward and tried to help her.

“Raven, stop!” Apple wailed, tears streaking down her already stained cheeks. “THIS ISN’T YOU!”

“Please, Raven, stop,” Mendyr added, grabbing his friend’s wrists and slamming her against the wall. “Fight this. You don’t want your destiny, that means you have to fight it. But I’m here to help you. Apple’s here to help you. Our friends who aren’t here, they still want to help you be the person you know you need to be.”

“NO!” screamed someone else. “Don’t listen to him! THIS is the person you need to be! The Evil Queen, the villain of all villains! How can the biggest story of them all happen the way it’s meant, with no villain??”

All of them looked up and saw the Keeper, running down the hall. Sparks of magic were gathering around his hands, and he pointed his fingers at Raven, sending the magic at her. The black glass covering her body started to spread faster, but suddenly someone else appeared behind him.

At first Mendyr’s stomach clenched, afraid it was another Dark Mirror monster come to attack them. But then he spotted the Ride Book in the amulet dangling from the hood she wore, and he couldn’t even try to keep in a sigh of relief.

“Who’s that??” Apple asked, voice full of worry.

“A friend,” Mendyr assured her, although he hardly needed to. Scarlet swatted the Keeper aside, and helped the two of them pin Raven to the wall. She hissed and squirmed, but her strength seemed to be fading.

Scarlet helped pin Raven to the wall too, since that was what she saw everyone else doing, her claws scraping off flecks of black glass from her torso in the process. “What are we doing, here?” she asked the others.

“Trying to get the rest of that junk off of Raven,” Mendyr replied.

But the dark princess screamed, “NO!!” she thrust out her arms, and her dark magic surged out of her, forming a sphere, and knocking the three of them away. “This is Destiny!” she exclaimed, even though her exposed human eye was filled with fear. “This is the Evil Queen’s daughter as she’s meant to be! This is the world, as it’s meant to be!”

“No,” Mendyr said, quietly but with a force just waiting to be unleashed. “We’ll write our own futures!”

“You’ll be ending the world!” Raven shouted, and ravens formed from her magic appeared, swarming and attacking Mendyr and Scarlet. Tearing tiny pieces from their armor and pecking at the lenses of their masks. Still, they hit their Ride Books, charging up for powered attacks.

“Miracle Union! Unbinding Trinity!” both Scarlet and Mendyr’s gear announced together. The two gave each other a look, but silently made their attack. Scarlet howled, a wolfpack again forming from the designs on her armor and leaping around, throwing themselves at the attacking birds. Meanwhile, Mendyr swung his mace, glowing spikes flying from the head and piercing the flock of ravens filling the area.

At the same time, Raven noticed a bright light surrounding herself. A feeling of power and wanting to do help someone in need filling her heart. That feeling guided her to reach out and touch the spot above Raven’s heart.

It was the golden glow of Heroic Will.

“We’re here for you, Raven,” Apple whispered, somehow being heard over the caws of the birds and howls of the wolves.

At that word, cracks in Raven’s glassy shell raced out from under Apple’s hand. Suddenly, Raven reached out and grabbed Scarlet and Mendyr by their wrists, and the golden glow flowed from them into her body as well. Cracks twisted all through the glass, and then with one last, horrible crash, a blast of power rippled from Raven’s body and the black glass fell away. Apple, Scarlet, Mendyr and finally even Blondie, her desire to record the news no longer strong enough to keep her on her feet, were thrown backward.

So was the Keeper, his hood blown black by the force. Apple saw it first.

“Headmaster Grimm,” she breathed.

“…Wh-what’s going on?” he gargled and sat up, clutching his forehead.

“That’s what we want to know!” Scarlet snarled. She went over to Grimm, and grabbed him by the arm. Mendyr and Apple kneeled down, and helped Raven sit up. The dark princess was breathing hard, her eyes lidded with fatigue.

“Where are we?” Raven asked when she found her voice. “Am I still…”

Mendyr shook his head. “No, Raven. Everything’s okay now. Everything’s okay again.”

Very tiredly, she smiled and nodded.

Almost as soon as they were outside the fort, it crumbled away to nothing. All of them blinked, and the clearing where it had stood was even full of trees.

“Let’s go,” Scarlet growled, giving a tug. She’d tied the Keeper’s robe around Headmaster Grimm’s arms, and dragged him behind her.

“I must protest this treatment! Again!” Grimm did indeed protest, again. “I remember nothing until I woke up just now!”

“Yeah, right,” Scarlet retorted, and just kept dragging him through the forest.

Too exhausted to say anything after all they’d just been through, Mendyr unfolded Charge Unicorn’s Ride Book. With his mount summoned, he helped Raven, Apple and Blondie onto it for the trip back to school.

No-one else said anything either. The last few birdcalls before all the forest animals headed home to roost for the night were the only things to hear. To break the silence, Apple tapped Mendyr on the shoulder while he walked beside them.

“What’s your name, Sir Knight?” she asked.

“Mendyr,” he answered her.

Blondie Lockes sighed, and finally lowered her mirrorphone.

That was quite a packed chapter, but hopefully it came out alright.

To explain why the villains might seem kind of scattershot in their approach, they’re actually not used to what they’re doing either, and are figuring things out just like the Riders.

Speaking of, other people have awakened their own Heroic Will. And it seems some people can manifest it without becoming Riders, so who knows what other forms Heroic Will might take as the story unfolds?

A reviewer asked how the story compares to its origins in a particular way. Here’s my answer. Hope the translation isn’t too rough:

Habrá romances en esta historia, pero sucederán lentamente. Después de todo, el amor a primera vista es uno de los tropos que se disecciona en las deconstrucciones de cuentos de hadas. Darling Charming aparecerá, pero no puedo prometer que estará en un romance lésbico. Lizzie Hearts es más difícil, pero ya veremos. Sin embargo, nadie será emparejado de inmediato. Espero que eso ayude a explicarlo.

Chapter 9: Sign Your Life Away

Chapter Text

Page 9 – Sign Your Life Away

Last chapter had some major developments, didn’t it? Cerise Hood discovered her own Heroic Will and transformed!

I don’t think you appreciate the damage this does, dear.

Oh, because Red Riding Hood isn’t supposed to be able to fight off the Big Bad Wolf, is she?

Exactly.

So that means we’re seeing these stories happen for the first time ever!

Exactly, Brooke.

Why don’t we see what happens after the…disruption you two are enjoying so much?

Sounds great, mom!

Hehehe…

“GOOOOOOOOD morning, Ever After High!”

The familiar features of Blondie Lockes, queen of the school news outlet, were on screens all over the building before some kids were even out of bed. Her audience could hardly see the rings under her eyes from being up all night editing her footage.

“Legacy Day was really one to remember, and not all of you might know the whole story yet!” she gushed. “Well, have no fear! Your intrepid reporter on the scene caught everything, and I’m here to share it with you now!”

The footage cut from her smiling face to a bumpy shot of her riding through the woods and surprising Mendyr as he sat on the back of his metallic unicorn.

“Turns out there’s a hero this school never told you about…”

Even before the sun was up, the halls of Ever After High were full of students asking each other what was going on, and eating up what Blondie Lockes said she saw the night before.

Everyone remembered Raven Queen turning into some kind of shiny black monster, and a few of the hero curriculum’s more overachieving students remembered seeing her fly off with Apple White and Headmaster Grimm as her prisoners.

A few who hadn’t been able to sleep after a villain making a scene on Legacy Day had sworn they’d seen a pair of people in masks and armor bringing them back to school a little after curfew. Matching up with Blondie’s story.

They shut up about what time they’d seen the people, when a teacher asked them for details.

Speaking of teachers, they attempted to hold classes as normal, but the only students who seemed to be paying any attention were boys on the hero track during those particular classes. They seemed inspired, having seen armored champions bringing the rescued captives back to school. Everyone else was still gossiping and trading theories about what’d happened.

And feeling the heavy gaze of everyone in school was Raven Queen.

“My roommate says she was faking not wanting to do it this whole time,” a girl at the table behind her whispered in Science and Sorcery class.

“Just so she could shock everybody on Legacy Day like that, huh?” whispered her lab partner.

“Not just scary, a liar, too,” the first girl whispered again, and both of them snickered.

Raven glanced over her shoulder, eyebrows arched, and both girls recoiled with a gasp of fear.

“Raven Queen!” snarled Rumpelstiltskin. Every student snapped to attention, staring at the bearded gnome standing on a table at the front of the classroom to get anywhere close to their eye level. “If you would please to be answering the question I just be asking you delightful childrens?

“Oh, I, uh, think maybe, it was about pixie d—”

“WRONG! Detention!”

Raven glared over her shoulder at the gossiping girls that time, but faced ahead and stayed that way.

“Totally evil,” whispered the first girl.

“Just like her mom,” agreed the second.

When the distracted classes started to get a little excited by the clock edging toward the end of the day, the school’s PA system suddenly buzzed to life.

“If everyone will please report to the school lobby before last period for a special announcement,” grunted Headmaster Grimm’s troll secretary through the loudspeaker.

Murmurs immediately started spreading among the teens in every classroom. An announcement? Why in the lobby, instead of the theater or the back platform where the Legacy Day signing was supposed to happen?

What could they be about to hear?

They got their answer when everyone was in the lobby, pressed shoulder to shoulder, and the screens on the wall came to life with Blondie Lockes’ face again. Her smiled a little less bright than usual, they all noticed.

“Hi, everyone! I’ve gotten a hext from Headmaster Grimm. He says he’s still in the hospital, but he wants to have me announce something to make sure everyone hears it, otherwise he’s afraid of ‘anarchy’ breaking out,” Blondie said, then shut her eyes and chuckled at what she’d just said. More than a few of the viewers did too.

A few were thinking of other things. Like Pyotr Lupus, who nudged Taylor lightly with his elbow. “Hey, you see Raven anywhere?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Taylor said, pointing surreptitiously at a corner, where the dark princess was indeed standing by herself. “Her reputation’s even worse after yesterday, seems like.”

Blondie held up her mirrorphone in front of her face. “Looks like there’s more. He says the doctors say he’s been tested for every kind of curse and dark mind-controlling magic they know about, and they’ve cleared him on every single one. He says he’ll be back soon, and he’s having me announce this because I can reach the students easily, and he doesn’t understand the school’s PA system well enough to do it himself from the hospital (don’t read this part out loud)…oh, whoops.”

Snide laughter broke out across the lobby, and Blondie couldn’t hide a smirk of her own despite her usual professionalism. She glanced down at her phone again and read off another hext: “There’ll be another Legacy Day signing since the last one was interrupted, with just a few students there to, uh, ‘minimize disruption this time’. The students who’ll be there will be contacted individually.

“That’s all I have for you right now, Ever After High! I’ll have more news for you soon, whether it’s excitement, or drama you’re after!”

The screens flicked to an educational film about the life cycles of spotted yellow forest moss, and the students couldn’t disperse fast enough. At that point it was easy enough for Pyotr and Taylor to get over to where Raven was standing, with everyone making even more sure to stay out of her way.

With a sigh, Raven said, “Hey, guys.”

“Anybody giving you trouble because of last night?” Pyotr asked, a threatening tone in his voice.

“Just dirty looks,” she replied, looking out over the room and catching a few students doing exactly that. They looked away, but a few kids wearing dark clothes or make-up smiled in approval.

“Let’s get out of here,” Taylor suggested.

“Please,” an exhausted-sounding Raven agreed.

They mostly had the path around the back of the school to themselves, and somehow the air seemed crisper, more relaxing after the attack on Legacy Day had been taken care of. Pyotr sucked in a loud breath through his nose, and made a satisfied “Ah!” sound.

“What’s with you guys??” Pyotr half-laughed, half-demanded of his friends. “Last night was a big win, wasn’t it? Why are you both looking so down?”

“I don’t know, man,” Taylor answered. “It seemed like whoever was doing all this got desperate last night, just taking over Raven’s body the way they did. And I’m worried they might get even more desperate soon.”

“Don’t say ‘whoever’, it was Headmaster Grimm,” Pyotr replied.

Raven shook her head, her expression turning even more glum. “I don’t think so. I mean, yeah, he put something in my head when we talked, but after I thought about it last night, it felt more like transferred from him to me. That’s why I’m worried it wasn’t Headmaster Grimm, but something that took over him, too.”

Dubiously, Pyotr let the point stand, but he asked, “Did they find anything when they checked you for curses? Or mind control?”

“You mean the school nurse?” Raven muttered. “Yeah, said there were no signs of any curses or whatever on me either, then told me to go back upstairs and make sure to finish my stupid thronework. It’s like it was no big deal, since everybody already expects me to be evil.”

“Something’s gotta be done,” Pyotr also muttered, and Raven nodded.

Raven shook her head. “Look, do you guys mind if we talk later? I didn’t get any sleep last night, because…you know, and I’m tired.”

“Not me!” exclaimed a crimson and black blur stopped next to their group, revealing Cerise Hood screeching to a halt and grinning viciously. “Taylor, I’ve been wanting to talk to you since yesterday!” she said, and grabbed his hand. An awkward silence fell over the group, and she added, quietly, “Uh, by ourselves, if you guys are okay with that.”

“Perfect timing, Cerise,” Raven said. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m pretty worn out after everything, too,” Pyotr said, and Cerise gave him a confused look, but he saluted and headed inside again.

With the others gone, Cerise pulled Taylor to a path leading behind the school, smiling.

“You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” Taylor asked once it’d been a minute since he’d seen anyone who might overhear them.

“I do!” Cerise gushed. “How did it feel? The first time you transformed? Did you feel strong? Did you feel fast? How?”

“Honestly, it’s kind of hard to pick just one word,” Taylor said, looking up at the sky, as if that might help him decide. “When I changed, I knew I could fight, but I also knew I could fool enemies. Even enemies like the Dark Mirrors, at least for a while.”

Cerise smirked. “Maybe you should see if you can use it to fool somebody like Headmaster Grimm. Even if that was somebody else using his body last time, he’s got it coming for the way he treats Raven.”

Taylor mumbled a sound of uncertainty. “I don’t think so. It feels wrong, thinking about using those powers for something like getting even with somebody I don’t like. Besides, would Heroic Will even work for something little like that?”

“Could it hurt just to try it?” Cerise pressed him.

“What if using it for stuff like pranks means we lose it? Or something worse? Remember what happened to Beauty’s sisters, when they said they should just let the Beast die, so they could have all his stuff?” Taylor reminded her, warningly. “Or the guy who killed the goose that laid golden eggs? Power has a way of punishing the unworthy…”

She shivered, but nodded. “Okay, okay. It was just an idea.”

His hand squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “Let’s take good risks, okay, Cerise?”

She sighed, quietly but happily, and shut her eyes. “Okay.”

“…hey, Cerise?” Taylor suddenly asked, eyes pointed at the top of the school.

“…yeah?” she asked, following his eyes.

“Where did you hide the Storybook of Legends?”

“…somewhere nobody would ever look?” she asked, smiling sheepishly.

He met her eyes, looking worried all of a sudden. “Did you throw it through Headmaster Grimm’s window?”

“Hey, it’s the last place anyone would look for it, right?” Cerise laughed, trying to play it off.

“Except him, when he gets back from the hospital. Any time now, won’t he?”

The two walked back toward the front of the school as quick as they could, whistling innocuously. However, Taylor whispered, “You must have a hex of an arm. That window’s high.”

Cerise smirked and pumped her fist.

A little later, back in his dorm, Taylor couldn’t focus on his thronework. He glanced over at Pyotr, doing his own assignments with headphones thumping music.

Time for a break, Taylor thought.

He got his mirrorphone out, realized he was checking for bars even though he was back at school, then heaved himself onto this bed and sighed. His thumb hit the contact for his father.

It beeped twice before someone answered, and at first Taylor heard the sound of young girls screaming. Before one of them screamed right into the phone.

“HI, TAY-TAY!”

“Hi, Thalia. Why are you on dad’s phone?”

“HE HAS GAMES AND WON’T GET ME A PHONE WITH GAMES!”

Taylor held the phone away from his mouth and sighed. He really didn’t need to be dragged into his little sisters’ drama right now.

Thalia paid no attention, of course. “Teagan took me in the woods yesterday! We found a tree where racoons live!”

“That’s nice, Thalia. Can you please put dad on?”

“ ‘That’s nice’ is grown-up code for you don’t want to talk about what we want to talk about!”

“I’m a high school freshman. That’s not a grown-up.”

“Yes it is!...Hey!”

Over indignant yells, Taylor could now hear his father’s voice. “Hi, Taylor! How’s school?”

“Better than security at home, sounds like,” Taylor chuckled. “If the girls can get your phone away from you that easy.”

“They’re getting okay at grabbing it, but they stink at holding onto it,” his father replied.

“Hey, no we don’t!” Thalia yelled.

A pleasant little laugh came from the other end of the phone. “You’ll need to take a few more lessons, sweetie. Why don’t you go see if Teagan can teach you anything?”

“We don’t stink!” Thalia continued to protest.

“Tell you what, I’ll grade you next time,” Taylor Sr. said, and his son could hear a door closing, and the heavy footfalls of a kid running and not caring how much noise they made fading into the distance. “So, how’s school, T? Was Legacy Day fun?”

“That’s kind of the thing, dad,” Taylor said, his throat suddenly very dry. “I guess nobody else heard yet, but Legacy Day got interrupted. Nobody signed.”

Unsurprisingly, his father’s reply was very serious. “Really? What happened?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain. The Evil Queen’s daughter turned into some kind of monster made out of black glass, then she kidnapped Snow White’s daughter and the headmaster and flew away. Later I heard some guys in masks saved them, somehow.”

“Really?” Taylor Sr. asked. “Is that the same Evil Queen’s daughter you’re friends with?”

“Yeah. I was really glad when she came back safe,” Taylor admitted.

His father snickered, “But not the headmaster, I bet! Is old Milty still giving everyone there a hard time?”

Taylor pointed out, “Dad, you don’t think any of the weird stuff I talked about’s weird?”

“Son, I graduated from that school, remember? It’s there to help you get used to dealing with all kinds of wild things. Give it some time, it’ll start seeming more like home than home does.”

“I don’t know, though, dad. The heroics classes aren’t as bad as I worried over summer, but being out here on my own, there’s all kinds of…challenges I’m wondering if I can really handle. Being a hero doesn’t seem as easy as it did when I was a kid.” Taylor said, making very sure to measure his words and not give too much away. “I’m getting a little worried I won’t be able to live out your career as well as you did, dad.”

“Taylor,” his father said, quietly, seriously. “Maybe Headmaster Grimm does, but I don’t expect you to be exactly like me. You’re there to have your experience, not mine. What kind of father would I be, if I expected you to do everything the exact same way I would?”

“Isn’t that the whole point of the school, dad? Doing the same story I got from my parents?” Taylor asked uncertainly.

His father sighed, but asked, “You know a girl there, named Faybelle Thorn?”

“No? Not yet, anyway,” Taylor replied.

“Her mom’s the fairy who cursed Sleeping Beauty, but the two of us actually dated for a while. Shocking right?” Taylor Sr. said with a little laugh. “I’m a person, just like you are. We have urges, we do whatever seems right at the moment. There’s no shame in that. You’ll have a job to do, but don’t stress so much about being perfect. Be who you need to be, what you need to be.”

Taylor sucked in a breath through his nose, and felt the worry that’d built up in him last night in the forest break up, and fade away. “Thanks dad. For, you know, the reassurance.”

“Sure, honey. But since I told you a secret, now you owe me one,” his father said with a playful snicker. “How are you and Anna Weaver getting along?”

“To be totally honest? Don’t know if I like her, the way she thinks I’m supposed to.”

“Oh? Is there someone you do like?”

“Mmmmmaybe? There’s these others girls I’ve been hanging out with a lot. They just, get me, you know? They don’t have all these expectations for me like Anna Weaver does.”

For a while, there was silence on the other end.

“Dad?” Taylor asked.

“…oh my godmother,” his father finally breathed.

“What?”

Silence, again.

“Dad, I’m not kidding! What?”

“Nothing, Taylor,” his father finally said, his voice sounding distant, but Taylor was sure he was grinning. “Keep hanging out with them, you absolute menace. I should go make sure your sisters haven’t stolen your mom’s phone while we were talking. Love you.”

Then Taylor Sr. hung up.

The sky outside their window had turned the buttery yellow of impending night when Raven opened the door, and locked it behind her, letting out an exhausted sigh.

“Long day?” Apple asked, beaming a supportive smile.

Raven wagged her fingers, trying to work some feeling back into them. “I can’t believe I’m spinning straw into gold for a week!”

“It’s just a week,” Apple giggled. “The year’s just starting! We have lots of fun things to look forward to!”

“As long as you don’t mean detention with Rumpelstiltskin,” Raven grumbled.

Apple got up and took her roommate’s hand. “No, it means us bonding, and making our story as good as two best friends forever after can make it!” she laughed, blonde girls bouncing.

“That does sound nice,” Raven admitted. “That you want to still hang out and stuff, after…”

“Oh, I’m not worried about that!” Apple assured her. “That wasn’t you! We’ll just sign the Storybook of Legends, and then we can start getting to know each other, and how we’ll be the best frenemies the kingdom’s ever seen!”

Raven laughed, sounding pretty tired, and hoping she only sounded a little exasperated. “Wow. You’re really fired up about doing this, huh?”

“Of course!” Apple declared, her supportive smile turning determined. “The two of us are gonna show that Keeper guy, we’ll make our story our way! Not his way! We’ll spellabrate after we both sign the Storybook of Legends!”

“Then we figure out how to be good frenemies?” Raven asked.

Completely undaunted, Apple answer, “That’s right! We’ll be the bestest frenemies the kingdom’s ever, seen!”

Raven hoped her smile was convincing, because she sure wasn’t feeling convinced.

Soon, the rhythm of school had returned more or less to normal. Kids went to class, hung out with their friends, and traded rumors, although the rumors about Raven Queen were even more scathing than they’d been before.

Right in the middle of the usual school confusion, no-one paying attention to him, was Taylor Valiant. Which was just fine with him, as he’d been spending the day making up his mind on an important issue.

Now he just needed to think of a good way to tell the people in his school life the decision.

As soon as the last bell rang, and the students started splitting up for their after-school activities, whether going to clubs or just finding their friends to hang out. Someone had been waiting to find Taylor, because as soon as he’d turned the corner toward the stairs, he flinched when he saw the beautiful princess who’d been leaning against the wall just out of sight.

“Hi, Taylor!” exclaimed Anna Weaver, beaming the traditional friendly princess smile. “Want to walk to Fashion Club together?”

“Actually, I don’t think that’s a great fit for me,” he replied. “I’m gonna see if they’ll let me into the Swordplay Federation.”

“But there’s no sword fighting in our story,” she told him, again.

Taylor shrugged. “After Legacy Day, maybe it’s good to be flexible.”

“They said they’ve got fairies casting spells to protect against anything,” Anna protested, and kept following Taylor when he walked past her and started down the stairs. “Why are you afraid of that happening again?”

He sighted, sounding frustrated. “Because the school’s already supposed to have spells that protect against anything, but they didn’t stop Raven from being turned into a monster and kidnapping people. I plan to be as ready as I can if something like that happens again.”

“Why risk our story like that?” Anna demanded.

Taylor gave her a sharp look, both worried and confused at once. “There’s a lot more going on than our story.”

He walked away, not knowing what else to do.

Soon, Taylor found himself outside the doors to the Swordplay Federation, and it was exactly as pretentious as its name. The entrance was a pair of doors made of varnished mahogany, a raised design of the Charming family’s shield design on them with the seam running through the middle. Lance-toting knights on horseback chased snaky dragons up the carved slats of the frame, and what looked like the real stuffed head of a dragon looked blankly down from a mounting on the very center of the top.

All of a sudden, Taylor found himself wondering if this was a good idea. He didn’t feel nearly rich enough to be going into a place like this.

He had bigger things to worry about than that, though, and a hero was expected to take on bigger dangers than social anxiety. Taylor reached out and turned the knob.

The inside was just as opulent as the door. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling were wood, polished so brightly Taylor could see a faint reflection cast in them. Most of the floor was taken up by athletic mats, and students in padded fencing uniforms and masks were dueling up down the room.

Most of the duelists near the back of the room stayed focused on their matches. Even though the hinges made no sound—no doubt oiled as meticulously as the surfaces were polished—a few of the closer boys stopped to look at the newcomer standing in the doorway. One proceeded to disarm his opponent—who yipped and clutched his aching hand—then removed his mask to remove his mask, revealing the eternally photogenic face of Daring Charming.

“I’m sorry, I’m a little busy to greet a fan right now,” he said.

“I’m not here for an autograph, I wanted to see if I could join. Improve my technique,” Taylor replied.

Daring looked him up and down. “I see. Who are you, again? What story are you from?”

“Taylor Valiant, next ‘Brave Little Tailor’,” Taylor supplied.

Nodding, tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully, Daring stepped closer and gave Taylor a measuring look. “I see, I see…there’s no swordplay in that story, you know,” he pointed out.

“It’d look great on my transcript,” Taylor responded, “and I’d be a fellow hero you can tell people learned everything he needed to know from you.”

“Mmhmm, mmhmm,” Daring mumbled, walking in a little around the boy asking to join his club. “It’s true I haven’t had an apprentice before, but my schedule’s pretty full, you know.”

“Come on, Daring!” protested the other boy who’d been his opponent, who after unmasking as well, Taylor could see was a skinny kid with frizzy brown hair under a lopsided crown, and thick glasses. It took Taylor a second, but he recognized hearing about this kid in the media: Dexter Charming, Daring’s little brother, who tended to fade into the background of all the Charming family’s pictures. He went on, “If this guy did join, we could have an even number of members. Then we wouldn’t always have someone waiting around for their turn.”

Daring tapped his chin again, nodding thoughtfully. “You know, Dex, maybe you’re onto something,” he said. “Alright, go get Sol. He can duel this guy, and see if our new friend here has what it takes.”

Dexter seemed happy to get out of his padded suit, and help Taylor try it on instead. The whole time he was fastening it on, though, he seemed to be squinting at Taylor’s face. As if trying hard to recognize him, but not wanting to give away that he was looking by asking.

But the silence in the equipment room was deafening, and finally, the prince asked, “Are you sure you want my brother to mentor you?”

“I want to be ready for anything after what happened on Legacy Day,” Taylor answered him.

“…sounds like something a real hero would say,” Dexter sighed.

“You okay, man?”

“It’s just, kind of hard for someone like me to be the brother of the biggest hero in the school, you know?” the prince looked away, rubbing at his arm uncomfortably.

Shrugging, although it was hardly obvious because of the pads, Taylor said, “I’m the oldest kid in my family, but that sounds kind of rough, yeah. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Suddenly, Dexter straightened up, as if he’d had an idea. “Wait, you’re Taylor Valiant! You’re friends with Raven Queen, right?”

“Yeah…?” Taylor replied, letting his uncertainty show. A little worried his answer would ruin his chances of getting into the group, with how these were all the heroes of big stories, and he was friends with the person who was supposed to be the villain of the biggest story of them all.

Which was shy he was shocked by what Dexter said next. “What’s she like?” the prince asked, blushing suddenly and looking away.

“I…uh, well…she’s just really normal, actually?” Taylor said. “We just hang out, and play games, and stuff.”

“What kind of games?” Dexter pressed.

Before Taylor could answer, Daring called out from outside, “Are you two ready, Dexter??”

They headed back out, and saw that everyone else had stopped their own practice to watch the spectacle. Daring Charming was laughing and long with another boy, with short chestnut brown hair and a royally handsome face of his own. Unlike Daring, who always looked like he’d just had a round with a makeup artist, the other boy’s face was a bit darker, his features more rugged. Like someone a little more used to living out in natural light and no air conditioning.

“Sol, meet Taylor,” Daring said, introducing him with a grand sweep of the arm. “He’d like a spot in the federation. How about you see what he’s got?”

“Tell me what you really think about how good I am,” Sol said, but put on his mask and picked up his foil, then went into a stance while he waited for Taylor. Once Taylor had armed himself too, somebody blew a whistle, and Sol came at him.

Expecting a flurry of lightning-fast blows, Taylor was surprised to see his opponent instead stepping back and forth, leaning side to side, no doubt waiting to see if Taylor would telegraph a move. He tried to feint to the right to fake out his opponent, but Sol seemed to see right through it and jab the tip of his foil against Taylor’s chest.

A few laughs rippled across the room. Taylor held his stance, and Sol settled back into his. They stood, watching each other, looking for an opening. It seemed Sol spotted one first, when he thrust the tip of his weapon forward suddenly, but Taylor managed to twist himself and it missed by a fraction of an inch.

Going by what he learned fighting Dark Mirrors, Taylor decided the defense was a good offense and made a thrust at Sol’s vulnerable chest. Almost comically, Sol knocked his arm away with a swish of his own blade.

“Maybe you need a few more lessons, first,” Sol said in a tone that made it obvious he was smirking inside the mesh of his mask.

Taylor replied by suddenly ducking and thrusting his sword up, hitting Sol hard enough on the heart to make the blade bend until Sol took a step back.

“Sneak attacks aren’t exactly the forte of an honorable hero,” Daring Charming observed.

“Being able to think on his feet’s the forte of an effective hero,” Taylor countered.

Sol, though, laughed. “Heh. Maybe you’re not much of a swordsman, but at least you’ve got a brain.”

He swung his blade at Taylor again, but Taylor raised his own and parried. Sol jumped back, then darted forward, aiming his sword at Taylor’s body. Out of reflex, Taylor turned to the side and grabbed him by the wrist.

But the next thing he knew, Taylor’s feet slid on the edge of the mat, and he went down, landing with a whump on the polished wood of the floor. As soon as Taylor tried to get up, he saw the tip of Sol’s sword an inch away from his face.

“Maybe you’ve got a brain,” Sol said, “but you’ve got a lot to learn about fighting like a gentleman.”

The other boys laughed, and Taylor just lay back in defeat and sighed.

A bottle of pink fairyberry juice thundered down the chute, and Taylor reached inside and pulled it out. When he turned around he gasped, not having seen the student waiting in line behind him.

“Don’t mind me,” Sol smiled, then put a coin in the vending machine and got his own fairyberry juice.

“I won’t,” Taylor said, trying to sound confident, despite just losing a duel to his conversation partner.

Sol ripped the cap off his bottle and took a swig, then smiled again, seemingly ignorant of the blue juice mustache decorating his top lip. “Gotta say,” he said, “I admire your guts trying to get into the fencing club with all the preppy kids, but Daring Charming’s never gonna let in a commoner hero.”

“Mind if I ask what you are?” Taylor indeed asked.

Sol put down his bottle and took a bow. “Solaris West, heir to East of the Sun, West of the Moon, at your service. My mom’s friends with his mom, and she wants me to be in all the same activities as Daring, because she thinks it’ll look really good for me, that I’m a family friend of the Charming dynasty.”

Taylor ripped the cap off his own bottle, and said, “If you don’t mind me saying so, you looked a little too…real, to be friends with a rich kid like Daring Charming.”

Another hard swig, and Sol inflicted himself with another glowing blue mustache. “Ah, he’s not so bad. The way he’s been brought up, always being told he’s gonna be the hero of foxing Snow White. That’d give any kid an ego, you know?”

“Even if it means turning down another story’s hero who wants to improve himself, apparently,” Taylor muttered.

“Let me tell you something, my good sir,” Sol interrupted him, suddenly angered. “There’s clever heroes, and there’s strong heroes. But there’s no such thing as a jealous hero.”

Eying Taylor sharply, he slurped down the last of his juice, then tossed the bottle into the bin, and walked off.

When Taylor made it back to the common room, he was stopped by a crowd of students headed the other way. Most were kids he didn’t know, but Cerise Hood and Raven Queen were near the back, and he waved the two of them down.

“Hey, T,” Cerise said, but sounded glum. “What’s up?”

“That’s what I’m curious about. Where’s everybody going?” he asked back.

Raven sighed, “Headmaster Grimm sent us a fairymail. Since Legacy Day got interrupted by…you know, he’s having little Legacy Days so everyone can sign the book and get that taken care of. And I…”

Taylor put his hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong, Ray?”

“I don’t want to do this,” she breathed, and looked down. “Signing the book is what the Dark Mirror wanted me to do, and I don’t want to do what it wants me to do. I don’t care if Apple thinks we can work it out, I don’t want to lock this in now, and see if we can make it work later.”

He did an odd thing, then: pressed his fingertip against Raven’s forehead and nudged it back until she was looking Taylor in the eye. Her expression was surprised, even more so when she saw the friendly smile on his face. “Then, don’t,” he said.

“But what if Headmaster Grimm’s right? What if everything does go poof?”

“I had talked to this guy from the swordplay club, and it kind of got me thinking,” Taylor explained. “There’s good traditions, like heroic virtues. But if there’s good traditions, there’s probably bad ones, too. Like one that forces someone to be evil, if they don’t want to be.”

“But what about the whole world…?” Raven went on, but Taylor tapped her forehead again.

“You worrying about that proves you can’t be evil, Ray,” he told her. “Besides, is a world like that worth saving?” Taylor turned to Cerise next. “If the Dark Mirrors try to do something again—"

“I’ll stop them,” she assured him with a nod.

He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Cerise. Good luck, guys.”

The girls left to join the rest of the students headed to the ceremony, Cerise’s cheeks as red as her hood.

At first, no-one noticed the creature making its way up the hill to Ever After High.

It was a tiny thing with a coat of black fur. With all the squirrels and other wildlife constantly living around the school, just waiting for a beautiful princess to burst into song so they could watch in admiration, most people would’ve paid it no mind anyway.

But as it got closer to the school, it began to change.

Muscles bulged in its four legs, puffing it up until it was the size of a large dog.

Halfway up, a pair of curved, ivory-white horns sprouted from the sides of its head, getting longer and sharper with every step the creature took.

By the time it had gotten to the top and the school was in sight, it was walking on its hind legs and making foul-smelling snorts through a nose with a brass ring stuck through it. It had become an anthropomorphic bull.

Covered in a shell of shiny black glass.

Even before the first innocent student on their way somewhere screamed in terror, Taylor Valiant felt a sharp pain in the center of his heart. He gasped out and pressed his hand to his chest, then pulled it away with a soft golden glow surrounding his fingers.

“Of course, another attack,” he muttered, but a compass arrow formed in his palm, and he hurried downstairs, following its direction. Soon he was out on top of the front steps, watching a massive black bull stomp his way to the school.

His belt formed around his waist, and Taylor locked Apple of Passion into the buckle. “Power for power,” he observed. “Turn the page!” Apple-red energy spread over his body and hardened into armor, filling his body with awesome strength, transforming him once again into the masked warrior, Mendyr.

To his surprise, the Dark Mirror stopped in the middle of the driveway and looked up at Mendyr. Not charging or getting angry, despite the bright red of his armor. But then, Mendyr spotted a shiny black bee buzzing through the air. It landed on the bull’s hip, and sank its stinger into the bull’s skin.

“Of course. It’s Ferdinand,” Mendyr recognized the story the beast had sprung from. Even before the bull let out an angered bellow and fixed his eyes on Mendyr, then started to scrape the ground with his hoof. The bull charged for the front stairs, and Mendyr jumped right into the bull’s path, bracing himself.

There was a sound like a thunderclap when they met, Mendyr grabbing Ferdinand’s horns, and trying to wrestle the Dark Mirror back from the school.

“Not this time, friend,” Mendyr declared.

Behind the school, chairs had been set up for the students again, but only the percentage Headmaster Grimm felt confident assembling that afternoon.

“When I read your name, come on stage, state your identity and sign your page in the Storybook of Legends,” Grimm said to the teens with a frown, looking up as he suddenly heard a sound like a loud CRACK, then shrugged it off. “But keep it simple. We’re getting this over with before there are any more interruptions.”

He seemed oblivious to the worried looks some of the students were giving him, after some of the rumors already getting around about how he was the mastermind behind the attack on Legacy Day. Still, he’d gotten a clean bill of health from the hospital, and he was in charge of the school. What would happen if they said anything against him?

They waited tensely as Headmaster Grimm put on his reading glasses, raised the list to his face, and called out, “Raven Queen.”

“You’re gonna do great,” Apple said and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

Raven gulped, and started the walk down the aisle up to the stage.

The Dark Mirror of Ferdinand was leaving great ugly furrows in the driveway of the school, but Mendyr was managing to push him back. Angry red eyes were locked with the lens of Mendyr’s mask, sending an unspoken challenge between the two.

Without giving any warning, Mendyr’s leg suddenly lashed out and caught Ferdinand in his beefy chest with a powerful kick. A tangle of cracks formed at the point of impact and the Dark Mirror was pushed back almost a foot.

But then the cracks started forming back together.

“This is gonna be tricky,” Mendyr muttered, and in the next instant he was proven right.

Not only did the Dark Mirror heal quickly, he could move quicker than his massive size would indicate. In the blink of an eye he’d charged across the short distance between them, caught Mendyr’s waist between his horns, and bucked the masked warrior over his head.

Mendyr landed with a crash behind his opponent, dazed and sore, but mostly unhurt. He managed to sit up, but a look over his should showed him Ferdinand had turned around and was about to charge. Reaching one hand down to his belt, Mendyr unhooked the Apfel mace.

Ferdinand made a deafening bellow, stamped his hoof, lowered his head, and ran at Mendyr. Who brought back his arm and swung his mace at the top of the Dark Mirror’s head. The spiked ball connected, knocking Ferdinand’s head into the asphalt.

The bull’s head was still embedded in the ground by the time Mendyr managed to get back to his feet. Thick black fingers sank into the dirt and Ferdinand pulled himself free, grinding glassy teeth together hard enough to actually shoot off sparks.

“That’s right. I’m here in front of you. Keep all your attention right here, on me,” Mendyr said quietly, more to himself than the raging monster. Ferdinand charged again, horns aimed at Mendyr’s chest this time. At the last second Mendyr jumped, stomping hard on the top of his enemy’s head and sending chips of black glass falling to the ground. Mendyr pushed himself into the air again off the bull’s head, whirling around in midair and racking the spikes on his mace across Ferdinand’s back.

This time, Ferdinand hardly reacted at all to his injuries. His body was unmoved. Despite the impacts from Mendyr’s attacks. Suddenly he jumped up, stabbing Mendyr’s midriff with the sword-like horns on his head and knocking him out of the air.

From that attack, he landed much harder than before. Mendyr hit the ground, and he’d just lifted his face off up before Ferdinand stomped on the back and smashed it down again.

Cracks formed in the lenses of Mendyr’s mask, and spread when his face hit the ground once again. He clutched the haft of Apfel and made an awkward swing over his shoulder. Feeling the ball hit something solid, no doubt the Dark Mirror’s body, he tried to struggle free, but the hoof came down on the back of his head again. It didn’t let up that time, pressing his head hard into the dirt. Mendyr struggled harder as the air in his helmet got thinner.

“Toro!”

The pressure on the back of Mendyr’s head let up a little.

“Toro!” came the same voice calling again.

Ferdinand stepped off, and Mendyr shoved himself onto his back to suck in a breath of icy cold air. When his vision managed to focus again, he saw a student standing on the front steps of the school, holding up his jacket with red lining in his hand as if it were a matador’s cape.

It was Sol West.

“That’s right, over here! Toro!” he taunted the Dark Mirror.

“Get out of here!” Mendyr tried to yell, but it came out as a dry croak after having his head stomped on.

Not surprising him, though, Sol West stayed where he was, waving his jacket to distract the giant bull. He got his wish, and Ferdinand charged him.

Him.

Not the jacket he was waving.

Feet feeling like lead, Raven Queen climbed the stairs to the stage. Headmaster Grimm leaned, indicating the podium with his outstretched arm. On it rested the Storybook of Legends once again, the colorful school logo splashed across the cover, beckoning her to it.

She stepped up to the podium, reluctant to touch the Storybook, afraid it might turn her into a Dark Mirror again. Her fingers touched the cover, and there was no feeling of cold, evil power that she was half-expecting. Instead there was a soft flash, and a purple key appeared in her hand, just like it was supposed to.

“Um, hi, everyone,” she said, uncertainly. Most of the kids looking up at her flinched even harder than they had at practice. After what had happened to her the night before, Raven didn’t entirely blame them.

Even if that hadn’t actually been her.

“I’m…Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen. Snow White’s arch-nemesis. I guess I’ll be part of the biggest story in the kingdom,” Raven announced. She glanced down at Apple in the crowd, and the princess was grinning and nodding at the same time.

“Everyone expects me to grow up to be an evil sorceress, to terrorize Apple White out of jealousy,” she went on, not sure what all to say. Or not say. Had anyone else ever had the thoughts she was having, right then? Especially right there, about to lock in their destiny?

Forever?

In the audience, Apple nodded, grinning just a bit wider, but only because she was smiling harder than anyone Raven had ever seen.

Behind her, Headmaster Grimm coughed into his hand. “Pick up the pace, Miss Queen,” he ordered. Quietly, but firmly.

“Well, uh, here goes,” she said. She inserted her key into the lock on the Storybook of Legends, and gave it a twist. The book swung open to her page, giving off dazzling rays of light.

A red jacket arced through the air, and landed with a soft splash in the school fountain.

Sol West let out a gasp of surprise. It was all he could manage when the bull’s head hit him in the stomach with incredible force and knocked the air out of his lungs.

He made no sound at all when they hit the school wall, but his eyes were wide, his mouth gaping in a silent cry of pain.

Ferdinand pulled himself back and let Sol fall to the ground. A red stain was forming on one side of his torso, which he reached slowly over to cover with his hand. Ragged breaths escaped his mouth. The bull raised a hoof to stomp down on Sol.

But he never got the chance.

All of a sudden there was a yell that shook the windows at the front of the school. Ferdinand huffed in surprise to realize Mendyr had come up from behind and hoisted him off the ground. The masked warrior heaved his enemy away, landing headfirst in the fountain and smashing the side, sending the water in the basin spilling all over the grass.

“You okay?” Mendyr shouted to Sol.

“Yeah, it isn’t that bad,” Sol called back, but a trickle of blood was dripping from one side of his mouth.

Mendyr jumped toward the fountain and came down on Ferdinand, the gravity adding force to the punch he threw that connected with the bull’s chest. Like before, cracks raced out from Ferdinand’s chest, and like before, they immediately started growing back together.

This time, things were different. Mendyr threw another punch, spreading the wound, and another, spreading it farther. Ferdinand bellow and bucked, trying to throw Mendyr off as the warrior rained down punches, but his strength seemed to be fading.

Sol leaned against the wall of the school and breathed hard, trying to recover. Something caught his eye, and his next breath halted in his throat. A small black shape buzzed through the air, then a curved barb popped out of it, which it stabbed into the back of Mendyr’s neck.

“AAaaaagh! What--?!” Mendyr sputtered, and clutched at the wound. With him distracted, the tiny black shape landed on Ferdinand’s neck, and stung him.

“Watch out!” Sol yelled, just before red light flooded Ferdinand’s eyes and the bull blew a blast of steam from his nose straight into Mendyr’s face. He was wiping his eyes clear when Ferdinand punched him in the chest and knocked Mendyr away. Ferdinand looked down and tilted his head, aiming the tip of a horn Mendyr’s heart.

“Toro!” Sol’s voice yelled.

“Seriously? Again?” Mendyr breathed through his pain.

Just as he was expecting, there Sol was, having grabbed his tattered jacket out of the ruins of the fountain and waving it around more vigorously than before. Ferdinand saw it, and charged him. Sol ran up the driveway, to the front stairs, with the bull right behind him. Mendyr got up and ran after them, only able to think about how everyone he seemed to meet from doing this insisted on throwing themselves into danger.

What Sol did surprised Mendyr even after everything he’d already seen.

Suddenly the teen threw his jacket at the steps to the school, and threw himself to the ground, rolling onto his side so that he was narrow enough that Ferdinand didn’t trample him as he ran by, impaling the tips of his horns into the stone step.

What Sol did when he got to his feet surprised Mendyr even more.

A golden light pulsed over his heart, and some instinct seemed to guide Sol’s hand to it. Sol looked away from the flare of light that burst from it, but Mendyr looked right into it, knowing what was about to happen. When the light cleared, a silver crescent moon was in one hand, and a Ride Book with a blue frame in the other. Its title said “Celestic Journeyman”, over an image of a hooded traveler walking under a sky with both a sun and a crescent moon hanging in it.

Again instinct seemed to guide Sol, this time putting the Ride Book into the moon amulet, its spine locking neatly into place between the moon’s points.

“Turn the page,” he said.

Behind the school, Raven gripped the podium, staring down at the Storybook of Legends. Waiting to see what it held in store for her future.

On the first page, she saw a scene of Apple White, lying in her poisoned sleep. Nothing unexpected there.

The page flipped showing another picture, of Raven being chased out of a village by an angry mob. Depressing, yes, but expected for a villain.

Another page. There she saw an awakened Apple, ordering her arrest. Immediately the turned itself again, and Raven saw herself, smeared with dirt and living in an alley.

In a soft flash of violet light, a mirror formed in the air in front or Raven, and again she saw herself. Older. Powerful. Regal.

Bound in chains.

Raven looked away, and slammed the Storybook of Legends shut.

“I pledge…I pledge, that from this day forward, I will make my own path toward the future!” Raven declared. “I will be the me, who I decide is the truest!”

Everyone gasped, Headmaster Grimm loudest of all.

Especially when a golden glow surrounded her hand, and her key crumbled to dust from the light.

Another flash of light was clearing in the front of the school, surrounding Sol West. Uncaring, Ferdinand had pulled his head free from the stairs and turned to face his target.

In front of him was a new masked warrior. Amber eyes were lodged in a grey mask with a flat white mouthplate. The torso and inner arms of his new armor were also white, while the outer arms were the dark grey of his mask. Those colors traveled all the way to the toes of his boots. His crescent moon amulet, holding his Ride Book, was now lodged in the buckle of a bronze-colored belt. On his chest was a golden emblem of a circle with a point on the top, and series of letters at the points inside the circle: N, S, E, W.

Held in one hand was a short sceptre the color of dull gold. A transparent crystal orb on the top and a pointed crystal on the bottom. Inscribed on its haft was a name: Daenitre.

“Wanna see a trick?” he snickered, before he reached down and twisted the pointed crystal on the sceptre. The orb turned an icy blue, and at the same time, so did the grey of his armor. While his opponent was still surprised, Sol smashed the sceptre into the Dark Mirror’s chest like a club.

Cracks spread out in the wound, but ice had formed inside them from Sol’s attack, and they couldn’t grow back together. He twisted the pointed crystal again and the crystal ball turned red, along with the parts of his armor that had just been blue. It left a flaming trail in the air when he swung it the wound, and a small fireball erupted when it hit. The fire was small, but hot enough Mendyr could feel it even from where he stood away from the fight.

Ferdinand tried to retreat to get enough room for another charge, but Sol kept up his attack and delivered fiery blow after fiery blow, peppering the grass with chips of burnt glass. One arcing blow made another explosion that was powerful enough to knock Ferdinand on his back. A tiny black shape buzzed by Sol’s ear, it taking him only a second to recognize a bee, the same one that had stung Ferdinand for a burst of strength before.

Its stinger lowered. Sol gasped, and swung at it, but it zipped around his weapon, headed for the fallen Ferdinand. He gasped.

…then jumped back in horrified surprise when a spiked ball the color of an apple careened by his shoulder and smashed the Dark Mirror bee into the ground. Mendyr came running, winding up the chain of his mace as he ran.

“Shall we finish this?” Sol asked him, panting, but sounding as if he was enjoying the battle.

“Let’s,” Mendyr replied. Both hit their gear.

“Journey of Two! Sky and Earth!” their equipment announced in the same voice. Both of them jumped, coming down with one foot aimed at the crater left in Ferdinand’s chest. Their kicks went right through his body, and with a last wounded “moo”, the Dark Mirror burst into storm of black glass that plinked off the walls of the school, cracking a few windows, before disintegrating completely.

Sol stepped away, looking over at Mendyr, and laughing in an exhausted way. “This is what it’s like, huh?” he panted. “Do you know who these things are? What do they want?”

“Don’t really know, except they seem to want to force people to live their stories,” Mendyr said with a shrug. “Just been calling them ‘Dark Mirrors’, because they’re like an evil reflection of things from stories.”

“Dark Mirrors, huh? That’s kinda cool, guess I’ll use that too,” Sol said, a little more breath in his voice. “Guess also, if I’m gonna do this, I should have a dramatic name too…what do they call you, friend?”

“Mendyr.”

“Mendyr, huh? That’s not bad. What about… ‘Reisende’,” Sol mused. “… no, ‘Reisender’. That’s perfect.”

Then he looked up, and Mendyr was nowhere to be seen. He popped the Ride Book out of his new moon amulet and shook his head, laughing quietly to himself.

Absolute silence had fallen over the back of the school.

Slowly, pockets of worried-sounding whispering broke out around the seats. A girl with pink pigtails and glasses next to Cerise Hood shut her eyes and sighed. “I thought I was the only one in the whole school,” she breathed. Right then noticed Cerise looking at her and gasped, but Cerise smiled and gave her a thumbs up, which got the girl’s expression to change to a subdued smile, and a silent nod.

“So, uh, I guess that’s it,” Raven said, with a forced laugh. “See you guys in class,” she finished and turned to walk off the stage.

Unsurprisingly, Headmaster Grimm jumped in her way.

“Just where do you think you’re going, young lady?” he demanded.

“Back inside,” Raven replied.

“After a display like that??”

“Yes.”

“You, Miss Queen, are here to learn to live out your destiny. The most important element of all is signing that book. Not doing so will endanger everything!”

Raven swept her arm over the area, over the other students sitting and looking up at the stage. “I don’t see anything going poof.”

“That is beside the point!” Grimm blustered. “Destiny works in mysterious ways!”

She just sighed, looked down and pressed her fingertips to her head. “I’m too tired to deal with this. See everybody tomorrow,” she announced, and jumped down off the stage.

“Uh, tomorrow’s Chapterday,” supplied Dexter Charming.

“Thanks for reminding me. A weekend sounds really nice, right now,” Raven smiled at him, and walked between the seats with a relieved sigh, before she disappeared through the doors back into school.

Dexter blushed.

Raven was awesome there! I can’t wait to read more of her story!

You definitely don’t appreciate the damage this does.

Mom, this is a brand new story! Raven’s doing her own thing now, instead of just the same thing her mom did!

Yes, and that could destroy everything.

Nothing happened. She even pointed that out.

Yet, Brooke. Yet.

We’ll see, mom. We’ll see.

Hey, folks. Sorry the end of this little mini-arc took longer to get out, finishing Geats took up a lot of my attention.

This one ended up being kind of full, also, but it’s time for the new elements in this chapter to show up. The world’s changing, and other people around school are discovering their heroic will.

For the new Rider, I admit his story’s a little obscure, but I had to dig deeper to find stories that weren’t already represented in EAH. If anyone’s curious, I found YT channels The Bookish Nook and Lori Dunevant, who both did readings of Mercer Mayer’s version of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”, which is pretty much the definitive one to me. Check it out.

If the Dark Mirror from this chapter seemed kind of generic, it’s because the one who sends them is really weak after the beating they got in the last chapter. They were desperate to intervene again, but couldn’t think of much but a general monster to try to force Raven to sign. Fortunately, they didn’t get the chance.

Of course, that only means things will be even worse for the Riders next time.

Thanks for reading! You guys are awesome!

Chapter 10: Wrong End of the Stick

Chapter Text

Page 10 – Wrong End of the Stick

Already, Ever After High was buzzing with the news of what Raven Queen had done. Walked right off the stage without signing the Storybook of Legends, even when Headmaster Grimm himself had confronted her. Some were saying it was exactly what they expected of the kid of someone so evil. Others seemed to have a different opinion: that Raven had the courage to say what they’d been wanting to say for a long time.

A different buzz was still bothering Taylor Valiant, though.

“What kind of bug did you say it was?” asked the fairy looking at the massive red welt on the side of his neck.

The disinfectant she’d put on it was making it itch even more, and Taylor had to fight down the urge to scratch it.

“I don’t know,” Taylor said, hoping he sounded believable. “It looked big and orange, and flew away into the Enchanted Forest as soon as I saw it.”

“Doesn’t sound like any insect around here,” she mused. “Still, for now, just keep an eye on that. If it starts to hurt more or gets any bigger, let us know right away. Be sure to change the bandages after you shower. And be sure to shower.”

“Believe it or not, bathing matters to me,” Taylor mumbled while she wound gauze around his neck. After she was done, he got up and stepped out of the nurse’s office. With all the battles he’d been getting into, in a way he was relieved a bee sting was the most worrying thing he had to show for it. But why take chances when it had been a monster bee?

A few weird looks came his way from the bandage wound around his neck while Taylor made his way up the dorms, but as soon as he’d passed, most of them went back to their hushed discussions about Raven Queen’s display of defiance.

In a way, Taylor was glad they weren’t talking about him.

In another, he was worried what exactly they were saying about his friend.

Pyotr was playing video games when Taylor got home, but took off his headphones and looked up.

“What happened to you?” he asked.

“Bee sting,” Taylor said before he flopped onto his own bed.

“Did you get it fighting that new Dark Mirror?” Pyotr asked.

Taylor flipped awkwardly onto his side, right onto his bee sting, and yipped in pain. “…what??” he managed to ask. “Does everyone know about that?!”

Obligingly, Pyotr picked up his mirrorpad and started playing a video showing Blondie Lockes’ smiling visage. “It looks like Ever After High has a new hero!” she cheerfully announced, before it cut to video of Mendyr and Reisender doing a double jump-kick through the Dark Mirror’s chest.

Reisender staggered over to the school’s front stairs and lay back on them, but Mendyr jumped to a tower and disappeared into the shadows. The video cut back to Blondie, who had a panel next to her with Sol West’s face, and a black silhouette of a face with a huge white question mark over it.

“This exciting footage was captured by a school fairy, of two heroes protecting the school from a giant bull!” Blondie informed her audience. “We see one of the mysterious heroes who saved Apple White on Legacy Day, but it appears he still has secrets to hide,” she said with a salacious grin. “The other one’s revealed himself as our own Solaris West, and he’s already pledged to use his powers to defend Ever After High!”

“I wish you’d asked me to help,” Pyotr sighed, and put it down.

Taylor sighed too. “Was kind of in a hurry to keep the monster from doing any damage. Besides…I can’t ask you help me in a fight!”

“Why not? Maybe if I’d been there, I’d have a suit like yours right now.”

“And if you did, maybe you’d have a giant bee sting like this, too,” Taylor replied. “Or even worse.”

“Is it so wrong that I want to feel useful too?” Pyotr glowered at him. “When you and Cerise went off into the woods to save Raven, I was just stuck here, worrying about you guys all night.”

“Yeah, and I was fighting for my life that whole time. It wasn’t cool.”

Pytor didn’t answer. Wondering what was going on, Taylor rolled over and saw him typing furiously on his mirrorphone.

“What are you doing?” asked Taylor.

“I’m hexting Cerise to ask if it’s cool.”

“Don’t ask her that!”

“Why not? Afraid of what I’ll find out?”

Taylor sighed, and leaned his head back against the wall. “Look, getting beat up all the time is not cool. I’m trying to say that as a friend.”

Pyotr sighed too, louder and longer. “And I’m saying this as a friend: is being worried all the time knowing your best friend’s getting beaten up all the time supposed to be cool? I want to help too! It’s not like you trained for this, and I didn’t, or anything.”

“Look, all of us figuring this out as we go,” Taylor tried to assure his friend. “Please don’t think you’re not contributing something, okay? I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to do as Mendyr lately. I’m sorry I can’t always come and tell you when I’m running off to an emergency, but it really does matter to that I know I have people who know about my secret, and can catch me if I fall.”

“We can’t catch you if you try to keep us away, T,” Pyotr replied, very quietly. “And how long can you keep it a secret, when other people with Heroic Will powers are starting to show up?”

Sighing again, Taylor stood up. “Then I guess we’ll need to figure out a solution,” he said, getting his towel and shampoo off the dresser. “After I wash off this day.”

Something on your mind, Brooke?

It’s kind of hard to watch the heroes of a story struggling with everything. I know that makes for the best stories, though.

Quite right.

As a reader, though…it gets boring if they spend too long without getting close to completing their quest. Or beat their enemy, or whatever.

Different readers have different tolerances.

Our job’s to narrate, not to criticize. Is that what you were gonna say next, mom?

…you don’t need to get cheeky about it, young lady. I’m really starting to wonder about the ideas your father’s putting in your head, especially after Raven Queen’s display last chapter.

Are you hoping Pyotr and Taylor can figure this out, and save their friendship?

I’ve seen enough stories that it seems likely, but one never knows. If you knew, there’d be no excitement from the story.

Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.

What, is what you’re talking about?

We only talk about how to be a good narrator since this story started. Why don’t we talk about what’s going on in the story?

What is it you want to talk about, Brooke?

Soon, another day dawned over Ever After High, and Raven Queen woke up with a smile on her face that worried her roommate.

She looked…freed.

Apple tried not to seem like she was bothered while she surreptitiously watched Raven get ready for the day, sit on the bed and hext her friends, and get up to head for the door, smiling. Until Apple hopped in her way.

“Hi, Apple,” Raven greeted her, assertively.

“Before you go, could we have a little talk?” Apple asked, afraid she was letting her nervousness show.

She was right.

“A little one,” Raven agreed. “Don’t make tea for it like you do with your friends, okay?”

“Okay,” Apple said, and clasped her hands together. “I thought we were going to, you know, sign the Storybook of Legends together.”

“Oh, that. Doesn’t it sound kind of backwards to you? We lock it in forever, then we find out if you and me can do that? Be frenemies?”

“…What other way? That’s how our moms did. That’s how everyone did it,” Apple protested.

“Yeah. And nothing went ‘poof’, like he said everything would.”

Apple’s beautiful face tightened, a glimmer of desperation forming in her perfect blue eyes. “But, then, how do I know you’ll stay with our story?”

“Maybe you can give a little, and trust me to help make this work, Apple. Now, I really need to get going,” Raven said, and stepped around Apple.

“But, I mean!” Apple stuttered, not sure what to say next. “What will the school be like, if we don’t stick to Destiny?”

“Maybe it’ll be a new kind of place. One where princesses are powerful,” suggested Raven.

Once she was alone in their room, Apple wasn’t sure what exactly to do with the whole day in front of her. A good princess could master chaos, Snow White had said endlessly since Apple was nervous the night of her first beauty pageant. While she always tried to live up to her mother’s example, Apple was still at a point in her life where she appreciated some structure.

If she couldn’t get it from Raven Queen, she’d need to get it somewhere else.

Wasn’t there a message on her mirrorphone, asking her if she had plans?

Among all the usual messages, asking if she had plans?

Yes, there was: “APPL, COME HANG OUT W/US. SOL GOT LEGENDARY POWERS AND WERE SPELLABRATING ALL WEEKND”

Apple didn’t really know who Sol West was, except from the register of heirs her mom had had her read before school started. She’d already gotten all her thronework was done, like a dutiful princess, though, and Apple couldn’t stand the thought of just hanging around in their room all Chapterday. She needed to be with her other people, and could probably do worse than hanging out with Daring Charming and his friends.

Making sure she had everything she needed, Apple left their room and stepped into the hall.

“Hi Apple!” came an adoring call before she’d even locked the door.

She waggled her fingers in a gracious but casual greeting. Sometimes, it worked. This time, it seemed, Apple had met a fan.

Next thing she knew, the girl had seized her hand and was shaking it vigorously, and squealing with excitement. “I’m not a princess, but if I were, I’d try to be just like you!”

“Glad to hear that. If there’s one thing my mom always stresses, it’s being a good role model,” Apple recited her practiced response to praise in that category.

After posing for a few spellfies with her admirer, Apple was able to get on her way. Fortunately, she was greeted by more than a few people on her way, but the rest were happy to just send a friendly greeting or a reminder of something at their next shared activity.

Living up to the High Queen’s example definitely kept Apple busy.

Soon, Apple was being ushered by someone’s valet through the doors out onto a garden terrace on the side of one of the school’s towers. Apple flicked him a gold coin on the way through, which he snatched out of the air and hid behind his back with all proper discretion.

“Apple! So glad you could make it!” Daring said as soon as she had stepped out into the soon. Out of reflex, she raised her arm to shield her eyes from the blinding glare off his smile.

“My pleasure,” she said with pleasant diplomacy. “I have a feeling this will be exactly the distraction I’m looking for.”

Despite the calibre of student who usually used it, the terrace didn’t go back very far, but it had real grass broken up white marble tile pathways, and the view of the Enchanted Forest was absolutely legendary. Apple didn’t pay much attention, this being the third time she was invited to a party there. Instead she headed straight to the table with the carved dragon-claw legs to get some tea poured from the one-of-kind white porcelain teapot with inlaid golden floral patterning.

While she sipped, Apple made a quick survey of the other kids in attendance. Daring Charming, of course, and looking slightly uncomfortable standing off by himself was his younger brother Dexter. Watching the goings-on from a seat by the railing was Dexter’s twin, their sister Darling Charming. Her dress was a metallic silver with blue accents, like her long wavy hair was platinum blonde, streaked through with pale blue. Darling’s face was an impassive mask, and Apple could recognize at once the signs of someone bored who’d been dragged to a gathering by family.

Probably Daring.

The rest of the attendees were gathered around a slightly rugged-looking brown-haired boy, who Apple also recognized after a second: Sol West, one of Daring’s friends he’d introduced her at another party once. Though she couldn’t quite remember if it was one they’d been here, or somewhere else. He was in the middle of telling a story, the one about defeating the bull monster she’d already read on his Fablebook posts everyone had tagged her about.

Some of Sol’s admirers were new faces to Apple, but some she recognized. Hanging on Sol’s every word was one girl with dark auburn hair streaked with pink, just like the color of her dress decorated with climbing roses. Briar Beauty, Sleeping Beauty’s daughter, who Apple was glad to see was awake, for once. Eager for every bit of excitement she could work into her waking periods. Including stories from newly-ascended heroes, it seemed.

Another princess listening with rapt attention was someone Apple White hadn’t seen in years: a girl in a purple dress made of ruffled velvet, with luxurious red locks all the way down to her knees. Holly O’Hair was Rapunzel’s older daughter, and already trying hard to live up to her mother’s example, if the length of her hair was any indication.

That sounded very familiar to Apple.

Also listening to the end of Sol West’s story was Ashlynn Ella, one of Apple’s best friends forever after, but she seemed to be enjoying it much less than the other princesses in attendance. In fact, Ashlynn kept looking away, and the expression on her regal face was almost…maudlin.

What could a good friend do, but step in?

“Hi, Ashlynn.”

“Hi, Apple,” Ashlynn replied, but her expression not changing.

“The party not your kind of thing?”

“It’s not that,” said Ashlynn, not meeting her friend’s eyes. “It’s just that besides Sol telling his story about beating up a giant bull two times, the only thing everyone’s been talking about is Raven Queen refusing to sign the Storybook of Legends.”

“That’s been on my mind a lot, too,” Apple agreed.

Ashlynn rubbed at her arm, seeming to weigh her response. Like the compassionate princess she was taught to be, Apple waited quietly for her, even though Ashlynn’s point made her feel anxious; this was exactly the thing she’d come to the party hoping to forget about. Finally, Ashlynn almost whispered, “Is it wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

Again Ashlynn waited to respond, looking even more unsure. When she did, she said, “Maybe she’s got a point? Maybe we are pushed too hard to sign the book and be locked into our destinies.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Daring laughed as he came over. “We train our whole lives for our destinies! That’s the way it’s always been! I’d been waiting the whole summer for Legacy Day, and then Raven Queen ruins it twice! What’s her problem??”

Apple sipped some tea thoughtfully, pondering her own answer. “We’re not exactly rushing into our story, are we, Daring?” she reminded her prince. “Our whole lives are ahead of us, and we’re taking it slow while we’re still in school, even if we end up together at the end of our story. You haven’t told anyone we’re together-together, did you?”

“Yes, I’m respecting your decision,” Daring affirmed. “Although I still don’t understand why you asked.”

Once again, Ashylnn’s expression got even more upset. She found her voice much sooner, and replied, “Raven was right, though, wasn’t she? Nothing went poof.”

“Yet,” Daring interjected with a glower.

“Look, I love my mom. Her story’s a classic!” Ashlynn went on. “I love shoes! I got that from her! But…what if there is more to life than being my step-family’s maid and marrying somebody at a dance?”

“That is life! That’s Destiny!” Daring exclaimed.

Ashylnn stepped away from them. “I’d better go,” she sighed. “I’ve got a project I shouldn’t be putting off.”

Sol West had finished his story and came over with his admirers then, and he asked, “Is everything okay? Ashlynn looked terrible from the minute she got here, but then she just left? What happened?”

Daring explained to his friend, “She seems to think maybe Raven Queen had a point. Can you imagine?” He followed up his question with a scoff.

“That kind of talk’s dangerous,” Sol said, his face darkening.

“Why’s that?” asked Apple, unable to stop herself from taking a step away from him in surprise. “I mean, I want Raven to sign the book and get our story going too, but…I…I don’t want her to be forced to do it.”

“Apple,” Sol said patiently. “You’re being a truly kind princess, your mom would be proud.” She smiled a little, feeling reassured, but he went on, “Someone’s sending monsters to make us stick to Destiny, though. And they’re very, very angry at Raven Queen in particular for trying to resist hers.”

Apple gulped.

Why don’t we talk about that, mom?

Well, I admit Apple’s caught in a bit of trouble. Between trying to stick to her destiny (like she should), and also be a good friend to her enemy.

They’re not enemies, mom.

They’re supposed to be. How else will their story happen?

I thought we were narrating this story. Don’t you have any thoughts on it?

…it’s true, Apple White could do a lot better than that Daring Charming boy. She’s such a nice girl.

Hehehe.

It was a good walk to where the group had agreed to meet up, but Raven felt good when she met the rest of her group waiting for her, sitting on a cluster of rocks at the edge of the Enchanted Forest. Cerise Hood, Pyotr Lupus, and Taylor Valiant all looked up and waved her over when they saw her familiar dark shape getting closer.

“Hey, Ray!” Pyotr smiled and hugged her as she came up. “Have to say, you were spelltacular telling off Headmaster Grimm.”

She scratched the back of her head and, slightly but noticeably, blushed. “I don’t know if that’s the word I’d use.”

Pyotr disagreed. “You’re the first person to ever stand up to Destiny! That’s…well, what word would you use??”

“Don’t know. I didn’t think about it, I just did it,” Raven replied. “Now, why don’t we head into the forest, and see if we can find anything cool to do?”

“Wicked,” Cerise grinned.

Taylor rubbed his hair down with one hand. “Think there’s any dragon lairs in there?”

“Nah,” Pyotr answered. “Questing season doesn’t start for a few more weeks.”

“Anything’s better than hanging around school on a weekend,” Raven mumbled, but led the way down the short trail to the trees. It was a cliché to say, but it was like stepping into another world as soon as the trees closed around them. Where everything had been silent only a minute before, now birds called to each other every few seconds. Squirrels were chasing each other across the ground, stopping in the middle of the trail to stare at the two-legged intruders in their forest, and running for cover before the intruders noticed them.

Cerise reached up and pulled out the folds on her hood, letting the window blow into its folds past her ears. She closed her eyes for a bit as she walked, just sighing in relaxation.

“Don’t have too much fun,” Taylor teased her.

“Just nice to be outside,” she said, before opening her eyes again. Taylor hadn’t noticed how grey they were before. Like a gathering storm cloud, something that seemed gentle, but full of fury waiting to be unleashed.

A lot like Cerise herself, he realized.

Her smile faded a little when she returned Taylor’s gaze. “Is everything okay? You’re staring pretty hard,” she pointed out to him.

“Just…noticing you have really pretty eyes,” Taylor said, only realizing what he was saying once the words had tumbled out of his mouth. Cerise gasped and covered her mouth with her hands when she heard it, but when she lowered them, she was smiling ever so softly.

“Thanks, T,” she said quietly.

“I speak only the truth,” he smiled.

She laughed. “Stop hanging around Cedar Wood so much, then.”

“I cannot tell a lie, I’ve never even met her. You mean Pinocchio’s kid, right?”

“Yeah, that’s her,” Cerise giggled. “She can’t lie. Some kind of spell, or something? At least that’s what Cedar said at Legacy Day practice.

Taylor groaned and looked up as he walked. “Don’t talk to me about Legacy Day! We were finally getting away from that!” She didn’t fail to notice he was smiling as he said it, though.

“Okay, okay!” Cerise said, but she laughed when she did. All of a sudden she pointed up toward the trees. “Hey, are those fairies?”

“Yeah, they are! Think they’ll give us help on our quest if we prove ourselves worthy?” Taylor asked with a teasing smirk.

“What quest?” Cerise laughed.

“Our quest to be the coolest heroes in Ever After High?” Taylor suggested.

She laughed and pushed his shoulder. “We’ve already got everything we need for that!”

He sighed, but it was a relieved one. “Man, I already feel better. You wanna hang out tonight, too? Get some pizza, maybe?”

“Sure!”

“Great! What kind do you like?”

Immediately, her face lit up, and Taylor was sure he saw fangs in her grin. “MEAT,” she informed him.

“Whoa,” he said, and took a step away from her.

Perhaps they should have been looking out for danger.

They might have seen the shadowy figure observing them from behind a tree, before he loaded a Ride Book into his belt buckle.

Meanwhile, Raven and Pyotr got farther ahead of their friends, but were maybe a little glad for the distance.

Not from Cerise and Taylor specifically, but from school. Distance from all the other teens and their expectations. Distance from those who might even have a score to settle with one of them...

“You okay?” Pyotr asked. Quietly, making sure to put no pressure on Raven to answer.

“Yeah! I’m doing great!” Raven beamed, spreading her arms wide and spinning around, looking upward. “I didn’t sign for my awful future, and nothing happened! That’s something to spellabrate, if you ask me!”

“We will,” he assured her, “but let’s not forget another Dark Mirror tried to show up and force you to sign anyway. And now, there’s another guy like Mendyr running around school.”

“Can we not trust that guy?” Raven asked, looking only a little more serious. “Sounds like we’re safer with more powerful heroes around, to me.”

Pyotr sighed and looked at the ground. “I don’t know…before, it was just us, you know? Everything happened to our group, but now somebody else got special powers. I’ve been asking myself, how long can we keep our little group secret if more kids get powers like Taylor and Cerise? And…should we even bother to keep it a secret anymore?”

“Wow, those are some big truths,” Raven said, giving a teasing smile. “You’re trying really hard not to end up like your dad, huh?”

He frowned. “I’m serious, Ray.”

She smiled. “And I’m being less serious, because I don’t want to end up like my mom. To be totally frank, you’re starting to sound like Taylor when he gets worried.”

Pyotr sighed. “Maybe he’s rubbing off on me,” he muttered.

“Oh?” asked Raven before she looked at him, eyebrow slightly raised. It was quiet and even, not an accusation, like the kind Pyotr was used to. Sounding to him like just a nudge that she was willing to listen, if he was willing to explain.

In that moment, Pyotr realized how hungry he was for someone willing to trust him like that. “It’s just how on the other night, when they turned you into a monster…no offense!” he blurted out.

“None taken,” Raven said, prompting him with a nod to go on.

Hearing that, he went on, “While you guys were out here in the forest, I was waiting back at school to hear from you. All I could do was sit around and worry, since I was probably the only kid there who knew what Dark Mirrors are like.

“Everyone’s always thought I’m just a troublemaker, and that’s not who I want to be. When I ran into you, somebody who doesn’t want their destiny either, I started thinking…I don’t know, maybe we could actually make that happen. Living some other way. After you didn’t sign and just walked off the stage, I was sure we could. But we’ve got the Dark Mirrors running around still, and how can I help deal with that, that unless I have a suit of armor and magic books like Taylor?”

Right then, he heard Raven snort, and realized she was holding a hand over her mouth to hide the fact that she was holding in a laugh.

“Would you care to share the joke with the rest of class, Miss Queen?” Pyotr asked in a stern voice that sounded more like a joke.

“I mean, you’re kidding, right?” Raven asked. His confused look was apparently answer enough, because in slight disbelief, Raven said, “You’re not kidding. Come on, Pyotr! Did Jack have special powers when he climbed the beanstalk, and came back down with a fortune? Did Prince Ivan have special powers when he went to hunt Koschei, or did he win because he made a bunch of friends on his adventure?”

“Those stories don’t have villains like Dark Mirrors.”

She canted her head. “Don’t they? Our stories have all kinds of villains, Pyotr. You know they do. Nobody solved them with a suit of armor like Taylor’s. Maybe you’re thinking too hard about what you can’t do.”

“Perhaps you’re the one thinking too much about what you can’t do, Raven Queen,” said a buzzing voice from above. Both of them looked up and stepped back, alarmed, but somehow not surprised, to see the dark figure crouched on a branch above them. “Like defy Destiny.”

It was hard to see details, but even from the ground they could see his skin lacked the glass-like glint of a true Dark Mirror monster. It was as if he wore armor instead, with short stubby horns and round, glowing yellow eyes that remind them both of an owl. His hand had a gauntlet on it with a frontward-curved spike on the back.

Around his waist, was a silver belt with what looked an awful lot like an opened Ride Book in the buckle.

“Who are you?” demanded Pyotr, stepping in front of Raven, but she walked around him.

“What are you doing out here?” demanded Raven. “Looking for me?”

The mysterious figure told her, “I am here, to protect this world from its enemies.”

“Hey, what are they looking at?” Cerise asked suddenly.

Taylor squinted. “What do you mean? I don’t see anything—” he started to say, but then he noticed the bright yellow eyes of the figure crouching in the crook of a tree. He started to sprint over, and despite himself was a little dismayed when he saw Cerise easily running ahead of him.

Without warning, the ground erupted in front of them, knocking both onto their backs. Brown leaves were blown all over them, and Taylor had to wipe them away from his face to see what had just attacked them. Not surprising him at all, a pair of Dark Mirror monsters with glistening black skin were looking down at the two of them.

One was massive, and round. A dome-like head stuck out of the top, and two stubby arms reached from holes in its shoulders while two thick emerged from holes near its bottom. Next to him was another Dark Mirror who was the exact opposite, thin and lean with sharp angles. He had tall ears and was leaning forward, poised on a pair of large feet.

“Taylor, am I going mad, or is that the Tortoise and the Hare??” Cerise exclaimed.

“You’re not, I see them too,” Taylor said, already summoning his sword and belt. “These guys are trying everything, aren’t they?”

“Let’s take care of this fast,” Cerise said back. “Turn the page!”

Power surged out of their Ride Books, covering the two teens in mighty armor. Mendyr brandished the slender sword of Needle Sharp Hero, and Scarlet growled while she flexed the claws affixed to her wrists.

Before they could make a move, Hare had dashed the distance between them and crashed into Mendyr with his shoulder, knocking the masked warrior into a tree. He pried himself out and had his sword up in time to meet Hare’s throat when the monster charged him again.

“You’re pretty fast, yourself,” chirped Hare.

“Maybe I’m getting used to you guys and your tricks?” retorted Mendyr.

“Oh, you’ll be sorry for thinking that!” Hare said with a sharp laugh that had a screech like two panes of glass rubbing on the edges.

“I’ll never be sorry for doing what’s right!” Mendyr snapped. Hare suddenly jumped back one step to have enough room for a kick, which gave Mendyr the second he needed to jump, tucking in his legs to avoid the attack. Hare’s long foot smashed into the trunk of the tree, and sheared right through it. The top of the tree collapsed, falling their way, forcing Mendyr and Hare to dodge in opposite directions.

After it hit the forest floor with a crash, the two of them faced each other across the span of its broken branches. With another screeching laugh, Hare said, “You’re not doing what’s right! We are!” His smile faded into a vicious scowl. “We’re preserving this kingdom!”

“Then I guess we’re the ones who see the problems, and want to fix them,” Mendyr countered.

Meanwhile, whereas the Hare had charged Mendyr, Scarlet was the one charging the Tortoise. Her claws were raised for a downward slash, but with surprising speed the Dark Mirror hopped around so his back was facing Scarlet, and the curved tips of her claws skidded against the thickest part of his shell.

“Too slow!” Tortoise taunted, his voice nearly singing.

“Don’t you dare call me that word!” Scarlet actually growled, but it died a little in her throat when she pulled back her claws, and saw the tips were badly chipped from hitting the Dark Mirror’s impenetrable shell.

“Fine! I’ll call you flat instead!” laughed Tortoise, who suddenly bent forward and formed his body into a ball! He rolled backward toward Scarlet, making a noise like thunder as his shell crushed rocks and roots on his way to roll over the warrior herself.

She saw the danger, let out a gasp, then turned and ran into the forest with a speed she’d never have managed on the school track. Her path took her through a pair of trees angled like a V, which Scarlet planned to catch Tortoise when he tried to roll through them and leave him vulnerable. After she’d made it through them, Scarlet whipped around and readied herself.

Tortoise crashed into the trees, but kept rolling, grinding his shell against their trunks and filling the air with splinters. Tension started to fill Scarlet’s mind, as she waited for him to slow down or show her an opening so she could attack.

Unfortunately, she wouldn’t get the chance. The tree trunks snapped in half from the pressure of Tortoise’s body rolling against them, and Scarlet actually heard him laughing over the sound of the trees slamming to the ground around him.

It called for a drastic change of plans, and so Scarlet whirled around and dashed off again. Looping through the trees to evade Tortoise, who stayed right behind her the entire time, smashing saplings and rocks out of his way.

“Imagine if the Gingerbread Man were here! I might actually have to try!” Tortoise taunted his opponent.

“He can’t run anymore! All he does is teach PE!” Scarlet yelled over her shoulder.

“In another second, you won’t run anymore either!”

All of a sudden she put on a burst of speed and dashed off to her side, then straight up the trunk of a tree. Before gravity had a chance to assert itself, she grabbed a thick branch and hauled herself onto the top. Smirking behind her mask as Tortoise went down the slope she’d turned just in time to avoid, and chuckling as he cried out in surprise while he bounced down it.

“Now, let’s see how Taylor’s doing,” she said to herself. Scarlet crouched, then jumped for a branch on another tree.

In midair, she ran right into a wall she couldn’t see.

“That looked painful,” snickered the masked man, still crouching on a tree branch overhead.

“What are you doing?” Raven demanded. She twirled one finger and sent a puff of dark magic zipping near to where Scarlet was lying on the ground. It splattered itself against an unseen wall, just like she had, and disappeared in a little puff.

“No one can escape Destiny,” the masked man replied cryptically. “Your friend just found that out more painfully than most. All combatants are confined to the battlefield until one side is victorious.”

Raven and Pyotr exchanged a look, but said nothing. What could they say to someone who put them in a situation this weird? Still, Pyotr rolled his jaw, as if determined to try. Maybe he had his father’s blood in him after all, Raven thought.

But was that a golden glint around him she’d seen, just for a second?

“Look, man, you’re one of those guys who’s all hung up on Destiny, right?” Pyotr asked. “What exactly do you want from us? Tell us, and maybe we can make a deal.”

“Absolutely. Sign for your futures, stop rebelling against Destiny, and all this can go away,” the masked man replied.

Pyotr shut his eyes, shook his head, and chuckled. “Look, man, I don’t know about your family, but my dad’s story was about breaking the rules! How do you expect me to tell lies for fun, and respect the rules at the same time?! Right, Ray?”

She nodded at him before she looked up at the masked man. “Yeah, he’s right! I’m the daughter of the Evil Queen! If that’s the way you really want me, then you don’t want me just doing whatever I’m told!”

The masked man continued to stare down at them, but after a minute, they realized he was laughing quietly. “All you children, who think you can rewrite the world with a persuasive argument. That isn’t how the world works…Headmaster Grimm person tried to guide you to your destinies gently. The Keeper tried to warn you of the consequences of defying your destinies. Now, I will be more direct.

“Ever After High will embrace Destiny again, no matter what it takes. Seriously, you want to argue logic? You smart-mouth kids had your chance to obey logic! Now, you’re going to have the right way shown to you by your betters!”

To punctuate his statement, he stood up, revealing more detail. His armor had a dark silver image on the chest of a swooping horned howl seen from the front. His boots were the same silver, and had taloned feet.

“As soon as your little protectors are dealt with, you can go back to school with a warning,” he informed them.

“Oh yeah? After we get back, who do we say sent us?” Raven asked, as incredulously as she possibly could.

The masked man glared down at her in angry silence, but Raven didn’t flinch. Whether she accepted it or not, Raven had taught been by the best—or the worst—to be the most intimidating villain in the kingdom. Her mother had warned her that when you were the best villain, someone else would always try to challenge you for your spot, and she’d need to be able to stand firm when it happened.

But he replied, “The Keeper tried to convince you to remain true to Destiny, but I am the Seeker. I seek out the children who rebel against Destiny, and show them by force the error of their ways.”

“Uh-huh,” Raven said, trying form an expression her mom had called “casual co*ckiness”. Eyelids slightly lowered, one side of her mouth turned up in a smirk. Inside, she was about to scream. Only the fact that the Dark Mirrors needed her alive kept her safe at all; they’d been ruthless enough to take over her body once, and right now were fighting her best friends.

A glance over her shoulder showed her it was getting even worse: Tortoise had come zooming up the slope again, blasting through the top of a tree, bouncing off another coming straight at Scarlet.

Meanwhile, Hare was chasing after Mendyr with a series of fast leaps as the masked warrior tried to retreat and get enough room to make an attack of his own. Hare bounded suddenly and came at Mendyr with a jump kick, his wide foot slamming into Mendyr’s side with a sound like glass breaking.

Pyotr was watching the battle too, and seeing his friends being battered by the Dark Mirrors made him clench his fists in anger. Slowly, a golden glow flowed up his body, and he said one word.

“Wolf.”

The forest had indeed turned into a battleground. Tortoise careened into Scarlet after ricocheting off a tree trunk. Instead of knocking her away, he rammed into her and dragged her along until uncurling himself and leaving Scarlet flat on her back, gasping for breath.

“Bet you were expecting me to be all ‘slow and steady’, like in the story, huh?” Tortoise sneered.

Gasping a few times before she managed to find her voice, the aching Scarlet managed to say in a raspy voice, “I learned to stop expecting anything, around you guys.”

“I’ll tell you right now, there’s one thing you can expect!” Tortoise laughed, then curled himself up to roll over her again. “Me crushing you!”

All of a sudden a wolf’s howl cut through the air, and Tortoise stopped and looked around in confusion. An unexpected sight caught his glassy eye, and he froze where he stood. A huge wolf, as big as a carriage, and covered in a shiny black shell like the Dark Mirrors, was standing between Tortoise and his helpless target. As suddenly as it had appeared, the wolf lunged, jaws gaping and spewing shards of mirror slaver.

Tortoise flinched.

Scarlet, though, looked around in confusion, wondering what her opponent had seen. But her predator’s instincts took over, and whispered into her ear that she saw an opening, and to take it.

She did, hurling herself at Tortoise, claws held out in front of her, and raking them across Tortoise’s underbelly in an X-strike. Her claws were still damaged, one of the tips broke off from the force, but the air was also filled with broken glass flying off Tortoise’s body from taking a hit in a more vulnerable spot.

In fact she’d hit him so hard, Tortoise toppled onto his back with a mighty WHUMP. Scarlet threw herself at him, launching a flying kick at the very center of the X left by her previous attack. Her boot dug in hard and sprayed even more glass dust, while Tortoise could only gag in pain and flail around helplessly, trying to get back up.

Scarlet, though, didn’t intend to give him the chance, and backflipped off him onto solid ground. She hit her amulet, making it roar, “Red Ride! Lone Wolf Slaughter!” Again, she jumped, coming down on the X-shaped wound she’d left on Tortoise, slashing and tearing with attacks so fast they were impossible to see. In a matter of seconds she’d torn through this body and out the other side, leaving gouges in the dirt.

Around her, Tortoise’s body erupted in a burst of black dust.

“Slow and steady won the race, but fast and furious won that fight,” Scarlet panted.

Meanwhile, Mendyr went flying from Hare’s kick and slammed into a huge rock on the forest floor. His left an imprint, and the entire rock cracked in two from the powerful impact. He was still recovering from almost being splattered when Hare charged him again, mouth open to reveal large, very sharp-looking teeth. Thinking fast, Mendyr raised his sword defensively and aimed the tip at Hare’s face. Instead, Hare twisted his head and caught the blade between his teeth, then threw it with a twist of his head. The sword whistled through the air and imbedded itself through the trunk of a tree.

And since it was fastened to Mendyr’s wrist by its taut cord, he was trapped…

Hare laughed as he jumped up, then came down on Mendyr’s chest with both long feet. Another vault off Mendyr’s ribs took him into the air again, and he slammed down right on top of the dazed Mendyr again.

“You feel too soft to be a hero to me,” Hare mused before he stomped on Mendyr’s chest hard.

“Heroes come in every shaaaaaaAARRGH!” Mendyr tried to retort but yelled out as Hare sank his huge glass teeth into the warrior’s shoulder. The Dark Mirror cackled around Mendyr’s arm while he chewed as painfully as he could.

“Forget carrots, where can I buy more of these?!” he jeered.

He stopped when out of nowhere, he heard the howl of a wolf. With Mendyr’s arm still clutched in his mouth, Hare looked up and froze when he saw a big black wolf rushing toward him. Letting go of Mendyr, he bounded backward to get some distance between him and the wolf. Next he crouched, then hurled himself at the oncoming wolf.

Only to go right through it, as if the beast was never there.

“Why…of course!!” he snarled, and whipped around to see Pyotr Lupus running by him. “That was one of your tricks, wolf boy!”

“You sure sound mad,” Pyotr snapped. “I thought you freaks wanted me to trick people about wolves attacking!”

Hare laughed. Quietly. Angrily. “That’s cute, kid. Want to see my best trick, maybe?” he said with a snarl that it seemed a rabbit should never have been able to make.

“No way in hex, bunny man,” Pyotr retorted.

“TOO BAD! We’re here to show you your place, whether you want it or not!” Hare shouted, and crouched to launch himself at Pyotr and Mendyr.

Before he had the chance, Pyotr said another quiet word.

“Wildfire.”

A sizzling sound reached Hare’s long ears, causing him to glance behind, and freeze in fear. A wall of fire was rushing through the forest, leaving blackened trees and bushes in its wake. In another second it had passed over Hare, who was unharmed. The forest was unburnt. There had never been a flash of wildfire.

But it’d given Pyotr Lupus time to grab a heavy stick and was standing in front of his friend, while Mendyr struggled to get to his feet.

“Is that all you’ve got, now that I’ve seen your trick? A stick?” Hare asked, sneering again.

“Ain’t you ever heard the story where one finger held back a flood?” Pyotr retorted. Hare jumped at him, and Pyotr smashed the Dark Mirror on the side of his head.

Hare was barely even fazed, turning his head and biting down on the stick to show the kid how useless it was to resist. When he expected his teeth to cut right through it, suddenly they met resistance, and he realized Pyotr’s entire body—along with the stick in his hands—was glowing gold.

Not only that, but Mendyr had managed to get up and grabbed the other end of the stick. He and Pyotr shoved, knocking Hare on his back, and knocking off the tips of his teeth when they hit the edge of the stick on his way down!

Mendyr looked over at his friend, and said, “I wanted you to stay out of danger so you wouldn’t get hurt by a monster.” He sighed. “But I’m glad you didn’t listen.”

“Me too,” Pyotr said with a weary smile. The golden glow of Heroic Will spread over both of them, and then flashed so brightly they had to look away. Pyotr opened them again soon as he dared, as the shape of the object in his hand was changing. By the time he could see again, the stick had changed to a Ride Book. Icy blue-white frame, with an image of a ghostly face blowing a stream of snowflakes.

Its title was “North Wind Boon”.

Pyotr handed it to his friend. “Take it, T,” he said. “Show me what this power we earned can do, okay?”

“You bet, wolf boy,” Mendyr chuckled.

“Hey,” Pyotr protested, but he was smirking.

Mendyr fitted the Ride Book into his belt. “Turn the page!”

“A bold lad travels north and seizes power.”

A wave of power spread from his Tale Driver, changing the colors of his armor the icy blue-white color of his new Ride Book’s frame. The dark stripes on his armor turned blue, and the lenses in his mask turned an unsettlingly bright white. On his chest, the emblem had changed to a dull golden image of a face blowing a stream of snowflakes like on the book’s cover.

And completing his transformation, in his hand was pale blue staff, with a dark blue stone on either end.

“Nice color,” Hare snorted. “Wonder what you taste like now!” He screamed, and launched himself at Mendyr. This time, however, Mendyr seemed to be ready for him. The masked warrior held his new staff out and leaned forward to jab the end into Hare’s midriff, then he raised the staff in an arc over his head, letting Hare’s own momentum carry him up and over Mendyr’s head.

“Impossibbbbbbble!” Hare exclaimed before he crashed to the forest floor, head-first.

“A lot of things seemed that way, before we found out what Heroic Will was,” Mendyr replied with a tone that made Pyotr sure he was grinning behind his mask.

It seemed like Hare had lost the desire to banter, because he just went on the attack, making fierce kicks at Mendyr with his long feet. His masked opponent was just a bit faster every time, batting them away with swipes of his staff. Hare bounced back, clenching his glass teeth in anger. Without warning he suddenly jumped and landed a kick on Mendyr’s shoulder, the one he’d been chewing on before.

Mendyr landed a sweeping blow on Hare’s neck that knocked him away, and let his injured arm hang by his side. Letting out a triumphant laugh, Hare went into another jump-kick aimed at Mendyr’s sore ribcage.

But Mendyr hit his Tale Driver, and his body filled with the power of a finishing blow.

“Miracle Wind Smiting! Batter and Blow!” it announced. Under its own power, the staff flew from Mendyr’s hand and belted Hare hard on the side of his neck, leaving a hideous crack in his glassy body.

Going for another kick, Hare was blocked by the staff again, leaving a new crack on the Dark Mirror’s ankle. He started to open his mouth to cry out, but was shut up by Mendyr’s staff flipping on its axis and striking a blow to his chin.

Incredibly, the staff began spinning in front of Hare, like fan blades, but faster and faster, until it was nothing but a blur. Small bits of Hare’s body were broken off by the winds, and kept getting bigger and bigger, until he was completely disintegrated. Mendyr’s staff slowed and stopped spinning, then embedded its tip in the ground.

“Whoa,” said a voice, and it was only then that Mendyr and Pyotr noticed Scarlet watching them. “That new weapon of yours is crazy!” she breathed.

“Uh, thanks,” he said, and Pyotr grinned. Mendyr grabbed the staff again. “Let’s go see what that guy with Raven thinks of it!” he declared.

Even though they’d just been attacked by Dark Mirrors, Raven Queen didn’t look disturbed at all by the armored figure standing above them on a tree branch. Light flashed in the bright eyes of his horned mask when Mendyr and Scarlet ran up, stopping at their friend’s side.

“You okay, Raven?” Mendyr asked.

“I’m fine,” the dark princess smirked up at the Seeker. “It’s not like this guy can actually do anything to us. We can’t live our stories if we aren’t alive.”

The Seeker made a weird noise that was half-hoot, half-laugh. “Don’t underestimate me, Raven Queen. There are so many things I can do, without threatening anyone’s lives. If you won’t play your role by choice, you can be forced in other ways.” Grey feathered wings spread from his back, and a mighty pump pushed him into the air. “I’m looking forward to showing them to you!” He sped away into the treetops, and almost immediately was out of sight.

Mendyr couldn’t hold in a sigh. “Looks like whoever’s behind the Dark Mirrors…didn’t take long finding somebody to replace Headmaster Grimm.”

“We beat the last one, we’ll beat this one,” Scarlet replied.

With a look over at Pyotr, Mendyr nodded. “That’s right, we will, because we’re putting together an awesome team. I’m sorry for trying to keep you guys from getting involved, before. Looks Heroic Will comes in all kinds of different forms.”

Pyotr smiled and shrugged, and looked over at Raven. “Yeah well, somebody awesome told me there’s more than one kind of hero. Maybe telling lies about stuff like wolves is good, if I do it to save my friends.”

“Guess this means the Dark Mirrors are more powerful than we thought,” Mendyr murmured.

Scarlet laughed a little laugh. “Good. With them around, I can be the real me for a while.”

“There was that thing he kept saying about us…rebelling. Rebels,” mused Raven.

“Yeah?” Mendyr prompted her.

“Yeah! Well, they think I’m a rebel? Fine, that’s what I’ll be! A rebel!” Raven declared, thrusting her fist to the sky. “That’s what we’ll all be!” She paused and looked over her friends. “You guys okay with that?”

It was Pyotr’s turn to laugh. “It’s nice of you to ask, Ray. But I think I speak for the group when I say, at this point, we’re committed.”

Mendyr tapped the end of his spear against the ground. In a voice that was only a little joking, he said, “Hear, hear! From this day forward, the Rebels will stand against Destiny!” Scarlet and Raven exchanged a look, and snickered. “Let’s hope we’ll find some other awesome friends to join our cause.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, T,” Raven said. “There’s a whole school of story characters. There’s probably a lot who have other dreams besides their destinies.”

“That Seeker guy’s gonna have a lot more than us to worry about,” Pyotr smiled.

There we go, another chapter. A whole new villain’s replaced the Keeper, and in toku replacement villain tradition, seems like he’s even worse than the guy he’s taking over for. Taylor and his buddies will have to brace for even tougher opponents, but even heroes who aren’t Riders can have special powers, turns out. Might be more help than the Keeper realizes.

Mendyr’s new form goes out to reader Raidentensho, who suggested a staff/lance/spear-type weapon. It took a little thinking to come up with something within the guidelines I set up for things I can include, but I thought of The Lad Who Went to the North Wind, and how that story had a magic attacking stick.

The story with Prince Ivan and Koschei that Raven talked about was a Russian folktale I’ve alternately heard called “Vasilisa the Beautiful” or “The Frog Princess”. Baba Yaga was in it and she’s a teacher at EAH, so I figured it was fair game. I checked and an animated adaptation’s still up on Youtube, with Richard Newman himself playing the villain!

Thanks for reading, see you next time!