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Chapter Text

“I am Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen” Raven said, her voice bouncing off the mirrors, echoing through the ears of all the students below her. She saw Holly O’Hair shudder in fear, and tried to ignore the stark frown on Hopper's face. “And I pledge, um, I…” She looked over her shoulder at Apple, who eagerly grinned at her. She didn’t know whether to find it encouraging or terrifying.

“Come on,” Apple said, leaning forward. “Do it.”

Without her saying anything else, the key appeared in front of Raven, almost as if the object itself was beckoning for her to sign her life away. It, of course, had a raven insignia designed into it. It was cold as it dropped into Raven’s open palm. Swallowing, she turned it into the keyhole. The pages flipped open to her page, unfolding in front of her like a nightmare. There she was, poisoning Apple. On the next page, she was being chased out of town by villagers. Apple, sentencing her to prison, for doing what she was supposed to do. She saw herself starving in the streets, cast into the shadows while Apple thrived in the light. Helplessness crawled over her. This was her fate. She was no hero, no princess deserving of a happily ever after. She was the next Evil Queen.

Finally, the last image of herself appeared, many years into the future. She saw herself in chains, trapped in the mirror realm, just like her own mother. A gasp tumbled out of her throat at the image. Her eyes widened and she stood, paralyzed in fear. She flinched as the mirror disappeared, transforming into the quill of destiny. Slowly, she reached for the pen.

Here, she was presented with a choice. Sign the book, and condemn herself to a destiny she didn’t want, hidden in the shadows, isolated for all eternity. Or don’t sign, and possibly condemn her friends to a similar fate?

The king who sings with pages of sky, fears too much the dawn that rises with lies.

Maddie said that meant her story would continue, but even she wasn’t absolutely sure. Could she take that risk? What if she didn’t sign, and Apple disappeared? Raven would do anything to prevent that.

The feather of the quill tickled her hand as she grasped the pen. Raven felt her hand tremble as she shakily signed her name on the line. She felt something stuck in her throat as she watched her name turn to gold beneath her fingers. Strangely, she didn’t feel any different than before. In terms of magic, at least. She thought something would awaken her powers if she signed, but she felt the same. Letting the pen drop, she stepped away from the podium. The cheers of her fellow students drowned out any thoughts she might have had.

“Raven, you did it!” Apple exclaimed, coming up from behind her and hugging her tightly. “Thank you thank you thank you! You have no idea how happy this makes me!”

“I did it for you, Apple,” Raven said. She wiped a tear from her eye. Pretty soon, she was sure they would be pouring down her face.

“Oh, no, don’t cry,” Apple said. She took Raven’s hands in hers and led her down the steps. “Come, sit down. Everything will be okay.”

But Apple was wrong. Raven had looked into that mirror, and had seen that things would never be okay. At least, not for her.

…

Cerise kept her hood tucked firmly over her ears as she took the steps up to the Mirror stage. Hunter was currently signing his page, the connecting factor between her fairy tale and Raven’s. Raven. She had signed that book, even though Cerise knew she didn’t want to. And now, she would have to do the same. Her fate, though not exactly thrilling, was nothing terrible compared to Raven’s. She had the worst destiny. If she thought going through with it was best, then Cerise supposed she could follow. Even when she looked into the pages of the Storybook of Legends and saw herself being eaten alive by her own sister, Cerise still signed. It was the least she could do, for Raven.

…

Briar had always been confident in her destiny. Now, it was all becoming too real. Sign that book, and she really would have to sleep for one hundred years. Then, be awakened by a prince that hadn’t even been born yet. The only person she would recognize when she woke up was Faybelle, who stood behind her in line, eager to sign her own page. Briar couldn’t help the nerves that took over her body as she swayed in her heels.

“I do have an invite to your party after this, don’t I?” Faybelle asked. She leaned her elbow on Briar’s shoulder, hovering over her only because of her wings.

“I know I would only be inviting your wrath if I didn’t invite you, Faybelle,” Briar said, pushing the other girl’s arm off her shoulder. “You really should just assume you’re invited to every party I throw.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Faybelle said. “Oh, hexes! It’s all so real right now, isn’t it? We’re really doing this?”

“That’s just what I was thinking,” Briar said. Did Faybelle have the same doubts she did?

“I mean, I’m going to be so bored when you’re asleep!” Faybelle exclaimed. “I mean, no one else is going to invite me anywhere.”

She supposed not.

“I’m sure your charm will get you into some parties,” Briar said.

“Not with my curse,” Faybelle retorted, crossing her arms. “Hey, looks like you’re up next.”

“Right,” Briar said, glancing up at the stage. The storybook slammed closed as Jillian stepped down. Briar gulped, her knees wobbly. “Guess I should head up there.”

Faybelle touched her arm gently. “And after, we could sit together?”

Briar glanced back. “I’d like that.”

…

Maddie stood between Lizzie and Kitty as they waited in line to sign the Storybook of Legends. All the fairy tales were, of course, grouped together, but the Wonderland group was rather lacking. No one noticed them missing from their seats in the crowd, because there were only three of them. Only three that made it through the portal before the Brothers Grimm were forced to seal it. Alistair and Bunny were back in Wonderland, unable to sign the book. It made Maddie wonder if they would even be able to continue their stories. Maybe that would be for the best. Not that she didn’t want to fill in for her dad, but she did want to show Raven that she could make her own future. If she wasn’t the evil queen, who would she be?

Maddie was surprised when Raven signed. She knew why she did it, of course. To protect Apple. Raven would always protect Apple. Still, Maddie wanted Raven to occasionally put herself first.

“And next, Lizzie Hearts!” Headmaster Grimm announced, and Lizzie stepped up to the podium. Maddie and Kitty shuffled forward.

“You do hear them, don’t you?” Kitty asked, her voice like a purr. Maddie turned back to her.

“I can. I didn’t know you could, Kitty.”

Kitty shrugged. “Hard to ignore them right now. They are completely losing their minds.”

“Almost like something else was supposed to happen,” Maddie said, making Kitty raise an eyebrow.

“What else could have happened? This is how it will always be.” She tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear. “But you’re right. It seems like a new narrator is entering the story, too.”

“You’re right,” Maddie said. She looked into some point in the distance, like she could look the new narrator in the eye. But that’s impossible. Narrator’s don’t get involved with the stories.

“Won’t you tell us what is going to happen, narrator?” Maddie asked. “Will Raven truly have to follow her destiny?”

I want to tell you, but I can’t. I’m just a narrator in training. My parents would kill me if I told you how the story unfolds. Though, if I’m being honest, even I’m not sure.

Kitty groaned. “Great. We have to deal with a novice.”

Maddie was slightly more patient. “Can you tell us your name?”

It’s Brooke. Brooke Page.

…

Cedar Wood was a curious case. She wanted to follow her destiny, or at least, she didn’t have a reason not to. But she wanted what was best for her friends. For Raven and Cerise, for Ashlynn and Hunter. Something about all this destiny business just didn’t seem right to her. Even so, she wanted to let the others make their own decisions, so she gave her little speech and signed.

She immediately knew something was wrong with the book. She knew she wouldn’t change completely, of course. For example, she wouldn’t be able to lie until she officially started her own fairy tale. But she was supposed to feel something. She thought she would feel the semblance of a heartbeat, even if she didn't get a real one. She thought she would feel a little closer to her destiny. A little more human. Suspicious, she started to lift the page to inspect it, but it slammed closed before she could examine it further.

“Next,” headmaster Grimm said, clearly a dismissal. Cedar hurried off stage, eyeing Blondie Lockes as she did so. She would find some other way to get that lock open again.

…

Duchess scowled as she took the feathery pen and signed her name. She had wanted a different destiny than the one she was signing for, but she had run out of time to find it. Ideally, she would have snatched away the Cinderella story, securing herself as one of the top royals at school. But why would it matter if she couldn’t replace her destiny with something better? A true royal like her should be able to live happily ever after. People like Ashlynn didn’t appreciate how good they had it. But now Ashlynn had signed, and Duchess put her pen to the paper. There was no escaping now. This wasn’t just any old pledge or promise, it was written in blood. She would be the next Swan princess, whether she liked it or not.

…

Dexter had hoped the Storybook of Legends would reveal something about his destiny, but it left him feeling more lost than ever. He had always supposed he would be a nameless prince in some fairytale, though not as important as Daring, of course. Maybe he would be Ashlynn’s prince, or Holly’s. A foolish part of him had even thought he could be Raven’s Good King. Above all though, he had suspected he would be Rosabella’s beast prince. That’s what everyone had told him, and what he expected to see when he opened up the Storybook of Legends. But what he saw was generic, as if it could be generated for anybody. He didn’t even see the face of the princess he was saving in the illustrations, but he could tell he was no beast. Just another nameless fairy tale, meant to create new princes and princesses for the next generation. Even more lackluster than he had been expecting. Oh well. He would never be brave like Daring, but at least he would be subjected to a lifetime of imprisonment like Raven.

…

There was one thing Darling knew for sure: she was no damsel in distress. The Storybook of Legends was wrong. What it had shown her was boring at best, deceptive at worst. There was something seriously messed up here. And she couldn’t be the only one that thought so. She had noticed a certain someone that had looked at the book strangely as she left the stage. Not knowing what else to do, and feeling utterly out of place at a party this big, Darling sat next to Cedar Wood.

“It wasn’t as overwhelming as I expected,” she said, hoping Cedar would catch what she meant. The wooden girl looked up, her mouth parting slightly at the sight of Darling.

“No,” she said. “It wasn’t.”

Darling folded her hands in her lap. “If someone were to say, get a closer look at that book,” Darling said, setting up a complete hypothetical. “Do you think that someone would be able to tell if something was wrong with it?”

“I think someone might be able to,” Cedar said, going along with Darling. She knew she had picked the right person. “But only if that certain person was able to unlock it.” Cedar’s eyes flicked over to Blondie, who was dancing with Holly and Cupid on the dance floor.

“So we’re in agreement then,” Darling said, able to decipher Cedar’s meaning. “We just need some way to convince her.”

Cedar nodded. “And some way to know for sure if the book is real. Simple enough.”

Darling laughed. “No one ever said destiny was easy.”

Chapter Text

Briar soon forgot all about her destiny as her party unfolded at the Red Shoes Dance club. She had been planning it since the first day of school, and was so happy it was going off without a hitch. She couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Raven hadn’t signed. Absolutely nobody would be in the mood to party.

“This party is ever after awesome Briar!” Cupid said, grabbing Briar’s wrist and pulling her onto the dancefloor. She was a new transfer student from Monster High who ran a love advice mirrorcast show. Briar was glad she had come. The students here definitely needed help in the love department, and Cupid was really nice, too. Of course, she wouldn't be any help to Briar, who wouldn't meet her one true love for another hundred years. But she couldn't think about that. She signaled for Melody to turn the music up, hoping to drown out her worries with a good song. Then she joined Cupid on the dance floor, just as was expected of her.

…

Apple laid her head on Raven's shoulder, closing her eyes against the bright lights coming from the disco ball. True, she was ecstatic, and had enough energy to stay up all night laughing, but she wanted to stay by Raven's side. Raven, who had signed her page simply because Apple asked her to. She had never felt so grateful to anyone in her life. Now, her mother would be proud of her. She hoped Raven's mom would be proud of her too. They would live out their fairytale destinies, just as the plan had always been. Apple was content, although she knew Raven was sad. She nestled up against Raven's side and stayed there.

"You don't have to try to make me feel better, you know," Raven said, looking down at Apple. "I did the right thing. I did it for you."

"That's exactly why I can't leave your side," Apple said. She grabbed onto Raven's hand and interlocked their fingers. It made a warm feeling rush up inside her, but she pushed it down. "You did this for me. It's my job to make sure you have the happiest life you can before we have to play out our roles. If you're sad right now, I'll stay with you. We are destined to be side by side. Forever After."

Raven sighed, but relented and leaned her head down on Apple's. "If you say so, Apple."

…

"So, how do we go about this?" Cedar asked Darling, sitting closely next to her on the couch. The Red Shoes Dance Club had a side area where students could catch their breath after dancing, and Darling and Cedar had been hogging the seats all night.

"It's unclear, but we definitely need a plan." Darling looked over at Blondie, who was their key to getting back into the storybook of legends. Literally. She could unlock the door to the Headmaster's office and the book itself. That way, Cedar could figure out if there was something wrong with it.

"True. And we shouldn't approach her tonight. She's too happy about her destiny. There's no way she'd agree"

Darling nodded. "If she feels connected to the royals, she won't be inclined to help us. Although, she has a particular attachment to one rebel…" Darling's eyes shifted over to Blondie's dance partner and roommate. Cedar's eyes followed, landing on Cupid. Truthfully, she didn't know much about the new girl. She had transferred from another school, and she didn't fully understand her destiny. But Blondie had been very close with her ever since she came to Ever After high.

"Do you think Cupid could convince Blondie to open the book?" Cedar asked.

Darling shrugged. "It's certainly worth a try."

…

Blondie's day had been just right. She had curled her hair perfectly that morning, and had gotten it in that position that framed her face just so. Her dress perfectly suited her style, and Cupid had given her a million compliments on it. Then she signed her page, seeing herself loved and adored by her community, just like her mother had been. No one could say she wasn't a future queen. And then Raven had signed, meaning that her destiny, as well as her friends, were all safe. Then she had come to Briar's afterparty, and Cupid had spent the whole night dancing with her, as Dexter Charming was nowhere to be seen. She hated to be ecstatic at someone's absence, but she couldn't help the little happiness that rose up in her. Cupid was hers for the night. That, and Briar was giving her more attention than usual, making her feel like a real royal.

"Are you having fun?" Briar asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Yes!" Blondie shouted over the music. She could barely hear herself think, but she found she liked that. "This party is just right!"

"I'm glad to hear it!" Briar said, smiling. Then her attention got snapped away, and she excused herself for a minute. Blondie turned her attention back to Cupid.

"Briar seems a little dazed," Cupid noticed. Blondie had too, but she didn't want to say anything. It was rude to point it out to someone's face, afterall.

Blondie shrugged. "She's probably a little overwhelmed. This party is bigger than anyone expected." To be fair, most people hadn't expected there to be a party at all. Blondie hadn't thought Raven was actually going to sign.

"Well, I like it," Cupid said. "If all Ever After parties are like this, I'll go to every one! This is the perfect place to throw a party!"

"It is a nice venue," Blondie said. She took note that Cupid liked it so much. Maybe she could do something for her here, although her birthday wasn't until November.

"I'm glad I came here," Cupid said. She was a good dancer, and Blondie found herself mimicking her dance moves. She found most of what she did was just following others. Somehow she found more comfort in following Cupid.

"I'm glad too!" Blondie said. "You make this place just right."

…

"Would you stop focusing on Blondie and Cupid and pay attention to us?" Kitty asked impatiently. She was not at the party like everyone else, instead lounging in a tree, Maddie at her side.

It's not your time in the story yet. You'll have to wait for your turn.

"Kitty, it's not very nice to interrupt Brooke when she's narrating!" Maddie exclaimed, though she giggled as she talked. She didn't truly want to scold her feline friend.

"That's right. Pay attention to us. We're the important ones in this story."

I told you it's not your time.

"Oh, right. You're probably going to go back to Blondie and Cupid. Everyone knows they're your favorites."

"Everyone?" Maddie asked. "I thought we were the only ones that could hear the narrator."

It's not any of your business, but we're moving on from them now. But don't worry, they will certainly be back. For now, let's take a look at what Duchess and Faybelle are up to.

…

Duchess fanned herself with her feathery fan on the couches, after Darling and Cedar had finally moved. She was hot from dancing, and had to find someway to get away from Justine, who wouldn't stop asking her for tips. She wasn't here to show off, although she couldn't help it, as she was the best dancer at the school. No, she was here to have fun and let her hair down. Metaphorically, of course. It was much too hot in the club to let her hair down.

"What are you doing, moping over here?" Faybelle asked, taking the open spot next to her on the couch. She was glad Faybelle had found her, as she was really her only friend at this school. Well, she had Sparrow, but he could be obnoxious. And Kitty, but Duchess hadn't seen her since the signing ceremony.

"I just needed to cool off for a moment," Duchess said, emphasizing her words with the swoop of her fan. "I'll be out there outshining everyone momentarily."

"Sure," Faybelle said. She could always see through Duchess, but didn't care enough to press her on it. "Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry you didn't get the destiny you wanted."

Duchess sighed. "It doesn't matter. It's not like I want to rebel. But as much as I don't like Raven, her not signing would have opened up opportunities for me. I could have signed on a different page, gotten an actual happily ever after."

Duchess looked across the room now for a destiny she would want. Of course, Apple's would be the best, but there was no way that was happening. She passed over Briar easily. A one hundred year snooze? No thanks. Holly O'Hair wouldn't be bad, but the destiny she really wanted was Ashlynn's. She watched the other girl now. Strangely, she was creeping out of the club, looking behind her as if someone might follow. Duchess narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Oh, god, look at Briar," Faybelle said. Duchess moved her eyes reluctantly over to where Briar Beauty was eagerly asking everybody if they were having a good time. "She's freaking out. I better go calm her down." Faybelle got up from the couch, but turned back to Duchess before leaving. "Do you want to sleepover at my dorm tonight? The other bed is still empty."

Duchess smiled. She wasn't exactly eager to get home to Lizzie, who would surely be practicing her "off with her head" shouts. And it's not like Faybelle had a roommate to kick out.

"I would like that, thanks," she said. Faybelle walked away, and Duchess went back to fanning herself. Naturally, her eyes went back over to where Ashlynn had exited moments before. She couldn't imagine why she was leaving the party early. One of her best friends forever after was throwing it, and it's not like she had a lack of things to celebrate. Ashlynn had the perfect destiny; something Duchess would kill for.

Her jaw dropped as she saw Hunter Huntsman exit the same way. Why was he leaving? Additionally, he looked the same way Ashlynn did moments before: cautious and secretive. Wasn't that interesting? Well, if the two of them were hiding a secret, Duchess would be the first to know about it. Closing her fan, she lifted herself off of the couch and followed them into the night.

…

Faybelle weaved her way through the hordes of dancing students, making her way over to the refreshments table. Briar was talking to Lizzie Hearts, who looked eager to get away from her. Faybelle rolled her eyes as she came up behind her.

"And that's why falling asleep for one hundred years is no big deal!" Briar exclaimed, clearly making things up.

"Mind if I steal princess freak-out for a second?" Faybelle asked Lizzie.

"Please," she said, quickly excusing herself. Briar turned to Faybelle.

"Faybelle, hi," she said. "Are you having a good time? Everyone is treating you well, I hope?"

"Splendidly," Faybelle said. "But more importantly, what is up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Briar asked. "Nothing is up with me."

"You're going around asking everyone if they're having a good time." Faybelle motioned to Lizzie. "Shouldn't you be having a good time yourself?"

Briar but her lip, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

"I am having a good time. It's my party. I'm just trying to be a good host."

"Uh-huh, sure," Faybelle said, not believing a single word Briar said. "You know, if you're having doubts about your destiny, that's okay. We all have--"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Briar snapped. She glanced over at Apple, who was still securely by Raven's side. "I'm happy Raven signed. Now everyone gets the destiny they deserve."

Not saying another word, Briar walked away from Faybelle, looking for someone who would be less honest with her.

…

Ashlynn paced back and forth by the fountain, waiting eagerly for Hunter to arrive. Everything was a disaster. It was like the clock had struck midnight, and now her perfect carriage life had turned into a pumpkin. By signing the book, she had secured her destiny as the next Cinderella. And as far as she could tell, her future prince Charming hadn't signed the book tonight. Otherwise, he certainly would have approached her. And she knew it wasn't Hunter. He had his own fairy tale role to play, separate from hers.

"Ash," he whispered, emerging from the trees. Ashlynn ran to him and he swept her up in his arms, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Oh Hunter," she cried, burying her face in his shoulder. "What are we going to do?"

"It'll be okay," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "I promise. We'll find some way through this."

"But now that Raven has signed," Ashlynn said, swiveling herself out of his arms, "everything is on course. We'll have to follow our destinies. Which means I'll end up with some nameless prince. I saw it unfold. It wasn't you Hunter. And you didn't see me."

"Just because Raven didn't rebel, doesn't mean that we can't," Hunter whispered, lowly, as if afraid someone would overhear them. Of course, they were alone out here. Everyone else was at the party.

"Everyone would team up against us," Ashlynn said. "There's no way we would be allowed to stay together."

"I know," Hunter said, stumped. Ashlynn watched with sorrow as his expression turned defeated. There was no way out of this for the two of them. But Ashlynn wanted to stay with him. She would do anything to stay with him.

"We will find a way," Ashlynn said. "For now, let's promise to stay together. Our love is so strong that even destiny can't break us apart."

"Yes," Hunter said, pressing his forehead against hers. "Take that destiny."

"Take that destiny," Ashlynn whispered, and leaned forward. But before they could seal their promise with a kiss, a sound from the bushes startled Ashlynn. She broke apart from Hunter, afraid someone would see them.

"Who's there?" Hunter demanded, puffing out his chest. He ran towards the bushes, parting the leaves to see through. But whoever was there before was gone. Ashlynn leaned down, inspecting the ground. She saw human footprints and several black feathers, possibly from a nearby bird.

"Someone saw us," Ashlynn said, panic lacing her voice. "Someone saw us, and it won't be long before they talk."

…

"Is all that over now?" Kitty asked. She had been lounging on her branch, listening as the narrator valiantly told her story.

"Kitty, what did I say about interrupting Brooke?" Maddie objected. Although she, too, was curious about when it would be their turn. They had been waiting patiently all night. At least, Maddie had been waiting patiently. Kitty less so.

"So, when does our part come in?" Kitty asked. "I'm assuming we're important in this. I mean, why wouldn't we be?"

I'm sorry girls, but I'm afraid your part doesn't come for a while. And you overhearing me is going to make things very difficult. You'll always know what the others are up to.

"We can't hear everything," Maddie said. "Only some. Presumably when you're in range. We heard everything from the dance club, and a little outside of it. But we wouldn't be able to hear anything at the school from here."

"Why would you tell her that?" Kitty scolded Maddie. "Now she knows how to not spoil things. What if she would have revealed some information we needed to know?"

It's better if you don't disrupt the flow of the story. Besides, you'll still overhear plenty. You're pretty much always near the other characters, after all.

"So we're side characters?" Kitty exclaimed indignantly. "That is so not fairest. I think I'll just make myself the main character."

"Now now Kitty, I think Raven and Apple are the main characters in this story! Isn't that right, Brooke?"

It's hard to say. There are a lot of main characters. And some villains. Characters who you wouldn't expect.

"Like who?" Kitty asked.

I don't get to tell you that.

"Of course not," Kitty said, rolling her eyes. "Then you might actually be fun."

"Some of our friends will be villains?" Maddie asked. "I don't like that one bit."

Don't worry, Maddie. I don't want anything bad to happen to your friends. And I can always warn you if things get out of hand.

"Well that makes me feel better," Maddie said. "Thank you, Brooke."

But since you said you can't hear at the school, I'm afraid there's something unfolding there that I have to get to.

"Of course you do," Kitty said. "Well, go. We were having plenty of fun without you, anyway.

"Bye Brooke! Good luck narrating!" Maddie said.

…

Back at Ever After, Headmaster Grimm had his own problems to deal with. Yes, Raven had signed, just as he had needed her to. But things were anything but simple. For the storybook he held in his hands was a fake. The destinies he placed in there, made up by him. He had no idea who the Charming's were supposed to take the places of. And he had no idea what to do for Miss Cupid. He had to find the real book while Raven still wanted to sign and make sure everyone followed their destinies.

Rain began to fall against his window as an evil laugh came from his mirror. Of course. Her. He turned to face the Evil Queen, who showed her face through her mirror prison.

"You. Where is the real storybook of legends? Don't you want your daughter to sign?"

The Evil Queen laughed in his face. "You have no idea what I want. You always were on the dull side, Milton Grimm. How's your brother by the way? I haven't seen him in a while."

"Do not speak of him," the headmaster said. "Tell me where the storybook is, now, while we can still get Raven to sign."

"Does it matter?" The Evil Queen asked. "Everyone thinks they've signed the real thing, meaning they're obligated to follow their stories. Now, if you don't mind, I have someone else I need to check up on."

She quickly disappeared into the mirror realm, off to find someone else to watch over. Possibly her daughter, or maybe even Snow White, who she still wanted revenge on. The headmaster cursed, throwing the book down on the table. Still, he could make this work. As long as no one discovered the secret about the True Storybook of Legends.

Tapping C.A. Cupid on the shoulder, Cedar Wood had other plans.

Chapter Text

Cerise Hood was more miserable than she had ever been. She had been depending on Raven not to sign, but now there was no hope left. She would have to follow in her mom's fairytale footsteps, which meant living out the rest of her life in a lie. She could never just be happy with her sister and father. She would have to lead a separate life, without them in it. She sighed, pushing her jello around with her spoon.

"What's wrong Cerise?" Cedar asked. "You look miserable."

Cerise looked up at her roommate, who was sitting across the table from her with Hunter. Maddie sat by her side, drinking tea with her dormouse, Earl Grey. It was the day ever after legacy day, and they were all eating in the castleteria. The mood: somber.

"You can hardly blame her," Hunter said. "When Raven signed, that was essentially closing the book on our happily ever afters."

"Don't blame Raven for this," Maddie said, taking a break from sipping her tea. "She's under a lot of pressure. You should have seen her before. She was absolutely bonkers with stress!"

"No one's blaming Raven," Cerise said. Truly, she didn't. She supposed she could have refused to sign herself. But then people would wonder why she didn't. It's not like she had the worst ending ever after. They would start to ask questions, and she might expose her parents. No, not signing had never been an option. Unless Raven hadn't signed first.

"That's just right," Blondie said from across the Castleteria. Cerise had her back turned to the royal table, she just couldn't stand to look at them today. Blondie's voice grated against her ears as she continued talking, "Raven did a brave thing! She made sure all of our destinies are secure. I couldn't be prouder of her."

Cerise gritted her teeth, trying to ignore them.

"Tell me about it," Briar said. "I totally thought she was going to go off the rails. Luckily we've all signed. There's no going back now." Before she could keep talking, Cerise heard her stuff some jello in her mouth. You'd think they'd serve something with more substance.

"Yeah, how great for you," Hunter said under his breath.

"What was that?" Daring Charming asked, starting to grow indignant.

"Come on guys, there's no reason to fight," Cedar said.

"You're right," Hunter said. "Let's just ignore them."

Cerise went back to eating, meat being the only thing that could make her feel better. She wished so badly that Raven hadn't signed.

The rest of lunch would have been peaceful, if it weren't for one Kitty Cheshire.

"Kitty?" Maddie said. Her friends turned to her. Maddie covered her mouth. She had forgotten they couldn't hear the narrator. But what was Kitty going to do?

She found out sooner rather than later, as fries flew across her vision. One landed in her tea, another in her hair.

"Oh it is on like fairy song," Cerise said, pushing away her plate and standing. Maddie looked up to see Kitty giggling, holding fries in her hand.

"No wait--" Maddie started, but it was too late. Cerise threw a handful of fries at Briar Beauty, who ducked so they landed on Daring's face. Maddie sighed. This was going to be a long year.

…

Raven wasn't sure what to do. Her friends were fighting because of her. She had brought up the idea to rebel in the first place, making everyone uneasy. Even though she had signed in the end, it didn't stop others from resenting their own destinies. She glanced at Cerise, who had to hide a terrible secret because of her destiny. Raven couldn't imagine how miserable she felt after signing.

"This isn't your fault, Raven," Apple said. The two of them had been attached at the hip since Raven signed, and if she was being honest, it was starting to annoy Raven. She knew Apple felt guilty, but that didn't mean she had to make it her job to cheer Raven up. If anything, seeing her future fairytale enemy made her more sickened with her destiny. No matter how caring Apple was, Raven would eventually have to poison her.

"I wish they weren't fighting because of me," Raven said. She stood at the entrance to the castleteria, watching Dexter chug a banana at Hunter. It hit him square on the nose, and he went falling backwards. Blondie giggled, recording the whole thing for her mirrorcast show. She had to do something to stop this.

"Raven, use your magic!" Apple exclaimed, grabbing Raven by the hand. "Your evil queen powers should have improved by signing the book, you can do anything you want!"

Raven frowned, looking down at her free hand. Could she really? She hadn't tried using her magic since she signed, but she was pretty sure her powers hadn't gotten any better. Maybe she would just be a disaster queen. What if she accidentally froze everybody?

"I, I can't," Raven sighed, breaking away from Apple. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked to the ground. It was dirtied with smashed potatoes and broken fries. This was all her fault, and she didn't have the power to stop it.

"It's okay," Apple said. "I'll find some way to do it."

Raven glanced up at Apple, who had a newfound resolve on her face. Fearlessly, she walked through the battlefield of flying pizza slices and tomatoes and climbed onto a table. She cleared her throat to speak, but before she could, she was hit in the face with a fry.

"Oh hex, Apple, I am so sorry!" Briar shouted, dropping the container of fries she had in her hand. The royals gasped as they saw that one of their own had thrown food at their leader.

But Apple simply laughed. She picked the fry off her face and tossed it to the floor.

"It's alright Briar, really," she said. "But if everyone could put down their food for a minute? We have something to say." She looked over at Raven, motioning for her to join. Raven walked nervously to the table, where she stood next to Apple.

"Hey everyone," Raven said. She glanced over at Blondie, who was standing much closer now, recording everything Raven said. She gulped.

"Look, food fights can be a lot of fun!" Apple said. "But I don't want you throwing salad at each other out of malice. We have to respect each other, even if we disagree sometimes. What's important is that we give each other the space to make our own decisions. I learned that I couldn't force Raven to sign the book, and she ended up signing on her own. So please, don't hurt each other over silly things." She put her hands on her hips and glared down at everyone, who looked rather embarrassed.

"That was beautiful, Apple!" Blondie exclaimed. Raven could never tell if she really meant the things she said or if she just wanted other people to like her. Regardless, most people in the castleteria started to cheer. Except, Raven noted, Cerise Hood.

"Whatever after," Raven heard Cerise mutter under her breath as she took off. She brushed past Cedar, who ran after her in a hurry. Raven chewed on her lip, wanting to comfort her friend but knowing she had to stay to create an image of solidarity with Apple.

"Three cheers for Apple and Raven!" Faybelle Thorn said, pulling out her cheerhexing pom poms. The other members of the team, including Nina and Farrah, followed behind her. "Part of the greatest fairytale destiny of all time!"

"Apple! Raven!" The castleteria began cheering, and Raven knew she had to stay. If she left now, people would wonder if she had changed her mind about signing. Not that it would matter. It's not like she could erase the ink she had put to the page. It was permanent. Nothing could undo her decision. Even if she wanted to.

…

Blondie sighed, scrolling through the footage she got today in the Castleteria. The first half was just right, royals and rebels throwing fruit at each other in a battle full of potential scandal. But when Apple and Raven stepped in as a unified front, ratings went down. Even though it was news, and Blondie was happy everyone was signing, it didn't look so good for her show's growth. She wished something truly scandalous would happen so she could break the news, and everyone would look to her for updates.

"Blondie, are you gonna stay for a while?" Humphrey asked. He was closing up the computer lab, but Blondie still had a few clips she wanted to stitch together.

"Yeah, sorry. I'll close everything up and lock the door, so don't worry about it," she said. She often came in here when he wasn't anyway, since she could open the door easily even when it was locked.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night," she said, then turned back to the screen. She analyzed the clip she had of Briar throwing a fry at Apple. She got the perfect shot, even though usually Dexter and Humphrey were the ones better at filming. She wondered how she could use it to boost her ratings.

"Blondie, are you in here?" she heard someone say from the doorway. Surprised, she jumped out of her chair, dropping her phone on the floor. She glanced up to see Duchess leaning against the doorframe.

"Hex Duchess, you scared me," Blondie said. In truth, she was still a little scared. Duchess wasn't a terrible person, but she certainly wasn't friendly towards Blondie. She insisted Blondie wasn't a real royal, although unlike her, Blondie did get a happily ever after.

"Sorry, but I just had the most dire news to share with you."'She danced into the room like a ballerina, something she was always doing. Blondie picked up her phone as Duchess made her way around loose cords and wires. This place was a real mess.

"What is it?" Blondie asked, curious. She didn't know what Duchess could possibly have to say to her. They weren't friends. They were barely even acquaintances.

"Well, I know how much you must be dying for a good scoop after that bore fest in the Castleteria today," Duchess said. "I mean, Raven deciding to sign? That's not exactly the rumor mill you were looking for."

Blondie crossed her arms. "I'm happy Raven signed. Now everyone can get the destiny that is just right for them."

"Oh I know," Duchess said, twirling around with a knowing smirk on her face. Blondie didn't like how she could see right through her. "But it does make one wonder what you're going to report on now. I mean, you could go back to reviewing the Castleteria food, if you want to be unoriginal. Or, you could rely on other sources." She held up her own mirrorphone, shaking it back and forth teasingly.

"What exactly do you mean?" Blondie asked. She was right, she couldn't just go back to reviewing Castleteria food. She had been planning on branching out and reviewing BookEnd restaurants, but if Duchess had something better….

"Take a look at this," Duchess said, opening her phone up and revealing a video. It was dark, but Blondie could clearly make out the figures of Ashlynn and Hunter. What were they doing together?

Then Duchess pressed play.

"Just because Raven didn't rebel, doesn't mean that we can't," she heard Hunter say. That wasn't anything juicy though. Everyone knew Hunter was a rebel. Still, why was he saying that to Ashlynn, who was a royal?

"Everyone would team up against us," came Ashlynn's voice. "There's no way we would be allowed to stay together."

Blondie's jaw dropped. Hunter and Ashlynn were… together? But she was a royal, and he was a rebel! How was that possible? Hunter wasn't Ashlynn's prince charming.

"I know," Hunter said on the recording.

"We will find away. For now, let's promise to stay together. Our love is so strong that even destiny can't break us apart."

The recording stopped, and Blondie stood there, saying nothing.

"Well?" Duchess said. "Isn't that the kind of story you've been looking for?"

Blondie pursed her lips. It certainly was juicy. Posting something that controversial would certainly stir up some buzz. But still, something about it didn't feel just right.

"I don't know," Blondie said. "Ashlynn and Hunter are my friends."

"Please," Duchess said in that snarky voice she had. "Ashlynn isn't your friend. If anything, she pities you. A fake royal with a mediocre destiny. No prince for you."

Blondie blew her cheeks out angrily. She wanted to deny it, but some part of her feared Duchess was right. What if all her friends really just felt bad for her? Her mom wasn't a queen, even though she liked to pretend she was. She wasn't a princess. She didn't have some romantic destiny, like Apple and Ashlynn. Ashlynn got a happily ever after, yet she was with someone who couldn't possibly be her prince charming? Blondie didn't get a prince or a princess charming. Ashlynn didn't know what she was taking for granted.

Then again, that was exactly what Duchess wanted her to think. The girl didn't hide her distaste and jealousy for Ashlynn, or any of the other royals for that matter.

Blondie wasn't sure what to do so she simply muttered, "I'll think about it."

"That's right," Duchess said, smiling. "You think about it. And next time your ratings plummet because your own friends didn't tune into your show, you remember what I'm offering you." She tucked her mirrorphone into her pocket and danced away.

Although her destiny was determined and she was on the right course, Blondie felt more uncertain than ever.