A/N: With a cliche merging of the two show titles, I give you a Once Upon a Time and Ever After High crossover called Once Ever After. Honestly I'm a bit surprised that no one else has thought of ANY type of crossover with these two. But anyway! (SKIP TO THE FIRST LINE BREAK IF YOU WANT TO GET STRAIGHT TO THE STORY)
Summary: Raven Queen is just looking for a way to get Apple White to understand her choice to make her own destiny. Enter Emma, an Apple from a different Snow White and definitely a "nothing or nobody tells me who I am but me" kinda Rebel.
Pairings: Emma/Darling Apple/Raven (or swapped White daughters. Haven't quite decided. But probably these two.
A/N Pt.2!: Just a few story rules! You can skip 'em if you want though no worries! Rule 5 has a minor spoiler for this story though it will quickly be revealed anyway. BTW I'll likely do something like this on every first chapter on my stories! Just FYI.
1) This will likely be all fluff while at Ever After High. Well okay probably in Storybrooke too when (if...) I get there.
2) Will be using both the book and the show. Though the book will definitely be the main source.
3) I know that Darling hasn't really been introduced so Imma play with that. I'm thinking of making her a bit like (OUAT) David. :) Maybe not entirely, but definitely what I want her to be like. Also, I'm making Darling the one that approaches Raven after legacy day and not Dexter. Dexter is still crushing on Raven though. She's just not interested. Because I said so.
4) I've decided that teenage Emma will dopplegang Apple White for this story. There will also be other look alikes such as Faybelle looking like Lily (plus wings) and Maddie looking like Paige/Grace (though still with her multi-colored hair). Pretty much if they have a Once Upon a Time counterpart (mostly parents and teachers it seems), they'll look the OUAT version. Emma is the exception.
5) Once Upon A Time's magic will be the kind used for most characters that use it. Least as far as Raven, Emma, and Apple's type of magic are concerned. Yes. I said Apple.
6) Backstories can and probably will be changed at my will. Ha. Hahaha. Muhahahahahahaha!... Ahem... Definitely Emma's. You'll see. I'll try to put in the story if it was an important change.
7) I can't stress enough right now that this is FLUFF! If you're expecting a whole lotta plot well (or one at all)... Storybrooke's curse needs to be broken and there are a few significant episodes in Ever After High (as well as a few plot driven books)... I'll think of something. But really... Soft Pillows and Cavities and Friendship ahoy!
8) And finally... Maddie and her talking to the narrators... yeah... She'll have it but I'll probably keep it limited to looking like she was talking to herself instead of the narrator arguing back.
Once Ever After
Chapter 1
Enter the Doppleganger
A blue bird landed on a shingle inches from Raven's hand, using its beak to scratch under its wing.
"Uh," Raven whispered, a little apprehensive. This was one of Apple's bluebirds after all. It could be here to relay just how upset the bird's owner really was. "Hi."
The bluebird turned one eye to her. Raven held her breath. The bird chirped twice. Raven sang two notes in response. The bird didn't fly away.
"I changed things," she whispered. "It's already different." Though perhaps she'd have experiment with unowned birds later. Like Apple herself, the animals that belonged to the White Princess had never exactly been afraid of her. Apprehensive at first (other than Gala the Snow Fox) but they had grown to be less tense as the friendship between her and her roommate grew.
'Which might now have already ended.' Raven thought bitterly, but shook it off. Apple had always been her friend, even if this year had been the first time she'd truly sought to strengthen it. She closed her eyes. She'd figure something out.
From the top of the school, Raven couldn't here the screaming any longer. Maybe they'd all calmed down a bit, now that no one had actually poofed.
The wind was getting cold, the clouds stirred up and grey. Raven climbed off the roof into the tower window and crept through hallways and down stairs. She didn't dare go back to her room. Apple could be there. Better to let her cool off for a little while. Maybe a couple of days? She wondered if Maddie and Kitty would be okay sharing their room until this blew over.
Finally she ended up in the Commoner Common Room. She sat on a wooden stool by the fire and wondered how long she could hide before getting discovered.
Not long it seemed.
"See, there she is!" Maddie cried. Suddenly Raven was smothered with hugs. Cedar, Maddie, Cerise, Hunter, and even pink-haired Cupid flew in the door and attacked her in a huge and sincere embrace.
"You're okay!" Cerise said. "We woulda been okay if the blonde vanis- I mean, if you're still here I'm sure she's alright too..."
"We thought you poofed!" Cedar interrupted, glaring at Cerise who scowled but looked guilty at her errant thought when she noticed Raven's equally hard stare. "I mean, you didn't sign the book and then you and Apple were gone, so naturally we thought..." Cedar's wooden brow furrowed. "I wish I could cry! I want to, but I'm not real enough. Curses!"
"I'm okay. Sorry to scare you. I just though I'd better get out of there before the royals came after me with pitchforks and torches."
"I told everyone you didn't go poof, but they just looked at me funny," said Maddie.
"Yeah, that's because you spouted off in Riddlish," Hunter said. He scrunched his face up in thought "Something about a tiny crow and a cloud?..." Maddie looked sheepish.
"Oh, whoops! Didn't realize I'd made the switch!" Maddie said with a shrug. "Hey, I wonder if Apple's friends found her as quickly. Seems she's hidden better then you were, because the Princesses were still looking for her when we walked in. Course you weren't really hidden at all..."
Raven sighed. "Great..." Maddie smiled sympathetically and pulled out a cup of hot tea that she handed to Raven.
"I thought what you did was amazing," Cerise said. "Raven Queen, what big guts you have!" Raven gave her an incredulous look.
"Really with that line?" Cerise chuckled briefly before taking Raven's hand and looked at her intensely.
"Honestly," she said. "Thank you for being brave enough."
Cerise's face was usually hidden in the shadow of her hood. Raven had never noticed before that she had a streak of white through her bangs and down the side of her straight dark hair.
There was a knock at the Common Room door. Hunter rushed to it.
"Who goes there?" Hunter demanded, his chest stuck out. "Be ye friend or foe?"
"Definitely friend, I believe," a female voice sounded from the other side of the door.
Hunter opened the door to find Darling Charming. She seems to have recovered from her fainting spell, although Raven strongly suspected that Darling had been faking it.
"Hey," was all Darling managed to get out before everyone took a protective stance in front of Raven. Darling was clearly a royal, one of those promised a castle and a prince and a happily ever after. Those sort couldn't be happy with Raven right now. Raven, of course, knew better in this particular case.. Darling neither wanted a prince or to be a damsel-in-distress. Darling raised an eyebrow.
"It's okay, guys," Raven told the others. "Darling is my friend." The others hesitated before taking a handful of steps away from her. Darling took that as a signal that she was welcome and stepped in.
"I'm glad to see that you are okay," she said with a small smile. Raven smiled back.
She and Darling had bonded quickly after the Legacy Day Rehearsals. Darling had been quick to approach her once she'd been alone to tell Raven that she'd found questioning Headmaster Grimm impressive. It bloomed from there with Darling helping out with creating distractions, to telling secrets like how Darling had to help her twin, Dexter, pass his Hero Training Class and how she really got tired of boys asking her out, not at all embarrassed when Raven asked her gender preference. Raven in turn helped Darling deal with her over protective brothers (or half brother in Daring's case), let her vent about how fairy uncool she believed her Damsel-in-Distressing Class to be and Raven told her how she didn't think she could deal with being evil.
"I assume that means that Princess Apple is okay as well?"
"Yeah, we're okay." Raven winced though, thinking of the hurt and fear that she'd caused Apple. "Well... Only physically in her case. But hey, I'm sorry I messed up Legacy Day for everyone. I know you wanted to see your Once Upon a Time." But Darling only shrugged.
"I actually thought that part was hexcellent! I probably would have disagreed with it anyway. Either for the prince or the damsel part," Darling said easily. She smiled widely. "Not sure how it will work, but now I might get a chance at being a hero!"
The other teens in the room had relaxed at the fact that Darling was right there in the Rebel's corner with them. They all expressed their positive thoughts at Charming's plan to be a heroin instead of a damsel. Except Hunter who seemed a bit stumped.
"You'd disagree with having a prince?" He asked, scratching his head. Darling turned an amused eye on him and raised an eyebrow.
"Must I spell it out for you?" Hunter still seemed to expect an answer. Cupid leaned forward and whispered something into his ear before leaning back waiting for his reaction. She wasn't disappointed.
"Oh," He'd said blankly, staring into space before his eyes widened and he let out the 'he finally got it' "OH!" before gathering himself for one final "Oh. Fairy cool." He turned a little red as the room giggled at him.
"Oh," Cupid gasped suddenly looking worried. "That wasn't a secret or anything was it? I know some worlds still look unkindly at this sort of thing. I haven't quite noticed it in this realm."
"When love is considered the strongest form of magic, gender doesn't really matter to people," Darling answered. "And no, it wasn't exactly a secret. I mean I don't hide it if people ask me directly and my mom and dad, Dexter, and some of my cousins know."
"Do books have brains? Because if so, It would be the Wonderlandiest if it took gender preference into account!" Maddie exclaimed. She was now hanging upside from the arm of chair she'd sat down on.
"Guess we won't know now," Cerise said, before smirking back at Darling. "Daring doesn't know? Too busy checking himself out I guess. Fairy tale, those two deserve each other. Spoiled and self-centered the both of them."
"Hey! That's enough Cerise!" Raven exclaimed, not willing to let them bad mouth one of the first people to not be scared of her. And a friend at that despite the circumstances.
"Why? She'd force us all into roles we don't want for the sake of her own Happily Ever After," Cerise sneered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hunter shift uncomfortably, looking unsure if he agreed. "She's probably telling everyone how evil you are for, ironically, not being evil."
"Actually, I don't think Apple is really that thrilled with Daring being her prince." Darling said matter-of-factly. "And who would? He's the fairy definition of 'charming, not sincere.' I mean... I love him and all... sometimes... but Snow White's prince?"
"He is kind of a tool," Cupid added, blushing slightly when she realized she'd spoken out loud. "Well it certainly seems like he'd never love anyone more then himself, not even Apple."
"Can we please stop talking about Apple?" Raven asked before they could go any further into the conversation, rubbing her temple. She sighed though, remembering she'd have to think about Apple to find Apple and immediately pulled out her MirrorPhone and tried to connect with the Princess's.
It was promptly rejected. Raven huffed out a breath.
Raven: Seriously, if you don't at least find your friends in the next five minutes, I'm going to come find you.
Apple: I do not want to speak with you Raven!
Raven: But your friends are all worried about you. I know because I'm one of them. Tell me where you are.
Apple: Nope. I do not wish to be found at the moment. And I'll see you coming if you do look so don't bother!
Apple was quick to send her another hext with what she'd been told was a very stubborn face. Followed by several frowny faces.
Raven: For spell's sake Apple White, just tell me where you are!
"I wish there was a way I could get Apple to be okay with my decision," Raven groaned when she didn't receive a reply from Apple and stood up. "C'mon Darling. Let's go find her..." Darling nodded. They didn't leave the room before something interrupted them.
The interruption was in the form of a rather large book nearly falling on top of Raven's head. She glared at it briefly before realizing that she knew this book. She wondered why it had suddenly appeared. She'd had Once Upon A Time for several years and nothing had seemed magical about it other than its initially appearance (which was very similar to this instance except Raven hadn't managed to dodge it).
"What's that Raven?" Cedar asked as everyone went to get a closer look.
"It's a storybook!" Maddie answered helpfully. "It may or may not be about alternate versions of our parents. Doesn't it sound spelltacular?" Everyone shared a look before turning to Raven for a better explanation. Raven rolled her eyes.
"It's just a theory," Raven muttered not really wanting to get into it. She'd only ever shown the book to Apple, Darling and Maddie and she'd rather keep it that way. Considering the content, it was likely that the book would probably be destroyed instantly. Definitely if Headmaster Grimm caught wind of it with his "Choice is a dangerous thing" attitude.
A book with all their fairy tales mixed together and interconnected in a way that their own stories wouldn't be? Initially Raven thought it was the book that gave her mother the idea to start invading other fairy tales before dismissing the idea. Her mother was crazy evil all on her own and seeing how the book's Evil Queen was depicted... Yeah. Book would not exist anymore after that.
The book character's having an uncanny resemblance to several members of the current generation probably wouldn't help its case. In any case, Raven hoped she'd be able to the find this Emma (there was note on the inside cover from who was clearly supposed to be the Snow and Charming of the book to their daughter) and see if there was more to the story. The setting seemed to be set in the early generations of their stories. Raven had wondered if this was the reason that the Storybook of Legends came to, in an effort to keep this scenario from happening again. If it was true, then they'd clearly been saved as they were still around. There were holes in the theory of course but... Apple had checked her own lineage but there had never been an Emma as there'd been no Regina in Raven's. But then who would know? This had all the makings of being a part of the lost and forgotten stories, something to be covered up. Raven was brought out of her musing when the book suddenly started to glow.
"What the spell?" Cerise said taking a wary step away from the book. When the book lifted out of Raven's hands on its own, everyone else followed suit.
"Not gonna lie," Cedar said (Raven was too stunned to even groan at the comment. The thought was there though) moving to put a one of the plushy chairs in between her and the book, which was rapidly flipping it self towards its final pages. "Books aren't really supposed to do this."
Raven noticed that words were suddenly appearing in the story and quickly stepped forward to read it aloud:
The life of the unknowing princess was anything but easy. Bounced around from family to family, considered an outcast without anyone trying to get to know her, and eventually coming to believe that she had been cursed despite not believing in magic.
Because that's what Princess Emma was. Cursed.
Not by an Evil Queen because her parents had gotten her away from the Enchanted Forest just in time. Certainly not her parents' intention because they would be happy if she never came to save them as long as she was alive and well.
No, Princess Emma was cursed with loneliness. For being from a magical world and living in a Land Without Magic, the citizens could sense that she did not belong there and it made them uneasy around her, made it hard for her to make connections.
All would not be unhappy for the princess, however. A few weeks before her sixteenth birthday Emma would find out that even a Land Without Magic could keep everything magical from happening and she'd find herself sucked into a portal that would take her a land, while not the one she was born in, that she would be able to feel at home in. A place where her real adventure could begin.
This land?
It was called Ever After.
The writing stopped there but Raven saw a new blank page appear right away. A drawing showing the back of a young woman staring at a mirror that was glowing with a blinding light. Raven was trying to make out some details of whoever the picture was showing when the soft glow of the book mimicked the picture and sent out a blinding light of its own forcing the room to look away.
Raven felt one final burst of blinding magic before she heard a loud thump as the book hit the floor. Followed by a second thump (which was also accompanied by a sickening crack that had Cerise wincing) and a groan as something- rather a someone- landed heavily on the ground as well.
"Son of a bitch!" a new voice shouted in pain. Although new voice wasn't exactly the right term, as everyone in the room recognized the voice of Apple White. The disbelief come from the fact that it took a lot to make Apple even use the lighter swear words, let alone use an actual one.
As a collective group, they all blinked away the spots in the eyes to focus on the figure crouched in the middle of the room. She had her eyes screwed shut in pain and was cradling her wrist to her chest. They took in her clothes (she was wearing a red leather jacket, a simple white tank top, and a pair of dark skinny jeans, all of which seemed to be quite worn out) and her slightly ungroomed yet easily recognizable blonde hair and still they all had trouble believing that this was the princess that the book had been talking about.
Because this person looked exactly like the princess they'd been just about to look for. At first glance anyway. At second glance Raven realized that whoever it was clearly hadn't washed for several days; her hair was a couple shades darker and she was covered in more dirt than she'd ever seen on Apple. Raven told herself to remind Apple of the mud incident the next time the Princess complained of being dirty, but pushed the thought away. Not important.
It didn't seem likely to Raven but...
"Apple?"
"You know? Didn't have to push outta bed to wake me up. Think it fractured my wrist." A pause, and then turquoise eyes blinked open and a startled look to over Apple's (or fake Apple's) features. "Which would make more sense if I actually had a bed to sleep in." Finally the blonde girl stood and took in the room she'd landed in, as well as the occupants inside. She blinked in surprise at Cedar and Cupid's appearance, but she seemed to shake off whatever thought she'd been having and slowly back away towards the hall.
"Look, I'm really sorry that I broke into your place or whatever. Must have been really tired because I don't remember doing it," Other Apple said, chuckling weakly. She used her good hand to point in the direction of the door. "So I'm just gonna..." She turned to leave. Raven panicked.
"Are you Emma?" She blurted. It was the wrong thing to ask. Raven watched Other Apple's already fair skin pale even further as she froze in place. She turned towards Raven slowly. The only thing that Raven had time to notice now was that the girls eyes were glowing light blue.
"Oh, hex!" She barely managed a to conjure up a shield in front of her and Maddie before the wave of uncontrolled magic slammed into it. The others weren't so lucky. Raven winced. If Emma- and she was confident enough to know that this was Princess Emma, daughter of (apparently) a different Snow White- had actually meant to do that then it would have been much much worse. As it was, Emma was staring at her good hand, which was still emitting little light blue sparks at random, in terror and confusion.
Emma took one look around the room, met Raven's eyes, and then turned and bolted as fast as she could into the hallway. She shouted a rushed apology at Darling, who been knocked through the door and across the hall. She was currently groaning her way up the wall.
Or perhaps, Raven thought bemusedly, the book has nothing to do with our stories at all and doesn't have an ending because The End hasn't come for it...
Raven shook herself and looked back to her friends. Only Raven and Maddie had escaped the blast, and it seemed to have simply passed through the furniture. Cedar and Hunter had landed in a tangle a limbs on a couch on the other side of the room, and Cerise was clutching her head in pain next to balcony door, though none of them looked truly injured. Only Cupid escaped hitting a wall because she'd managed to catch herself with her wings.
"Soooo..." Maddie started, a very excited gleam in her eye and a bounce in her stance. "That was a thing." She received a full room of glares but it didn't really phase her.
"And now we have two Apple Whites to find. Oh fairy godmother! It's going to be a long night."
A/n: First and foremost. I'm writing these things for me! I'm just good at sharing :D
So what'd you think? Like I said I've gotta lot of ideas to write. This is a fairly recent one of mine and I mostly wrote it because I was surprised that it hadn't been done yet. May move it out of the crossover section and into either Once's section or EAH's.
I'm not expecting to be the greatest writer in the world (honestly I'll be surprised if you think I am better than passable.) so I would like opinions.
Do you think I made Cerise a little to rough/angry? And was my little story excerpt in the book any good? I tried to keep it at something that the Author would write, which was what I was going for.
A hobby needs time to write so chapters will probably come at random so. I am sorry for this but. Meh. I write when I want. Don't worry. I want to write a lot.
AND yes. I'm aware that I shouldn't like Ever After High. But it's just so ADORBABLE! And you're all reading it. What's your excuse? :P
FTBW
A/N EDIT: Changed a few things around. Maddie doesn't converse with the narrators anymore. Forgot that most of the students didn't believe her about it yet. Moved a few lines around as well. The biggest change is how Raven ended up with Once Upon a Time. Instead of finding it next to Bella Sister, Raven has had the book for several years. I'll explain it better in the next chapter.
