Through the Looking Glass: Black Angel

by The Celestial Sky Dragon

Cupid is a beautiful young woman, who loves helping everyone out with their romantic lives. She has helped countless people and gives out excellent advice, which she sadly doesn't follow herself. She has however wondered what the meaning true love is, and wants to find it at all costs. She longs to get her wings, to become an angel of love and make her father proud. But will she?

A/N:

Hey guys, welcome to this first chapter of Cupid's ending, which I have titled Black Angel. I just wrote this and finished it a few minutes ago, so it's hot off the presses, ignore the spelling errors, I'm a bit tired because lack of sleep and shit. But Since I couldn't sleep I decided to use my time wisely and came up with this, I do hope you all like it. This story takes place after Way Too Wonderland, but before The World Under the Sea so you all can feel free to place it between those arcs where ever you like.

This chapter does contain mentions of drug use. This is a rather serious topic and I really do hope I handled it well, though I believe I have talked about this before. I would like to say, if you or anyone are struggling with depression, or drug abuse, domestic violence, bullying, please seek help. You aren't alone, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Don't ever feel like you are worthless, or that you need to forget everything with drugs or alcohol. Speak up, and tell people about it. Trust me, I have suffered from depression in the past and it isn't fun, I was able to find this as a means to express myself and channel all of my emotions into this. Thankfully, I was able to get over my depression, but not many do. So please don't ever thing that suicide, or drugs are the answer, because they aren't. It's just a means to an end, and you'll hurt your loved ones worse than you hurt yourself. I have seen this tear families apart, I have experienced what is like to see a close family member become addicted to this shit, and it isn't fun. So please, seek the right help and if you suspect that someone is a victim of any of that stuff, speak up for them. They might not be able to use their voice, but you can use yours for them and save them from potential pain and suffering, and beatings that they and no one on this Earth deserves.

The song used in this chapter is called Leave a Light On, by Tom Walker. Its a very powerful song with a deep meaning, there's a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a house with a shining light, there is a lighthouse glowing brilliantly. Even in the darkest pits of the darkness, there is a brilliant light shining brightly and it will guide you. There is a road to dawn, and you will see the sunrise...so don't be scared...

I will be posting Chapter 97 of Through the Looking Glass right after this, so look forward to that, I'll be seeing you all later!

Through the Looking-Glass

Black Angel Pairing

Blake x Cupid

(Through the Looking Glass: Alternate Ending)

Saturday afternoon was a sacred day for the students of Ever After. It was a weekend, so that meant they didn't have to worry about school. Unless you skipped out on homework during the week or had projects for certain classes, you got to do whatever you wanted. Even better, there wasn't any school on Monday, so it was a cherished three day weekend, meaning people could stay up late, eat junk food and various other things. This would have normally been enough of an incentive for a teenager to hang out with friends. But for one young pink haired cherub, that meant she didn't have anything to do. Alas Cupid was unable to find anything to do for the weekend. Dexter had a girlfriend, so she couldn't hang out with him as anything more than friends, something that made her extremely sad. Cerise had gone to Hood Hollow with her sister for the weekend, so they couldn't practice together, and Melody was putting the finishing touches on Hearts on Fire, so she was out too. Blondie was doing a weekend cast for her blog, Cedar was working on the final pages of the yearbook, it just seemed as if everyone she knew was busy.

She had been pouring over various textbooks she had borrowed from her father Eros. It had been quite awhile since her transfer to Ever After High, since she had last seen her adopted father. She remembered the day she had been adopted into his family like it was yesterday. She was just an orphaned human girl, abandoned by both her parents. She had been around four years old at that moment in time, so she was just confused, hungry and asking for her mommy from anyone who cared to listen. Thankfully, one man had taken a liking to the girl and had bought her some food, and when asked where her parents were, she said she had been left in front of a church and that was it. She had knocked on the door, but no one answered so she tried going home, but her mother and father weren't there. It had pained the man, hearing someone so young being abandoned that way. So he took her with him, it was then that she found out, he was in fact Eros, the God of Love, along with his wife, the goddess Aphrodite, they had become her parents. She had been turned into a cherub, and trained in the fine art of love.

She had been told by her father on multiple occasions that when she found the meaning of true love, she would get her wings. She would transition into being a full angel and would finally be part of something bigger. She would become a goddess, and would eventually take Eros's spot as the patron goddess of love. Sure, her other siblings who were all still cherubs were annoyed, that someone who was technically a reborn had a chance to become a goddess. But to her it didn't matter, Aphrodite was happy to have a daughter, since all of her children had been born boys. Even Zeus was happy to meet the little girl and was rather excited himself, since his own son Hercules had finally had a child of his own.

But now that she was in high school, had spent a year in the monster world, learning about other species. She had found herself in Ever After High. She had fallen in love with Dexter when she had first seen him, love at first sight as it was called. She had wanted nothing more than to be by his side, but her naivete got the best of her several times. She had always assumed the boy was in love with her, whenever she saw him with flowers, she thought they had been for her. When in fact he had been in love with someone else, a rebel known as Raven Queen. She and Raven shared two things, they wanted to make their own destinies, and they were in love with the same man. Sadly she had lost the battle without even trying, Dexter had confessed to Raven, asked her on a date and that was that.

It had taken awhile to learn another important part of love, rejection. It was something that she was aware of, but never truly felt. It had been horrible, she had been pinning her feelings on this boy for the longest time. She had been dreaming of spending time with him, holding his hand, dating, getting married, and when she saw him kiss another woman, hold her the way she wanted to be held. It broke her fantasy into a million little pieces. She felt sick, and weak whenever she saw Dexter she had felt like crying. That was when she had learn about another thing, Heart Break. The emotion one felt when their love rejected or broke up with them. It was an intense sadness capable of shutting anyone down. She had heard a story of a man who had died of heart break, his literal heart strings had snapped when his girlfriend of nine years had broken up with him. She had found Heartbreak the worst aspect of love. But she knew she couldn't be held back by it, so she had done her best to fully let go of everything.

She had gotten used to it, she had healed...but that didn't mean she still didn't have feelings for the boy. That's why she had found herself pouring all of her emotions into her music. She took her singing just as seriously as her work. Whenever she wasn't helping out the loveless she was singing, she knew her voice was powerful. She put her love and soul into every single song Purple Rhapsody had ever created. She had gone as far as designing a tattoo for the band members to get, but she had thought it to be too silly to actually pitch it to them. She knew Melody would be game, and Blake had been eager to get inked up as well, but Cerise and Dexter were two people who she knew most likely wouldn't agree.

Thinking of Cerise reminded her of her relationship with Blake. She had been suffering in silence for awhile. Cupid had always talked to her about it, had encouraged her to go after Blake and let him know how she felt. But she was too stubborn and hard headed to actually admit her feelings for the boy. That was another aspect of love she was familiar with, hesitation. When one was in love, but hesitated in telling the other person of said love. Hesitation and Rejection were hand in hand when speaking about matters of the heart. She had loved Blake in the past, and still loved him, but the boy had moved on and she hadn't. She was scared that Blake would reject any advances, after all their relationship had been a little messy. Blake saw her as a friend now, and Cupid herself doubted he would ever see her as he once did. After all he did break her heart by assuming something that wasn't true, an obvious bait by Joey, though they were all oblivious by his role in the whole thing.

She sighed as she set her quill down, glancing away from her diary. Remembering what Joey did to Apple, Duchess and Melody really made her uneasy. Joey had selected them because they had been close to Blake. She had most likely been a target as well, meaning that her deepest secrets could have been read out loud over the PA. All of her embarrassing secrets, song lyrics, silly doodles and all of the steamy daydreams involving Dexter were only the tip of the iceberg. She had closed her notebook and gone as far as locking it, placing the small key in her bra. Once it had been revealed those three diaries had been stolen, a lot of people with one had put a lot of security on them, going as far as enchanting them just in case. People around school acted normally, but a lot of them were uneasy, and still were despite the time that had passed.

Cupid glanced up at her mirror, a frown on her face. Her ivory skin was free of blemishes, her cheeks were slightly flushed with make up, and her eyes were lined with dark eye liner and pink eye shadow. Her hair fell perfectly in a curtain behind her back, her small wings sitting uselessly in place. She stretched them out a bit, moving all of the feathers around stretching their to their full three foot wing span. She still remembered the day she had gotten her wings, it had been a foreign feeling. As a little girl, she had been able to fly short distances. It had been an amazing feeling, being able to soar under your own power. It was something that not a lot of people got to experience, especially a former human like herself.

However as she aged into a young woman, she noticed that she was becoming heavier and heavier. Despite her slim figure, the wings were far too small to lift her up like last time. Unlike Faybelle who had dark pixie dust to aid in her flight, Cupid had to get her full wings if she wanted to do something other than glide. It was infuriating, but her father reassured her, that when she found the true meaning of love, she'd get her wings. It was why she had started her radio show back in Monster High, and had done the same in Ever After High with her web cast. She had helped various couples out, giving them all sorts of advice, but she had yet to get her wings. She stretched her arms, placing them behind her head, the ever present frown on her face.

"What is the true meaning of love dad? You told me I would figure it out soon, but I've been in Ever After for months and haven't found anything. Could it be that the answer was in the Monster world? Maybe Frankie might now something...even if she did it isn't like I could contact her." she muttered.

The sudden knock on her door caused her to shoot up to her feet, knocking a few bottles of make up to the floor. She shook her head a bit, pulling herself together before walking toward the door, cautious not to slip on the tile. She still wore her stockings while in her room, and had been known to slip whenever she walked around the room. In fact Blondie had taken a video of her by accident doing a Vlog that had made her the topic of discussion for most of the day. She took a deep breath, opening the door a second later, being greeted by her close friend and bandmate, Blake Queen.

The boy was acting a bit oddly, unlike her normally did. She noticed he wasn't wearing his usual outfit, but something a little more laid back and casual. It was late spring and had gotten a bit hotter in Ever After, so he couldn't exactly wear a hoodie all the time. He was wearing a short sleeved plaid shirt, dark red in color, which he had left open to reveal a black undershirt. He was wearing a pair of khaki cargo shorts, and some black sneakers. She could see the golden chain of his pocket watch falling down his side. She also noticed he was holding his guitar case in her hand. She gave her a friendly smile, hoping to ease the tension a bit.

"Hi, is something the matter Blake? You look a bit..."

"Shook? I am."

"Oh...would you come in? I don't want you to be standing there." she politely said, allowing entree into the room. The boy bowed his head as he walked into the room, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"I didn't get the memo that we weren't meeting up for band practice at Ellie's today. I thought me and Kitty were gonna do a broadcast, but she never sent us a message telling us otherwise. So me and Kitty go to her house, the door was open so we're like, fuck it, she doesn't mind. Well, guess who was playing hide the sausage in her living room?" he asked.

"Oh my god, you walked in on Melody? With who?"

"With Frost, you know the son of Frosty the Snowman? Yeah him...she was riding on top of him and it was so fucking embarrassing. We were just too stunned to look...what's even worse is that Melody knew we were watching, but didn't say anything until Frost noticed...I just...I needed a friend to help me with this mental fuck up." he said, sitting on the corner of her bed. Cupid thankfully had a fridge in her room, like most other students, and had been able to at least offer the boy a drink, Mountain Dew White Out, which was his favorite, second only to Supernova, which she sadly didn't have.

"Um...I don't exactly know what to say Blake...I mean...walking in on someone is bad, but on a friend? I don't think I could look at them straight in the face again." she said, handing him the can, which he quickly opened.

"Me either...it was pierced."

"What was pierced?" she asked. Blake blinked a few times, quickly dismissing her question.

"N-nevermind, I don't wanna talk about it. I was gonna hang out with Dex, but he and my sister are on a date, Cerise was in Hood Hollow for the weekend, so I came to you. So, how's my favorite cherub doing on this fine Saturday afternoon?" he asked. She sighed, glancing out the window, arms crossed a frown on her delicate features.

"Bored...most of my friends are gone, you know three day weekend and stuff. So I didn't have anyone to hang out with, so I've just been working on music. I actually wanna thank you for showing up, I was about to lose my damn mind if I was left alone with my thoughts any longer." she replied, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"The worse thing than a lovesick man thinking of his crush, is a person that's alone with their thoughts. Often times, those become morbid...like this one time, I was waiting for Raven to finish her shower, and my phone was charging. So I wanted to think up son ideas, and somehow I started thinking about this picture I saw on the MirrorNet. That lead to me wondering what it would be like to get my arms cut off."

"Ah...why?" the girl exclaimed, earning a shrug from Blake, who sipped in his soda.

"No idea...you can't tell me you haven't had those thoughts before."

"Not...recently, and before you ask anything else, no I haven't had any perverted thoughts in awhile either. Not since your sister and Dex started dating that is." she said, once again frowning. Blake swallowed hard, feeling a twinge of guilt in his heart. He had unintentionally made Cupid remember a relationship that would never be, and that made him want to punch himself in the face.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to make you remember that. You wanna punch me or something?"

"No, I would never hit my best friend, it's fine. I'm over it, anyway I guess if you wanted to practice we can do vocal exercises. I usually do them in the shower though."

"Oh...me too...you wanna get naked then? I mean it'll be weird but I'm down if you are." the boy said jokingly, earning a flush from the girl.

"Jeez, I didn't think you were like this!"

"I've been hanging out with Ramona, what do you expect? Besides you set yourself up for that one, and you know it. Besides, I sort of just wanted to talk...it's been awhile since we've done that." he admitted, earning a nod from the girl. She sat down beside him, laying back on the bed, spreading her wings so they wouldn't go numb.

"That is true...I guess I wouldn't mind having a talk. I've been missing my best friend, I guess you've been missing your sister a bit too right?"

"Something like that. Me and Raven hung out a lot, we still do but I can't be holding her hand all the time. Even though we found out we were twins, we still act like we used to before. I do miss hanging out with her every night like we used too though...I'm sure you miss Dexter too right?"

"You have no idea...but I at least know what it's like. You know, it took me only a little while to realize you and I are the same." Cupid said, glancing up at the ceiling, counting the little holes on the tiles.

"How do you figure?"

"Well...we've both been in love with someone we couldn't have. You with Gloriosa and me with Dexter...except you had it a little harder than I did. I wasn't rejected outright, and you...had something different."

"I suppose...why so melancholic Cupi? No luck in the love department?"

"Nah...I'm just...struggling. I wanna fly, you have no idea how fun it is, I miss feeling the wind on my face. It made me forget my own insecurities...my abandonment issues and inadequacy. Why...do some people just...abandon their children?" she asked, voice filled with disappointment. The boy smiled sadly, taking a hold of her hand, giving it a light squeeze, as he glanced at Blondie's half of the room, focusing on her blue and yellow quilt.

"I wish I had the answer to that question, but I don't. I don't think I really want the answer either hell...I got my answer. Mom just tossed me aside, nothing more than a goddamn sponge for magic. Once I outlived my purposed, I'm sure she would have tossed me aside. Tch...and they want me to fulfill my destiny." the boy spat, finishing his drink, crushing his can right afterward.

"I guess we have a lot more in common than I thought we did. I don't know what my destiny is, or what I'll do with my life. Do you...think we could go for a walk? I wanna clear my mind a bit."

"Sure, anywhere you want." the boy said cheerfully. The girl sat up, giving him a smile.

"Give me a few minutes then, I gotta touch up my make up."

"You look fine, like a totally gorgeous angel. In fact, I think a little less make up would do you better." he said, giving her a wink. The girl flushed a bit, giggling quietly.

"Thank you, not a lot of people compliment me. It feels...quite nice."

"Hey, every beautiful gal deserves her fair share of compliments. I give all of my gal pals a compliment, even Faybelle. Though she usually spits at me whenever I do." Blake replied, scratching his cheek. Cupid rolled her eyes, used to the Dark Fairy's antics by now.

xxx

Walking around with Blake was exactly what Cupid needed. She wasn't thinking about love anymore, just focusing on hanging out with her friend. The village of Bookend was just as lively as always, the people were amicably chatting with each other. The children were running around, playing with one another, while teenagers relished in their freedom from school. Blake had spoken with a few townspeople he was familiar with, including a man named Nathan, who owned a Chili Dog stand, which they had stopped at. She had never eaten something so messy in her life, but she had been enjoying every single bite of it. Blake had snapped a few pictures of her with sauce on her face, which made her embarrassed, though she only displayed annoyance. Blake had said she looked even cuter when she was pouting. After their lunch, and making sure she had wiped her face clean, they had resumed their walk.

They had been trading stories of their childhood. She had gotten to learn more about Blake, and his few friends. She had learned a lot about Gloriosa and Joey as well as another boy named Javi. He never spoke about him as much as he had spoken about Joey and Gloriosa. He had also spoken about another boy, ironically enough named Nathan, who had driven his girlfriend to suicide. He didn't like speaking about him much, and she didn't ask, she knew it was a tender topic that didn't need discussing. They had passed by the Beanstalk Bakery, which he still disliked for the rumors that had been started months ago. She giggled a bit remembering some of the outrageous claims that had been made by several people. When she shared some with Blake, he had also started laughing, causing several people to look at them, wondering what had been so funny. She had heard a few girls whispering the word Date, making her flush a bit, which also made her quicken her pace. They had stopped at a park after awhile, wanting to rest after their walk. There was a vending machine near them, which had lead the boy to buying them drinks, which she was thankful for.

Now that they were sitting, Cupid felt the need to ask about Javi. She had told him about some of her friends back at Monster High, along with their personalities and what shenanigans they had gotten into. She figured maybe he'd open up a bit more about the boy, since he barely talked about him. She capped her bottle of iced tea, waiting silently for a few moments, thinking about how she wanted to ask the question. She had been a little nervous, but she decided to just go for it. The boy had been checking his messages, as he had been texting with Holly and Blondie about something, but she hadn't asked him what. She respected the boy's privacy, so she kept her curiosity at bay, despite her wanting to know more about Javi.

"Um Blake, I was wondering...would you mind telling me more about Javi? I've only heard bits and pieces of things you've done. But you never actually spoke about him in detail."

"Hmm? I guess I haven't huh? Javier, or Javi as we call him, is actually a distant relative of Joey's...second cousin twice removed or some shit. He was a cool dude, always had the sickest ideas, and was never a puss when it came to parkour. Joey talked big, but Javi always put him in his place. In fact it was him that suggested we do some of our climbs, which lead us to climbing a lot of high ass buildings and cranes. Shit was scary."

"What happened to him? He didn't get hurt during this did he?" she asked, slight concern in her tone. He shook his head, glancing at his phone screen.

"Nah...you are right in your assumption though. Javi was older than us by two years, so we would actually be eighteen. He didn't like talking about it a lot, but he was suffering from depression a lot. He was on anti-depressants all the time. Even though he was depressed, he didn't let that stop him from hanging out with us or being friendly toward us. Joey always made fun of him for it though, and he would always knock him on his ass." he said, a fond smile on his face.

"Joey is just a distasteful person all around, I mean he's said a lot of shit to Gloriosa, but making fun of depression? And to family? That's so disgusting!" the girl exclaimed.

"Mhmm...but that's who he is, I've accepted it. Anyway...as I was saying, Javi was a total badass, taught us a lot about climbing, got us to exercise a lot. It was fun, but behind the scenes, he was addicted to a powerful street drug, heroin. He had started using it shortly before Gloria disappeared."

"Um...what's heroin?" the girl asked curiously. The boy frowned, glancing at the sky pensively.

"The worse drug known to man...maybe? It's a drug that when injected, gives you a sense of euphoria. But it's highly addictive, people who use it are addicted during the initial use. He had been using it secretly for months, but we didn't know...sadly, he overdosed on it and passed away. None of us knew, we thought he was at the hospital for depression, when his mother came to tell us. It wasn't a good day for me and Gloriosa."

"What about Joey? What did he say?" she asked.

"Tch...that fucker didn't even show up to the funeral, said he wasn't family anymore, so why should he bother? The fucker...makes me wanna go to Wonderland to stab him. I was depressed enough from not fitting in, Javi leaving my life was a hard punch in the gut, Gloriosa disappearing, heh...that was the nail in the coffin."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you any of this...you must hate me." the girl said, bowing her head in shame. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

"You know I'm not...I'm not mad...I'm happy you asked about him. I avoid talking about him because I don't like to remember how he died. Heroin is very addictive drug, a lot of people had suffered from it, my own uncle almost died from it. He was able to get help, but not a lot of people do in the world. I knew eventually one of you was gonna ask about him, so I'm happy you did."

"It must hurt a lot though, having to remember a loved one and being unable to see them again."

"Well...it is hard, but that's life. We're born, we live and we die...we can't choose to be born, but we can choose how we live, and how we die. He made his choice, a poor one but he did. All I can do is cherish the times we had together and keep him alive in my memories." he replied, taking a gulp from his drink, tossing the empty bottle in the nearby trash can. A few kids sprinted by them, laughing happily. Cupid watched them go, a smile on her face, four little kids, three boys and one girl, and one of them was a little taller than the other three.

"Did you see those kids? Three boys, one girl and one of them was a bit older than the other three."

"I did...I hope they stay together forever after. Friends are a wonderful thing in life, no one should spend their days without having one." he said, earning a small nod from the girl.

"Can I tell you something?" Cupid asked, causing the boy to look at her. He noticed she looked a bit sad, if her body language was anything to go by. She had a look of worry on her face, which made him worry.

"Sure, anything...is something wrong?"

"No...well, I think there's something wrong with me. I'm supposed to be an emissary of love, but I don't even have my full wings. I've been studying relationships, helping people out, giving them advice, but I just...don't know. I'm not sure I'll ever be an angel of love, I'm probably gonna stay a cherub for the rest of my life."

"Sweetheart, you're over thinking things. What did Eros tell you? He's the god of love right? That means he's there to guide you, he must have told you something."

"He said, when I learn the true meaning of love, I'd get my wings, and I'd ascend into godhood. I'd become a goddess of love, but I already found the true meaning of love, and I'm still like this." she said.

"Well first off, helping people with relationships, giving them advice and telling them to follow their true hearts is a start. But that's not the true meaning of love, you haven't fully experienced it. You help people out, but you haven't done the one thing that Eros expects from you." Blake replied, causing the girl to look oddly at him.

"Why do you mean by that?"

"Ugh...dammit, Cupid sometimes despite being so helpful and sweet, you can be denser than granite. Honey, how are you supposed to help people find love if you yourself haven't found it? You say you know the true meaning of love, but you haven't experienced it!" he said.

"Oh, and you have?" she snapped in annoyance. She gasped, covering her mouth a second later. She bit her lower lip, glancing at the ground.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

"It's fine, I actually find it a little funny that you lashed out like that." he admitted, earning a glare from her. He rolled his eyes, glancing toward the park, where there were some people. He saw a couple not far from where they were, contently watching their children running around, while the mother was holding a newborn in her lap, rattling a small toy rattle in front her. He smiled a bit, pointing right at them.

"You see that...that is true love. Being able to give yourself to someone in mind, body and soul...to share everything with one another. To share your darkest secrets, hold each other when you cry, fuck each other like your the last two people on the planet, argue back and forth like kids, and make up and move on like mature adults. Acting like children when you find something you like, comforting when a loved one dies, or when your oldest baby leaves the nest...that's true love. You can't tell me you have experienced all of that yet."

"You're totally right...I haven't...all I have experienced is puppy love. A stupid high school crush, how could I have assumed that would have been enough to become an angel? I'm sure my dad is laughing at me, seventeen years old and you still haven't had your first kiss, I'm such a loser." Cupid said, sniffling a bit.

"Hey, I haven't experienced true love either...you call dating Cerise for three months true love? We weren't even half way there. We were united in mind only, but there were secrets between us, we hadn't given our souls to each other, and we hadn't given our bodies to each other either. Despite us being in love, I think we were never meant to be, shit we broke up over the fake Rebel. I swallowed that goddamn hook, the line, the sinker and the fishing pole. Fuck, I bet you there was a worm on that fucking hook too...a slimy brown earthworm, worthless and weak, just like Joey, that bastard."

"Uh...you got off topic there Blake." Cupid said, earning a chuckle from the boy who rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"What I am saying is, one day you will find that person. Whether that's a man or a woman, that's up to you. You'll share your darkest secrets to them, you'll argue like five year olds, fuck like no tomorrow, love each other with every ounce of your being, and give your souls to each other. But you're in high school, they say all high school relationships will fail at some point, I'll be surprised if 10% of them actually succeed." he admitted.

Cupid remained silent, thinking about what the boy had said. He was right, she was only seventeen years of age. She had been wrong to assume she had found out what true love meant. She hadn't had anything other than stirrings, and that didn't lead her towards her true love. She had failed in the simplest task, how was she, a cherub, supposed to help people with their love life, if her's had been a total mess? She felt foolish for even bearing the mere notion of true love. Her wings fluttered a bit as she bowed her head in disappointment. The boy had opened her eyes, enlightened her, and now she couldn't tear her eyes away from that young couple. They looked so happy together with their children, a little boy and two little girls. With every kiss they shared, she felt more and more embarrassed, as if she had been intruding on something private.

"You wanna know something...I think talking to Aphrodite might help you...she's the goddess of love right? As I recall, Eros was actually a cherub himself, known as Cupid. He ascended when he found the true meaning of love...that means you're the next Cupid, that makes so much sense now."

"Huh? I never thought about it that way...so that means, even without the Storybook of Legends, I still have a destiny...to find the true meaning of love. I guess that's not a bad thing...perhaps I should call my mother, see what she says."

"Yes...but I guess, if you truly do wanna find out the true meaning of love, you can't do it alone. It takes two to tango I'm afraid, you'll have to find someone to help you with that." Blake said.

"A boyfriend you mean?"

"Or a girlfriend, totally up to you...after all, you can't find true love alone...I guess unless you learn to love yourself, without being a total narcissist. I hate to do this to you, but it seems Melody and Frost want to talk to me, do you want me to walk you back?" he asked.

"No, I think I'll stay here. Thank you for this Blake, I feel so much happier now, you helped me re-purpose myself. I promise, I'll find the meaning of true love eventually...and it's all thanks to you."

"I'm glad, I don't want my beautiful angel to be sad all the time...see you later okay? Sorry about bailing on you again, I'll be back for my guitar later tonight...bye." he called out, running back toward the residential area of Bookend. She watched him go, a frown on her face.

"Hmm...takes two to tango huh? I guess he's right...I'll have to find myself a lover...this is gonna be so awkward...I haven't exactly found anyone like Dexter...gah...stupid matters of the heart, how I loathe thee!"

xxx

Cupid had been pacing back and forth in her dorm for half an hour. It was Sunday morning, around eleven, and she had been thinking about what Blake had told her. In fact she had barely slept thinking things over, that and Blondie had been playing Words with Friends with Goldilocks and kept swearing throughout the night when her mother beat her. She had also spent most of the night writing some song lyrics. She had felt extremely touched that Blake had told her about Javi. While she didn't know a lot about the drug that the young man had overdosed on, she was aware of there being drugs in Ever After, though they most likely differed from varieties on Earth, she knew they were all the same. She had been tugging her brain for some words during the night and had come up with song, but her love life had been priority number 1.

Blondie, who had been styling her hair into twin tails for the day, had been watching her friend intently. Her blue eyes had been tracing the pattern of her walk, memorizing every step she had taken. She had been sliding around whenever she got tired of walking, and had slipped only once, though she had caught herself right after with the aid of her wings, which kept her stable. She had been wondering what was up with the pinkette for awhile, and her reporter side had wanted to come out and pick her brain, but she was convinced the girl would lash out or remain a closed book. She looked around for the right tube of lip gloss, finally finding it, twisting the cap off slowly bringing to her lips.

"Hey Blondie, I need your help with something." Cupid said. Her sudden outburst had startled the daughter of Goldilocks, leading her to squeeze the tube in her hand, the effect, she now had glittering pink gloss all over her cheek, which had been Just Right a moment before. She sighed, grabbing a make up remover wipe, folding it in half.

"What can I help you with Cupid? I'll ignore you ruining my make up this once, but startling someone is not Just Right you know."

"S-sorry...anyway...I...need your advice. I have recently...figured out something about myself that I have to...reconfigure...no, fix. I know you are an impressionable young woman, with uh...difficult tastes but, I need you to help me...find a lover."

Blondie's eyes widened a bit, the wipe in her hands falling to the floor. She had never expected Cupid to have asked her something like that. She had always labeled herself as the Love Guru, but had never followed her own advice. But here she was, asking her all fairytales to help her find someone special. The fact she had kept it vague had also been quite the shock. Once she had regained her senses, she grabbed a clean wipe from the pack on her vanity, returning her eyes to the mirror in front of her.

"Um...a lover? Anyone in particular you wish to court?"

"Not really...I just need to find the true meaning of love. But I need someone to do that with, Blake told me yesterday that it took two to tango. So that means that if I want to give my mind, body and soul to someone special and learn about true love, I need someone to give myself too."

"Honey, I think you are taking what he said and twisting it around. I do agree that you need to find true love, we all do. But it's more important for you since you won't ascend until you do...don't you want too...I dunno, wait awhile?"

"No! I'm sick of waiting, I want to find someone so I can forget about Dexter. I act like it doesn't bother me, but goddamn it, it does. It hurts seeing him with Raven all the time, I just want to find true love, so I don't keep crushing on him and poisoning myself with this unattainable love!" she exclaimed. Blondie bit her lower lip, grabbing an unopened tube of lipgloss, glancing at the words on it.

"Oh babygirl, you're mind is made up isn't it? That so not Just Right, feeling this type of pain...okay, I'll help you. I'm sure I can find someone for you, first you have to tell me...are you...well?"

"Well what?"

"Gay, are you gay?"

"I dunno...I've only ever liked guys. Mom and dad told me that it was alright if I liked girls too, or both. I've never had a chance to really experiment, and I doubt high school is a place for that." she said.

"No you're right, you gotta leave that for college when you can join sororities and get drunk. Let's just stick to boys then, I'm an expert on them. What are you looking for in a guy?" Blondie asked.

"Signs of life?"

"This is gonna be a lot harder than I expected...alright, I think I can help you, but you gotta throw me a bone alright sweetie? Now then, take your dress off, I'm gonna doll you up." the blonde girl said, walking toward her closet. Cupid sighed, following what the girl had asked, she knew it was much better to agree with Blondie than disagree with her.

Meanwhile at the castleteria, Blake and Melody were hanging out together. He had been playing the newest melody he had written for his instrument of choice, while listening to a few beats she had come up with. They had quite the lengthy conversation the previous day, including her new relationship with Frost. Apparently they had been dating for awhile and had been intimate a few times. They had practically begged him and Kitty to keep their mouths shut, Blake readily agreed, knowing he wanted to put that scenario as far away from his thoughts as he could. Kitty had been the more proactive of the two, asking them for a three way if they were game. It had been odd, and he just wanted to run the fuck out of there.

"So, what do you think?" Blake asked, after he finished playing the song to his friend.

"Could use some work on the fourth octave, I think you should go F instead of G on it."

"Minor or major?" the boy asked curiously.

"Minor...no major, definitely major. You know what, hand me the sheet music and I'll tweak it for ya. I love it already, but there are just some flat notes I gotta fix." she said. He nodded, handing the white haired girl the song, which she graciously accepted.

"So...you and Cupid?"

"Me and Cupid what?" Blake asked, glancing up from his phone. Melody blinked a few times, sniggering under her breath, brow raised in curiosity.

"You shitting me? Peeps in town told me the two of you were on a date...the whole shebang, walk in the park, people watching...you really are a charmer."

"A date? With Cupid? She's my best friend, she doesn't like me like that...besides, what makes you think that was a romantic date in the first place?"

"You took her to Nathan's chili dog stand."

"Melody, I took you to Nathan's chili dog stand. I took my sister to Nathan's chili dog stand, Christ, I take all my friends there. That wasn't a date, that was just me watching Cupid face fuck a hot dog while having her taste buds molested by Nathan's awesome sauce."

"That sounded so wrong, but you gotta admit, she's a good catch. She marches to the beat of her drum, and I think you'd be a perfect match...trust me, I am a wise young woman." Melody said, earning a smirk from the boy.

"Right, yes...because a wise young woman leaves her door open while having sex with her boyfriend. Then proceeds to watch us, what her get her hole stretched to the size of a shower drain."

"Thought I'd give you a show, let you see what you missed out on. Did you like the piercing?" she asked.

"Fuck you." Blake replied, earning a giggle from the girl who, give the boy a wink. He glanced toward the door, almost dropping his guitar as he did.

Blondie had walked into the castleteria, but people weren't exactly looking at her. They were all looking at Cupid who had walked into the castleteria with her, looking rather shy as she did. Her outfit was most likely the reason why people were muttering and why so many guys were looking right at her.

She was wearing a crimson red sleeveless halter top, with a heart shaped collar. The top was lined with light pink sequins that glittered in the light as she walked. She was wearing a light pink ruffled skirt, that reached down to her knees, and was cut at an angle, with white embroidery around the hem, in the shape of hearts. She was wearing a black belt around her waist, with white crystals on it. The top accented her figure quite nicely, showing all of her developing curves. She as wearing a pair of fishnet stockings, with small red hearts printed on them. A pair of open toed red heels adorned her feet, with little wings being attached to the ankle straps. Blake also noticed her wings had been decorated with some freshly cut roses. Her hair had been straightened and put in a high ponytail, with a small diadem that had a red heart on it. She was also wearing a necklace with a heart shaped locket on it. One of things he also noticed, was that she was barely wearing any make up, only using pink eye shadow and pink lipstick, accenting some of her natural beauty. Blake hated to admit it, but the young woman looked stunning.

"Blake, yoohoo...Blake, Ever After to Blake, come in!"

"Huh? Did you say something?" the boy asked, glancing at Melody who was trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Damn, you look smitten...if you stared at her for any longer you would have started drooling. Still think you aren't in love with Cupid?"

"I'm not, shut up! She looks pretty, is it a crime for me to look at her?"

"No, but that totally means you are one hundred percent attracted to her. Aw, that's so cute, she deserves someone like you by her side."

Blake sighed, returning to his guitar, playing a random melody. He tried to ignore the chatter around him, but it was a bit difficult for him not to listen in. Blondie had been beaming, it was obvious that she had done that to attract attention, which also meant that Cupid had most likely thought about what he had said. That meant that she had taken his words a bit literally and most likely was looking for a lover. He didn't know why but that honestly pissed him off. The thought of his friend with some random guy really irked him. His obvious anger was reflecting in his music because what had gone from a soft tune had turned into a heavy metal rift, which had caused several people to look in his direction. He flushed a bit as he set his guitar down, placing his hands on his knees as he turned to face his friend.

"So...are you sure you aren't crushing on her? That heavy rift told me otherwise."

"Alright, maybe I have a tiny crush on her, so what?"

"Then let her know, before one of these other fuckboys scoops her up. It's obvious whatever you told her last night has her thinking like that. She mentioned something about the true meaning of love in one of her texts, so Blondie is probably helping her out, and you know how picky that one is."

"You're right...she'd never find the perfect person with Blondie by her side. It's just...I'm scared."

"Why?"

"Well...it's because...remember that girl I told you about? That I wanted to try a relationship with?" he asked, earning a nod from her.

"Yeah, it was Kitty wasn't it? She tell you she wanted to be friends or something?"

"Mhmm...you're right on the money. She said she didn't want to risk losing me as a friend, but that we could hang out and junk together. I was hurt, but I respected that. I don't want Cupid to reject me too, it'll be awkward if she does...I mean we're bandmates. It'll affect our music." Blake replied, earning a sigh from Melody.

"Take it from me, a girl who was rejected by the guy she was in love with. I was hurt when you turned me down, but I moved on and now I found the perfect guy for me. You gotta do the same, you moved on from Cerise, despite how hurt you were, don't be afraid to love again...that's a lesson in and of itself you know." the white haired girl said, earning a nod from the boy.

"You're right...in order to learn the true meaning of love, you have to be willing to fall in love. Cupid wants to search for that meaning, and I guess I do too, she's...amazing, being that kind and strong, being able to help everyone except herself...I find that really alluring."

"Do you know? Hey, why don't you do me a favor and turn around?"

Blake took a deep breath, deciding to turn around. As expected, he saw his friend Cupid standing right before him. Blondie was also with her, having held her phone up to record his conversation, not only that she had been broadcasting live to her blog, which meant everyone was now aware of what he had said. Despite wanting to maim the girl, and wanting to die, he was almost thankful that she had put him on the spot like that. Cupid had remained silent, not at all knowing what to say or do. Blake stood up from his seat, looking right into her eyes, they were almost eye level due to her heels, making it a bit awkward, but also quite personal.

"Um...hi."

"Hi Blake...did you mean that? What you said about me?" the girl shyly asked. Normally she would have looked away, but she wanted an answer, and she wasn't backing away from it.

"I did...you're one of my close friends, so I know a lot of your quirks. But I also know that you deserve love just as much as any of us, I know you wanna look for the true meaning of love. We all do, most of us never get to find it, but I think I'd like to help you. If you allow me that is."

"I think...I think I will." she replied, a look of happiness on her face.

She shortened the distance between the two, placing a kiss on his lips. It was shy, and sweet, the boy could feel her shaking from nervousness. He smirked inwardly as he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer deepening the kiss. He knew it was her first and wanted to make it as specially as he could. The people around them were clapping contently, chanting their names while others were taking money from each other having formed betting pools around Purple Rhapsody. The two separated, sharing a tight embrace with each other.

"Thank you Blake, that kiss was amazing."

"I hope you look forward to more...I should be thanking you though, for giving this fool a chance to love you back."

"Aw, you two are so cute together. Now, Cupid was talking about a song she had written, that's the reason she had come here in the first place. So, are you gonna sing it?" Blondie asked.

"Well, I have to prepare first. Let's go to the music room, the song I wrote is rather special...I need Melody's help too."

"Sure, I'd love to help you out...let me gather my things." the white haired girl replied, closing her laptop.

"I'll help you too, whatever you need."

"Actually, I want you to stay here...this song is special, so I don't want you to hear it first. It'll be a half an hour, you can wait right? Blondie will keep you company." Cupid said, giving him a brief kiss on the lips, before leaving with Melody. The boy frowned, glancing at the eager face Blondie was making.

"Ask away, I'm sure you are about to pee yourself from the excitement."

"Hehe, you know me so well Blake." she said with a wink.

xxx

Several people had gathered inside the music hall, all of them eagerly waiting for Cupid's song. Blondie had even called Humphrey so she could have it playing on her weekend broadcast. The boy happily obliged, having just finished a session of Leagues with Hopper and the rest of the A/V club. Blake, who had wanted to join in the song, had been told by Melody that this song didn't have any guitar lines and that Cupid would be fine on her own. He shrugged, deciding to take her word for it. She had taken her spot at the DJ booth she had created, since she was needed for the song the young cherub had written. After awhile, Cupid finally spoke, since she had been wearing a headset microphone instead of using one of the bigger ones. She smiled at the crowd, glancing mostly at Blake.

"You are all wondering what this song is about, I'm actually dedicating it to well...everyone. You see one of my friends, told me a story of how he lost a close buddy of his. He lost him due to an addiction to drugs...it's rather sad, knowing that a young person lost his life to an addiction. Three of them were rather close to him, and my friend was devastated when he found out. I wrote this song last night, you know how it is when an idea hits you, it doesn't go away until it you write it down...so here it is. I called this song, Leave a light on, so that anyone who's struggling with addiction knows that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, and to inspire people to quit and get help. I hope you all like it." She said, taking a deep breath, glancing at the piano keys before her. She started with a soft melody, being accompanied by the light airy music of a violin.

"The second someone mentioned you were all alone

I could feel the trouble cousin' through your veins

Now I know, it's got a hold.

Just a phone call left unanswered

Had me sparkin' up

These cigarettes won't stop me

Wonderin' where you are

Don't let go, keep ahold.

If you look into the distance,

There's a house upon the hill

Guidin' like a lighthouse to a place

You'll be

Safe to feel our grace 'cause we've

All made mistakes

If you've lost your way...

I will leave the light on!

I will leave the light on!

I will leave the light on!

I will leave light on!"

"Tell me what's been happenin',

What's been on your mind

Lately you've been searchin' for a darker place

To hide, that's alright!

But if you carry on abusing, you'll

Be robbed from us

I refuse to lose another friend to drugs

Just come home, don't let go!

If you look into the distance,

There's a house upon the hill

Guidin' like a lighthouse to a place

You'll be

Safe to feel our grace 'cause we've

All made mistakes

If you've lost your way...

I will leave the light on

I will leave the light on

I will leave the light on

I will leave the light on

I will leave the light on!"

If you look into the distance,

There's a house upon the hill

Guidin' like a lighthouse to a place

You'll be

Safe to feel our grace 'cause we've

All made mistakes

If you've lost your way...

If you've lost your way...I will leave the light on!

And I know you're down and out now,

But I need you to be brave!

Hidin' from the truth ain't gonna

Make this okay

I see your pain if you don't feel our grace

And you've lost your way...

Well...I will leave the light on!

I will leave the light on!

'Cause I will leave the light on!"

Blake couldn't help but feel the impact of the song. He had been trying his hardest not to cry during the second verse, but by the outtro of the song he had lost it. In fact a few others had also been shedding a few tears from the impact the song had on them. For him it hit a little close to home, as he couldn't help but remember his dear friend Javi who he had lost to the vile epidemic that was drug addiction. He of course was the first one to break into applause, followed by everyone else. His focus was solely on Cupid, who had tear streaks running down her face. The black haired boy had met her on the stage, sharing a tender kiss with her, wiping away her tears.

"Javi's story inspired you didn't it?"

"It did...sorry, I just felt like writing something like that. We all deserve to save our loved ones from self destruction right?"

"Right...thank you." he said, giving her another kiss. Melody grinned, flashing a peace sign to the camera just before the feed cut away to darkness.