"Nightmares"
Rated T
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with WWE or Ever After High. World Wrestling Entertainment and its wrestlers are owned by Vince McMahon and Ever After High is owned by Mattel and the author of the EAH books, Shannon Hale. Anyway, here's a little Daring/Apple one-shot I thought of, which features a little appearance by Bray Wyatt. So enjoy. If you dare.
Apple's POV
It was everything I dreamed of.
The Thronecoming dance was an incredible moment for me. It was an event where all Royals and Rebels in this school all put aside their differences and get down on the dance floor. But I wasn't here just to dance. I wasn't here just to socialize with my friends and whatnot. I was only here for one thing and one thing only:
To become the Thronecoming Queen.
There were other contenders to battle for that crown. The first contender was my friend, Briar Beauty. She always loved to party and get down 'til the end. Of course, her only purpose in life was to live it up by the end of a straw before she would go to sleep for 100 years. The only question I'm wondering is how long she'll try to keep this up without ever having to pass out like a narcoleptic.
The other one was Madeline Hatter, daughter of the Mad Hatter. I can't really imagine her being the Thronecoming Queen. If she did, then she would turn this Thronecoming dance into a wonderland of her own. I can't even imagine what the hex she's really saying at this point either. I also couldn't imagine what her Thronecoming speech would sound like. Maybe some sort of meaningless rant that goes on and on. I can't ever imagine what that feels like.
And the last nominee before me was Ashlynn Ella, daughter of Cinderella and a very natural beauty in her own mind. It seems that her life is always about shoes at some point. No matter if it's high heels, high-heeled boots, colorful flip flops, snake-skin boots, ballerina shoes, or even a pair of clops themselves, she always seems to be fascinated. I don't blame her since she works at a shoe store, and not to leave out the fact that she's Hunter Huntsman's girlfriend. I support that in her.
Me and the rest of the contenders were tense of who would be the next Thronecoming Queen. The patience grew thin on both of us. The nerves inside our bodies were shaking uncontrollably.
From there, the envelope finally opened and the name 'Apple White' was finally shouted out of the MC's lips.
When I heard my name through the speaker's lips, I jumped for joy and I smiled with glee. It was the best moment of my life, and I really wanted to remember this moment until the day I roll over and pass away.
But what made it more memorable for me was that I got to dance with the Thronecoming King and my destined Prince Charming himself:
Daring Charming.
Suddenly, I can't help but feel like my Happily Ever After came true this early. I know it wasn't more like those images I had in Legacy Day, but it didn't matter. I'll take this ending anyday.
The dance me and Daring shared was magical. We followed each movements and followed each step we took. Throughout the remainder of the song, both me and Daring's eyes glued to one another, never having to leave each other's sight. My heart beat every time I stared at his passionate blue eyes, as if they looked a lot bluer than the sky. I'm certain my Prince Daring could say the same thing about my eyes as well.
After the dance was over, me and Daring decided to spend our time moon gazing while the others danced. I felt his arms wrap around my waist behind me and holding me closer to him. As we stared at the moon together, I sighed my heart out and smiled to him.
"This is the most wonderful night I've ever had." I said.
"I'm really glad you thought my way, Apple." Daring smiled.
"You really think it's gonna be like this for when we're King and Queen in real life?" I said, questioning him nicely.
Suddenly, he turned my head to him and spoke with a nice delicate smile.
"It'll definitely be like this." He whispered.
Blushing my heart out, he sent his lips closer to mine in a really sweet kiss. My heart was now pumping with twice the firepower of a carriage breaking the speed limit. The kiss that Daring gave me to me gave out such a sweet adrenaline rush to my Apple-scented lips. It tasted amazing and in an instant, it took my breath away.
When we soon broke the kiss, I opened my eyes to him. Only to realize something strange...
...
...
...
...
...Daring was wearing a creepy sheep mask.
"AAAAH!" I shouted, therefore breaking away from him.
My heart suddenly leaped out of my chest in fear. Why on earth was Daring wearing that wretched thing on his face? I actually liked him without it because I could see that beautiful smile of his. And now, it was gone.
"Daring, why are you wearing that?" I asked him.
He didn't bother answering me. All he did was stare at me in a creepy way.
"D-daring," I stuttered a bit. "Please take that thing off..."
He still didn't answer one bit. There was nothing but silence inside him. Not once had he uttered a single word to why he wore that creepy sheep mask. Even though I was losing my patience with him, something fearful inside me creeped up all over me.
"Seriously Daring, please get rid of the mask." I demanded him, "You're creeping me out!"
After much needed silence, Daring clenched his hand around my arm and looked at me close-up. With such tenacity and aggression, he whispered to him in the most fearing way...
...
...
...
"Burn."
With his words clear, I managed to push him right away and head inside. Feeling scared, I ran downstairs to the rest of the party guests who all turned their backs on me. And yet I needed help.
And the first thing I did was get help from my good friend, Briar Beauty.
"Briar, you really gotta help me." I spoke out to her, "There's something very wrong with Daring, and I really need you to help-"
However, I got a surprise when Briar turned to me.
"AAAAH!" I screamed.
My friend Briar Beauty was also wearing a sheep's mask as well. I was horrified by this scene.
"Briar, you too?" I cried out.
With such questionable tone, Briar looked down on me and told this single word straight to my face:
"Burn."
Feeling scared again, I got up on my two feet and started running, but not without ever having to look back at Briar and that creepy sheep mask.
But suddenly, I ended up bumping into someone, knocking me down to the floor. Curse my clumsiness. Shaking it off, I managed to open up my eyes and look up to the couple standing right in front me with their back turned against me.
Of course, the couple I ran into was Ashlynn and Hunter.
"Thank god I ran into you both!" Apple sighed in relief, "There's something strange going on with Briar and Daring, could you two-"
Then, they turned around, and there, I gasped and screamed:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
From there, both Hunter and Ashlynn were now sporting sheep masks as well. First Daring, then Briar, and now Hunter and Ashlynn? What kind of sick game is this? Is this some sort of careless joke, or some kind of weird cult ritual that I don't want to be part of? Somebody please tell me I'm dreaming right now.
Still scared, I managed to get up and run away.
But when I turned around...
...
...
...
...I noticed everyone around me wearing sheep masks. Everyone of my friends became victims of this little facade: Blondie Lockes, Cedar Wood, C.A. Cupid, Hunter Huntsman, Ashlynn Ella, Sparrow Hood, Briar Beauty, Hopper Croakington II, Cerise Hood, Duchess Swan, Kitty Cheshire, Lizzie Hearts, Melody Piper, Dexter Charming, my frenemy Raven Queen, and my Prince Charming himself, Daring Charming.
And for some reason, they ended up trapping me in a circle. I was lost for words. My heart froze with fear. I needed an explanation.
"Wha..." I stuttered, "WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?!"
As I explained to myself, a static of grotestque images started popping around me. The image of an empty rocking chair wobbling back and forth, along with the image of a big burly man with a red beard, wearing the same mask that my friends are wearing. After that, the entire room was filled with darkness.
My heart was now pumping faster with fear. I hesitated, I panicked, but most of all I screamed.
"SERIOUSLY, SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!" I screamed before hearing a mysterious voice.
"I can help you very much with that, Miss Apple White..."
"Wh-who said that?" I shivered.
Suddenly, two lights shone across the room. One focused on me, and the other focused on the three men who stood before me. The two men, one with a red-beard and sheep's mask and the other with a white wifebeater and a black beard, were standing next to a man with a fedora hat and a Hawaiian shirt sitting on a rocking chair. I raised my eyebrow in a frightened way.
"Who are you, and what's going on?!" I shouted.
With a smirk, the ringleader who was sitting in the rocking chair stood up and spoke.
"Funny you should ask that, my dearest Apple!" The cultist smirked, "I'm nothing but the poison apple that lives inside your mind. I'm the blade that cuts open your heart in two. I'm even the devil inside your mind! I'm nothing but your god and master, Bray Wyatt!"
"You're my what?!" Apple's eyes bulged out of her head.
"I see you're still clueless to even look at me." Bray smirked again, "How come you can't even look at your friends anymore without ever having to push them away like that?"
"I don't know!" Apple cried out, "All of them are wearing nothing but sheep masks, including my Prince Daring! I really wanna know what the hex is going on right now!"
Suddenly, Bray managed to stand up on his own two feet and approach a still frightened Apple.
"There's no reason to be scared, my poor precious Apple." Bray laughed, "Your friends are my followers. They're my children, and with my support, I will lead them to the promised land, where we will be free of the liars and the deceivers! They will be free from all the lies here on this planet we call Earth. I will free their souls and I will cherish every one of them as my last!"
"E-e-excuse me?" Apple stuttered, "But I couldn't understand everything that you're saying! You're almost like Maddie!"
A laugh then broke out on the face of Bray Wyatt himself. He loved seeing Apple White get tortured like this with no one having to come to his aid.
"You think I'm mad, but I'm actually the truth." Bray smirked at her, "You see, my entire flock is not complete. But if you really want answers to your little question, all you have to do is follow. Please, Apple White, I'm begging you to be like your precious friends and follow the buzzards! That way, you'll have your answer."
"I'll do no such thing!" Apple bravely exclaimed.
"Oh, sweetie..." Bray laughed and snarled, "I'm afraid you don't have a choice."
Realizing this, I felt a bunch of arms grab me from behind. That of course, was coming from Hunter and Ashlynn themselves. I tried to talk my way to them out of this, but there was no use whatsoever. Apparently, Bray Wyatt had managed to brainwash my friends one at a time.
"LET ME GO!" I shrieked, doing my best to pull Ashlynn and Hunter off of me.
"Oh, they'll do that..." Bray smirked.
And then, the evil cult leader managed to pull out a sheep mask from behind him, and approach me. With one last smile, he whispered over to me.
"All you got to do is to follow me..."
"No, I won't!" I shouted for which was the last time, "Someone help me!"
With no one to help me, Bray Wyatt managed to take the sheep mask and take inches closer to putting it around my face. I tried for a last minute attempt to break free and fight back, but both Hunter and Ashlynn's grip were too strong for me and I had no choice but to suffer.
As the sheep's mask closed tightly around my face, I managed to scream for the final time realizing my fate.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
As much as I screamed...
...
...
...
...
...I felt a hand touch me, awaking me in time.
From there, I finally opened my eyes, only to find myself lying in bed looking frightened and scared. Thankfully, all of it around me was nothing more than a horrible nightmare. But those terrifying images surrounding my friends wearing those horrifying masks affected me emotionally.
I still felt a hand hold on to me. Still crying and scared, I managed to turn to the person, who managed to speak to me carefully.
"Apple, are you okay?"
The person who managed to wake me up was Daring Charming. Apparently, he managed to hear my scream just in the nick of time. To my relief, he wasn't wearing a sheep mask this time, and thank goodness for that. I still couldn't say a word because I was still panting and sweating out of control.
Trying to calm me down, Daring spoke to me again.
"Calm down, I'm here for you..."
Looking right at him, I managed to calm myself. And in an act of desperation, I hugged him very tightly. His heart felt surprised at this.
"Thank goodness, you're here..." I sobbed quietly, "Daring, it was so horrible. I dreamed that we we're both Thronecoming King and Queen, and after we kissed, you wore this creepy sheep mask and then all my friends wore one, and then after that, this creepy man with a hat tried to make me 'follow the buzzards' and I couldn't get out of here..."
"It's okay, Apple." Daring whispered to me comfortably, "It was only a nightmare."
Then, I broke the hug off and looked at him head-on.
"But it didn't feel like a nightmare." I still cried, "It almost felt too real..."
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that, but at least it's over now." Daring said as he comforted me again, "There's nothing to be scared about anymore. It was all in your mind."
There was now silence between me and my destined Prince Charming. I never thought he'd be the last person to care about anything other than his own beauty, but I knew he'd care about me deep down. After all, he managed to be there for me in the nick of time, like he was suddenly my savior.
"Daring?" I whispered.
"Yes, Apple?" He whispered back.
In an act of desperation, I managed to kiss him tightly. It was kind of a hard kiss, but nothing made me calm down way more than to kiss my hero for saving me out of that horrifying nightmare.
After that, I hugged Daring once again, making this promising proclamation between me and him:
"Please don't leave me..."
Feeling the emotion in my voice, Daring managed to wrap his arms around me in safety. It was nice, warm, soothing, and it helped me forget any nightmares I would soon have for the rest of the night and so for.
Stroking my hair and patting my back nicely, he managed to whispered back these words to me:
"Don't worry, Apple. As long as I'm here, I'll never leave you..."
And that was the way it was gonna be from there.
Well, this was interesting to write. I'm certain that no one wants to be with the Wyatt Family either. After all, they're a frightening trio nonetheless. And to be truthful about it, I rather Believe in the Shield other than to follow the buzzards anyday of the week!
Anyway, what did you think? Let me know, K? ^^