Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my very first Ever After High story and I hope you like it! Okay, I've been doing Kingdom Hearts crossover fics pretty much nonstop for a long, long while. But now the time has come to do something different, and boy, do I have a story for you! A tale that will cross Ever After High with Kamen Rider.
Now, about my choice of material. When I first heard about Ever After High, I had mixed feelings. On one hand I thought it was just a spin-off from Monster High and wouldn't be that special. On the other hand, I was intrigued by the promise of a new twist on classic fairytales and I was not disappointed. Here we have the next generation of fairytale characters divided into two camps; Royals whom are content in following in their forbearers footsteps and the Rebels whom seek to write their own destines. Pure gold in my opinion and just begging for fan fiction. This story will combine both the webisodes and the novel :The Storybook of Legends, taking place after the book and between the webisodes The Tale of Legacy Day and True Hearts Day.
As for my other material, this will be my second story involving the Kamen Rider franchise. Technically it'll involve Kamen Rider Kabuto, but the Riders will all be original characters of my own design, while they'll have the same transformations, suits and powers as seen in Kabuto, while there'll be references to other Kamen Rider shows.
As usual, I'm writing this for my own enjoyment and for the enjoyment of my fellow readers and writers. No doubt there'll be some out here whom will not enjoy the story, while some might go so far as to hate it. I'm okay with it, but what I'm not okay is getting reviews and Personal Messages from people whom apparently hate for the sake of hating. If you don't like it, don't read it and please, don't bombard me with negative emails. Just remember, THIS IS FANFICTION!
Also as usual, I don't own Ever After High or Kamen Rider, just the plot and my original characters, so please don't sue me. I'm just trying to write a good story. And now, without further delay, please enjoy…
Ever After High: The Obsidian Wars
Part 1: Apple White & The Seven Riders
By AndrewK9000
Prolog: The Celestial Prophecy
'From beyond the borders of reality, a shadow shall emerge to corrupt the realms of imagination and spread darkness throughout time and space. Seven shall be chosen by the light to combat the shadows, granted power to protect the helpless and defend the innocent. Of the seven, three shall pay the ultimate price, while one shall be revealed as a traitor, falling from grace and rising with a heart as black as night. The Child of Light shall meet her One True Love, while The Child of Dark shall learn her true destiny'
"Oh come on, is that anyway to start the story?" Madeline 'Maddie' Hatter, daughter of The Mad Hatter, asked as she and Raven Queen, daughter of The Evil Queen, hurried up the spiral stairs of the tallest tower in Ever After High.
"Are you talking to your narrator friends again?" Raven asked.
"Nope, there's a different one now," said Maddie, "but enough of that fiddle faddle. We're going to be late for the show, Raven, hurry up!
"We've got ten minutes, Maddie!" said Raven, "and the eclipse is supposed to last for over an hour. Trust me, we won't miss it."
"But this is so much more than a total lunar eclipse!" said Maddie eagerly, "do you know the chances of a lunar eclipse occurring simultaneously with a meteor shower? About as rare as a duck and a swallow doing the foxtrot at Beltane"
"Astronomy and math were never my strong points," said Raven in a slightly depressed tone.
At that Maddie turned around and looked at Raven, her normally bright and confident expression turning into a frown of concern, "are you alright, Raven?" she asked.
"No, I'm not alright," said Raven in a depressed and mildly annoyed tone, "I'm…" she hesitated on her words.
"You're what?" Maddie asked and she walked town to Raven, "whatever's bothering you, you can tell me. And if you're worried about sharing a secret, I won't tell a soul." She placed her gloved hand over my heart, "cross my heart and hope to make boysenberry pancakes!"
At that Raven laughed, she always laughed when Maddie tried to make her do so. Whatever powers that be had planned to bring the two of them together, Raven was grateful.
"Well," said Raven, "it's been several weeks since Legacy Day, and…"
"And Apple is still harping on you on how she's supposed to have a happy ending and you're not ?" Maddie asked, "I know that. Peas and Crackers! Could she be more rude?"
"Oh, she's not talking about much of anything," said Raven, "she says 'good morning, good afternoon and goodnight,' and that's it. Instead of pressing me to sign The Storybook of Legends, she's starting to ignoring me for the most part. I just…"
Raven knew what she wanted to say to Maddie, how she had no regrets for refusing to sign the Storybook of Legends after witnessing her following and even surpassing her mother's wickedness. Raven even went so far as to tear her page out of the book, proclaiming for Rebels and Royals alike to hear that she was writing her own destiny. To say that Apple White, daughter of Snow White, and her fellow Royals didn't take it well would be an understatement.
"You don't know the half of it," said Maddie.
"Are you talking to your friends, the narrators again?" Raven asked.
"Just because only I can hear them doesn't mean they're not real," said Maddie, "and it's just one this time, isn't that right, Mr. Narrator? Or should I call you AndrewK9000, right?"
Hey, I'm involved enough as it is in telling the story, don't drag me into it. Anyway, wait, where was I?
"You were at the point where Raven declared her independence of blindly following destiny," said Maddie, "and you had a good point," she then looked at Raven, "you did the right thing, not only for yourself, but for everyone who wants to choose their fates, to write their own stories. So what if Apple and those other crownies hate you for ruining their precious Legacy Day? Best Legacy Day ever after, in my humble opinion," she then took off her hat, revealing a teapot and cup on her head, poured some tea and sipped it.
"I don't regret it," said Raven, "I'm glad I did it. I'm even more glad that everyone heard me sing at the Legacy Day Ball. But what's really bothering me is Apple. I know I hurt her by not signing the book and not assuring her Happily Ever After. But she can still have her happy ending if she would just let go and make her own decisions."
"She just needs to find her true self," said Maddie, "after all, when birds and bunnies go for a swim, how much does it take to skip the rope?"
At that Raven laughed again, "what does that mean?" she asked.
"Oh, did I fall into Riddlish again? Sorry," said Maddie, "I meant to say that Apple will only stay miserable if she keeps acting like you ended her world."
"No, I just killed her future," said Raven in a depressed tone, "and our friendship. We were getting along so well, but now I'm afraid she'll never forgive me."
"She will," said Maddie, "in fact, she may start to forgive you tonight. You never know."
"Did your narrator friend tell you that?" Raven asked suspiciously.
I certainly did not! I wouldn't spoil things like that!
"I guessed it on my own, Mr. AndrewK9000," said Maddie, "but thanks for the hint!"
Me and my big words. Anyway, after checking the time, Maddie and Raven hurried up the rest of the stairs to the tower roof, where already several of the fellow Ever After High classmates were looking up at the brilliant night sky. The full moon was up and could be seen high over the Village of Book End.
Raven saw that her fellow students had been divided along the Royal/Rebel lines. Off to one side was Apple White, Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella, Blondie Lockes, Lizzie Heart and the Charming Brothers, Daring and Dexter. These and others with them were the Royals, those whom were content in the Happily Ever After predetermined for them.
On the other side of the roof was Cerise Hood, Cedar Wood, Kitty Cheshire, C.A. Cupid and Hunter Huntsman, as well as others whom wanted to write their own happy endings. These were the Rebels.
Raven and Maddie walked over to Cerise and the other Rebels, whom warmly greeted their fellow freedom seekers. Raven noticed that Briar, Ashlynn and the other Royals were looking at them coldly, while Daring glared at Raven with unwelcome eyes and the others ignored her. All except for Dexter and Apple, with Dexter nervously glancing between Raven and his brother, while Apple's eyes held regret and sadness at the loss of their friendship, yet anger over Raven's defiance of the natural order, defiance of destiny.
"Hey, Raven," said Cedar, drawing Raven's attention away from Apple and the other Royals, "after hearing you singing at the ball, I was thinking that, well, would you be interested in starting a band?"
"You know," said Raven, "that's actually a good idea, at least it's one I'll think about. Thanks, Cedar, you want to join?"
"Well, no, not actually join," said Cedar, "I mean, I'd like to, but I'm not that into music. Not that I don't like music, I do, I just don't sing well, I mean…I'm tone deaf!" she blurted out, then sighed, "I am so getting tired of telling the truth all the time."
"You think you've got problems?" Kitty asked with her usual mischievous grin, "talk to Cerise. I hear that her problems are epic."
At that Cerise gave a low growl, "I thought we had an understanding," she said through gritted teeth.
"Oh, and what understanding would that be?" Kitty taunted.
"You keep your big mouth shut," whispered Cerise, her eyes then flashed yellow, "and I don't show you just how may ways there are to skin a cat."
"You could do that," said Kitty, "but you'd have to catch me first!" she then flashed out, her all too white smile vanishing last.
"I'd like to tie her up and shove a ball of yarn up where the sun don't shine!" said Cerise irately.
"You okay?" Raven asked in a hushed tone.
At that Cerise pulled her hood a little lower, further concealing her wolfish ears, "it's the full moon, I've always been irritable when it's in the sky."
"You're not going to…" Raven started to ask but hesitated.
"If you mean go full wolf, no," said Cerise, "I'm too human to fully transform. No, " she looked up at the full moon, "the only thing I've got to deal with are mood swings and excessively sensitive senses. Right now, I can hear Apple and her friends whispering."
"What are they saying?" Raven asked, "what's Apple saying?"
"They're still talking about that bombshell you dropped during Legacy Day," said Cerise, "and how you've ruined their stories. Briar isn't as upset, while Ashlynn is just plain miserable."
"I can imagine," said Raven. Though she didn't have any certifiable proof, Raven was sure that Ashlynn and Hunter were deeply in love, despite being from different social classes and stories, and the fact that they were on opposing sides of a divided school was silently but surely breaking their hearts.
But then everyone heard Blondie shout, "Look it's starting!" as she pointed up at the moon. Indeed, a shadow was slowly making it's way across the moon, blocking out its shining brilliance.
"This is it!" said Briar as she, Apple, Raven and the others hurried to the stone railing at the edge of the roof. As chance would have it, Apple and Raven were standing right next to each other at the stonework.
"When's the meteor shower supposed to start?" Ashlynn asked.
"Approximately two minutes after the eclipse reaches its totality," said Dexter.
"We should see the first of the meteors around there," said Hunter as he pointed at an area of the sky.
"No, it's more towards there," said Cedar as she pointed a few degrees to the right and up from where Hunter pointed.
"No, I was told it was there," said Hunter as he pointed to his indicated area of the sky.
"No, it's there!" said Cedar as she pointed to her indicated area of the sky, "are you calling me a liar! Well, in a way you're right, but I know I'm right about this."
"You're both right," said Apple, "the meteor shower will take up the sky where you pointed at and so much more," she pointed to an area of the sky below the moon, then made a wide sweep of her arm to the left, leaning against the stone railing, "all the way to over-AHHHH!"
The stonework where Apple had been leaning against gave way and she began to go over the edge of the roof. She shrieked with fright as she fell, but was caught by Raven before the point of no return.
"It's alright, I got you!" said Raven as she helped Apple back onto the balcony. Everyone else had started forward to help but Apple was already safe, a bit shaken up but otherwise unharmed.
"Oh…oh, thank you, Raven," panted Apple as she clutched at her franticly beating heart, "that…that was a fantastic catch."
"Not too shabby," said Daring, "though your technique needed polishing. Then again, this hardly counts as heroics."
"Why not?" Cerise asked, "she saved Apple."
"If Raven had been two seconds slower, one second slower even," said Maddie as she looked at her watch, "hmm…apparently it's half a day slow. Anyway, if Raven hadn't caught Apple, she'd be applesauce by now."
At that, Apple's already pale complexion paled even further.
"I know she saved her," said Daring, "but how did Apple get into such a situation in the first place?"
"Are you saying…are you thinking…" said Dexter, yet the words seemed to fail him.
"That Raven pushed Apple?" Lizzie asked as she shuffled her cards, "I completely agree."
"What?!" Raven exclaimed, "I…no! No, I didn't push Apple! Don't be ridiculous!"
"It's absurd!" said Apple, "she most certainly did not push me!"
"How can you be so sure she didn't?" Briar asked, "she was standing right next to you."
"Everyone was looking up at the stars when it happened," said Cerise.
"I wasn't," said Maddie, "I saw what happened. Apple leaned against the stonework and it crumbled like cherry cobbler!"
"That doesn't make any sense," said Blondie, "not surprising actually."
"Well, I saw what I saw!" Maddie said stubbornly as she poured more tea into her cup, "and anyone who says otherwise is wrong, plain and simple!"
"I say otherwise," said Lizzie.
"You weren't even looking when Apple fell!" said Raven, "I'm telling you people, I didn't push Apple."
"She didn't!" Apple insisted, "I would have felt someone pushing me and I did not! No, this was a case of stonework in need of repair, and I'll speak to Headmaster Grimm first thing in the morning."
"Okay, so Raven didn't push Apple," said Dexter.
"That still doesn't let her off the hook," said Daring.
"Maybe she used a spell to weaken the stonework," said Briar.
"I haven't used my magic for anything in the last hour!" said an exasperated Raven, "what do I have to do to convince you people that I didn't do anything?!"
"Nothing, because you did it!" said Briar in an outraged tone.
"What else did you expect from someone who would throw their destiny away?" Blondie asked, "it's not enough that Raven's supposed to poison Apple sometime in the future. She had to rip her page out of The Storybook of Legends, and now she decided to waste Apple!"
Upon hearing this accusation, Raven felt utterly outraged. How dare Blondie, or anyone for that matter, make such an outright untruthful statement! Apple was her friend, despite their differences! The very idea that Raven would intentionally, physically harm Apple was enough to make Raven want to use her powers in a rather unpleasant and painful manner, unpleasant and painful for Blondie that is.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Apple snapped, startling everyone, while snapping Raven out of her anger fueled fugue.
"Look of all of you!" said Apple, her eyes blazing with fury at her fellow Royals, "putting the blame on someone without even an ounce of proof."
"We don't need proof, Apple!" said Briar, "she tried to kill you!"
"She's evil!" said Daring, "evil and an anarchist, that's evidence enough!"
For a split second, Raven thought she saw Dexter about to say something, not another accusation, but rather to argue in her defense. Yet Dexter held his silence, as if he lacked the confidence to argue with his brother.
"I say that it's no evidence!" said Apple, "anyone wish to call me a liar? Well? Whom among you wish to say I'm wrong? No one? Well, I guess I have the floor then. Now, let me make myself perfectly clear. I know what Raven did on Legacy Day. I am still upset, more than upset and it will be a long time before I can forgive her, if I ever forgive her at all. But I know that she bears me no ill will at this moment in time. Don't say a word, all of you! I'm still not finished.
"Raven did not push me, she did not use a spell or did anything to make me fall. It was an accident, plain and simple. Now if any of you still wish to dispute this further, by all means, do so. We can argue until our destines are fulfilled, or at least until I can write to my mother, and then she can write to your parents."
At that, Raven saw Briar, Daring and the other accusers calm down, as if the threat of getting their parents involved was a relief valve for their irrational fury.
"You're right, Apple," said Briar, "you're absolutely right," she then looked at Raven, "I'm…I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
"I feel like I've been reduced from the Queen of Hearts to the 2 of Clubs," said Lizzie in a subdued tone.
"I feel just plain ashamed of myself," said Ashlynn, while Blondie and the others nodded in shameful agreement.
"Hey…it's okay," said Raven in a slightly unsure tone, "you just lost your cool for a bit, that's all."
"It's an eclipse," said Cerise, "the moon…it does strange things to you."
"You're one to talk," muttered Kitty.
"I bet you enjoyed that, didn't you?" an irate Cerise asked.
"Pity it ended so quickly," said Kitty, then gave a slight giggle.
"Oh go chase some yarn," said Maddie. At that everyone except Kitty laughed, while said cat-girl looked like she wanted to rip Maddie apart yet managed to keep her temper.
"Let's just enjoy the celestial show," said Dexter.
"Good idea," said Raven. With that she and the others resumed looking up at the sky, while the shadow over the moon changed from black to rose pink.
Cerise then stood next to Raven and whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you more. I feel like I owe you for what you did to help me."
"Don't," Raven whispered, "I don't want you or anyone to be in my debt. And I understand. If I were you and you were me, I would have been afraid."
"I don't want to be afraid so much," said Cerise, "I don't want to constantly hide my true nature from everyone, but…" she pulled her hood down more, "but they wouldn't understand."
"They might if you give them a chance," said Raven.
It wasn't long before the eclipse had reached its totality, turning the moon various shades of rose and pink, while enhancing the brightness of the stars. A few minutes later first one shooting star appeared, then another and another and before long, there were dozens and then hundreds of lights streaking across the sky.
"It's so beautiful!" said an awed Ashlynn.
"Like a celestial dream," said Apple as she, Raven. Briar and the others looked up with amazed expressions.
Yet there were three of the group whom were not looking up with awe, but with apprehension.
"Do you feel it?" Kitty asked Maddie and Lizzie in a serious tone.
"Yes," said Lizzie to her fellow Wonderlanders in an equally serious tone.
"'By the prickling of my thumbs,'" Maddie quoted, "'something wicked this way comes.'" she then looked into her pocket, where her pet mouse was curled up and trembling, "even Earl Gray feels it."
"But what is it?" Kitty asked as she continued to look up, fear now creeping into her eyes and voice, "I don't know what, but I feel as if we're all in terrible danger."
"Your feelings are not baseless," said Lizzie as she drew a card from her deck. By the faint light of the stars and meteor shower, she saw that the card was the Ace of Spades.
On a hill overlooking the town of Book End, a shimmering gray wall the size of a doorframe appeared. From it emerged a seemingly ordinary man. He was tall with short, black hair parted on the left side with dark brown, almost black eyes. He had a pale complexion and wore a black business suit and tie with polished black shoes. Yet underneath this ordinary exterior lay a heart as black as the void between stars and full of malicious intent.
The man looked out over the township of Book End, then further on towards the school where future fairytale characters prepared for their destines. He then looked up at the meteor shower and smiled viciously.
"Right on time," the man said with a cultured accent. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a black cell phone and dialed a number. "It's me," he said into the phone, "I've arrived…yes…yes, I see it. Everything is on schedule. We can begin immediately."
As the man in the black suit, the students of E.A.H. and many in the village looked up at the meteor shower, they failed to notice that several of the meteorites from space made it through the atmosphere without fully burning up. The rocks were small, no more than a centimeter in length. The meteors landed throughout Book End and its surrounding environments without causing any noticeable damage. Yet as they landed, the micro meteors cracked open, unleashing a minute amount of a viscous green liquid that was instantly absorbed beneath the surface. It didn't matter where the liquid was, be it on grass, bare earth, stone or the streets of the village, it was absorbed, while the meteor liquid that was on the roof of buildings slithered down drainage pipes and out onto the streets to be absorbed.
All this went unnoticed by the people of this world, with only a handful even sensing a hint of something wrong.
In a side alleyway of Book End appeared another shimmering gray wall. From that wall emerged seven individuals on motorcycles, each of them wearing helmets that concealed their faces. They rode their bikes through the streets, the motorcycles oddly quiet for the machines they were, barely making any noise and passing through the towns streets without attracting attention form its inhabitants.
The seven reached an abandoned building with a wide set of doors on one side, slowing down as they reached the side doors and turned their motorcycles off. The one riding the forefront motorcycle got off his bike and looked at his six companions, "this is the place," he said through his helmet, "let's get started."
At that the other six riders nodded in agreement, dismounted and all seven wheeled their motorcycles through the side doors, with the leader closing the doors behind them.
Deep within Mirror Prison, secured within the most isolated, most escape proof cell in the institution, Rebecca 'The Evil' Queen sat, facing the corner of the 8X10 room that had was all that was left to her after her rampage across the fairytale realms. Her rein of terror that violated the boundaries of countless stories and left Wonderland so chaotic that its inhabitants had to evacuate their home and settle throughout the rest of the realms, had merited out the death penalty. Yet at the last moment, Snow White had committed her vile stepmother's sentence to life with no hope for parole.
As far as the fairytale realms were concerned, Rebecca Queen was dead, while only Raven and a few others knew that Rebecca still drew breath. Yet Rebecca was content for the moment, for she knew that in time she would have her ultimate revenge.
That time was drawing nearer as her web of hidden informants fed her news of Raven's rebellion against the destiny laid out for her. Yet despite her incarceration, the loss of her powers and humiliation, she was patient, a virtue she held more valuable than her vice of vanity.
Her silent reverie of revenge was disrupted when the food slot on her cell door opened and a prison trustee pushed in a tray containing a late evening meal consisting of a small loaf of bread, a bowl of vegetable soup and a cup of water. Rebecca retrieved her supper and broke open the bread, extracting a small hollow metal rod, for this was her means of communicating with the outside world.
Eager for news beyond the walls of her cell, Rebecca opened the rod and took out a rolled up square of parchment. She read the message, frowning slightly at unexpected news. Yet her frowned turned to a slight smile, for this was news she could find most useful to her cause.
Walking over to the cot that served as her bed, she reached under and opened a hidden compartment in the stone floor, extracting a piece of parchment, a small bottle of ink and a quill. Nibbling on her bread, Rebecca composed a reply that would be sent out with the remains of her supper, thinking that her moment would come sooner than expected.
…The End Is Just The Beginning…