Hi, this must've been a long wait and...thank you to everyone who's been catching up on me, but really, sorry. I've ended Faybelle's story there, but since the Thronecoming trailer's out, I did my own little headcanon (#2). ;)
Raven's blood was rising. Her heart was beating loud. She had to put a stop to this madness..by pledging her destiny in front of everyone. This was the time to put an end to the Rebels. Was this really the path she wanted to turn to?
Just before she could finish her pledge, Cedar Wood interrupted her and sprinted through the crowd. "Raven! That's not the real Storybook of Legends! That's a fake!" Everyone, (well, almost everyone), was in shock. "Everyone, please! Settle down!" Headmaster Grimm bellowed in a booming voice. With a snap of his fingers, everyone was returned to the dorms. Raven still had a feeling that her mother had something to do with this.
"Raven, Headmaster Grimm wouldn't like it if we snuck out of our dorm rooms - you know how he feels about rule-breaking!" Apple exclaimed. Raven just didn't bother to answer. The reason why they left their dorm room was because Raven wanted to consult Madeline to open up a portal to another dimension, possibly where the real Storybook was hidden.
"Raven? Apple? What a wonderlicious surprise!" Madeline said, ten feet away from them, using her wrong door. She had such a problem with doors! "Please come in."
"Uhm, Maddie, that isn't your room. That's Cedar's." Apple said politely. Maddie reappeared through another door, this time the correct one.
"Oops! Right. Well, welcome to the dorm! We're playing cards," Maddie welcomed the girls to her dorm, with Lizzie, Daring, Kitty and Dexter playing Lizzie Hearts's favorite game. "Come sit and play with us?" Raven shook her head, "I'm sorry, Maddie. Not this time. You have to help us find the real book!"
"Ooh, what fun!" Maddie said, bouncing up and down. "Where is the location you would like to transport to? Wonderland magic can do anything as long as you think it's possible!" Raven tapped her chin.
"Is there a place where villains get located to? I always wonder where the Evil Step-sisters are whenever the day of school ends." Raven said. Maddie copied Raven and tapped her chin too, "Hmm. There's Underland, but it's really not safe there."
"What? Why not?"
"See, you're only allowed to select five people to go with you, otherwise you'd throw the portal policy into chaos! Also, the remaining few get trapped in between space and time...forever. No one really uses travel via Portal, silly! That's what mirrors are for." Maddie giggled, as if Raven were only joking. Raven still shook her head and shoved past Maddie. "Raven! Don't do this. You might not make it back to Ever After again!" Maddie was nearly in tears of the thought of losing her BFFA.
"Don't worry, Maddie. I'll take care of her," Apple put a hand on Maddie's shoulder to comfort her new friend. "And don't worry about us! If it's possible, you can use Wonderlandian magic to hold the portal open, by say...an hour or two? We only need that much of time. Though, it'll be great if you were to come along."
"We do?!" Raven stared at Apple. She nodded with eagerness as she went to text Briar, Ashlynn, Cupid, and Blondie to come over.
"Everyone, give me some time to focus." Maddie said, crossing her legs as everyone gathered in a circle. Maddie's room smelled of delicious cinnamon candles. After around two minutes of silence, Maddie's pupils glowed white as she opened a portal. "Remember, a maximum of six people are allowed to go to Underland. Kitty, do you mind keeping watch?"
Kitty nodded halfheartedly, but she crossed her fingers behind her back not to get jinxed of her lie. Lizzie shot her a look and Kitty slumped her shoulders as if nothing happened. With that perfect opening of the portal, Apple, Raven, and Maddie dived head-first in the portal. All of the other girls followed without hesitation. Kitty could hear their deafening screams as they plummeted down.
"Down the dark dream I drop!" Kitty recited a line off Lewis Carroll's story. Or, well, her future story. "Kitty, come back!" Lizzie cried, outstretching her arm through the portal. Kitty was too far to reach. "Lizzie, no. It's too dangerous." Daring caught her arm as Lizzie reached her bloody vorpal sword and overlarge butter knife, hidden behind one of Kitty's shelves. No one knew why Kitty left these things from a so-called adventure Lizzie had. Or rather, maybe Maddie did it. She's still blabbering on about their adventure. "Don't tell me what I can or can't do! I'm the only one who can wield this sword, aren't I?" Lizzie was very smug about her previous discovery and casually slipped it in Daring's sword sleeve that hung on his belt.
"Don't worry, Kitty! I'm coming!" Lizzie dived into the portal, joining hands with Daring, who held onto Dexter by the hair as they were sucked in by the portal. Luckily, it wasn't closing. "So, now what?" Kitty said, lying and floating in nothingness with a very casual expression on her face. "Kitty, you do know that we aren't going to get anything to eat, a rather uncomfortable sleeping position here and we'll be trapped here forever, right?" Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "True, but we could go...to Wonderland, maybe?" Kitty said. "You know, use your magical slices!"
Lizzie took a deep breath, as if she were easily irritated by Kitty's silly remark (though she wasn't that easily-pushed), "No, they don't work like that. But, I could give it a shot!" Lizzie threw Kitty her oversized butter knife as it slowly tumbled through the empty space between them. About half a minute later, Kitty caught it and handed it to Dexter. Lizzie used both her hands and ripped open a large hole in the empty space.
"Where is that? Are you sure that you know where you've opened this new portal?" Kitty gaped, but shrugged. "Eh, beats this place. Come on, Dex!" Kitty vanished and reappeared around to get to the opening of the new portal faster, dragging Dexter by the ear, "Ow!" He shouted. Kitty flirtatiously winked at him. The next thing Lizzie heard were hysterical shouts of joy.
Lizzie grabbed Daring's hand as she pulled themselves through the portal, which shrinked a bit behind them. Kitty was lying on the ground, her hair tangled on the flowers and greenery. "Is this...Wonderland?" Lizzie asked. Kitty silently nodded, a wide grin spread across her face, wider than usual. "Our presence here changed the time. Child Lizzie and Kitty never existed as of now, until we leave. After both the portals close, right here and outside, which I guess is about in two hours' time, we aren't able to return back to Ever After anymore, plus this would affect our childhood timelines!" Kitty was oddly shocked, her smug look was wiped off her face after she was shocked by her own news. Then, her smile lit up again, "But, I'm fine with either option here. I can stay with Dad and catch up with things, or I could continue living life with my friends forever after in...Ever After! Oh, well. Dex, come frolic with me in the TumTum Grove!" Kitty carelessly yanked Dexter's arm again.
"Well, this leaves you, and me." Daring said.
"Wait." Lizzie's ears perked up. She heard stomping noises, but it definitely wasn't her angry mother. It was...the Jabberwock. Lizzie struggled to pull the vorpal sword out of Daring's sword sleeve, however she managed to yank it out in time. "What do you want?!" Lizzie yelled at it. She glanced at the Jabberwock's paw, which appeared to be missing. She then glanced back at the blood on her sword. She must've incapacitated the beast. However, it didn't seem mad at her. In fact, the Jabberwock appeared calm, which was a first.
"I have come to deliver a message from the Queen of Hearts," the Jabberwock pulled out a large scroll and spectacles, then read: "My mother senses are tingling. Yes, I know my daughter's arrived. Didn't you read my deck of instructions? I was watching, and I welcome you back to your future kingdom with open arms. Please, come back home."
Wonderland didn't look polluted at all. Did it recover? Were the students' arrival affecting the outlook of Wonderland? Lizzie had so many questions, but they were all silenced by Daring.
"You're leaving?" Daring asked, grabbing ahold of Lizzie's hand. She stared at her hand for a split second, then glanced up at Daring. "Maybe...yes...no," Lizzie shook her head, her usual curly red hair on the sides of her crown drooped down. At such a moment, a tear trickled down Lizzie's face, "I-I'm sorry. If I do go, I'm never returning to Ever After because of that well blocking off the entrance to Wonderland. Would this be the end of...us?" Lizzie's voice was at the verge of breaking off. She let out a silent sob as Daring was upset too. "I guess this is goodbye, then," he said. Lizzie felt an odd tremble. Was Daring Charming...crying?
"Daring. Don't make me do this," Lizzie whispered. He attempted to blink back his tears, but he ultimately had no idea what she was talking about, but Lizzie just went for it. She lunged toward Daring as she pressed her lips hardly against his. A minute after, another tear fell on Lizzie's face. It smudged her heart makeup on her eye. Her makeup even smeared up on Daring's face. His eyes bulged and he quickly broke off their kiss.
"Is this makeup?" Daring asked. He smudged the wet makeup off his face.
"Yeah. You didn't know?" Lizzie felt slightly less upset.
"I've kind of wanted to see you without the heart...the real Lizzie." Daring said. He held Lizzie's face in his hands and wiped the rest of her heart away.
"I bet I look terrible now, don't I?" Lizzie said with a nervous chuckle. Daring silently shook his head. Lizzie backed away slowly. "Kitty!" she urgently whispered. Kitty flashed a lips-only smile to her ten feet away. "I'm so sorry, Daring. I love you." Lizzie sprinted to Kitty as she POOFed them out.
"I love you...too?" Daring said, however Lizzie and Kitty were nowhere in sight.
Daring ran around spots of Wonderland and found nothing. However, Daring heard wails of help from someone.
In the TumTum Grove as Kitty specified, Dexter was found lying limp and hurt on the ground.
"Bro!" Daring shouted, running to Dexter. Dexter let out a small squeal and stood straight up. "Wha...where's Kitty?" Dexter's eyes flickered around.
"Gone. With Lizzie," Daring said. His eyes were to the ground.
"What happened?"
"Lizzie kissed me, then left."
"Cold," Dexter breathed. "Well, at least you don't have to worry about dating! Lots of other girls want to go out with you. Um, what about Cerise?" Dexter said. Daring stormed at Dexter and grabbed onto his collar.
"What?! No! I'm never going to brush this off!" Daring yelled.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Dexter stomped his foot onto the soft grass. "Look! Is that Card Castle? They seem to be spellebrating something..." Dexter noticed this by large fireworks in the shades of red and purple.
"Lizzie." Daring said. He ran away from Dexter, who soon trailed behind him. For whatever it took, he was going to bring Lizzie back.
Kitty and Lizzie were tired of POOFing.
"Is he gone?" Kitty asked.
"I think so."
"What happened back there, and why do you look so different?"
Lizzie elbowed Kitty in the ribs. "I don't want to talk about it."
Just before Kitty could protest, loud trumpets blared, indicating that Wonderland rejoiced that their princess and next Cheshire Cat returned.
"Home." Lizzie and Kitty said together. A shadow of doubt filled Lizzie for a second. What would happen to Dexter and Daring? How did Kitty leave Dexter so easily? She hoped they were alright.
Apple and Raven fell flat on the ground. Were they in Underland? At least the whole party was here. Raven was ensured that none of them were to split up, however they had such limited time.
Annnd...this concludes the first part. Stay tuned for the next two (though unfortunately I'm not making any promises!)...