Disclaimer: Ever After High and its characters belong to Mattel Inc. All other characters, including Gemma Cobbler, belong to me.

Author's Note: The formatting of this story is meant to mimic that of the doll diaries. That's why the "chapters" are so short and aren't on separate pages, and why some of the text has [strike] at the beginning and end of it. Unfortunately, FF has super fancy formatting disabled because people have abused it in the past, so I had to make due.

A New Orientation

For some fairy tales, their destiny is a meticulously planned out series of events ending with a handsome prince and a Happily Ever After. But what about those who don't have much of a destiny? What about the dwarves who had to help Snow White or the fairy godmothers who help just one person get what they want and then do nothing else of note? Where is their Happily Ever After? What's the point in doing any of those things at all? Well, I imagine some of them like doing that. But it doesn't seem fair that some people get the world handed to them and others don't get anything for their efforts.

Take my family for example: My mother and aunts were the 12 dancing princesses. They snuck out at night to go to a bunch of fairy balls, came back in the morning with ruined shoes, and got yelled at by my grandfather for it. They kept doing it until a cobbler's apprentice, my father, followed them and brought back evidence of where they were going using his wit and an invisible cloak. (I've always admired him for that. I think that's where I get it. My smarts, I mean.) My mother and father got married and got the kingdom all that happened to my aunts was their MirrorPhones were taken away and they weren't allowed to have new shoes for a few weeks. Yeah, they eventually got married and had pretty decent lives, but it all just seems like a big waste of time to me. What's even worse is my sisters and I are expected to do the exact same thing! [strike]Not to mention that the guys who don't find out what we're doing are going to be killed...[strike] One of my sisters, Ariana, [strike]who likes to ignore all of the advice that I give her because I'm the youngest by three minutes and that's how our story goes[strike] always says that I'm making a big deal over nothing, especially since there are some people in Ever After High, our school, who would kill to have an easy and fun destiny like ours. But I don't want to do any of that, even if it is easy. I want to do what I want to do. [strike]Not to mention that I'm not a real big party princess. Too many people and too loud...[strike]

Lately, however, it seems like a lot of people want to rewrite their stories. There's even a rumor going around that Raven Queen, the daughter of the Evil Queen, is going to refuse to pledge on Legacy Day! Normally, I don't pay attention to rumors, but that one's just crazy cause no one's ever done that, and for good reason. Here's how I found out about it.

Oh, and I'm Gemma Cobbler, by the way. Sorry, I have a bad tendency to ramble sometimes.

Chapter 1

At the beginning of the year, all of the students have to attend a week long Book-to-School Orientation. It's meant to be the time when we meet any new teachers, get our schedules, and move into our dorms. For someone like me who's had to sit through it for several years now, it can be a bit of a slog. But it's required so there's not much we can do about it.

The week starts off with a speech from Headmaster Grimm in the Charmitorium. It's your usual spiel about working hard and setting goals and following the paths that our parents wrote for us. My sisters and I were in the nosebleed section; way back in the balcony thrones with the rest of the "royal" students. See, Headmaster Grimm likes to play favorites. Not only do the royals get the best seats in the Charmitorium, they also get the best teachers (I've heard that the evil teachers are pretty lackluster, along with the fact that they're, well, evil), the best dorm furniture, the best views in their dorms, and they're the only ones who get to be on the Student Council and plan school functions, among other things. If you're a princess, he'll pretty much act like your fairy godfather. Unfortunately, our destiny isn't as major as, say, Apple White's or Briar Beauty's is. (They're the most popular girls in school.) So while we get some preferential treatment, he doesn't really bend over backwards to do things for us. Yeah, it's really messed up. Oriana (that's my other sister) and Ariana don't seem to care though. Especially Ariana. She loves it.

When we got to our seats, Ari spotted where Apple and Briar were sitting and elbowed her way into a spot next to them. I spent the assembly half listening to what Headmaster Grimm was saying and half on Ari trying desperately to butt her way into Apple and Briar's social round table. (She's always trying to be their BFFAs. As usual, Apple was extremely friendly and accommodating to her. I got to wonder if she ever secretly wants to yell at her to go away.) Somewhere in the snippets of gossip, I heard them freak out over a rumor about Headmaster Grimm talking about cancelling Legacy Day. At the time, I figured it was just that; a dumb rumor. Legacy Day is a hextremely important day. Our entire schooling leads up to it and the headmaster is always making a big deal about it. Why in the kingdom would he want to cancel it? Some people around here just don't think things through.

Boy, how wrong I was.

Chapter 2

After the speech came the school tour. Now, you would think that it would be something that they would only make the new students take. Nope. Everybody's got to take it. The only big difference this year was that our teacher advisor, Professor Gold, was gone and replaced with the White Queen of Wonderland. Now, I like to think that I'm a pretty smart person, but I just don't understand some of the things that Wonderlandians do and say. [strike]I took Riddlish as my elective class during my first year. Royally failed it. The teacher said my mind was too "out of the clouds" to grasp the language.[strike] I'm not saying that to be mean; there's some royally cool people at EAH from Wonderland [strike]except Kitty Cheshire[strike], and I heard that something horrible happened in Wonderland recently, but the second 'Mrs. Her Majesty The White Queen' started giving Ashlynn Ella of all people trouble, my heart sank into my stomach like Pinocchio in the whale. I could tell that this was going to be a difficult year.

Shortly after the tour started, I saw Apple and Briar sneak out a nearby window using Holly O'Hair's... well, hair. (She's the daughter of Rapunzel.) Ari followed them shortly after. That was to be expected. Not only does Ari like to be Apple's shadow, she's a chronic skipper. Classes hadn't even started yet and she already found an excuse to not be in the building. Of course, once classes did start and her failing grades became inevitable, she would be leaning on me and Ori to help her. I would let her fail. I should let her fail to teach her a lesson, but then Headmaster Grimm would get on my case about it.

See, that's probably the one thing all three of us agree on: the fact that Headmaster Grimm makes us do nearly everything together is a royal pain in the tuffet. Because we all have the same destiny and are siblings, he thinks that us being separated for too long will prevent us from fulfilling it. Not only will he not let me let Ari (or Ori, but she doesn't have that problem) fail [strike]and he won't change their grades himself... he brought it up, not me[strike] and stay back a grade, we always have the same schedule (except for our one elective), the same dorm (we're the only students other than The Three Little Pigs with a three bed dorm), and we always have to sit near each other during assemblies and classes. Even Ori, who is usually very quiet and rarely speaks her mind, once mentioned that she wanted to sit somewhere else during a class.

Chapter 3

After the tour, we were all sent to our dorm rooms to unpack. Like I said earlier, my sisters and I share the same dorm room. Ari still hadn't come back from her trip into town, so Ori was the only person inside; putting away her clothes and her own little collection of shoes. (Ari's sat piled high at the foot of her bed. The mountain of boxes almost touched the ceiling.) You'd think it would be just Ari who's the shoe freak, but we all go through them really quickly. And it's not in the "Oh, these are so last chapter!" way that Ari sometimes does. By going through them quickly, I mean that they're scuffed and full of holes within a week or two. I have no idea why. I guess it's just a family curse or something.

Ari didn't come back until late into the night, when Headmaster Grimm had locked the door to our dorm. That's another thing that he does that we hate. Ari mentioned that she knew a way to get out (and she was in her bed the next morning), but it's still a little creepy, in my opinion. We hadn't even taken the pledge yet, and I doubt that there is a magic portal in our room that goes to an underground castle. So fulfilling it during the school year was out of the question.

Chapter 4

The next day we got our schedules from our teacher advisors, something I was mildly dreading. Not because of what classes we might get, but because of our new advisor. Naturally, Ori and I had to go together and get ours at the same time. (Ari had run out into town again.) Before we even got to the door of the White Queen's office, we could hear her mumbling haughtily about... something. As Ori reached up to knock on her door, she stopped and called for us to enter. I assumed that she just heard us walking up to the door. I entered first and took a seat in front of her desk, with Ori following behind me.

A split second after I got my butt into the seat, the White Queen's eyes widened and she shrieked, staring at me. "Running a restaurant?! That is a profession completely unbecoming of a princess! Not to mention, according to your permanent record, that it runs completely counter to your destiny! I am calling your other sister and Headmaster Grimm in here for a conference immediately!" Ori and I flinched. "Give that third schedule to your sister when you see her and tell her that she needs to come to me to pick her elective before Friday," she then said calmly before handing Ori four papers, one of which was the list of elective classes. Her mood changed so quickly; it was like someone had flipped a light switch.

Ori looked down at the papers quizzically, handed one of them to me, and looked back up at the queen. "But Mrs. Her Majesty The White Queen," she said timidly, "Gemma didn't say anything about a restaurant." The queen completely ignored her and stared off into space. I, meanwhile, looked down at [strike]our[strike] my schedule; Princessology, Kingdom Management, Science and Sorcery, Grimmnastics, and...

"Yes! Cooking Class-ics!" My absolute favorite class! I royally adore cooking, even though I have this weird thing where every dish or drink I make makes people sleepy. I have no idea why it happens. I think it has something to do with one of my aunts making the men trying to find out where they were dancing every night fall asleep with a cup of wine. But unlike them, I can't stop it. Because of that, I have a hard time finding partners for group projects in that class. It's still fun though, and the teacher, Professor Sweet, is hextremely nice. To be honest, if I didn't have to do this whole destiny thing, I would so open my own restaurant... or cafe... or winery, one of the three. Hex, if I could just do it right after high school, I would. My mind started to race with ideas for new dishes I could make and add to my future menu. I didn't even consider the fact that I still needed to pick an elective. "I can't wait for the first cook-off!" I told Ori. "I really hope Professor Sweet does more of those. I must know like, every porridge dish on the planet by now. I could open a porridge restaurant. Not that I would. Mine would serve way more things than tha-" Ori nudged her head in the White Queen's direction. When I turned my own, she was glaring at me. "...Oh... That's what you were talking about, wasn't it?"

Chapter 5

"Gemma..." Headmaster Grimm began, pacing in front of the three of us. We were still in the White Queen's office, but our chairs had been turned around to face the door and give Headmaster Grimm more room to walk around. Someone on the staff actually went into Book End and dragged Ari back to the castle. She was NOT happy about it. She looked like she was ready to punch the headmaster. "I understand that your story is not as well-known as some of our other students'-"

"Ours is the best though. Can I go now?" Ari asked.

Headmaster Grimm turned and glared at her, then continued. "But here at Ever After High, we do not believe that any one tale is more important than any other." That was a lie and he knew it. "Your and your sisters' story is just as important as any other, and it is imperative that you follow it to the letter. Especially since you would be putting your sisters' futures in jeopardy." He turned to Ori, who fidgeted in her seat. "How do you think Oriana would feel if you three never went dancing and she never met her prince?"

"She would feel bad," I said, humoring him. There wasn't really anything else I could say that he would accept, and I wasn't a troublemaker like Ari was.

"Exactly," he said, turning to Ori. "Isn't that right, Oriana?"

"Yes, that's right," Ori said, not looking too sure about the answer, but giving him a smile regardless.

"Gem does this all the time, talk about opening a restaurant," Ari added. "Can I go now?"

"No," Headmaster Grimm replied dryly. "I wouldn't be taking this so lightly if I were you, Ariana. This concerns you just as much as it concerns Gemma. If any one of you refuses to pledge on Legacy Day, all three of you will cease to exist."

"Isn't that a bit muc-" I began.

"Cease to exist," he repeated, putting emphasis on the phrase.

"I don't think me owning a restaurant is going to invalidate what our mother and aunts did," I said, my face becoming flushed with silent anger.

"That is not how things work, Gemma," Headmaster Grimm said. "Of course, you may think that it's not fair, but that's how things are. Now, I don't think that you want yourself or your sisters to cease to exist. So I would advise you to forget that silly idea and work towards fulfilling your destiny. Besides, all you have to do is go to a few balls. That's not that hard, now is it?"

"It's true," Ari said.

It was true, and I didn't want anyone in my family to get hurt just because I refused to do one simple thing. But at the same time, the whole situation just seemed so silly. Did the fates of multiple people really hinge on me going to some dang parties? "No, it's not. But-"

Headmaster Grimm sighed. "Something tells me that I alone am not getting through to you. I'm going to schedule you three for another meeting a week from now... with your parents." Ari and I groaned and Ori let out a sad sounding sigh. "Hopefully, they can make you understand the severity of this situation." Severity, my tuffet. It was just a restaurant. Not even an actual one, just a plan to make one. He was acting like I had just said that I wanted to become an evil queen and have my own empire. "Now, could you three please wait outside? I need to talk with your advisor-"

The White Queen, who had been silent up to that point, cleared her throat loudly.

"... Mrs. Her Majesty The White Queen before you pick your electives."

Chapter 6

The both of them ushered the three of us out. Ari leaned against the wall and sulked while Ori murmured something about missing dinner. I hung back, standing by the now closed door, seething in soft anger. Beyond the door, I could hear the White Queen and Headmaster Grimm talking to each other. Ori and Ari ignored it, with Ari preferring to mumble angrily about shoes. Curiosity hit me, and I walked up and pressed my ear against the lacquered wood.

"Raven Queen will get to her," I heard the White Queen say. "She and a bunch of others students will rebel. They may or may not succeed and not pledge... or will..."

"Yes, that is the rumor, Mrs. Her Majesty The White Queen," Headmaster Grimm replied. "But it is still a rumor at this point. Even our most evil students know how important pledging is and wouldn't refuse or keep someone from doing so. I have already set a plan into action to remind her of that."

"You overestimate yourself, my good man. I realize that you experience time differently from me, but you still need to learn to consider the impossible. Why, when I was younger, I could believe six impossible things before breakfast! That's a good, solid number, and you would be prudent to consider the same." There was a pause. "Did you know that your brother may ally with the rebels, as might Apple White?"

"I don't have a brother," Headmaster Grimm replied curtly, "and Apple White is our top student! I would think that-"

"You would think, but you don't! In Wonderland, they would have already been punished! I would advise you to do the same... and to address me by my proper title!"

"This is not Wonderland, Mrs. Her Majesty The White Queen. We don't punish people for crimes that they have not yet committed and I'm not going to start. Now, if you don't like the way I run my school, I would suggest finding another job."

"I will not and you will not fire me!"

"I never said-"

"I see myself employed at this school for a very long while!"

"I think this discussion is over." Mr. Grimm's shoes squeaked against the hard wood floor and his footsteps grew louder. I managed to dodge sideways and press myself against the wall, bumping into Ari, before Mr. Grimm threw the door open and rushed out. The three of us all watched him storm down the hall and out of sight.

"The hex was that for?!" Ari yelled at me after he disappeared.

"The White Queen just said that Raven Queen and a bunch of others are going to refuse to pledge," I said quietly.

"Eavesdropping, eh? I didn't know you had it in you," Ari smirked. "Did you decide to stop being boring this year?" I glared at her. While Ari looked... slightly proud of my sudden naughtiness, Ori looked scared.

"Are you sure that's what you heard?" she asked. "Headmaster Grimm just said that anyone who refuses to pledge ceases to exist. The staff wouldn't let that happen."

"Well, she said that it hasn't happen yet. She can see the future or something. And Mr. Grimm said that he's already done something about Raven."

"So she's spouting dumb ideas for no reason and the headmaster did something about it, like he did with you," Ari replied.

"Shut up, Ari!" I yelled.

"Seriously, if I were in her position, I would be so down for having my own castle and an army of minions. You two are making a big deal over nothing, especially you."

"I said shut up!"

"No! We have like, the best destiny! Only weirdoes and losers hate going to parties! Stop freaking out over something fun and just go with it!"

I seethed quietly for a bit before it hit me. "You know, I find it odd that you're going along with the teachers when all you do normally is complain about them and skip class."

"What-ever-after..." she said, glaring at me contemptuously. "I'm going to dinner. Tell Your Majesty White Queen or whatever she wants us to call her that I need to think about my elective and I'll come back tomorrow." A blatant lie, of course. Before Ori and I could object, Ari had spun around on her heel and started off down the corridor, taping away on her MirrorPhone.

"I wish you two wouldn't fight," Ori said softly.

"It's not my fault Ari doesn't listen," I said.

"I already know what you're going to pick," the White Queen suddenly called from inside her office. "But I would appreciate it if you came in here and actually picked your electives."

"We better get in there before she gives us detention," I said, reaching for the door knob.

"Wait... You're going to take the pledge on Legacy Day, right?" Ori asked, looking worried. I didn't really have a choice. It was either take the pledge and go dancing for a few nights, or have myself and my sisters erased from existence. Did I really want to take that chance?

"Yeah, I'm gonna do it," I sighed.

"Really?"

"Really." I gave Ori a small smile.

"Oh good," Ori sighed in relief. "I don't want us to die."

"I wouldn't let that happen. I love you guys."

"Aww..." Ori gave me a big hug. We then walked into the White Queen's office together, Ori relieved that the three of us wouldn't die, and me banishing my hopes of doing something worthwhile in my life to the back of my mind.