This something different got into my brain and wouldn't get out so yeah I wrote it down. Usual warnings here women in love, odd couples fluff and angst. I don't own anything here. I have dyslexia as many of my regular readers know I do my best so please be nice when it comes to the odd spelling and grammar errors.
The protector of my heart
Chapter one:
Darling had never been so frustrated in her whole life, it had been bad enough that everyone had expected her to be the perfect princess just because she was a Charming but ever since her kiss had saved Apple she had been under a lot of pressure from all sides to declare herself as Apples prince and claim the other princess as hers. The very thought of that idea made something inside Darling rebel, it wasn't that she didn't like Apple she did but just as a friend. As for the daughter of Snow White herself she had been more than slightly shocked to discover that she had been saved from her curse by Darling as she too only thought of the warrior maiden as a friend.
As far as the white haired princess could see there were only a few ways out of their predicament, for Apple to be cursed again and someone else to save her, for Darling to save somebody else from a curse or for Darling herself to be the one saved. The warrior princess doubted that Apple would want to be poisoned again, not that she could blame the blond it had to be a horrible experience. She could try saving another princess but the problem with that was trying to find one who was willing to have her as their rescuer, most of them wanted princes or for their true love, not a princess and Darling understood that. Which really only left one option as far as the blue eyed lady could see which was for someone to save her from something which required true love, still there was a problem with that not many spells required true loves kiss and those that did could only be cast by a few people. Still Darling couldn't help but feel that this was perhaps the best option for her after all if she was saved by someone other than Apple then it gave them both a chance to be with someone else.
This was not the destiny Darling had wanted for herself she had wanted to be the hero not the damsel in distress. The warrior princess was quiet aware however that in this case she really did not have much choice either she was enchanted and saved by someone or Apple and herself would be forced to be together even if they did not wish to be together. Her decision on a course of action now made the warrior maiden set off to find Faybelle, she found the daughter of the Evil fairy in one of the study rooms. Darling walked over to her she touched the fairies shoulder and when she was sure that she had Faybelle's full attention said to her softly. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure." The fairy gathered up her stuff and together Darling and Faybelle left the room and found a private spot. "So what is it?" The daughter of the Evil Fairy asked with interest.
"I want to find my true love. Please before you say anything hear me out. I don't love Apple I'm unsure why I could save her...the only reason I have been able to think of is my kiss worked because my brother was at that point far to self centred to help her. I want you to place me into an enchantment one which only my true love can only break, a spell with a series of challenges which I have planned out to make sure only the right person can save me."
The white haired fairy took a deep breath and then spoke. "I can't say I don't understand why you want me to do this. But are you sure Darling?"
"Very sure Faybelle." The blue eyed princess assured her.
"Alright then tell me your plan." This said Darling leant in close to the fairy and began to explain her idea to the fairy. This explanation took some time but when it was done Faybelle looked thoughtful for a few moments and then gave Darling a nod. "That would work, after facing all the test you have planned no one is going to be able to deny that the one who saves you is your true love and a very powerful one at that. You do realise that this is likely to be the start of a whole new fairy tale don't you?"
Darling gave Faybelle a nod and smiled slowly. "Yes I know it will, but I think that is for the best after all I'm not the most conventional of princesses. So will you help me?"
The daughter of the Evil Fairy thought for a few moments, then gave the princess a nod and answered the question. "I will help you. In fact I know a place which will lend itself perfectly to the kind of magic you want me to cast. I quiet look forward to seeing what the outcome of all this is."
Together they fairy and the princess walked off into the forest when Faybelle returned some hours later she was alone. The white haired fairy made sure to spread the news that Darling had asked her to place an enchantment on her so that she could find her true love as she did not want to be in a relationship with Apple. The daughter of Snow White didn't seem to be at all surprised by Darling's actions and in fact when asked the blond supported the other princess's actions as she did not love the warrior maiden.
There was however one person in the school who was extremely distressed by this news concerning Darling this was Raven who had been secretly in love with the warrior maiden for a long time. Despite her worries though the witch was sure there was nothing she could do for the white haired princess after all Apple was her true love. Raven was sure that despite the blue eyed ladies protests she would eventually follow her destiny and save Darling from the enchantment which had been placed on her by Faybelle.
That night when the witch went to sleep she found herself dreaming, Raven was walking in the enchanted forest the sun was coming through the leaves it was beautiful and the dark haired princess felt warm and relaxed. The purple eyed lady had to admit that she had never felt so warm or at peace as she did right at this moment and Raven couldn't help but feel this was perfection. The princess closed her eyes she took a deep breath then the witch let it out. Raven just stood there her eyes closed listening to the rustling of the leaves of the trees and the twittering of the birds. Slowly Raven opened her eyes, she blinked twice then rubbed her eyes not quiet able to believe what she was seeing but no it was still there a white glowing horse.
The witch froze, the horse approached her it lowered its head and settled it against the chest of the princess. Slowly Raven lifted her hand she began to stroke the main of the glowing horse before petting its ears and then saying softly. "Hello there what do you want?"
The horse lifted its head its eyes where blue and the princess was convinced that it was looking right into her soul. Slowly the glowing horse paced back from her but kept its eyes locked on the witch, realising that the horse wanted her to follow it Raven did so. As she came towards it the horse turned around and they set off with the glowing horse staying only a short distance ahead of the witch so that she would not get lost. As the forest drew in round them, Raven moved closer to the glowing horse and followed its determined path along in the growing darkness.
Eventually they came out into a clearing the light in the clearing after the dark of the forest made Raven wince for a moment and it took her a moment to become accustom to the light again. The glowing horse paced away from the witch, she followed its path across the clearing and then as Raven noticed what she was seeing the witch let out a startled gasp. Before her lay Darling she was not on the grass instead she was held off the ground completely encased in clear crystal and the glowing white horse now lay at the base of the large crystal. This clearing though full of sunlight felt cold, so very cold it was as though there was no life in this place. Raven covered her mouth with her hand to prevent the exclamation of horror that wanted to escape her, the sight before her was one which stabbed at her heart filling her with a pain the likes of which she had never felt before.
All at once Raven jerked up in bed, she was breathing hard and there were tears running down her cheeks. The witch battled to hold in the sobs racking her body but she was unable to do so and a few moments later Apple was on the bed next to Raven. The blond princess quickly put a comforting arm round the witch who continued to sob piteously. With an expression of concern on her face Apple started to rub the other women's back to try and help comfort her friend. Slowly but surely the sobbing coming from the witch stopped and once she had more control of herself the daughter of Snow White addressed the other princess in a gentle voice. "Raven what happened? Did you have a nightmare?"
"I...Yes...It was about Darling..." The witch explained between shuddering breaths.
Apple gave Raven a gentle hug which she returned gratefully. "Do you want to tell me about it? Talking about your nightmare might help." The dark haired princess gave her roommate a nod, she slowly told Apple what she had seen in her dream and when she had finished the daughter of Snow White gave her friend yet another hug. "That sounds terrible no wonder you where so upset."
"Why, why did I dream something so terrible?" Raven asked the blond princess with tears in her eyes once again.
Gently the daughter of Snow White stroked her friend's hair. "I don't know Raven, I don't know...but maybe...maybe Darling was reaching out to you in your dream."
"But why me...? Your Darlings princess not me... Your her true love not me..." Raven said her voice full of confusion and pain at the same time.
The blond princess took a deep breath to prevent herself from snapping at the emotional witch for making the same conclusion as everyone else had. "Oh Raven I don't love Darling and she doesn't love me...I don't know why her kiss worked on me...but I do know one thing for sure and that is that we are not truly in love."
The witch looked up at her roommate her purple eyes still brimming with tears. "Oh I didn't realise that this was how things stood between you both. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions Apple."
"Well now you know the truth. It's alright you are not the only one who has wrongly assumed that Darling and myself should be a couple." Apple told her. "Would you feel better if I shared a bed with you tonight?"
"Yes I don't want to be alone after that nightmare." The witch told her with a shaking voice. With a look of understanding Apple climbed under the covers next to the Raven and the two slept side by side that night.
In the morning nether commented on the nightmare Raven had endured the night before, the witch wrote the details of it down into her journal hoping that it would help to purge the nightmare from her mind. The nightmare though had other things in mind over the days and weeks which followed it would come back to haunt Raven at odd times and she would have the nightmare some nights. The daughter of the Evil Queen tried her hardest to push the nightmare away from her as much as possible but with it still coming to her the witch was unsure what to make of this.
As news of Darlings disappearance became better know some of the princes and heroes went into the forest to attempt a rescue but each one of them came back unsuccessful. None of them spoke of what they had seen or faced in the forest the enchantment the warrior maiden was under would not let them. The fact that no one could seem to rescue Darling made Raven more concerned then she had been about the situation than she had been before.
One day two months after the white haired princess was enchanted by Faybelle Raven and Apple where walking in the enchanted forest talking about the still trapped Darling when a glowing white horse entered the clearing they were standing in. Both women froze the graceful creature crossed the clearing making its way directly towards Raven she gulped and backed away from the horse until her back hit the trunk of a tree. The white horse gently rested its head against her chest Raven slowly raised her hand to stroke the main of it gently. "You're real..."
The blue eyed horse looked at her before backing away from her and the witch knew it was waiting for her to follow it. Raven's purple eyes darted to Apple who smiled at the other princess. "Go on Raven it's your destiny."
The witch shook her head she moved away from the tree before turning and dashing away back though the forest towards the school.
Apple turned her bright blue eyes onto the glowing horse which looked back at her it radiated a sadness that had the princess saying to it softly. "I'll talk to Raven and try to convince her to come back here and save the one your protecting. You are Darlings magic protector aren't you?"
In response to this question the horse lowered its head in a yes motion, Apple smiled at the animal but didn't attempt to touch it she was quiet aware the only one able to do so was Raven. Turning away from the glowing horse the princess made her way back to the castle and as she walked Apple took the time to organise her thoughts so that she would be ready to talk with Raven about what was happening.