A/N:
OH YEAH, EARLY MORNING POST YEAH! No idea why I just did that but eh...we'll roll with it. Welcome one and all to this early morning post...this is an alternate pairing for Through the Looking Glass...part of the Black x collection...featuring some of the hottest parings, including but not limited to, Blake x Apple, Blake x Melody, Blake x Ashlynn and Blake x Lizzie...this morning, Holly shall be added to the Ever growing list of Ever After pairings. I have named this Black Moon, because Blake started developing feelings for Holly during the Blue Moon Forest Fest. This is a story that I wrote from scratch, and takes place after Way Too Wonderland. I was gonna have it be between Chapters 58 and 59...but this fit in way better. Duchess is gonna get hers next, I promise...I'm actually considering adding Crystal to the main pairing with Kitty and Blake...I'm not sure why, but I find Crystal really cute, and there's a lot of shit that I haven't touched upon with her. Especially the fact that she's so pampered she doesn't know how to tie her shoes. I feel like there's a lot of time to bond with Blake, especially when she slowly opens up to him about these things.
Yes, I have been neglecting some of the other segway stories, but I'm busy working on the main story and on these alternates as well. I promise you, I will get to updating Black Apple and Black Aria at some point, I just haven't had the time to come up with a Plot...I have a plot for chapters revolving around Dragon Games and Epic Winter, only for Apple's pairing though, but that annoys me because I haven't written those arcs yet. However as The Ballad of Bluebeard gets more and more posts, I will start working on Chapter Two's plot which takes place during that arc...and trust me, Apple will be very important in that arc.
As I said in the main story, I have been considering adding the pairings of Blake x Farrah, Blake x Faybelle, Blake x Nina, Blake x Meeshel, and Blake x Justine to the segways. I was watching some of the Chapter 4 episodes, and I started working on an idea for Blake and Justine...I was gonna call it, Black Dancer shipping, and then I immediately realized how racist that was...so I have no name for it currently. But yeah, Justine is so damn adorable and I feel that she would get along with Blake a lot. He knows how to dance, but he's more of a modern dancer and she's obviously traditional. Yeah...let's add to the Gary-Stu list, I completely forgot Blake could dance, along with singing, playing a guitar, Martial Arts, Sword Fighting and has good grades in school, and has a lot of people like him because his a good person...but fuck it, it's not like someone can't do all of that shit in real life right? Clearly no one remembers Danganronpa and the fact that some of the characters in that series are fucking Gary-stus..but enough of that bullshit...
I shall leave you all with this...Black Moon shipping...the pairing of Blake x Holly...so go on, and bask in the glory of this long as chapter. Have a good day, I'll be posting Chapter 81 of Through the Looking Glass later this afternoon, let me know what you all think...see ya!
By the way, Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! I might post Briar's segway later on, and that one is a little steamier than this one, so I hope all of you find your day filled with lots of Love! And for the rest of us who are currently single, Happy Single Awareness Day, for all of those who a Single and Ready to Mingle, I hope you all find some love today, just remember...you can spend your night with the woman/man you love...but that heart shaped cake from Dairy Queen is there all day...and it's waiting for you, and you alone...
Through the Looking-Glass
Alternate Ending
Blake x Holly
(Through the Looking-Glass: Holly O'Hair's Happily Ever After)
(Takes Place After Way Too Wonderland.)
Blake and a few of his friends found themselves in the castleteria. It had been a day since Wonderland had been saved. Everyone was still celebrating the removal of the curse, Purple Rhapsody's impromptu concert during the party. Everything that had happened was still fresh in the minds of the alumni. People had been downloading the new songs like crazy, congratulating and thanking the band for their amazing music. Of course, everyone was still reeling about the nasty things that Joey had done, and attempted to do. But they weren't going to let that ruin the joy that they had felt. Now that Wonderland was open again, people would come and go as they pleased. Everyone had been excited to explore the previously closed off world. Purple Rhapsody had also debuted two new songs from their Hearts On Fire album, further raising the hype for the end of the year concert that the band was already planning.
Currently, he was playing a game of poker with Lizzie, Raven, Alistair and Bunny. They had all finished their lunch minutes prior and had the next period free. With nothing else to do, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, brought out a deck, and it wasn't long before a game had broken out. So far, Lizzie had been winning, being who she was made it rather simple for her to play the game to her best ability. Alistair was close behind, making very high hands. Raven and Bunny however were struggling to actually play the game, since they weren't very good at it and were still learning the basics. That left Blake as the only person who was playing the game, but didn't have his head in it. He had been focusing on something else...or rather someone. Most of the game, Blake had been focusing on his friend Holly O'Hair, who had been busy writing in her notebook.
Since they shared the same Creative Writing class, he knew that she was currently working on the book they had started. Blondie Lockes: Zombie Hunter, he still had to chuckle a bit at the title. He didn't think she would actually be okay with writing something like that. He had written all of chapter one, and she had picked up the bulk of the story, going as far as writing six chapters to it. The first part of the story had been their project, which they passed with an A+. Since she had run out of notebook space, she had to split it into parts. She had already finished part 2, which contained chapters 7-10, and was working on part 3 at the moment. If he had any skill with drawing, he would have already drawn a manga out of it. It had the potential, and a lot of people who had read it enjoyed it, including the titular character, Blondie. Who had given the book a high score on her webshow in her Amateur Story of the Week. Of course, it was a biased score, which is why she also had someone else read some of the book to back up her opinion.
Lizzie looked up from her cards, about to do a showdown when she caught the far off look on Blake's face. She hadn't been paying attention much, trying to build her Straight Flush perfectly to sweep the competition before her. She had already predicted Raven not getting anything good, Bunny making a Two of a Kind, and Alistair getting either a Four of a Kind or a Full House. However, when she had tried to figure out what potential hand Blake had been forming, trying to read his Poker face, she was instead greeted with something else. She of course followed his gaze, glancing over her shoulder until she saw Holly, who was writing in her notebook, oblivious to his look.
Alistair also took notice of Blake's look, and the slight flush on his cheeks. He let out a chuckle, waving his hand in front of him, snapping his fingers a few times, causing the boy to jump a bit. He glanced at the blond boy, giving him a questioning look.
"Is something wrong?"
"Not at all, but I think something is wrong with you." Alistair replied, glancing back at the cards in his hands.
"I'm inclined to agree dear, normally you like playing poker, in fact you are rather good at it. But you've been a bit distracted today, is there something you'd like to share with all of us?" Lizzie asked curiously, setting her cards down. He glanced at the hand he had built, placing it on the table.
"Yeah, Royal Flush, I win." he said. Her jaw dropped, eyes widened slightly with disbelief. She used her magic to lift his cards off the table, all five of them floating in front of her. Just like he had said, he had built the highest hand in the came, a King of Hearts, a Queen of Hearts, a Jack of Hearts, an Ace of Hearts and a Ten of Hearts, all staring at her right in the face.
"Son of a bitch, I must say this is the first time someone has beaten me. While normally I would be screaming, I think I'll let you have this one...well played." she said, holding her hand out to her friend. He smirked, giving it a firm shake.
"Sorry Liz, but sometimes the master bests his teacher."
"I'm just glad this ended, I was still so confused about how to do what...but regardless, Alistair brought up a good point. Blake, how long have you been into Holly?" Raven asked, earning a confused look from the boy.
"What are you talking about? We're just friends...I mean, we've gone out on a few dates, and we kissed during the Forest Fest, but that's it. She doesn't want to start a relationship."
"Aw, that's so sad...and it looks like you really do like her." Bunny said, holding her hands over her heart.
"But she doesn't like me that way, so I'm not gonna pursue those feelings. It's weird...but when I hang out with her, I feel the same things I felt with Cerise. I feel a bit lighter, and I'm always listening to whatever wacky story she's come up with. She has a cute laugh, and is so inspiring...not to mention her skills with that frying pan." he said, flushing a bit.
"Oh, he's got it bad...I'm surprised Cupid isn't on your ass already. She'd probably already be stabbing you with those heart arrows of hers." Raven said, causing the boy to sigh.
"That's because I asked her not to mess with my love life. I told her that I would find my own girl eventually...and that I would be the one to ask her personally for help. She sealed it with a heart." he said, showing his friends the heart shaped pink marking on his wrist, which was glowing slightly.
"Talk about a pact, that must meant quite a lot to Cupid if she went that far." Alistair said.
"Pfft, yeah...she takes all things love related seriously. She's really sweet, can't believe she doesn't have a boyfriend though. She really needs to follow her own advice."
"Someone else needs to follow her advice as well...Blake, if you truly do like Holly. Why don't you let her know? She'll understand if you explain it to her." Lizzie said, shuffling her deck. She started dealing them out to her friends, who had been waiting to start the next round.
"I'm not sure that'll work Liz...I mean, I did speak about it with her in the past, during our time in the Dark Woods. She said she wasn't ready for a relationship, especially one between a Royal and a Rebel. I mean...me and Cerise made sense...both of us are Rebels."
"What about Ashlynn and Hunter? Aren't they dating despite Ashlynn being a Royal?" Bunny asked curiously.
"Nah, Ashlynn is a Rebel...she declared herself a Rebel during the True Heart's Day dance." Raven said, glancing at all of the cards in her hand, quickly discarding the ones she knew she couldn't use.
"Blake, I'll tell you something my mom told me...would you...like me to do the accent?"
"No no...just go for it." Blake said, glancing down at his cards, seeing what he could build with them. He doubted he could get another Royal Flush like he had before.
"Well, she said...when you find that person that makes you smile, that makes your heart skip a beat whenever they're near...that's a person you have to be with. She said never to be afraid of your feelings, and to own up to them. Never be afraid to smile, and show your happiness, never be afraid to cry and show your sadness. Don't be afraid to show your anger when something you don't like happens, just as long as you think rationally, and most importantly, don't be afraid to fall in love."
"That is really good advice Alistair...you should share that one with Cupid, I'm sure she'd love to hear it." Raven said, earning a nod from the boy.
"Ready for the betting round?" Lizzie asked, glancing at her friends. Blake gathered his cards, handing them to Lizzie.
"I fold, I'm gonna...talk to Holly. Wish me luck?" he asked, earning a giggle from his sister.
"Good luck little brother, tell me how you did later." she said. He grabbed his messenger bag, giving his sister a kiss on the cheek before heading toward Holly's table. He took a deep breath as he approached it, plastering a smile on his face.
"Okay, be cool. She's just a girl, who's one of your best friends...and is extremely cute. Oh dammit...be cool."
"H-hey, Holly...what's up?" he asked, sounding a bit forced. The girl continued writing, not even greeting him.
"Uh...Holly? Hello?" he called out. She still didn't move, continuing her writing undisturbed, bobbing her head slightly. He sighed, rasping his fist on the table, causing her to look up. She swept some hair behind her ear, pulling one of her earbuds out.
"Hi Blake, what's up?"
"Nothing much, what about you? Writing something new?" he asked.
"Sort of...I'm finishing up Blondie Lockes: Zombie Slayer...you wanna read part two and tell me what you think? I sort of need a proof reader." she said, pushing a notebook in front of him. He sat down, taking a hold of the notebook.
"You know hon, it would be better for you to start typing this out...you would skip all of the carpal tunnel, the quills breaking, spilling the ink wells all over the place."
"Oh I know that, but I like writing this by hand. It makes it more personal you know? Besides, with the new scanning app I downloaded on my MirrorPad, I can scan all of this stuff, transfer it to a word document and print it out. It makes it super easy." she said, smiling happily. He flushed a bit, eyes trained on the paper in front of him.
"Wow, her handwriting is really pretty. Rapunzel must have taught her all of this herself."
"Thank you Blake, I'm glad you think my writing is pretty...and you are right, mom did teach me how to write."
"Eh...I said that out loud didn't I?" he asked, earning a giggle from Holly.
"Yup, you totally did."
"Shit, I feel like an idiot now." he muttered, flushing a bit.
"You're totally fine, we all voice our inner thoughts sometimes...I talk to myself all the time. Poppy thinks I'm crazy half the time, but when you're a writer, you tend to speak to yourself quite a lot." she said, returning her eyes to her notebook.
"Yeah, well where I'm from, if you talk to yourself a lot, that usually gets you a ticket to the local psyche ward. On the plus side you don't need a bed when your in there, because all the walls and the floor is soft and squishy."
"Like a twinkie, like a twinkie."
"Precisely."
The two started laughing, bringing some attention from the nearby tables, including the one where Raven, Lizzie, Alistair and Bunny had been sitting at. They had shared a few questioning looks, wondering what they had been laughing at, but it was probably an inside joke that none of them would understand. Raven glanced around, sharing a brief look with Cerise who seemed to be glaring at Holly rather angrily. Though when she saw Raven look at her, she flushed, glancing back at her food.
"So uh...Holly...I have a question for you."
"I may have an answer...depends on what you need and or want. I'm not giving you a kidney, I need both of them to live." she replied, giving him a small smile. He held back his chuckles, shaking his head.
"It isn't about a kidney, although now that I think about it, you look like the type who'd steal kidneys from people. I'm kinda scared now, I might wake up naked in a tub of ice with a sign on my chest that says, call Rescue written on it."
"Ooo, that gives me an idea for a story...Lily-Bo Peep: Detective...the main plot of the story is about this man who stole Lily's sheep. But along the way, she ends up solving a mystery about a man who robbed the kidneys from people to sell them for money. It'll be tough, and gritty, and real, and it'll be awesome." she said.
"Um excuse me...could you not write another book about me? The last time you used me in one of your stories, I ended up doing a lot of naughty things with Dutch." Lily said, grabbing Holly's attention.
"Oh yeah, I already wrote a book with your as the main character...huh...well, looks like I'll have to use Cedar instead...it makes sense. She's made of wood so she doesn't need kidneys."
"So wait...Cedar's motivation in this story would be her never ending search for kidneys?"
"Not necessarily...she'd probably look for a stomach and a liver too, I mean she needs those to live right?" Holly asked curiously.
"But she's still half human though. Remember, she doesn't turn into a puppet until she signs her name in the book...so she technically has all of those organs inside her." Lily said, earning a nod from Holly.
"You've got a good point...hey, does that mean when she goes to the bathroom, instead of poop, what's left behind is wood shavings?"
"Jesus Christ, Holly! She isn't a fucking pencil sharpener...let's just forget this...you totally derailed my question."
"Actually, you derailed it. It was you who gave me the kidney idea in the first place." she said matter-of-factly.
"Because you brought up kidneys...anyway...I was wondering...um...you maybe wanna...go out tonight? Just the two of us?" he asked, pressing his fingers together bashfully.
"Uh...yeah sure, I'm not doing anything...and it's been awhile since I've hung out with my awesome friend." she said, wiving him a wink.
"Right...friend." he muttered, frowning slightly. He glanced over at Lily who was trying not to listen in. She just gave him a thumbs up, silently wishing him luck. The bell rung loudly, causing Holly to stand up, quickly gathering her things.
"Sorry Blake, I got Beast Taming this period. For some reason we need to know how to handle Bandersnatches, even though there aren't any here in Ever After. Sometimes I question what our curriculum teaches us."
"Well...better to know what to do with one, than not know right? After all, you never know when you might find yourself in Wonderland. Especially now that the portals have been reopened." he replied, handing her notebook back.
"I guess...anyway, what time did you wanna go out? Just remember to add two hours to that time for my preparations."
"Right right...how about six thirty?"
"Yeah that works...see you then, if I don't see you in the halls that is." she said, heading out of the castleteria. She met up with her sister at the stairs, both walking toward the second floor. Blake sighed, placing his head on the table, sighing in defeat.
"So? How'd ya do slugger?"
"Raven, I'm so fucking deep in the friendzone I might as well write Desperate on my forehead." he replied, sounding a bit muffled.
"No...don't say that...you aren't in the friendzone at all. She was laughing and giggly and winky too. So that means she has to like you."
"Nah, that's just Holly. She's Rapunzel's daughter remember? She acts just like her mom, highly curious, excitable and bouncy. Poppy on the other hand acts more like their father, smart, witty, loving, and caring. That's a trait they actually share." he replied, picking his head up slightly.
"Well...she has to show some level of attraction to you...I mean she kissed you right? During the Fest? No girl kisses a guy just for fun...she had to have some sort of reasoning behind it." Raven said, earning a blank look from the boy.
"I'm not sure...girls sometimes say and do things that are completely opposite of what they mean. They can be real dickheads sometimes." he said, placing a hand on his cheek.
"May I cut in for a second?"
"Sure Lily, what would you like to say? Blake could use all the help he could get." Raven said, earning a glare from her brother.
"Well, I figured I could share my experiences...I mean, I've just recently gotten out of the friendzone with Dutch. I was just like you were Blake, just another girl who was practically a sister to him."
"Familyzoned...jeez, that's like lower than low...that's like level 100 in the friendzone. You might as well marry the sister at that point." he admitted, earning a small giggle from the blue haired girl.
"That was my thought process too...but I used my friendship to my advantage. I hung out with him, helped him with his homework, and just gave him subtle hints. Eventually, I was able to get through his thick skull, it all just takes time and patience." Lily said, earning a nod from the boy.
"Okay...I see what you are saying...I should spend more time with her, and give her subtle hints. Then I go in for the kill."
"Basically yes."
"Hmm...not a bad idea...Holly can be kinda dense...I mean, she has to spend years stuck in a tower with no human contact. So she probably doesn't understand the levels of having a relationship. So that's why she values your friendship so much...I mean, aside from maybe Hunter and Dexter, she doesn't hang out with any other guys." Raven said.
"Well..that's because there's a higher girl to boy ratio in this school...well in main characters anyway. Daring, Dexter, Hopper, Alistair, Hunter, Sparrow, Dutch and myself...we're the only guys who stand out, aside from maybe Tiny. I mean, do you recognize any other guy in this school? And if you do, tell me one trait that makes them stand out more than any other background character." Blake said, arms crossed with a single brow raised.
"Well, what about Jack? Pierre and Frost? And even Tobias...they're part of some major stories too." Raven said, earning a nod from the boy.
"True...you know, I've never met Jack's sister...what was her name again?"
"Her name is Jillian, but we call her Tilly instead. No idea why, but she wanted to be called that instead of Jill, said she didn't want to be compared to her aunt all the time. She's going to a public school, not wanting to come here to Ever After, no idea why." Lily replied.
"Huh...that's interesting...I gotta talk to Jack about that...but anyway, what would you recommend I do about this? I mean...get Holly to change her views a bit?"
"Well...she acts like a girly girl, but she has a bit of tomboy in her too. Maybe, take her to a place that's really fun? How about somewhere in Meadow Brook? It's a short flight from here if you go on Cadence." Raven said.
"Hmm...not bad, maybe a walk through the city would help a lot. I haven't been there yet. I've got some time before my next class, I'll go see if I can find any interesting places. Thanks sis, thanks Lily...I really appreciate this."
"No problem, I'm happy to help." Lily said happily, giving him a smile.
"Hey Lily! You're sheep are eating the croquet field, they've started eating the shrubs now." Dexter cried out, causing the girl to sigh, grabbing her crook from the nearby table.
"Those annoying little buggers. I love them, but honestly, they're gonna turn my hair white!" she said, sprinting toward the castleteria doors.
"I'm gonna lend a hand...usually those sheep are tame, but they did eat Ashlynn's inventory once. See later Blake, good luck with Holly." Raven said, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek. He smiled a bit, watching his sister go. He glanced at the wall, a frown on his face.
"Hmm...what can I do to grab Holly's attention? What does a girl like her like to do for fun? Aside from writing?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes in thought. He let out a gasp, snapping his fingers.
"I got it!"
xxx
The city of Meadow Brook was far larger than Blake had been expecting. Having grown used to the quaint little village of Bookend, he had not been ready to see the tall sky scrapers of the big city. All around, large buildings towered high into the sky. There were far bigger houses than in the village, restaurants, movie theaters, shopping centers and lots of other locales. The streets were filled with both cars and stagecoaches, something he hadn't been expecting. All of the cars in Ever After used magic instead of fossil fuels, so they didn't damage the environment at all. The side walks were filled with hundreds of men, women and children from various walks of life, all enjoying the early evening in the big city. If Blake could compare Meadow Brook to one of the cities from Earth, he'd say it was a close resemblance to Seattle. It even had a building that resembled the famous Space Needle.
Blake had decided to bring Holly to Meadow Brook, because he had found a very big book store in the city. It was far bigger than the one back in Bookend, and had various other titles available, instead of mostly text books and school themed materials. He figured since she was the daughter of Rapunzel, that she would enjoy seeing a bigger collection of books. Of course since they had one of the biggest libraries in Ever After, she had most likely read a ton of things already. The two were walking side by side, both taking in the sights, while also keeping an eye on Cadence, who was also exploring the new areas. She had been sniffing everything, taking in the new scents all around her. She had started eating some discarded food off the ground, which she had started hacking up a second later. A scolding look from Blake had been enough for her to stop that behavior. A lot of kids had been in awe of the crystal dragon, and she seemed to be getting well with all of the kids that took pictures with her.
While Holly had been bouncing around from window to window, Blake had been rehearsing all of the things he wanted to say. He had already planned out a bit of a tour through the city, seeing all of the popular attractions. They're first stop was the book store of course, he had been telling her all about it on the flight, thus causing her current bounciness. The second place of interest was the GloBowl Arcade, a glow bowling alley and arcade. He had taken the advice of his friend Hunter, who had taken Ashlynn to that place hundreds of times. The last place he wanted to take her was to the planetarium, located on the last floor of Snow White Tower, the Space Needle-esque tower dedicated to one of the many Snow White's of Ever After. If everything went well, then Holly would be his girlfriend by the end of the night. But for right now, he was just struggling to even take a hold of her hand. He had done it many times in the past, but in a more friendly manner. Now that he wanted to show his affections to her, it was entirely different.
"This is all so cool! I've wanted to come here for such a long time, thanks for bringing me here Blake."
"Sure, any time. I think the bookstore is this way, I've gone ahead and checked it out ahead of time. I had to make sure they were pet friendly places." he said, giving Cadence a pat on the head. She cooed happily, wagging her tail.
"Alright, I'm looking forward to seeing what you have planned for me today. You're an awesome friend, so I'm sure you've got something cool planned out." she said, giving him a smile, her attention brought back to another clothing store.
"Hehe...yeah, friend." he muttered dryly.
It only took a few more minutes before finding the bookstore. It was named Farms and Fables, and was one of the big chain bookstores. He had wondered if this was Ever After's version of Barns and Noble, but had quickly dismissed it. Back on Earth, that store had been his safe haven, he just loved walking in there and taking in the scent of books. All of those words and dreams written in hundreds of thousands of books, all available for him to read. Of course, he stuck to the Manga section, but did read a lot of Romance and Adventure books as well as some Fantasy books. Holly was both a writer and a reader, and he was sure she didn't really care what genre of book something was, as long as it was interesting, she'd read it. They crossed the street, heading straight toward the bookstore ahead of them.
"Whoa...this place is much bigger than the bookstore back in Bookend." Holly said, glancing at the large sign above the entrance. Blake smiled a bit, trying not to stare at her for too long.
"I agree, I know you like books, so I figured we could browse for a few minutes."
"Well, that's something I can get behind. I could use some inspiration for something new." she replied, eagerly reaching for the door. Blake, being the chivalrous young man he was, held the door open for the girl, allowing her to walk in before him.
The two stopped right at the entrance, looking around the store doe eyed for a few seconds. All around them were hundreds of thousands of books, separated by genre and by author. There were bookmarks near the registers, an area filled with children's books and toys. The more adult books were on the left side of the store, separated into many shelves filled to the brim with books. Near the very back was a Hocus Latte, where people would relax while reading whatever book had caught their interest.
"Wow...you were right Blake, this place is huge." Holly said, earning a nod from the boy.
"Mhmm...huge, bigger than the stores I'm used to, at least."
"Hello, welcome to Farms and Fable...judging by those looks on your faces. I can tell you two are new customers...we are having an offer this week. If you sign up for our rewards card, you can get 25% off Hardback books for the next year." one of the employees, an older woman said, piquing their interest.
"25% isn't that bad, and hardbacks are the best kind of books in my opinion...what do you think Holly?"
"I wouldn't mind...I'm definitely coming back to this place when I have the chance. We can look around first? I wanna familiarize myself first."
"Sure thing miss, I can see you are more of a romantic type. The romance section is over there, to your left." the woman said. Holly gave her a thankful smile, heading off toward the romance section.
"Do you have any manga in this store?" Blake asked curiously, earning a frown from the woman.
"I'm afraid I haven't heard of that type of book before. We do have illustrated books, if you are referring to those."
"Hmm...any comic books?"
"Yes of course, they're over in the Illustrated Books section, near the cafe in the very back. Before you enter, you do have the proper documentation for your dragon yes?" she asked. Blake took out his wallet and opened it, pulling out the three cards he had been given when he got his Dragon Master license.
"I got all three documentations, her service Identification from Ever After High, my Dragon Master license and her registration card. She's allowed in any buildings, as long as she is with me and it is allowed by that store or complex." he replied.
"So it would seem. Well as long as she is well behaved, we have no issue with letting her in the store. I'm sure the children would quite like seeing a dragon up close...I do hope you find what you are looking for." she said, handing him back all of his cards. He gave her his thanks and started walking toward the back of the store.
He easily found the Illustrated books, and was surprised to see quite a big collection of both comics and more adult books. He started looking at all of the titles, trying to see anything that caught his interest. He heard Cadence growl beside him and glanced down, seeing a golden book in her mouth. He rolled his eyes and took it from her, looking at the cover, seeing a picture of a fierce looking dragon, shooting a plume of flame down at a man who was holding up a shield to block it. The book was called Dragon Mage: The boy who could turn into a Dragon. He sat down on the ground against the back of the other shelf, with Cadence sitting down beside him.
When he opened to the first page, he saw that it was styled in the same way as the comic books he was used to reading. All of the art had been done in color as well, instead of the normal black and white style that Earth comic books had. He started reading the first speech bubble, seeing nothing but a drawing of an egg on it.
"No one knows what they'll be in life. You may be a man, or a woman...a fish, or a flower...but I was something else. I was the only human, who had hatched from an egg."
"Huh...hatching from an egg...that reminds me of Thumbelina for some reason...wonder if there's a girl like that here in Ever After." he muttered, his eyes trained on the pages before him. Even Cadence seemed interested, and since she couldn't read, he decided to read it for her.
He didn't know how long it had been, but Holly's cheerful voice pulled him from his reading. She had three books in her hands, along with a quill and some bookmarks. She had a smile cute smile on her face, making the boy flush a bit. He cleared his throat, glancing back down at the book in his lap, doing his best to hide the flush on his cheeks.
"So, I take it you found a lot of cool stuff?"
"Ahuh! I found these three books that I had been looking for, forever. I also got some bookmarks that I needed and a new quill. This one can be refilled with ink, so no more spills! What about you? Find anything you like?"
"Cadence found this book...it's called Dragon Mage: The Boy who could turn into a Dragon...so far it's got me hooked. I already grabbed volume two and three to take home." he said.
"Wow, I haven't read that series in awhile...they're up to volume nine now...you know, I got these back at Ever After High...you don't have to buy them right now if you don't want them. You can borrow them whenever you like."
"That's sweet of you Holly, thanks. I'm still gonna buy these for my own collection, but I'll borrow yours so I can catch up. You wanna pay up?" he asked, standing up from the floor. He felt some pins and needles in his feet from how long he had been sitting, but the feeling quickly went away.
"Sure, this was such a good idea...I'm totally in love with this place. There are so many books I haven't read here...and they're all recent! Not like the old books from the school...they seriously need to update their romance section. It's like from 1695...and that is just way old."
"Ugh...tell me about it, I'm actually impressed with those books being well kept though. I uh...I'm happy you're having fun." he said, giving the girl a smile.
"Aw, I always have fun with my super awesome friend...I kinda wish I would have brought Poppy though...I found a lot of hair care books that she might like...I actually grabbed her one." she said, holding up one of the books in her hand.
"How to take care of long hair...for all of those young women who want to follow in the footsteps of Rapunzel. That seems oddly specific...hey way, it says it's written by someone named Rap Unzel." he said, causing Holly to pull the book back.
"It is? Um...hey look, cookies!" she cried, grabbing one of the samples that a young woman from Hocus Latte had been handing out to people. Blake shook his head, ignoring the girl's antics.
It took a few moments, but after they had paid for everything they had grabbed, the two teenagers and their dragon left the book store. The two were amicably chatting, talking mostly about the books that they had been interested in. The black haired boy had actually learned quite a few more things about Holly and Poppy that he hadn't known yet. Like how they were friends with a girl named Meeshel Mermaid, who was the daughter of Ariel the current ruler of Atlantica. She had also said that their friend was going to be a freshmen the following year, and would be joining the alumni of Ever After High. He was actually looking forward to that, since The Little Mermaid was one of his favorite Fairytales growing up, or rather Disney movies since he had never read the book.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at their next location, the Globowl Arcade. The large building was on its own lot, filled with a few cars. The outside of the arena was lined with violet, red and green neon lights. The sign itself spelled the name of the establishment out, in bright blue and yellow letters. The look of amazement on Holly's face when they walked through the doors for the first time was enough to make the boy gush. If he wasn't in love before, he was definitely in love now. She almost dislocated his arm pulling him into the arena, causing him to tug on Cadence's reins making her run after the boy.
"This is so cool, I've never been bowling either! This is the most fun date I've ever been on, you're the best Blake!"
"Ahuh...thanks for the arm pain." the boy said, grabbing a hold of his sore shoulder.
"Whoops, sorry about that...I know, I'll pay for us to play...it's the least I can do for almost ripping your arm off." she said, walking over to the ticket booth. The boy fell down in a nearby chair, stuffing the books he had gotten into his messenger bag. Cadence placed her head in his lap, causing him to look down.
"She's so damn cute, but every time she calls me her friend, it plunges that dagger deeper into my heart. But I can't give up, I have to tell her how I feel...at the planetarium of course." he said, earning a huff from Cadence, who flared her nostrils.
A few minutes passed, and he glanced at his watch, wondering where Holly was at. He stood up from his chair, pulling Cadence along as he started heading toward the counter. He didn't make it however, when he saw his friend, almost pressed against the wall, three guys standing in front of her. She looked rather distressed, wanting to walk away from them, but one of the guys held his arm out, preventing her from actually leaving. When she saw him however, she looked relieved finally pushing through the young men, grabbing a hold of his arm.
"Blake, I'm so happy to see you...they keep harassing me and won't leave me alone." she said, looking rather fearful. He narrowed his eyes, glaring back at the guys.
"Tch...how can you like this loser? I'm twice the man he'll ever be honey...come on, ditch this guy and hang out with us. We can show you a much better time than he can."
"He's got a dragon with him Steven, look." the fluffier of the three said, pointing to Cadence who was growling a bit, her body angled downward, teeth barred.
"It's just an overgrown lizard, it won't hurt us...besides, you aren't allowed to have pets inside the arena, asshat." the boy known as Steven said, not at all intimidated by Cadence.
"Listen man, I have no idea who you think you are...but I'm not gonna let you talk to me like that. She's with me, and she clearly doesn't want to hang out with you skinny losers...so do us a favor, and get lost." Blake said, handing Holly Cadence's reins, just in case something happened.
"You think you are so big eh? That girl is coming with us, she doesn't deserve to be with someone like you!"
"Oh? Are you sure about that? I'm not sure if you've noticed bro, but this is my girlfriend, and you have to fucking respect her. She isn't a tool, and she isn't a doll. So don't you think you can force her to do anything you want." Blake said. Holly flushed a bit, shaking her head lightly brushing some hair out of her eyes.
"Pfft, I doubt that fine piece of ass is your girlfriend...she's probably your sister at best. Why would anyone want to date a piece of shit like you?" Steven asked, earning a laugh from his friends. He pushed Blake back, the black haired boy not budging a single inch. Blake sucked his teeth audibly, holding his laughter back. He took a single step forward, pulling his fist back slightly.
"I'm gonna tell you one more time, take a hike and leave us alone...or you'll be sorry."
"Or what? Are you gonna hit me? Is the big pussy going to do something? It doesn't matter what you do...that girl is still gonna leave with us...we'll show her a better time than you will." he said, pushing Blake back again, this time a little. He took a deep breath, calming himself down. He pulled his fist back, throwing a punch at the boy, who easily dodged it.
"Ha, too slow." he said. Blake smirked, using the momentum of his punch to spin on his heel, throwing a reverse kick straight to Seven's jaw, knocking him out cold. His friends screamed in surprise, not expecting the boy to actually do that. Blake glanced up at them, a grin on his face, eyes flashing violet.
"Boo." he said softly, causing the two to grab their friend, dragging him toward the door.
"All is right in the world...who knew being the son of the Evil Queen came with so many perks?" he asked, glancing back at Holly, who looked overall relieved about everything.
"Thanks Blake, you have no idea how frightened I was. That guy you knocked out was trying to get me to follow him to the bathroom. He was even touching my arm...I'm glad you got here when you did." she said, hugging him tightly. His heart started beating a bit faster, making him wrap his arm around her.
"It's okay, it's all over Holly...wanna just bowl for awhile?"
"No...I don't wanna be here anymore...can we just go?" she asked, giving him a pleading look. He gave her a nod, quickly looking away from her eyes.
"Even when she's frightened she's cute as hell...and those eyes are so pretty!"
"Aw, thanks for the compliment...I do have cute eyes." Holly said, fluttering her eyes a bit. His eyes widened a bit in shock, his face turning beet red.
"Oh man...I voiced my thoughts again didn't I?"
"Mhmm...but it cheered me up...so friend, where are we going next?" she asked curiously. Ignoring that jab at his heart, the boy reached into his pocket for his MirrorPhone.
"We are heading to Snow White Tower, the top floor is a planetarium and they're doing a special showing today. Apparently there's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, and a comet. It only passes by every hundred years, so I figured you'd love to see that."
"You're totally right, I've never seen a comet before. Come on, let's go already!" she cried, grabbing a hold of his hand, once again pulling him along.
"Ah...ah, Holly my arm...my arm!"
xxx
The two teenagers decided to stop by a nearby food stand, so they wouldn't waste more money at the Planetarium. Even though they had gotten simple chili dogs, they couldn't help but remember the last time they had gone to a food stand. It had been back when they were going to the Forest Fest. Of course, it had been Frozen Yogurt, but it was still a food stand in the middle of the forest. They couldn't stop laughing, especially because of how fatigued Blake had been and how mad he had gotten at the goblins. A few young women recognized Holly as the daughter of Rapunzel, and had been quick to ask for pictures, along with hair care advice. He remembered having to take one picture for an older woman and her four daughters, all of them holding up Holly's insane amount of hair. It had been really nice to see how Holly spoke with the kids, the smile on her face made him flush even more.
Now, they found themselves on the top floor of Snow White Tower, looking down at all of Meadow Brook. The Planetarium was filled almost to the brim. They had been able to get themselves some VIP seats, because Blake had been able to reserve the tickets before they had sold out. Not just that, but he had been one of the five people who had been insane enough to actually pay the amount. With all of the money he had saved up from work, and the few diamonds he had sold from the ones he had found, he had plenty to afford the trip.
There were two boxes in the VIP area, and they had gotten seats in Box A, in the middle row. Since there was no one else in there, they had been talking up a storm, not at all being quiet. Cadence had been eating some of the popcorn that had been left by the previous visitors, thankfully it was still fresh. The large viewing windows had been shut, while they workers prepared for the show that was set to start in a few minutes. At the moment, they had been doing a laser show while they got their heavier equipment ready.
"You know Blake, I'm having an insane amount of fun tonight. The other times we went out, we just did normal stuff...but this has been really fun. I mean, I got some books, got to see you kick some ass...and got to meet some really cute kids."
"Well...I didn't kick some ass, I just kicked a bastard in the jaw...but I do agree...this date has been fun." he admitted, glancing back up as the show begun, the lights had been turned completely off. Since they were in their own box, they couldn't hear the chatter from the other areas. The windows slowly slid open, showing the clear night sky, in a way he had never seen before.
"Whoa...look at all those stars, they're all so pretty." Holly said softly.
"Not as pretty as you." Blake said, earning a giggle from the girl, who turned to face him.
"Voicing your thoughts again?"
"No...I'm not actually." he said. She flushed, quickly returning her gaze to the skies above.
"Well...thank you...a lot of people say that a lot...but it means a lot when a close friend says that." she said, earning a sigh from the boy, who glanced back up at the sky.
"Right...friend." he muttered. Cadence looked up from the bag she had been eating from, licking her snout slightly. She blinked a few times, gesturing at Holly with her head.
"What?" he said softly. She narrowed her eyes in what looked like annoyance, and turned around, slapping the boy in the face with her tail, rather loudly.
"Did she just slap you?" Holly asked, holding back her giggles.
"Yes...I guess she was slapping some sense into me...or whatever." he said, rubbing his face as he glanced up at the sky again.
"Now then everyone, if you direct your eyes to the night sky...you will see a smoke trail cutting across the lens. We assure you, Mike didn't forget to clean it again...that is actually the tail of a comet, which is passing by our planet for the first time in a hundred years...now comets are actually formed out of rocks, space dust and ice..."
"Ow...Cadence, stop biting me." Blake hissed, rubbing his hand. The dragon yipped loudly, glancing over at Holly who glanced back down at the dragon. She knelt before her, cradling her head in her hands.
"What's wrong sweetheart? You need to go potty? I'm sure the bathrooms here will be okay. Since you're a girl, I'll take you...come on sweetheart." she said in a motherly tone, taking a hold of her reins. She and the dragon left the show room, earning a sigh from the boy.
"Jesus Christ, who knew telling a girl you were in love with her was so damn challenging." he muttered, crossing his arms as he glanced up the comet. He tuned out the announcers, which were speaking about the stars and galaxies. He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, and he reached for it, seeing his sister's picture on it. He swiped the screen, holding the phone in front of him.
"Yo, I'm in the middle of the show, what's up?" he asked.
"You and I both know you aren't interested in that show. Holly just texted Poppy from the bathroom of the Planetarium. She said you've been acting weird whenever she said the word friend. She also said Cadence has been acting weird for the last ten minutes...wanna tell me what's up?" she asked, a smirk on her face.
"Dammit...you women and your texting! Ugh...I'm a little annoyed because every time she says the word friend, I feel like we're never gonna be more than that. I've been wanting to tell her, but I'm scared."
"Why are you scared? Blake you like this girl a lot right? Why are you gonna be scared to tell her how you feel?"
"Because she'll reject me...she said she couldn't handle a relationship in the past. What makes you think she can now?" he asked, a frown on his face. Raven sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Blake, sweetheart that was back in April. It's June now, it's been almost two months. Remember, the Storybook of Legends is gone, there's nothing holding either of you back. There are no more Royals or Rebels, were all the same now." she replied.
"I suppose but...I'm just nervous...after what happened between me and Cerise...I'm just...(Sigh)...I'm intimidated. I loved Cerise so much, I was beginning to think she was the one. But one little thing broke us apart, I'm scared something like that will happen again!" he said, sinking into his chair.
"Now now little brother...remember what Holly told you. If you give in to fear, you'll never do what you want in life...that includes love. Listen...even if she rejects you, there are other fish in the sea. There are other girls out here that like you...Duchess for example?"
"Ugh...she's my best friend Raven...I don't think I can see her as anything else."
"Now you know what Duchess feels. She's just like you, going after a guy who has her friendzoned. So now that you know what that must feel like for her, you have to act on your feelings...don't be scared okay? I gotta go, before Holly surprises you."
"Hmm...I guess you are right...hey Raven?"
"What's up?"
"I love you big sis...thank you for the advice."
"I love you too little brother...when you come back home, I expect to see Holly as your girlfriend, got it?" she asked, giving him a glare. She ended the call a second later, and not a moment too soon, as Holly entered their box a second later, being pulled by Cadence who went back to eating her popcorn like nothing had happened.
"Jeez, who knew Dragons could pee so much? I'm also surprised you have her toilet trained."
"All praises to Ashlynn Ella...the only woman I know who can get dragons to piss in toilets." he said, earning a genuine laugh from Holly. He smiled a bit, doing nothing to hide the blush in his cheeks.
"You always know how to make me laugh Blake, I'm glad I got to meet you." she said, giving him a smile.
"Me too, I'm happy that we got to know each other...there's only one awesome skillet carrying girl for me I'm afraid." he replied, giving her a wink.
"Um...what do you mean by that?"
"Oh...I uh..." he remained silent, glancing at Cadence who gave him a glare, growling slightly. He cringed a bit, facing Holly again who had been waiting for him to answer her question.
"Well? Are you gonna answer my question or do I have to play the guessing game? Which I'm not entirely opposed too, it's actually one of my favorites." she said, pressing her hands together contently.
"No, sweetheart...I just...needed some time to gather my thoughts. I just wanted to tell you something important." he said, taking a hold of her hand, placing his other one on top of it. Her smile dropped a bit, looking a bit more surprised.
"Oh...well, go ahead...I'm all ears." she said, her smile returning to her face.
"Well...here goes...Holly, I like you."
"Aw...I like you too silly...you didn't have to do all of this to tell me that." she said, a giggle leaving her lips. Blake glanced down at Cadence, who just puckered her lips slightly. Taking that as a sign, the boy decided to just go for it.
He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss. The girl stiffened a bit, not expecting the kiss. Her eyes softly closed as she kissed the boy back, placing a hand on his shoulder. He pulled away first, trying to gauge her reaction. She however wasn't done, and immediately went in for a second kiss, grabbing a hold of his head, running her fingers through his hair. He had been taken aback by her kiss, practically allowing her to dart her tongue into his mouth. He moaned a bit in surprised, kissing her back with equal passion. They continued their heated kiss, becoming a bit uncomfortable in their seats, causing them to pull away from each other.
"Wow, Holly you...that was..."
"Yeah...it was something alright." she said, standing up from her seat. She grabbed a hold of her hair, grabbing a violet ribbon she had tied around her wrist. She tied it up into a ponytail, the excess ribbon falling neatly at her sides. She sat down on Blake's lap, much to his surprise.
"I guess I understand why you kept getting mad that I kept calling you my friend all the time. Why didn't you tell me you wanted something serious?"
"I was scared...you said you couldn't handle a relationship...so I was just being careful around you. But after the Forest Fest, I couldn't stop thinking about you, how much fun I had despite being tired. I mean, look at all of the dates we have gone on, we've always had fun, and this has been the best one so far. I didn't want to lose you as a friend, but I couldn't deny my feelings either." he said.
"Hmm...I guess I understand that...I did say I couldn't handle a relationship in the past. But I've been thinking about it since the Forest Fest ended...I guess that surprise kiss you gave me in the hall that day Joey was singing Just the Way You Are convinced me. It used to be because I was a Royal, and you were a Rebel. But now, I don't care about destiny...I wanna be a writer...the thought of spending half my life in a tower...ew...why would I even want to do that? Especially now that I have a choice."
"I...yeah...that is true...so does that mean you...want to be my girlfriend?" he asked curiously.
"Hehe...I'm sitting in your lap, grinding against your Prince Albert and you are asking me if I want to be your girlfriend?"
"I...sorry...I just...kiss me?" he asked.
She gave him a nod, pressing her lips against his again. She giggled happily, slipping her tongue into his mouth again. Blake kissed her back with vigor, focused on the fierce duel their tongues had waged. He felt the girl grab a hold of his left hand, placing it on her rump, which he instantly squeezed, making her moan rather loudly, though it was muffled due to their liplock.
"Ahem...excuse me...you two? Show's over." a voice said, moments later, causing Holly to pull away from the boy, she fell back with a scream, landing hard on the floor, a dull clang coming from the impact.
"Holly! Are you alright?"
"Yeah...my frying pan broke my fall...and my back." she replied. Cadence started sniffing the girl's face, giving her a few loving licks, making her giggle happily.
"Is that a fucking dragon? How the hell did you two get a dragon in here?" the janitor asked.
"Uh...no one is available to take your call, please leave a message at the tone...beeep."
"Kid, this is a face to face conversation...get the hell outta here before security shows." he said, pointing to the door. Blake helped Holly up, who scrambled to collect her frying pan and her bag. She took a hold of Cadence's reins, dashing out of the show room.
xxx
The two teenagers couldn't help but laugh as soon as they ran out of Snow White Tower. They had been imitating the janitors voice in the elevator and laughing like idiots, much to the annoyance of a few businessmen and women who had been working in some of the offices inside. They stopped a few blocks away, kissing each other lovingly, not caring that they stood in the middle of the side walk, with a medium sized dragon next to them.
"I've had so much fun tonight Blake...thank you for taking me out tonight. I got together with a really great guy and had an awesome date...I don't think I'll ever forget this." she said, taking a hold of his hand. He flushed a bit, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Same here...it's been awhile since I had this much fun...we can keep going on a lot of fun dates if you want...and who knows? Maybe in the future we can go steady." he said, earning a grin from the girl.
"I'm sure we can make the future now...I don't like anyone else right now...I wouldn't mind going steady with you Blake...you're sweet. And after the bullshit you've been through...I think you deserve some happiness." she said, giving him a kiss on the lips. He kissed her back, moaning in pure bliss.
"If you wanna go steady...then I have no issue with that, let's at least wait a couple weeks for the fun part of the relationship. I can see that perverted side of you wanting to break out, but I'm pretty tired tonight."
"Aw...okay fine...you know already that my birthday is June 19th...if you don't mind...I'd like a special night with you as my birthday gift." she said, giving him a wink.
"I suppose I can do that...come on, we gotta go home. Cadence, are you ready to fly back?" he asked, glancing at his dragon, who let out a burp, a small crystal mist shooting out of her mouth.
"Oh honey, you gotta stop eating stuff off the ground...you don't wanna get the shits right?" she asked, earning a small yip from the dragon.
"I feel bad for whoever has to clean those stables, definitely not me...anyway, we gotta head out Cadence, so go on." Blake said, giving her a pat on the head. Cadence pawed the ground, using her shape shifting abilities to grow to her larger form. Blake handed Holly the reins, giving her a smile.
"Go on, you can fly this time."
"Are you sure?"
"Mhmm...I think I'd like to just hug you this time." he said. She gave him a grin, easily climbing onto Cadence's back. Blake climbed up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Alright Cadence, back to Ever After." she said, flicking the reins. Cadence let out a roar, jumping into the air, flapping her wings as she did. She quickly shot into the sky, heading in the direction of the school.
Blake smiled happily as he rested his head in Holly's shoulder. He had been expecting something else when he had asked her on this date. But he had been surprised by the turn out at the end of the date. He still had a lot to learn about Holly, and her excitable nature. He wasn't sure what the future had in store for him and Holly, but he was quite glad she had agreed to be his girlfriend. She wasn't just Holly anymore, now she was his long haired princess, and he wouldn't have it any other way.