Brooke Page: Once Upon a Hi, everyone! Since I am a narrator in training, I talked to my Mom and Dad and they agreed it would be best if I went to a place where I could practice my narrating skills over the summer. It took quite a lot of convincing, but I managed to get my parents to not send me to this boring narrator's camp. Those guys at the narrator's camp believed in sticking strictly to the script! They had no room for imagination! Ugh!
I tried to get my parents to see my side of the story, so that I wouldn't be sent there. They finally saw my side of the story, and so instead they allowed me to come here to this website to narrate fan fiction. Since it is fanfiction, it gives me room to express myself while following the story and maybe write my own, without interfering with anyone else's. My parents still won't let go of what I did in Spring Unsprung and Way Too Wonderland, even though I did mange to save those stories, and made sure Happily Ever After happened in The End.
My parents had to set a few rules though; I had to narrate stories that played by the rules, followed the canon of Ever After High very faithfully, and did not give in too much to the "traps of fanfiction" like shipping, fan-shipping, AUs, OOCs, etc. Most of the stories they found were, as they put it: unpleasant, irreverent, disrespectful, barely readable, or they were just "not fit to be writing at all". Harsh. Granted, I liked some of them, but still...
My parents did approve of some of the stories they found and tried to contact the writers of those stories, to see if they could take the time work with me. My parents did not have much success with that. Many of the writers were not interested in following the canon, had too many "bad ideas", or were too busy working on other stories to take the time to work with me. Come on! I'm one of the narrators of Ever After High! Who wouldn't want to work with me?
This was an epic fairy fail. I thought I was going to be sent to that boring narrator's camp, for sure.
Thankfully, my parents managed to find this one author called The Byzantine Knight who was able to fit their criteria. They said he was perfect for me to work with; he likes to write stories that are able to comply with canon, but still be imaginative at the same time. Basically he is a royal and rebel writer, someone I can definitely get along with. He has the most Off-The-Page, Wonderlandiful, Happily Ever After Awesome idea ever for a story; a STAR WARS/EVER AFTER HIGH Crossover! I can't wait to see what will happen with that!
Now that I told my side of the story, it's time I finally introduced The Byzantine Knight and let you all get his side of the story. Once upon a Hi, Byzantine Knight!
The Byzantine Knight: Same to you too Brooke. I have been a huge Star Wars fan since Episode I and a big Ever After High fan since Chapter 1 and so I am excited to finally do this crossover between the two of them. I am glad your parents chose me to do this with you. I can't wait to get started. As you said, what I like to do with my writing is to do something that compliments the canon, rather than severely contradicting it. Of course, I am not completely accurate to the source material, I am not sure any fanfiction writer is, but I definitely do my best to be faithful. You get to be very royal and a little rebel in my writing. I do this because I want to be able to read fanfiction that sounds like a genuine and natural continuation of the official stories I love. It also helps that I have a very high midichlorian count. I hope you, and the audience, enjoys this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
BP: That sounds spelltacular! I think I will enjoy this! So...a Star Wars/Ever After High crossover. How did you come up with that?
BK: I have been thinking about this crossover ever since Thronecoming. It all started with this line from Blondie Lockes' Thronecoming diary;
Poppy had an idea,.. since my outfit was all about bears, what about two honey buns.
But when she wrapped them, they just felt too 1977.
Help me, Poppy O'Hair, you're my only hope!
- Blondie Lockes
BK: I love a good Star Wars reference as much as everyone else does, but a Star Wars reference in Ever After High? A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. While I enjoyed that line just as much as everyone else did, it had suddenly dawned on me...
Ever After High knows Star Wars!
BP: Of course we know about Star Wars! I love Star Wars! Everyone in Ever After loves Star Wars and is just as much of fan of it here as they are everywhere else!
BK: I know right?! After I read that line, I immediately began to think about what a Star Wars/Ever After High crossover would look like. What would happen? What characters would be involved? What time frame would it be set in? Prequel Trilogy era? Original Trilogy era? The possibilities are endless! It wasn't until Dragon Games came out that this story finally started to take shape.
BP: Dragon Games was awesome.
BK: Yeah, well...most of it was. Anyway, while I enjoyed Dragon Games (most of it) something about the story felt very familiar to me. It took a while but I finally realized why: Dragon Games has the same plot as Return of the Jedi! Think about this:
The main conflict is between the evil parent and the good child. (Raven Queen vs Evil Queen/Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader)
The villain constantly tempts the hero to give in to the dark side (Evil Queen vs Raven Queen/Darth Sidious vs Luke Skywalker)
The good child surrenders to the Evil Parent and in order to save their friends and defeat evil from within. (Again, Raven Queen vs Evil Queen/Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader)
Always two there; a Master and an Apprentice. The Apprentice eventually realizes that they are being used and so they rise up against the Master (Evil Queen and Faybelle Thorn/Darth Sidious and Darth Vader)
A smooth ladies man contributes to defeating the villain(s) (Daring Charming/Lando Calrissian and/or Han Solo)
Furry woodland creatures that help and aid the heroes in the conflict (Forest Pixies and the Dragon Riders/Ewoks and the Rebels)
A hero has a funeral in the forest (Apple White in the Enchanted Forest/Anakin Skywalker on the forest moon of Endor)
Both franchises place a great emphasis on the concept of destiny
Both franchises place a great emphasis on rebels and rebellions
Both franchises have a character named Dexter in them (Ever After High has Prince Dexterous "Dexter" Charming, and Star Wars has Dexter Jettster the four armed owner and head chef of Dex's Diner)
The phrase "It's a Trap!" is used. (happens in Epic Winter)
Alistair Wonderland resembles Luke Skywalker (well, to me he does!)
BFFA's Rosabella Beauty and Darling Charming have the same color schemes as C-3PO and R2-D2 (well, they do!)
The Final Battle takes place in the sky where the heroes fight against a floating fortress of doom ruled by an evil dictator (The Dragon Riders vs the Evil Queen and the conquered Ever After High/The Rebel Alliance vs Darth Sidious and the Death Star II)
BK: Okay, some of the connections I made are a bit of a stretch, but you get the basic point I am trying to get across. This is one of those things that is dependent from a certain point of view. I still maintain that Dragon Games has the same plot as Return of the Jedi, and so because of that we now have this story.
In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars I finally put together this crossover which finally sees these two fantasy worlds collide.
BP: You know I never actually thought of that. I never thought of them being so similar.
BK: Of course you didn't, not until I pointed it out. I should also mention that the same year Dragon Games was released; Star Wars also referenced Ever After High.
BP: Star Wars referenced Ever After High?! How?!
BK: One of Hallmark's offerings for their Christmas ornament line-up that year was an ornament of Darth Vader and Princess Leia's first meeting in A New Hope...
Princess Leia: I don't know what you're talking about. I am a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan...
Darth Vader: You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor! Take her away!
BK:...Of all the things they could have named this ornament based on this classic scene...
...they named it Royal or Rebel.
BP: *laughs* Really?
BK: Yeah! I know when I first saw that ornament, I immediately thought "Someone's an Ever After High fan!" and the Ever After High theme song immediately started playing in my head. I also half expected the Ever After High theme song to start playing after the ornament played the dialogue (it did not). From a certain point of view, calling this moment Royal or Rebel is appropriate because Leia is the original Royal/Rebel Princess!
BP: That's Cool. Okay, so now let's talk about the story. What happens in it?
BK: OK, so to give the audience a little background so that they know what it is they are getting into: This story starts during the events of The Empire Strikes Back, and eventually makes it way to the events of Return of the Jedi. We will see the Ever After High cast directly involved with and affect the characters, battles, and events of the Star Wars galaxy, especially for what happens in Return of the Jedi and beyond. There will be interesting character interactions, action, drama, tragedy, comedy, shocking revelations, epic battles, and plenty of references to both Star Wars and Ever After High.
The cast of Ever After High, Royal and Rebel alike, are about to take their first steps into a larger world, as they are swept up in the conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. They will learn very quickly (among other things) that "Power Princess Shining Bright" is insignificant next to the power of The Force. I can't wait to take the cast of Ever After High on this journey as they live, learn, grow, and fight through The Galaxy Far Far Away.
BP: This sounds Happily Ever After Awesome! I can't wait to get started! So now, let's talk characters. Which Star Wars characters will appear in this story?
BK: Everyone who was in Return of the Jedi appears in this story. Many other characters from other eras will show up too.
BP: Which Ever After High characters will appear in this story?
BK: I love all the Ever After High characters, so they will all get to appear in this story. The ones that we will be following most prominently throughout the story as they journey through The Galaxy Far Far Away are Alistair Wonderland, Cerise Hood, Daring Charming, Darling Charming, Dexter Charming, Humphrey Dumpty, Ramona Badwolf, Raven Queen, and Rosabella Beauty. I chose this cast, not just because I love them, but also because I think out of all the Ever After High characters, those are the ones who are least likely to get shot in the back upon arrival.
BP: Good choice of characters, but wow, that's rough.
BK: The Star Wars galaxy is more rough and tough than you realize; especially when this story is set in the Original Trilogy/Galactic Civil War Era. They have got be tough and alert otherwise they will get killed really quickly.
BP: What about 'ships? Which ones will we see from Star Wars and Ever After High?
BK: They will be many ships. I love all kinds of ships, especially the ones in Star Wars. My personal favorite ships are the Millennium Falcon, the X-Wing Fighters, the Jedi Starfighters, the Republic Gunships, the Republic and Imperial Star Destroyers, the Lambda-class T-4a shuttles, the Slave I, all the silver Queen Amidala ships, the Naboo N-1 Starfighters, the Rebel Blockade Runners, the Ghost...
BP:*giggling hysterically* No, No, No! Not those kinds of ships! I meant-
BK: Yes, I know what you meant Brooke. I am just messing with you.
I might be one of the only fanfiction writers who is not obsessed with shipping like some other writers are. What is the fascination for it? I just don't get it. There are some fandoms (I won't name which ones) where I think the whole "shipping" phenomenon has just become so overdone, I find it to be just repulsive and disgusting.
BP: Are you saying that you hate 'shipping?
BK: No, I am saying that I think shipping is completely overdone, and I won't join in the madness of it. I can still appreciate fan-ships when they are well written and the pairing makes sense (most of the time they aren't, but they still can be done well). Usually I prefer the canon ships for the majority of my fandoms, especially Star Wars and Ever After High.
As for 'ships (as in they kind you were referring to) there will be major appearances by Daring + Rosabella, Dexter + Raven, and Han + Leia; Along with minor appearances by Anakin + Padmé, Alistair + Bunny, Ashlynn + Hunter, and Chase + Darling. I like all of those "ships" the best.
BP: Oh good, those are good 'ships, so I know I will look forward to that. Will there be any OCs in this story?
BK: Maybe, maybe not. Since I have such a rich collection of characters to play with, I don't think I am going to need any OCs. They still might show up, but I advise against getting too attached to them. The only OCs that will be most likely to show up are just Rebel and Imperial Soldiers, human and alien civilians, and other assorted scum and villainy. They will appear and leave very quickly, so I advise against getting attached to them
BP: What about the canon and the Expanded Universe? Are you using the old canon, the new canon, or your own headcanons?
BK: That's the funny thing about the Star Wars Expanded Universe; it's so HUGE where do you even begin, to attempt, to approach that? Ever After High's canon is much smaller and easier to handle, but Star Wars? No one (except the Lucasfilm story group) can possibly handle a storytelling universe of that magnitude!
For me, like a lot of other fans, the TRUE canon of Star Wars comprises of the movies, TV shows, and the literature (novels, comics, guidebooks) that are direct adaptations of them. All the various books, comics, games, and everything else, are merely suggestive and non-essential. I still like them, but I just pick choose what I like, when it comes to Expanded Universe.
BP: What parts of the Expanded Universe do you like the best?
BK: I like the old novels from old!Legends, like Heir to the Empire, Tatooine Ghost, Death Star, Cloak of Deception, Kenobi, and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. During the pre-Disney canon, I always thought the old novels had more interesting storylines than the old comics did. I like the new comics from the new!Canon like Star Wars, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Kanan, and Obi-Wan & Anakin. In our post-Disney era canon, I think that the new comics have more interesting storylines than the new novels do. Concerning both Legends and Canon, I always like the guidebooks the best.
BP: So how do you intend to handle the Expanded Universe?
BK: I do have a plan for how I will utilize the Expanded Universe. I will use combinations of the current Canon, the old "Legends" Expanded Universe, and original content of my own to tell the story. I will do my best to follow the canon as much as possible, but this is fanficton. We not bound by the rules as the officially licensed writers are. Some fanfic writers play by the rules, and some fanfic writers don't even bother with playing by the rules. We are all able to freely express ourselves in our writing; I just like to express myself by sticking to the canon as close as possible. I like fanfiction that compliments the canon, rather than contradicts it, in major ways.
I will also source what I use and reference, after each chapter. I will also name a bunch of stuff, like characters, events, and names of things you saw in the films, but where not named properly in the films, but rather were given bigger backstories in the Expanded Universe. You, the audience, will probably not recognize everything I reference, so be sure to have Wookieepedia standing by for a quick reference guide.
BP: That's very interesting. Your choices and your opinions on the Expanded Universe; the old one and the new one. It'll be interesting to see what gets used here. You know I just thought of something I want to ask about; the timeline. How much time actually passes between Empire and Jedi? I don't think that has ever been quite clear.
BK: I don't think it has been clear either. You're not the only one who wonders that. According to every official Star Wars source I could find, the timeline for the original six films goes like this:
The Phantom Menace takes place 32 years before A New Hope
Attack of the Clones takes place 10 years after The Phantom Menace
Revenge of the Sith takes place 3 years after Attack of the Clones and 19 years before A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back takes place 3 years after A New Hope
Return of the Jedi takes place 6 months after The Empire Strikes Back
I seem to remember the official sources used to say that Empire and Jedi took place a year apart from the other. It seems now, that under the new continuity, Empire and Jedi take place 6 months apart from the other.
BP: I like this new timeline better. It doesn't seem fair to me that Han Solo should be stuck in carbonite for that long; especially since his friends already know where he is.
BK: I agree. I think the Lucasfilm story group has heard the complaints about that time gap, and decided that this should be one of the things that will change with the continuity reboot. I will follow the new official timeline and set this story in this time frame.
A good majority of this story takes place in the time period between Empire and Jedi and we will see what Luke, Leia, Chewie, Lando, R2, and C-3PO were doing in that time period. It's pretty obvious to me that they were gathering Rebel forces to prepare for the final battle on Endor, Luke was perfecting his Jedi skills, and were carefully planning their infiltration of Jabba's palace.
Setting Empire and Jedi six months apart from the other also gives time for the Ever After High crew to explore and fight through The Galaxy Far Far Away and interact with the main characters.
BP: I just also thought about this; does the Ever After High continuity take place before or after Return of the Jedi?
BK: For this story I find it easier to say that Ever After High continuity (post Epic Winter) takes place before Return of the Jedi. Because of this, the events that occurred in Dragon Games will also help the characters as they go through Return of the Jedi since I say that the two films are so similar. I am also treating Star Wars not as a film series, but as historical events that really are taking place A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
In Ever After High, fairy tales are real, so why can't the same be said for sci-fi, space opera, and space fantasy stories?
BP: Sounds like you have everything all planned out.
BK: Thanks. Writing fanfiction isn't like dusting crops. Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end this story real quick.
BP: Anything else you want to share before we get started?
BK: Oh, yes. The Ever After High characters are portrayed in their animated designs. They look much better there than in the toy art and the book art. I think it kind of goes without saying that the Star Wars cast is still live-action. I don't know why anyone would think otherwise.
One of the few changes I make to Return of the Jedi is that it will reference the Prequel Trilogy more often that you remember it doing. I am a Prequel-Generation fan, so I want to be able to incorporate as much of the Star Wars that I grew up with, as much possible. It also just makes the story and the galaxy much bigger and more interesting. Don't be surprised if you see things like:
Characters like Qui-Gon Jinn, Shmi Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, and Captain Rex being mentioned by name.
Republic Star Destroyers and retired Clone Troopers as part of the Rebel Fleet fighting in the Battle of Endor.
Visits to Prequel Planets like Coruscant, Naboo, Kashyyyk, and Mustafar.
R2-D2 still having his booster rockets.
The Lightsaber duels being faster and more intense like they are in the Prequel Trilogy.
This story will also undergo constant rewrites, even as new chapters appear. I am such a fan of George Lucas that I like to follow in his every step, including going back and make changes and corrections to my work. I know I can always do better, so I always make sure I have the best possible product out there for myself and the world to enjoy.
BP: Is that everything we need to know?
BK: I think so. I know it sounds like I spoiled everything for you and audience, but really I haven't. There will be plenty of surprises around every corner of this story; I am just letting you and the audience know what they are getting into. Also, I do not care about spoilers, at all. I know it also seems like I am giving more attention to Star Wars than Ever After High, but this story is about the EAH cast "taking their first steps into a larger world" and really, is there any fictional world or universe bigger than Star Wars? I don't think so.
Now that we got all of this out of the way, shall we begin?
BP: I am ready. Now recite the disclaimer, and we can get started. *smiles adventurously* This is where the fun begins...
BK: All rights to Ever After High belong to Mattel. All rights to Star Wars belong to George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and Disney. I do not own the rights to either property. If I did though, Ever After High would be promoted much better, and have more content come out more often. For Star Wars, the Prequel Trilogy would be promoted much better and all the rights would be given back to George Lucas, where they belong. This story would also be an animated movie or miniseries, and be canon to Ever After High but not Star Wars.
You should also be listening to the John Williams soundtrack while reading this, if you weren't doing that already.
You see the "next chapter" button on the bottom right corner there? Make like the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon, and punch it!