The sun shone down on a nice Sunday afternoon, casting its warmth upon the pale skin of two sophomores as they strode down the path toward the town that was located near the boarding school that overlooked it. One of the girls was known as Raven Queen, leader of the school-wide rebellion happening at Ever After High. Her purple colored lips curved upward into a smile as she laughed at what her new friend, a fairy tale who had been home schooled her whole life before coming to Ever After High for Legacy Year. One who had been born a royal and, unlike Raven, had a wonderful destiny set before her. Yet the other girl, Isabella Rosalina, chose to side with the Rebels for a reason in which she currently kept secret.
"So where are we going, exactly?" Isabella asked once she stopped laughing at her own joke.
"Mad Hatter's Tea Shoppe. I owe you for wasting your time yesterday," Raven answered.
Isabella shook her head, knowing why Raven had invited her to come with her to the Village of Book End then. Yesterday, Raven had accidentally broken her "fairest" roommate and Royal leader, Apple White's enchanted mirror. Isabella had offered to help the both of them out to find a temporary replacement when they asked her if she had a spare mirror. Even though the search ended up to be nothing but one big run-around, Raven insisted on treating Isabella to tea.
"I told you that you weren't." She told Raven. It was true. All she'd done before Apple and Raven came knocking upon the door to her dorm was lie in bed and mope over the fact that her best friend forever after was ignoring her.
"Well I'm treating you anyway."
Raven grabbed hold of Isabella's wrist, ensuring she wouldn't turn her heel and make a run back to the school. Not that she would – at least, not without saying anything first. But she could tell Raven was determined to make up for things, so she willingly came along.
When they reached the Mad Hatter's Tea Shoppe, Raven released Isabella's wrist and opened the door. The unique and delightful aroma of freshly made tea greeted them, prompting both girls to walk in further. Almost as soon as the door closed behind Isabella, a girl with curly turquoise and purple stripped hair came out of the kitchen. Her bright blue eyes all but fell upon the two and a big smile came to her face.
"Raven! Isabella!" Madeline Hatter exclaimed as she ran over to her friends and fellow Rebels.
"Hey, Maddie," Isabella greeted. "So you're working today?"
"I always work on weekends! Some Fridays too when dad asks! Speaking of which, I'll go ask him if I can join you two for tea time!" Maddie began to hurry back over to the kitchen when she paused. "Oh, silly me! What would you two like?"
"Earl Grey," Raven said.
"Same here, please." Isabella followed Raven to an empty table.
"Right-o!"
Maddie slipped back in the kitchen as Raven and Isabella took their seats. No less than five minutes later, Maddie came back balancing a trey with a tea pot and four teacups on it on her head, her hands carrying a chair as she walked over to where her friends were seated. She set the chair down and took the trey off her head and set it on the table, placing a teacup in front of each person.
"What's with the fourth one, Maddie?" Isabella asked.
"Oh! That's for Earl Grey," Maddie replied while sitting down in the chair she brought.
Isabella raised a confused brow. Wasn't that the name of the tea?
Both Raven and Maddie giggled, seeming to know something she didn't. She was about to ask when a mouse wearing a hat with a tall vase-like cup on it hopped out of the extra tea cup.
"Isabella, this is my pet dormouse Earl Grey." Maddie introduced and gestured to her. "Earl Grey, Isabella."
"Nice to meet you, friend of Maddie and Raven," Earl Grey said.
"Nice to meet you too, Earl Grey." Isabella smiled.
Earl Grey, as well as Raven and Maddie's eyes grew wide.
"You can understand him too?!" Maddie smiled, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Of course I can. I'm able to understand all animals."
"That's cool. Not many fairy tales are able to. The only other one who we knew of until now was Ashlynn Ella," Raven said while grabbing the teapot. "Now, let's have some tea."
Raven kindly poured the tea into each of the cups, earning a round of thank yous. Isabella took a nice, long sip of her tea. It warmed her insides, and she relaxed in her seat, putting her right arm over the back of it.
She had just taken another sip when she heard something that struck at her normally patient nerve.
"It is little known fact that all maidens need a man's help. After all, they are weak and defenseless creatures."
"What'd you say?!" Isabella snapped, standing up while slamming her teacup down on the table. Her brown eyes glared at the guy who'd said that.
The boy turned his head to look at her.
"Oh, did I upset you, fair and beautiful maiden? Forgive-" He began.
"Not all girls are damsels like you say!" Isabella interrupted angrily.
"My dear, I beg to differ."
The boy pointed at Isabella's skinny arm.
"Sorry, but look at those scrawny arms. You'd have to ask for help just lifting up an axe. That is, if you bothered to get your hands dirty."
Isabella's hands formed fists. She narrowed her eyes dangerously as she walked over to where the boy sat.
"Then come outside with me. I'll show you just how dirty I can get," She growled. "Unless, you're scared that you'll beat up a 'weak and defenseless' maiden..."
"I'm not scared. It's just-"
"FIGHT ME!" Isabella's voice boomed throughout the shop, causing everyone to come to a complete silence.
The boy leaned back in his seat, clearly trying to hide the fear that Isabella's angered yell had struck within him. He stared at her brown eyes that seemed to be darkening the longer the silence ensued.
"Fine," He said. He stood up and gestured toward the door. "After y-"
Isabella cut him off with an aggressive shove.
"You first."
Word quickly spread throughout the Village of Book End about a fight between Isabella Rosalina, daughter of beauty and beast and Sparrow Hood, son of Robin Hood. Boy vs girl. Such a thing had never been heard of before in Book End, and an immense crowd formed around the two almost as soon as they faced each other outside.
"Since you're a girl, I'll let you have the first move," Sparrow said cockily.
Isabella growled.
"Three things you should know about me, Sparrow."
She charged at him, swinging her fist at his face. The result was Sparrow being knocked down flat on his back, a red mark on his cheek where her fist had made contact.
"One, I'm not an ordinary princess."
Isabella bent down a bit, grabbing Sparrow's shirt and forcing him up until she held him to where his feet was several inches off the ground – with only one hand. Sparrow looked down at her, his eyes wide in shock and terror. Isabella stared back up at him, yet firmly kept her hold on him when he began to struggle. He tried to make use of his legs and kick her, to which Isabella retaliated by throwing him to the far edge of the large circle the crowd formed around them.
"Two, I'm a lot stronger than I look."
Sparrow slowly picked himself up as Isabella made her way over. He swung his fist at her, to which she caught with one hand and held it. With her free hand, she grabbed his wrist and flung him over her head and slammed him down on his back again. Releasing his arm, she got down on one knee and whispered in his ear in a dark voice:
"Three, you underestimated me."
A groan came from Sparrow. Isabella once again forced him up, only this time let him stay on his feet. She was beginning to go over to where Raven and Maddie were when she turned back around and delivered a kick that made her opponent stumble backward into the arms of his friends, the next Merry Men, upon her hearing his footsteps coming up fast behind her.
"Let that be a lesson to you," Isabella paused and looked around at all the males in the crowd. "Not all girls are damsels. Some may even know how to fight as well as any of you men."
She then turned back around. Raven and Maddie were in her sights as she walked over to them. They both gasped when they saw her eyes. They were no longer a rich chocolate brown. They no longer reflected her kind and gentle ways. No. They were as black as the ribbon that held most of her dark brown curls back in a low ponytail.
"Whoa! Your eyes are totally black!" Maddie pointed out, making Raven put a hand over her best friend's mouth.
"They are?" Isabella asked, looking at her reflection in a nearby window. When she saw that Maddie was right, she felt all her anger be washed away in an instant. The blackness of her eyes returned to the normal brown she was used to seeing whenever she saw her reflection.
She felt a hand be placed on her shoulder.
"You okay?" Raven asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Isabella's voice had returned to normal as well, much to the noticeable relief of her "evil" friend. She then glanced back at the Merry Men, who were helping Sparrow walk along the path to the school. With a sigh, she walked over.
"Hey, Sparrow, you still conscious?" She asked, moving to where she could see his face.
He lifted his head, gasping when he saw her. Fear showed up on his face. The Merry Men took a step back with him, but stopped upon Isabella's soft-spoken command.
"I'm sorry for beating you up. That you had to see the dark half of me." Isabella took a cautious step forward and put a gentle hand on Sparrow's shoulder, feeling his shutter. "I don't blame you if you fear me, which I can see you do. But you really should watch what you say sometimes. You never know when you're gonna wind up ticking someone off."
Sparrow nodded. Guilt and regret gripped Isabella's heart, seeing how badly she'd beaten him up when she threw her little hexie fit. Yet, the only thing she could do was pat Sparrow's shoulder and walk off, telling him she hoped she didn't hurt him too bad.
Ignoring the amazed and shocked stares of the crowd, she went back into the tea shop with Raven and Maddie following.
So sorry for the wait, people! I kinda got side tracked by a whole bunch of other things. One was/is helping edit and make daretogetpitchslappedbyme's fanfic "Just Another Girl" better. Which, by the way, has Peter Junior and Isabella in it, so check it out! Also, that story is set in a slightly different EAH universe from mine.
BTW, another story by Madame Zashley is set to have PJ and Isabella in it as well. Or at least mentioned. But check it out anyways! Its called "Tentacles: The Full Story".