A/N- Wassup? It be TOBN here with a new chapter of The Search For Happily Ever After - finally!
Yeah, I am sorry it has been a month since I updated this story. I swear that I never meant for it to happen, but it just did, okay? I had a few stories I needed to juggle and finish, which I did, and now I have one more coming out next Saturday, so I was starting the drafting for that. But I do hope you can forgive me of my sin - hint hint for first chapter of More Than Friends [which I have been working on for a while now - and enjoy this chapter!
So this is where all the problems in the fairytale realm start, after hearing the truth about Jane, Ethan, and their parents' relationships with Stephanie long ago. And now they are all travelling into the fairytale realm together - Stephanie is even helping them? Is she to be trusted? Or not? You'll have to find out!
Shoutouts to...
MBAV fan66- I know! I am sorry you had to wait another month for it to come back with a second chapter. But I have reasons. I promise! Jokes! But hey! I am glad your excitement lingered, and even with a month, I still have stuff to show you! I hope you are excited, fanfic buddy! Thanks for your review! Much love :)
Willowleaf- Yeah they do! It's been awhile since the last book came out anyway, so don't worry; it's completely normal to forget. Jokes! But I am glad that you are enjoying the series; thanks for your review!
Thank you for your review
And with that, drop a review, kiss some frogs, and...
ENJOY!
The Search For Happily Ever After: Chapter 2: I'm Not Kissing Him
Ethan woke up, dazed and confused. His eyesight was unfocused and as he blinked, the blurs slowly disappeared. He shook his head to erase the lines as he looked around wearily, rubbing his head - he felt like he got a nosebleed and passed out or something.
"Guys?" he croaked. "Are we there yet?" But he heard no response as he frowned, looking around a bit more faster now - nice tunic they got on him; although he kinda missed the princely suit he had the last time he was here - trying to look for his friends.
When he walked around a bit, he found all of his friends - Jane [oh thank god], Sarah, Erica, Rory, Benny and Stephanie - all under a burnt willow tree, still asleep. Ethan frowned a bit; he was a bit of an early riser, he supposed.
He didn't want to wake anyone up just yet - who knows what nasty remarks Erica would throw - so he just decided to protect them until they woke up, and look around for a while before they all wake up.
'If anything happens,' he thought bravely. 'I'll be right here.'
He realized they weren't in the forest, but on a tall hill. A single, burnt willow tree laid on top of the hill, which was where they are. Ethan was surprised how they even woke up here - what he didn't know is what happened below.
"Oh...my...god..." Ethan stammered. He felt a hand on his shoulder and gasped quietly, turning around - damn, he wished he could shield out his sword or something, because how badass would that be, right? - and staring at the person behind him. His widened eyes narrowed.
"Benny." He breathed out, his mouth curved into a more relaxed smile. Benny was in a hunter tunic as well - to be honest, he looked like the prince from 'Sleeping Beauty' - and smiled at Ethan, who was slightly shorter than him.
"Hey, E. Where are we?" Benny questioned, peering over Ethan's shoulder. Ethan saw his friends waking up as well, walking towards the edge of the hill. They all stopped just an inch behind Ethan, who frowned at the world below.
"It's all...burned." Ethan murmured. Stephanie covered her mouth.
The lovely fairytale realm they once knew was now ashes and bits of burnt building scattered across the land. People were running around the town, screams of terror and worry echoing below and could be heard from all the way up here.
Above the burning city was a huge storm cloud, shadows circling around it, a huge beanstalk sprouting below it, but half cut. It wobbled a bit, as if it were about to fall, and a cackle could be heard from the cloud. The only thing that was colorful enough to stand out was a beam of rainbow light - you could even hear a small yelp for help.
Stephanie pushed past Ethan in a wobbled shock, almost crying.
"The world I created," she mumbled darkly. "She destroyed it."
No one ever saw this side to Stephanie before; it was a bit astonishing - even more nerve racking, actually; if this is what Stephanie was like when she saw a creation of hers destroyed by her own daughter, this might be harder than they thought.
"You couldn't help it, Steph," Benny whispered. Stephanie whipped her head towards Benny, sending a spark of magic at his feet. He jumped, nearly falling off the hill as Stephanie growled, narrowing his eyes at the fellow spellmaster.
"Don't call me that."
"It's what I called you when you were all...um..."
"Hot?" Stephanie filled in for Benny incredulously. Benny decided not to say anything else as she just cleared her throat, ruffling her dress a bit as Erica hissed at the two magic beings in annoyance.
"We should be fighting her. Not each other." Stephanie glared at Erica.
"Easier said than done, blondie." Stephanie sneered. Erica growled as she flashed her fangs at Stephanie.
"Who's talking, cheerleader?" She hissed. Stephanie narrowed her eyes, not responding as Sarah pulled the three away from each other and looked sternly at everyone, taking control of the situation as fast as she could.
"Calm down guys." Sarah said, rolling her eyes. She looked at her best friend, and frowned at her anger filled face.
"First of all, Erica, take your own advice." She said sternly, and Erica just rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just as long as when we're done, I can suck her dry." Stephanie stepped back - a bit frightened to be honest - but tried not to make it visible. Ethan's eyes widened.
"One point five," Ethan jumped in. Sarah rolled her eyes at the nerdy seer's number. "No one bites anyone." He glared at Erica and then to Stephanie.
"But if you fool around, Stephanie, I won't hesitate to execute you or something." He said, raising his head up confidently. Sarah smiled a bit at the newfound confidence of her boyfriend as Stephanie just rolled her eyes, nodding. Sarah stared at her.
"Second of all, Stephanie, no more insulting us, because you are skating on thin line," She demanded, and Erica smirked.
"Bitch," She added, and Stephanie just sighed loudly.
"Alright." she said with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest. "Dammit, teens are so annoying." Benny was about to open his mouth to say something snarky, but Sarah shut him up with a sharp glare.
"And three," she said, staring at the spellmaster. "No more flirting with woman older than you," Benny opened his mouth, but Sarah rose a hand. "Despite the fact that she may have been your age a while ago." She stared at the three.
"Understood?" Sarah asked deeply, eyes glowing yellow. Benny nodded quickly as the others - before Sarah placed some mind control thing on him or something - standing up straight and saluting like a soldier.
"Yes ma'am." He said with a dorky smile, and Jane - who had been silent this whole time - spoke up.
"Can we please start going now?" Jane squeaked quietly. Everyone stared at Jane, who looked down at her feet. "I want to go as soon as I can." She said, and Ethan ruffled her hair, trying to make her feel a little more better than she did at the moment.
"No worries." He narrowed his eyes at the bottom of the hill, and smiled.
"Because I am pretty sure the first fairytale in need of fixing is going to be there as soon as we go down." He said with a brave smile.
The gang was silent, but they nodded, heading down the hill to fix their first fairytale.
Benny groaned loudly, trailing behind his friends tiredly. They've been walking for an hour, and they were only halfway down the hill. Jane tiredly sat down on a rock as Benny moaned, massaging his feet wearily. Erica just sighed loudly
"We have been walking for a fucking hour - where is the end of this hill?!" Erica swore, kicking a branch. Ethan shrugged, plopping down on the grassy hill. It was true - it was like the hill would never reach the ground. Sarah nodded.
"Do you think it's part of the fairytale?" She asked. "Because this we should've reached the bottom of this hill a long time ago. Maybe there's a fairytale about...hills." She prompted helplessly. Stephanie spat onto the grass, glaring at the brunette with steely eyes - she kind of looked tired, but if she was, it sure wasn't showing.
"A fairytale about hills?" Stephanie cackled - much to Sarah's dismay. "What kind of fairytale is about hills?" She sent a small burst of fire at the grass, burning it crisp as everyone jumped, slightly surprised at the action.
"This must be the doings of my no-good daughter," she sneered. "and her little trinket." Erica sighed.
"First of all, this place is burned enough, so for god's sake, please stop." She said, annoyed. Stephanie rolled her eyes - she couldn't bring herself to care. Not being able to take it, Benny pointed accusingly at the older woman, slight infuriated at this point.
"And second of all, we wouldn't be here, trying to find my best friend, or suffering your daughter's doings," he said, placing air quotations over his head. "if you didn't even make this realm in the first place!" He pointed out. Ethan looked quite astonished at his best friend's temper. Benny's eyes widened as more thoughts came to him.
"To add to that, if you made this realm, why can't you fix this?!" He yelled. Stephanie looked a bit hurt at the spellmaster's comment.
"It's because of her," she whispered. "she has the Crystal Heart, and she is in control of the world I created." She paused. "And I had my reasons." She added feebly. Jane saw the hurt in her eyes, but chose not to pity her; she had caused her - and her family - enough.
"Enough with the fighting, you too!" Ethan said, throwing his hands up frustratingly. Benny and Stephanie glared at Ethan, and Ethan just sighed.
"Why do you guys hate each other so much anyway?" Sarah asked. Benny shrugged, smirking a bit as he crossed his arms defensively. He shot Stephanie a smug and mischievous grin - one that didn't really look to well...
"Maybe it runs in the family." He remarked snarkily - Erica giggled at that.
"You were flirting with me seconds ago!" Stephanie practically screamed.
"More like hours ago!" Ethan butted in, and sighed. Everyone stayed quiet as Sarah fiddled with her thumbs.
"We need to think this through. Della must know that we are here; we need to fight back and tell her that we are gonna do the same to her." She said determinedly. Stephanie scoffed.
"Easier said than done, goody two-shoes." She mumbled darkly.
A moment of silence whisked across like wind as the teenagers - and Stephanie of course - sat on the never-ending hill, dumbfounded.
Suddenly, a folktale of some sort came to mind. Jane snapped her fingers, and everyone turned around to face the young girl. She grinned, tapping her foot as she closed her eyes, trying to remember the silly rhyme she learned in kindergarten - thank you Miss. Johnny.
"Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after"
Everyone stared at her as Stephanie growled.
"How on earth is that supposed to work? We don't have a crown - we have a never ending hill. Enlighten us, young fool." She insulted. Jane narrowed her eyes angrily.
"That's enough!" She yelled, lunging at Stephanie and started pulling her hair. Stephanie screamed, trying to get Jane off.
"Jane!" Ethan yelled, pulling his sister off. Sarah hissed at Stephanie, and Ethan decided not to lecture - it was clear that Stephanie and Jane probably didn't have the best history in the world. Ethan just had to let them down discreetly.
Benny on the other hand, laid down on his back, and to everyone's surprise, started rolling down the hill.
"Wee!" He exclaimed, eventually reaching the bottom. Stephanie's eyes widened as Jane smirked, laying down on her back as well.
"Young fool." She muttered, and came tumbling after, towards Benny, who was laugh hysterically at the bottom of the hill. Ethan, Sarah and Stephanie peered down, Sarah and Stephanie's dress draping over the hill as Ethan smiled.
"Della's trying to fool us, but she has to do it fairytale style, of course." Ethan murmured. "Clever." He added, and Sarah rolled her eyes, grabbing Ethan's hand and pulling him down over her strongly and they rolled down the hill together.
Stephanie smoothed her dress and just gave up, and rolled down after them.
"Here we are," Ethan said, staring at the castle that loomed above them. "The first fairytale."
Before anyone could say anything - like how nice the castle was, or how pink it was, or why the hell they were even there - a princess, dressed in a white gown and walking on pearl heels, walked past them, texting furiously on her phone.
"Oh brother," Erica murmured, looking down, rubbing her head furiously.
"OMG," The blonde princess said. "You did not kiss that...frog!" She said, squeaking in fury. Ethan, upon seeing a frog on a rock near a small pond, waved at the princess. Sarah nudged him - stupid decisions! - but there was no stopping him.
"Ethan!" She hissed. But the princess turned around, raising her eyebrows.
"What do you peasants want?" She puckered her lips as Erica growled - she clearly hated this diva princess. Ethan frowned.
"You kissed a frog."
"What?" She asked in shock. Benny pointed to the frog to help, and Jane fiddled with the magic dagger in her dress pocket. The princess - who kissed the frog, of course - frowned at all the people in front of her.
"Why would I kiss a frog? Yuck." She said, rolling her eyes and going to her phone. Erica frowned.
"What's up with 'lemme take a selfie' diva? I thought this princess was nice." She whispered, slightly annoyed at the girl's attitude. Stephanie sighed.
"When Della magically extinguished the fire with water, she washed away the plots of the fairytales, and the shadows of the characters." Jane frowned.
"What shadows?" Ethan quipped in on this one.
"I think I get it." He whispered. Erica crossed her arms.
"Oh yeah?" She challenged. "Enlighten us." Ethan smirked.
"Well, remember when I was turned into 'the Ella Enchanted of Whitechapel'?" Everyone nodded. "Well, that was because Ella's shadow was inside me. Therefore I got Ella's personality and her fairytale character was absorbed into me. Because someone's shadow is kind of what defines someone in a fairytale, or even people in real life. Remember what grandma said about Erica's shadow being feisty, as with her personality, and mine being a bit more lighthearted? Well, without the shadow, the character is kind of...lost." He explained. Stephanie nodded. Benny grinned.
"I brought Ella's shadow-in-a-jar that Grandma captured when we woke up Ethan, so if we need it, we can give it back to Ella." Benny added, patting his messenger bag. Sarah suddenly got it.
"Do you think that the princess' shadow is somewhere here?" She asked Stephanie. She nodded eagerly, seeming oddly excited - or at least, more excited than before. Stephanie stared at Ethan, Sarah and Jane.
"Ethan, Sarah, and Jane?" They nodded. "Try and find the princess' shadow and capture it somehow. It might be in the castle. When you're done, come back and release it into the princess. It should find her, and return to its rightful host, therefore " Jane smiled.
"I can conjure up a jar! I learned that spell for art class." She said proudly. Ethan smiled - at least she was happier now. Erica nodded.
"Cool." She said feebly. "Stephanie, Benny and I will try and get that princess to kiss a frog, so her fairytale plot will get better." Everyone nodded as Sarah, Ethan and Jane took off into the castle - before Benny could protest too.
"Hey you!" Erica yelled. The princess whirled around as Benny levitated her phone out of her hand quickly. She tried and grabbed it, but it landed in Benny's hand with a smirk. She growled, squeaking in fury.
"What the hell?!" She cursed. "Gimme back my phone!" She whined. Benny crossed his arms, nodding to the frog - how innocent of it, just sitting on that rock...
"Not until you kiss that frog." He said. The princess narrowed her eyes - she wasn't gonna lose this game.
"One condition." She said, smirking. Benny wiggled the phone, and the princess' glare faltered. But she shook her head, smiling.
"Magic boy has to kiss old-lady-stinks-a-lot." She said with a malicious glare. Stephanie and Benny's jaws dropped as Erica - even if Benny was her boyfriend - smirked.
"What?" They yelled in unison. Erica elbowed both of them.
"Do it," she hissed. "it would show her that it's okay to kiss someone disgusting." Stephanie felt offended as she growled at Erica. Benny sighed.
"Pucker up, Stephanie." He said in defeat, closing his eyes - It's Erica, he thought. it's Erica. - and Stephanie growled, closing hers as well in defeat as the two leaned closer and kissed. The princess laughed, as with Erica - she saw Sarah, Jane and Ethan running back with the shadow in a jar. Success! - and she saw them stop in horror.
The two pulled back, and Benny wiped his lips angrily.
"Tastes like rotten oranges!" He growled. Stephanie gritted her teeth.
"Not a word to your grandma."
"Understood."
The princess laughed, and Benny wiggled the phone again.
"Now what are you gonna do?" Benny asked with a smile. The princess just gagged, scooping up the frog and kissing it. A flash enveloped everyone as Sarah released the shadow into the light, watching as it mixed in and a prince and the princess appeared.
"Golly my!" The princess exclaimed, high and ditzy. Benny palmed the phone - it wasn't like she was gonna care about it anymore. "A prince!" She said with a smile, voice high and girly. The prince probably said some cheesy words, but the gang left quickly.
Jane found the force field at the other side of the castle, and grinned as she took out the dagger and plunged it into the force field. The blue hexagons shattered, and the gang crossed the gates once more with ease.
"One fairytale," Stephanie muttered. "five more to go."
Della stood on her cloud fortress, watching in a crystal ball at the gang. She growled, smashing a vase to the ground.
"Son of a bitch!" She cursed. She then focused her gaze onto the crystal ball, swiping her finger across the glass as she saw a fuzzy image of the forest. The prince from Sleeping Beauty dazedly walked around, looking confused.
"How about a bit of cloning magic?" She whispered evilly.
She said a spell, and the prince from Sleeping Beauty - along with a bunch of other fairytales the narrator does not want to reveal yet - flickered into a replica of Benny, who blinked widely. Della grinned as she turned more people into clones of other people she knew into fairytale versions of the characters.
Now that Benny was the prince, who knows what would happen?
"Your destruction. That's what'll happen." Della whispered, holding the Crystal Heart to her eye level, staring at the tiny Rory who was trapped in there. He banged against the glass, but there was no use. Della laughed.
"And I'm gonna make sure you watch you friends fall."
She cackled manically, thunder and lightening dancing in the sky, as Rory shook in the Crystal Heart, watching fearfully at Della.
A/N- Looong chapter! Hope it makes up for month hiatus :P
Don't understand what Della did? Well, not to fear. Your questions will be answered on Thursday, when I update again!
In the meanwhile, drop a royal review, and thanks for reading, my friends!
Keep On Keeping On