Chapter 4

After the light finally fades, Jared was unconscious but soon he began to wake up. When he opened his eyes all he can see at first was a little bug crawling by and let out a dazed groan. Then a male voice was heard above him.

"Uh… excuse me? Kid? You alright?"

"Uh… I think so… what…?" Jared said as he woke up,

Jared's vision soon began to clear and when it finally did he can see five strange teens standing over him.

A girl with black hair with purple streaks and pale skin, a girl with hair that stretched out in all directions, a young maiden whose face was hidden by a red cloak, a boy who stood strong and proud with brown hair swept to the side, and a girl who seemed to be made out of wood.

"Who the hex is this?" The hooded girl questioned.

"Are you ok?" The girl with purple streaks in her asked, sounding concerned. "What's your name?"

Jared then sat up, groaning. "Uh… My name is Jared. Jared Prince."

"And I'm his sister, Annika." Annika said.

"Ooh! A prince and a princess!" The crazy haired girl said, excited before bowing. "What an honor, your highnesses!"

Jared looked at her bewildered.

"Maddie, I don't think they're actual prince and princess." The dark haired girl told her friend, she then turned to Jared. "You're not, are you?"

"…No." Jared responded.

"Oh. Never mind then!" The girl said, in a cheery tone.

"Who are you guys? And where in the world did you come from?" Jared questioned.

"Oh, sorry, my name is Raven Queen." The dark haired girl said.

"And I'm Maddie Hatter!" The crazy haired girl added.

"Name's Hunter Huntsman." The boy said.

"I'm Cedar Wood." The wooden girl smiled.

"Cerise Hood, and as for how we got here… no clue." The hooded girl replied.

"What do you mean 'no clue'?" Jared asked. "And why do your names sound like fairy tale names?"

"We mean we have no idea how we got here." Hunter stated.

"He's right, one minute we were in school… the next were here. We don't know how." Raven shrugged.

"And as for our names, well…" Cedar began.

"It's because our parents all figures of legend." Raven finished. "My mother is the Evil Queen."

"The evil what?" Annika asked, surprised.

"You know, the evil queen who tried to destroy Snow White but ended up trapped in a mirror for all eternity." Maddie told him, simply.

"And you're her daughter?" Jared questioned to Raven.

Raven rolled her eyes a bit. "Yeah, I know, Evil Queen's daughter… everyone freaks out at first."

"The Evil Queen?" Jared questioned once again, even more confused.

"Yeah, from the story…" Cerise began.

"I know the story, but that is all that it is; a story, fantasy, it's not real." Jared stated.

"Oh, they're real alright." Hunter told him.

"Yeah… still don't believe it." Jared said.

"Do we look like we're joking?" Raven questioned, a bit annoyed.

"Uh… no?" Jared replied.

"Ding-ding! We have a winner! Time to tea!" Maddie exclaimed.

"Not now Maddie." Raven told her.

"Wait, just to be clear… you guys are really the sons and daughters of the Fairy Tales of legend?" Jared questioned. Everyone nodded in response then Jared eyes widen as he imitated the sound of an explosion. They all raised a brow. "Our minds… totally blown."

Maddie giggled. "Your funny!" she said. "Like uh… like uh…"

"Maddie, what's wrong?" Rave asked, concerned.

"It's funny… I can't seem to speak Riddlish anymore! As a matter of fact… I can't even hear the narrators anymore? Except the person typing this up that is."

Jared looked at her absolutely confused, as did most of the others.

"Don't worry, it's just Maddie being Maddie." Raven told the nine-year-olds.

"You know, it's really no big deal who are parents are…" Cerise admitted.

"Well it's kind of a big deal you know." Cedar pointed out. "Truthfully they are the fairy tales of legend."

"You are trying to have us replace them, even though we don't want to!" Hunter stated.

"Hold a minute… your suppose to be the new Pinocchio?" Jared asked Cedar. "But you're a girl! No offence."

"Well that's somewhat offence, but I'm not mad, honest!" Cedar assured him.

"And you… you seem way to nice to be the next 'Evil Queen'." Jared told Raven, folding his arms.

"You… think so?" Raven inquired, hopefully.

"Totally! You seem great to me!" Jared insisted, with a smile.

"Aw, thanks!" Raven said, touched. "That's uh… really sweet."

"Don't mention it."

"Uh… can I just ask? What exactly is this place?" Cerise questioned.

"Oh, this the third floor of my new school; Oldtown Academy." Jared replied. "I just transferred."

"Oldtown?" Hunter echoed.

"That's a funny name for a school." Maddie remarked.

"It's the name of the town actually; Oldtown, that's where we are." Jared told them.

"So… we're not in Ever After High anymore?" Raven asked, both surprised and worried.

"I… don't think so… if that's where you're from anyway…" Jared said.

"Uh… not to get off topic here but uh… when we found you, why were on the floor in the first place?" Hunter inquired.

"Well… it's bit hazy but… all I did was just from this weird book, there was a flash of light and poof! It knocked me out." Jared explained.

"Ooh! I like things that go 'poof'!" Maddie said.

"Wait… weird book? What weird book?" Raven asked.

Jared points to the book behind them. "That book."

They all turned toward the book that Jared read from and they seemed to recognize it.

"Is that…" Cedar began.

"It can't be…" Hunter breathed.

"What? What's the matter?" Jared asked, confused.

"Quiet! We're trying to look this over." Cerise told him, annoyed.

"Look what over? Have you guys seen this book before?" Jared questioned.

"Sort of…" Raven admitted.

"What do you mean by 'sort of'?" Jared asked, with a raised brow.

"Well I kind of saw a book like this in my mother's library, but it was pretty locked up, thanks to my Dad so…" Raven said.

"Your Mom has her own library? Cool!" Annika exclaimed.

"Well… she is the Queen. The Evil Queen but…" Raven began to stay before she trailed off and looked at the book again. "Did you really read from this?

"Yeah, I didn't know what that language was honestly… but I kinda… read it anyway…" Jared admitted, slowly.

"You didn't know what the language meant… and you read it anyway?" Hunter asked in a deadpan tone.

"Talk about a fairy tale fail!" Maddie remarked with a giggle.

"Hey, give us a break! We're only nine! I make big mistakes all the time! Get a clue!" Jared defended

"That's pretty obvious…" Raven remarked in a deadpan tone. Then she got a closer look at the book. Hey, wait a minute! I know this spell!"

"Which is it?" Hunter asked.

"It's a spell for transporting a group of people from one location to another, very advanced." Raven explained.

"What does that mean?" Cedar inquired.

"It means that Jared and Annika unknowingly transported us from where we were to here!" Raven realized.

"Which is where, exactly?" Cerise asked.

"Like I said; Oldtown." Jared stated.

"Uh… could you be more specific kid?" Hunter questioned.

"Well… it's what you guys would call… the real world." Jared said.

"WHAT!?" They all exclaimed.

"Yeah… Is… that a bad thing?" Jared and Annika inquired simultaneously.

"This is a very bad thing! We're no longer in Ever After! We're trapped in this stupid real world! Where our parents are characters in fiction!" Cerise exclaimed

"No offence…" Hunter added

"…None taken?" Annika said, slightly confused. He then paused before speaking. "Wait, 'Ever After'?

" Yeah, it's our home. It's where all the Fairy Tale people live." Raven informed him.

"Cool!" Jared exclaimed before it finally sunk in "So wait… so your saying thanks to me… you can't go back there?"

"Yep!" Maddie said.

"Oh man… guys I am so sorry! I didn't…" Jared started to apologize before Raven put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's ok, there's no way you could have known," she assured him.

"Unless he read the cover…" Cerise muttered, causing Raven to glare at her. "What?"

"Relax Cerise, he made mistake, let's not hold it against him." Raven told her.

"Well… it could be worse. Right?" Cedar said.

"Yeah, she's right and you know Cedar, she never lies. Doesn't want to end up her father that way." Hunter stated.

"Come on, there's gotta be some way of getting you guys back! For every problem there is a solution." Jared said to them.

"Well if there is, I ain't seeing it." Cerise stated.

"Me neither…" Cedar said, sadly.

"Me neither, neither." Maddie added.

"Well… like Cedar said; at least can't get any worse…" Raven told them trying to maintain a positive attitude… only to be interrupted by someone shouting.

"PRINCES!"

"And… now it has." Jared said grimly.

"Oh boy," Annika facepalmed.

Everyone turned and saw Harvey running up the steps until he finally reached the third floor. He panted heavily and appeared to be out of breath. He looked toward Jared.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you, ya little shrimps!" Harvey exclaimed

Harvey began to approach which made Jared and Annika yelp and hide behind the others. Hunter stepped forward.

"Hey man, what's the deal? Why are you so eager to pick on a little kid, much less two?" he questioned.

"This is none of your business, weirdo! Get lost!" The bully told him.

Raven stepped forward also. "Listen mister, I'm only gonna say this once; leave these two kids and my friends alone."

"Or what?" Harvey challenged.

Raven's eyes then glowed. "Or this!"

Harvey's body suddenly became shrouded in a purplish aura before suddenly he began to rise up off the ground, much to Jared's amazement.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he cried

Harvey yelled as he suddenly thrown far and into a wall near the stairs.

"Whoa! How… did you… do that?" Jared asked, amazed.

"Magic kid. Magic." Hunter told him.

"Amazing!" Annika said, which made Raven smile thankfully.

Harvey groaned as he got up, then starts whimpering when he saw Raven gain. He shook for a little bit before he starts screaming at the top of his lungs as he ran down the staircase.

"Boy… what a baby…" Cedar remarked.

"Oh this is bad…" Jared moaned.

"Why?" Cerise asked.

"Now that Harvey's loose he's gonna tell everyone about you guys and that I was in a place that was forbidden so I can get in trouble! Oh it can't get any worse!" Annika explained. More screams were then heard below,

"What was that?" Cedar inquired.

Raven's eyes widen. "Oh no… the Royals!"

"Royals?" Jared echoed.

"A bunch of other fairy tale kids were with us when we all got caught in that flash of light." Hunter replied.

"AKA you summoning us here." Cerise stated.

"Poof!" Maddie added.

"And if we don't get to them they could get into big trouble, including Dex…" Raven said, worried.

"Ashlynn…" Hunter breathed, also sounding worried. Judging by the look on his face it seemed that this 'Ashlynn' girl was important to him. The same went for Raven and his 'Dex' fellow also.

"It just got worse." Jared groaned.

"Come on guys! Let's go help them!" Hunter declared.

"Right!" They all said.

They all began to proceed down the steps. Raven stops when she sees Jared sulking and staying still and Annika twirling a lock of hair and looking away.

"Hey, aren't you two coming? What's wrong?" Raven asked him.

"Nothing… I guess this just what I get for trying to be good. Shoulda just kept my mouth shut in class earlier then this all wouldn't have happened…" The nine-year-old boy said. "'Be good and good will follow' that's what my parents always told me. But you I was good before they divorced, I was good when I stood up for that girl in class and I was good fifteen minutes ago. I'm starting to think being good isn't good for me."

"I guess it seems that way sometimes but you know that's because good is hard and while bad may be easy it always gets you in trouble. I mean look at my Mom." Raven pointed out.

"I guess that makes sense…" Annika agreed.

"Of course it makes sense, that's what I tell myself everyday because people always think I'm gonna end up just like my Mom and I want to prove them wrong." Raven stated, firmly. "I want to rewrite my destiny, that's what makes me a Rebel."

"Well to me… you've already proven it." Jared told her.

"Thanks." Raven said, gratefully. "Now let's go help the others!"

"Well it is the good thing to do." Jared

Raven giggled a bit and rushed down the steps with Jared and Annika following, but not before Jared grabbed the book as well.