A/N:
Hey guys, just like I promised earlier, I'm bringing you the first chapter of the Spring Unsprung Arc. It's finally begun, I know I've been hyping this arc a bit, and while I do love everything I have written, I feel like I overhyped it a bit. Of course I'll let all of you tell me how I did...this chapter is just a set up but we get to meet Rosabella Beauty.
I've already finished this arc and I'm working on Chapter 50 of the Story, preparing for the next story arc, the Blue Moon Forest Fest Arc. It's gonna be a bit of a wait, I'm gonna have to watch that arc again because I've honestly forgotten most of what happens, aside from Raven and Dexter hooking up and Blondie breaking and entering into the Three Bear's House. Also has anyone noticed that Baby Bear sounds like Spike from My Little Pony? If they're voiced by the same person someone let me know, I'm far too lazy to look it up.
During this small filler arc, consisting of three chapters, we will see a bit of exposition, mostly about Blake training Cadence to fly, Blake practicing his magic skills, and him visiting Crystal where he will proceed to have several hours of coitus with her...lol jk, no that isn't happening...not yet anyway and not in the main story, hehehe. You know my policy, no harem fics so that shit won't fly.
We will get to see a bit of Scumbag Joey during this arc, but he will be joining forces with Faybelle Thorn in the Blue Moon Forest Fest arc...do I smell a hint of Evil Love? I dunno...you tell me, if you'd like listen to the song Evil Love from the show Phineas and Ferb and you'll have your answer. So suck it Rooney, even Joey gets some evil poontang.
Oh god, that is just horrible, fuck me man. I have wanted to give Joey an evil girlfriend and was looking for a background character, but didn't find the perfect gal. On top of that, Briar is a girl that's interested in Blake, so him helping Faybelle ruin Briar's life preparing for their eventual meeting during her story makes sense. Let's not forget Faybelle's hatred toward Raven Queen for what her mother Mira did to Faybelle's mother. Couple that with the fact that Good ol Mister Bigby calls himself Raven's little brother, and you got a motive. So it'll be an all around interesting arc. So I do hope you like it whenever it starts. I will say that after the Blue Moon Forest Fest, we will be diving straight into Way Too Wonderland, with only one prelude before the official arc starts. So it'll be interesting, this is the arc where a lot of shit will go down, far worse than in Spring Unsprung.
There I go, over hyping another arc...it's all my fault, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it, honest...just cuff me and lock me away, far from the light!
Eh...lemme know what you think of this chapter and the previous one, and as always, have a good one.
Becky, lemme smash...please.
Through the Looking-Glass
Chapter 44
Spring Unsprung Part I
A couple days had passed since Blake and Cerise had talked out on the outlook. They hadn't spoken to each other much, other than to do homework or do work on band stuff. It was clear that they needed time apart in order to salvage some semblance of friendship. He gave her longing looks from time to time, but didn't do anything about it. He promised to respect her wishes, and that's what he was going to do. He had been working on a few songs, trying his hardest not to make them break up songs. Melody said it would have been fine, and even Cerise herself said she wouldn't mind hearing a few. He had written two, but he hadn't shown either girl what he had come up with, it was a bit embarrassing in his opinion.
He had been hanging out a lot more with Raven, having asked her to teach him more magic. It had been his coping mechanism, and while he had more control of it, he still had outbursts when he remembered the Fake Rebel. He now knew stronger levitation magic, attack magic, several enchantments, and even a magic spell which he had dubbed Requip, it worked almost like the fictional spell. Whenever you wanted new clothes, you could just conjure new ones onto yourself, it was rather convenient when your clothes were dirty or you wanted to mend the ones you had. It had been fun to spend time with Raven though, and he had gotten to know her more than before, so that was a plus. He found himself hanging out with Lizzie and Kitty too, at first he thought they were just pitying him over what happened. But he remembered that the two girls wouldn't do that. They did a wonderful job at keeping him distracted, especially when watching anime.
Along with them, he spent a lot of time with his bandmates, improving their skills with their instruments. Since the Spring Fairest was coming up, they needed to get themselves down pat for the Battle of the Bands. They also knew Yuletide Bliss was practicing hard, so they would be in for an interesting competition. When he wasn't working on his music, or watching anime, he was helping Ginger out with the preparations. They had made hundreds of pastries and treats already, but the demand was still high since it was a week long event. Every oven in the bakery and in the Cooking room had been used to bake cakes. They had almost run out of hands until Raven had used her magic to animate some ginger bread men to help them out. Now they had a system of baking, decorating and storing. It had been a rather productive week, and Ginger was rolling in the money. Of course she didn't care about the money, as she just wanted to bake treats for everyone.
He had also been keeping a close eye on Joey over the last few days. He had been acting like his normal arrogant self whenever he had the time. He had already broken all ties with the brown haired boy, deciding he had done way too many things to remain being his friend. The more he thought about it, the more he realized Lucy was their glue. With her gone, there was nothing that kept them from being at each others throats. Joey was always a selfish person, who wanted everything he couldn't have, while Blake wanted to give away everything he had and then some. He hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, except taunt Blake whenever he had the chance, something that he was used to from back home. Joey looked up briefly from one of the notebooks he was writing in, meeting eyes with him. He just gave him a smirk before continuing what he was doing. Blake clenched his jaw, glancing at his lunch tray.
"I regret ever making that wish. I don't regret Ramona staying in school, but that second part...god I wish I could take that back. Get him out of here for good...he doesn't deserve to be here. I guess that's what I get for being kindhearted." he thought to himself.
"Hey Blake, would you mind if I joined you?"
He glanced up, surprised to see Ashlynn on her own. She had usually been with Hunter, but he hadn't seen the boy at all. He figured he must have been working on something, or was busy in class. He gave her a nod, and she sat right across from him. He had been sitting by himself for a couple of days, not wanting to speak with anyone. Sure, he still interacted with friends and classmates, but after he revealed himself as the Rebel, people were wary of him. They didn't want him to reveal a secret over the PA system, even though he had stated he had canceled the show until the fake was dealt with.
"I just...wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Thanks Ash, it means a lot that you'd care about me like this. It's been hard dealing with this break up, but I'm fine." he said, a frown on his face.
"You don't have to lie you know, I know what it feels like. Before I met Hunter, there was another boy, back in my old school. I thought he was the one, but he was just awful. I had to make a choice for my happiness and I cut ties with him. Our situations are different of course, but the heart break is all the same."
"Yeah...especially when it's your first love...almost four months down the drain, all because of that fake Rebel." he said, clearly disgusted at the fake. He grabbed a hold of his apple and took a bite out of it.
"You'll find someone else, maybe in a few months you'll be able to date Cerise again. Maybe you can find someone else, this is gonna sound like horrible advice. But maybe getting into another relationship will be what you need."
"I can't do that...it'll make whoever else I date seem like a rebound. That would make me feel even worse...I think I'll just, stay single for a bit...think over my options. Anyway, do you need any help at the store? I got some time before my shift starts." he said, glancing at his pocket watch. He had taken the picture out of it, not wanting to remember his previous relationship at the moment.
"That would be great...Hunter is busy cleaning the fairgrounds and helping with the set up, so I need an extra pair of hands. It'll be like old times." she said, giving him a smile.
"As long as I don't get the urge to put on the sexiest glass heels that is. Hey, maybe we can break out the sound system for the store...we finished the album early and we're gonna debut it during the Fairest. You wanna have a listen?" he asked, pulling the CD from inside his bag.
It looked almost professional, with a plastic case and everything. The cover art of the album featured a picture of Purple Rhapsody in their Winter Formal outfits. Blake and Lizzie stood back to back, while the other members of the band were around them, with Duchess hanging above from the relays she had used during the dance. Their band name was at the bottom of the picture, with the name of the album, Shatter Me, written in golden font at the top. She looked at it with widened eyes.
"This looks amazing, it's so professional too!" she said.
"I'm not supposed to be showing these yet, we only made a hundred of them. But since you're one of my close friends, you can have it. It's already been signed." he said softly, earning a giggle from the girl.
"Thanks, you have no idea how much I love your music. Twenty-five new songs, including some full versions of songs from your EP...this is going to be great. Come on, I want to go listen to it now, the shipment will be here in half an hour. We can take this time to clear out the Winter stuff for the Spring stuff."
"Sure, let me just get rid of this stuff." Blake said, grabbing his messenger bag. He got rid of all of his trash, placing his metal tray with the others. He and Ashlynn hurried left the castleteria, lost in conversation.
"Can you believe it? Blake is already working on his next victim, an already taken woman." Joey muttered, earning an odd look from Jack.
"The fuck you talking about? Are you insinuating that Ashlynn would cheat on Hunter with Blake? Those two have been dating for a year now, I doubt she'd do that to him." the boy replied.
"I'm just joking man, it's just...after seeing him mope around for the last few days, he's finally coming around. But all he's talked too are girls, it's really annoying." he said.
"Bro, the only reason he's been talking too girls is because everyone is working hard to clean the snow away from the fair grounds. It's gonna take at least a month to set that shit up. Plus he just recently broke up, of course his female friends are gonna be worried." Frost said, his focus on his laptop. He was currently working on some beats for new songs, but was having a hard go at it.
"Maybe G.I. Joe is jealous that Blake has a throng of single girls comforting him."
"I don't call two or three girls a throng. He's been hanging out with Lizzie and Kitty a lot, and has been talking with Briar. No idea why...something tells me one of those three is going to make a move soon, that's just horrible. I mean really? The dude just broke up, at least wait a month before you offer your dripping cunts to him." Joey said, taking a long drink from his bottle.
"Seriously? I heard rumors that Lizzie was dating someone right now, so I doubt she'd go after him. Plus they went out for like three days and she broke it off...I guess it was too weird. The only other girl that showed affection for him was Crystal and she isn't here anymore." Frost added.
"I also don't appreciate you saying that stuff about the girls here man. They're all really nice, not to mention half of them are princesses, and one of them is my sister so you should respect them." Jack said firmly, getting brushed off by Joey.
"Eh, it's fine...I'll hold my tongue next time. But you can't tell me you aren't jealous, come on Jackie-boy, you gotta have your eye on someone? Who is it? Is it Briar? Blondie? That annoying cat?"
"It isn't anyone you need to know." Jack said, ignoring his friend.
"Knowing Jack, it's someone sweet and cute." Pierre said, a smirk on his face.
"Oh, sweet and cute eh? It's Ginger isn't it? You like them tall, sexy and brown? Jack that's nice." the brunette said, earning a huff from the boy.
"It isn't Ginger, she's sweet but she's clearly interested in someone else, fucker."
"Aha! Then it's the next one on the list, unless my homeboy likes dudes, Jackie-boy is infatuated with Helga Crumb...and I gotta admit, she's pretty cute." Frost said, earning a blush from Jack.
"It isn't Helga, why would it be her?"
"You didn't deny it. Hey, she isn't a hard girl to please, give her a tower cake and she'll probably kiss you and more." Joey said, giving the boy a smirk.
"Keep your mouth shut, even if you give anyone of these girls a cupcake, you wouldn't get more than a thank you." Jack said, earning laughs from his friends. Joey let out a few laughs of his own, biting back his hatred.
xxx(3 Days before the Spring Fairest)xxx
Joey had noticed over the last few weeks that Blake hadn't been like his usual self. While being slightly depressed, he was less talkative than before. Some students had been quite mad at him, for being the Radio Rebel, he had been prepared to take the fall on his own...but it wasn't long before Kitty came out, saying that she had been his informant. He knew Melody was involved as well, and she had wanted to tell her part in the Radio show, but it was apparent that Kitty and Blake weren't going to let her. Just by their attitude, they were a tightly knit group after all. Purple Rhapsody was playing music a lot more frequently, and that was what annoyed him.
He had been expecting them to stop playing, due to Blake and Cerise's break up, but it didn't affect them at all. While the two were still great friends, and gave each other longing looks from time to time, they remained professional when it came to their band. They had, and apparently they would be debuting it during the Battle of the Bands. The announcement had been made by Dexter and Cupid a few days back. That meant there were several songs that they had recorded that he didn't know about. He still hadn't found Blake's lyric book, just his melody book, but it had been empty so he had just left it.
It made it a pressing matter to him, since he and his band didn't have any songs on par with Purple Rhapsody. Jack wasn't at all worried, saying their music would be fine. But Joey knew their music sucked no matter what they did, but he would never say that to them. After all, they were his "friends" so he wasn't going to risk loosing them. He couldn't care less. He just needed them to keep appearances, just like he needed Blondie in order to keep the stream of secrets flowing. Even after everything, they still didn't suspect him of being the Fake Rebel. He had already read all of the interesting things in each of the diaries, so he had ditched them days back, making sure his DNA wasn't on it so it couldn't be traced. He shook his head, glancing at his vanity mirror, a smirk on his face.
"So Mira, any ideas on what I can do to make this Spring Fairest the best one ever after?" he asked. He didn't hear anything from the mirror, but saw a couple flashes. An image appeared on the glass, of a book.
"What's that...a riddle book?" he muttered curiously, earning a single flash, his universal signal for a yes.
He didn't know how a riddle book would work, but it clearly had meaning if she had suggested it. However, the school library didn't have a riddle book, so that meant it was a book that would be found in Wonderland, and he wasn't looking forward to a trip like that. Seeing as the Evil Queen clearly wasn't going to help him, he broke out his newly written Phase 4. He looked it over, reading every single part of it, frowning a bit.
"Hmm, this isn't Phase 4 anymore, it's been rewritten...so I'll just call it Plan Beta. Yes that will do...a recap then...if you care to listen to it, my Queen." he said. A single flash appeared on the mirror, allowing him to proceed.
"My plan is simple. The Spring Fairest is the biggest event in all of Ever After, welcoming the new season, so there will be hundreds of thousands of spectators and visitors. It will be the perfect place to reveal the final secret, the one that Blake, Briar and Kitty have been keeping for the longest time...that they were the ones who tossed the Storybook of Legends into the Well of Wonder. This needs to happen before the Battle of the Bands, no one will vote for Purple Rhapsody after finding out that little tidbit.
Since Blake will be overall held responsible as he is a foreigner, I would expect punishment of some sort. I'll even suggest it, I'll make him clean up the fair grounds, and then I'll make fun of him for it. I'll make his life a living hell...but I'll keep my eye on him from afar.
After that, I'll be at whatever place he decides to go to get away from everyone and everything. He's been spending time with the Wonderland students after he broke up with Cerise, probably because they understand what it's like to be from another world. If he goes to the Hatter's tea shop, then I'll just put the last part into action. Try to be a supportive friend, and when Blake tells me to piss off, have a bit of a meltdown...tell him its his fault that Cerise left him, and that he's useless. Then I'll take away the most precious thing he's got from our world, Lucy's bracelet. I saw it on him a couple days ago, and I felt the need to take it back, after all I did buy it, so it is my own. So once he is forced to give it back, he'll be sad, broken, and blamed for getting rid of the Storybook of Legends. He'll have no choice but to leave Ever After...and I can finally call this plan finished." he said, glancing at the mirror, which flashed several times. He figured the Queen approved of it. Even if she didn't, he'd still do it. It was going to be a beautiful Spring Fairest...he would make sure of it.
"Oh come on! Look at this! We've been watching this guy plan to ruin Blake's life for too long! We have to tell him about it right now!"
"Brooke, what have we told you about interfering? You cannot tell the characters of your story what is going to happen." Weiss said firmly.
"Yes that's right...we have to narrate it, we cannot be characters. It hurts us deeply to have to let this go on, but we cannot do anything about it." Chester added, earning a groan from the teenager narrator.
"That is total bull! Blake is the nicest person ever, yet we have to sit back and watch him suffer? That isn't fair to him or anyone else! He already broke up with Cerise, what else are we gonna let happen? Joey isn't even supposed to be here."
"Neither is Blake, this is what happens when fate sticks her hand in the pot I'm afraid. The original story becomes warped and changes to fit the new changes. We still do not know why this is happening, or what is making this story behave like this...but spoiling it could have dire consequences." Chester said firmly.
"It's not like I would let you do it anyway." Joey said, glancing up at the ceiling, stunning the narrators. He let out a chuckle, snipping his scissors on a piece of paper, a piece of paper that had Duchess's image on.
"What...what do you mean? You've got no power over us! You can't do anything to us!" Brooke said firmly, an angry tone in her voice.
"Oh but I can...you see, it isn't hard to take a hold of the book and make some changes. It's all in the flick of the wrist, my dear. There isn't anything stopping me from traveling through the Mirror Realm to the Narrator Realm and killing all of you."
"You wouldn't dare do anything against us! You have no power in the Narrator Realm." Weiss said firmly, earning a chuckle from the boy, who kept on snipping on the paper.
"Ah, but I do. When I was looking through the Forbidden Library, I found this book of Forbidden Arts, it includes a spell to forcefully open portals to other worlds. Not only that, it also has a very interesting spell, one that will allow the caster to recreate the world in their very image. It's a very hard spell to cast of course, so the right conditions must be met. However, if I were to...find the Holy Sword, and get some magic from it, then I'd have enough to do it." Joey said, giving the three a grin.
"You swine...I have no respect for people who think they can do what they want. Blake will stop you, you can threaten us all you want but in the end, you are just a jealous old fool. You'll die by his hand before you cast any spell like that!" Weiss spat, anger in her voice.
"Ha! That idiot? Please, after the Spring Fairest he's gonna wish he was dead. I've got the Evil Queen to back me up...wait until I get my hands on her Mirror and set her free. The two of us will rule Ever After, the way it was meant to be ruled, and no one not even narrators are going to stop me. So, if any of you dare give Blake a message of any kind, whether that's pushing out a book, giving him a hint in Pig Latin, outright telling him, I will take precious little Brooke, and I'll slit her throat, right in front of you." Joey said, a confident tone in his voice.
"You wouldn't dare! You don't have the balls to do anything like that...go ahead and try, I'm not scared of you!"
"Brooke that is enough! We cannot risk losing you, can't you see he's too far gone? Consumed by his own jealousy toward his friend?" Chester replied.
"Alright then Joey, we'll play this by your rules. We will not tell Blake anything, and we will not tell anyone else who can hear us either. But in return, you must promise you will not do anything against our daughter...we will up hold our end of the deal."
"Fine by me. We have an accord dear Weiss, I will not harm your daughter unless you do something that upsets the balance. Don't bother trying to tell someone when I'm not around, the Evil Queen has eyes and ears everywhere, she'll relay the information to me, and I will kill Brooke...but not before I bring her to this world. I at least want to see her choke on her own blood as the light fades from her eyes. Now begone with you!" he said firmly, brushing the narrators off.
"I sense...a great danger coming to Ever After High."
"We can only hope that Blake can handle it." Weiss said, hugging her daughter tightly.
"I will not let it end like this...I will beat him, just you see." Brooke said firmly. She wasn't going to let some character tell her what to do, she was Brooke Page, a narrator, and she would do everything in her power to defeat Joey, even if it cost her everything, including her life.
xxx
Blake sighed with relief as he put the finishing touches on Ginger's food stand for the Fairest. It had been a joint effort with Gus and Helga, but it had still been a difficult task. The stand was rather large, it had to be in order to keep all of the extra treats the girl had created. The stand was the size of three regular stands, with a very large counter and bar like area for people to sit down. It had been painted in a wide array of colors and decorated with various candy designs, courtesy of the Crumb Cousins. He honestly didn't think he had seen someone so obsessed with candy, but seeing the two of them work in sync had been amazing. They had just finished getting some of the refrigerators inside the area for the ice cream and other frozen things they would be selling.
He stood back, shoving his hammer in his tool belt, looking at the stand now that it had been completed. He took out his tablet and started taking pictures of it for the yearbook. He had gotten his press pass a couple weeks back, and had been working hard to add more things to the book. He glanced around the fairgrounds, seeing most of the things still being put up. There was a carousel in the center of the plaza, there was also a Ferris Wheel, which Apple insisted was named Fairest Wheel, he didn't argue with her.
There were some swings as well as a roller coaster. An area had been set up for the Cooking Contest that would be held, and on the other side of the fairgrounds was the stage for the Battle of the Bands. There were various food stands, prize counters, knick knack shops and other things scattered about. It was by far the biggest fair he had ever been at, and it hadn't even started yet. Best of all, Ever After High served as the greatest backdrop for any and every picture taken. It was definitely going to be a Fairest to remember.
"Hey Blake, stop taking pictures and help me with this cotton candy machine. It's really heavy!" Helga cried, her accented voice sounding strained as she tried moving the machine. He snapped a quick picture of the girl, before helping her set it up next to the counter.
"There we are, anything else we gotta move in here?" he asked curiously. She checked the clipboard she had brought a long with her, glancing at all of the things written on it.
"Nope, that was it. Do you think Ginger will be able to handle all of this and the contest as well?" she asked curiously, earning a shrug from the boy.
"I'm sure she can...maybe not during day one, I'll be busy working on the yearbook so I can't spare any time. That means you and your cousin will have to take up the torch until she's done with the contest. That means no eating anything either." he said sternly.
"How long have we been working together? Have you seen us eating anything that wasn't our lunch?" Gus asked, an annoyed look on his face.
"You two ask Ginger for all of the messed up or overcooked cakes and cookies, decorate them to hide the burns. Then you sit down and eat them all...it's a shame I wasn't able to set up a milkshake stand like I wanted, eh...there's always next year." Blake said, shrugging it off.
"This years Spring Fairest is going to be the best of the best. I hear Spellebrity chef Jack Horner is going to be one of the judges for the cooking contest." Ginger said, setting some utensils on the counter top.
"I heard Tailor Quick might show up for the Battle of the Bands as a guest judge. That would be cool, I'm sure Raven is going to have a field day if that's true." the black haired boy said, sifting through the pictures he had taken, getting rid of the ones he didn't like.
"So, other than working on the yearbook, what else are you going to do during the Fairest, Blake?" Ginger asked curiously, making sure she had everything she would need for the cook off.
"Hang around I guess? I had originally planned to walk through the fair with Cerise but, that isn't going to happen. I got some money saved up for prizes and shit. Hopefully you'll allow me to use my employee discount on your stuff."
"Come on Blake, as if it I would charge you, Gus and Helga for anything during the fairest. You helped build this stand, carry all of this stuff here, not to mention help me bake all this stuff. So whatever you want, you can have it for free. Just don't eat it all." the pinkette replied, glancing at her phone. Gus and Helga high fives, grins on their faces.
"This is gonna be so awesome. The dragon corn is what I'm looking forward to the most, it's so buttery and good." Gus said happily.
"Please, the cotton candy is the best. And if Ginger is going to make it, even better, that's what I'm looking forward to the most!" Helga said happily, earning an eyeroll from Blake.
"So boss, mind sharing what you'll be making with the assistant manager of Spells Kitchen?" he asked, giving the girl a smirk.
"It'll be something out of this world, literally. I've been working on this rainbow fountain cake for the show. It's supposed to be made with Wonderland Water, but I haven't been able to find any. It's not like I can pop into Wonderland either...I guess I'll have to substitute it for regular food colored water." she said with a frown.
"Wonderland Water huh? I'll see what I can do, I might be able to find something." he said, rubbing his chin.
"Oh you will? Thank you Blake, it would mean a lot to me if you were to find that water for me." Ginger cried, giving the boy a hug, burying his face in her chest. He flushed a bit, pulling himself away.
"Ahuh, no problem...I'm gonna go take a look around. Maybe Hunter needs some help or something." he said, glancing around the fairgrounds. He was eager to see it alive and filled with people.
"Okay, we'll see you later. The Fair opens at nine in the morning, so make sure to be at the shop at eight to get all of the stuff here." the pink haired baker said, earning a nod from the boy. He gave them a wave, heading off into the fairgrounds.
Several students and teachers could be seen walking around, making sure everything was being set up correctly. All of the attractions needed to be secured and safe. The tents needed to be secured to the ground in case a storm came in, which was highly improbable since sunshine had been predicted for the entire week. After taking a look around, snapping a few pictures of the people decorating the trees, he moved on to the stage for the Battle of the Bands. It was large, almost the size of the stage they had during the Winter Formal. Dexter and Daring were currently carrying some long boards to the stage to use for the floor, while Sparrow and Hunter nailed them in. Several others were helping out with the stage lighting and all of the other things. He stopped before them, a smirk on his face.
"Hey fellas, you doing alright? This thing looks a bit rickety."
"Haha, very funny." Hunter said, glancing up after he had finished nailing the board down.
"If this stage looks rickety to you, then you have some high standards bro." Sparrow added, he would have most likely strummed his guitar after his statement, but had been too busy to retrieve it.
"You guys need a hand? I'm done setting up Ginger's stand, figured I could help you out. I am gonna be using this stage after all." he said.
"Sure thing, my man. You and Dexter can take over the wood, and I'll supervise, I have this nasty thing against splinters." Daring said, earning a glare from Dexter.
"Don't even worry about it Dex, come on...I'm sure I can handle carrying a few wooden boards." he said, heading toward the pile.
"So, any plans on what we're gonna play? Anything from the album would be ideal." the brown haired prince said, kneeling down to grab one end of the board, Blake grabbed the other end, carrying it back to the stage.
"Uh...I wanted to do New World, but I feel like that's too on the nose. You know, the song writer just broke up with his girlfriend, and felt the need to sing a love song. Plus we would have to get Kitty involved." he said.
"Not necessarily a bad thing. How about you do Beat It? She was looking forward to hearing the finished song. She watched that video on your computer for hours, most likely memorizing all of the dance moves. It would be perfect."
"Hmm...you are right...unless you wanna talk to Duchess and Liz and do Shatter Me again." Blake said, a smirk on his face. Dexter shook his head, setting the boards down on the stage. They were quickly grabbed by Hunter and Sparrow, who started nailing them down.
"I think that's a one off performance. If we do it again, it'll lose it's effect, besides this is a contest. We gotta bring our best out, Beat it isn't our best, but it isn't our worse. Besides, Kitty's smile and her general attitude toward the song would go great with the judges."
"You're right Dex, alright I'll talk to her and see if she agrees. Okay guys, these are the last boards." the boy said, dropping the last three boards onto the stage. Once they were nailed in place, the stage floor was finished.
"Now to get the instruments in place, I think Melody is gonna handle that bit. She said something about checking them over." Hunter said, placing his hammer in the tool box with the other tools.
"Like it totally matters. Even with flashy guitars and instruments, the Merry Men will defeat Purple Rhapsody." Sparrow boasted, strumming his guitar like mad.
"My ass. Wait until our album drops, it'll be on top of the charts for the rest of this year, count on it." Blake said, high fiving Dexter.
"Whoa, who's that babe over there." Daring said, pulling them all out of their various conversations. The guys all looked toward the plaza at the girl that had been looking around.
She was a tall girl with wavy, dark brown hair streaked with pinkish auburn highlights. She had olive colored skin free of scars of blemishes. She was wearing a long sleeved fur collar blouse, with pink roses printed on it, the sleeves being rolled up to the elbows. She wore a yellow skirt, reaching down to her mid thigh, with a see through golden skirt over it, bearing rose patterns on them. She wore brown furred boots with rose shaped buckles on the sides of them. She was wearing a golden tiara on her head, and a pair of glasses with thick black frames. She seemed to be a bit lost, as she kept looking around for someone or something. Sparrow smirked, jabbing Blake in the ribs.
"You are a bachelor again man, go and get her."
"What the hell makes you think I want a girl in my life?" he asked.
"Oh, so it's men you are after now...that's cool I guess." Hunter said, earning chuckles from the boys.
"Now you are just putting words in my mouth, ass clown. It's been a month since me and Cerise broke up, I'm not exactly looking to get into another relationship. What makes you think I am?" he asked, glancing at his friends.
"The fact that you haven't turned away from her is one." Dexter said, slapping his back. Blake sighed, glancing away from the girl.
"Not interested...maybe Sparrow has a better chance of scoring a date with her. After all, he's failed three times with Holly." the boy said tauntingly.
"Oh...I could say so many things right now...how about I dare you then? Seeing as you were able to fulfill the last dare we all had."
"I don't want to partake in another dare alright? I'm just...not willing to risk myself after what happened. Especially with the Fake Rebel still out there." he said, glancing at the ground. All of them shared a look, frowns on their faces. Daring stepped up, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Blake my man, we don't blame you for what happened. You and Cerise had something great going, but it could have happened to anyone. You have to be more like me. Go out there, flirt with the girls, make the pain go away." he said.
"That's horrible advice Daring...really horrible." Dexter said, pushing his glasses back a bit.
"What would you tell him then? Come on, give him something good." Hunter said, crossing his arms.
"I would say this...heartbreak sucks, I haven't experienced it much...but I guess it's the same as not confessing to the girl you like. It's this horrible feeling, you get all choked up and it isn't fun. Maybe it's too early to start dating again, but that doesn't mean you can't move on. Maybe this girl will be your princess, maybe not...there are millions of girls out there, so don't let the past stop you from talking to someone. And don't let this fake Rebel do anything against you either." he said firmly, earning a nod from Blake.
"Well, that was pretty good." Sparrow said, slowly strumming his guitar, a melancholy tune filling the air.
"I agree with Dexter, it's time for you to talk to other girls...I'm sure you and Cerise promised each other you'd be fine right? So go on, talk to that girl. Maybe she needs help, or maybe she just wants the ability to know the most popular guy on campus." Hunter said, pushing him forward.
"Okay, I am not the most popular guy on campus. That is a facet of lies, I'm just a normal guy, in a not so normal world, with not so normal friends, and a not so normal band. That's it." he said.
"He's humble as well, that's a quality many girls like to see...along with shiny teeth of course." Daring said, smiling at some nearby girls, who all sighed contently, some even fainting. Blake shook his head, fixing his hood a bit. He started walking toward the brown haired girl, a bit nervous.
"Okay, what do I even say to her? How come I let myself be convinced by my friends to do this? Am I even ready to start flirting again after everything that's happened? No! I can't let the past hold me down, I loved Cerise, but we aren't together and I doubt we never will be. So I have to grab the bull by the horns and tell it, I'm not gonna be depressed anymore! Yeah!" he thought to himself, a smirk on his face.
However when he stopped in front of the girl, and saw just how pretty and out of his league she was, he froze. She looked him over, curiosity on her face, while he just stood there gawking. Before she said anything, he let out a nervous laugh, glancing away from her.
"Um...you have pretty...eyebrows." he said, biting his tongue right after, face flushing in embarrassment.
"Thank...you?"
He turned around, pulling his hood firmly over his head, trying to forget what had just happened. His failed attempt at flirting had definitely the opposite effect, and now this girl was probably going to laugh at him. Perhaps since he had been dating Cerise for such a long time, his flirting skills had gotten rusty. But he wasn't going to let anything stop him from getting a date with this girl, or at least her number. He turned to face the girl again, using the techniques he had learned from Daring to put a charming smile on his face.
"My Apologies, I was just astounded by your beauty and grew nervous. My words were tied around my tongue, I couldn't very well speak. You are beautiful like a blooming rose, sweet and free of its bud." he said.
"I...oh wow, that was pretty good." she said, very impressed with what the boy had said.
"Thanks, I made that one up on the spot...you seem to like roses so I figured, why not. Hmm, you look familiar though...oh wait...is your name Bella?" he asked.
"Rosabella, actually. I'm Briar's cousin, and if her descriptions are good, than you must be Blake Bigby, the boy that traveled here from another world...I didn't think you'd be so...forward." she said, giving him a smile.
"Ah...yeah...I was sort of put up to it by my friends. I recently broke up with my girlfriend, so they told me it was time to get out there again, as they say."
"Right right, you were dating Cerise...she told me a lot about you too. How sweet and kind you were...she also told me how you broke her trust and falsely accused her of stuff." Rosabella said, making the boy cringe. He glanced away from her, a frown on his face.
"I know, that one is still biting me in the ass. One of my biggest regrets, but it wasn't just that...it was a combination of things, including Apple and Duchess's missing journals and the Fake Rebel. I'm not trying to make excuses, I deserve what I got for being an idiot."
"Cerise said as much...but I know you are a good person...I can see it in your aura. It's so blue and pure, unlike many that I've seen in the past...I know you are a strong person, and you will bounce back from this...sadly I'm not the one you should be with. While I'm excited to meet my fairytale prince, I'm sure there are some girls out there who'd like to court you. Do you know where Darling is? I ended up loosing her when we entered the fairgrounds."
"Darling? Oh duh...I'm such an idiot, I forgot she told me a new girl would be her roommate. I didn't think it was her, hang on...I'll just give her a call." he said, pulling out his MirrorPhone, dialing Darling's number into the keypad.
"You...memorized her number?"
"Mhmm. I know the numbers of all my close friends, sure I can sift through my contacts, but I want to give myself a challenge. Hang on, Hey Darling, I'm just calling to let you know I found Rosabella wondering around the fairgrounds all by herself." he said. He remained silent for a few seconds, handing the phone over to the brunette.
"She wants to talk to you, go ahead I'll just wait." he said, giving the girl a smile. She nodded, walking away from where he was standing. He heard a giggle behind him and turned around, glancing to one of the many stands around him, seeing his friend Kitty laying on top of one, licking an ice cream cone.
"That was a lovely fail Blake, but I'm impressed with your recovery."
"Why must you always laugh at my misery?" he asked, hands on his hips.
"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing because of you. There's a difference, want some ice cream? It's really good!" the girl said, holding out her cone, he shook his head.
"I'm not in the mood...anyway Kitty, I wanted to talk to you. Dexter wanted to do a song from the new album for the battle of the bands. You wanna do Beat It? We already know the choreography, so we might as well right?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face.
"Hmm...I suppose...the Battle of the Bands starts in the afternoon...yeah sure, I wouldn't mind. Performing for all of Ever After and beating Yuletide Bliss is enough to make this kitty purr." she said, giving him a wink. She disappeared a second later, her grin being the last to flash away.
"Here you go Blake, Darling should be here in a few minutes. Who was that you were talking too?"
"Huh? Oh, that was Kitty Cheshire, she's a really close friend. I'm sure you've heard this before but, Welcome to Ever After High...I'm sure you'll fit right in. You best get used to it fast, a lot of crazy stuff happens." he said. A loud roar filled his ears and he turned around, only to be tackled to the ground by his pet dragon Cadence. He groaned in pain, eyes widening as the creature was crushing him.
"Medic! I need a medic." he wheezed.
Rosabella couldn't help but start laughing. She glanced at the dragon, seeing just how big she was, her scales were nice and shiny too, with specks of color dotting her all over. Even her wings were nicely taken care of, all of the swirls on them were bright and shiny. She put a hand on the dragon's snout, easing her off the young teenager, who was finally able to breathe. Cadence's tail wagged back and forth happily.
"Wow, I've never seen someone do that with Cadence. The only one who can do that with her is me, Cerise, Kitty and Raven...even Apple and Ashlynn have a hard time with her sometimes." he said, as he climbed to his feet.
"Let's just say, I'm good at handling ferocious beasts. This one isn't ferocious or a beast, she's a cutie pie, that's what she is!" Rosabella said, scratching Cadence's snout, causing the dragon to exhale loudly, some glittering smoke flaring through her nostrils.
"She's a very rare breed of dragon. Ramona was the one that helped me get her, she's my very special friend. I'm looking forward to seeing her grow into a fine adult dragon." he said, petting the dragon.
"She is, crystal dragons are very hard to find in this day and age. You are lucky, she is very well taken care of." Rosabella said, taking a few pictures of Cadence.
"You hear that Cadence, you are very special. Don't you ever forget that, and don't tackle me in public, I know you miss me but I don't want broken ribs." he said, rubbing his chest.
"Oh jeez, there she is...sorry Blake, we were cleaning out the stables and she got away from us." Raven said, panting a bit as she came to a stop next to the boy. Her own dragon Nevermore came to a stop beside her. Cadence let out a soft growl of greeting, rubbing her snout against Nevermore's.
"It's fine Rae, it's bound to happen. Have you met Rosabella yet? She just arrived today."
"I'm a huge fan Raven, standing up for what you believe in is powerful. You and I are a lot alike...I want to raise awareness for all of those mistreated beasts out there! Everyone is special, and we should all be able to craft our own destiny!" she said passionately.
"Rebels are all so cheerful...we're a force to be reckoned with." Blake said, bumping fists with Raven. She took a hold of Cadence's leash, wrapping it around her hand.
"I'm gonna take her back to the stables before something else happens. Don't worry, I'll make sure she's well fed and cleaned. We have to make sure all of the dragons are taken care of, seeing as all the kids will want to see them."
"Okay, see ya later than sis. If you need help, just text me." he said, watching as his sister pulled Cadence away.
"You were right, Raven does have a handle on her...anyway, I've gotta go, I see Darling over there. I'd love to get to know you Blake, just hold back on the flirting next time?"
"Hehe, sure thing Rosabella. Sorry about that by the way." he said, rubbing his neck.
"Don't be, it was really sweet...maybe you should try your romantic skills on someone else. I hear my cousin sort of likes you, maybe you can be the prince charming that wakes her from her sleep." She said, giving him a wave as she ran off to meet Darling. Blake waved at the two girls, turning to leave the fairgrounds.
"Speaking of Briar, I gotta talk to her about our trip to Wonderland...she has to be in her dorm right now, hopefully." he thought, looking through his phone. He dialed Briar's number and pressed it to his ear, hearing it ring.
"You have reached Briar's cell, if you are hearing this, then I'm most likely asleep. Leave a message, bye!"
"Dammit...guess I'll call Ash instead, she might know where she is." he said, quickly ending the call.
xxx(Bunny Blanc's house, Wonderland)xxx
"Alright, the Spring Fairest is tomorrow. It shouldn't take you long to find the well from here. I'll let you borrow my WonderMap so you don't get lost on the way...I can easily get another one." Gloriosa said, handing the rolled up map to Alistair. He had a brown backpack around his shoulders, carrying the Storybook of Legends.
"Are you sure you don't want to come along with us? I'm sure our friends would like to see you again." Bunny said. She shook her head, glancing out the window.
"I can't...Marmoreal is the closest it's been to this area and I'm not gonna waste that opportunity." she said.
"I'm gonna stick around here as well...I need to talk to my father, see if there's anyone in Wonderland High that would want to kill the Queen of Hearts." Mavis said firmly. Alistair sighed, a frown on his face.
"It's odd, we finally get to see each other after almost an entire year. Now here we are, about to split up again."
"Oh come on Alistair...you know you love me, I'm so hot that you'll have to come back for me." Gloriosa said, giving him a wink. Bunny narrowed her eyes in annoyance, earning a giggle from the auburn haired girl.
"I never get tired of that look, you two are so cute together."
"Eh? We aren't together...we're just friends!" Alistair said, face flushing crimson. Bunny looked away from the boy, fidgeting nervously in place.
"You two better get going...by the time you reach that well, it'll already be tomorrow. Now, when you reach the underside of Wonderland, you'll want to take a good look around. Follow the path to Ever After, and take four rights, six lefts, seven rights, nine left, and so on, until you get there. If you just wanna hurry, then you should just jump." Gloriosa said.
"No no, we'll just walk...we won't be gone for long alright. We'll go to Ever After, bring the book to the Headmaster and come back. The Queen is in too much danger, with this curse and the paranoia." the blond boy said. Gloriosa gave the two a firm hug, closing her eyes tightly.
"Good luck you too, and if you see Blake...I want you to give this to him." she said, handing Bunny a piece of paper, with a single phrase written on it.
"Do you Wonder?" she asked, glancing at her friend.
"Is that a code or something?"
"Not really, but Blake will figure out what it means...we're in Wonderland after all...he'll get here eventually. Go on, it isn't goodbye, just so long." she said, pushing the two teenagers out the door.
"Oh uh...we'll be back soon...feel free to stay here all you want. My daddy won't mind, see you two later!" Bunny said, folding the paper in half, placing it in her boot.
Everything was set, Alistair and Bunny would be heading to Wonderland to bring back the Storybook of Legends. Little did they know, that there was one person who was going to take advantage of their arrival, to set forth a dastardly plan, all in order to destroy the life of one who he used to call his best friend. It was going to be a very productive day, Ever After High would be the setting, and even its students weren't prepared for what was going to happen.
