Taking Sides

It didn't take long for Apple and Rotbart's prank war to become the talk of Ever After High. It seemed that the constantly looming question on everyone's mind was: "What is Rotbart going to do to Apple today?" And if it wasn't that, it was: "What is Apple going to do to Rotbart today?"

Naturally, most of the royals supported Apple; their poor, unfortunate, beautiful, winsome, beloved future queen who had suffered so much in terms of destiny. First her rightful villain had abandoned her and their story, and now she was stuck with a real asshole for a bad guy. And yet she was bearing it all with a sunny sweet smile and plenty of pranks to make that bastard pay. The royals didn't even stop to think how unbecoming Apple's sudden vindictiveness was for a future ruler.

Although Rotbart didn't have a lot of friends, most of the rebels tacitly applauded his efforts to annoy Apple. After all, Apple had had it so easy up to now with her cushy, perfect future. It was high time that somebody showed her how much the reality of stories could bite! Besides, most of the rebels thought Apple was being incredibly anal; did it really matter who Rotbart was, as long as Apple had someone to poison her? The more cynical rebels thought that Rotbart should prank her into submission just so she would shut up about destiny.

Apple's best-friends-forever-after offered to help her get back at Rotbart multiple times, but Apple always refused. She kept insisting that it wasn't fair for anyone else to get involved in their fight. But in actuality, Apple didn't really want anyone else to get involved. For some inexplicable reason, she wanted to do this solo. Or rather, she wanted this ongoing battle strictly between her and Rotbart. She could never articulate this feeling into words, or even conscious thoughts, but she just knew that it wouldn't be the same otherwise.

Kitty Chesire was the only person that had volunteered to assist Rotbart, but he turned her down as well. Partially because he knew that Kitty was not the most trustworthy of co-conspirators, and partially because he felt the same as Apple. As far as he was concerned, only he was allowed to drag that pampered princess out of her precious comfort zone!

The only person who really wanted the whole prank war to end was Raven. She was worried that sooner or later somebody was going to get seriously hurt, or in serious trouble, from all those practical jokes. She had tried reasoning with Apple but it was no use. Apple was still far too angry with her for rejecting her destiny in the first place ("This all your fault!" The allegedly fairest-of-them-all informed Raven).

Then Raven tried pleading with Rotbart to make him stop, but he just laughed evilly when she brought it up. "I'm doing this on your behalf, little sister." He told her when he finished chuckling.

"No you're not!" Raven said with a frown. "You're doing this because you want to!"

"True." Rotbart admitted. "And when have I ever stopped doing what I want?"

Unfortunately Raven knew the answer to that. And that only left one person for her to turn to...

Headmaster Grimm.

But Headmaster Grimm refused to intervene at all! He was very gracious and polite on the surface, but Raven got the underlying message:

It's YOUR fault that this whole debacle is even happening, so YOU have to live with the consequences!

Once again, the headmaster was shamelessly taking Apple White's side of things. And he was taking another opportunity to punish Raven for challenging his precious, bullshit standards. For a moment, Raven wondered if she should follow Rotbart's example and stuff Grimm's desk full of troll boogers.

But in the end, Raven couldn't emulate Rotbart, even at her most furious. All she could do was brace herself for the day when this prank war would inevitably get out of hand.