Various Threats

Duchess just stared at Rotbart for a moment. "What?" She finally said.

"Think about it Duchess." Rotbart said airily. "I abandoned the Swan Lake story to join the Snow White story. And if you take Apple's place, that means you'll be stuck with little old me in your story again. Me, who has a particular dislike for happy endings. And a certain flair for preventing them." He added darkly.

Duchess's eyes widened. This didn't make any sense to her. Rotbart claimed that he wanted to leave their story because he didn't want to cause her pain, and now he was threatening her?! "But-but...you said..." She sputtered.

"I say a lot of things." Rotbart said as he managed to hold on to his villainous persona and shove down any lingering feelings for Duchess. "But I don't always mean them." Private emotional turmoil aside, Rotbart wasn't going to let Duchess reveal that he ditched his original role to spare her. Especially not in front of Apple. He had a nefarious image to keep!

He continued: "Now if you're so hell-bent on having Apple suffer, you had best relinquish that charm now and let her story continue. You really don't want to be in her shoes now, Twinkle-Toes!"

Duchess scowled and glared at her erstwhile, would-be foe. But nonetheless, she felt he had a good point.

"Fine." She huffed as she took off the crystal swan charm and threw it at Rotbart. "Take your silly old trinket. Make her suffer."

"Wise decision." He said as he caught the charm effortlessly. And just for good measure, he thought he ought to throw in a parting shot to make it look good. "Besides, you'd make a lousy Snow White."

Duchess's eyes narrowed. "And why is that?" She said dangerously.

"Fairest of them all you are not." He said coldly.

Duchess was furious. "How dare you?! I'm ten times prettier than that sack of feathers!" She yelled.

"HEY! How dare YOU?!" Apple honked.

"Tell it to a magic mirror." Rotbart snapped. "Now leave before I decide to swan you and Chicken Hood." He said as he produced a glowing fist.

"YIPES! Let's get outta here!" Sparrow yelped as he dragged Duchess away.

"Gah! You're such a coward!" Duchess told him as they disappeared into the forest.

"Whew! Good thinking, Rotty!" Raven told Rotbart once Duchess and Sparrow were out of earshot.

"Yeah, whatever." Rotbart said moodily. "Let's just get this over with..." He said as he pulled out the stopper on his swan charm.

"Wait, hold on." Raven said as she pulled out her phone. "There's something I need to do first."

"What's that?" Ashlynn asked.

"Insurance." Raven said. She hit the video app on her phone and cleared her throat. "Ahem. This is Raven Queen speaking. I am now recording Rotbart Von Schwarz who has recently turned Apple White, the crown princess of the U.F.K. and future Snow White, into a swan."

"RAVEN!" Rotbart yelled.

Raven continued: "You will also note that Apple is the same swan who caused so much havoc at school today."

"RAVEN!" Apple honked.

"And what's more, Apple is in fact the same swan that crapped on Daring's head." Raven added.

'WHAT?!" Ashlynn and Hunter exclaimed together.

PLOP. Apple fainted dead away.

"None of this would had happened if these two had listened to me about pranking each other in the first place." Raven said. "So I'm putting an end to this right now. If either of you pranks the other again, Godmother help me, I will show this video to Headmaster Grimm AND Blondie Lockes."

"Raven are you blackmailing me?" Rotbart said in disbelief.

"Yes. Yes I am. If that's what it takes to keep you in school." She said.

He grinned at her. "I should be pissed, but I'm way too impressed."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." She said. "Does Apple need to be conscious for you to change her back?" She asked.

"Nah." He said as he knelt down and poured a single drop of potion on her feathered head. And with a flash of sparkling, light-blue magic, Apple was her old princess-perfect self again.

"There." He said. He considered her unconscious form for a moment. "You know, she really DID look better as a bird." He commented.

Raven rolled her eyes. "You like everybody better as a bird." She turned to Ashlynn and Hunter. "Can you guys take her back?" She asked.

"Sure." Hunter said.

"Hexcellent. And tell her what she missed when she comes to: if she tries pranking Rotbart, I WILL make that video public." Raven didn't like making that threat, but she knew it was the only way to keep Rotbart AND Apple from killing each other.

"Alright," Ashlynn said as she and Hunter carried Apple away. "We'll tell her."

"Thanks guys! See ya!" Raven called after them.

"I still can't believe you blackmailed your own brother." Rotbart said to Raven once Ashlynn and Hunter had left. "Mom would be so proud."

"I guess. But I did it with good intentions." Raven replied. "Like how you tricked Duchess into giving up that charm by saying that the Snow White story wouldn't have a happy ending with you in it. Erm...you were bluffing, weren't you?"

"Maybe." Rotbart said slyly.

"Rotbart..."

"OK, fine. I was bluffing. I know I can't kill that royal pain. At least not permanently."

"Good. And promise me that you won't bother her until it's time for your story."

"I promise." Rotbart said.

Apple begrudgingly made the same promise when she woke up and learned what Raven planned to do if the great prank war ever resurfaced. And so peace was restored at Ever After High.

But the young princess and sorcerer privately felt that this new-found peace was very dull, despite everything that had happened. Still, they made an effort to keep out of each other's way.

But fate was determined to bring those two together again.