The Heroic Stranger

The first person Apple and Raven bumped into after they left their room wasn't really a person at all; it was the smallest of the three little pigs. And he actually bumped into them:

"Hey! Watch it!" He snapped. But then he looked up and saw whose leg he had walked into.

"APPLE WHITE IS BACK!" He squealed at the top of his (surprisingly) loud voice. And that sent everyone running at once.

How did they even get here so fast? Raven wondered as she quietly stepped aside so Apple could deal with her throng of concerned well-wishers. They were all talking at once, and Apple could barely get a word in edgewise:

"Apple!"

"OhmyGodmother!"

"What happened?!"

"Apple!"

"Are you OK?"

"When did you get back?!"

"Apple!"

"Where were you all night?"

"We've been worried sick!"

"What's going on?!"

"WHAT happened?!"

"Apple!"

"Ummm…" Apple usually liked being the center of attention, but this was all a lot to deal with at once. She was momentarily spared from answering questions when a pink blur with brown and pink hair broke through the crowd and gave Apple a hug that took all the wind out of her and nearly cracked her ribs.

"OH. MY. GRIMM. Where have you BEEN?!" Apple's best friend forever after half-shouted in her ear. "Do you have any have idea how scared we were?!"

"A lot?" Apple said in a small voice.

Briar pulled Apple into another hug. "What on earth happened to you?!" She asked.

"That's something we'd all like to know." A distinctive, authoritative voice interjected. And all the students and teachers stood aside to let Milton Grimm approach Apple. "I'm very glad to see you alive and well, Miss White." He said.

"Thank you, Headmaster." Apple said graciously.

"Now, would you mind sharing exactly what caused your disappearance?" He asked.

"Yes! What exactly happened out there?!" Blondie added (and it didn't escape Apple that Blondie's mirror pad was poised and ready to record).

Apple took a deep breath. The moment of truth (or rather, half-truth) had come. She just hoped that everyone would buy it.

So she told them how she left the ball to look for Daring and instead found a disgusting two-headed monster doing obscene things (luckily, Daring and Lizzie didn't make the connection). How frightened she was and how the monster chased her into the woods (which was kind of true; except for the fact that it was her inner demons that had sent her running, and not any outer ones). How a mysterious hero slew the monster, saved Apple from hypothermia, brought her back to Ever After High, and refused to take any credit for it.

"…And then he disappeared into the woods." Apple concluded. And she nervously waited for everyone's reaction.

Thankfully, no one questioned the story at all. In fact, they almost seemed enamored of the tale. The female students were especially intrigued by the idea of the heroic stranger.

"Wow! How thrilling!" Blondie exclaimed.

"And how romantic!" Holly sighed. "Your own mysterious hero!"

"What was he like?" Cedar wanted to know.

"Yeah, tell us!" Added Poppy.

"Is he totally dreamy? I'll bet he's dreamy!" Melody said.

"And sweet! Super sweet!" Ginger declared. "He must be!"

"And humble!" Ashlynn added.

"And bad-ass if he took down a two-headed monster by himself!" Cerise said.

"Absolutely!" Chimed in Darling. "Is he a knight?!"

"Well…" Apple began cautiously. She didn't know how to respond to all these questions.

Maddie giggled. "Oh pish! I think he's a bad-boy type who doesn't want any credit 'cuz it would totally spoil his image!" She said as she airily poured herself a cup of tea.

Apple and Raven stared at the future Mad Hatter. Somehow, Maddie was coming dangerously close to the truth. Apple desperately hoped that nobody would pick up on her comment and Raven wondered if there really was anything to Maddie's claims of being able to hear mysterious, omniscient voices.

Thankfully, no one took Maddie's remark seriously.

"Oh, puhleez!" Briar declared. "It's gotta be a prince. One hella HUNK of a prince! You lucky little D.I.D.! " She said as she gripped Apple's arm excitedly. "Only you could get a hero like that!"

"I'll bet he's a twit…" Duchess muttered in disgust. And once again, she secretly lamented how unfair it was that Apple White got the best of everything!

"Daring, was it you?" Holly asked as she whirled around to give the blond Prince Charming an admiring expression.

"Uh…well…" Daring said uncomfortably, as all eyes turned to him. While he would have LIKED to take credit for this, he knew that it would be unprincely to lie (he didn't consider his affair with Lizzie lying, though. That was a secret and secrets were different. At least in his book).

"It wasn't Daring." Apple said firmly. Only Raven noticed the slight hint of bitterness in her eyes and the subtle coldness in her voice. "I would know if it was."

Daring gave a small sigh of relief.

"Ohh, a secret admirer! How exciting!" Holly gushed.

"Come on, tell us about him!" Blondie pressed. "What is this hero like?!"

"Yes, tell us!" Lilly shouted from the back of the crowd.

"Tell us! TELL US!" The students practically chanted.

Apple was tempted to make up something about this fictional hero, just to get everyone off her back. But then she figured that she had enough deception to keep straight. Besides, lying really wasn't the White way. So she stuck with her original story:

"I don't know what he looked like, he had a mask. And I don't know his name because he wouldn't say. But even if I did, I wouldn't say; he doesn't want anyone to know. And after he saved my life, I figure the very least I can do is respect his wishes." Apple said with the resolve and grace of a future queen.

Blondie looked absolutely crestfallen. "But…" She began.

"No!" Apple said with startling firmness. "Sorry," She added apologetically. "But I promised."

Five hours later, Apple was sitting in her luxurious family carriage, on her way home for winter break. The events of the last twenty-four hours had been exhausting and now Apple was free to slump in a most unprincessly fashion in the privacy of her own coach. And to reflect on everything that had happened.

She couldn't believe how readily everyone believed her story and how nearly all of the students loved the idea of Apple's courageous, gallant, and allegedly gorgeous "heroic stranger."

What would it be like if they all knew the truth? Apple thought to herself. She could scarcely believe the truth herself. Her so-called hero was really her worst enemy. The meanest, sneakiest, scariest, and most irritating guy to ever call himself a villain had saved her from an early, frozen death. And had promised to not to harm her until she found another prince. It was a lot to wrap her head around.

As Apple passed the International Palace of Pancakes, she saw two familiar figures walking in. One with long, dark, purple-streaked hair. And one with flaming red hair and a feathered cloak.

And once again, Apple White found herself envying Raven Queen. Rotbart wasn't the heroic stranger that everyone envisioned him to be, but he was a real hero. Not like that two-faced scumbag Daring.

If he would go out of his way to save a girl he hates, imagine what he would do for a girl he loves. Apple thought. She wished that she could have a guy that would love her that much.

And then she thought of something Rotbart had said earlier that day and burst out laughing.

"Uh, your highness? Is everything alright?" The coach driver asked.

"Uh-huh!" Apple said between giggles. Rotbart had been right: her telling him to crap on Daring Charming's head WAS funny!