I do not own Kamen Rider Ryuki or Ever After High. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. I am not writing this for profit and am only doing it for fun.
Knights of the Otherworld
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 3: Twisted Hearts and Tiny Packages
Our next chapter begins not on a bright and sunny day, but instead as the sun rose to greet the world with its warm smile.
And after a terrifying battle where the Wing Knight realized his mistakes and found his One True Love, embracing him-!
Brooke, what did we say about jumping to conclusions?
But all the signs are there!
Brooke!
Okay, okay. So this new day begins early as the fellowship of knights is summoned by their mentor…
Mornings at the Book End Library were usually lazy affairs. Since there were fourteen workers, all the books managed to get put away at a reasonable time and only Merlin had to do paperwork. Today was not like that as the Riders were all awakened at the crack of dawn and told to gather in the library for an emergency meeting.
"Good morning, everyone," Merlin smiled, looking as bright and chipper as always. His charges looked groucher and were still in their pajamas as Mira passed them all breakfast muffins. "I have good news for you all! Starting today, you'll be going to Ever After High!"
"You managed to get us enrolled?" Rex asked as Arthur and Lance perked up.
"How did you manage that, Merlin?" asked Arthur
"Well, I may have bent the truth a bit in regards to your origins," Merlin shrugged nonchalantly.
"Our origins?" What did Merlin mean bu that?
"I basically told Headmaster Grimm that you're all descended from the Legendary Knights of the Round Table. As soon as I told him that, he couldn't wait to sign the enrollment papers," Merlin explained. All fourteen teens' mouths dropped. "Oh come on, one of you is named Arthur Pendragon. We weren't going to get a better opportunity than that."
"So, what, that makes me the new 'Lancelot'?" Lance pointed to himself. "Heh, awesome."
"What about the rest of us?" asked the energetic Gabriel, the shortest boy of the group.
"Well, let me see," Merlin dug into his pocket and produced a piece of paper and read it over. "Okay, Lance is 'Lancelot' for this. So that makes Harry 'Hector', Lancelot's more sensible half-brother."
"Fits," Harry shrugged.
"Then we have Robert linked to 'Sir Bors', the musclehead of the group."
"Sweet!" Robert Bray ginned.
"So that, in turn, makes Kevin the more sensible 'Sir Lionel'."
"Ask me if I'm surprised," Robert's older brother Kevin sighed.
"Gwen, sorry, but you have to be 'Guinevere'."
"I'm not hooking up with you," Gwen frowned at Lance who mimed being shot through the heart.
"Gabriel, since you have the thickest armor, you get to be 'Galahad' the protector."
"Woohoo!"
"Darren, being the kook you are, you get to be the court jester turned knight 'Dagonet'."
"At last! Recognitiooooooon!" Darren sang out, pointing a finger into the air.
"Kyle, since you're a playboy, you're taking on the role of 'Sir Kay'."
"I don't know what that means," Kyle Raye shook his head.
"Tristan, because you're the emo one, you're 'Sir Tristain'."
"Screw you," Tristan Irons flipped Merlin off, not that he noticed.
"Gawain, because your name and personality match, you get to be 'Gawain'."
"Understood," Gawain Forrest nodded, arms crossed and eyes closed. Everyone thought he had fallen asleep.
"Maxwell, sorry to say since your armor looks opposite to Arthur's, you're 'Mordred'."
"Whatever," Maxwell rubbed his eyes behind his glasses.
"Ben, as the gentle giant, you're 'Bedivere'."
"Okay," the tall Ben Gigant nodded, munching on a muffin.
"Rex, I know you're touchy about your lineage, so I named you 'Percival' who went on the great quest of finding the Holy Grail."
"Acceptable," Rex huffed.
"And because your name is perfect, Arthur gets to be 'King Arthur'."
"Yay me," Arthur sighed. "Does that mean I have to be the leader?"
"If anyone asks, just say you delegate things to Rex. He can still command against the Mirror Monsters," Merlin shrugged. Rex nodded again and Arthur sighed in relief. "Okay, got it, everyone? Good! Get cleaned up and dressed. You all have to go in early to get your schedules. The sticking point is that the school gets to pick your courses so don't expect to share any classes together."
Groans and dark murmurs met his announcement, just making his grin wider.
"Boss sure loves his games and tricks," Mira sighed. "Until to his bum, they come for kicks."
"Alright, everyone. Let's get ready for our first day of school," Rex ordered.
"Dibs on the shower first!" Lance shouted.
"Shotgun! Ladies first!" Gwen snapped back.
"You're no lady! You're a tomboy!"
Once the Riders were ready for school, they boarded their ride which was the same bus that had taken them to this world. Merlin was driving them. Of course, he decked out the bus in silvers and blues and made the gaudy decision to emboss their crests along the side since 'nobility had to flaunt it'. When someone complained, he just said they should see Snow White's car and then complain.
"Alright, this will be our first day so make a good first impression and behave yourselves," Rex instructed the others as they took their seats. "Since it's already too late to keep a low profile, however, I expect you all to be on your best behavior."
"Thanks for sucking the fun out of our first day," Kyle muttered.
Merlin started the bus and drove them to Ever After High.
After a short drive, the school bus pulled up in front of Ever After High, and the team stepped out single file. Those who enjoyed fairy tales in their youths marveled at the sight of the campus. Rather than a large building and sprawling campus, the entire school was built around a large tree, all of the facilities built on top of each other in a topsy turvy mess. Somehow, it made the place seem charming, although structurally insane.
Rex clapped his hands together, "Alright, everyone. Let's pick up our schedules. We can sight-see later!"
"But how often do we get to enjoy our first look at a magical school?!" Gabriel complained.
"Move it!" Rex commanded.
"It's fine, Gabe," Gwen said with a hand on the boy's shoulder. "After we pick up our schedules, let's take a tour of the place."
Apple White was asked by Milton Grimm to give a group of newly enrolled students a tour of the school. She was rather hexcited to do it since she could already guess who were the ones she was going to be escorting. She had already gotten the hext from Lance saying that he and the other knights were going to be starting at Ever After High that day!
Apple had recovered well from the Mirror Monster attack. She couldn't sleep well and she and Raven had actually shared a bed in need of comfort for a few nights. They even managed to stop covering their mirrors after the second night. It also seemed to help her and Raven break some barriers between them. In all, Apple felt she and Raven could be more on the friendly side of frenemies, so she was looking forward to that. Of course, she was constantly hexting Lance now, wanting to keep her knight in shining armor up to date on everything going on in his future school.
Coming up to the Guidance Counselor's office, she heard Mother Goose clucking through the door. Likely, she was excited about something since she only clucked like that when excited or distressed. With fourteen new students to see to at once, she was probably a little flustered.
"Thanks, Mother Goose!" a boy's voice called from inside before the door opened. Leading the way out was Arthur himself, who stopped in surprise when he saw Apple, "Oh, hi Apple. What a coincidence."
"Oh no I'm your guide today," Apple smiled. She looked to the other boys who were crowding the door, "Is Sir Lance here?"
"Right here!" Lance pulled himself up, making Apple smile vibrantly. "It's good to see you, milady."
"You too!" Apple giggled, taking his arm. "Well, let's not dilly-dally. There's a lot of Ever After High to see and I want you all to experience everything wonderful about it."
"She's a lot cuter in person," Kyle muttered before Gwen swatted him upside the head. "OW!"
"Show some tact," Gwen muttered. "She's pretty much declared herself taken."
"Lucky bum," Rob grumbled.
"Lucky us," Tristan retorted. "We don't need princesses on top of everything else we have on our laps."
"Alright everyone, stay together and don't fall behind," Apple called to the group as she led the way down the hall. "Sometimes new students can really get lost and can't find their way for a while and we don't want that on your first day!"
"How lost?" asked Harry.
"Oh, at most we don't find them for a day or two, but the birds and squirrels help us out to find them before too long."
Apple proved very good at being a tour guide as she led the group of knights through the school, explaining which classrooms were where, which buildings were for which purpose, where the facilities were, and the best ways to get there. Of course, the group was a little surprised to hear that some normal classes were fantasy filtered (Crownculus, Grimnastics) while others were suited to teaching heroes how to woo princesses, run kingdoms, and some for villains to learn how to be more villainous. There were even courses for the girls on how to be great damsels-in-distress. The curriculum seemed tailored to help each student to reach their potential and succeed in their destinies.
As with any gathering of teenagers though, word spreads fast when something big happened in Ever After High. Naturally, many students saw Apple guiding a new group through the halls and one was her new knight in shining armor she boasted so proudly about on Fablebook. Naturally, many of the princesses who hadn't pinned down their own Prince Charming yet came to get a better look.
"Okay, this isn't so bad," Kyle waved to a trio of girls who broke out into giggles.
"Speak for yourself," Gwen muttered, seeing a prince or two give her an appraising look. She could already see them wonder what she'd look like in a gown.
"Meat on display," Tristan shivered.
"I miss Raven," Arthur groaned.
"Oh, Raven's a bit busy this morning," Apple said apologetically. "I told her you all were coming but she had other duties she needed to get to."
"Hey, I have a question," Kevin raised a hand. "I saw a Legacy Day poster earlier. What's that all about?"
"Oh, only the most hexciting event of the year!" Apple giggled. "That's the day we hold the ceremony where all of us sign our names into the Storybook of Legends and officially adopt the destinies of our parents for our stories!"
Arthur blinked, "But, wait, wouldn't that mean Raven, who is kind of like your aunt since her mother is your mother's stepmother, would marry your father?" When Raven explained all the legacy aspects to him, he was kind of confused at how convoluted the family tree would get.
"Oh no, nothing like that," Apple giggled. "She'll set up as an Evil Queen and live in her own castle and marry a good king, probably you, Arthur, and then set out to poison me since I'm fairest in the land. And then the seven dwarves will help me, and Lance will kiss me awake and we can live Happily Ever After!"
"All except for Raven," Arthur countered. "The villains never get a Happily Ever After, do they?"
"Oh, she'll be fine. She'll get a slap on the wrist since everyone knows I'll wake up from the poison anyway," Apple shrugged. "Then she'll live with you and get all your love and attention so the two of us can be frenemies, well, more friends than frenemies after all this Mirror Monster craziness."
"Does it really work that way?" Ben whispered to Rex, who had been grilling Merlin about that aspect of fairy tale society.
"Not to my knowledge and I don't think Princess Apple knows it either," Rex muttered. "Let's keep quiet for now. We're still outsiders."
"By the way," Apple glanced back at the group. "Sir Lance told me you all write your own stories where you come from. How did you convince the headmaster to let you join? He's very strict about keeping to the fairy tale stories."
"We just told him we're descended from the Knights of the Round Table," Arthur replied. "We fit the tropes so Merlin spun the story for us."
"Oh good. That will keep any uncomfortable questions down," Apple smiled. It seemed she didn't mind the lie since she knew how the headmaster could be. Plus, since the boys didn't have a story, she could just write Lance into hers after all.
"How calculated of you," Tristan deadpanned.
"Okay, more to see," Apple continued, not hearing Tristan. "We still have several floors to go before the first bell rings."
Robert, 'Rob' Bray thought he was going to have one heck of an adventure coming to a fairy tale world. Yeah, it sucked that he was all but kidnapped with the others but getting cool hero gear, fighting monsters, and getting to mingle with a school full of witches, princesses, and other fairy tale folk was just awesome. Maybe he'd get to go on some kind of quest or something and score some awesome reward like they did in stories and games. Aspiring heroes had to get experience somehow, right?
Well, no. Instead, he was stuck in Crownculus, bored out of his mind as the teacher, Jack B. Nimble, went on about math.
One look at Rob and you knew that he was someone who preferred action over standing still. He was athletic, muscled, preferring contact sports like football. He wore a leather jacket with an orange shirt, jeans and red sneakers. He sported black hair, but he had white streaks running through it to show his 'electric' personality. It matched his electric blue eyes after all. His brother said it made him look like a comic book character, but that was even better.
"Why do knights and heroes need to know advanced math?" Rob groaned under his breath.
"ZZZZZZ...Wanna line dance...in a gazebo...ZZZZ...godzilla?" the person next to his desk snored nonsense. This elicited snorts from the more colorful students around him.
His name was Darren Quinn, someone who considered himself a comedian. Maybe he would be if he would stop making bad puns and nonsensical riddles that always came out as gibberish. It was funny when he tried but Rob just didn't get half of what he was talking about.
He was an okay guy and was easy to get along with, puns aside. He had black hair which was tied in a ponytail and his green eyes, when they were open, would have fit a reptile's hue. He had a slightly tanned complexion since he admitted he was a sun baby, wanting to be outside as much as possible. He wore a green hoodie with jeans and green shoes. At the moment, he was wearing sunglasses to try and hide that he was sleeping, but the snores gave him away.
"Mr. Quinn!" the teacher called, suddenly jumping over the front row of desks and slapping Darren's, making the knight yelp and wake up. "I'm all for living a full life, but the time to sleep is not during class."
"Sorry, sir," Darren stifled a yawn. "Just burning off the extra midnight candles...oh wait." Darren trailed off, seeing the teacher frowning at him.
'Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick,' Rob snorted. If he recalled properly, extra verses to that tale included Jack burning himself when he stumbled. Or was that just his own sense of humor? He'd have to check.
The nonsensically colored students stifled their chuckles again, earning looks from the teacher as well.
"Glad to see I made a good first impression," Darren laughed as he and Rob walked out of Crownculus.
"Dude, you slept in his class and then made a candle joke to the guy who was known to play stupid games with them," Rob snorted. "You couldn't do worse if you tried."
"Ah, but did you hear the others laughing? I found my audience!" Darren declared, posing with his arm in the air. This earned more strange looks from the students, but a girl with white bunny ears seemed struggling to stifle her laughs.
"You're aiming to be crowned class clown, aren't you?"
"I just love to make people laugh! My goal is to make everyone smile and laugh with joy!" Darren grinned cheekily.
Rob rolled his eyes as he and Darren made their way down the halls. Every so often, as they talked, Darren would make another bad pun or another weird statement. Most who overheard would roll their eyes or groan at the bad joke. Sometimes, more of the students dressed a little more outlandishly than the others, would break out into giggles and chuckles, others trying to keep from laughing too hard.
"You notice you have some people who get you?" asked Rob as they walked to their next class.
"Heyo to my peeps!" Darren waved to a girl who seemed like a rainbow of magenta, teal, and white who giggled and waved back.
"No, seriously, you can kind of just tell, can't you?" Rob looked around. He noticed the particular students who seemed to get Darren's humor. "The crazy clothes, or the crazy way they talk sometimes."
"It's a movement! A movement to the liberation of good humor," Darren grinned.
"I'm serious dude," Rob groaned. "Think they're from a different district?"
"Hm, maybe. I could ask around, get to know my audience," Darren rubbed his chin in thought. "And crack a few jokes along the way."
"Sure. Have fun with that," Rob snorted as they reached a crossroads, "Anyway, I turn off here for Grimmnastics."
"Wooing Maidens 101 for me," Darren pulled out his schedule. "How hard could that be? What girl doesn't like to laugh?"
"Your humor only works for the crazies," Rob retorted. "Anyway, see ya."
"Adios, amigo!"
Rob started running down one hall once he got a better look at the class that he had next and realized that it was much lower than he thought. Knowing he'd be late if he didn't pick up the pace, he started running.
"Kevin's gonna kill me if I'm late on the first day!" Rob huffed. "Football, don't fail me now!"
He ran around a corner before he abruptly crashed into what seemed like a blur of green and gold. He didn't get to see much before he tried to stop himself. In the same heartbeat, the blur vanished and Rob found himself crashing to the cold floor in a heap.
"...ow…"
"Oh gosh, are you okay?"
Rob rolled over and sat up. For a moment, he didn't see who was talking. That was until his eyes came to focus and he saw at his feet was a tiny girl no bigger than a thumb. She had sunkissed skin, bright blonde hair, a green blouse with a yellow skirt, all of it having numerous flowers worked into it, and even had a flower circlet on her head.
"Yeah, fine," Rob rubbed his face. "Was kind of in a hurry. Ah, weren't you bigger a moment ago?"
"Oh, I can change my size," the girl waved him off. In a puff of smoke, she was suddenly at a more relatable size, although she was positively petite compared to Rob as he stood up. His first instinct was to never touch her, fearing he might bruise her as she seemed so fairy-like.
"Ah, okay," Rob nodded. "Sorry about nearly crashing into you there. First day and my next class is a fair distance away. Grimmnastics on the bottom floor."
"Oh, what a coincidence. I was on my way there too," the girl smiled. "I'll show you the way."
Rob sighed in relief, "Oh thank you. This place is a flipping maze. My name's Rob Bray."
"Nina Thumbell, daughter of Thumbelina," the petite girl beamed.
"Ah, sorry, I don't know that one," Rob shook his head as they began going down the halls.
"You don't? Oh, well, let me tell you!" Nina giggled, leading the way.
Ever After High - Rose Gardens
"Alright Princes!" the class teacher, King Charming, spoke. He was a dashing man with a beard and mustache who wore white, royal-like robes. He seemed pompous and, well, a football type in a fantasy sense. He also had an actual crown on his head. It also didn't escape Darren's notice that he shared a resemblance to one of his fellow students, the one with the crown and letterman jacket.
"Today you're all going to put your lessons into practice," King Charming explained to the boys standing at the benches. "We'll be partnering up with Maid Marion's Damsel-In-Distressing class. You'll be partnering up with one of the damsels and wooing her while aiding her out of her distress, understood?"
Darren looked to his fellow students, all of them immediately checking their looks, perfecting their hair, or straightening their clothes. A little confused, he raised his hand, "Uh, your majesty? What kind of distress are we dealing with? I mean, there are various degrees. Like, bandits, ne'er-do-wells, dragons, goblins, witches, that sort of thing."
"Excellent question. Your instinct does you well," King Charming nodded. "No need to worry about the actual source of the distress. This class is to have them exhibit their distressing skills while you show your wooing skills to reassure them of that distress."
"Ah, okay," Darren nodded with some relief. Although he was admittedly nervous. It was his first day and he had to put what skills he had to the test and, well, admittedly he didn't have much success. Most girls just didn't get his brand of humor. Their loss, but it still sucked.
Soon the sounds of giggles had the other princes put their best faces forward with charming smiles and shining teeth. From the path came a woman in a blue medieval-style gown, Maid Marion to be sure, and following her was a cluster of princesses.
"Ah, King Charming. I hope the girls and I did not leave you waiting," the lady teacher curtseyed to the king.
"Not at all," King Charming waved it off. "I was just explaining to the boys the nature of the class."
"Ah, splendid," Marion nodded. She looked to the collected princesses and other female fairy tales. "Now, put your best distress forward, damsels. You must show a princess in need for the prince to come forth and rescue you for your Happily Ever After."
The girls nodded and began chatting, many giving eyes to the boys who were returning them. Darren, admittedly, felt a little out of place. Seeing the boys were impeccably dressed and even some wore royal-like clothing, Darren felt like he needed to try and close the gap a little.
"Uh, your majesty?" Darren asked. "Could I use my armor for this? I mean, knights often come to rescue their damsels in full armor, right?"
"It's perfectly acceptable," King Charming nodded. "And you look like you need it since you didn't have the forewarning to dress for the occasion."
"Thanks!" Darren grinned. He turned to the other boys in the class, "Guys, can anyone spare a mirror for a minute?"
"I'm using mine!" was the unanimous cry back.
Darren sighed and looked around, spotting a cupid-like fountain. Fortunately, the water was somewhat calm, allowing for a proper reflection. He produced his Advent Deck, a green one with a chameleon symbol on it, before pointing it at the water. Immediately his V-Buckle appeared and he slid the deck inside as he snapped his fingers.
"Henshin!"
Grayscale suits appeared and folded over him, solidifying before filling with color, of which there were many. He wore a black bodysuit with green torso armor that had red coils on the chest. His shoulders were green-plated with silver sockets and a red spike on each, making them appear like chameleon heads. His helmet was mostly green with large chameleon eyes making the grill to his helm. The mouthplate was white with black stripes, looking like the underside of a chameleon's head. Finally, strapped to his left thigh with green bands was a small box shaped like a chameleon head with the tip of its tongue sticking out.
"Alright! Ready to go!" Kamen Rider Verde grinned, jogging back to the rest of his class.
"Dude, your armor is ridiculous," one prince chuckled.
"Hey, it's my armor," Verde shrugged. "I'm Knight of the Chameleon, Kamen Rider Verde. It totally works!"
"Sure, whatever," the prince snorted.
Grimmnasium
Nina turned out to be great company as she took Rob to Grimmnastics class. She eagerly told Rob the story about her mother. Apparently, her mother, Thumbelina, was born from a flower to parents who couldn't have children. When she got older, a toad kidnapped her to become a bride for her son. This led to many adventures, meeting kind and mean animals alike before she finally met Nina's father, a fairy prince, and married him which earned her wings.
Nina clearly took pride in her mother's adventures and Rob mentioned some misadventures or just laughed over how some of the animals acted so stubbornly. Nina giggled in delight hearing some of the childhood incidents Rob found himself in where his brother had to pull his fat out of the fire.
The two found themselves falling into an easy camaraderie, talking about whatever crossed their minds or questions they had about each other or the school in Rob's case. Some looking at it may have thought the two were finding the beginning of their own romance, but the topics were clearly just friendly. It didn't stop many romance enthusiasts from seeing them and wondering if another prince had paired up with a princess.
Nina and Rob would have blinked at that comment, wondering what such people would talk about. Nina was an easy-going flower child who liked making lots of friends. Rob, on the other hand, didn't look deeper into things unless someone pointed a neon sign about it to him. So as Rob and Nina met, neither had any intentions further than making a new friend. Not that it wouldn't stop the romantics from seeing if they could help things along.
Finally reaching the class, a gym on the ground floor, Rob saw who the teacher was and was stunned.
It was a gingerbread man in a tracksuit. A gingerbread man complete with icing features and candy eyes. He even had a mustache!
"Is that a gingerbread man?" Rob asked, pointing.
"Coach Gingerbreadman teaches Grimmnastics and is head of the school's sports department. He's also a champion runner," Nina nodded with a smile.
"Wow, makes sense," Rob blinked. Still, he had the freaking Gingerbread Man as a gym teacher. How awesome was that? "Wait, didn't he get eaten or something in his story?"
"Hey, you! You're a new student, right?" Coach Gingerbreadman asked. He tossed Rob a uniform. "Class starts in 5 minutes! So get changed, changed as fast as you can!"
Rob nodded and made his way to the locker room. He found his assigned locker and got changed into his Grimmnastics uniform.
Rose Gardens
Verde was surprised to see that being a damsel was more than just looking pretty and crying for help. From what he heard the teacher for the girls say, being a damsel involved acting the part to lull the villain into a false sense of security as well as protecting oneself from their villainous wrath. If a princess looked threatening, then villains would be willing to take them out. More surprisingly, looking their best in colorful and fashionable clothing worked two-fold. The first was that it gave another reason for the villains to underestimate them, but it also helped the princes and knights find them easier. Bright colors and glittery gowns stood out in gloomy lairs. For long-distance locating, being able to call for help loudly, but also sounding good ensured they could be heard clearly and distinctly from the natural sounds of the terrain.
"Man, who knew being a damsel was such a strict thing to do," Verde commented, watching the next pair get ready.
"I know, right?" one boy nodded. "They work hard, so we have to put our best faces forward."
"You mean best foot, right?"
"I know what I said."
The way the class worked was that one of the boys would pick a partner, as princes usually chose to go rescue specific princesses before said princess would be hidden inside of the hedge maze and the boy had to go find her. The princess would use her damseling skills to lead the boy to her and warn him of what dangers were in the way, but not alert the villain to what she was doing. Once he got there, the boy would then have to use his wooing skills to calm her down and help her be brave enough to escape the maze with him, using his bravery and charm to keep her calm and collected until they were out of danger.
Apparently, wooing girls was also a matter of defusing panicked princesses and keeping them calm in the face of villainous intent. A prince/knight had to be able to speak calm and true to ensure their damsel was calm and collected. They had to use bravery to create an image of a valiant figure who could intimidate a villain who would stand before them. A perfect or valiant image was also a tool for intimidating villains and calming maidens in danger.
The pairs went by with various degrees of success. The princesses seemed to have the method down and managed to bring their princes to them, although some forgot to mention some of the hazards which were in their particular area. The hidden pond, in particular, was funny. One guy tried a charming joke but made his princess laugh so hard she couldn't take him seriously. Then that Daring Charming guy just had to smile and wink and his partner was putty in his arms.
"Some guys have it easy," was a general complaint from the peanut gallery.
Verde chuckled and looked to the girls who had yet to have a turn. Since most of the guys had the last name Charming (And weren't all related oddly enough), Darren found his name quite low on the list. He wondered which princess he would be able to pick and tried to get a read on them to try and figure out his best approach.
One he did notice in particular was a girl who stood in the front, almost next to the teacher as she was all but presenting herself to be picked. She wore a red and gold checkered skirt with a matching blouse with lots of gold woven into it and a frill decoration around her neck. She also wore black stockings with red and gold pump shoes. Her hair was black and red with some piled on top inside a crown ornament to make her look like she was wearing a real crown. What made her stand out was the large red heart mark that was painted on her face over her left eye, revealing how emerald green both her eyes were.
Verde glanced at her as the next prince made his choice and she pouted lightly as her classmate moved to be placed in the maze.
"Is it just me, or are you guys avoiding the girl with the heart on her face?" Verde asked the prince next to him.
"That's Lizzie Hearts, the next Queen of Hearts of Wonderland," the prince explained. "She's, well, she's scary. Always yelling 'off with their heads', or something like that."
"Wonderland?" Verde pondered. "Wait, the Wonderland folk are the ones who dress all colorful and are shorter than most? I see them all the time."
"Yep. Crazy sometimes, but they're pretty nice if you can understand what they talk about half the time," the prince shrugged. "A shame, Lizzie's pretty darn cute."
"Hm," Verde rubbed his chin. Maybe he would get an opportunity to ace the class and make a friend who could get his sense of humor.
"Sir Darren Quinn, choose your princess," King Charming suddenly spoke up, breaking Verde from his thoughts. He saluted and stepped forward as the princesses presented themselves. Most seemed to find his armor as ridiculous as the princes did. All except one...
"I choose," Verde pointed. "The future Queen of my Heart, Lizzie Hearts."
Verde knew he had a challenge. His suit did not show off his face so he could not use his looks to woo the damsel but he had a wicked sense of humor that could disarm any tense situation and leave people speechless.
For her own part, Lizzie blinked in surprise at being picked so suddenly but quickly broke out into a small smile, "Very well then, twisty knight. I shall await you inside the maze."
"Uh, Chameleon Knight," Verde replied, but Lizzie already stepped into the maze after Maid Marion passed her a map to the location. Shaking his head, he slapped the sides of his helmet, "Okay, let's get ready to rumble!"
After the allotted time, Verde was allowed into the maze. Stepping into the maze, he looked around first for his paths and what else might be in the maze with him. He, of course, didn't know the path of the maze and he'd lose time trying to find his way out. He'd have to rely on Lizzie's damsel cries for help to lead him to where she was being held prisoner.
"Help, oh help!" Lizzie's voice began to cry, very audibly, and very harmonious. Was that skill she had or was that a princess thing? "My gallant twisty knight, oh hurry!"
"There we go," Verde grinned. He took a moment to listen before he took off down the right paths. He kept listening to Lizzie's calls for help.
"Oh help! My roses! My lovely roses!"
"Roses?" Verde quirked an eye under his helmet. He stopped at another passage before he saw a blast of pollen coming at him. "Woah!" by instinct, he ducked underneath and then came back up once the pollen cleared. The passage was lined with large roses that were puffing clouds of pollen. Nearby, a small squirrel was snoring audibly, proving what the roses did. "Right. Magic. That's a thing here, isn't it?"
Verde pondered the problem but then got an idea. Quickly drawing from his deck, he produced his contract card. He then grabbed the tongue on his Bio Visor, revealing it to be a clip on a tether by pulling it up. He clipped the card onto it before releasing it, letting the card be drawn into the device.
[Advent!]
Unseen by the other students, a figure emerged from the water before leaping up to dash along the top of the maze. Verde heard it coming and looked up, seeing an almost invisible figure on the edge of the hedges above him.
"Hey, partner. Care to give me a swing across?" A hiss followed before Verde felt a tether wrap around his waist. With a single jerk, he was thrown over the roses which continued puffing out their sleep pollen before he landed in a crouch, "Superhero landing, woo!"
Verde trotted down the path, keeping Lizzie's voice in front of him before he came to the source. He only had one obstacle, which made sense since it was an exercise, not a test. He came out to what looked like a water garden with a gazebo in the middle. Right in the middle was Lizzie, seated on a bench and posed as if she were in distress, the classic verge of fainting pose.
"My hero!" Lizzie gasped, acting up the damsel image. "Oh help, help! I'm so afraid!"
"Never fear, for I am here!" Verde grinned, He crossed the bridge to the small island where Lizzie was waiting for him. Now his own part of the exercise was beginning. Lizzie was playing the part of the damsel-in-distress. He had to say something charming to help her keep calm while he got her out of the maze. Well, she was from Wonderland so he had the perfect one in mind…
He came upon Lizzie and took a knee while holding her hand, "My Princess, as roses are red, and the sky is blue, this is how I will be wooing you."
"That's so lame!" one prince laughed loudly as his fellows chuckled while King Charming and Maid Marion watched their MirrorPad of Verde and Lizzie's performance. Many of the princesses scoffed and rolled their eyes at what seemed like a horrible line. It was just so bad it was almost painful. It didn't make any sense, sounded downright bad, and it didn't convey anything romantic at all.
"Is he crazy?" one girl asked her friend, who shrugged.
For the teachers…
"Hm, not bad," King Charming rubbed his chin. "Sounds a little like Riddlish."
"That will work wonderfully on a Wonderland damsel."
"Ah…" Lizzie's cheeks lit up despite herself. She seemed to have forgotten her role for a moment and just seemed to stare at Verde for a moment. When that moment passed, she seemed to remember what she was doing, "Ah, r-right. My knight, please bring me home. I miss my dear family so."
"Right away!" Verde got up. He looked to the water and let off a sharp whistle. Immediately, his faithful steed leaped out of the water's reflection, landing with a snort. It was built like the others, only a vibrant green with his emblem on the head armor. It also had chameleon eyes like his armor.
Again, Lizzie was finding herself amazed. Not that her assigned rescuer had a horse, but just the way it appeared out of the reflection. Wonderlandians loved mirrors and often used them to go in and out of all sorts of places. Was Verde, Darren, whatever his name, part of Wonderland too?
"This way, Princess," Verde gently took her hand and brought her to the horse's side. First, he mounted it, and then gently lifted Lizzie up to sit side-saddle in front of him. In his armor, it was quite easy. Once Lizzie was secure, arms around his neck, Verde snapped the veins and took a light cantor through the hedge maze, recalling how to get out. Surprisingly, the rose trap stopped and they were able to emerge from the maze without any troubles.
"Is he allowed to use a horse?" one boy asked.
"Why didn't you try to use a horse with me?" asked a girl to her partner.
"Home again, home again, jiggity jig," Verde declared, making Lizzie giggle with a very amused smile on her lips.
"And I thank you, sir twisty knight," Lizzie laughed before Verde helped her off the horse. He likewise dismounted and smacked his horse's flank. Immediately, the horse trotted to the fountain, diving into the reflection and vanishing once again.
"Well, that was a unique run," King Charming chuckled. "Excellent deployment of tactics to woo a Wonderland damsel. Although the horse wasn't supposed to be part of the display, I won't dock points for it but I can't give points for it either."
"Ah, style points then," Verde nodded. He removed his Advent Deck, dismissing his suit.
"Lizzie, although Darren was able to navigate the trap, part of your cries were supposed to be a hint on how to do it," Maid Marion reminded the princess of hearts, "As a damsel, you must aid your rescuer in any way you can so your rescue and Happily Ever After can come that much sooner."
"Yes, ma'am," Lizzie nodded.
Class continued with the last few runs, although none of them were as flashy as Darren's return on green horseback. When the bell rang, the students collected their bags or other effects and began heading back towards the school.
"Rescued on horseback, Lizzie," one girl commented to the Wonderland princess. "That had to be nice."
"It was a nice surprise," Lizzie nodded with a smile.
"He sounds like he's kind of crazy though. Ruined the romance of it all for me," another girl scoffed.
"I think he's quite charming," Lizzie smiled, twisting a lock of her own hair while she glanced back to where Darren was walking with the other princes.
After their classes, Darren and Rob met up on their way to the castleteria.
"Hey, Rob! How was Grimmnastics?" Darren asked.
"Like regular gym class but with a fairy tale twist. Did you know they call football 'bookball' here?"
"Obvi. It's not so different."
"And what about you? How was Wooing 101?"
"Man, I had a blast and even made a cute princess laugh! Score! So, met any cute girls in Grimmnastics class?"
"Ah, met someone nice. You ever heard the story about Thumbelina?" asked Rob.
"Think I saw the movie when I was younger, why?" asked Darren as they entered the door.
"Well, I met her daughter and the story just sounds so oddball to me. I mean, a girl born from a flower and is no bigger than a thumb. She gets kidnapped by half the animals she meets who want her to marry someone until she meets a fairy prince."
"As opposed to what? Three bears getting robbed by a little girl?" asked Darren with a snort. "So you met a fairy princess, huh?"
"Yeah, she's nice. We talked and she showed me around so I was in class on time and all that," Rob shrugged. "Turns out she's an environmentalist and she offered to show me around the Enchanted Forest."
Darren chuckled and elbowed Rob's side, "Ah, you player. Aiming for your own princess huh?"
Rob looked to the comedian, "Huh? No, we're just hanging out. Do you know how much cool stuff might be out there?"
"Sounds like a good date spot maybe," Darren shrugged. "I mean, half of us are kind of girl crazy with the new world, meeting actual princesses, and then getting a chance to flirt with them. I mean, before I discovered cooties, I wanted to marry a princess. Then I discovered they were girls and that was only until junior high."
"Oh, right, that. I didn't think about that," Rob shrugged. "Anyway, Nina's really chill, not like those love-seeking missiles who are other princesses. They're a little over the top for me. I'm more chill."
"Kevin said otherwise," Darren teased.
"That's when I got bored," Rob defended. "And besides, Arthur and Lance are doing most of the girl chasing anyway. I mean, that Raven girl just drifts towards Arthur and Apple is stuck to Lance like glue. Practically our first days here and the major pairings already happened."
"Well, Apple knows what she wants and I guess Raven never got rescued by a knight in shining armor before and she decided she liked it," Darren shrugged. "But seriously, you're not going to take advantage of our position? We're Knights of the Round Table and there's a gender imbalance here."
"You're starting to sound like Kyle now," Rob teased.
"Sorry. Just the dating pool was, well, dried up for me since none of the girls back home got my sense of humor," Darren shrugged. "Guess I'm excited for a fresh start and Wonderlandians seem to get me, you know?"
"You do you, I'll do me," Rob shrugged. Both boys moved to examine the lunch line or the vending machines. Merlin didn't have much in terms of a boxed lunch so the pseudo-knights had to buy their lunches. The line was a necessary evil as the boys managed to get trays of food. It honestly looked familiar, like a normal lunch line but with fantasy flair, and didn't look like the processed quick stuff that stereotypes said cafeterias served. All that was left was finding a spot to sit.
"Sir Verde!" Darren perked up at the voice, although Rob was confused. Approaching the pair was the unique form of Lizzie Hearts in all her checkered and heartful glory.
"Lizzie!" Darren grinned. "What's up?"
"The ceiling, the sky, and the clouds above but I wish not to speak of such things. I request your company for lunch." She certainly had the poise of a princess but even Rob could tell she had some kind of energy around her. Was it magic, or that 'glow' his mother said happy girls had?
"Then I guess I will. Didn't expect to get my card drawn." Darren grinned. Rob had to palm his face at the bad pun. It should have been considered really bad, considering how much cards were played in Wonderland culture. Instead, Lizzie broke out into a fit of giggles.
"Oh you," Lizzie beamed. "This way, I wish to introduce you to all of my friends."
Rob watched them go, rather shocked. He may not have been chasing girls or flirting a storm like some of his new friends, but even he knew there was no way Darren's little puns should have been considered good for flirting. Yet, somehow, that Lizzie girl was just eating them up. Weird.
"I guess everyone does have a place to fit in," he shrugged, looking to see if there was an open space or people he knew.
The day continued on and the students finished their classes, spreading out to after school clubs or going to their favorite hangouts. All in all, an ordinary day for those of Ever After High, except for the fourteen new students. Like when they first appeared, they were enjoying a kind of magical high of coming to a brand new, and clearly welcoming place. First, it was learning about living fairy tales and magic with Merlin but now it was interacting with the children of those stories as well as learning from them in the classrooms.
Darren was feeling like he was floating on air. Lizzie had introduced him to her friends Briar, Ashlynn, and Blondie. Lizzie was so content to tell about the class where they met and apparently he showed off his charm to her. Darren explained it from his side, although the three girls clearly didn't get what Lizzie thought was so charming about his puns or whacky turns of phrase. Of course, once Blondie heard he was friends with Arthur, she pulled out her MirrorPad and insisted on an interview. Apparently, she began a segment of her stream called Knightwatch, trying to uncover the identities and stories of the new knights in Book End.
Darren obliged, but he admittedly hammed it up. Lizzie seemed approving like he had given a fine performance. Briar, Ashlynn, and Blondie didn't seem to get it.
Rob found himself at the edge of the forest which surrounded Ever After High and Book End. Although it seemed like an old forest, it didn't have layers of leaves and twigs under the trees, just healthy grass. Plus the place smelled simply fresh like it was brand new. All in all, it gave the same magical feeling as Book End did, only much more noticeable.
"Don't you think it's just incredible?" Nina sighed happily as she and Rob strolled through the trees. "It's one of the most important places in Ever After so I've been pioneering awareness."
"Really? I don't see many industries going in here," Rob commented.
"Oh, it's what you don't see that's the issue," Nina waved her finger at him. "After Wonderland got poisoned, so many portals of wonder and magic had to be sealed. The magic of the forest has never been more at risk. Still, people have demands for magic toadstools, dew-soaked webs, and all sorts of magical ingredients and animals. If we recklessly harvest them, the forest won't be able to support itself, or us, anymore."
"Sounds serious," Rob nodded.
"It is," Nina nodded. "We take so much for granted. Just a little awareness can go a long way so I try to do my part and encourage others to do the same."
"Sounds easy," Rob nodded. "Wonder why some people don't go for it."
"Because it's easier not to," Nina pouted but perked up. "But nothing worth doing is easy so I won't give up! If I don't do my part, who will?"
Rob smiled at her, "That's the spirit! So, I heard lots of people come out here to pluck ingredients. What else do they do around here?"
"Oh, it's private and there's tons of open space to have fun with!" Nina brightened. "Come on, I know a spot that's great to just enjoy the magic of the forest!" She took his arm and began pulling him down one of the paths through the forest.
They didn't travel too far, not incredibly deep into the forest for how much space it took up. Their trek stopped when Nina brought them to an open glade which had a nice gazebo built in it, letting the sun shine down on it like a spotlight.
"Wow," Rob admired. "Not too many places like this back home."
"It's enchanting," Nina sighed in delight. "Whenever someone needs some time alone, we can always come to the Enchanted Forest and just blow off some steam."
Again, some may have considered it a romantic opportunity, but neither Nina nor Rob had the mindset. Nina just wanted to show off a cool place to go for a new student and her new friend. Perhaps, maybe help him become aware of the environmental scene but mostly to welcome her new friend. Rob, on the other hand, was just eager to explore a real magic forest and was glad to have a friend on this adventure.
Sitting down inside the gazebo, Rob had to admit he now felt like he was in a Disney movie. The scenery just looked perfect for some of those old movies like Snow White or Peter Pan. It was a weird feeling of serenity, although Rob didn't know it himself. Instead, he just basked in the feeling of seeing magic and his childhood coming back.
"I feel like playing something," Rob suddenly spoke up, starting to rummage around in his backpack.
"Oh, you play music?" asked Nina, curious.
"Sure do," Rob nodded, retrieving a polished silver harmonica. "Took me forever to learn how to do it, and it annoys my brother, so I'd say it was a skill well earned." Nina just giggled and Rob brought the instrument to his lips before starting to play a tune.
It wasn't any special or inspirational music. It was just a sailor's tune that he learned from searching online for something happy to play on his harmonica. Lots of people seemed to think that harmonicas were used to play the blues or downtrodden tones. Well, Rob never liked the blues and he wanted his anti-Kevin music to be able to be happy while driving his brother off.
Nina clapped along with the music, clearly enjoying it. Rob was happy about that since he feared slightly that fairy tales wouldn't like the instrument. Well, his confidence returned when he heard some guy named Sparrow led a rock band, but the doubt was still there. Still, it seemed his fears were unfounded and his music was just as good in fairy tales as it was back home.
'Now this is the way to end a school day. A new friend and good music. You only get this on TV!'
*Eeeeeeeeeeee!*
Rob immediately lost his tune as the painful wail of the Mirror World began to echo in his ears. Grimacing, he began looking around, trying to find the source.
"Rob? What's wrong?" Nina asked, now concerned. "You were playing so well a moment ago."
"Some..something's…here," Rob grimaced, looking around as the tone became more shrill.
A drop of slime came from above, prompting the pair to look up. Emerging from the weather-protected polished dome of the gazebo, a humanoid creature with a dark red body and legs with black arms was sliding out of the reflection. Its head was simply a dome with a red faceplate and gold jaw. Most disturbing was the round soulless black eyes which were staring hungrily down at them.
"Gelnewt," Rob gasped in shock.
The monster hissed, dripping more slime before dropping from the ceiling. Nina screamed, but Rob acted fast and pulled her out of the way, letting the Gelnewt crash to the floor. It was quick to get up, but Rob didn't call himself a man of action for nothing. As it turned to face them, it got a backpack full of heavy books to the face. Hissing in pain, it stumbled to the railed before Rob kicked it over, letting it land in a heap.
"Wh-wh-what is that?!" Nina gasped, heart thundering in her chest.
"Mirror Monster," Rob replied. "Nina, I need something that can be used as a mirror."
"Wh-what?" Nina gasped, looking at her friend.
"A mirror, compact, a polished piece of metal!" Rob repeated himself. "Anything that can cast a reflection!"
Nina trembled, but she managed to pull out what looked like a compact mirror from her dress. It was small, but Rob hoped it would be big enough for him to do what he needed. He quickly retrieved his Advent Deck, black with a gold crab emblem, and pointed it at the glass. To Nina's surprise, a belt came out of the reflection, growing and wrapping around Rob's waist.
The Gelnewt suddenly hissed from where it had landed, hopping over the railing and charging for the pair. Rob grit his teeth and ducked low as it got close before shoulder checking it in the abdomen. It doubled over on top of him as he promptly lifted it before tossing it back onto the ground outside of the gazebo.
As the monster was stunned for a moment, Rob took his chance and pointed out with his open hand, "Henshin!"
He slid the deck into the belt, causing it to light up before grayscale armor solidified over him, quickly filling with color. His bodysuit was black with orange torso armor and a silver panel in the middle. His shoulderpads resembled crab legs curled over his shoulders. His helmet was mostly orange with a band across his eyes, sporting silver eyepieces and a silver mouthguard. Oddly, a pair of stalk-like horns rose from the top. Mounted on his left arm looked like a set of shears on a thick orange base.
"R-Rob?" Nina gasped, quite intimidated by the armor her friend now wore.
"Just stay back Nina, I'll handle this," Kamen RIder Scissors tried to reassure his friend. He turned to the recovering Gelnew and started marching towards it. "Okay, you freak, you just crossed the Knight of the Crab! I'm Kamen RIder Scissors!"
The Gelnewt snarled and a mass of slime grew from its back, solidifying into a shuriken which it swiftly grabbed, pointing it at the Kamen Rider.
Scissors just moved into a charge. The Gelnewt snarled and swung with its weapon, but the orange Rider lifted his Scissors Visor, catching the blade between the shears before he reared back and slugged the monster across the face. The monster grunted and twisted its weapon, compromising Scissors' footing before kicking him in the abdomen.
Scissors huffed but didn't fall back. As the Gelnewt broke free, it attempted to swing the weapon at him again. Scissors didn't bother blocking but instead rolled out of the way and slashed wide with his Visor, cutting the monster across the abdomen with a shower of sparks. It was shallow, but it made the Gelnewt back away, clutching where the weapon struck and space was what Scissors needed.
Drawing a card, it showed a massive crab claw. Gripping his Scissors Visor's hidden switch, the blades closed, showing a hidden chamber in the base. Scissors slipped the card inside before letting the chamber close again.
[Strike Vent!]
Nina yelped as something orange flew from the canopy again, this time landing on Scissors' free arm. It was in fact a large gauntlet styled like a giant, orange crab claw which had aspects of a vice grip.
"HYAH! Scissors roared, charging for the Gelnewt again. He swung hard and fast with his Scissors Pinch weapon. Sparks flew as the Gelnewt attempted to defend itself from the assaults. It wasn't one-sided though as the monster proved slippery, dancing back to slash at Scissors, forcing him to block the strikes and stop his advance.
For her own part, Nina was all but in shock at what she was seeing. The quiet and private area in the Enchanted Forest had suddenly turned into something from someone's scary story. More shocking, her fun and energetic new friend was suddenly in strange knight's armor and was acting very brutal and aggressive in fighting the monster.
What was going on?
The Gelnewt hissed and spat a glob of goo at Scissors as he got close again. He couldn't help but flinch and try to wipe the offending slime from his eyes. Grunting, he was forced to dismiss the Scissors Pinch so he'd have a free hand with no obstructions to do so. As soon as he got some off, he saw the Gelnewt hurl its shuriken at him.
"Woah!" Scissors dropped to the ground, getting bits of dirt and grass on the slime. He thanked his good fortune that he didn't have to clean it himself. Looking over, he saw the shuriken flying away, but then it turned around and began to come back, cutting through the air towards the gazebo...and Nina.
"NO!" Scissors cried. Ignoring the Gelnewt, he frantically drew a card and slapped it into his Visor.
[Advent!]
A hiss came from above and Nina looked up only to see a humanoid, bulky, and very sharp crab monster drop from the reflection in the stone ceiling. It crashed onto the floor, splintering the boards. It was tall with a bulky body, a white chest, green gem-like eyes, and two very large and very sharp pinchers. Nina almost screamed at the sight of it if its back was not turned to her. Instead, the monster lifted its claws and caught the incoming shuriken, snapping it between its claws.
"Whew, nice catch, Volcancer," Scissors sighed, but then cried in pain as he got slashed across the back by a second shuriken the Gelnewt grew. "OW! Oh, you just made the last mistake of your life, pal!"
Volcancer spun around, feeling its contractor's rage. Nina whimpered, frightened the monster would turn on her. To her surprise, it instead gently nudged her aside. Once clear, it started running towards the scene of the battle, claws raised with a roar of challenge to the Gelnewt.
Scissors blocked a second strike from the Gelnewt, giving Volcancer the chance to crash into it, clawing at the slimy monsters with its claws. It screeched and tried to swing at Volcancer, but Scissors came in and cut it with his shears, prompting Volcancer to attack again.
Working together, Scissors and Volcancer overwhelmed the Gelnewt. When the monster focused on one, the other would come in for the blow. If the Gelnewt tried spitting, Contract or Rider would cover each other to block it. Volcancer hissed in satisfaction as it cut the Gelnewt across the chest before Scissors kicked it back.
"LIke I said," Scissors huffed, stepping in front of Volcancer while drawing a card, one which depicted his emblem surrounded by orange light. "Last mistake of your life."
[Final Vent!]
Volcancer got behind Scissors who jumped up and landed on its claws which it used to spring its Rider into the air. While in midair, Scissors curled himself into a spinning ball which dropped on top of the Gelnewt. The monster tried to block with its shuriken, but Scissors' body was too fast and empowered too much by the Final Vent. He crashed directly through it, impacting the Gelnet and causing it to erupt in an explosion.
Scissors came to a stop and rose from the dying flames. Next to him, a sphere of power rose up from the Gelnewt's remains. Volcancer eagerly chased after it, capturing it in its claws before gobbling the power down, thrumming in pleasure.
"You earned it, pal," Scissors pat his partner on the head. He looked to where he last saw Nina and found her right where he left her. However, her eyes were wide and her jaw was slack as she just stared at him in shock. Concerned, he started to walk towards her, "Nina? You okay?"
Nina flinched, involuntarily taking a step back.
He paused and looked at his hands. Was his armor really that scary looking?
"R-Rob?" she whimpered. "Wh-wh-what is all this? What's going on?"
"It's...it's a long story," Scissors sighed. "Nina, can I step closer?"
Nina licked her lips, but nodded. Scissors started to walk closer. Nina kept looking between him and Volcancer, like the monster was going to flip out and do something violent. Finally, Scissors stood in front of Nina but kneeled down so they were eye to eye. "NIna...I know I look a little scary right now but it's still me. I'm still Rob, the goof who almost ran into you in school." He held up his unarmed hand to her, "I'm still your friend. It's just a suit."
Nina looked at his hand, one just a moment ago was pummeling a monster like a toy but she remembered him being gentle around her. Trembling, she took his hand with her smaller one, "I...I don't know what's going on."
"Me neither. Just bits and pieces," Scissors shook his head. He gently squeezed her hand, hoping to reassure her. "But You're safe now. That's a solid fact. I won't hurt you and I never will." Nina blinked but looked up to Volcancer who was watching, "Volcancer won't do anything unless I say so. It's okay, Nina. It's safe."
Nina took a breath, closing her eyes and forcing herself to calm down. After several breaths, she opened her eyes again, "Okay. I'm okay. I'm safe here with my friend. There are no more monsters."
"No more monsters," Scissors nodded as he sent Volcancer away and the Contract Monster returned to the Mirror World, satisfied with its meal.
"No more monsters," Nina nodded, but she wobbled slightly, prompting Scissors to help her to a bench. "This is a little much to find out about a friend when you first meet them."
"Heh, I guess it couldn't be helped," Scissors chuckled. "I hope you'll keep being my friend though."
Nina smiled weakly, "I'd be a bad friend for abandoning someone for rescuing me."
Scissors chuckled, nervously, but glad Nina wasn't going to try and drop him. Sadly, their moment was ruined by the twinkle tone of Nina receiving a hext. By reflex, or dire need to have some normalcy returned, Nina quickly took her MirrorPhone and looked at it.
BeastLovingBeauty: Nina, where are you?! A monster got into the school and we can't find you! Please respond, call, anything!
"Another one's in the school?!" Nina gasped.
"What?!" Scissors gasped. "Crap, we have to move! Nina, do you trust me?"
"Um, yes?" she replied.
Scissors nodded and gave a sharp whistle, prompting another orange blur to drop from the gazebo ceiling. This time, it came in the form of an orange armored horse and it crushed what solid parts of the wood floor were left.
"We'll have to move fast, but this beauty can make it," Scissors jumped into the saddle before pulling Nina up with him. "Just hold on. Volcancer, back to the Mirror World! I'll call you if I need you!"
The monster hissed, heading for the polished rock of the gazebo while Scissors snapped his reins and took off in a cloud of dust towards the school.
'Please don't let us be too late!'
Ever After High - Front Walk
'This is not what I wanted to do after my first day of school,' Verde thought sourly to himself.
Apparently how he hit it off with Lizzie got around to the other Wonderland students and her other friends. Some were curious, but other Wonderlandians apparently wanted to meet someone who was one of the mysterious new knights and who was attuned to Wonderland.
Never one to turn down an audience, Darren met with them and started introducing himself. He really just fired up his comedy routine and told them about himself. To his utter delight, all the Wonderlandians broke out in loud laughs at his jokes and puns. Apparently, to them, he was downright witty.
Hey, he couldn't argue with results.
But then the blasted tone of a Mirror Monster sounded off.
From the golden and polished plaque of the school's sign, a humanoid lemur with three red eyes and metal strips of armor all over its body seemed to almost swing out as it tried to grab one of the Wonderlandians. Worse, it was chuckling like a psycho the whole time. Fortunately, Darren had the presence of mind to tackle the thing by rushing through his audience before it could grab anyone. Lots of people split after that, but plenty just hid in the school before starting to record the fight with their phones.
Looks like Knightwatch would have a new segment.
Managing to transform after kicking the Deadlemur in the head to keep it down, Verde went back into the fight. The monster was certainly a brute and didn't have much finesse besides the odd jump to avoid a hit. So Verde got flexible, dancing, hopping, and almost even breakdancing as he kicked, jumped, and punched circles around the chuckling Mirror Monster.
"Let's get funky!" Verde cheered, doing a backflip which nailed the Deadlemur in the chin, knocking it back. He even started posturing like disco as the monster saw stars. "Boogie down!"
"Heh, heh, heheh!" the Deadlemur laughed, charging back into the fray.
Verde quickly backed up, watching it move before he caught its pace. It swung its claw for his face before the green rider twisted around and slapped it in the back of its head with an "Ole!" The monster stumbled, letting the RIder start his own charge on the offensive.
As he did so, the Deadlemur as it let out its hollow chuckle. While Verde got closer, it swiftly reached behind its back for its tail before it pulled it off revealing it to be a gun as it aimed at Verde's head. The chameleon Rider was too close to dodge, being at point-blank range. Witnesses watched with horror, those that knew what a gun was anyway, as the Deadlemur began pulling the trigger.
This was when Scissors and Nina rode onto the scene.
"DARREN!" Scissors cried.
*BANG!*
Verde didn't seem to stop as his legs suddenly did the splits and he dropped into position. The Deadlemur pulled the trigger, but the bullet flew straight over the Rider's head. In a perfect position, he reared back his arm and his hand was clenched into a fist.
The Deadlemur's three eyes widened.
*KRACK!*
"Ooooooh!" Scissors winced at the sight.
"Ooooooooooh!" Arthur, Lance, and the other Riders winced as they bore witness to the battle through the videos streaming through multiple channels.
"Ooooooooooh!" Daring Charming, his brother Dexter Charming, various other princes and males groaned as they were watching from inside Hocus Latte and various hangouts.
"Oooooooooooh!" Various male Ever After High teachers groaned when they saw the impact.
Oooooooooooooh!
That...that's not very chivalrous.
Really funny though.
The Deadlemur groaned, dropping it's gun as it stumbled back from the nutshot, clutching its family jewels. Verde gave off a snicker as he pulled himself up back to his feet. He even took the time to dust his legs off while the Mirror Monster tried to back away. Scissors dismounted his horse slowly jogging to the fight, but couldn't help but gape at what he just witnessed.
"Dude, seriously?" Scissors gaped.
"What?" Verde laughed. "Gotta break a few tomatoes to make a cake, right?"
"Dude...I….you...guhhh!" Scissors groaned. "I felt that back on my horse!"
"Then it worked!" Verde drew a card and activated it with his Bio Visor.
[Hold Vent!]
His weapon, the Bio-Winder, appeared in his hand and it was a large yoyo that looked like a pair of chameleon eyes stuck together. He played with it for a moment, performing the 'Walk the Dog' trick as the Deadlemur recovered, picking up its gun/tail. Growling, the monster aimed to fire at Verde who tossed his Bio-Winder at the monster, hitting it in the face. Withdrawing his Bio-Winder, he shot it out again to wrap its string around the monster's arm.
"And around you go!"
Verde spun in place, tugging on the string as he yanked the Deadlemur off its feet and tossed it through the air. He then jumped up, carrying his unwilling passenger.
"And Around the World!"
Spinning his arm around, he took the Deadlemur for a spin before he sent it crashing face-first into the ground. As the Deadlemur lay still, he withdrew his Bio-Winder and did a few yoyo tricks for his captivated audience.
"You can't be serious," Scissors gaped at his friend.
The Deadlemur got up and reached for its gun but Verde was faster.
[Clear Vent!]
Verde suddenly disappeared from sight, making the Deadlemur blink and look around in confusion. After a moment, it decided to turn its attention to Scissors, who tensed. He needn't have bothered as the gun was kicked away by an invisible force before Verde flickered and became visible for a moment.
"Now you see me!" Verde turned invisible. "Now you don't!"
The Deadlemur got hit in the chest by Verde who kept flickering in and out of invisibility.
"Hey, stop playing around and finish it already!" Scissors scolded. He'd like his heartbeat to reach normal levels sometime soon!
"And I was just having fun!" Verde pouted as he backhanded the Deadlemur and sent it tumbling. Reappearing, he retrieved another card, his emblem surrounded in bright green light, before feeding it to his Bio Visor.
[Final Vent!]
The gold sign for the school rippled before a new monster emerged. It was bright green and humanoid, sporting red coils which decorated its body. A large flat tail curled up behind it and its head was reptilian with a wide mouth and large chameleon eyes with a ridge extending from the back. This was Verde's partner, Biogreeza.
Biogreeza hissed and came to the edge of the fight. It looked up and shot its tongue up over a tree limb before moving down at Verde who performed a handstand. The tongue wrapped around his legs like a tether and Biogreeza swung its Rider at the Deadlemur who got caught by Verde and they were both launched into the air. As they spun around, Verde held the Deadlemur upside down and aimed at the ground before they dropped violently with Verde performing a violent piledriver that snapped the Deadlemur's neck on impact.
"Laugh that one off," Verde huffed, dismounting the monster and began walking towards Scissors. Behind him, the monster fell over before exploding, leaving only its energy behind. Biogreeza greedily snatched it with his tongue like a fly before loudly gulping it down. Once it had the meal, it dove back into the Mirror World through Ever After High's sign.
"Thanks for the heart attack!" Scissors sighed. "How the heck did you manage to dodge a gun at point-blank range?"
"Oh, just quick reflexes and the sharp mind to keep up," Verde shrugged, tapping his noggin. Of course, the suit boosting his physical abilities also helped. "Pretty damn cool though, right?"
"...flipping right," Scissors laughed. "Mortal Kombat?"
"I bet you heard that nutshot around the world," Verde laughed.
"How was your first day?" Merlin asked as the Riders returned.
He got various non committal responses. Tristan's was more of a grunt while Gawain merely shrugged. Lance all but bragged over the time he got to spend with Apple, who he was closer and closer to proclaiming his girlfriend. Arthur seemed the politest, although they all knew once Raven had a free moment, she had dragged him to her circle of friends to introduce them. It seemed the dragon and bat knights were becoming the kings of the two main cliques.
Merlin gave a chuckle as he praised Darren, "Great job Darren. You made the nutshot heard around the world."
"I aim to please!"
"Hey, everyone get on your phones! Blondie's just posted her report!" Gabriel called, bringing everyone to one of the library tables to look at the MirrorCast from a familiar blonde girl.
"Hello, I'm Blondie Lockes and this is Knightwatch!" Blondie began her report on her MirrorCast show. "Now, this afternoon, another monster attacked Ever After High but the day was once again saved by another of the knights, this one who calls himself 'Kamen Rider Verde'. Now, here's a clip of the battle for your viewing pleasure."
The clip showed Verde finishing off the Deadlemur with his flying piledriver attack. Everyone winced at the sight of it, although not nearly as bad as the one attack they bore witness to earlier.
"She didn't even show the best part!" Darren whined.
"The nutshot?" Rob deadpanned.
"And my awesome yoyo skills! C'mon, that's gold, people!"
"After the battle, the two knights left but I had the opportunity to interview a few of the witnesses to find out what they think of the green Chameleon Knight!"
"What do I think?" Daring asked, lounging in a Hocus Latte chair and looking good while doing it. "Honestly, he fought like a fool. I would've finished the beast in a fraction of the time!"
"Well, to be honest, his fighting style seems erratic but from what I saw none of his moves were wasted," Dexter Charming supplied.
"Sir Verde fought like a Wonderlandian Knight, full of might and whimsy!" Lizzie defended, sounding more excited than anyone recalled recently. "And while he did not take the beast's head off, he managed to subdue it amazingly!"
"His suit's kooky with big googly eyes," Maddie said. "And that yoyo trick of his is fableous! I give him two teacups up!" She held up two tea cups then sipped up their contents.
"Wow, you did find your people," Arthur blinked at the overwhelming praise from the Wonderlandians.
"And there are videos of him posted all over the MirrorNet," Gwen added. "Not bad, Darren."
"Victory dance!" Darren cheered, breaking out in a disco-like jig. "And Lizzie praised me! Double the victory! Double the dance! Woot!"
"How come they didn't mention me?" Rob grunted. "I fought a monster too. Nina saw it."
"That's what's bothering you?" Kevin rolled his eyes. "Wonderlandians are going to swarm Darren tomorrow and you're jealous you're not as popular immediately?"
"Just be happy you protected someone," Arthur patted Rob on the shoulder.
"And speaking of this Nina, is she cute?" Lance asked, grinning knowingly to his comrade. Tristan rolled his eyes as he tried to pay attention to the MirrorCast.
"And here I thought you changed," Harry groaned, eliciting chuckles from the others.
Ever After High - Headmaster's Office
Milton looked at the video with a frown. As happy as he was to have the Knights of the Round Table in his school, he couldn't help but think he had just introduced an unpredictable and chaotic element into his school. Well, it was only the first day. He would ask the teachers how these new students were adapting during the next staff meeting.
And so the Chameleon Knight Verde finally finds his audience while the Crab Knight befriends the fairy princess.
I think he's the first guy able to get through to Lizzie Heart's heart!
Ahem, as two knights have begun to bond with their princesses, our next tale will introduce two more knights at home in the wild. That, is a tale for another time.
Oh, right! Tiger and Imperor!
Brooke, no spoilers!
Oops, sorry!
A/N: Well, here is chapter three and we're introduced to two more of our new Fellowship of Knights. Already they have begun making waves and Mirror Monsters continue to slip through to the new world. Their time in Ever After has just begun and it seems things are just going to keep getting wild.