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 5: Tale of the White Princess Knight & Black Knight

A new day and a new tale is set to be told for the students of Ever After High. Although the sun shines and the birds sing, the main characters are far from matching their sunny surroundings.

Can you blame them? Look what they have to deal with.

Brooke, now is not the time.

Ever After High - Halls

Gwen Nighte grumbled as she left her last class for the castleteria. Princessology? Really? How the heck were makeover skills and fashion discernment going to help her with her career goals and what she wanted to do in life? The only reason she didn't entirely flip out was that being a princess also required her to take Kingdom Management class. Management skills were always a good skill to have and if it was for a huge thing like a kingdom then all the better.

While Gwen's false story claimed she was a princess, she certainly didn't look the part. She was as slim and trim as the other girls but her body was more athletic instead of willowy like most of the other girls in school. Instead of a gown-like dress, she wore jeans with ripped knees and red sneakers. She also wore a black tank top with a red sleeveless leather vest. The back was emblazoned with a black version of her swan emblem and the collar was turned up. Her hair was red, cut short with her left bangs longer than the right and she had blue hairstreaks. It gave her parents conniptions back home, but here she fit in. Her eyes were a golden brown and she was pretty, although her tomboy antics hid the classic beauty she was born with.

Although a tomboy, Gwen wasn't too against hanging out in a fairy tale world. What girl at some point didn't want to be friends with princesses, ride ponies, and play with magic? The fact Gwen could do so with the ability to kick ass and fight monsters just gave her the best of both worlds.

And then she got into Ever After High and learned of its scripted roles for everyone.

Gwen had thought that since she was being given the role of Guinevere, she could just deal with some preppy girls, stitch some pretty dresses, and play damsel-in-distress for some grades. Oh, how naive she was. Class after class on how to be better princesses, how to organize a castle, how to properly be in distress so a dashing knight/prince could rescue her, and of course the typical subjects of sewing, etiquette, and cooking. Gah, hearing so much antiquated crap made her want to scream sometimes!

Well, at least her classmates weren't so bad. The other princesses were...okay, provided they didn't start trying to convince her to join their clique. Gwen was just not one for pretty dresses or gushing over boys. She'd rather be out there kicking butt and taking down monsters herself. Her real friends were some of the other script breakers that she met since starting. They were the real saviors of her sanity.

Coming into the castleteria proper, she grabbed a tray and lined up to grab her lunch. After that, she found her friends at what was becoming their usual table. Sighing in relief, she approached and put her tray down to join them.

"Hey, guys. Saved a spot for me?" Gwen asked.

"Always, hot stuff," Sparrow Hood winked. Sparrow Hood, son of legendary outlaw Robin Hood, was one of the new friends she made. He was a friendly guy who sported a rocking black sleeveless vest, jeans, and of course a hat like his father's. He had red hair and a goatee. Strapped to his back was his trusty electric guitar. He was a flirt, but a casual one, so Gwen took his words at face value; meant to be fun.

Sparrow was firmly in the Rebel clique. Although he had nothing against helping someone in need, he would rather have his face be on a concert poster instead of a wanted poster. He had dreams of being a musician and he even had a band, the Merry Men. Sadly, his group was split between the Royals and Rebels, causing some tension and Sparrow worried what might happen once Legacy Day rolled around.

"Rough day?" Melody asked. Then there was Melody Piper, daughter of the Pied Piper. The girl was made to stand out with her lavender-streaked white hair. Her clothing was a unique mix of classy, edge, and punk. She had a black short-sleeve leather jacket over a neon yellow top along with a magenta swirl skirt with black belts crossing her hips. She was also a DJ who rocked the turntable.

Like Sparrow, Melody was firmly in the Rebel camp. Melody loved music, but she wanted to use it to bring people together instead of lead them on like her father did to the rats or kids. Fortunately, her father was all for it. Melody managed to do several DJ gigs in Book End's music scene, making her popular even among the Royal clique who were dead set on their destinies. Maybe it helped that no other stories were reliant on her following her own. Meeting Sparrow and Melody really helped Gwen get into the local music scene.

"It's my classes. They're not all bad but the stupid stuff I gotta do because I'm expected to be some pretty, pretty princess is giving me a headache," Gwen complained as she fluttered her eyelashes ironically. "Seriously, we even have smile practice in Princessology and don't get me started on Damsel-in-Distressing. Ugh, I just want to beat up a punching bag after the day's done."

"I hear you," Sparrow shook his head. "I keep getting all this flak from my teachers trying to encourage me to cheat on tests or act like an outlaw. That's just not me, man."

Melody could see her friends needed to blow off some steam when an idea popped in her head.

"I know what can help you both let off some steam," Melody grinned. "A nice old jam session! The courtyard's not busy and we've got an hour for lunch. Let's just go out and jam. Everyone likes a bit of music!"

Gwen grinned. That did sound like a fun idea. She had sunk her saved allowance from Merlin into a good electric guitar of her own and jammed every chance she got. Sadly, she did not get many chances as she had to share a dorm with thirteen other guys.

"Alright, but after I finish eating," Gwen said. "Then I'll grab my guitar and meet you guys in the courtyard."

"Can't wait," Sparrow grinned, moving to clean up his tray.

"I'll set up the equipment!" Melody giggled, already getting up to dash for their impromptu stage.

Gwen grinned, already moving to devour her lunch. She only had so long to jam and she wanted to milk every second out of it!

Ever After High - General Villainy Classroom

"Not bad, Mr. Lefay," Mr. Badwolf, a large man with curly black hair and beard with white streaks. He handed an exercise sheet back to Max. "Your theoretical work is top-notch. Just brush up on your practical and you'll be on your way to becoming an exemplary villain."

"...Yes sir," Max sighed as he took the sheet.

Max Lefey, in some ways, did look like he belonged to the villain clique in Ever After High. He sported black hair which he kept prim and trim, had thin oval glasses with dark brown eyes. He was even slightly pale from long hours indoors. Once he had a budget from Merlin, he bought black trousers with a black shirt, white vest he kept open, and a red tie he kept slung over his shoulder. It was a perfect balance between a gentleman villain and the chaos lurking within.

Except Max had every desire to just leave and not come back.

Where most of his new comrades accepted or even embraced their new surroundings, Max was not so enchanted. The entire fairy tale world was just ridiculous with its fixation on destiny. If it wasn't for Merlin implying they could go home after they dealt with the source of the Mirror Monsters, Max would have gone back on the bus and asked Merlin to find someone else. Max believed more in science rather than frivolous magic and didn't find anything enchanting about Book End. It was just a girl's fantasy village because of the gender imbalance. More girls went to Ever After High, so many of its attractions catered to them, specifically the princesses.

He accepted going to Ever After High since it would allow him to lay low. Sadly, it seemed he was being cast in a role he didn't want. Once word got out he was enrolled in villain-based courses, a chunk of the school began to avoid him. Cliques and stereotypes were truly a word of law in the school and Max found himself being treated like a criminal in the making in some cases. It truly vexed him and he wished to be done with it. It didn't help that his other comrades were cast as either heroes or a princess in Gwen's case. At least his suspicions were correct and Gwen was suffering just as much as he was even if it was for different reasons.

Leaving the classroom once the bell rang, Max adjusted his glasses and wondered what he was going to do. Once he was done with lunch, he wanted some time to himself so he could just relax and not have to worry about some wanna-be prince calling him out. Three times for some dunce with a crown wanting to trump the 'new villain on campus' was too much. They didn't even know what his supposed story was! They just wanted to prove their stories were worth something by beating a villain!

"Red Shoes Dance Club tonight again, I suppose," Max sighed. Despite his stuffy appearance, he loved good music and the chance to dance. Red Shoes was the perfect place since it didn't have that hero and villain bias. At least there he could chat and have fun but he didn't count on any friendships leaving the door, the rising Rebel clique be damned.

Maybe if Raven actually became the leader of the Rebels, he'd put more serious thought into joining them. But for now, he would do his own thing until this mission was over and then he could go back to his old life back in his own world and leave this one behind.

"Hey, Max!" Arthur caught up to him in the hallway.

"Arthur," Max greeted politely.

"So, heading for lunch?" Arthur asked.

"Yes," Max answered.

"You know, I've noticed you've been sitting alone in the castleteria. How about you join us today?" Arthur offered.

Max sighed. Arthur was always the noble and chivalrous one. Even more than Rex and his claims to kingship but that was what made it so hard to dislike him. He actually meant it when he spoke through his beliefs. The other princes were just preppy jocks for the most part who touted what they were told to say but Arthur lived and breathed it. He even had the common sense to adapt it to modern society.

"And ruin your reputation as 'King Arthur'?" Max retorted.

"Eh, who cares what they think? We all know it's bull," Arthur shrugged.

Max withheld the urge to sigh. Reputation and connections were damn near everything and if they wanted to navigate Ever After High and deal with its various issues, they had to play to their respective tropes.

"Until we debunk this destiny obsession half the school has, I think we should keep to our roles. When Legacy Day comes around, depending on the results, then we can really start working together."

"Max," Arthur sighed.

"I'll see you back at the dorm," Max turned down one hall, but he glanced back with a small smile, "But thanks for the offer. I appreciate it."

Max left Arthur and found a spot outside away from the mingling students. Once he did, he found a nice and sturdy tree, he climbed up and sat down on a thick branch before he began unpacking his bag for lunch. Fishing out his phone, he plugged in an earbud and began to play some of his tunes which he found relatable to his preferred music back home.

Halfway through lunch, he heard a rustle and immediately stopped his music, half-expecting a Mirror Monster to appear. He dug his hand into his pocket, taking out his Advent Deck, a steel gray one with a black dragon emblem.

After a few moments, he saw that it wasn't a Mirror Monster that emerged but a girl. She sported long and wild brown hair that had a large magenta streak line with white on the front. She sported a blue top with red suspenders connected to a red checkered skirt. Shore wore blue pants and knee-high fur boots. Oddly, she wore a patch of gray fur on her shoulder and a gold ornament in her hair which connected to a piercing in her ear. What stood out most about her though was that her ears were furred and pointed like a wolf's and she sported sharpened nails. She was pretty, but wore heavy eyeliner and blood-red lipstick, adding to her already feral beauty.

The girl stopped, audibly sniffing the air for a moment before her gaze curiously turned up to stare at Max. For a moment, it was like she couldn't figure out what to make of him and a rumble came from her chest. It almost sounded like a growling wolf.

"Can I help you?" Max asked.

The girl continued to frown but finally broke her silence.

"Yeah, looking for Cerise Hood. You know her?"

"Red Riding Hood's kid?" Max asked. It was not hard to identify her. Like her mother, she wore the signature red hood. "Seen her a few times. Never had the pleasure of making her acquaintance. Probably in the castleteria and eating a turkey leg. She always stacks up on the meat."

The girl snorted, shaking her head.

"Alright. I'll look there first. Thanks, stringbean."

"I'd suggest going in through the back," Max called as she walked by the tree. "Mr. Badwolf is on the rounds today. He starts with the front foyer and works his way back then up. If you go in the back, you'll slip by before he does his rounds and hit the castleteria first."

The girl stopped and turned around.

"You implying something?"

"Judging by the ears and your claws, you're likely the next Big Bad Wolf," Max answered. "Which means Mr. Badwolf is likely your father or a relative. However, none of his relatives are counted in the school which means either you are just starting, or you aren't supposed to be here. Since you seem older, you're not supposed to be here. So you had best avoid him since he'd know for sure you aren't a student here."

The girl snorted but grinned in response.

"Well, well, someone with survival instincts and common sense. Well, you're right. Name's Ramona Badwolf. The next Big Bad Wolf."

"Maxwell Lefay, the next Mordred of Camelot," Max replied. "Good luck on your hunt. We'll all probably hear about it. News travels fast around here."

"Oh, I don't need luck, stringbean," Ramona smirked. She turned and left with a wave, leaving Max back to his lunch.

Ever After High - Empty Classroom

Cerise really didn't see it coming. One moment she was talking with Raven and Maddie, but then the next Ramona came storming into the castleteria. Naturally, anyone who saw got nervous since Ramona was so bad, even for the villain courses, she had to be shipped off to reform school. Then she just grabbed Cerise by the hood and dragged her out of the castleteria for an empty classroom. Cerise knew it was serious since Ramona wasn't putting on her usual bravado.

"Ramona, what the hex are you doing here?!" Cerise gaped, staring down her older sister in an empty classroom.

"What do you think, dummy?" Ramona frowned. "Now lower the hood."

"Wh-what?! No! Don't you know-?!" Cerise sputtered.

"Not that!" Ramona hissed. Cerise's sister was of the firm opinion that Cerise shouldn't be ashamed of being part-wolf. She didn't like having to hide who her sister was and often tried to get her to accept herself, although she came off more like a bully. "I mean that bandage on your head! Show me what the future dead man did to you!"

Cerise blinked but did obey. Ramona immediately touched the bandage and smelled it, trying to get a scent for who gave her the bump. She even slipped up the bandage on the side to see the slowly shrinking bump.

"Hm," Ramona scowled. "You better have done something back to him."

"I clawed its eyes after it kicked Carmine," Cerise admitted, looking to the side.

"That's my baby sister," Ramona grinned, gently brushing her nails through Cerise's hair. "So it was a monster or something? One of those things I heard about popping out of mirrors?"

"Yes," Cerise sighed, silently preening under her sister's touch. Ramona hadn't done it in a long time, wanting to try and get Cerise to come out of her shell and accept herself. "You don't have to worry though. It went wild someplace else and got killed."

"Shame," Ramona frowned. "I had my chew toy spot all picked out for it. So what's the deal then? Things weren't this wild when I got shipped off."

"It's...a weird time," Cerise sighed. "Between the Rebels and then this group of knights…"

"Yeah, met one of them outside," Ramona smirked. "Real stringbean, but dang if the guy didn't reek of a nasty dragon. Maybe if he showed it, I'd try to show him a good time."

"Ramona!" Cerise hissed.

"What? An Alpha lady needs an Alpha guy, right?' Ramona snickered. "Speaking of, any guy out there I need to talk to for sniffing around you?"

"Like I'd tell you," Cerise huffed, trying not to think about Gawain. Rosabella all but claimed dibs.

Ramona's grin was almost feral.

"Ah, so you're sniffing around someone else, huh? Okay, I'll back off for now."

Cerise turned red.

"Ramo-HUF!" She was cut off by her sister pulling her into a powerful hug and clamping down tight. She inhaled, smelling Ramona's strong scent, reminding her of the Enchanted Forest.

"Now listen to me baby sister," Ramona spoke, her feral edge gone. "Dad's gonna pull some strings and get me back here early. If one of these monsters shows up again, if they so much as breathe in your direction, you tell me. I'll hunt the mirror freak down and make sure it never touches you, got it?"

"Mf," Cerise mumbled into Ramona's hair, but she hugged her sister back with a nod. Nothing like a threat to a family member to mend some bridges.

They remained hugging for a time, for a moment not caring if anyone saw them together or if Cerise's hood was down. Still, eventually, they had to go back to the real world. Ramona slipped out first while Cerise fixed her hood before doing the same. They were still considered rivals by the school but at least in private they could still be sisters.

Not a bad day.

Ever After High - Courtyard

The courtyard of Ever After High was just that, a courtyard. Of course, it had decorations of fairy tale figures and Liliy-Bo Peep was grazing her sheep in one corner. People were slowly entering, seeing Melody with her equipment while Gwen and Sparrow were tuning up their guitars. Everyone knew a jam session was coming and wanted good seats for it.

"Alright, the equipment's set," Melody told Gwen and Sparrow once she finished setting up the speakers. They were in the courtyard with their instruments, ready for their afternoon jam session.

"Hey, Sparrow," Gwen grinned. "How about we make things interesting?"

"Interesting? OK, spill it," Sparrow smiled, interested.

"A Rock Off," Gwen challenged. "The one who gets the most applause wins."

Sparrow played a few riffs and sang, "You're on! Ow!"

Melody clapped her hands and grabbed a microphone.

"Okay, Ever After High, you all heard it. Our Prince of Rock, Sparrow Hood is gonna have a rock off with our Musician Maiden Gwen! Give your love and let it show to see who is our Maestro of Music today!" Cheers and whistles erupted, eagerly anticipating the show.

"Ladies first," Sparrow offered.

"OK, let's see you top this!" Gwen let it rip, filling the courtyard with a furious guitar solo. She poured her passion and fury into the song, a classic from back home. It was one from Metallica, one of the greatest Rock bands of all time.

Gwen finished her solo and the applause and cheers filled the air. Sparrow smirked as he tipped his hat. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"My turn! Check this out, babe!" Sparrow played his solo next and he definitely knew how to get the crowd going. To Gwen, it sounded like a simply magical version of Guns n' Roses. Some girls screamed so loud that they fainted and she was honestly impressed.

"Guess I'm gonna be the champ," Sparrow boasted once he finished.

"We'll see," Gwen cracked her knuckles and flexed her fingers. "How about one final song, Sparrow?"

"Heh, that last song was just a warm up, babe," Sparrow grinned.

They played their solos at the same time, trying to play over each other. Their audience went wild as their songs, though different, somehow harmonized with each other. It had an effect which the audience just adored...but the merging soundwaves had a different effect. Many of the windows in the immediate area, and Ashylnn's shoes, started to vibrate to the sound of the music.

And then both Gwen and Sparrow had to hit that final note.

*KRASH!*

Ever After High - Headmaster's Office

"Twenty-four windows all need to be replaced, not to mention poor Ashlynn Ella's feet were injured thanks to her glass shoes breaking!" Milton frowned at both Sparrow and Gwen. "Do you understand how much all that costs?"

"Um…" Sparrow began.

"Silence!" Milton huffed. "No, obviously you two need to have something to do during class hours if you feel the need to compete with each other so recklessly."

"I still say I won," Gwen huffed, earning a glare from Milton and a snigger from Sparrow. "But I will apologize to Ashlynn for the, uh, accident."

"You had better," Milton frowned. "In the meantime, you will both serve detentions after school for a week doing remedial work for your worst subjects. Mr. Hood, that will be Heroics 101. For Ms. Nighte, Damsel-in-Distressing."

"Guh!" both rockers groaned.

"Next time consider your actions," Milton sat down and steepled his fingers. "And I expect a very heartfelt apology to Miss Ella. Dismissed."

Sparrow and Gwen said nothing as they left the Headmaster Grimm's office. Once the door slammed shut behind them, they were finally able to relax.

"You know, Gwen, we should totally jam like that again," Sparrow grinned.

"Yeah," Gwen agreed. "Preferably someplace where we won't do so much damage."

"But that was one hex of a jam session!" Sparrow laughed. "Never, ever, have I ever seen so many windows break at once!"

"At least Headmaster Grimm didn't decide to confiscate our instruments and ban us from playing forever after," Gwen warned. The thought of not being able to play their music ever again made the two shudder in horror. That was just scary beyond words.

"My folks are gonna kill me when they get the bill," Sparrow worried.

"Maybe you can spin it in your favor. Outlaws don't play by the rules, do they?" Gwen suggested.

"Mom may go for that. She's as stiff as a Royal," Sparrow pondered. "But dad may go either way. Might be worth looking into. Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Gwen shrugged. "Anyway, I'll see you later. I gotta head on to the nurse's office. I've got an apology to make."

Ever After High - Nurse's Office.

Baba Yaga let Gwen in without much of an issue. She only found herself worried when she got to the room Ashlynn was using. Still, Gwen steeled herself before she faced the door and knocked.

"Come in."

She opened and saw Ashlynn sitting on a bed with bandages wrapped around her feet. The sight of her injury made Gwen feel guilty. Sitting beside Ashlynn was her boyfriend, Hunter Huntsman. Of course, no one knew about the boyfriend bit and he had to play the concerned friend instead.

Ashlynn was Gwen's classmate in Princessology class and they got along okay. She was a real expert in shoes and such, although she kept trying to convince Gwen to wear the kind of pumps most of the other girls in the class wore. She appreciated the thought, but Gwen didn't have the balance to walk in those things.

"Ah, hey," Gwen winced, seeing Ashlynn in such a state. "Ah, I wanted to see how you were doing after...well, this." She gestured to Ashlynn's feet. "Is it as bad as it looks?"

"I'll need help getting around until my feet are healed," Ashlynn said. "But Madam Yaga says I'll be fine in a week at most."

"That's good," Gwen said with some relief. At least she did not cause any permanent damage. "Listen, Ashlynn, I'm really, really sorry about what happened. Me and Sparrow just wanted to jam and we got carried away. I didn't think it was possible to break windows like that until it happened. Much less your shoes." She bowed her head. She wouldn't be surprised if Ashlynn hated her after this.

"Oh it's alright," Ashylnn replied. Immediately Gwen's head snapped up and saw Ashlynn giving that benevolent princess smile she recalled from her Disney-loving days. "You didn't know it would happen and your music was really hextacular!"

Gwen found herself blushing under the praise.

"Ah, well, thanks. Sparrow and I really got into the spirit of it."

"Imagine if you two were playing together instead of competing," Hunter chuckled. "That would be something to hear."

"Good idea for next time," Gwen laughed. "Seriously though, Ashlynn, if there's anything I can do to help you out until you're back on your feet, just let me know, okay?"

"Thank you. I'll remember it," Ashlynn nodded. "Let Sparrow know I'm okay too."

"Will do," Gwen laughed. "And Hunter, keep an eye on the little lady. She'll need a big, strong huntsman like you to help her out for a while."

Gwen turned and left, leaving the two to blush. Not that Gwen noticed, enjoying what she thought was a little joke.

Ever After High - Empty Classroom

"Guuuuuuuuh! Kill me noooooooow!" Gwen groaned, her head down on her desk.

"Now, now Gwen, it's not so bad," a musical voice gently chided her. At the front of the classroom was, of course, her tutor. She sported long sparkling platinum blonde hair with blue streaks in it. She even wore a sparkling blue dress with decorative, dainty pauldrons on her shoulders and a silver girdle around her waist. Pink was peppered on her dress and was at the end of her sleeves. Even a tiara was part of her hair ornaments. Her skin was a rich olive, her lips painted rose pink, and she had expressive blue eyes topped with a beauty mark under her right eye.

It was natural she'd look so much like a princess. She was Darling Charming, the youngest sister of Daring and the twin of Dexter. She was also one of the highest scoring students in Princessology aside from Apple White. Lucky Gwen, she was chosen to be her tutor.

"Easy for you. You were born into it," Gwen groaned, lifting her head. "I just got drafted over a week ago. I had no idea about all this princess stuff!"

"Being a princess isn't so bad." Darling retorted, likely hearing the argument a lot. With how little confidence her twin had, she was an old pro at reassurance.

"OK, I can admit that the diplomacy lessons in Kingdom Management have their benefits," Gwen relented. "But I draw the line at acting like a damsel-in-distress. I don't need a man to help solve all my problems."

Darling tapped her chin as she watched Gwen groan. Now, it wasn't that Gwen was a bad student, but she needed to see how the lessons would apply to her life. The added hurdle was that she only learned of her destiny a short time ago and she couldn't wrap her head around it. Darling knew she would have to make her lessons different from the teachers and find a way to apply the mechanics to Gwen rather than the other way around.

"Well, damsel-in-distressing is at first glance supposed to attract a prince. By flaunting your looks and staying loud in your cries for help, you can aid the prince to find you while having the villain underestimate you," Darling began as Gwen looked unconvinced. "But, it does give you experiences in acting and showmanship. To pass the class, you will have to put it towards, well, damselling, but later you could apply it to your stage shows. It's still acting, is it not?"

Gwen blinked and looked up.

"Wait, it can be used for that?"

"Certainly," Darling smiled. "I have friends who took the skills there and use it to act on stage in a number of roles."

Gwen frowned slightly, still not liking the fact she'd have to act weak and girly just to pass a test but from the way Darling explained it, she could develop a practical skill for it.

"Okay, show me then," Gwen huffed. "But I can't promise I'll enjoy it."

"You bet!" Darling smiled. And people kept underestimating her just because she was a Charming.

Book End - Red Shoes Dance Club

Max heaved a sigh as he let the music carry him away while he maneuvered through the dancing masses inside the club for a seat. He'd dance later, but at the moment he just wanted the music of DJ Melody to take his stress and worries away.

"Ahhh," Max sighed, finding a chair by the bar. He was about to order a drink when someone called him.

"Well, well, fancy meeting you here, stringbean," a familiar voice called over the music. Max turned and saw none other than Ramona Badwolf herself somehow parting the crowd as she came to sit next to him. "Thought you'd be studying in some nerd nook far away from here."

"Please. As if I need more books crammed down my throat," Max scoffed. "No, this is time for me and I intend to use it." He glanced at the next Big Bad Wolf, "So, what brings you here? Establishing territory?"

"More like taking it back. I leave for a bit and all sorts of losers think they can muscle in," Ramona chuckled. "One step inside and they part the way for me."

"Ah, the Alpha effect. Works wonders," Max snorted.

"You'd know. You reek of a dragon and one that isn't particularly nice," Ramona retorted. "How'd you manage that anyway? Dragons are nasty enough but one with an attitude like I'm smelling off you? You'd have been charcoal for getting near it."

"It's a partnership of convenience," Max answered, although inwardly he was stunned that Ramona pegged his partnership to Dragblacker. Then again, she had sharp wolf senses considering who her father was. "I get him food, he has my back."

"Heh, I almost want to see you in action but the dragon will probably do the heavy lifting," Ramona snorted. "Anyway, I'm here to dance and you're the only guy here who seems worth it. Now get up!"

"I think-WAH!" Max began, but Ramona grabbed his arm and pulled him out onto the dance floor. Ramona expected him to flounder for a laugh but she was surprised once he had his feet under him as he meshed in easily with the others. He cut and served in a dance Ramona wasn't familiar with, but it was edgy, exciting, and dare she say it, sexy.

"You're more than a nerdy suit, aren't you?" Ramona grinned.

"You have no idea," Max shot back.

In another corner of the club, Gwen was relaxing, just listening to Melody's upbeat music...and secretly cooing over the adorably three blind mice dancing at her feet. They showed up every time Melody played music and Gwen couldn't get enough of them.

"Are these seats taken?" someone asked, breaking Gwen out from her mouse appreciation. Turning, she saw the faces of Raven Queen, Maddie Hatter, and Cerise Hood.

"Sure, grab a chair," Gwen nodded. "I'm here by myself anyway."

The three girls took their chairs, Maddie somehow produced a full tea set and passed a cup to everyone. Any time was tea time apparently. Gwen saw the three just taking time to enjoy music and not just dance the night away. It made her wonder if the new rumor around school was true,

"You seem a little tense. Needed to get away?" Gwen asked.

"We did, but the reason to get away followed us," Cerise gave a look to the dance floor where Ramona was dancing with Max. Plenty were giving them a wide berth and more were wondering how brave Max was to dance with the next Big Bad Wolf.

"So the rumor is true then? The Big Bad She-Wolf called you out?" Gwen wondered.

"More like marked her turf," Cerise shrugged. "It's the pressure I don't need right now."

"Ow. Anyone tell the Three Little Pigs yet?" Gwen winced.

"They went into hiding once they heard," Raven answered. "So, Max is one of your roommates, right? Should we be worried that he's dancing with Ramona?"

"Max can handle himself. To be honest, this is the first time I've seen him have any fun," Gwen answered. Max normally kept to himself so it was a surprise to see him in the Red Shoes Dance Club.

"Ramona looks like she wants to eat him alive," Maddie observed.

Gwen looked to the wolf girl and saw her feral grin and her excitement. It made Gwen snort since she kind of knew the sight herself. She wore it once or twice in the past.

"She may want to eat him up, but if she plays her cards right, they'll both enjoy every moment of it. Max may need the stress relief anyway."

"What? Who wants to get eaten by a wolf?" Cerise gasped. It was more for show since her mother did love being captured by the Big Bad Wolf. It resulted in her and Ramona after all.

"A wolf like her? Any guy who manages to catch her eye," Gwen laughed.

Ramona was ready to admit that she was having fun. The energy of the dance floor was infectious and she loved it. Not often though was she able to really dance with anyone who could keep up with her. Most guys in Ever After High were afraid of her, being a feral fairy tale who could be in two stories instead of one. She met people more her speed at reform school, but not ones she could really open up to. It was jungle law there, to say the least.

Dancing with Max though was fun. He didn't have that same stylish and safe princely dance, but something new she hadn't seen before. He was definitely not a prince either. Princes fought and slew dragons, not make deals with them in order to get tougher. She liked someone who bucked the trend and a knight who worked with a dragon definitely did that. He looked so straight-laced though, Ramona couldn't help but try to tease him and see if she couldn't get him flustered.

"So, stringbean," Ramona spoke. "How about we go ditch this spot and you come with me to my den?"

"Now you're just teasing me," Max laughed.

"Maybe I am but I can tell you were thinking about it." Ramona grinned. So he could keep a level head, huh? Well, she'd have to up the ante. Now that was going to be fun.

"You'll need more than that pretty face and sweet talk to fluster me," Max teased back. "I run with a dragon, remember?"

Ramona's grin grew more feral. Was that a challenge she heard? As Melody changed the tone of the music for something slower for the couples on the floor, Ramona saw her chance. She pressed herself against Max, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"More than my pretty face? How about my rocking bod? No prissy princess is gonna get this close to you."

'Mr. Badwolf is going to kill me if this gets out,' Max thought, but he didn't back down when someone challenged him. He merely wrapped his arms around Ramona's waist and held her tight. "I'm a black knight, remember? You think a maiden's going to throw me off?"

Ramona's grin just widened further.

From their table, Cerise and Raven's jaws dropped at the sight. Maddie just had a hand on her cheek,

"Mr. Badwolf is going to eat him if this gets out."

"This is so like her! She always causes trouble and does crazy things!" Cerise huffed, pointedly looking away from the wild wolf girl.

"Looks like she's either trying to get him flustered or she knows what she wants," Gwen shrugged while looking at the dancing pair. "Besides, Max is single anyway so no harm no foul. Well, they might need a room if this goes any further."

"Gwen!" Raven and Cerise gasped.

"Oh like you never had any steamy thoughts about Arthur?" Gwen teased, making Raven turn bright red and Maddie erupt into a fit of giggles. Cerise rolled her eyes and looked at her sister and the boy she was either teasing or testing. Somehow, she saw herself trying the same with Gawain. The thought made her cheeks turn pink as she tried to forget the thought.

Max would admit he was enjoying Ramona's attention. Yes, she was trying to get a rise out of him but stonewalling that teasing was just fun and made her more determined to try and turn him into a blushing mess. Still, it was just nice to meet someone besides his comrades who didn't walk on pins and needles around him just because his so-called story called him a villain. Ramona was one too and she knew the trials that came with it. She didn't care and in that club, he didn't have to worry.

'Even if her dad tries to kill me tomorrow, may as well enjoy it,' Max mentally shrugged.

*Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!*

"Ow," Max grimaced, the tone of the Mirror World hitting him. "Oh, that's just perfect!"

"Stupid amps," Romona grimaced, holding one of her ears. "DJ needs better gear."

"You can hear-?" Max blinked, but then shook his head. "No, it's not the amps. It's a Mirror Monster."

Ramona blinked, "Mirror Mon-?" She cut herself off as her eyes widened and she began looking around the club. "Cerise?!"

"We need to go!" Cerise gasped, clutching her ears under her hood.

"Huh?" Raven blinked, "Wait, why?"

"Monsters!" Gwen grimaced, clutching her own head. "Move! Now!"

Her words proved too slow as the monsters were already closing in. At the base of Melody's stage, she had spinning reflective cubes made to help bounce light streams across the club for special effects. Depending on the mood, they were a huge help. Instead, they opened the way for a pair of Mirror Monsters to leap out onto the dance floor. Screams erupted as people were quick to notice their appearance, although their raised weapons helped make it obvious.

The two monsters that appeared to menace the club were Biters, longhorn beetle monsters armed with boomerangs that were sharp enough to cut through metal. The red Terabiter was female with antennae that hung in front of its face while the blue male Zenobiter had antennae that hung down the back of its head. They both had huge jaws with sharp teeth and they were looking for prey.

"Go. Go now!" Max gently pushed Ramona back.

"Hey! Wait!" Ramona cried, but Max vanished into the chaos.

"Get outta here! Now!" Gwen shouted as she got up from her chair and charged for the monsters.

Cerise looked around but stopped when an iron grip took her arm. Blinking, she looked up and saw her sister looking more serious than ever before,

"Ramona?"

"You're getting out of here. Now!" Ramona hissed, pulling Cerise to her feet. "Now let's go!"

"But, Ramona! Wait!" Cerise gasped.

"No way! You get out of here first! I'll be right behind you!" Ramona yelled, practically forcing Cerise to flee. The she-wolf gave a look to Raven and Maddie, who didn't need the hint to get up and start following their friend.

In another part of the club, Darling Charming gaped when she saw the appearance of the monsters. Soon chaos erupted as everyone and their fairy godmother attempted to flee from the two creatures. It didn't escape her notice that two of the new students, Max and Gwen, were instead running towards the monsters despite being the black knight and princess of their stories.

A determined frown coming to her face, Darling did run, but not for the exit. She instead ran towards the ladies' room. A bit of magic and she'd be ready to do her duty as a Charming.

It was times like this that reminded Max to ask Merlin about removing their transformation restrictions. The Advent Decks weren't all that bad, allowing them to transform to combat the Mirror Monsters, but the need for a mirror or any reflective surface to transform was a huge inconvenience.

Ducking around the two Biters, both Max and Gwen drew their Advent Decks, his steel with a black dragon emblem while hers was white with a swan sigil. Both held them up to the spinning cubes on Melody's stage. Their V-Buckles quickly appeared, strapping to their waists. It caused the Biters to hesitate, likely knowing they faced fiercer competition.

Max did not bother posing as Gwen spread her arms like wings. Eyeing the two monsters, they called the activation word.

"Henshin!"

Decks inserted, their suits appeared over their bodies. Grayscale suits folded over them before filling with color. In Gwen's case, it was pure white, but for Max, it was a deep black.

Max's suit was almost identical to Arthur's. The only difference was the color as it was pitch black from head to toe. The only other color it had was a touch of gold accents on the torso amor and helmet. A pair of red eyes glowed from behind the grille visor. This was the Knight of the Black Dragon, Kamen Rider Ryuga.

Gwen's suit was a bright contrast. She wore feminine white armor over her black bodysuit, her white torso armor adorned with silver swan wings with gold edges. A white cape hung from her back like a veil. Her helmet was white, her visor appearing like an open set of swan wings with gold decoration being the swan's head, appearing like a tiara. Unlike her comrade, her boots weren't just boots, but armored high heels, giving her poise. The suit was elegant and showed off her might. This was the Knight of the White Swan, Kamen Rider Femme.

"Time to let loose," Ryuga spoke darkly, raising his fists.

"Oh yeah," Femme agreed, drawing her Blanc Visor, a white rapier with a guard shaped like a swan.

Choosing their opponents, both Riders charged. The Zenobiter swung at Ryuga who ducked and landed an uppercut to its jaw. As he knocked the monster back, he caught its antenna and punched it repeatedly in the face before he released it then knocked it down with a roundhouse kick to the face.

The Terabiter swung at Femme but was intercepted by the white Rider' rapier, causing sparks to fly. Femme pushed back, jabbing the Terabiter in the chest before she knocked it to the ground with a snap kick.

As the Biters got back up, the two knights charged at their opponents. Ryuga punched the Zenobiter in the face and it retaliated with a swing of its boomerang. He sidestepped the move and reached down to draw a card from his deck before activating it.

[Sword Vent!]

Ryuga's Drag Saber appeared in his hand just in time for him to catch the Zenobiter's boomerang before he slashed it across the chest and kicked it in the stomach, knocking it back. He then moved forward and slashed the monster across the chest again.

[Sword Vent!]

Meanwhile, Femme had summoned her Wing Slasher which was a double-ended spear similar to a naginata. As the Terabiter swung at her, she sidestepped and slashed it across the midsection with her weapon before she turned and slashed it across the back. It spun around and slashed her across the chest, sending her backpedaling. Femme prepared to charge back, but her balance became compromised by her high heels.

'Stupid heels!' Femme mentally raged, trying to get her momentum back. The Terabiter saw its chance and came in hard, catching Femme across the chest in a shower of sparks. Femme grunted but didn't go down as she got her footing back again. The monster was about to slash her again when a literal white knight came to her rescue and tackled the monster from behind, sending it sailing across the club.

The knight was clearly someone tough, wearing broad shoulders armor embossed with ivy and polished to a gleaming shine in the club's light. They wielded a sword and a shield, and their face was concealed by a knight's helm which had a blue and white plume.

"Thanks," Femme said to the mysterious white knight who nodded. The White Swan Knight was not about to reject help, even from a stranger. Plus it would be embarrassing if she got knocked down because of her stupid shoes.

A table broke in half as Ryuga was thrown onto it. Groaning, he saw the Zenobiter coming when someone slugged the Zenobiter across the face, making it stumble. Ryuga blinked and turned to see a familiar she-wolf, flexing her hand.

"Ramona!?" Ryuga gasped. How was she able to actually punch a...oh wait, Big Bad Wolf's daughter. Right.

"Beat it, bug breath! He's mine!" Ramona snarled as her eyes flashed gold. It swung at her but she drove her fist into its jaw, knocking it back. She flicked her wrist but was otherwise fine. The Zenobiter recovered and was about to attack again when Ryuga made his move.

[Strike Vent!]

He punched the Zenobiter with his Drag Claw and sent it flying with an explosive blast of fire. Ramona gave Ryuga a once over and grinned appreciatively.

"Hm, not bad, stringbean."

"Can you use a sword?" Ryuga handed his Drag Saber to her and she took the weapon.

"Easy. Just stick the sharp end in the other guy," Ramona grinned sadistically. She alo raised her claws, "And if all else fails, I got these!"

"Or you can try to huff, and puff and blow it away," Ryuga joked.

Ramona opened her mouth to retort but suddenly ducked, her wolf-like reflexes and agility allowing her to avoid the Zenobiter's boomerang as it nearly took her head off. The boomerang came back as the Zenobiter lunged at her with his weapon but she avoided its attack and slashed it across the chest, stunning it, allowing Ryuga to punch it across the face with his Drag Claw. She delivered a roundhouse, scoring a hit to the monster's head then drove the sword into its chest, knocking it back.

Back with Femme and the mysterious white knight, they struck the Terabiter with their weapons, sending it tumbling across the dance floor.

"Good jab. Gonna have to take lessons!" Femme complimented. The knight merely nodded. "Strong, silent type huh? Well, nothing wrong with that!"

Ryuga gave a burning uppercut to the Zenobiter, huffing as it crashed against the refreshments, spilling several, "We're not going to finish them indoors like this. We'd bring the club down. We need to get these things outside!"

"Heh, that all?" Ramona grinned, tossing the Black Drag Saber back to Ryuga. Cracking her knuckles, she glared at the monster, "Leave that to me!"

The Zenobiter snarled and lunged for Ramona, who again ducked and clawed it across the face before she kicked it in the direction of the front doors. She then inhaled deeply, audibly over the noise of battle coming from Femme and her new friend. As the Zenobiter managed to look up, Ramona unleashed her breath which hit like gale-force winds, taking the Zenobiter clear off its feet and crashing through the doors of the club, all but knocking them off their hinges.

"Uh…" Ryuga blinked. He meant for him and Femme to drive the monsters back to the Mirror World, but… "Well...that was...pretty cool."

"Learned it from Dad," Ramona bragged. "Now come on or we'll miss the fight!"

The noise of Ramona's breath caused Femme, the white knight, and the Terabiter to stop their own battle to see what happened. It was somewhat shocking to see someone as lithe as Ramona was suddenly unleashing gales just by blowing at someone. This hesitation gave the Terrabiter an opening. Wanting food more than battle, it dashed out the door for the people who were outside. They were once again trying to get video of the fight or see what was going on.

Ryuga and Femme quickly ran out the door, going after the two Biters. They could not let them feed on anyone.

[Advent!]

Femme's Blancwing and Ryuga's Dragblacker emerged from a nearby window and attacked both Biters. Blancwing was beautiful as it was a gigantic metal swan. In contrast, Dragblacker was a vicious black wingless dragon with red eyes.

"Damn, that's sexy," Ramona grinned at Dragblacker.

One would have to be very close to the white knight to hear it but they gave off a quiet sigh of admiration for Blancwing.

The reaction of the crowd was much the same. Many princesses who were in attendance sighed at the sight of the giant metal swan. Then they cried and clutched to their friends or boyfriends when they took notice of Dragblacker.

"Let's finish this!" Femme decided as she drew her Final Vent card. The card art depicted her symbol with a shining white background. She opened up her Blanc Visor and slid the card into the chamber before she slammed it shut.

[Final Vent!]

Femme's Contract Monster, Blancwing, flew behind the Terabiter. With a flap of its wings, it produced a strong gust of wind that sent the insectoid monster flying toward Femme. As it came into striking range, Femme performed her Misty Slash, slashing the monster twice with her Wing Slasher. This was enough to destroy the monster as it exploded from the killing blow.

At the same time, Ryuga drew his own Final Vent card. It had his black dragon emblem surrounded by a bright yellow background. He opened up his black Drag Visor and slotted the card before closing it.

[Final Vent!]

Dragblacker circled around Ryuga with its head hovering behind the Black Dragon Knight. Instead of jumping into the air like Ryuki, Ryuga floated off the ground and went into a flying kick pose as Dragblacker breathed its dark dragonfire. Ryuga was fired like a missile at the Zenobiter who was rooted to the ground by black dragonfire that solidified into obsidian stone. It was sent to oblivion by Ryuga's Dragon Rider Kick.

Ryuga landed on his feet and watched as Blancwing and Dragblacker went after the Biters' energy spheres, gobbling them up before they returned to the Mirror World. All of a sudden, he felt a slap on the back. He turned around and saw that it was Ramona.

"So, stringbean. You're a black knight," Ramona smirked. "Guess that makes sense if you could tame a nasty dragon like that."

"Told you," Ryuga shrugged. He looked around and saw several people looking at him warily. The black knight's reputation strikes again. "Well, my night's ruined now. Just when it was getting good."

"Who cares what they think?" Ramona scoffed, poking his chest. "So what if you're a black knight? You do what you want and if they've got a problem with it then it's their problem. You don't have to change for anybody."

Ryuga looked to the ground as he pondered her words. She was right. Who cares what they thought?

"Good point," Ryuga chuckled. "So screw it. Know any other places to have fun?"

"Oh, you asked the right wolf!" Ramona grinned.

Meanwhile, Femme and the white knight were talking, of course bystanders were taking pictures of them like crazy.

"Hey, thanks," Femme said to the white knight who had helped her. "So, you got a name, Sir...?" Femme's eyes widened as the white knight lifted her visor and winked at her. Femme's eyes widened behind her visor, but she couldn't help but grin. "Okay then. See you around?"

The knight nodded and began walking from the scene, many girls sighing as she went.

'If only they knew,' Femme mentally chuckled.

"Oh! Oh! Lady Swan Knight! An interview please!" the energetic voice of a blonde MirrorNet streamer cut above the chaos of the adoring fans.

"Oh boy," Femme sighed.

Ever After High - The Next Day

Naturally, once Blondie was on the scene, the entire mess got streamed to everyone in only a few minutes. Soon, everyone knew the 'Swan Princess Knight' made her debut alongside the 'Black Dragon Knight'. It was a huge scoop since a princess knight was apparently something no one in Ever After High had seen before. More scandalously, a black knight and the next Big Bad Wolf were seen also fighting monsters to save people. Heroic villains? What was Book End coming to?

Gwen found the attention from the princesses to have gotten more intense. Melody had pretty much announced Gwen was the Swan Princess Knight on her blog since she had been watching the fight from backstage and witnessed them transform. Apple White to Briar Beauty, and Ashlynn Ella all wanted to give her fashion tips so she could better show off her status as a princess with such a beautiful motif. The only one Gwen didn't immediately dismiss was Ashlynn since Gwen did owe her for the broken shoes incident.

Daring Charming got swarmed by many girls the next day, hailed as a hero. Apparently, people assumed it was him that was wearing the suit although Gwen didn't really hear a solid reason why. The closest she got was apparently the knight used the Charming fighting style specific to Daring, Dexter, and Darling. Naturally, Daring didn't mind the adoration although he didn't seem to get what he was being praised for this time.

Hearing this bit of evidence, Gwen found she made a new friend in her Princessology tutor. Darling didn't deny it, seeing Gwen doing the same thing she was, only being open about her identity. However, now Darling had a new avenue to use in her Princessology lessons.

Case in point.

"Ow, ow ow!" Gwen grimaced, walking down the halls of Ever After High. That day, her wardrobe went through a distinct change. Gone were her usual jeans and sneakers. Instead, she was wearing white and gold pump shoes with a checkered gold and white skirt. Her halter top was blue with a white jacket accented with gold.

"Darling, why do I have to wear all this?!" Gwen groaned to the princess next to her. As part of her tutoring, Darling forced Gwen into her current outfit and made her walk down the halls with her.

"If you want to have better movement and grace in your armor, you need to get used to wearing similar shoes," Darling explained, walking daintily next to the clumsy Gwen. "And you can't wear those shoes with jeans, and you can't just wear the skirt without the matching top. I let you keep a jacket, didn't I?"

"I feel so girly!" Gwen whined.

"You are a girl, and a very beautiful one at that," Darling retorted, making Gwen's mouth snap shut as her cheeks burned red. "Oh, I found a weakness. Well, let me tell you all the beautiful things I see about you."

"DAAAAARLIIIIING!"

His debut as the Black Dragon Knight had earned Max respect in General Villainy. Since most of his classmates were trolls, goblins, aspiring witches, and the like, they took villainy seriously. As it turned out, just as knights in shining armor were the idols and celebrities of the heroes, black knights were the idols of the villains. So, by his debut, plenty of Max's classmates were hoping to become his minions for his future career in villainy. Essentially, overnight, Max was promoted to near the top of the villain clique.

It wasn't bad, although Max was very sure that Mr. Badwolf was sizing him up for a hunt after seeing Ramona being chummy with him in the stream. His eyes turning gold when he passed out a handout to him could not have been just by chance.

"What happened to fathers getting shotguns?" Max muttered as he left the class. "Now I have to worry about one hunting me down in the middle of the night."

"Ah, Dad's a puppy. You've got nothing to worry about," a familiar voice laughed. Max turned and saw Ramona leaning against a locker, grinning at him.

"She-wolf," Max greeted.

"Stringbean," Ramona nodded back. "Found a nice quiet spot away from the goodie-two-shoes. Figured we need some peace and quiet from our new popularity. You in?"

Max thought about it, but then shrugged, "Sure. Why not? Need some good company for a change."

"Good. Come on," Ramona grinned, grabbing him by the arm before leading him down the hall.

And so two more of our knights find acceptance. The newest princess finds a friend in an unlikely place, learning just because she is a princess does not mean she has to be a perfect one.

And the black knight finds acceptance in one who walks the same path as him, willingly or not.

This is getting juicy! And next time Ohja and Zolda will-!

Brooke! Spoilers!

A/N: And now is the debut of Ryuga and Femme. I also had Ramona Badwolf appear early, mainly due to hearing her little sister got hurt. She's already decided to make a claim of her own. As for Femme's boots, in the concept sketches of Kamen Rider Femme, she had high heels. I just decided to bring them back for this version of Femme appearing in Ever After High.