Knights of the Otherworld

by Ten-Faced Paladin

The clash of Royal and Rebel has begin, but the story says there is no end in sight. One meddling sorcerer from a lost story decides otherwise. Reaching out and finding the heroes who can break fate. It's time for everyone to get the Happily Ever After they deserve. It's time for a new story. It's time for the Knights of the Round Table to return.

8. Briar's Beach Bash

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 8: Briar's Beach Bash

Our Fellowship Cycle tales continued with another story about the knights who have championed themselves as protectors of Book End and Ever After High.

And look good doing it while charming princesses like nothing!

*Ahem!* Today we shall focus on the last but certainly not least of the knights. They are the Knight of the Burning Phoenix and the Knight of the Surging Shark, Sir Odin and Sir Abyss.

---

Rex Shephard yawned as he walked down the streets of Book End. It was a pleasant day, like most days, being not too hot or cold, not too bright and not too cloudy, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. All in all, just another fairy tale day.

Rex carried himself with pride and pedigree, often having some of the denizens wonder if he was a member of the Charming family. He had posture, a fit physique from playing rugby, and even had golden blonde hair which he kept in a ponytail. His chiseled looks made him appear every bit more like a Charming, but there was just something more to him. He even wore the hottest trends which involved khaki pants, designer shoes from home, and a royal red polo shirt.

Rex certainly would admit he was connected to royalty, just not the Charming Family. No, he was 114th in line for the throne of the United Kingdom. Granted, it was likely never going to be his, but Rex was raised to be proud of his pedigree and live up to the standards. So he always excelled in his studies, made sure he never threw the first punch, and strived to be an example for others to follow.

It may have been odd that he was on a bus of ordinary kids going to a summer camp but Rex, although connected to royalty and was of the upper class, did not just live in a gilded home. His parents wanted him to understand what the real world was like so he lived like an ordinary person. He did chores around the house for an allowance, he went to an ordinary school, and he was allowed to go to parties and the like provided he didn't get out of control. It was pressed that he had privileges, not rights to these things and if he abused them, they could and would be taken away. So summer camp, a place to mingle without pressures of school or home life was something Rex wanted to experience.

To be honest, Rex thought it was frankly ridiculous that they were suddenly drawn into a world of fairy tales. He would have called it absurd if he wasn't experiencing it. Once he saw proof of the Mirror Monsters though, Rex quickly stepped up and began leading his new comrades as a fellowship of knights to protect the people of Book End. The absurdity of manipulating destiny fell on the wayside as there would be no destiny to manipulate if the people of the village and Ever After High got devoured by the denizens of the Mirror World.

Rex wasn't keen on Arthur being given the role of King Arthur, but considering the fact they needed to limit the amount of outright lies they had to tell about their stories, it was acceptable. At least Arthur proved to possess the moral backbone to have a standard of behavior. To soothe his pride, Rex got the role of Percival, the knight who found the Holy Grail.

As Rex walked down the street, he noticed the road was being finished by placing cobblestone. No one was there, as the Brownie Union only worked when no one was looking. To be nearly complete in only a few days after Tristan blew a large crater into the road was a marvel.

But that wasn't on his mind at the moment. No, he had a purpose and he wanted to get there before he had to be off for school. Or more specifically, actually in class.

Coming to Ever After High, he found some of the students milling about. Since there were dorms within walking distance, some of the students were always early so they could hang out with their friends. Still, Rex would say hello to some, especially keeping friendly ties with the Charmings, but he was looking for someone in particular.

Placed along the main walkway to the school was a pop-up canopy with a single long table. Placed on it were plates of baked goods ranging from muffins, cookies, and some cakes. Nothing too sugary as it was meant for a sweet breakfast or appropriate muffins and such. There were even doughnuts on display with a rainbow of icing, frosting and sprinkles.

What nobody else knew was that Rex had a sweet-tooth. He absolutely loved sweets but he had to hide it to maintain his reputation. With the Gingerbread Boutique and the Beanstalk Bakery always with people from school filling it, he couldn't sate it as often or in the amounts he usually liked without looking ungraceful and their fare was usually mild.

"Hi Rex! The usual muffins today?"

The girl who spoke popped up from behind the table, hidden by its tablecloth. She was, like all the girls in Ever After, pretty and petite compared to Rex making him think of a pixie when he saw her. Her outfit consisted of a simple dress, but colored a baked brown streaked with bright pink with an apron which looked like a sprinkle-covered pasty. Over her top she wore a fashionable black jacket She had bright pink hair in various shades tamed in two ponytails and cinnamon-colored skin. She wore bright red framed circle glasses over her bright purple eyes.

Her name was Ginger Breadhouse and she was a prodigy at baking. Everything she baked, she obviously made with care, enthusiasm, and great skill. Everything she made was downright delicious. When she opened her breakfast bakery outside the school as a means of sharing her love of baking with the school, Rex was first in line.

"Good morning, Ginger. And yes, the usual," Rex answered.

If there was one baker who knew how to satisfy his sweet-tooth the best, it was Ginger Breadhouse, daughter of the infamous Candy Witch from Hansel & Gretel. Sadly, it was because of who her mother was that she wasn't more popular despite her superb skill and love of baking. It was well-known that the Candy Witch tried to fatten up Hansel before eating him. Because of that, most of the school were afraid to try her confections, fearing she cooked up some kind of spells in it. The worst were the Crumb Cousins, the daughter of Hansel and son of Gretel.

Rex had discovered Ginger by chance when he came to school early, wishing to see to some business when he found Ginger setting up.

Now this is a good time for a flashback!

(Flashback)

Rex yawned, feeling more tired than usual. Not that he didn't get enough sleep. Despite it being a dorm and the impropriety of sharing the dorm room with a girl, the beds were just fine. No, Rex was tired because he wasn't getting his sugar fix in the mornings. Gingerbread Boutique didn't have the portions he liked and the Beanstalk Bakery never had enough. Plus with so many classmates around, he didn't dare indulge in his guilty little pleasure.

Now he was just going into withdrawal and he hated it. He thought going early would mean a better chance, but that just had the early commuters beating him there instead of his fellow students.

Turning around the bend, he stopped when he saw something. No, it was more like he smelled something. The rich aroma of fresh gingerbread, the vanilla scent of baked cakes, the seductive call of chocolate. Honing in on it, he immediately took notice of someone setting up what looked like a quick stall of some kind. Better yet, the girl with the pink hair was setting down platers of pastries, cookies, and chocolate treats.

Rex never moved so fast in his life. He all but skidded to a halt in front of the stand, staring at the treats. All of them had cute and creative decoration on them and it only made them more desirable to taste. Rex felt his usual discipline in hiding his guilty pleasure crumbling at the sight of a candyland cornucopia.

"Oh!" the girl gasped, surprised to see him. "Well, hello there! Would you like some?"

"Can I?" Rex gasped. "How much?"

"Oh it's free!" the girl smiled. "I love sharing my treats with people and I'm trying to start up a cooking stream so I want people to taste what I make so it inspires them to learn to make it themselves and watch my show."

"Uh, oh dear, so much to choose," Rex all but drooled, making the girl giggle. He finally decided to start simple with a shortbread cookie. Biting into it, he almost moaned from the taste. It was firm enough to hold its shape, but soft enough that it melted in his mouth. The sugar sprinkled on top didn't grind between his teeth, but melted with the cookie to enhance its flavor.

"Ma'am, I have two questions," Rex finally spoke.

"Yes?" asked the girl, looking very hopeful.

"Firstly, may I know your name?"

"Certainly! I'm Ginger Breadhouse," the girl introduced.

"Rex Shephard," Rex nodded. "Secondly...can I have one of everything?"

Rex had never seen a girl smile so brightly before.

(End flashback)

It was so sweet I almost got a cavity!

Rex took a bite and it was like he had taken a bite out of Heaven, delicious, sugary Heaven. The muffin was moist, the filling sweet without being too overpowering, and the flavor danced on his tongue. This was the best way for him to start the day.

"Spelltacular as always, Ginger," Rex praised with a rare warm and genuine smile. He was so into his muffin that he failed to notice the blush coloring her cheeks.

Ginger loved baking and wanted people to enjoy her confections but she discovered something else she loved a bit more. Ever since Rex first came to her stand, he visited every day. Every day he asked for a big bag of her best and every day he gave her a shining smile she was sure no other girl got to see. Making him happy with her baked goods was an even better feeling than sharing them with her fellow students. She wasn't sure what she felt was serious or just a crush on her first loyal patron, but she really liked it and just wanted to bask in it.

Rex knew eating so many treats each day was bad for him but he could not help himself. He did, however, have to do more exercise to burn off the calories. He liked to maintain a good, healthy physique.

"Rex, would you quit hogging the cute gingerbread girl's attention?!" Lance's voice broke through the air. Ginger broke out in giggles while Rex sighed, rolling his eyes. So much for the peaceful morning with a fellow sweets lover.

"I almost regret telling them about you," Rex sighed. "Then I'd get to keep you to myself."

Ginger blushed, her mind drifting to being able to have Rex's attention all the time and being able to make all sorts of wonderful treats just for him. She quickly shook it off, "Sorry Rex, but I want to share my love of sweets with everyone. That's one of the best feelings in the world."

Despite the hard work it was, Ginger loved her mornings. Rex not only came every day, he told his friends, the other knights of his fellowship, about her. They all came every morning for her doughnuts and muffins as a breakfast treat. She happily obliged, loving the warm feeling in her chest when she saw them enjoying it. It didn't quite match the feeling in her heart when Rex did the same, but it was a feeling she never wanted to give up.

"Okay, okay everyone, I have your favorites ready," Ginger beamed. Cookies, little pastry balls called timbits, doughnuts, coffee creams, strudel, she quickly learned the favorites of her top fourteen patrons and made sure she always had something for them. She made sure she had low-sugar options for Gwen who was being forced to watch her weight by her tutor. She also made sure she got her MirrorPhone ready when Gabe stuffed his adorable little cheeks with timbits so she could get a pic for herself and Holly. It was controlled chaos, but Ginger thrived in it and she made sure all of her customers knew how much she appreciated them.

"How can you all be so brave as to eat that every day?" a German-accented voice spoke out.

The fourteen Riders turned to see a pair of students gaping in shock at them. One was a boy and the other was a girl. Both wore outfits like out of a German classic, lederhosen and the like only it was red, pink, and white with a candy motif. They both had the same pink/white hair and what looked like candy sprinkles in it. They looked like twins. Rex saw them and frowned. They were the Crumb Cousins, Gus and Helga, the son of Gretel and the daughter of Hansel.

As previously stated, they were the children of Hansel and Gretel. Naturally, they didn't like witches very much and for good reason considering what happened to their parents. However, once they learned Ginger went to the same school and started baking, they started giving her grief and warning all of the other students to not take so much as a crumb from her since they were convinced she was making poisonous pastries to lure them to their doom. It was why, save for a few, no one else really took any treats from her.

"What are you talking about?" asked Gabe, swallowing his timbits. "It's delicious!"

"But you don't know what she could put in there!" Helga gasped. "She's the daughter of a witch! Think of the poisons!"

Gabe looked at the timbit in his hand, but then shrugged and popped it into his mouth anyway, making the cousins gasp a second time. "Tastes fine to me."

"Yeah, calm down you two," Lance shrugged, twirling a doughnut on his finger. "No way a girl who makes food this good would poison it."

"I admit she's magic since only a magician could make food this good," Kyle complimented with a wink to Ginger. She smiled, but Rex just frowned at him. "But a witch? Come on. No way."

"When a fairy serves sweet treats, sugar rains from the sky," Darren praised in Riddlish. Hey, it didn't have to rhyme to not make sense.

Ginger was just glowing in happiness by this point. So many wonderful things were being said about her and her treats? This was shaping up to be a simply fableous day! Take that, Mom! The family baking could only be used for villainy? Shows what she knew!

"We tried to warn you! When she enchants you into dark knights, don't say we didn't warn you!" Gus pointed to the group.

Rex scowled angrily and he walked up to the Crumb cousins with eyes narrowed. He just came this morning to enjoy Ginger's sweet treats. He did not come here to listen to her getting harassed.

"If you don't have anything nice to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all," Rex growled at the Crumb cousins. "Now, beat it!" His voice rang with the authority of royalty. The cousins gasped, eyes wide, before they took off, leaving clouds of dust behind.

"Don't let those two get to you, Ginger," Gwen offered the sweet girl. "You're an amazing baker and if they don't want to even try it, their loss."

"Yeah, we'll boast about you everywhere," Rob grinned.

"Fourteen knights agreeing can't be wrong," Harry nodded.

"Aw, thanks, you guys," Ginger smiled. Honestly, she was smiling so much her cheeks were starting to hurt. What sweethearts she became friends with! It was true about knights, always ready to help someone in need!

Rex checked his watch and sighed, "As much as I would like to keep enjoying your wonderful treats, we have to start getting ready for class."

"Another bag of timbits! I want Holly to try some!" Gabe spoke up.

"Apple might like a strudel. Apple flavor of course," Lance added.

"Coming right up!" Ginger laughed.

"So, you guys heard about that party Briar's throwing to celebrate Legacy Day, right?" Lance asked as Ginger bagged their various requests.

"She mentioned it to me, once," Harry answered. "It will be a beach bonfire thing at the edge of Mirror Lake."

Darren gulped down one of his pastries, "You don't think it will be a real mirror, do you? We don't need a Mirror Monster jumping out of it and running the party."

"Don't jinx it!" Kevin hissed, swatting the comedian upside the head.

"I'm sure it'll be fine and if a Mirror Monster does show up we'll be there to take care of it so it doesn't ruin the party," Arthur said. There were fourteen of them and they all wanted to go so any Mirror Monster showing up would promptly be put down hard.

"Hey, maybe you should ask Raven to come as your date," Lance suggested.

"I don't know if that's her thing," Arthur shrugged.

"Oh come on. You want to see her in a swimsuit," Lance teased making Arthur blush at the thought.

"Like you aren't using it as an excuse to see Apple in the same," Arthur hissed back.

"Guilty but I can at least admit it," Lance grinned, clearly wondering what kind of swimsuit Apple preferred. Would she put on a classy one-piece or a sexy bikini that showed off all her fair skin?

"Boys," Gwen rolled her eyes, walking towards the school.

---

Ever After High - Muse-ic Classroom

"Ah Mr. Gigant, could you stay behind for a moment?"

Ben Gigant looked up from where he was putting his muse-ic books down and nodded. He waited for the other students, and the swarm of rats the teacher summoned when he played a tune in the class, to leave before he approached the desk.

Ben Gigant lived up to his name. He easily broke six feet in height, making him the tallest in the school save for Tiny, the giant's son from Jack & the Beanstalk. He had slightly shaggy brown hair which didn't have much of a style save for his sideburns. Ben didn't have much style himself, he preferred simple clothes with a blue t-shirt, black jeans, and sports shoes. The only part of his outfit which stood out was a wood bead necklace which had a shark tooth in the middle, a memento from Cuba. His features were rather average with soft cheekbones and a slightly cleft chin with deep blue eyes. He was a gentle giant though and no one had a bad word to say about him. Oddly, he rarely said much to anyone unless it was necessary.

"Yes, Mr. Piper?" he asked softly.

"I just wanted to point out a bit of a concern for your projects going forward," Mr Piper, or rather the Pied Piper, explained. "Part of the study in this course is vocal talent alongside instruments. While I am pleased with your performance with a number of instruments, you have yet to submit any vocal assignments."

"But I've written songs for assignments," Ben spoke up.

"For the written portion yes, but some of your projects have to be submitted as vocals. That means you need to sing," Mr. Piper explained. "I know you are a shy boy and it takes a lot of courage to sing instead of fighting monsters like your comrades. Still you'll have to pluck up the courage. I know you can sing a wonderful piece since the tones of your voice are a big indicator."

Ben gripped the strap of his bag.

"I-I'll think about it, Mr. Piper."

"That's all I ask," Mr. Piper nodded. "Now off with you. Lunch is just as much an important meal as breakfast. Much more fun too!"

"Yessir," Ben nodded before he left the classroom.

Ben wanted to groan once he was out in the hallways. A vocal song was necessary for his grade? That was just what he needed. Ben had already felt anxiety when he found out he was put in Muse-ic, but he had fun with the instruments and he wasn't the only one who stumbled with the music so he managed to not feel any pressure. Now, he had to actually sing? Ben knew he didn't have a singing voice at all. Sure his parents said otherwise, and some teachers said he did, but it was their job to say those things. Ben knew he lost his singing voice when his voice started cracking so he had to stop.

"Hope the performances are just for me and a teacher," Ben muttered. "I don't need to bust everyone's eardrums."

Still, he needed to perform a vocal song or else he would fail the assignment. He had had no excuses that Mr. Piper would accept but he really did not want to perform. Thinking about the assignment was stressing him out. He needed to go someplace where he could calm down.

He immediately headed for the pool.

The pool was one of many facilities for the sports teams the school sponsored. Ben had learned there was a surprising number of other schools for fairy tales which Ever After competed with. There was an underwater school for mermaids and the like, Wonderland had their own school before the disaster which forced it to close, Toyland, Candyland, and there was even one for Japanese/Chinese folklore somewhere in the east. It was very cool.

Slipping through the doors, Ben saw the lights were low and no one was around. Perfect. The room really was decorated like an underwater palace, which kind of fit the theme for everything else. But that also meant polished surfaces as well.

"May as well practice," Ben sighed, digging into his pocket. He pulled out his Advent Deck, bright blue with gold shark jaws. Coming to the diving board with brass plate decoration, he held it out to the metal deck case, letting his V-Buckle appear.

"Henshin."

He slid the deck into his V-Buckle, summoning his armor. Grayscale armor folded over him before filling with ocean blue color. His bodysuit was black in the toso as blue bled into his limbs with blue gauntlets and greaves. His torso armor was thick with shark jaw decorations across his chest and shark fins rising from his shoulders. Covering his entire left arm from the elbow down was a shark-shaped gauntlet called the Abyss Visor. His helmet was shaped like a shark's head with a silver faceplate showing the typical slits for vision, a zig-zag mouthplate mimicking the teeth of a shark and small fins framing it.

Now Ben could take a backseat to the Shark Knight, Kamen Rider Abyss.

Abyss actually found it liberating to be in his armor and often changed into it more often than the others. Since he was wearing a mask, he just felt like he could do the things he felt too timid to do without fearing any humiliation. If no one knew who he was, then no one could attribute anything stupid to him.

Walking to the low diving board, Abyss hopped on top of it before he sat down on the end, letting the tips of his boots trail in the water. He always liked pools and being in the water. It was just soothing. Like someone watching the clouds to relax, Abyss liked to sit in the water, or just watch it.

"Singing, huh?" he sighed, lights in the water cascading ripples of light over his armor. Heaving a sigh, he thought for a moment before a familiar tune began to play in his mind. Letting it roll into his mind from his childhood, he opened his mouth to begin practice.

"I can show you the world…shining, shimmering splendid

Now tell me, princess, now when you last let your heart decide?

I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder

Over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride"

Abyss sang the song from one of his favorite films, Aladdin, letting his voice echo in the pool room. To him, it was just his voice and he always heard a flaw or something he didn't like about it. Since his voice cracked during a school concert and the kids laughed at him, he never tried again. If anyone else heard, they would say his voice sounded just fine. Better than fine even. Of course, his parents and teachers said it, so he never believed them. Part of their jobs was to be encouraging.

Unbeknownst to him, someone was listening.

Under the water near the edge, a fellow student of Ever After was listening and Abyss never saw her in the illuminated pool. She had no problems staying underwater since she breathed it as readily as air. She had pink/red hair with coral purple streaks which drifted around her in the water, and deep green eyes with a pink star-shaped mark under her right eye. Her clothes consisted of a red tube-top garment with red coral wrapped around her shoulders with gold seashell jewelry on her wrists. On dry land, she'd also be wearing a long blue skirt which had fish scale patterns, but instead she sported a long fish tail, revealing her as a mermaid.

Her name was Meeshell Mermaid, a new student to Ever After High herself. Shy to a fault, she decided to take a dip in the pool to relax before her next class. To her surprise, someone was now in the pool room with her and she could hear them singing, even in the water.

"A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us no or where to go

Or say we're only dreaming."

One fact about mermaids was that they loved music. When sailors would be on the high seas and would celebrate, mermaids would eagerly swim up to meet them and hear their wonderful music while dancing in the waves around their ship. Meeshell was no different, finding herself enchanted and curious as to who the singer was despite her natural shyness.

Swimming up to the surface, she quietly broke through the water to see where the singer was. She found herself looking at someone dressed in ocean blue armor resembling a shark, the proud and powerful predators of the ocean. To people on the surface, sharks could be frightening. To mermaids and other ocean-dwellers, they were majestic and to be respected, like lions, tigers, or bears.

'Oh my,' Meeshell gasped in her thought as she heard the shark knight sing. She'd heard stories of a group of knights that went to her new school, but she didn't know one of them was a shark knight.

Abyss finished the chorus of the song he was singing before falling silent for a moment for thought.

"No, no, sounds better as a duet. I'm going to need a partner for it and no one will want to sing with me."

"I would," Meeshell found herself speaking up, causing Abyss's face to snap towards her.

"...I'm sorry. When did you get here? I did not notice you," Abyss spoke up, seemingly calm.

"Oh, I was already here," Meeshell spoke up, being in the water helping her remain calm. She grabbed the edge of the pool before lifting her tail out of the water to show she was a mermaid. Abyss gasped softly, but didn't say anything. "I heard you singing and had to come see. Why in the world would you think no one would want to sing with you?"

"My voice is terrible," Abyss claimed.

"Nonsense. It was beautiful," Meeshell objected.

"No, you're just saying that. I'm sorry if I disturbed your swim time. I should go." Abyss stood up on the diving board.

Meeshell splashed her tail, lifting herself a little higher in the water, "Wait. Could I please have your name?"

His name? Should he give her his real name or his alter-ego? He decided to go with the latter. She was probably expecting someone princely, not the all-but-invisible Ben Gigant.

"Abyss. Kamen Rider Abyss."

"Sir Abyss then. I hope to see you again." Meeshell smiled.

Abyss said nothing and stepped out of the pool.

---

Ah, poor Ben. He found someone who liked his singing and he still didn't think he was any good.

That's what happens when people get scarred by trauma, Brooke. It shatters their confidence and it takes a while before they start believing in themselves again.

Well, it's just not fair. I liked his singing, Meeshell liked his singing. Hm, what if...?

Brooke, no. We only tell the story. We do not interfere.

---

Ever After High - Castleteria

Briar Beauty was working hard. With Legacy Day coming up so soon, there was a lot to do, but also the students' own celebrations to look at. Sure, there was a party after signing the Storybook of Legends, but before all the pomp and ceremony, the students were having their own celebrations. Briar intended to have the biggest bash of all. She spent weeks preparing and checking off her supplies and other necessities. She had her venue, Melody Piper tending to the music, she heard there was an amazing baker named Ginger who could help with the food. She wanted as much of the party handled by the students about to sign the book as possible. Naturally, Royal or Rebel, everyone was invited. Briar really didn't think the Rebels would stick to not signing the book. Not when so many people beyond them relied on them to do their part for the stories.

Now, all she had to do was hand out the directions/invitations to her party. There were so many to hand out and so many people she wanted to invite for her to do it by herself. She considered asking the Three Billy Goats for help but they might just eat the invitations instead of giving them out.

So…

"Hi, Harry!" Briar smiled, slamming a stack of invitations onto the table next to the Stingray Knight. He yelped and looked at the royal purple slips of paper.

"Um...hello," Harry blinked. "Ah, what's this?"

"Well, one's for you," Briar took a slip and handed it to him. It looked like a formal invitation to a beach party on one side, and then a map to Mirror Lake was printed on the back to show where the party would be held. "The rest I'd like your help to pass out to the other students. Stick them in every locker or hand them out to people if they don't have them."

"And...why me?" asked Harry.

"Well, you did get my help for hooking Holly and Gabe up," Briar answered. "But I'm hoping your knightly virtue would come to help a maiden in need."

Harry clicked his tongue, but sighed, "Alright, alright, don't twist my arm. I'll-!" he stopped when he saw Briar slump over, her head on the stack of invitations and snoring softly...somehow standing up at the same time. "And that won't feel good on her back when she wakes up."

Now what was he going to do?

"OK, need to get to the invitations," Harry stood up and tried to wake Briar up. "Briar, Briar wake up. OK, how did Sleeping Beauty get woken up again?" He blushed. "Oh, right. A kiss. Not doing that since I'm not her Prince Charming." Well, so much for the easy way. It seemed like he'd be doing it the hard way.

He gently picked Briar up so she was not lying against the stack, which was difficult for him since he was not as physically as strong as he was while in his armor. At the same time, one of the Three Little Pigs had eaten a banana and tossed the peel behind Harry before leaving the castleteria. Harry was moving Briar to sit down comfortably on the castleteria bench when he slipped on the peel.

"Waugh!"

*CRASH!*

"...Ow," Harry groaned, flat on his back on the floor. His head throbbed slightly, but nothing seemed to be wrong besides a bump. As he tried to move, he realized a weight on his chest. Opening his eyes, he gasped as he saw Briar sleeping on top of him. Somehow he managed to keep her from getting hurt during the fall. "Well, score one on my knightly scorecard."

"Mmn," Briar mumbled, making Harry freeze. All he had to do was control himself and she'd wake up. They'd share an awkward moment, and then he could dash out of the castleteria with his shattered dignity. Briar shifted a little, but instead of waking up, she sank into a deeper sleep as her arms trapped him in an embrace. "Mmm...warm...zzzzzz"

"Oh, come on," Harry groaned. He looked around for help. Did anyone see them fall?

"Hey, Harry," Lance said as he walked over with a chuckle. "Finally got a girl to sleep with you. Nice."

"Lance," Harry groaned. "Skip the innuendo and help me."

Lance laughed and they managed to lift Briar up, not that she made it easy since she clutched Harry like she was glued to him. Still, they managed it and set her down on the bench with her purse as a pillow. So long as she didn't roll over, she'd wake up just fine.

"What are these?" Lance asked, looking at the stack.

"Invitation to Briar's beach party," Harry answered. "She wanted me to help hand them out."

"Hm, how about I help you out then," Lance offered. "Since she's catching some Z's now."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Harry replied as he lifted a stack of invitations.

Lance grinned as he took his own stack, "Hey, that's what big brothers are for. Oh, and I'm proud of you. Briar's a babe."

Harry's face reddened, "Oh shut up."

Lance and Harry took the stack of invitations and set on their task with some snickers following them. Briar on the other hand would wake up feeling refreshed and remembering a dream of hugging a very soft and warm cloud.

---

That was so sweet!

Brooke, was that your doing?

Of course not, Mom. That was just an accident. The pig was right there and you know they're messy.

Just remember that today's chapter focuses on the phoenix and shark knight, alright, Brooke?

OK, Dad.

---

Ever After High - Front Walk

Rex had gotten the party invitation from Lance. He heard that some of the guys would be bringing dates. Was he required to do the same, he wondered? Well, the invitation didn't say he couldn't. If anything, anyone with a partner was almost expected to bring them along. As a gentleman, Rex felt he was almost required to invite someone to go with him. The issue was that almost all the girls who were around the fellowship of knights were connected to one of his comrades. You'd have to be blind and deaf not to be able to tell that if they weren't couples already, they likely were going to be soon.

Well, there was one girl he was interested in asking to be his date. If he remembered properly, she was going to be presenting what was left from breakfast as a platter for anyone who was interested at lunch. Magic tupperware containers were so handy for keeping leftovers fresh.

"Back for seconds?" Ginger smiled, seeing Rex approach. "You rarely do that."

"Don't tempt me. I eat so much when you open in the mornings as is," Rex chuckled. "Actually, I was hoping if you'd like to be my plus-one for Briar's beach party."

Ginger's cinnamon cheeks turned almost peppermint red.

"R-really?!" she squeaked. "A-ah, yes! Yes, yes yes! I'll be there early since Briar asked me to make some desserts, but I'll totally find you once I'm done!" Ginger impulsively kissed Rex on the cheek just for being sweet.

---

"Hello, Ben," Max sighed as he entered the elevator beside the gentle giant. "How has your day been?"

"Okay. Nothing big," Ben replied, not mentioning his little issue in Muse-ic. "You?"

"Mr. Badwolf is giving me bad hunter eyes every class as more rumors spread about Ramona and I," Max snickered. "If he wanted to stifle the relationship, he should talk to her, not me. That girl just takes what she wants, regardless of what I say."

Ben blinked, "Ah, what does she do?"

"Well, she doesn't initiate savage makeout sessions like some rumors say," Max shook his head. "Although she likes it when I brush her hair when she demands it. Like any canine, she likes her pets I guess."

"Sounds cute," Ben chuckled. He'd like to cuddle a girl like that. "You two serious?"

"Ah, well it sounds appealing despite Ramona's tendency to fire off at random times. Like when she had a grip on me and saw a squirrel that she chased down," Max winced. Outside of his armor, Ramona was definitely the stronger...and the faster. Bushwhacking was indeed a painful experience. "But as a gentleman, I'm letting her set the pace. I'm in no rush."

"Lucky you," Ben grinned.

"Oh come on now. You can't be without some attention. Especially with Briar Beauty's party coming up," Max glanced to his taller comrade.

"Aside from being tall, I'm no one special compared to you guys," Ben shook his head.

"Well this may be your chance. Plenty of people are looking for dates to the party. After all this time, some girl should've caught your eye. Maybe a princess in one of your classes?"

Ben blushed slightly, thinking back to Meeshell in the pool. One of his deep secrets was that he was a Disney baby, raised on all of their classic and modern films. One childhood memory his mother loved to coo over was that he declared he was going to marry the Little Mermaid, as much as any little boy wanted to marry their mothers or some other major female in their lives.

In his boyhood, marrying a mermaid was his dream and Meeshell checked all of his 'ideal girlfriend' boxes. Red hair, soft voice, gentle smile, liked the water, one after another was checked off in that one meeting. If he hadn't been in his Abyss suit when he met her, he'd probably be a stuttering mess if she tried talking to him. As Ben though, he didn't have to worry about that. Meeshell would never notice him outside of his suit.

"I can tell you're thinking about someone," Max grinned, making Ben turn pink. "Why not ask her? Does she have a date or a boyfriend already?"

"Dunno," Ben muttered.

"Then find out. What's the harm in asking?" Max pressed. "As my father would say, 'don't be afraid to act. You may regret it for the rest of your life'."

Ben sighed. He had heard that one before. Plenty of his old teachers tried to get him to be more assertive, but you try to be when most of your class were waiting for you to fail so they could laugh at you

"I'll think about it," Ben answered neutrally before stepping off on his floor. That was a lie though as he already decided not to ask anyone and go stag.

---

Ever After High - Home Evil-Nomics

Home Evil-Nomics, taught by Baba Yaga, was also a villains only course. In this class, students learned how to make evil potions, raise evil animals, and pretty much gain the skills they needed for their future careers in villainy. It was the perfect course for learning how to build an evil lair.

It was also becoming Max's favorite class. There was a bit of science involved making the perfect evil potion and he came to enjoy it. Plus, some of the skills he learned here could be useful to him.

"Alright, students. Today we will be making a Monsterfication Potion," Baba Yaga started the lesson. "Basically, your potion will turn your victim into a monster. You can use this on your enemies to turn them from a pretty prince or princess to an ugly beast!"

During lab projects like making potions, Baba Yaga had her students working in pairs. Max's lab partner was Faybelle Thorn, the daughter of the Dark Faerie who originally cursed Sleeping Beauty to sleep for 100 years. She was also Max's classmate in General Villainy and Home Evil-nomics. She was cute but she had a nasty personality.

She sported pale skin, almost blue in certain light. Her hair was platinum blonde with soft blue streaks. And she had faerie wings on her back. A pale dark beauty, like Raven, but she loved being bad.

"So, I heard that Briar Beauty's throwing a Beach Bash at Mirror Lake," Faybelle said as Max read the instructions for their assignment.

"Oh, she is," Max confirmed. Faybelle saw the pink slip of paper poking out of Max's vest pocket and snatched it from him. "Hey!"

"And what's this?" Faybelle asked, holding the pink slip between her fingers. "A party invitation?"

"Give that back, Faybelle," Max demanded.

"Hmph, I didn't get an invitation," Faybelle frowned.

"Probably didn't reach you yet," Max answered. "Or maybe Briar didn't want to invite you because of family history."

Faybelle scowled at him for the dig, "And how did you get one, Black Knight?"

"I've got friends who invited me."

"Oh, then, friend to friend, how about you take me as your date?"

"I've already got someone in mind, Faybelle. Remember Ramona? Big Bad Wolf's daughter? Want to make her think you're crossing her territory?" Faybelle grimaced. Daughter to a powerful fae she may have been, but the Big Bad Wolf ranked up there as well.

"Well I can't go alone!" Faybell frowned.

"As pretty as you are, I don't believe you'll have trouble finding a date," Max retorted. "Or go with friends. Other people are."

"Bah! And let Sleeping Beauty's kid show me up? No way! Mom will never let me hear the end of it," Faybell scowled. "No, I need one heck of a date to show her up. You knights are the hot topic these days. If you won't take me, you've got to know someone who will!"

If Lance was still unattached, Max would send Faybelle his way just to see how the player would adapt. Kyle was an option, but he had so many princesses after him that Faybelle wouldn't appreciate the competition. Rex was unattached, but his royal mindset wouldn't let him date a villainess. Harry? No, after the show in the castleteria it was almost like Briar staked a claim and Faybelle would go for that for all the wrong reasons. Certainly not Ben. Faybelle would walk all over him since she wanted a real knight. Maybe…

"Well, there's Kevin. The Gazelle Knight," Max offered her a bone. "I don't think anyone's shown interest in him yet."

"No, he's into Ashlynn Ella. Everyone knows that," Faybelle huffed.

"Wait, since when?" Max frowned. "He's never said anything to us."

"You should really check the MirrorNet and Fablebook. There are pictures of him coming to her rescue."

"Focus on your potions!" Baba Yaga commanded.

Max and Faybelle ducked their heads but still continued their conversation.

"Look, if Kevin hasn't said anything about him and Ashlynn then maybe it's not true. Besides, are you so scared to ask a knight who you know isn't seeing anyone, Faybelle?"

"Tsk!" Faybelle scowled, tossing the invitation back to Max. "Watch me. I'll have him eating out of my hand by the end of the day."

"Alright. Now, let's work on this potion. Then we'll need to test it and see if it works so we can get our grade."

"If you're looking for a target..."

"No, not Briar. Someone a bit more obnoxious: Daring."

"Ooooh, Good one. You're good at being bad."

"What can I say? Once I embraced my bad side, it's fun," Max shrugged. It took him time to finally embrace things but he was really enjoying his time in Ever After High. Ramona was a major influence too. "Now pay attention. We get this just right and Daring is going to look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon."

"'Creature from the Black Lagoon'? Never heard of that story."

Max didn't look up from where he began his measurements, "Just a movie monster from where I'm from. Imagine an ugly, slimy fish-man."

Faybelle stifled a laugh.

"Oh, that will be a good look for Daring."

"Good, then go grab some fish scales and toad slime," Max pointed to the ingredient shelf.

---

Brooke, are you going off script again?

Nope! They're all elements for what's coming up! I swear!

---

Ever After High - Bookball Field

Daring was at bookball practice with the school's bookball team. He was bragging to his teammates, as usual. What he bragged about varied. His favorite subject was his shining smile or his latest selfie gallery. Last time it was bragging of being hailed as a hero, although he couldn't remember what he did to earn it. He just figured he did something, as that was what Charmings did. Today, he was bragging about how he was going to be ruling Briar's party.

"And I'll be going with Apple White to Briar's Beach Bash," Daring smiled into his mirror next to his teammates. "A party's just not a party without us there."

"Isn't she dating Sir Lance, the Wing Knight?" asked one team member.

"Hmph, there's no way. Why would she go out with a creepy bat when she can have this handsome stud?" Daring winked and grinned, shining his pearly whites. The teammate grunted and had to wipe his eyes to get the glare out.

Meanwhile, Max and Faybelle were on the bleachers, close to the table where the bookball team left their refreshments. It was easy to find Daring's bottle as it had his name written all over it. For them to earn their grade, they needed to record the whole thing and present it in class. However, they needed to do it in a way that would not get them caught.

"Distraction?" whispered Max.

"Cheerhexing practice starts soon. Trust me, they'll be distracted," Faybelle replied. She would be the one to know as she was on the cheerhexing team.

Cheerhexing was what it sounded like, cheerleaders with magic. Likewise with the stereotype, bookball players always made time to watch their routines. Sometimes the girls didn't appreciate that and held their practice when the team wasn't nearby. Not for any harassment reasons, but if too many princes were on the field to watch, it distracted the girls and they couldn't do their routines. Faybelle just asked some of her fellow villains on the team to hold a surprise practice to help in her project.

Sure enough, several cheerhexers in full uniform, and looking suspiciously like mischievous or dark fae, all came to the field and started doing their routines with loud music, kicks, and lots of flips. Then like clockwork, the attention of the bookball team became riveted to them. Much to the frustration of Coach Gingerbreadman.

While the bookball team was distracted, Max unscrewed the cap of Daring's water bottle and added three drops of his Monsterfication Potion into the water. According to the recipe, the potion would last for 1 hour for every drip. He wanted this to last for three hours. Long enough to last the rest of the day, but not keep him from the party. Max was bad, not evil.

Once he added the potion, he screwed the cap on and snuck away.

"You spike him?" Faybelle asked as she held up her phone, recording everything.

"You should have seen it, but yes," Max replied. "Did Coach see me?"

"No, he's shouting at the bookball team to get back to practice," Faybelle grinned. "And here comes Daring."

"Oh, that worked up a sweat," Daring said as he grabbed his water bottle. Max and Faybelle watched in anticipation as Daring unscrewed his bottle and chugged down half the bottle before putting it down and closing it. "Alright! Time for more practice!"

Max looked at his watch.

"OK, so the potion should be kicking in any second now," Max whispered.

Daring was out on the field when he started to feel itchy. He scratched at his neck and immediately noticed something didn't feel right. Fearing all the sweat and practice was giving him a rash, he turned around and retrieved his mirror from his gear. He did not notice his teammates were starting to gape at him while Gingerbreadman dropped his whistle in surprise.

Daring screamed in horror as he looked into his mirror.

"I'M HIDEOUS! DON'T LOOK AT ME! DON'T LOOK AT ME!" Daring dropped his mirror and ran away, screaming. His reason? His face was now a fat-lipped fish-man with gills, green skin, and constantly covered in slime. He really did look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, only in gym clothes and Daring's hair.

Max raised his hand for a high-five and Faybelle slapped his palm.

"That's A+ work," Faybelle praised.

"Oh, I know," Max shrugged. "Got the footage?"

"Everything from go to whoa. Everyone's gonna love it."

"What a purrrrfect execution." Both knight and fae stopped before they took notice of a toothy smile hovering next to Faybelle. In a flurry of magic, the smile was connected to its owner, Kitty Cheshire, daughter of the Cheshire Cat from Wonderland.

Despite having a cat for a parent, Kitty looked like a human with pale lavender skin, green catty eyes and long purple hair tied in two pigtails with various shades of the color streaked through it. Her clothing was dark, leaning closer to gothic lolita in her style. Of course, she carried a cat-themed bag and had a cat headband in her hair.

It was hard to tell what was going to happen with Kitty around. She didn't really side with Rebel or Royal, neither hero nor villain. She just liked to stir up drama and kick around in the chaos. She never put herself in the middle of it, but preferred to hang out above it and waiting for it all to unfold. Somehow, she and Lizzie Hearts were best friends.

"Hey, did you guys turn Daring into a monster?" Kitty asked, although her grin told them she already knew the answer.

"We sure did," Faybelle boasted, putting a hand on Max's shoulder.

"If you're going to rat us out, know that we've got some extra left to make you look a bit fishy," Max threatened.

"Oh, I won't do that," Kitty grinned. "I know a good prank when I see one. I'm impressed. Anyway, sure hope to see you both stir up more chaos. It'll be fun to watch. Buh-bye." Cheshire faded away, leaving her grin to linger behind for a few moments before it vanished as well.

"I can never tell what goes on in her head," May remarked.

"Wonderlandians," Faybelle agreed.

---

Alright, Brooke. You've had your fun. Now let's get back to the real story.

OK, Mom. I really want to see if Ben and Meeshell hook up!

---

Ever After High - Female Dorm

Meeshell was in her room, sitting in her personal little kiddy pool for a soak. She could not stop thinking about that blue shark knight with the beautiful singing voice. If only she could see his face but she was too shy to ask him to remove his helmet and too shy to ask around who he might be under that armor.

"Why so down Meeshell?" asked Meeshell's roommate, Farrah Goodfairy. She just walked into the room and noticed her usually cheery roommate looking so down.

Farrah was the daughter of the Good Fairy who helped Cinderella get ready for the ball. As expected, Farrah was just as kind and helpful as her mother was. She loved granting wishes for people, within reason, and her magic only lasted until the next noon hour or midnight depending on the time of day. She adored fashion, often found designing or dreaming of new kinds of clothes she could create. She was especially looking forward to giving Ashlynn her makeover in their story, hoping to outdo her mother.

Of course, glamorous was a great way to describe Farrah. She sported the pale, magical skin tone of the fae with long hair that sparkled with streaks of purple and silvery blue. Her outfits always sparkled with a royal blue and gemstones she'd have sewn into them. And naturally, she had crystal fairy wings on her back and never went anywhere without her silver wand.

"Oh, Farrah," Meeshell sighed. "I met an amazing boy at the pool today but I don't know who he may be!"

"Oooh! What does he look like?" Farrah smiled, immediately moving to sit on the edge of Meeshell's pool

"He was a noble shark with a beautiful singing voice." Meeshell sighed happily at the memory.

"A shark?" Farrah tilted her head in confusion. She would have noticed a shark walking the halls of the school.

"Oh, I mean a shark knight," Meeshell clarified. "He just appeared at the pool and began to sing and it was so beautiful. If I knew the lyrics I would have joined him. But he thinks his voice sounds all wrong and then he left and only told me his title." Meeshell sighed. "I wish I thought to ask to see his face instead."

"Well, that's one wish that's too late for me to grant," Farrah placed a comforting arm across the mermaid's shoulders. "You know, everyone is going to be going to Briar Beauty's party tonight. I would wager he's going to be there too."

Meeshell perked up, "Do you truly think so?"

"I heard all the knights are going so you might catch him there," Farrah smiled. "So let's start getting ready to meet your prince under the light of the moon!"

---

Book End Library

After the school day ended, the knights were back at Merlin's library and getting ready for Briar's party.

"A beach party sounds grand. What a fun evening plan," Mira rhymed, skipping by the group as she had her own plans to attend.

"So, did you guys hear about Daring getting turned into something like the Creature from the Black Lagoon?" asked Gwen, "Darling was uh...asking about it." Gwen left out that her tutor was giggling like a maniac when she told the story. Darling loved her brother, but sometimes he needed to pop some of that ego of his.

"Yeah, who could do something so terrible?" Lance deadpanned, not looking up from his comic book.

"Max," Arthur called to his counterpart. "You're in the villain courses. You hear anything?"

Max looked up from his notes, "I can neither confirm nor deny anything without incriminating myself." That meant that Max likely knew who was responsible but he was not telling. Possibly some kind of honor between villains. He also wasn't a snitch. Flipping his pages shut, the Black Dragon Knight looked up to Kevin, "By the way Kevin, do you have a date yet?"

"No. No one seemed interested in asking me. Why?" asked Kevin.

"A girl in my class, Faybelle, wants to go but refuses to go alone or with a hen party," Max replied. "She wants to show up with one of us and so far you seem to be the only one of us who's single or not claimed."

"Faybelle?" Kevin was not familiar with her. He knew she was the cheerhexing captain but that was about it.

"Oh, and just a word of warning, try not to upset her. She might put a curse on you," Max warned.

"There's a shining endorsement," Rob rolled his eyes. "Go for it, bro!"

Kevin pondered, but then shrugged, "Why not? Live on the edge and all that. Got her number?"

"Here," Max handed him a slip of paper. "Treat her like a princess. She likes that."

"Your appreciation for romance is tear jerking," Gwen rolled her eyes. "Glad I'm just going with Darling as friends. Don't need you guys giving me so much temptation."

"Hey, Arthur! How about you? Did you ask Raven to be your date?" Lance called.

Arthur scratched his cheek with a flush, "Well, I asked just to be courteous. She got excited but then her magic did something and I blinked and suddenly it was 10 minutes later."

"Hey, Gawain, what about you?" asked Gabe.

"Rosabella," Gawain replied simply. "Darren?"

"I got Lizzie!" Darren grinned, flashing a 'V for victory' sign. "What about you Harry?"

"Briar asked me for a favor to be her escort since she's the hostess. Since her friends have knights, so should she," Harry replied. "So I'm more like her plus one."

"Hey, you kids should go and pick up your dates soon," Merlin said. "Make sure you all get your swim gear before you go too. I don't need one of you barrelling in here in a panic because you forgot something. Not to mention it would make you look bad in front of your dates. Can't do that to a princess you know."

The knights got changed into their swimsuits. The boys wore trunks in their respective colors with their emblems on them. As for Gwen, her swimsuit looked more like a sports bra with bloomers than a bikini (even if it looked good on her athletic frame)and her swan emblem was on her right breast. All of them had tropical shirts to wear over them with their contract beasts artistically printed on them.

Grabbing their beach gear, they stood in front of the mirrors and held out their Advent Decks to summon their V-Buckles.

"Let's party, guys! Henshin!" Lance yelled.

---

Ever After High - Girls Dorm.

Raven was nervous. She was going to a beach party with Arthur. Luckily, she had a swimsuit. Sometimes she liked to take a swim at the pool to relax. Still, the fact she would be showing Arthur what she looked like in one still made her nervous.

"I feel like I'm ditching you though, Maddie," Raven sighed, checking herself in the mirror again. Her hair was in a different style than usual. Instead of her usual style, her hair was tied into a high ponytail with her bangs framing her face. No point going with her usual style if she was going swimming.

"Are you bonkers?" Maddie giggled. "You go have fun with your knight in shining armor! I'll meet you there and we can cook weenies on the campfire with tea!"

The girls had Raven's room to change in together since Apple had gone to Briar's room to coordinate accessories or giggle over the swimsuits the boys would be wearing and who would look best in them. Not that Raven wasn't tempted to join in, but she liked to keep her thoughts about Arthur private.

Most of the girls were wearing similar clothes for the trip to the beach. Mostly shorts, hoodies, and the like. Nothing special. No, the special parts would be when they got to put on their swimsuits and show off to the boys. The thought made Raven blush since she wasn't sure if she was ready for Arthur to see her in such a way. The part of her who sounded a bit like her mother reminded her that she was being ridiculous. It wasn't like her swimsuit was anything racy or wrong like some fairy girls she saw.

Raven checked herself in the mirror for what had to be the fifth time before she started to hear commotion in the halls.

"Oooh, something fun?" Maddie pondered as she stepped out. Raven followed her and they got to the dorm's common room on the floor. It overlooked the front of the building where a u-shaped drive was set for pickups and dropoffs. The windows were open, so the gasps and cheers were heard from outside. Many girls were crowded at the windows, looking outside.

"What's going on?" asked Raven.

"Only a procession of hunky knights!" Apple tittered, eyes focused on the front drive.

Raven and Maddie looked to each other before shrugging and trying to get a look of their own. It took some liberal use of elbows but they got there. They looked and blinked when it was literally, a procession of twelve armored horses entering the drive. Each of them had a familiar figure on its back, brightly colored and covered in armor.

"Mom told us stories like this!" Holly giggled.

"They're showing off," Raven chuckled. "That's so sweet of them."

"Just trying to make a good impression," Maddie laughed. "Well ladies, your dates are here! Go meet them!"

Raven felt butterflies in her stomach. Her first date! Her first real date and they were going to the beach! Quickly grabbing her change of clothes, she and several other girls, presumably the dates of the other knights, reached the first floor and stepped out of the front doors.

Once they were out, Ryuki who was at the front, slipped off his horse and kneeled at the front of the dorms.

"The Dragon Knight Ryuki comes to take Lady Raven Queen on a lovely rendezvous to the Mirror Lake this evening."

"You are such a ham!" Raven flushed red, but her smile was unmistakable. "Oh just take me away!"

"Blame Lance. He put the idea to a vote and won the majority," Ryuki shrugged. He took Raven's hand and mounted the horse before lifting her up to sit in front of him. Flicking the reins, they began to clop down the road. Behind them, Knight pulled the same routine for Apple, who loved every second of it. Raven had to admit, she was loving it too. Even Darling was into it even if she and Gwen were just going as friends.

"Sorry about the cheesiness. Lance somehow convinced the majority," Femme sighed she helped Darling onto the saddle.

"Don't worry. I think it's charming," Darling giggled as she wrapped her arms around Femme from behind. Femme snorted at the pun before flicking her reins and letting Ohja move up to the pickup next.

"So, finally acting like a knight and picking me up?" Duchess asked Ohja when it came to her turn.

"Hey, you were the one who asked me," Ohja replied.

Their relationship had improved since Duchess was shown all the alternate endings of her story which gave her hope. After so long over being bitter about her bad ending, finding a different one in books just as old, or maybe older than the Storybook of Legends lightened her attitude. She called offering to be Ohja's date as her means of thanks, although both their circle of friends claimed it sounded like more.

"Princess Holly," Gai offered his hand to the future Rapunzel.

"Sir Gai," Holly smiled sweetly, taking the Rider's outstretched hands. Oh this was like stories her mother told her and her sister when they were little!

"Lizzie Hearts, Princess of Hearts, shall we ride to the lake this day?" Verde offered.

"We shall!" Lizzie beamed. "And if anyone interrupts, it shall be off with their heads!"

"Hey, you're Faybelle, right?" Imperor asked the dark fae. "Guess I'm your date."

Faybelle gave him a once over and shrugged. She could do worse. Briar's knight was the pink wuss. She got the one that had an army and looked tougher without trying.

One by one, the Riders picked up their dates. Scissors with Nina, Tiger with Rosabella, Poppy with Zolda, Raia with Briar. All of it done likes knights of old calling upon fair maidens to have a romantic rendezvous. Even Ramona seemed to get a little flustered, pretending to not try to hide her face with her hair when she got on Ryuga's horse. Cerise got a real laugh out of that.

Ashlynn blinked at the lineup of the boys as Ryuga was the last, "Shouldn't there be two more of you?"

"Odin's date is already at the beach and...you know Abyss didn't say if he had a date or not," Ryuga spoke up. "Anyway, they'll be there when we arrive anyway. How about you, Ashlynn? Are you going with anyone or by yourself?"

"Oh, I'm going with friends," Ashlynn waved off. She knew Ryuga was being polite since her circle of friends had rides with the knights.

"Would you ride already?" Ramona huffed, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. She did not want Cerise to have any more ammo to hold over her.

"Alright, alright," Ryuga snorted, flicking the reins and taking off down the drive.

---

And so the noble knights are taking their lovely maidens to a wonderful party at Mirror Lake.

Hopefully, some hearts will grow closer tonight.

I'm so jealous! Knights on horseback!

...Or some may even realize their true destiny.

We should check on Rex and Ben. See how they're doing.

---

Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake didn't get its name just to fit in with the naming conventions of the residents. No, it was an almost circular lake save for two beaches. On calm days, the water was almost like glass. From above, the lake did look like a giant mirror with the beaches acting like handles on the sides. It was indeed a beautiful place for peace and serenity.

Tonight, it was going to be a place to party hard.

"We are ready to rock!" Melody cheered as she finished her setup.

"Bonfires are set. Just need to light them when it gets dark," Dexter Charming reported. Briar conscripted him to help and he really didn't have the backbone to say no. Plus it would be a chance to maybe 'bump into' Raven sometime during the party.

"Desserts are ready!" Ginger beamed from where her dessert tables were set up. This was such a big opportunity for her! With the party so big, no one would likely notice it was her who made the pastries. Even if the Crumb Cousins came, they wouldn't be able to convince everyone not to eat her sweets. Then when people found them delicious, they'd be more relaxed around her and try more of her sweets during the day.

"Hey Dexter, is your brother going to make it?" asked the daughter of the Hero of Hamlin. "I heard someone slipped him a monster potion today." Melody wasn't asking because she had a thing for the eldest Charming. She only asked since this part was for everyone about to participate in Legacy Day and Daring was part of that. It would, well, suck if he couldn't attend.

"He should. Baba Yaga said the potion that turned him into that fish monster would wear off long before the party," Dexter shrugged. "He's probably just making double sure he's back to normal before he comes 'fashionably late'."

As they talked or got the finishing touches done before Briar made her big arrival, one of Melody's stage pieces, polished metal, rippled before a pair of large figures emerged from it. At first the students feared it was another Mirror Monster before they relaxed, seeing a pair of Kamen Riders instead. One was Abysss, in his shark armor. The other was the alias of Rex Shephard, the Phoenix Knight, Kamen Rider Odin.

If there was one word to describe Odin, it was 'regal'. It was obvious that his armor was modeled after a phoenix with golden wing-shaped shoulders and brown armor with gold trim. Unlike the other Riders, his V-Buckle was gold, holding his brown Advent Deck with his phoenix emblem. His helmet looked like an ornate crown, the visor having layers of gold with a black horn in the middle while the mouth plate was silver with black lines drawn on it. He also carried a scepter topped by a phoenix ornament.

"Oh wow," Dexter blinked. Was this guy related to his family?

"Sorry. Did we scare you all?" Odin asked, dismounting his horse. A slap to the flank had it retreat to the Mirror World. Abyss did the same, looking around, but not saying a word yet. Odin merely removed his Advent Deck, dismissing his armor in shards of gold.

"Rex!" Ginger gasped, but couldn't help but let her eyes rove over his form. Oooh, he was going to distract her if she needed to check on her sweets.

"Ginger," Rex smiled at her, approaching her table and snagged a cookie. "First taste."

"Now stop that," Ginger smiled, swatting his shoulder. "This is for everyone, not just for your sweet tooth."

"You tempt me with this and say I can't have any? So cruel," Rex chuckled.

"If you need something sweet, you can spend time with me instead," Ginger teased, although it gave Rex pause which made her laugh.

Abyss looked around, but didn't feel like removing his armor just yet. Deciding to amuse himself, he walked down to the shore to walk along its edge while he waited for the party to start. That way he could remove his armor and be faceless in the crowd.

"Isn't he going to take his suit off?" Ginger asked.

"He's shy," Rex commented. "Leave him be. He'll join us when he's good and ready."

"Oh boy," Melody shook her head, overhearing the two. "Then that is one boy who needs some TLC to get out of his shell. Good thing I bring tunes for all occasions!"

"Good luck with that," Rex shrugged. Ben proved almost terminally shy and he certainly seemed to see so many flaws in himself others did not. He seemed more comfortable in his suit than he was in his own skin.

The water of the lake rippled before a procession of knights on horseback with fair ladies suddenly emerged from the water of the lake, or rather the reflection cast by the afternoon sun. They made quite a scene as the early arrivals gasped and laughed at the show. Only Dexter looked a little downtrodden as he saw Raven on Ryuki's horse and clearly enjoying herself with a bright smile.

"That was amazing!" Raven gasped, looking up to Ryuki's mask. "It was like a tunnel filled with diamonds and we moved so fast!"

"It's a sight to see," Ryuki admitted. "Still, how about we set down so I can get out of this suit for a beach party?"

Ryuki dismounted and helped Raven off his steed, the other knights following suit with their own dates. After that, they removed their Advent Decks, banishing their suits in the process. With their duty done for the day, the Mirror Warhorses galloped back to the lake and returned to the Mirror World to await the call again.

"Ooh, desserts!" Gabe made his way to the dessert table but was blocked by Rex.

"They're for everyone, not just you or me," Rex cut the shorter Rider off.

"You just want to hog Ginger's attention as long as you can, don't you?" Gabe retorted.

"Like you don't want to hog Holly's attention as much as possible?" Rex answered...although he didn't deny the idea of keeping Ginger's attention.

"...touche."

There were changing rooms that were positioned at both beaches on the lake for residents to change into swimsuits. Once they arrived, the princesses with the Riders went to change, even if one or two were slow about it, still shy about the thought while others were eager to show off and went there right away.

When they finally came out, they were absolutely stunning.

Raven Queen wore a black bikini with a purple sarong that was decorated by a star pattern. Arthur couldn't help but stare, seeing her dark and seductive side in her choice. Dexter was also stunned, unable to tear his gaze away.

Apple White's bikini was white with a pattern of red apples. A simple and humble design, but still showed off her good looks, which Lance immediately appreciated.

Darling had a demure one-piece with a white shawl over her shoulders, her hair tied in a braid.

Holly and Poppy had identical regular bikinis, save for their colors as Holly wore pink while Polly wore purple. Holly also had her hair done in a long braid.

Faybelle had a halter-style two-piece swimsuit which was black with green accenting. She needed the specific style on account of her wings. She also strut, making sure Kevin kept his eyes solely on her and not Briar when she came out.

Speaking of, Briar came with a hot pink one piece which had the abdomen and back portions removed which did turn several heads. She winked at Harry who chuckled, admittedly taking in the sight.

Duchess, being a prim and proper type, simply wore a one piece which had twisting black and white designs, but also swan wings on the small of her back. When Kyle gave a whistle at the sight of her, she merely smirked at him.

Ramona had picked a tiger-print bikini that left little to the imagination. When she posed in front of Max, he had to excuse himself to dunk himself in the lake. It only served to make the she-wolf laugh as she secured more of her territory.

Rosabella simply wore a yellow and white polka-dot bikini with nothing special. She simply made it look good. Gawain smiled at her and the two seemed to have a silent conversation which left both smiling brightly.

Nina's wasn't nearly as racy, wearing a green halter top with matching bottoms and a green sarong. Rob gave an appreciative whistle which put Nina into a giggling fit as she swat his arm.

Lizzie's bikini was a checkerboard print of red and black with a heart over her, well, heart area. Darren babbled something in Riddlish, making her light up in happiness. No one else but other Wonderlandians seemed to get it and Maddie reported he babbled about how pretty she was.

Ginger's swimsuit truly displayed her love of baking. Colored like a rainbow, it was decorated with pictures of sweets and pastries.

Maddie's swimsuit definitely fit her personality as it was a patchwork of bright random colors that surprisingly did not clash. She also wore her signature tiny tophat.

Melody had put on a yellow one-piece swimsuit with a pattern of musical notes.

Blondie's suit seemed a little kiddy with a blue halter top and her bottom sported a short skirt. Then again, she didn't have to worry about a date and only came to have fun and swim a lot.

Cupid's was, if anything, on the same level of Ramona's without trying. Growing up in a Greek culture, Cupid saw nothing wrong with showing some skin. Her swimsuit looked more like a tight toga made into a two piece and in a way she resembled her grandmother Aphrodite riding in the shell. She hoped to get Dexter to notice her.

Ashlynn's one-piece was a crystal blue which seemed almost like it could have been spun from glass with a matching shawl over her shoulders. Hunter's mouth went dry as she sent him a quick wink.

To put it simply, all the girls looked simply stunning. But then again, what else could they be, being fairy tale princesses?

"Gentlemen!" Lance declared dramatically. "This is indeed the promised land! For only in Heaven can we set our sights on such beauty!"

"Oh, dial it back, ya ham!" Gwen swatted Lance's arm. "What are we waiting for? Let's party!"

---

In less than an hour, Mirror Lake was packed with teens in swimsuits. Briar wasn't kidding about inviting everyone. Practically all the students of Ever After High had come to attend, from the titanic Tiny to the Billy Goats Gruff. It was a miracle that they had enough refreshments for everyone. Students were mingling without caring about status or cliques. They were all here to have a good time.

"Chug, chug, chug, chug!" the crowd chanted as Max and Rob both drank a huge bottle of soda each without stopping.

Melody entertained the partiers but when she needed a break from being a DJ, Sparrow and his band, plus Gwen, took over and rocked the beach. It was hextacular.

There was even an impromptu game of beach volleyball that everyone had a chance to play. Rotating teams were formed as people got interested or moved on to other activities. Plenty of the knights took turns, playing with their girlfriends or other friends.

Gabe and Holly had fun making a sand sculpture together. They were quickly gaining attention as they were able to keep expanding the sculpture into something bigger.

As all his friends and schoolmates had fun at the party, Abyss kept his distance. He stayed in his armor, feeling awkward. Well, less awkward than if he was outside of it. This was literally, his first party and he didn't quite know what the social protocols were. So he stayed at the fringes, looking out to the lake.

"Sir Abyss?" Abyss perked and turned, surprised to see Meeshell smiling as she approached. She wore a red tube top and a matching bottoms with a shawl printed with fish scales like her ordinary dress. Inwardly, he began to fret, realizing the person who heard him sing had found him again. Staying in his armor kept him calm.

"Meeshell?"

"I thought it was you. Why are you sitting here by yourself?" asked the Mermaid to the knight. Still, she would have thought he would be out of his armor and having fun with everyone else.

"Not really sure how to act in a party. This is my first high school party," Abyss shook his head, looking back out to the water.

"Mine too," Meeshell admitted. If it was a party with fellow mermaids or other ocean folk, she would have been fine. On dry land though, she felt a little, well, like a fish out of water.

"Guess we're both just a couple of wallflowers, huh?" Abyss sighed.

The relative silence was pleasant until Meeshell's voice broke it again, "Sir Abyss, would you like to go for a swim with me?"

Abyss blinked and looked to the mermaid who seemed to fidget nervously under his gaze. He then looked out to the water. One thing he learned about his contract with his Mirror Monster was that aside from how to fight, it gave him the ability to breathe underwater and be an even better swimmer than before. He suspected the others had similar perks, but never needed them.

He wasn't sure how to answer since a girl never asked him for, well, anything outside of a school assignment. Meeshell seemed to take his silence as acceptance as she took his hand. Hand-in-hand, Abyss followed Meeshell into the lake and they both went underwater together. As soon as her feet touched water, Meeshell's legs became her tail as she assumed her mermaid form.

At the edge of the party, Farrah smiled in her crystal blue bikini and sarong. Her wand twinkled in the moonlight from use. She and Meeshell had conspired on how to word a wish so Meeshell would have the courage to try and get to know Sir Abyss better as well as have a moment with him. It would end at midnight, if not sooner depending on the party, but that was fine. All they needed was that one special moment.

"Atta girl," Farrah smiled proudly before returning to the party.

While deep in the lake, Meeshell and Abyss swam together but then Meeshell decided to do something she had never done before, and that was dance with a boy. She found herself more confident in her natural element and so she led the dance and Abyss followed, holding her hands. The two spun around in the water together and then Meeshell released Abyss' hands to swim around him. She brushed her tail against him then took hold of his face while looking at his visor, imagining how beautiful his eyes might be.

As he danced with Meeshell, Abyss' heart raced. He had never felt this way before. She was so beautiful, so graceful, and underwater it felt like they were the only two people in this world.

And then she sang and her voice carried in the water. It was a lovely melody. Somehow, he was drawn in and he couldn't help but join her as well.

And then he sang with her too.

"Wish I could be part of your world~"

He didn't care now. He felt free.

And that's all Meeshell needed to hear.

---

Kitty could not pass up any opportunity to play pranks on her classmates. She dripped some Firedragon hot sauce into a few cups and waited for the explosive reaction. She didn't have to wait long before someone took one of the tainted cups and screamed before throwing themselves into the lake with fire belching from their mouths.

She shared high fives with Max and Faybelle for that one.

Speaking of Faybelle, she made sure she had Kevin keeping his eyes on her as much as possible. She wanted to outperform Briar in every way from the better date to the sexier swimsuit. Granted, Kevin was proving to be a nice guy and he wasn't stupefied by her fae beauty. If he was empty-headed jock like some bookball players, it wouldn't be nearly as fun. She felt some pride in snagging the knight everyone was sure would be Ashlynn's Prince Charming. Too bad Ashlynn wasn't there to see it.

Okay, sitting in his lap was just fun in how she never got to do that before. People gaping at the sight just made it juicier and Kevin played along. Faybelle decided to reward him for that later. Again, too bad Ashlynn wasn't there to see it.

Speaking of Ashlynn, she had slipped away with Hunter to find a private spot together, far from the rest of the partygoers. Under the moon, they shared an intimate moment as they reaffirmed their feelings despite everyone trying to pair her up with Sir Imperor. She wanted to be with Hunter and no knight in shining armor would change that, no matter how flashy they were or how strange their powers became.

Holly had to drive off some princesses who cooed over how adorable Gabe looked in his swim trunks. Poppy and Tristan laughed as they watched her keep him close, almost using her hair as a curtain to hide him from sight were it not in a braid.

Some people stopped to stare when Abyss came out of the lake while carrying Meeshell out of the water in a princess carry. He carried her over to one of the bonfires before sitting down, keeping her in his lap. In her words, it would irritate her skin if sand or something got in the scales of her tail before it dried and turned into legs again so Abyss became her seat as the warmth of the bonfire washed over them.

"He bagged a mermaid?!" Kyle gaped. "That lucky son-ow!"

"Why are you staring at her when you have me?" Duchess growled, pinching Kyle's ear.

Meeshell felt the night was going so perfectly. Thanks to her wish to Farrah, she managed to find her Sir Abyss, she had the courage to get closer to him, they had a wonderful moment under the lake's surface together, and now they were all but on a date as they sat by the bonfire to let her tail dry. There was only one more thing to make it absolutely perfect.

"Sir Abyss?" she asked.

"Yes?" His silver face turned to look at her.

Meeshell felt her courage flounder a little on dry land, but she managed to keep going.

"Would you...would you remove your helm for me?"

Abyss was silent for a moment again, although inside he was terminally nervous.

"...If you are expecting Prince Charming...you are going to be disappointed."

Meeshell shook her head.

"Let me be the judge of that."

Abyss sighed, knowing his good evening was going to come to a crashing end.

"...you asked." He reached down to his belt and slipped his Advent Deck out of the V-Buckle. His armor immediately shattered into blue shards, revealing Ben Gigant.

To Meeshell, she saw a handsome boy who was befitting the armor he wore. Dark hair, kind eyes, a gentle face, a magical voice, and the frame befitting of a knight. He was so tall and strong-looking, but so gentle as he held her in his arms.

For Ben, he knew Meeshell was not going to be happy with him now. He didn't look anything like a Charming and he had nothing like the confidence of one. Once her legs dried, she would be off like a shot to flirt with one of the other princes that were attending the party with a gaggle of princesses around them.

Meeshell sighed happily and shifted slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

"Hmm, much more warm and comfortable like this than in your armor, my knight."

Ben blinked, looking to see Meeshell close her eyes and nestle comfortably against him.

"Y-you're not disappointed?"

"Mm-mm," Meeshell shook her head, cracking her eyes open. "But I would like to know your true name."

Ben gulped, clearly blushing.

"B-B-Ben G-Gigant."

"Sir Ben," Meeshell smiled, resting against him. Now it was a perfect night for the happy mermaid.

Ben just continued to blush, almost so confused he could barely tell up from down.

"Aaaaaand, one more for the album!" Blondie grinned, snapping a picture of the pair. "Just right!"

---

More bonfires were lit as the night fully set in and people set down to enjoy the warmth and have some cooked hotdogs or other food provided by the caterers. Many of the girls borrowed shirts from their boyfriends or significant others. The knights were no exception as their ladies stole their shirts, wearing them almost like heraldry with the Mirror Monsters depicted on them. They claimed one of the fires themselves, even Ginger left her table alone to enjoy sitting by the fire with Rex, getting knowing looks from some of the other girls.

Faybelle tried to act like the imperious bad girl who snagged a knight, but her cheeks had turned rosy for her skin tone. Kevin had been rubbing her back to keep her warm at one point and he discovered the base of her wings were sensitive. He made sure to be especially gentle there and it turned out it softened Faybelle's attitude despite her attempts to keep up the dark fae appearance. It caused her to lean against Kevin and just enjoy his warmth.

Royal, Rebel, and in between were forgotten as all of them were there just to have fun and enjoy time with people they cared about. Raven and Apple sat next to each other, enjoying time with their dates and even talking with each other and laughing, although they avoided topics like their destinies or the Storybook of Legends. They didn't want to ruin the good mood everyone was having that night.

Rex was sitting beside Ginger who leaned against him as he put an arm around her. While she might've heard gossip that accused her of using her sweets to seduce a knight, she really didn't care. Although, that might've been true but not in an evil way. Everyone enjoyed the treats she had made and that made her happy.

"Rex, I'm glad I met you," Ginger confessed.

"Ginger?"

"You were the first person who didn't care that my mom's the Candy Witch."

"You're your own person, Ginger. I don't care what happened in your mother's story. You're not obligated to relive her life's story. You have a right to a Happily Ever After."

Ginger beamed and hugged Rex's arm tighter.

'I hope you'll be the one to give it to me.'

Briar got on stage with a microphone.

"Thank you so much for coming to my party. Now, let's end this night spelltacularly with a fairyworks show!"

From the other side of the lake, streams of light began to fire into the sky before exploding into large colors and bright lights. Even more magical than the Earth variety, the fairyworks exploded into moving shapes and even animated figures.

Cheers erupted from the partygoers as they admired the show. Without a doubt, Briar's party was going to go down as a legend among the students of Ever After High

---

Daring Charming marched toward Mirror Lake with a purpose. It had taken three hours for that gastly potion to wear off - and he swore to find out who had made it and make them pay - as well as an additional two hours to get ready. But he was going to arrive at the party, fashionably late, and dazzle everyone with his charming presence and smile. After all, it was not a party until Daring Charming showed up.

He soon arrived at the beach and smiled.

"Good evening, everyone, your prince has - where is everybody?"

The beach was empty. He wondered if he had arrived at the wrong place. He couldn't have missed the party, could he? He took out his invitation and checked it. Yes, he was in the right place, so where was everyone.

He found someone cleaning up the beach.

"Excuse me, good sir, but where's the party?"

"Oh, the Beach Bash? You missed it."

Daring fell to his knees and screamed to the heavens.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Want me to call you a cab, kid?"

---

After the party wound down, everyone soon left to get some sleep. It would be an easier day for the fairy tales since unlike Earth, they didn't need alcohol to have fun in their parties.

"I had a really great time, Arthur," Raven smiled as Arthur walked her to her door. They walked close together, their fingers touching but not quite going for the full hands holding yet. "Tonight was just...magical."

"I'm glad. This was my first date too," Arthur admitted. "So I'm glad I managed to get it right for you."

Raven chuckled as they turned a corner, but stopped when they saw Lance and Apple in front of Raven and Apple's shared dorm room, clearly making out as a good night kiss.

"Oh no!" Raven grimaced.

"Hide!" Arthur agreed, the pair of them ducking back behind the corner. "Now what do we do?"

"I don't want to bug Maddie and Kitty this late," Raven grimaced. "We'll have to wait them out."

"Great," Arthur groaned. This was so awkward!

"Relax, you still get the good night kiss," Raven smiled.

"Wait, what?" Arthur blinked, but froze when he felt a warm pair of lips plant themselves on his cheek. He turned and saw Raven blushing, but an unmistakable smile on her lips.

"See? A goodnight kiss," Raven smiled.

Arthur couldn't help but grin goofily. He didn't notice that Raven's lipstick left its mark. Not that she would tell him. Her little bad side wanted to have at least a bit of a claim and show who Arthur was with that night.

He wouldn't be the only one leaving the dorms with such a mark. Gabe would have his face peppered with them and even Gwen would have Darling's silver mark on her cheek. It was a night for goofy grins all around.

Except for Harry.

"I am too nice sometimes," Raia sighed, carrying Briar through the halls to her dorm room. The girl had fallen asleep during the ride back and wouldn't wake up again. With no other choice, he had to carry her up to her dorm room. Thank goodness for elevators.

"Mmmmm...warm….cloud...zzzz," Briar murmured in her sleep, nuzzing Raia's chest despite his armor.

"Yes. Too nice," Raia huffed.

---

And in the light of the moon, a special night comes to a close for the fellowship of knights and their princesses.

You see? You do not need to have violence and battle in every story.

That was sooooooooo romantic!

And so we turn to our next story and...oh boy.

Honey? What is...oh dear.

What? What is it? Let me see...woah.

A/N: Well, there is Odin and Abyss. I intended for there to be some fighting, but the mood with the beach party and everything else made a fight seem like a real mood breaker. So this chapter turned more to character introduction and slice of life. Don't worry, there will be chances for Odin and Abyss to fight later,