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 10: Impending Doom
Although the real and true danger of the Mirror Monsters was made clear to the people of Book End, the people still felt safe knowing that the Fellowship of Knights was there to defend them.
Their hardest battle had been fought. It was through the gift of a princess' favor that their two bravest were able to overcome the creature which orchestrated the attack.
Yeah, but now they have their greatest challenge yet! Meeting the parents!
The Aftermath of the Shereghost Attack, capitals intended, left some big ripples in the Book End community. It was a frightening event for everyone, especially since Blondie had been secretly streaming the Legacy Day ceremony and got the first image of all hex breaking loose when the Shereghosts invaded.
The officials of Book End were very concerned since they had no idea how serious the situation was until it was already over and someone had the sense to send all the knights (Book End version of police) to go and find out what was happening. What they got was the entire school population either hiding out in the woods or picking through a completely trashed school. They all told a story of a full-on invasion of Mirror Monsters and how the Fellowship, the local hotshot spellebrities, managed to stop it by themselves.
It was an outrageous story, but when Blondie had footage somehow anonymously sent to her, she was able to back up everyone's spelltastic stories of the day. Many reacted in horror, seeing the entire scale of the invasion.
Of course, even if the attack had been downplayed to something like the other Mirror Monster attacks, they couldn't hide the fact that Ever After High was completely trashed. It would have to be closed for a week just to clean it all up and restock everything the Shereghosts had either eaten or destroyed. One just couldn't hide anything like that.
Milton proved an amazing administrator. He managed to completely suppress the fact that Raven had been given a choice of two destinies. With the chaos that followed, literally no one thought of telling the world about it and Blondie's stream only showed the beginning of the Shereghost Attack.
Sadly for Milton, the fact he did not suppress the magnitude of the attack, not that he could, meant that word went straight back to the many, many, parents of his students. Those who, for the most part, had to learn about the attack through online streams reporting the incident a full day or more after it happened! Needless to say, he was receiving many angry messages from those parents, threatening to ream him out once they arrived to speak personally.
In the days that followed, lots of attention was focused on Ever After High and its students.
Book End Library
"Wait, an award ceremony?" Arthur asked. He and his recovering friends were in their meeting room again where Merlin made yet another surprise announcement.
"Queen Snow White herself wishes to award you all Medals of Valor for your bravery in protecting Ever After High," Merlin told the Riders.
"Aw cool!" Gabe grinned wickedly.
"I...don't do so well in situations like that," Ben sank into his seat slightly.
"Wait, isn't Snow White Apple's mom?" asked Kyle with a grin of realization.
"Yes," Lance sank into his seat too.
"...nice knowing you," Darren saluted Lance. "So rests Kamen Rider Knight, taken before his time by his girlfriend's mother. Parental judgment shall be the doom of us all."
"Hey, I saved her daughter's life! That should earn me some points!" Lance defended.
"Yeah, she won't throw you in the dungeons for making out with her daughter like you did the day after the attack," Rob laughed.
"You wish Nina would give you the makeouts Apple gives me," Lance scowled.
"Nah. I like what we have," Rob waved him off.
"Okay, okay, you can tease Lance about his impending doom later," Merlin quieted the group down. "Anyway, the ceremony's this Chapterday, or Saturday in your language. So you've got two days to heal up any lingering wounds, maybe dress in something nice, or replace it if the Shereghosts shredded it, and maybe prepare a small speech."
"No pressure," Rex nodded. His comrades all gave him a glare. Just because he was used to upper-class things didn't mean they were!
"Good. Well, I have books to file," Merlin turned around and walked to the edge of the room before he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oh yeah, the parents of the students are coming here in droves so all of your girlfriends' parents are going to stop by."
"WHAT?!" thirteen voices cried out, but Merlin was gone in a flash.
"Ah-ha! Now we all sink together, my friends!" Lance cackled. The meeting soon dissolved into chaos as everyone began panicking over the thought of meeting their lovers' parents.
Harry was calm. He may have some kind of bond with Briar but he was in no way dating her. Kevin was relaxed too even if people somehow still believed he should be with Ashlynn. After the attack, he initiated an adrenaline-infused makeout with Faybelle and the girl didn't exactly mind. Well, Arthur didn't panic either since he knew Raven's mother was imprisoned so how bad could the Good King be?
"Arthur, could I have a word with you, for a moment?" Rex asked.
"Oh, sure, Rex," Arthur said and he followed Rex who pulled him aside, stepping away from the meeting table, their Round Table so to speak.
"Arthur, during Legacy Day, you came to Raven's defense and even defied Headmaster Grimm," Rex started.
"Yeah," Arthur admitted. "I don't know what came over me but I just couldn't let him get away with it."
"You spoke with great conviction and resolve, totally unlike your usual self. I had my doubts about your role as the 'King Arthur' of our group, but after seeing what you did, I can accept that you have what it takes to be a king."
This naturally confused Arthur. Him? A king?
"Rex, what are you saying?"
"Arthur, I decided to take charge of this group because I saw a group of misfits with no direction. I mean, someone needed to take control of the situation so I was the first to volunteer but I can't do this alone. I need a second-in-command. Your actions on Legacy Day have convinced me that you're the man for the job."
"R-really?" Arthur blinked.
"Really. That also means that, since you're our 'King Arthur', you should be the one to give a speech at the award ceremony."
"A speech?" The dragon knight paled.
"You were very articulate. 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings' was truly inspiring."
"Um, I stole that line from Optimus Prime." Arthur sheepishly admitted
"Well, even so, it resonated with the students of Ever After High, the Rebels the most if not the Royals."
Arthur didn't know it himself, but his speech did resonate with the Rebels. It was also politically correct since more than just humans went to Ever After High. The Rebel forums had lit up with his words after the attack calmed down and it inspired them. It was up there with Raven being given the chance to choose her destiny and declaring she'd build it if Headmaster Grimm wouldn't let her choose it out of the book. He had sort of become the top guy in the Rebel clique like Raven was the top girl.
Someone apparently took some of his words to heart. There were now pictures/memes of him with two different captions: "FREEDOM IS THE RIGHT OF ALL SENTIENT BEINGS" and "BREAK THOSE CHAINS". It was a clear message to encourage everyone to break free from their predetermined fates to choose for themselves. They were now the new mottos for the Rebels.
"I...I just kind of said what I felt...nothing so articulate," Arthur grimaced.
"To be honest, the best speeches are spoken from the heart," Rex shrugged. "Just do the same during the ceremony and you certainly won't go wrong." He gave Arthur a pat of encouragement. "I'm sure you'll do fine, 'my liege'."
"Please don't start that," Arthur groaned, making Rex chuckle as he left. "Ugh, can this get any worse?!"
Book End - Hocus Latte
"Um...my mother requested to meet you," Raven grimaced, playing with the edge of her cup.
"Um...Blackbird?" Arthur blinked. "Your mother, the Evil Queen, wants to meet me? Me? One of the knights in shining armor she's probably tried to put down in the past?"
"Ah, that's what she said," Raven smiled weakly.
"Isn't your mom in some kind of magical prison?" Arthur asked, still very confused.
"She's imprisoned in a magic mirror made to be a prison," Raven admitted. "When I started here at Ever After High, it was moved to the attic. I think it was so when I signed on for her destiny, I'd be able to go to her for evil tutoring."
Arthur blinked and then his face dropped into a deadpan, "You mean they brought the prison of the most dangerous woman in the land, the same woman who cursed an entire nation and has amazing magical power, to a school where she could possibly manipulate someone into letting her go? Or you could let her go if you turned evil?"
"Yes, it sounds crazy but I have no intention of breaking her free," Raven insisted. "I don't want to be like her, no matter how much she wants me to walk in her footsteps."
"It's hard when parents expect us to be like them," Arthur sympathized.
"You know, you never told me about your parents," Raven replied.
"Ah, well, they...had fairy high hopes," Arthur sighed, steepling his fingers. "They came from the upper class, but as they grew up they got downgraded. Some relatives made some poor decisions and they had to start over." Arthur shook his head. "They wanted to mold me into some kind of new hope for the family. They didn't see me, but what they wanted me to be."
"No wonder you understood the pressure I was under," Raven realized.
"I know what I excel at and what I don't," Arthur nodded. "But they seemed to think I should excel at everything and kept signing me up for every program, class, or other means of 'exploring my potential'. It was by sending me to one of those with the others that Merlin found us and rerouted us here to Book End."
"Well, would you say you discovered your potential now?" Raven wondered.
"You mean my potential to do good or my potential to be the lucky boyfriend of a princess?" Arthur grinned.
"And your flirting potential," Raven giggled, swatting his shoulder.
"Well, Rex wants me to give a speech during the award ceremony," Arthur informed her.
"Isn't he the leader?" Raven asked. "Shouldn't he be the one to give the speech?"
"Yeah, but you know, 'future King Arthur' here," Arthur did air-quotes. "He was impressed by the speech I gave when I defended you during Legacy Day."
"Well, it was pretty inspiring," Raven agreed before she sipped her coffee.
"I guess, it just came to me," Arthur sighed. "On the fly in front of my classmates to a man I don't like, it's easy. To a bunch of high rollers who are the parents to my classmates, one of which is likely your father, that's gonna be a little bit harder."
"Oh, that reminds me. Dad wants to meet you too," Raven perked up. Arthur almost wanted to groan when she said it, but he had been expecting that.
"What can I expect from Mr. Good King?" Arthur asked. "I mean, he married the Evil Queen."
"Oh, Dad's a complete sweetheart. Mom just charmed him royally with her looks and magic," Raven reassured him. "Once Mom got put away, he really proved how good a king he was...well, before she came along."
"People weren't too upset to see her go," Arthur grimaced.
"To put it lightly," Raven nodded. "The only reason I wasn't kicked out with her was because Dad loves me and wanted to keep me around as his princess."
"It was probably a messy divorce too," Arthur commented. Raven gave him a look for that one. "Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. So, when do your mom and dad want to meet me? Separately, of course."
"Of course," Raven nodded. "Well, Dad won't be here until the ceremony. Mom, well, the scheduled conjugal visit is tomorrow."
"I'll muster up my courage," Arthur said, taking a swig of his own drink. "At least I have it easy. The parent more likely to try and kill me is locked up. The others aren't so lucky."
"Uh-oh," Raven snickered.
Enchanted Forest
Since he had recovered from his exhaustion and soreness from the Shereghost Attack, Rex was with Ginger again, walking through the Enchanted Forest. In fact, they were quite deep in the forest where there wasn't a path. Ginger seemed to know the way, although that was expected.
The reason for their trip was because Ginger's mother saw the video streams and reports from Just Right with Blondie Locks. It made Rex wonder if Blondie's gossip was just that popular, there was that little online material to look at, or the Candy Witch watched it to keep an eye on her daughter. In any case, she saw the leaked footage of Ginger embracing Rex, and Blondie doing a 'Kightly Love' aspect to her gossip, which showed evidence of the Phoenix Knight and the Candy Witch's daughter being in a relationship.
Naturally, the Candy Witch called her daughter and insisted on being introduced to the boy in her life.
They passed through a cluster of trees before coming to a clearing. On top of a hill, unsurprisingly to Rex, there was a nice middle-class house that was made entirely of gingerbread, icing, and various other large candies used as building materials.
"So, this is your house?" Rex asked.
"Yes," Ginger nodded. "It's pretty sweet. It used to be a cabin for one, but Mom expanded it since she met Dad and had me."
"Sweet nothing. It looks delicious," Rex admitted. "Please keep me from emulating Hansel and Gretel when we get close." This elicited giggles from Ginger as she took his hand, leading him up the peppermint candy front walk.
They came to the front door of the house, but before Ginger could knock, it opened. Stepping out was a woman dressed mostly like a homemaker, only her clothing was styled after candies except for the witch hat on her head. Her hair was dark green, but had things like small bones and such tied into it, making her look more like a witch. She seemed attractive, showing where Ginger got her beauty. She had pale skin though and age lines on her face, although it didn't take away from her looks.
"Oh, Ginger! You're home!" the woman beamed, hugging Ginger tightly. So far, she seemed oddly welcoming for a villain.
"Hi, Mom," Ginger smiled, hugging her back.
"And you brought your little boyfriend home too!" the Candy Witch smiled, setting her daughter down. "My, he's a handsome one. I could just eat him up!"
Rex wouldn't lie. He stuck his hand into his pocket to grab his Advent Deck out of reflex.
Ginger huffed, "Mom, don't you get tired of telling that joke every time I bring someone home?"
The Candy Witch gave, well, a witchy cackle, "Yes, yes, well come on in I have some hot cocoa brewing."
Rex followed Ginger inside and he examined the house's interior. Surprisingly, the entire house was made to look exactly like a modern house. The only thing different was that everything was made of candy except for a few key things. Things like her oven, cooking utensils, and her television in a living room.
"Take a seat on the couch. I'll be right out," the Candy Witch pointed to the living room where chairs and the couch were made of brownies.
Ginger seemed completely relaxed, so Rex was the same as they sat on the pleasantly squishy brownie couch.
"Will I be okay eating anything?" Rex whispered softly.
"Oh yes. I promised mom I'd give up baking for cooking veggies for her if she got you with a potion," Ginger whispered back. "Mom hates veggies. Why do you think she lives in a candy house?"
"Let me guess, your father is the one who insists you had good and balanced nutrition, I take it," Rex assumed.
"Yup. Dad may be a master baker, but he cooks healthy too," Ginger nodded. "I wouldn't be in good shape to bake if I ate sweets all the time."
The Candy Witch came back out, holding a tea kettle and a tray with three teacups. Rather than the smell of tea, the rich aroma of hot cocoa came from the teapot. She even had special graham cracker sticks dipped in chocolate for stirring sticks.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rex," the Candy Witch smiled warmly at Rex. "You can call me Candice. Needless to say, I'm the Candy Witch."
"Charmed," Rex nodded. "Ginger tells me she learned everything she knows about baking from you."
"Indeed she did and I'm very proud of her skill," Candice nodded. Ginger beamed in pride. "Now if only she'd start putting potions in her pastries I'd be perfectly happy."
"Mom," Ginger groaned. "I want people to love my baking, not be afraid of it."
"Yes, yes yes," Candice rolled her eyes as she poured three cups of cocoa, "I'm just saying it's not wrong to at least experiment with being bad. I find it's all kinds of fun."
"Well I don't," Ginger huffed. "And you're scaring Rex already. Do you want him to try your hot cocoa recipe or not?"
"Oh, must you twist my arm?" Candice mock-sighed. She passed the cups around. Rex waited at least until Candice had some first before he tried some. He immediately wanted to melt as the rich cocoa met his tongue. Ginger likewise smiled and her toes curled as she got to taste her mother's cooking again.
"Oooh, have a sweet tooth, do you?" Candice grinned as she observed Rex's reaction. "My daughter has fine taste, just like her mother."
"It was her cooking that lured me in," Rex nodded. Ginger blushed, looking down into her cup.
"Ah-ha! Oh, Ginger, you make me proud every day!" Candice laughed. "Well then, Rex, I want to learn a little more about you. I admit I'm curious about you, your story, and how far your relationship has gone if Ginger grabbed you like she did in that news clip."
"You saw that?!" Ginger squeaked in horror.
"I do watch Blondie Lockes' MirrorCast. It keeps me up to date on the goings-ons in Ever After High," Candice explained. "It is my alma mater and I can keep up with embarrassing gossip Ginger doesn't want to tell me about. Like how she didn't tell me she has a boyfriend. Shame on you, Ginger. I had to find out online."
"Well, I wasn't sure how you'd take it, Mom," Ginger defended.
"Well, it's fine now that I know. So, how did you two meet?" Candice wanted details.
"Well, it was morning and I was walking around Ever After High when my nose picked up the delicious aroma of freshly baked treats," Rex started, braving ahead. "Then when I saw everything she had on display, I had to have a bit of everything. Since then, I regularly come to pick up something for breakfast from her table. I even recommended her to my comrades who love her treats almost as much as I do."
"Oh, that's just like how my husband and I met," Candice laughed.
(LINE BREAK)
Looks like Rex is really hitting it off with Ginger's mom. I wonder if the other knights are doing just as well.
Well, fortunately, this time we can look and find out.
Yes! Finally, I can see it right away!
Ever After High - Attic
Arthur followed Raven as she took him to the school's attic. They had to be buzzed in by the Headmaster who gave them both dark looks. Raven signed a form and a ladder came down when he pressed a button. Raven led the way, leading to what looked like a creepy attic out of every scary movie Arthur ever saw. Honestly, he had Mother Goosebumps.
"Mom? Are you there?" Asked Raven as she approached a pile of boxes covered in sheets.
"Over here," A woman's voice spoke, a purple glow coming from something covered in a sheet. "The movers didn't remove the sheet."
Raven sighed and approached the glowing object and pulled the sheet aside. Underneath was an ornate mirror with dark and intimidating borders. It was big enough to be a full-length mirror. Rather than a reflection, a woman was visible.
If there were two words to describe Raven's mom in Arthur's head, it was 'dark beauty'. She appeared statuesque, although she looked almost painfully thin. She was adorned in a tight-fitting black dress which had feathered shoulders. She shared the same hair color as Raven, although hers was sticking up in a shocking display with a golden headpiece Arthur assumed to be her crown. Her face showed a strong resemblance to Raven, only with more pronounced cheekbones and a dark intensity was in her eyes.
'Okay, she's scary,' Arthur gulped softly. Even in her prison, it felt she could still smite him.
"Hi, Mom," Raven greeted the woman.
"Hello, Raven," the Evil Queen greeted, her lips curled in a warm smile. "Are you well? I heard about that monster attack. I think one of those ghastly things crawled up here and tried chewing on the mirror. A shame it wasn't enough to even make a crack for me."
"I'm fine, Mom," Raven answered. "The school's closed down for repairs though."
"That's good. Not that I expected them to be able to harm my daughter," the Evil Queen nodded with relief. "Now then, have you been keeping up with your evil studies? What about any alliances with other villains? I believe there's a young man with a dark dragon that would be an ideal choice."
"No, Mom. I've told you before, I don't want to be evil." Raven sighed. Every time they talked, her mom always tried to give her tips on how to be more evil.
"Oh, well, if you do change your mind, you can always come to me for advice," the Evil Queen smiled, not bothered by her daughter denouncing evil. "Now, I suppose it's time we talked about the real reason I wanted you to come see me." The Evil Queen's eyes traveled toward Arthur. "Step forward, young man. I can't quite do anything to you like this."
"I didn't want to interrupt a mother-daughter moment," Arthur covered his fear as he stepped next to Raven.
"So, you're Arthur Pendragon, the next King Arthur," the Evil Queen sized him up. "Hmph, Raven could do better."
"Mom!" Raven yelled.
"But, even if I do question her choice in a partner, you still have my thanks. I heard about how you defended my daughter and that you saved her life. I owe you a debt of gratitude," the Evil Queen admitted. "When my daughter takes her role and releases me, I'm sure she can keep you as a pet or something."
"Mom!" Raven shouted. "I didn't bring Arthur here just so you could insult him!"
"Oh, Raven. A pet can be very fun to have," the Evil Queen smirked. "You can do anything to them and they'll do anything for you." Her tone turned sultry. "Anything your wicked heart desires."
Her words dripped with innuendo, making both teens blush before they shook it off. The Evil Queen just cackled in amusement. Teenagers were so easy to embarrass.
"Still, I am pleased to see Raven take one step closer to her destiny by seducing a good king," the Evil Queen admitted. "At least he has courage and strength. He will be a fine figurehead for your future rule."
Raven frowned. She did not choose Arthur just to be some kind of tool to rule through! She huffed, "Well, for your information, the Storybook of Legends gave me a choice of two destinies!"
That brought the Evil Queen up short, "What?"
"Yes," Raven nodded. She pulled out her MirrorPhone and scrolled to the video Blondie took. The unedited one where Raven had her turn with the book. She began playing it and showed it to her mother when the floating mirrors showed her the pictures of the book, "The first one should look familiar, but it's the second one that I'd rather have."
"That's impossible," the Evil Queen whispered, peering at the video. "How could...I made…I mean, hm, that is interesting."
Arthur picked up on that bit. Did the queen know something?
"Young King Arthur, maybe I was wrong about you. Perhaps you do deserve a place by Raven's side." Raven's mother recovered herself. "I've heard you knights have a special power, the ability to enter mirrors."
"I'm not going to slip through and pull you out," Arthur crossed his arms. "Even if the magic would let me try." The Evil Queen's dark eyes narrowed and while Arthur did fear her he would not back down nor give in.
She smirked, "You have backbone. More than my husband, I suppose. Annoying, but appreciated." She then gave him a dismissive wave, "You may leave now. I wish to have some bonding time with my daughter."
"Blackbird?" Arthur asked, wary about leaving Raven alone with the Evil Queen.
"I'll be fine, Arthur. I've done this hundreds of times," Raven answered, crossing her arms.
"OK, call me when you're done."
Arthur left the attic, leaving mother and daughter alone.
"So, he calls you 'Blackbird', does he? You know, I could teach you a few things so that he starts calling you 'Mistress'."
"MOM!"
Book End - Gingerbread Boutique
"You have nothing to worry about, Lancie. My mom will love you!" Apple beamed.
Lance and Apple were having ice cream, enjoying the day and each other's company. Since saving the school, Lance and his friends had become teen spellebrities and people were snapping pictures of the couple together. Lance would have usually loved the attention, were his current conversation not so dire. They would not be meeting Apple's mother yet as Snow White was busy organizing the award ceremony. He would meet her then. It was a stay of execution in Lance's mind, but it would give him precious time to enjoy his last days.
"You sure, Apple Pie?" asked Lance, poking at his sundae.
"Oh, she will. I told her all about you after you saved my life." Apple smiled. "She was very supportive and asked me everything about you."
"Well, good thing I got started on the right foot then," Lance grinned. "So maybe she won't grill me so bad."
Apple tittered, "I know Mom's just amazing, but she's really nice so you don't have to worry about a thing. She was kind of expecting me to settle down with Daring, so she is going to want to know what kind of Prince Charming managed to sweep me off my feet."
"Heh, then you traded up," Lance snorted, although not with derision. Lance still considered himself Daring's rival, but the knight's respect for the admittedly vain boy did go up when he did a truly princely thing by helping protect his fellow students. Even if only by pushing Shereghosts around when they shambled close enough to try and grab someone. Naturally, his popularity took another upswing as well.
Book End Library
Gwen was sitting in the shared dorm room she and the boys stayed in, practicing with her guitar. Since she recovered from the Shereghost Attack, she hadn't really gone outside save to get something to eat and she always made it quick. The reason why was because she felt mortally embarrassed. At the end of the fight, Darling had run to her like the girlfriends of the others did. In a moment of exhaustion-induced stupor, she ended up asking Darling to be her Girlfriend-Forever-After. After recovering and realizing what she asked, Gwen didn't know what to say or do and just decided to hide.
Gwen, well, she had an inkling that she had an eye for girls. She knew she'd admire some of the pretty girls at school back home and preferred their company to boys although she wasn't sure by how much since dating was pretty hard in her uptight community.
Coming to Ever After High, well, Gwen realized she did like girls since all of the princesses she saw were just gorgeous and like so many of the other boys, of which several were yummy themselves, she found herself watching where several of those girls would go. Elegance, style, silky hair, fine figures, and simply beautiful faces. Better, many of them were kind, easy to get along with, and even friendly. Well, provided they didn't try to give Gwen fashion advice.
Since she met Darling, Gwen realized she began crushing on her tutor. Darling was simply, well, a darling with the entire fairy tale princess package working for her. When getting to know her, Darling proved she wasn't just a future Damsel-in-Distress. She was a kind, witty, adventurous, strong-willed, and very intelligent young woman. Then Gwen discovered Darling's little secret of dressing up in a suit of armor and doing heroic things. Even if her brother got the credit for it, she just kept doing it because she wanted to do it. That just made Darling her BFFA.
Gwen would admit she was into Darling after that. She seemed to see all sorts of beautiful things about Gwen, and the tomboy would deny she actually liked some of the outfits that Darling forced her into for the sake of her 'poise' and being able to fight in her armor's boots. Briar's party at the lake, Gwen really treated it like a date, even if in her own mind, and the kiss on the cheek at the end was just magical for her.
And then she had to open her punch-drunk mouth after the Shereghost Attack and ruin everything.
"There's no way it can happen," Gwen strummed her guitar sadly. Why would Darling Charming have an inkling for another girl when she could have her choice of the hot guys all over the school? What were the odds that she was into girls at all?
"Gwen, have you been avoiding me?"
"Eek!" Gwen stiffened, ruining her chord. Looking to the doorway, Gwen paled when she saw none other than Darling Charming, pouting sternly with her hands on her hips. Gwen's cheeks flushed. "Darling! Um, how did you get in here?" The dorm was for staff only. Heck, barely anyone even knew there was a dorm in the library in the first place.
"Mira let me in," Darling answered, walking in that oh so elegant way of hers into the room.
"Oh, Mira," Gwen groaned.
"Gwen, I've been hexting you and you haven't returned my calls. I was wondering if something was wrong. Did I do anything to upset you?" asked Darling, looking concerned despite her pout.
"No, no you didn't," Gwen fidgeted with her guitar. "I...I just…" She grimaced. "Okay, if you're here to turn me down and not talk to me anymore just go ahead and do it. Make it short and painless if you can."
Darling gasped, "What? Gwen, why would you think that?"
"Well, you're a princess and I doubt you'd be into girls, much less a tomboy like me. And your family would probably be against it and, I dunno, I just didn't want to lose my best friend because of my big mouth." Gwen babbled when she got nervous.
Darling listened to her babble before she pulled Gwen close and silenced her with a soft kiss to her lips. Gwen immediately went stiff for a moment, although she did bask in Darling's perfect kiss before the Charming daughter broke it and pulled back. Gwen felt her cheeks burn and yet Darling seemed as poised and confident as ever.
"Bwuh? Wait, what? Did you just kiss me, Darling?"
"Want me to do it again?" Darling teased.
"Yes, ple-! I mean, you kissed me! Why?" Gwen sputtered.
"Why shouldn't I kiss my girlfriend?" Darling replied with a smile. "After all, she's a knight in shining armor who came to my rescue during that simply awful monster attack. Princesses always fall for knights who come to their aid in times of peril."
"Ah…" Gwen blinked, her heart beating a mile a minute. "So, does this mean what I think it means...?"
Darling answered by pushing Gwen onto the bed for another kiss. Darling may have been a princess, meant to be beautiful, demure, and a lady in all things. However, she was also a Charming, meaning she would pursue what was right and love. In this case, Darling was pursuing what felt right, the love she was feeling for Gwen who shared so many values with her, especially believing a girl could be just as capable as a knight as any boy could be.
They finally broke the kiss and Gwen felt enchanted all over again as Darling straddled her, her hair acting as a curtain so all the Swan Princess Knight could see was Darling, "It means the Swan Princess Knight and Princess Charming are together, that is if she wants me."
"I do," Gwen answered and this time she pulled Darling in for another magical kiss.
"Wow, that's hot."
The two girls gawked at the doorway to see Darren eating a bag of potato chips, watching them. Both girls scowled before throwing pillows at the comedian, who just ran from the room.
"Boys!" they both huffed before the knight and princess returned to reaffirming their relationship. Parents, propriety, and reputation could wait until later. Right now, they had to catch up with all the other couples in their circles.
Book End - Old McDonald's
The fairy tale world had many things similar to Earth and that included fast food restaurants. Their versions had a fairy tale twist. KFC was known as King's Fried Chicken, there was also a White Castle, a pizza place called Li'l John's and this world's version of McDonald's was called Old McDonald's.
And Gabe was a fan of Old McDonald's since the burgers tasted like the ones from home. He was having lunch with Holly and eating a cheeseburger with fries and soda. Sitting next to him was Tristan who sat across from Poppy. Twins they discovered really did do many things together, including double dates. Today, the sisters wanted to share some news with their respective boyfriends.
"Mother's very excited to meet you, Gabriel," Holly smiled as she chewed on some fries. "She thinks many of our pictures are just adorable." She giggled as a thought hit her. "Although she first thought you were a little brother I adopted when I sent the first one."
"Did you at least show her what I look like in armor?" Gabe asked before taking a sip of his soda. He wanted to show he was tough enough to protect her daughter like a good knight should.
"Oh certainly," Holly smiled. "Because you're taller in the suit, she thought I was seeing two boys at the same time at first."
"Curse this cuteness!" Gabe cried. He got some more respect for saving the school but his fanclub still focused on how adorable he was.
"Meeting the mother. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that," Tristan grimaced. "I mean, it's public knowledge I blew up a village street. Your mom may not appreciate that."
"Well, we didn't quite bring up that it was you," Poppy looked to the side innocently. "I kind of wanted to build the picture of the guy I know you are instead of that MirrorNet image of you just blowing things up."
"I blew up a big chunk of the bookball field too," Tristan deadpanned. "Can't miss it thanks to whoever leaked the security footage."
"But for a good cause!" Poppy insisted. "That we can explain away at least and Mom will understand that one."
"Yeah, how bad could it be?" asked Gabe, munching on fries, but getting ketchup on his cheeks.
"Hold still." Holly used a paper napkin to clean off some sauce on Gabe's face. It just looked like a big sister taking care of her little brother. Many girls who saw Gabe and knew of him merely cooed at the sight.
Book End - Li'l John's Pizza
Max and Ramona were sitting at a table in Li'l John's. Back home, Max loved his pizza. There was nothing better than a warm pie that came fresh out of the oven. It was by chance that he found a Li'l John's pizza place in Book End. He had ordered the large Meat Lover's pizza for them to share and they were both given a 50% discount. Lucky.
When they sat down, a lot of the customers decided to sit far away from the couple. After all, they were the daughter of the Big Bad Wolf and the Black Dragon Knight. Future villains, even if Max was a member of the fellowship of the Round Table.
"Dad totally freaked out when I told him I marked you," Ramona said as she took a slice.
"I could have told you he would," Max replied, rubbing his shoulder. Ever since Ramona bit him, her teeth marks had healed lighter than his skin tone, making them easily visible. "He already doesn't like me. I've noticed those looks he gives me when rumors about us pop up in class."
"Heh, yeah. It's fun to watch him get wound up," Ramona snorted. "Mom just keeps teasing him since he pulled the same stuff with her when they got serious."
Max rolled his eyes. Ramona loved to stir up trouble, she was the type of person who didn't like to sit still unless she had something to do. Her favorite pastime was to stir up a little bit of trouble and watch the chaos. Her favorite target seemed to be Cerise Hood. She just loved to antagonize her future rival. Of course, Ramona liked to flaunt the fact she had a boyfriend to Cerise, which seemed to irritate the future Red Riding Hood even more.
"So, when is your father going to finally hunt me down?" asked Max. "I'll give him a fight if I have to."
"Oooh, look at you acting all tough to try and impress me," Ramona smirked. "Well, Mom decided that we should finally get formal introductions done and all that since I marked you. Dad doesn't like it, but Mom's got him on a short leash on this."
"I've been meaning to ask, what's your mom like anyway?" Max wondered. "She must be quite the woman if she got hitched to the Big Bad Wolf."
"I'll tell you if you tell me about your family situation," Ramona offered.
Max shrugged, "Well, nothing as fantastic as having the Big Bad Wolf as a parent. My parents were pretty, well, literal. They didn't raise me with stories about fairy tales and things like that. They told me stories which were historical. Things they could prove happened. I was primarily encouraged to pursue something with science, history, or something like that. Art and imagination didn't quite have a big role in our house."
"Your folks sound like major stiffs. Coming here must have been a hex of a shock then," Ramona snickered.
"I was ready to turn around and run back home when Merlin told us about the fairy tales I thought were just stories," Max admitted. "If I didn't have my knighthood or see the Mirror Monsters, I would have."
"So, what made you change your mind?" Ramona asked. "Was it me?"
"At first, I only did well in the coursework because of how I was raised but, I don't know, I decided to embrace my new situation. I don't have my parents breathing down my neck, telling me what to believe. And then I realized that General Villainy and Home Evil-nomics can actually be fun."
"Sounds to me you like playing the villain," Ramona smirked, even if he didn't answer her second question.
"It's...liberating. Wow." It felt like a weight was lifted once he admitted that. Shaking his head, he looked at the she-wolf. "You, you though, are kind of the wild cherry on top. You make things chaotic and just fun at the same time."
Ramona's smile was almost face-splitting, "Keep that up and Mom's going to be on your side for sure. You'll need her help to keep Dad on his leash."
"I think I've scored brownie points for saving the school," Max smiled. "I'm sure I can handle meeting your folks, She-Wolf."
"Well, let's hope dad doesn't snap you in half, stringbean."
Enchanted Forest
Rob was taking Nina out for a walk and the girl was sitting on his shoulder. Rob may have had a tougher time carrying Nina, but Nina had shrunk down to her pixie size, making it much easier to carry her around during their walk around the edge of the forest.
"So, how'd your parents take the news of the attack?" asked Rob as he glanced at Nina.
"She was worried, afraid one of them tried to gobble me up," Nina answered. "Since she had to deal with so much on her adventures, she's kind of a worrywart."
"It was pretty scary out there," Rob agreed. "So, is your mom going to come to ream out the Headmaster too?"
"She was very cross with him," Nina giggled. "After she got over how I forgot to call her since I was fretting over you, she says she's going to be here on the weekend to give him a stern talking to. Then she wants to meet you."
"Oh cool," Rob grinned. His thick-headedness once again helping him fail to realize what a turning point he was looking at in his relationship with Nina.
Enchanted Forest - Gawain's Grove
Gawain and Rosabella were tending to the animals in the Enchanted Forest. After the Shereghost Attack, the Mirror Monsters seemed to have been laying low, allowing more animals from previous attacks to recover before moving on. So for once, the grove was empty save for a turtle Rosabella found who had a wounded leg. She and Gawain, after treating it, just sat down together to enjoy the scenery and watch the turtle cutely eat a leaf of lettuce.
"Mom and Dad were royally upset with the news of the monster attack," Rosabella sighed softly. "They wondered why I didn't tell them, but I wasn't sure how to explain an army of monsters attacking from behind mirrors."
"Strange," Gawain agreed.
"My father was so upset he almost turned back into a beast," the animal-lover continued. "They were curious about you before, but they're hoping you'll be available to talk to them when they visit. I told a lot of stories about you."
Gawain nodded, "Knight?"
Rosabella smiled, "It was the first story I told."
"I'll be ready," Gawain reassured his girlfriend.
"Thank you, Gawain," Rosabella beamed, kissing his temple. "I just know they'll love you."
Gawain nodded again and the couple turned their attention back to the cute turtle. One of the cute things about their relationship was that they could have silent conversations like theirs.
Was Gawain nervous about meeting Rosabella's parents? Certainly. Was he going to fret about it? Maybe later.
Book End - Hocus Latte
"Wait, wait, wait," Kyle gaped. "You told your mother we were official?"
"Well, she was bothering me about not having a prince again and it just came out!" Duchess huffed. She could never get why her mother was always on her case about having a boyfriend. Her prince betrayed her! Yeah, they reconciled but the fact her mother kept turning into a swan was a sore point between them.
Kyle blinked, "Wait, she was more concerned about your love life than the monster attack?"
"Well, she called about the first and it devolved into how a disaster makes you think about getting into more relationships," Duchess shrugged. "So I just wanted to shut her up and told her I had a guy already."
"Last I heard, you just gave me your favor, not made us official," Kyle pointed out to her.
"Am I not good enough?" Duchess demanded.
"You're stuck-up, spiteful, and manipulative," Kyle listed. "But you're also ambitious and deep down you care about the people closest to you. You also have a soft side you don't show anybody but your closest friends."
Duchess blushed with a huff and looked away, "D-Don't think your pretty words will wear me down! I've heard it all before!"
Kyle smiled. He loved to tease Duchess since he enjoyed seeing her get all flustered. It was just adorable. It was strange how quickly their relationship changed. They could not stand each other at first until he decided to extend an olive branch to her. Now, they were a couple but from time to time they were still snarky with each other so some things never changed. Only it lacked the same bite as before due to how they felt for each other now.
"Hope your mom's not afraid of snakes, Swan Princess."
"She lived in a pond as a swan. It's not snakes that bother her," Duchess retorted. "It's blowhard men who believe the story revolves around them.
"Well, if I see one I'll warn you then," Kyle snickered, earning an amused roll of the eyes from Duchess.
Ever After High - Dorms
Harry stood in front of a door and knocked.
"Hello?" Briar opened her room's door and paused at seeing a deadpanning Harry. "Uh..hi Harry!"
"Briar, how did your mother get my phone number and why did she call me asking for a meeting with us?" Harry asked bluntly.
"She wanted to know about you after she saw the footage on Blondie's MirrorCast," Briar answered, looking sheepish. "She insisted on getting to know you so I hexted her your number. I'm sorry."
"You did tell her we're just friends, right?" Harry asked. "Right?"
Briar blushed slightly, "Well, Mom got kind of hexcited that I was apparently close to a knight and I got swept up in the mood and, well, it never came up."
Harry all but groaned, "Is there a way I can get out of this, you know, tell her that it's just one big misunderstanding?"
"I think it's better if you met face-to-face," Briar said. Harry narrowed her eyes.
"You told her I was coming, didn't you?"
"Sorry...?" Briar yawned. "Oh, my. I'm getting sleepy. Maybe I should take a nap. I'll see you later, Harry." She closed the door.
"Briar, that's not going to work. Briar? Briar!" Harry knocked on her door, but only got exaggerated snoring noises. "Guess I'm meeting Sleeping Beauty after all."
Ever After High - Dorms
Darren blinked, "Wait, you mean your parents aren't coming?"
Lizzie shook her head, "Because of the curse, Wonderland is completely sealed off. They could come using the Well of Wonder but they have their duties in Wonderland. With the curse on the land right now, if they leave, things may turn so bland and horrible without their efforts."
Wonderland was indeed in peril as the Evil Queen cursed it, making many of the denizens more mad than usual and forced strange climate change. The Queen of Hearts was truly distressed about it and it made her more volatile than before some days. Not to say she was completely unhinged, but she was just much more emotional than before.
Darren nodded, "Well then, let's turn that little frown upside down. You and me, we'll go on a date and paint the town mad. Howzzat?"
Lizzie smiled, cheeks turning pink again. Her twisty knight was so kind and able to cheer her up so easily, "I would like that."
Ever After High - Pool
Despite the Shereghost Attack, several facilities in the school were still working just fine. The pool was one such thing and Meeshell, actually needing the pool, was allowed special access to enter the school to use it. Naturally, she brought Ben with her so they could spend time together swimming.
Meeshell twiddled her fingers as she sat with Abyss at the edge before she decided to blurt out her next statement, "Um, my mother is coming to the school to inquire about the monster attack and meet you."
Abyss froze in the spot, "W-what?"
"I told her that I met a brave shark knight with a beautiful singing voice," Meeshell explained. "After she fretted over me about the monsters, she became terribly hexcited and asked me to introduce you to her after she came to speak to the Headmaster."
"Oooooooh," Abyss groaned. Inwardly, he was panicking. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? He wasn't ready to talk to his girlfriend's mother, much less royalty!
In it all, Abyss just let himself fall into the pool while Meeshell blinked.
"Ben?"
Ever After High - Halls
"Mom can be so embarrassing sometimes!" Raven hissed as she and Arthur walked through the halls. Brownies had been repairing it, but they all vanished when the pair turned to that hall. "One minute she's trying to get me to be more evil and the next she's giving me this embarrassing advice on how to get you hooked on me!"
"I'm already hooked on you," Arthur teased.
"Oh don't you start too," Raven blushed, but smiled regardless. "Mom just keeps giving me these mixed signals between being my mom, and being the Evil Queen."
"Sounds like she's trying to be both," Arthur shrugged. "But I suppose you'd prefer she drops the whole Evil Queen thing."
"Yeah," Raven nodded. There were times in her youth, though rare, when the Evil Queen was just her mom and part of Raven still loved her. "Anyway, you made a good impression at least. Not many people are able to stand up to her like you did."
"It helped that she was locked in the mirror, I admit," Arthur sighed. "She's...intense."
"Don't I know it," Raven nodded. "But I guess I'm just used to her."
"I guess," Arthur nodded. "Did you notice how thrown off she was when you mentioned the two destinies thing?"
"I did. It was nice to see her surprised by something," Raven nodded. "I guess she was so sure about our destinies just seeing proof it could change was a shock. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen her surprised."
Arthur just nodded. He had to wonder with her one statement 'I made'. It could have been just a bit of shocked mumbles, but immediately after the Evil Queen had said it, she quickly caught herself and played the slightly interested sorceress. Arthur couldn't help but notice it, a habit he picked up since meeting Merlin and how he liked to play word games. He'd be saying one thing but hinting at something else. Perhaps the Evil Queen knew something more about the book that others didn't? Well, it was something to stew on since he knew the Evil Queen wouldn't give him a straight answer.
"Well, enough about the depressing things," Arthur shrugged. "So we're together and we have the day off. How about we go enjoy it somewhere?"
"I think I'd like that," Raven agreed, taking Arthur's arm.
Book End - Yarns and Noble
"Uhh, Kevin? Do you have a minute?" Ashylnn asked the Gazelle Knight in Yarns and Nobles.
"Sure. Have a seat," Kevin nodded as he closed his book. He was interested in buying it. "What's up, Ash?"
"Well, um, you know how a lot of our parents are coming to Book End to talk to Headmaster Grimm about what happened and the award ceremony for you guys?" Ashlynn asked, looking around as if afraid someone was spying on her.
"Yes, and I assume your parents are going to be there too?" Kevin nodded.
"Yes. Mother wasn't pleased when she had to learn about the attack from online sources instead of being told immediately," Ashlynn nodded. "Well, the thing is, well, Mother's been following the gossip and it's gotten back to her…um…"
Kevin groaned, "She believes the hype that because I showed concern during our first meeting that I'm somehow your 'Prince Charming'."
"Well, that and when you yelled at Hunter to protect me, supposedly because you couldn't since you were fighting those monsters," Ashlynn grimaced. "Just the way it was worded made people think you'd rather be protecting me, but your knightly duty came first."
Kevin palmed his face, "And your mother believes it?"
"With the leaked footage from the attack, it really sounds like it unless you personally knew us," Ashlynn winced. "And, well, Mother wants to invite you over to brunch so we can discuss, um, us."
"Guuuh," Kevin groaned.
"I know," Ashlynn nodded with a sigh.
"I'll go meet her but only to clear things up," Kevin accepted. "You're a beautiful girl, Ashlynn, and a good friend but, to be honest, you're just not my type."
Ashlynn giggled slightly, "I know. You seem to like bad girls like Faybelle more."
"I find the risks of dating her to be very hexciting," Kevin confessed.
"So you're dating now? Is it serious?"
"Just testing the waters, for now. Still trying to figure out if she likes me or the fact that I have my own minions to command," Kevin answered, eliciting a giggle from Ashlynn.
"Well, I wish the best for you," Ashlynn said. "And thank you, Kevin. You're a good friend too."
As Ashlynn got up to leave, several nosy fellow students quickly averted their eyes and pretended they didn't notice anything. Once she left the store, and Kevin was focusing on his book, several of them began hexting on their phones.
Ooooh Faybelle's not going to be happy to hear that!
Brooke, no reading ahead.
Sorry. I couldn't help myself.
In any case, while the Phoenix Knight handled his princess' mother with royal grace, and the Dragon Knight handled his first meeting with the Evil Queen with courage…
The other knights now must meet with the parents of their own paramours. In some cases, misfortune and misinformation have made them seem more to the princesses than they are. Or perhaps puts them on the path to where they would like to be.
A/N: Well, this chapter turned out to be more of an anthology-type chapter with SOL rather than a typical chapter. I hope you guys like it all the same. It got to be so long, I decided to break it in half.