I do not own Kamen Rider Ryuki or Ever After High. They belong to their respective creators and not me. I am not writing this for profit, only for fun.
Knights of the Otherworld
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 19: Princess Slumber Party
Another day comes for those of Ever After High and with it, for a change, comes a time of peace. Birds are singing, people are walking with no fear of a monster attack, and everyone can enjoy themselves.
Today though, that peace also reveals some long-standing tensions which are about to boil over.
Oh boy, drama!
Book End Library - Dorms
Book End and Ever After High were experiencing a very comfortable period of peace. No new Mirror Monsters attack had happened in a long, long time, meaning the knights simply had more time to themselves, not needing to worry about the next attack until it happened. Still, they did not become complacent. The lull in activity did not mean that the attacks would just stop, not until they uncovered the reasons behind them.
No, currently, the knights were experiencing other problems.
The dorm which the knights resided in was a group of converted rooms that were used for meetings and studying. The main room, an unused conference room, was where they slept. They had bunk beds which had only just enough space for them all. Their kitchen was a kitchenette for a break room and the bathroom was an expanded and converted pair of washrooms.
"OK, whose turn was it to do the dishes?" Arthur asked, coming into the common room. He had just been to the kitchen, or the cramped space that counted as one, and found the sink filled with dirty dishes. They should have been done yesterday, but somehow went ignored.
"I think it was Harry," Darren answered, reading some kind of funny comic book on the couch.
"No, I did it the day before yesterday," Harry answered from where he was hexting Briar.
"You did it to cover for Lance again, remember?" Arthur reminded him.
"Oh, yeah. Wait, did he ever clean the dishes?" Harry wondered.
"Argh!" Gwen screamed as she entered the common room with what looked like a pair of boxers on a stick. "Someone left their dirty boxers in my bed!"
"Hey, I've been looking for those!" Darren snatched them off. "Thanks, Gwen!"
"Keep your dirty clothes off my bed!" Gwen yelled at him.
"What is with all the yelling?" Max demanded, sticking his head into the room. "I'm working on a project for Home Evil-nomics and I need peace and quiet."
"Darren left his dirty laundry in my bed!" Gwen pointed.
"I was planning to get it cleaned," Darren defended.
"Like the unwashed pile you're hiding under your bed?" Gwen snapped back. Her bed happened to be next to Darren's so she had to see that disgusting sight and endure that disgusting smell.
"Again, I was planning to clean it," Darren insisted. Gwen merely crossed her arms and looked at him unbelievingly.
"When!?"
"Soon."
"Do it now! It's starting to reek!"
"Hey, can you guys keep it down?" Lance asked from an adjoining room. "I'm on the phone with Apple!"
"Lance, you should start doing the dishes like you're supposed to," Harry said, looking up from his own phone.
Lance shrugged, "Fine, I'll do them later."
Harry stopped his hexting and frowned, "You always say that and I always have to do them."
Lance rolled his eyes, "Look, Harry. I know when to do my chores. Stop being mom."
"Well, if I were mom, you'd already do your chores."
"Just take your dirty laundry, take them to the washing machine, and wash them, or else!" Gwen threatened Darren.
Darren huffed, "Or else what, Princess?"
"Or else I'll shove them down your throat!"
The arguing continued and even Max yelled since he just wanted to do his work in peace. Arthur sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Deciding to end the arguing before it got worse, he gave a sharp whistle which brought the end of the shouting.
"Guys! Guys!" Arthur yelled. "Stop arguing! C'mon! We'll take this to the Round Table"
The Round Table was what the knights called the main room where they first met Merlin, the centre of the stacks of books, and the mirrors where they first saw their Mirror Monster partners. They often met there when they had some kind of issue to deal with. Mostly it dealt with Mirror Monsters or the rogue knights. Now it was seeing more use for resolving roommate disputes.
Darren, Lance, Max, Gwen and Harry joined Arthur at their Round Table.
"OK, so, how did this all start?" Arthur asked.
"It all started because Darren can't keep his dirty boxers off my bed!" Gwen accused, jabbing a finger at Darren.
"And I said I would clean them later!" Darren shot back.
"Lance never does the dishes. I keep covering for him," Harry said, scowling at his brother.
"I have other things to do," Lance said, shrugging.
"Yeah, like texting and calling Apple."
"Oh, like you don't talk on the phone with Briar?"
"I leave text messages because I don't want to accidentally wake her from a nap. Besides, this is about you not doing chores and I made that chore schedule for nothing."
"What about you, Max?" Arthur asked.
"I just need some peace and quiet to do my homework but we all share a dorm and we don't have space," Max said. "Also, we each need our own space."
The others nodded in agreement. Arthur could understand. After all, having fourteen teenagers share one room meant very little privacy.
"OK, OK, so we're dealing with the stress of living together," Arthur said. "Remember, we're all friends here. Even if things get so bad, we can't just yell at each other. If we do, we'll say something we don't mean and we'll regret it. So, how about we just chill and talk like adults?"
They all calmed down and it looked like it had worked. Unfortunately, that would not last.
"OK, I still have something to say," Gwen said as she turned on Lance. "Lance, stop hogging all the hot water!"
"Hey, I need a nice hot shower," Lance defended.
"You spend your mornings singing in the shower! Also, whoever leaves a surprise in the toilet, remember to flush! That's not what I want to look at when I go into the bathroom!" Gwen yelled.
"And Darren, stop drinking from the carton!" Harry yelled at the comedian.
"Well, you stop being a nerd!" Darren yelled.
"Only when you stop making terrible jokes!"
"You want to go, pink boy!?" Darren thrust out his Advent Deck. Pretty soon, everyone had their Advent Decks out.
Arthur rubbed his temples as he felt a migraine coming.
Book End - Wonderland Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe
"Luckily, we managed to cool out tempers. After that, we just stormed out and I came right here," Arthur finished. Joining him at a table was Raven Queen, his girlfriend. He came to the tea shoppe to calm down and distract himself with its wonder.
"Sounds like a rough day," Raven remarked, stirring her tea.
"Yeah, it just came out of nowhere. We never argued like that before," Arthur sighed, rubbing his face.
"I think it's normal to have roommate issues," Raven said. "I mean, I argue with Apple from time to time."
Raven and Apple definitely did not have the best start as roommates. From what Arthur knew, Raven was supposed to room with Maddie. Apple, deciding she and her future frenemy should be close, got Headmaster Grimm to change the room assignments. Then she went one step further and redecorated Raven's side perfectly for the next Evil Queen. Purple and black may have been Raven's colors, but all the evil regalia was definitely not to her taste, especially when she didn't want to be the next Evil Queen.
"Yeah, but it's just the two of you sharing a room. For us, it's fourteen. Fourteen people sleeping in the same room. Fourteen people who have to share a bathroom. There's fourteen of us and only one bathroom, Blackbird! One! And we have to share it!" He quickly sipped his tea to calm himself down. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to rant."
"Why do you all sleep in the same room?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's just...crazy."
"Apparently, Merlin did not think ahead about our living arrangement so he just converted one huge hall into a dorm for us," Arthur said. "I mean, the beds are comfortable but we have no privacy."
"And the dorms are full at Ever After High too," Raven nodded. If they had any rooms available, Raven would suggest letting the knights move in there. It would make having evenings together easier and everyone would have their space.
"I'm just glad we left things like that. If we had continued, we might've started a Rider Civil War right there in the library," Arthur chuckled, sipping his tea.
"Maybe you guys are at each other's throats now because there hasn't been a monster attack in a while," Raven suggested. "Anyway, isn't Rex in charge of you guys? Where is he during all this?"
"He's taking baking lessons with Ginger."
Ever After High - Dorms (Kitchen)
The gingerbread cookies were baking in the oven. While they waited, Rex and Ginger had a passionate makeout session. He had her sitting on the countertop while he continued to kiss her, much to her delight.
"Your lips are so sweet," he said huskily, eliciting a giggle from her before they continued.
Rex was such a sweetheart. While he normally acted serious and never broke the rules, that was just one side of him. As a knight, he was noble, always willing to give up his time to help others. He even signed up for Cooking Class-ic even if it was not a traditional class for knights or princes.
He encouraged her to follow her dream. He also called her his Candy Princess, much to her joy. He just made her so happy. As much as she liked making out with him, they still needed to pay attention to the oven. They did not want to ruin the gingerbread cookies.
Fortunately, the cooking timer went off, helping her snap out of the loving daze she was in with her boyfriend. Breaking off their kisses, she patted him on the shoulder. Rex reluctantly backed away, letting her slip off the counter.
"Sorry Rex, but if you want the cookies to do well, you have to pay attention to them and not me when the time comes," Ginger smiled.
"I still think you're sweeter," Rex mumbled, making Ginger giggle as she retrieved her oven mitts.
Book End - Wonderland Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe
"And the others?" Raven asked.
"Rob went on a walk with Nina in the Enchanted Forest, Ben went for a swim with Meeshell, Gawain is at the unicorn stables with Rosabella, Tristan and Gabe went to the arcade, and Kyle and Kevin went to the Multi-hex with Duchess and Faybelle," Arthur listed.
"So everyone else is busy."
"Yeah."
"I know how to cheer things up!" Maddie popped out of nowhere and brought out a chessboard. Unlike the first time she did so, Arthur wasn't so surprised by Maddie's random appearances. "A funderful game of chess!"
Arthur sighed, but cracked a grin, "Yeah, I think I can go for a game. What about you, Blackbird?"
"I'm not very good at chess, to be honest," Raven admitted.
"Oh, don't worry. I could teach you," Arthur offered.
"I'd like that," Raven smiled. It might be fun.
Ever After High - Home Evil-nomics classroom
To finish his project, Max went to school and got permission from Madam Yaga to use the Home Evil-nomics classroom. He needed peace and quiet to finish his work. With his roommates arguing so loudly, he couldn't get anything done there.
"OK, if I do this right, this potion should be able to turn any plant evil," Max looked at his textbook. "But do this wrong, and I could create the world's worst stinkbomb."
He could make a potion and get a good grade or make a stinkbomb and still get a good grade for doing something so diabolical. He was tempted to make a stinkbomb to teach his stupid friends a lesson. Very tempted.
Most of the time, they were on amicable terms, but Max liked his peace and quiet. The only exceptions were when he hung out with Ramona. He actually preferred her company. However, today, she had a private family picnic with her parents and little sister. Just his luck that his roommates chose today of all days to begin bickering. It was due to happen, but at one of the worst times? Just his luck.
At least he could finish his work in peace and the classroom had everything he needed. He just needed to remember to clean up once he was done.
Ever After High - Dorms
"Thanks for letting me stay over, Darling," Gwen said gratefully to her girlfriend as she carried her bag and guitar case into the room.
"Well, you did say you needed to be away from your teammates for a bit," Darling smiled, already helping Gwen relax with her radiance.
"I just can't stand staying in the same room with those disgusting boys!" Gwen complained, setting down her things before flopping onto Darling's bed. Oh, it was so soft. She could just sink into the mattress and lie there forever.
"They can't all be that bad, can they?"
"No, not all of them. Just Darren. Did you know he leaves his dirty laundry under his bed and drinks straight from the carton? Then he leaves the empty carton in the fridge! Oh, wait! Lance never does the dishes and uses up all the hot water in the morning!" Gwen took a breath to calm down. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to unload on you like that."
Darling smiled that perfect princess smile of hers and sat down next to her girlfriend, "Sounds to me like you're looking to find your own place, Gwen."
"Yeah, my own room," Gwen agreed.
Darling giggled a little, but then blinked as an idea came to her, "Hey, I know a perfect way for you to blow off steam: a princess slumber party!"
Gwen pondered the thought. She wasn't so thrilled about the princess part, but the party part with just the girls sounded like something she needed.
"That does sound fun. Just us girls, hanging out, snacking, watching movies and no boys allowed."
"I'll see if anyone wants to come." Darling started to send hext messages to invite the others over.
Book End - Hocus Latte
Harry was in a foul mood as he sat in Hocus Latte. He loved the smell of roasted beans along with the peace and quiet provided by the place. It also had good service and it gave him a chance to read in peace. Plus, it had great WiFi. The library, ironically, was just too crowded and loud.
He just needed to get away and blow off some steam. However, that still didn't solve the problem of how they would resolve this. As much as he loved his brother, Lance had never done any of the chores after they arrived in this world. He helped around the library but that was pretty much it. He was too busy with Apple White.
Checking his hext messages, he saw one with Briar telling him that she and some of the girls would be having a slumber party. That was fine with him since he wouldn't have been much fun as a date with his current mood. So he told her to have fun.
Harry drank his latte and sighed. That was some good coffee.
Ever After High - Dorms
Darling managed to invite a few of the girls to their little slumber party. Their guests included Apple White, Briar Beauty, Blondie Lockes, Melody Piper, Rosabella Beauty, and Cedar Wood.
Cedar was the only new face in the group that Gwen didn't know. She was a nice girl with long chocolate brown hair which reached her hips. Her skin tone was, well, mahogany with similarly colored eyes. This was because she was made entirely of wood. You couldn't tell from looking at her, since her features were so life-like, but seeing her joints, one could tell that she was indeed a life-sized, living puppet. As the daughter of Pinocchio, it made sense she would be a puppet first and would become a real girl later.
Gwen never really interacted with Cedar before but she was eager to get to know her, anything to keep her mind off the boys. Gwen knew she couldn't stop her friends from talking about boys, but so long as the conversation didn't go too deep into the ones she had to live with, she was fine. Still, she had to admit she was a little eager to see what a real slumber party was like. As a tomboy, Gwen never had a slumber party or got invited to any so this would be a first for her.
So, there they were, dressed in their pajamas and nightgowns, eager for a night of fun. They even brought sleeping bags to sleep together in Darling's room. Even in pajamas, Darling looked stunning.
Book End - Multi-Hex Theater
Faybelle and Duchess went to see a movie that day, apparently some new release, but decided that they weren't going to go by themselves since that was what losers did. So to that end, Faybelle called Kevin who was happy to spend the day with her. Duchess called Kyle and they both played up how they were just going together since they had nothing better to do. It was an obvious lie, but it helped their pride stay intact.
Faybelle and Kevin were in line to get some snacks when Faybelle began checking her social media and saw something she didn't like.
"What's this?" Faybelle followed Blondie's Hexagram feed and she fumed as she saw her latest post. "I wasn't invited to a slumber party!?"
"Faybelle, what is it?" Kevin asked.
"Look at this! Darling Charming invited everyone but me to a slumber party!" Faybelle showed her screen.
"Should that really bother you? Last time I checked, you and Darling weren't exactly friends," Kevin remarked. Plus he doubted that Darling invited 'everyone' to her party. There was no way her dorm room was big enough. She probably invited some friends, including Blondie, who made it seem like a bigger deal than it was.
"That's not the point! I'm fableous! I should get invited to every party!" Faybelle fumed.
"Faybelle, babe, just let it go," Kevin advised.
"No, I'm not just going to let it go, Kevin," Faybelle retorted. "If they're having a slumber party then I'm going to throw an even bigger one."
Kevin shook his head. His girlfriend was a competitive creature, after all.
"Can we at least watch the movie first?"
Ever After High - Dorms
"So, Cedar. You're really Pinochio's kid?" Gwen asked the girl who was strangely enough made of wood like the famous puppet boy.
"Yeah, Dad made me like Grandpa Gepetto made him. But someday, I'll be a real girl," Cedar smiled.
"Okay, but I also heard you can never lie. Like ever," Gwen continued.
"Yeah, until I take on my destiny, I'm cursed to tell nothing but the truth. I just want to be able to fib or tell a white lie like all the other kids." Gwen didn't quite get why Cedar wanted to be able to do that, but then again, if she was physically incapable of doing something, she'd want to do it once she got the chance to.
"Oh, my Fairy Godmother!" Blondie waved her hand in front of her flushed face when she looked at Apple's MirrorPhone.
"Lance just hexted it to me!" Apple gushed. "Isn't he dreamy?" On her screen was a shirtless selfie of Lance after a workout, his body glistening. He did not take selfies as obsessively as Daring but when he did it was always something sexy. Apple was always quick to brag or gush when he did it, making some of her friends, ones who were single like Blondie, envious.
"That boy is all kinds of just right!" Blondie agreed. "Like a good bowl of porridge."
"They're drooling over Lance," Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Let them have their fun," Darling murmured to her girlfriend.
"No, she has to know. Apple, you're a great girl and while Lance is mostly great, he's not perfect."
"Oh, he looks perfect to me, " Apple said innocently.
"No, take it from me. I live with him. You see, when you share a space with boys, you get to see them at their worst. They can be so gross. So, so gross. Take Lance, for example, he never does the dishes," Gwen told her.
"Never?"
"Never, ever. He usually leaves them for Harry to clean. Also, it doesn't matter to them that I'm a girl. I'm just one of the guys to them, which means they can be as gross as they want to be and I have seen so much grossness coming from Darren! Just today, I found his dirty underwear in my bed! And he keeps piles of dirty laundry under his bed which he will wash later. When? I have never seen him do his laundry! And his jokes are not funny! Never! I don't understand how Lizzie or Maddie finds them funny!"
"They can't all be bad, can they?" Cedar asked.
"OK, most of them are alright," Gwen agreed, shrugging. "But Apple, I'm just telling you how it is for me. I don't tell you this stuff to be mean. Just, be ready for Lance to show his bad habits sometimes." She let out a sigh. She did not mean to badmouth Lance. She just needed to vent. To be honest, she was glad to be considered one of the guys. It showed they respected her ability. Also, despite his flaws, Gwen could count on Lance to watch her back.
Apple smiled, apparently unfazed by Gwen's small rant, "Then I know some of the things I'll need to help him fix."
Gwen shrugged. If Apple wanted to take on the challenge, good luck to her.
"Good luck then. His own brother couldn't make him stop. Maybe you'll have better luck."
"Gwen, remember why we're all here. Tonight is about you having fun with your girlfriends," Darling reminded, rubbing her shoulder.
"Right, sorry about that. The boys and I have been having a bad time recently,," Gwen blushed. It seemed that any mention of her roommates was a trigger for her right now. "So, what should we do first?"
"Makeovers!" the girls chorused, holding their makeup kits and hairbrushes.
"OK, makeovers," Gwen agreed. She was game for anything within reason.
"Gwen first! I want to see what she looks like all princess-like!" Apple declared.
Gwen groaned. Was this going to be her revenge for badmouthing her boyfriend? Maybe it wasn't too late to back out?
"I agree!" Darling giggled.
"Traitor," Gwen mumbled but she still smiled and happily surrendered herself to the inevitable. "OK, ladies! Do your worst!"
One makeover later…
"See, Gwen? You are a princess after all!" Darling cooed, looking at her girlfriend in the mirror.
"Yeah…" Gwen blinked at her own reflection. "Wow. You girls did great work. Is that really me?"
Gwen certainly found herself almost looking like a different person. Her hair was straightened and styled to be perfectly smooth, making her hair seem neater and all around shinier. Eye shadow was applied, making her eyes seem mature and bright red lipstick painted her lips. A bit of blush and she really seemed like a princess in her face, although her pajamas still made it clear she was a tomboy.
"Oooh, you're definitely the next Guinevere," Apple praised.
"Now if only we could get you into a dress," Darling teased. "I have some which would look just fableous on you like this."
"Uh….pass?" Gwen grimaced.
"Oh come on Gwen. It's just us girls," Briar pleaded. "Please?"
Gwen looked to Darling who clearly wanted to see her dressed up like them. Gwen sighed and gave in, letting Darling run to her closet to begin picking clothes which would look best on her. Soon Gwen found herself in an outfit similar to Darling's usual one with more gold and white to match Gwen's theme as Femme rather than Darling's usual style.
"If you dressed more like this, you'd definitely flip everyone's crown," Briar complimented.
"I...can't deny I...like it," Gwen reluctantly admitted. "I dunno. It just feels kind of stiff and I can't do the things I love in it."
"Yeah, you're more a princess knight," Melody agreed. "The kind that kicks butt and takes names and looks awesome doing it!"
"Well, Thronecoming's getting close. Maybe you can get dressed up for that," Apple suggested.
"Well...I'd probably have to," Gwen admitted. "But only if I have a date!"
"Oh you have one," Darling cooed. Gwen and Darling were planning on going together. No way were they going to miss the chance to attend such an event as a couple.
(-)
After the makeovers were done, the girls got back together in a circle on their sleeping bags. Bowls of snacks were shared as gossip followed. Naturally, it evolved into wanting to hear some juicy secrets and funny gossip. To help get it, the girls agreed to the traditional game of Truth or Dare. They started off light, asking small questions. Of course, being the newest girl among them, plenty of the others hoped Gwen would pick truth more often than dare.
"So your full name is 'Gwyneth Marie Nighte'?" Briar questioned.
"Yeah, but I decided to go by 'Gwen'," Gwen replied.
"Well, I think 'Gwyneth' is a lovely name. Could we call you that?" Apple asked.
"Sorry, but I prefer 'Gwen'. That's just who I am," Gwen said firmly, shaking her head. She would not change her mind on that. People who called her Gwyneth were the high society snobs so it made her prefer her nickname with her friends.
"Okay, my turn! So, Blondie. Truth or dare?" Apple asked.
"Dare," Blondie giggled.
"Hm, I dare you to call Lance and ask him on a date." Apple handed Blondie her MirrorPhone.
"Really, Apple?" Gwen cocked an eyebrow. That sounded rather tame. "You know he'll turn her down."
Apple just shrugged with a giggle. "I know. I just want to see what happens."
Blondie blushed and found Lance's number in the list of contacts. She warbled a moment, likely nervous about brazenly asking another girl's boyfriend to go out on a date, even if only for fun. Asking for dates and the like were very hard. Still, Blondie steeled herself and hit the call button. It rang a few times before Lance picked up.
"Hey, Apple Pie," Lance's voice came through the phone. Naturally, Apple had put her phone on speaker so everyone could hear. That way , even if Blondie lost her nerve, she couldn't fake talking on the phone.
Blondie slapped her own cheeks and made herself speak, "Oh, this isn't Apple. This is Blondie Lockes."
"Blondie? What are you doing on Apple's phone?" Lance asked in confusion.
"Oh, I just took it to call you. So, Lance, do you want to go on date with me?" Blondie asked. It came out almost too quickly to understand.
Lance paused for a moment, but decided to just go with it. Likely he was going to talk to Apple about it later, "Sorry, Blondie, but you know I'm taken. Apple's the only girl for me."
"Oh, well, I just wanted to see if you were interested. Bye." Blondie ended the call. "Honestly, Apple, you're a lucky girl."
Apple blushed brightly in happiness, "I know, right?"
"OK, Cedar. Truth or Dare?" Blondie asked.
"Truth," Cedar answered. Playing with Cedar was really fun in a way since whenever she picked to tell the truth, you always knew she would tell the truth. Of course, the girls knew not to take advantage of that and didn't ask her for any deep or terrible secrets.
Blondie grinned, "Alright, do you have a crush on anyone?"
"No." The answer came instantly without hesitation. Since it came from her, it could only be the truth. "But, I do think Gabe is royally cute."
"So do all the girls," Gwen agreed. Gabe was a sweetheart, actually, one of the few boys on her team that didn't get on her nerves. He was like an adorable little brother. Seeing him with Holly was sometimes one of the cutest sights ever.
"OK, Gwen. Your turn now," Briar smiled. "Truth or Dare?"
"Dare me," Gwen crossed her arms.
Blondie pointed dramatically at her, "OK, I dare you to transform right now!"
"Seriously?" Gwen cocked an eyebrow. She shrugged. "Fine, let me grab my deck." She went over to her things and grabbed her white Femme Advent Deck and then went up to the window. She held it up to her reflection, summoning her V-Buckle as it wrapped around her waist. She spread her arms to the sides like wings. "Henshin!" She slid the deck into the V-Buckle and her suit formed and filled in with color.
Femme turned to face the girls, posing.
"There, I transformed," Femme said.
Apple and Blondie walked up to Femme to get a closer look at her suit. To be honest, while they had seen the Riders in action, it was hard to see them up close like this. The two princess just wanted to have a moment to appreciate the beauty of Femme's armor.
"Question, what does 'Henshin' mean?" Blondie asked. "You knights say it whenever you put on your suits."
"It means 'transform' in another language," Femme answered. "Merlin insists we use it and it's become a habit."
"And this tiny case is the source of your powers?" Blondie examined the Advent Deck.
"It's my entire arsenal," Femme answered. "Everything I need to fight monsters is right in this deck you see."
"So you really have a massive swan as your partner?" asked Briar.
"Blancwing," Femme nodded. "She's a sweetie, but she can get mean when the time comes."
"She's also very beautiful," Darling added. One time, Gwen had summoned Blancwing to take her and Darling out on a flight. The mechanical swan monster was only happy to give the two a ride.
"How would you girls like to meet her?" Femme asked as she drew her contract card. She opened her Visor to slip the card inside before closing it.
[Advent!]
The window rippled and Blancwing emerged, honking. As it stood before the girls, Femme gave her Contract Monster a few gentle pets on the head.
"She's beautiful," Apple admired.
"Duchess would definitely be green with envy that she doesn't have a magnificent beast like this," Blondie added as she studied the big white swan standing in the middle of the room with them., taking pictures with her MirrorPhone.
"I know she looks like a huge swan but she's still a Mirror Monster," Femme cautioned the girls. Like all Mirror Monsters, Blancwing could feed on humans. The only reason it wasn't was because Merlin had tamed it and Femme's contract with it provided it with a stable food source.
"How can something so beautiful ever be a monster?" Rosabella asked. One time, Gawain had introduced her to Destwilder. Since her dad was the Beast, she was not at all intimidated even if Destwilder looked scary with its predatory eyes and sharp claws.
"I didn't mean anything bad by it," Femme answered as Blancwing nuzzled her. "Yes, I love you too, girl." She had grown close to her Contract Monster since they first met and Blancwing was loyal, coming to her aid even when not summoned.
"You've clearly developed a strong bond," Rosabella observed.
"Of course. She's my partner. We look after each other."
Book End - Dragon's Lair Arcade
Gabe and Tristan were still at the Dragon's Lair arcade, just blowing off steam and enjoying the day. They had avoided the big argument back at the dorms so they were in a much better mood than some of their friends. At the moment, a crowd had gathered around the Dance Dance Ever After machine, watching Darren dance nonstop.
"How long has he been on that machine?" Tristan wondered. "And where does he get the energy?"
"Huh, what?" Gabe looked up from his phone. "You say something?"
Tristan rolled his eyes, "Darren's been dancing for hours non-stop and what are you looking at? Is that Blondie's Hexagram feed?"
Gabe shrugged. "Holly got me hooked on it. Blondie's popular. And look here, she's at a slumber party right now. #FunWithFriends."
Tristan looked to the photo and blinked, "Is that Gwen? She looks like she's having fun."
Meanwhile, Darren had finished dancing to another song, drenched in sweat. Oh, he needed to blow off some steam. While he could've called Lizzie, he didn't want to be a bother to her. She had some designs she needed to finish for her Fashion Design class. Besides her destiny as the next Queen of Hearts, she aspired to become a fashion designer. Darren was confident that she could make it. He had seen her designs and they were wonderlandiful.
Ever After High - Dorms
After girls had their fun with Truth or Dare, they decided the time was right to watch some movies. Darling logged into her Spellflix account on her TV so they could watch one of their choice. Her TV, which resembled an ornate rectangular mirror, was mounted on her wall.
"So, what should we watch?" Darling asked as she scrolled through the selections onscreen.
"A musical!" Apple suggested.
"Horror!" Melody raised her hand.
"Oh, there's a new nature documentary," Rosabella chimed in.
"An action movie!" Briar insisted.
"OK, and deliver them to the Ever After High dorm. I'll pick them up at the door," Gwen finished her call. "OK, pizza's coming! So, what are we watching?"
"We haven't decided," Darling said as they all argued over what to watch.
"There's this murder mystery movie I've always wanted to see," Gwen said. "I think it was called 'Broken Glass'."
"That's the one based on Cinderella's story, except Cinderella gets murdered and they're trying to find the killer," Melody described. "And there's a twist-"
"Melody, please!" Gwen interrupted. "No spoilers. I haven't seen it yet."
"OK, let's see 'Broken Glass'," Darling agreed. "By the way, Lady Yaga plays Cinderella in this movie."
"OK," Gwen nodded, although she didn't seem interested even if the others seemed to get the meaning of that. She had looked up the spellebrities in this world and so many were similar to ones from Earth. Lady Yaga was basically this world's version of Lady Gaga. It still didn't excite her since she wasn't exactly a fan in the first place.
(-)
Partway through the movie, and enjoying their pizzas, the girls were on the edge of their seats in suspense. The twists and turns it took were unbelievable. Melody, of course, knew how it ended but was forbidden to say anything lest she spoil the whole thing.
"Wow. Good thing Ashlynn isn't here," Gwen blinked at a particularly surprising twist. Darling was curled up in her side. "I don't think she'd like how her mother's story went in this one."
"No doubt," Darling agreed.
Now they were at the climax. The detective had gathered the suspects to reveal the identity of the murderer. He then pointed his finger at Prince Charming's father. He had murdered Cinderella to keep his son from marrying a 'poor servant girl'. He had gotten one of his servants to do it, who they found murdered earlier in the movie, but the detective found some extra clues which led to the one who actually ordered the murder to happen.
"I thought I was just right when I said it was the wicked stepmother!" Blondie frowned.
"That's a red herring," Gwen said. "The most obvious suspect is never the actual killer. Too easy."
"Who would have guessed it was Prince Charming's father though," Briar gasped.
"I know, right?" Melody nodded. "I was sure it was one of her sisters when I first saw it."
"Prince Charming's father really fooled us," Apple said. "But it was him the whole time."
"I knew it was him the whole time," Cedar said and everyone looked at her. "It was so obvious if you think about it."
They all agreed it was a good movie. A lot of twists and red herrings thrown in kept them guessing.
The slumber party really did help Gwen to relax and forget about what happened earlier that day. Maybe she should hang out with these girls more often. They were actually pretty fun company once she gave them a chance. Being princesses really didn't hurt their ability to have fun it seemed.
Speaking of...
"You know, a slumber party is not over until we have a pillow fight!" Gwen grabbed a pillow. "Heads up!" She threw a pillow at Apple who shrieked and ducked under it.
"Oh, it is on!" Melody grinned, grabbing her own pillow and hitting Gwen with it.
"Hm, too soft, too lumpy," Blondie was busy selecting pillows before she found her weapon. "Now this one is just right!" She swung her pillow into Briar.
"This means war!" Briar yelled as she threw herself into the fray.
"Don't forget me!" Apple laughed.
The girls all grabbed their weapons and began playfully whacking each other with pillows, yelling and laughing. Gwen was enjoying herself. Nothing could ruin this night.
*Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!*
"Oh come on!" Gwen complained, stopping her part of the fight.
"What? Gwen, what is it?" asked Darling.
Gwen tossed her pillow aside, "Monster coming. I'll be right back! Do not end the party before I do!" Gwen dashed to the bathroom and held out her deck to the glass, summoning her V-Buckle, "Henshin!"
Once her armor formed on her body, she jumped into the mirror, headed for the Mirror World.
Ever After High - Mirror World
Femme stepped out of the dorms, walking along the grounds of Ever After High, looking for the Mirror Monster that was making the noise which was a constant annoyance to her ears. Her horse had dropped her off nearby, meaning the monster had to be around here somewhere.
She held her Blanc Visor up, waiting for the monster to appear. After a few moments, she stopped when she heard the sounds of water. Not unusual in some areas of the school, but the fountain was in front of her while the noise was coming from elsewhere…
*FWOOOSH!*
Femme rolled to the side, instinct screaming at her to do so. Getting up in a crouch, she turned to see what had attacked her. Across the field was an Abysslasher, although it's armor was darker than the one Abyss was contracted with. Water dribbled from its mouth while its swords were lifted up threateningly.
"Hello stress relief," Femme smirked. Drawing a card, she quickly activated it.
[Sword Vent!]
The Wing Slasher appeared in her hands and she prepared to fight off the shark-like monster. The Mirror Monster snarled and charged at her, swinging its blades madly. Femme charged back, their blades meeting in a flash of bright sparks. It quickly swung its second sword, forcing Femme to spin around and block that blow as well.
Femme slashed at the Abysslasher, striking it across the shoulder. It grunted, but then began gurgling. Recognizing the signs of an attack after having sparred with Abyss' partners, Femme jumped aside as another stream of high-pressure water surged out.
"Nice try. But I know your style," Femme huffed. She drew another card and slipped it into her visor.
[Guard Vent!]
Femme lifted her arm as a shield which looked like Blancwing's outstretched wings appeared on it. Immediately, her cape flapped like a pair of wings before a storm of white feathers began to swirl around the area. The Abysslasher stopped as it seemed confused by the feathers raining around it. Femme lifted her sword and shield before she dashed through the feathers and vanished from sight. The Abysslasher grunted, looking around, more confused than before.
"Hah!" Femme cried, reappearing before she cut the monster across the back, making it shriek and stumble. The Abysslasher swung hard at her, but Femme vanished into the feathers again. The monster stumbled and Femme reappeared at its open side, slashing it again.
The Abysslasher roared and began spewing water in a circle, trying to get the feathers away. Rather than at its side, Femme reappeared in the air, coming back down for a powerful slash which cut the monster down its torso. The monster roared in pain and stumbled back.
Femme drew her Final Vent and was about to activate it when she was interrupted by a loud neigh and clopping of hooves. She then saw, to her dismay, Bicolius with Perfect Knight riding on its back. The bicorn sped up and sent the Abysslasher tumbling with its horns.
"Never fear, fair damsel! For I am here!" Perfect Knight declared as he rode in on Bicolius. "Now, stand aside while I slay this beast!" He drew a card and slipped it into his Perfect Visor.
Femme gaped at the Rogue's audacity, "Hey, wait-!"
[Final Vent!]
Bicolius picked up speed while Perfect Knight's lance appeared in his hand. An aura of gold surrounded him before they continued to charge at the downed Abysslasher. The monster managed to get to its feet, woozy, but it was too late to avoid the blow. Perfect Knight and Bicolius crashed into the monster, making it scream and explode in a haze of fire.
"Ah-ha! Another perfect victory!" Perfect Knight boasted as he dismounted. As Bicolius devoured the fallen creature's essence, Perfect Knight saw Femme marching towards him. She was obviously grateful and wanted to thank him. "No need to thank me, fair damsel! It was my honor to-ARGH!" Perfect Knight yelled as Femme suddenly slashed him across the chest with her Wing Slasher. "What is the meaning of this!?"
"I've had enough of stuck-up chauvinists!" Femme shouted furiously as she attacked him, causing him to backpedal in fear and confusion.
"Hey, I was rescuing you!" Perfect Knight cried.
"Do I look like I need rescuing?!" Femme snapped. "I'm in a suit of armor and I have weapons!"
"You're a girl! A Damsel! Of course, you'll need rescuing!" Perfect Knight retorted.
"GYAH! GET OVER HERE!" Femme shrieked, charging at Perfect Knight.
"EEEK!" Perfect Knight recoiled as Femme leaped at him to drive her foot into his chest, knocking him back. She landed gracefully on her heels and then spun around to deliver a reverse roundhouse that knocked him off-balance.
Femme started to remember how much she appreciated her teammates. Sure, they could be insufferable at times but they respected her and accepted her as part of the team. If they helped her, it was because they saw she needed help, not just assume she did because she was a girl. Yeah, Rex, Arthur, and one or two of the others had that whole chivalry thing going on, but they were modern guys and were able to adapt. This creep didn't let up the chivalry even when he saw Femme fighting and winning against the Abysslasher. He just treated her like another damsel-in-distress stereotype!
Perfect Knight fell on his back with a grunt, but rolled over to tremble at the Swan Knight's approach. She came closer but stopped when she felt a cold sensation come across her body. Femme looked at her hand to see particles rising from it and clicked her tongue with annoyance. Before leaving, Femme brought her Wing Slasher down between Perfect Knight's legs, barely missing his crown jewels.
"Next time, you lose them," Femme threatened coldly before she spun on her heels and marched to the closest reflection to get out and rejoin the slumber party. She needed something to pick up her mood again.
Ever After High - Dorms
Darling saw Gwen come back to her and Rosabella's room with a truly dark frown on her face, "Gwen, are you okay?"
"Fine. Need chocolate and kisses," Gwen grumped. The girls looked at Gwen as she sat down and stole the bowl of chocolate candies and took a handful for herself.
"You normally feel better after a hunt," Darling observed. "Did it not go so well?"
"Remember the jerk Arthur fought back at the jousting tournament?" Gwen questioned. "I ran into him."
"That dork?" asked Briar. "What did he do now? Whine about how Blancwing is more graceful than his horse?"
The reputation of Perfect Knight really made him seem like a fop to those who knew he was a real Rogue and not a performer for the joust. He looked the part of a dashing knight and maybe he had some skill to back it up. Sadly, with his whining about how he thought a fight should work and his pathetic performance, it really didn't make him look like a Prince Charming. More like a whiny brat who wasn't getting his way.
"Did he attack you?" Darling asked, worried. Like many in the room who were dating the knights, they knew that Perfect Knight's attack hadn't just been part of the show.
"Hardly," Gwen snorted. "He still royally ticked me off. Just barrelled in, acting like a prince on his horse, destroyed the monster, and then acted like I should start gushing over him since he 'rescued' me. Grrr!"
"Oh come on!" Melody huffed. "Anyone could see that you can royally kick butt and take care of yourself. Did you really need the help?"
"Ha! Against an Abysslasher? No way," Gwen laughed. "No, I was dancing circles around the thing and was getting ready to finish it off when he barrelled in. Then after he took it down, he started giving his spiel of how he saved the 'fair damsel'. Then the jerk had the gall to say since I was a girl 'of course I was going to need rescuing!' Grr!"
"Oooh, that jerk!" Rosabella huffed.
"Gwen, you shouldn't let that fool bother you," Darling said reassuringly. "Everyone in this room knows you're more than a princess, more than a damsel. You're Kamen Rider Femme, the Swan Princess Knight, a hero."
Gwen looked at these girls, her friends. Yes, only their opinions mattered.
"You're right," Gwen agreed. "Who cares what he thinks? Okay, what do we do next?"
"Well, it's still too early to go to bed," Darling checked the time. "How about some scary stories?"
"Oh, sure you want that?" Gwen grinned. She had found that scary stories in Ever After were pretty rare and their idea of horror was closer to the black and white films of the Universal Monsters. "I know some pretty good ones."
"Oh yeah!" Briar grinned. "Let's get the chills going! I want to feel shivers down my spine from this."
"You asked," Gwen shrugged.
The girls began telling the creepiest stories they knew with the lights turned down low for extra atmosphere. The ones the princesses knew were good, but Gwen won easily with some of the creepy campfire stories she knew from back home. Her favorite one to use was the legendary story of The Hook.
"...And as they stepped out of the car, they found a wicked hook hanging from the car door," Gwen finished. "The End."
Urban legends like the one about 'The Hook' was just one of the many she had in her arsenal, making the girls shiver in fright. Ever After just wasn't a place for anything creepy, making it easy for Gwen's campfire stories to get a rise out of everyone.
To get rid of the chills and help everyone get back in a partying mood, they decided to have some music and get a small dance party going. Naturally, that had Melody bring out her dance mixes. Gwen, not to be left out, played some songs of her own on her guitar. Still, Gwen had to wonder where the mice came from the moment Melody began playing her mixes.
Gwen enjoyed the slumber party but they eventually needed to go to bed. As everyone else settled into their sleeping bags, Rosabella and Darling got into their beds. However, Darling wanted Gwen to join her in bed.
"I just want to snuggle and cuddle," Darling smiled, caressing her girlfriend's face. "Won't you join me?"
"OK," Gwen answered. How could she say no to such an offer?
As Darling snuggled with her girlfriend, her mind went over an idea she had during the course of the night. It was spring and seniors would be graduating soon. That meant their dorm rooms would be empty. If Gwen applied for a dorm, Darling could use her connections to get Gwen as her roommate during the fall semester.
Yes! Girl power!
It doesn't seem to solve the room problem the knights are having.
As a girl, Gwen should have her own room at least.
Hey, wasn't Faybelle trying to throw her own slumber party. Let's check it out!
Faybelle was having a makeout party in her room. She tried to throw a slumber party but only got Ramona and Duchess to attend. Her cheerhexers had plans that night too. So to fill it, the three girls dragged their respective boyfriends to the event. It kind of deviated from the definition of slumber party, but Faybelle didn't really mind.
Max looked a little bushwhacked since Ramona pretty much dragged him away from his homework. Thankfully, he was already done by then. Duchess and Kyle were still playing like they were just reluctant friends, although everyone knew they were into each other. Kevin just questioned what happened to the slumber party, but came to Faybelle's room to have a nighttime party. Since Faybelle didn't have a roommate, they had the entire room to themselves.
Faybelle opened up Spellflix and chose a scary movie, and it soon went from an evening in into a near makeout contest. Naturally, all three girls began using the scares in the movie as an excuse to start cuddling their men. Well, Ramona didn't need the excuse and Faybelle just liked the mood, although Duchess did need the excuse to curl up to Kyle. Her pride wouldn't really allow her any less.
Of course, the makeout portion of the party began with Ramona. Her wild she-wolf nature helped her decide she was bored and, likely wanting to show off a little, just started making out with Max, much to his mortification.
"We're watching a movie!" Duchess hissed.
Ramona broke her kiss, grinning toothily, "So watch. I want to get some TLC from my man. Don't mind us." She then promptly got back to making out with Max, barely letting him breathe amidst her show of affection.
"...and it just got awkward," Kevin chuckled.
"Tell me about it," Kyle huffed.
"Well, I won't be outdone by anyone," Faybelle huffed before she pushed Kevin against the couch, "Pucker up!"
"Wait, wha-MF!" Kevin blinked, but that was all he got out before Faybelle began plundering his lips with kisses of her own.
"Guh! So crude!" Duchess sniffed, crossing her arms.
Kyle put his arm around Duchess, pulling her close.
"Feeling left out, princess?"
Duchess gave him a glare, as if insulted by the suggestion. Kyle lifted an eyebrow, not bothered by said glare. After a few moments, Duchess gave Ramona and Faybelle a glare. They looked like they were indeed competing over who could kiss their boyfriends senseless first.
Finally, Duchess stood up and grabbed Kyle's hand, "Let's take this to another seat so we don't have to watch these degenerates."
"Yes, princess," Kyle began to grin like the cat who caught the canary.
In the end, Faybelle was foiled in trying to throw a slumber party more epic than Darling's. Instead, what she got was essentially a triple date and a contest with two of her friends over who could be the more alluring girlfriend. A contest judged solely by whose boyfriend lost their senses first. They even ranked themselves.
Kyle, who was used to such things, landed Duchess in third, much to her pouting detriment. Kevin was less experienced and Faybelle knew a few tricks as a fae, leaving him in a daze to claim second. Ramona was just an animal as she plundered Max's mouth, leaving him gasping for air and dropping her into first place.
"Okay, this is awkward," Max gasped as the girls chatted and giggled, comparing notes.
"Yeah," Kevin nodded, rubbing his eyes.
"Oh this is nothing," Kyle snickered. "We can just do the manly thing and pretend it never happened. Those girls on the other hand are going to gossip and share tips with their friends. Trust me, I've seen it happen."
The other young men groaned, palming their faces.
Oooh, juicy!
Alright, alight, Brooke, you got to see your extra scene. Now it's time to turn the page. We have Thronecoming next.
Okay, Mom.
A/N: Well, another slice of life chapter showing some of the tension that comes with being rommates. Well, a lot of roommates. We also see that Perfect Knight isn't giving up in his ambitions to be princely, even if he is that bad at it.