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 20: Thronecoming Part 1

Welcome back, one and all, to the world of Ever After High. Today we come to an exciting time as we have the special event of Thronecoming just around the corner.

A special time where the students celebrate with a parade, and of course, the choosing of the Thronecoming King and Queen. The students have quite a number of candidates this year.

Oh yeah! It'll be a big competition for more than just Thronecoming Queen. Daring's going to have to fight for it!

Alright, Brooke, calm down. You can try to cast your vote later

Book End - Streets

The sidewalks of Book End were packed as excitement filled the air. This was because it was Thronecoming. It was a celebration of the students of Ever After High, inviting its alumni to return and spellebrate their achievements. It was also time for the current students who take inspiration from them to show off their own achievements. It was also the time where the bookball championship was played, so there was a double meaning for the celebrations.

One particular tradition was the Thronecoming parade. Students built their decorative floats to ride through Book End. Student clubs, cliques, or other student groups who just had the time and materials to spare, could put together a float and be part of the parade. Naturally, plenty of students loved to be part of the parade and some floats were truly magical.

The parade was already in full swing with floats coming down the road. Maddie managed to get her own giant teacup float going. Partially sponsored by her father and other Wonderlandian students who so adored tea like she did. Daring Charming was likewise on his own float set up by the bookball team. Naturally, he was his charming self, causing several girls to faint from his charming winks and smiles.

There was one special float rolling down the street, occupied by a group of 14 special individuals. It had to be royally sturdy to hold their weight. Fortunately, the one who had it made knew about quality material so it was perfectly fine. It was flat at the base, but built up to a throne at the apex of several stairs. At each step, two of the Knights of the Round Table were there in full armor, waving for the crowd. At the top, seated upon a throne with a flashy European sword, was SirRyuki with Sir Knight standing to his right.

"How did we get talked into this?" Ryuki asked Knight.

"Merlin," the other knights in earshot replied in unison.

"Just smile and wave, buddy. Smile and wave," Knight answered while waving to the crowd. "At least you get to keep sitting the whole ride."

There was one special float in the parade that all the students got excited about. It was a simple float, but decorated with beautiful flowers and a golden arch. On it was a pair of thrones that were fit for royalty. This float represented the upcoming election for Thronecoming King and Queen, a title that everyone wanted or dreamed to be theirs.

It was an election process and many of the most popular students, or the ones with the most ambition, had submitted their names in the race for the crown. There were quite a number of them this year and everyone was excited to see if their choice could win the crown.

Ever After High - Halls (Several Days Earlier)

Chatter filled the halls as the students of Ever After High were getting hexcited about Thronecoming. Many were wondering who might be crowned Thronecoming King and Queen.

Daring and his brother Dexter were chatting, just hanging out as brothers. Dexter was digging through his locker before producing his MirrorPad, "...and the entire voting process will be done online. Humphrey and I have been working like crazy on it."

"Well, let me save you some time then, little bro," Daring chuckled, pinching the MirrorPad from his brother. "I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be named Thronecoming King. After all, I am quite the handsome prince."

Dexter rolled his eyes, "Well, don't try fitting that crown yet, Daring. You've got stiff competition this year. Remember, the Knights of the Round Table? Saving the entire school from monsters is a big deal."

"Oh I know," Daring grinned. "That will make my victory all the sweeter, won't it? After all, there's no fun if there isn't a challenge."

"At least you're humble about it," Dexter said sarcastically.

As the two princes talked, Apple came up to Raven's locker, "Hey Raven!"

"Oh, hi Apple," Raven greeted. "What's up?"

"Well, the polling for Thronecoming King and Queen went up and I just wanted you to know that I voted for you!" Apple smiled, showing her MirrorPad and confirmation of her choice.

"Aw, thanks Apple," Raven smiled. "That's so nice of you."

"Well, we all know that I'm a shoo-in for Thronecoming Queen anyway so I might as well throw some charity your way," Apple added. Raven rolled her eyes as Apple moved on feeling like she had done a good deed. As she turned back to her locker, Maddie popped out from behind the door, even when there was no way she should have been there,

"Heeeey Raven!" Maddie beamed. "Ms. Future-Thronecoming-Queen! What are your big plans for the big day?"

"Well, beyond spellebrating like everyone else? I'm just trying to keep showing everyone I'm not going to be like my mom," Raven shrugged.

"Well, if you and Arthur got crowned Thronecoming King and Queen, that would be hat-tastic!" Maddie said gleefully. "Did he ask you to go to the dance with him?"

"Of course he did," Raven beamed. "He even got tickets early after he asked."

"Being decisive is a good trait for your future king for the kingdom of red and purple," Maddie nodded. "So, are you still interested in those two destinies you got shown on Legacy Day?"

"Well, yeah, especially the second one," Raven nodded. "But Headmaster Grimm isn't letting me anywhere near the book unless I sign for my 'rightful' destiny. For all his talk about destiny, he doesn't back it up unless it's one he wants to see happen."

"Hmm, he's an old fuddy-duddy like that," Maddie huffed. "Say, would you still be a Rebel if you signed the book even for that second destiny?"

Raven shrugged, "I don't know. Still, I know it's possible now so I just have to work for it. I don't need to sign the book for that."

"That's my girl!" Maddie beamed, hugging her friend.

"Raven Queen, please report to the Headmaster's office."

"Me?" Raven asked the PA.

"Yes, you."

"Why do you think Headmaster Grimm wants to see you?" Maddie asked.

"Probably something about my destiny again. I'll see you later, Maddie," Raven said as she went to see Headmaster Grimm.

Ever After High - Grimmnasium

After the school day ended, the students didn't leave school for the day. Instead, they headed to the Grimmnasium and the courtyard outside of it as they began to construct their floats for the parade while preparing for the big Thronecoming dance. It was a big deal to the students, so they were the ones in charge of making it great. Since they wanted to stand out from their alumni, they made sure that they put a hundred and ten percent into it.

Outside, many of the floats were being constructed by the students. They were all themed after their stories. Maddie had her own Wonderland tea party float coming up, Apple had one with an apple tree that had the poisoned apple on it, and even Ashlynn had a big glass slippers float going.

Inside the grimmnasium, the students were putting up decorations for the dance. There were long banners, decorative bows, and even a disco ball to hang from above to fill the place with light. Blondie brought pizza for everyone, although Cerise stole the meat-lovers pizza and Ramona stole several slices from her.

"Grrr!" Cerise scowled, but a tug on the edge of her hood from Max got her to remember herself.

"Yummy, pizza!" Gabe stole a slice as well and happily ate it as the girls cooed at how adorable he was.

Meanwhile, Hunter, Daring, Dexter, Sparrow and Rex were by the stage, talking about the big Thronecoming game against Beanstalk High. Rex had joined the bookball team some time ago. Since he had experience playing rugby, he was able to make the team. The team was certainly glad to have him, some wanting the extra popularity of associating with the Knights of the Round Table.

"There's no way we can beat Beanstalk High," Dexter despaired.

"Oh, don't be such a worrywart, little brother. How hard will it be to beat a team of tiny little beans?" Daring scoffed. Rex stopped to give the elder Charming brother a look of incredulity.

"Daring, you do know all the students of Beanstalk High are literal giants like Tiny, right?" Rex asked. It seemed that Daring had not done his homework.

"Oh, haha," Daring laughed nervously. "Then we are in trouble, aren't we?"

"They are gonna kick our tails, yeah!" Sparrow sang.

"I don't think that's something to sing about, Sparrow," Hunter remarked.

"Hey, guys," Cerise came up to the boys with pizza. "You know, I was thinking, maybe I could try out for the team. I'm wicked fast." That was true. Cerise's running speed was impressive and she was the top athlete in Track and Shield.

"That would be great-" Dexter was cut off by Sparrow.

"But you're a girl!" Sparrow sang.

"Yeah? So what?" Cerise's eyes narrowed, offended, hands on her hips. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Sorry, Cerise, but damsels do not play bookball," Daring said as he took a slice but Cerise snatched it away and stormed off, growling in anger.

"Boys!"

"Daring, maybe you should apologize," Rex suggested.

"What? Was I wrong?" Daring challenged.

"I'm not about to say something sexist when Gwen is right there," Rex pointed at both Gwen and Darling who were busy decorating together. "But you should know that girls are just as capable as guys, right?"

"Hm," Daring rubbed his chin. Well, Gwen had proven to be capable and was, so far, knightly enough for his baby sister...

"Hey, guys," Tiny came over, interrupting the Charming's train of thought.

"Hey, Tiny," the boys replied.

"I think I have an idea that'll help us win the game. Huddle up!"

Outside, Harry walked among the unfinished floats, looking for a familiar face. Not seeing them, he moved over to Ashlynn's float where she was polishing the large glass slippers.

"Hey Ashlynn, have you seen Briar anywhere? She said she couldn't wait to be part of float construction."

Ashlynn stopped and thought for a moment, "Well, she said she would come along after she finished fixing a skirt...so, no, I don't think I've seen her since."

Harry nodded, "She probably fell asleep again. Do I have permission to enter your room to wake her up?"

"Go right ahead," Ashlynn giggled. "If you have trouble, her alarm clock is custom made to wake her up from almost anything."

"Right," Harry nodded, setting off for the dorms. "Thanks!"

Ever After High - Dorms

Harry made his way to Briar and Ashlynn's dorm room and knocked on the door.

"Briar? Are you there?" There was no answer but he did hear a snore coming from the other side. The door was opened so he went in and saw Briar sleeping on her bed. "There's Sleeping Beauty."

Harry approached the bed and looked at the alarm clock, seeing it ticking softly. His first thought was to use it, but then he got a better idea. It might have been presumptuous of him, but he knew that Briar was still afraid of missing everything when she was finally hit by her curse. Perhaps waking her up so she would not miss float construction would be able to reassure her of his promise.

He took a seat on the bed at Briar's side and with a final mental push, leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Briar immediately seemed to feel it as she hummed softly, sleepily kissing back. Harry drew back and Briar gave off a cute yawn and opened her eyes.

"Hi, princess," Harry smiled.

"Harry," Briar smiled back. The next moment she gasped and sat up. "Oh no! How long was I sleeping? Did I miss float construction?"

"It's fine, it's fine, you haven't missed it," Harry reassured her.

Briar slumped in relief, "Oh thank goodness. Float construction is a huge party and I didn't want to miss it." She stifled another yawn before leaning over and giving Harry a second kiss, "Thank you for waking me up, my prince."

"I did promise to wake you so you don't ever miss a thing," Harry smiled back.

"Hm," Briar beamed. Yes, she was a little upset that she fell asleep like that, but it was a huge relief to have Harry here to keep her from missing out. Just like he promised he would.

"Now, c'mon. Everyone's waiting," Harry said as he gently took Briar's hand to take her to the party. She happily went with him.

Ever After High - Grimmnasium

Gabe was busying himself, helping get decorations set up. He was a little too short to really help hang anything, but he could help paint the banners, tie ribbons, and that sort of thing. He was eager to do his part to help make the Thronecoming dance a night to remember. He especially wanted it to go well for Holly since she seemed so excited about it.

As he carried a box of party supplies, he spotted a sparkling blue girl who was fluttering on wings to help hang some decorations. He was pretty sure he recognized her as Farrah Goodfairy, the future Fairy Godmother of Ashlynn's story. He had been hoping to run into her and now he had his chance.

Farrah was a naturally beautiful girl. Since she was a fairy, that was expected. She wore a blue and white dress that sparkled in the light and crystal blue shoes. On her back, she had two pure silver fairy wings that sparkled like her dress in the light. Her skin was a white-pink and she had silver makeup stars painted under her periwinkle eyes. Her baby blue hair was long with lavender highlights.

Farrah was indeed one of the most popular girls in school, known for her kindness. She loved helping others. Often students could go to her with a wish and she would grant it. Within reason, of course. Her magic only lasted until the stroke of 12, either noon or midnight, something she always warned those who came to her to have a wish granted.

Most people just asked Farrah to grant fashion-related wishes, since she was indeed known for being one of the best fashionistas in school. After her role in Ashlynn's story was finished, she wanted to open her own chain of boutiques. For those who just wished for fashion advice, she had her own blog called Fairest Godmother.

As Farrah came back to the ground, Gabe set down his box of supplies before he jogged up to her. Once there, he promptly spoke to her, "Hi, you're Farrah Goodfairy, right?"

"Oh, and you're Gabriel," Farrah smiled. By now, there was nobody in Ever After High who did not know the Knights of the Round Table. Farrah personally thought they were so dashing and she envied the girls who were lucky enough to be dating them. "So, how can I help you?"

"Well," Gabe rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "You know I'm dating Holly O'Hair, right?"

"Yes, and you make such an adorable couple," Farrah praised. She, like many students, thought Gabe was absolutely adorable and looked so cute walking with Holly.

"Well, that's the problem," Gabe admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Whenever we go out, people either think I'm her little brother or she's babysitting. You can see how embarrassing that can be."

Farrah blinked, "But you're a knight. Everyone knows that."

"They know that but I'm shorter than Holly so it looks silly when I'm standing next to her. When we dance together at Thronecoming, we're going to look funny because of our height difference." Gabe explained. Although they had fun at True Hearts Day, it didn't stop many people from having fits of giggles while watching them dance together.

Farrah was beginning to see what Gabe was trying to ask, "You want me to help you become taller."

Gabe nodded, blushing a little. It felt embarrassing to outright ask for such a thing, but magic was a thing in Ever After, "That's my wish. Can you grant it?"

Farrah pondered it for a moment before answering, "It's a simple wish to grant and the Thronecoming dance is in a few days. I can grant you your wish, but it only lasts until the stroke of twelve. So you had best make that wish the night of the dance. Here's my number."

Farah brought out what looked like a business card that was sparkly with her MirrorPhone number on it. Gabe took it with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Farrah."

Farrah smiled back, unable to resist seeing someone so cute smiling so brightly, "Always happy to help. But, here's some free advice. You shouldn't care what other people think if you're both already happy."

"I know," Gabe agreed. "But I thought, for just one special night, I could just be with Holly and no one would crack jokes about her bringing a little brother something. My Thronecoming present to her, I guess you could call it."

"Well, I suppose I can see that. But if Holly minded such things, I'm sure she would have said something by now," Farrah told him.

"Yeah, but is it wrong to want my princess to have a perfect Thronecoming night?" Gabe asked.

"Not at all," Farrah smiled. Ooooh, the little Knight was just so sweet! "I'm just doing my fairy godmother duty to make sure you know how wonderful you have it."

"That I don't need reminding," Gabe laughed. "Okay, thank you so much, Farrah! I'll call you!" Gabe then turned and collected his box before getting back to work.

"Such a little sweetie," Farrah smiled, ignoring the sadness she felt of not having a prince or a knight of her own.

Enchanted Forest

Instead of going to their normal classes, a group of students were called to the front doors. The headmaster was there, as was Baba Yaga who rode inside her hut on chicken legs. Milton announced that it was time for another tradition of Ever After High. The faculty advisor led the way in her chicken hut as the students and Headmaster Grimm followed on foot.

Everyone was confused when they were led to a clearing in the Enchanted Forest, more so when Baba Yaga was acting like it was something special. They got their answer when a clock tower at the school struck noon and a beam of light flew to strike the area, revealing a large majestic building named Heritage Hall. It was a pure white building with steps leading up to the entrance that had four columns standing in front of it.

The knights couldn't help but be in awe of it too as they went in with their classmates.

"Um...should we really be here?" asked Ben, whispering to Kevin. "I mean, we don't really have stories. We're just pretending to be the next knights, aren't we?"

"We'll have to play along," Kevin whispered back. "Hopefully, we don't have to do anything to prove it."

The interior was just as impressive as the exterior. Massive portraits of the previous generation of students, everyone's parents, decorated the walls. In front of each portrait was a pedestal with a box on it. At the far end was a giant version of the Storybook of Legends.

"Welcome, all of you," Milton smiled. "It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you here to the hall of our illustrious alumni, your parents. Here is where they are remembered for their early days and the achievements they had while with us." He stepped up to the large book, "But that isn't all they left. Inside each box is a gift they left for you, their children and successors. A gift to help you all make achieving your destinies that much easier. So please, help yourselves to the gifts they left for you."

Many of the students began running for the boxes. Cerise got a magically locked picnic basket, Cedar got a pair of glasses that could point out lies, which were very good gifts. Briar was less than enthusiastic when her present was a neck support pillow for her 100-year sleep. The knights mingled, but they didn't make a mad charge for their 'ancestors' like the other students did their parents.

Still, Arthur couldn't help but find himself curious. He looked among the portraits, trying to find out where the one for King Arthur was. There was no real index for the portraits, since they were all so recognizable. Fortunately, they were titled so he eventually found the one he was looking for.

And froze ramrod still.

Arthur gaped up at the image of the last King Arthur. It was a large portrait, much like the ones of the other alumni. He was a tall man in a suit of armor with a furred robe. His helmet was under his arm and a sword, assumedly Excalibur, was resting in his hands. His face was a proud set of features with a beard and kind eyes.

"Arthur, what is it?" asked Raven, approaching her boyfriend. All she had in her box was a wishing well coin so she went to see what Arthur had received.

"Ah, I...it can't...but…" Arthur sputtered.

"Arthur? Dude, what is it?" asked Lance, seeing Arthur acting strange.

"My…him…" Arthur pointed at the portrait.

"You mean King Arthur?" Raven looked at it, but her eyes widened. "Well, there...is a resemblance."

"Grandpa…" Arthur gulped. "That...that's my grandpa."

"Wait, what?" Lance gasped, whispering in a low voice. "Are you sure? We all come from Earth though!"

"It's him," Arthur confirmed. "It's definitely him." This was getting too freaky for him and he had questions, so many questions. "Headmaster Grimm!"

"Ah, Mr. Pendragon, surprised to see your ancestor's face?" Grimm nodded as he approached. "He did graduate from our school, although he and his court declined to sign the Storybook of Legends. We feared the worst when they left after they graduated. Fortunately, Merlin managed to track you all down and bring you back to us. He did follow other traditions though, so don't worry. He left a gift here in Heritage Hall for you as well."

"Ah, right," Arthur said, then looked at the gift that was left in front of the portrait. The one left by King Arthur for his descendants. Everyone else had already opened their gifts to see what their parents had left for them. Taking a deep breath, he approached the chest that sat on the pedestal.

What would he find? Was it meant to be his or the true heir of the Arthurian legend? But he recognized his grandfather anywhere. This was just too much to be a coincidence. He felt nervous when Raven put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you OK?" Raven asked but she knew he wasn't.

"I don't know," Arthur said, looking scared and confused. What would he discover? Had his whole life been a lie?" All he could hear was his heartbeat, pounding in his ear. He started to feel lightheaded, his vision blurry. The room was spinning too.

"Arthur, Arthur!" Raven gasped, grabbing onto him. "Arthur, just breathe, okay? In and out! Madam Yaga, something's wrong with Arthur!"

Arthur suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness as Raven shouted his name.

Ever After High - Courtyard

After Arthur passed out, he was moved from Heritage Hall to be taken care of in Baba Yaga's chicken hut. Fortunately, he just passed out from an anxiety attack. Baba Yaga reassured everyone that he was okay and it had happened before with other students who felt overwhelmed by the pressure. Arthur's chest was collected so he could open it later while everyone else kept going with the gifts that their parents left them.

"So, wait, King Arthur's portrait looked like Arthur's grandpa?" asked Darren, waving his new harlequin stick around, making it laugh in the air.

"Spitting image apparently," Lance nodded. "Gotta say, King Arthur looked a lot like Arthur himself when I think of it."

"Think they might really be related?" asked Kyle. "Might explain Arthur's name and why Merlin dragged him of all people into this."

"Maybe all of us are related to the Knights of the Round Table after all," Rob snickered.

"Maybe," Harry shrugged. "I couldn't see if Hector and I looked alike. His portrait had his helmet on."

"Percival had golden hair, but it concealed his face," Rex replied.

"Dagonet was wearing his jester mask," Darren added.

"Guinevere even had a veil," Gwen frowned. "So, wait, all of the knights concealed their faces except for Arthur? That seems to be a bit odd."

"Not really," Rex shook his head. "Unless there was an epic specifically about a knight, most knights were more recognizable by their armor or their heraldry than their faces beyond how attractive they were. Kings, on the other hand, were always recognized by their faces and their crowns. So to make a more impactful portrait to make them recognizable, the knights would have worn their full armor while King Arthur would show his face. As to why Guinevere didn't show her face, well, many of the princess portraits showed their grace and poise than their actual faces."

"Just seems weird to me," Gwen crossed her arms. "Besides, what am I going to do with a tiara?"

"Wear it for Thronecoming?" Gabe shrugged, earning a glare from the tomboy. "Ah, heh-heh!"

"Hope Arthur will be alright," Max said worriedly.

"Raven's with him. He'll be fine," Kyle said reassuringly. "He'll be back on his feet in no time."

"Trying to convince us or yourself?"

"Bit of both I guess," Kyle sighed.

Ever After High - Baba Yaga's Hut

Arthur opened his eyes, bolting upright.

"Grandpa!"

"Arthur!" Raven gasped, seeing her boyfriend wake up so suddenly. Arthur was gasping for breath and Raven quickly turned his head to look at his face, "Arthur, are you okay? You just passed out from an anxiety attack."

"I did...well, not surprised," Arthur sighed. "It was just...shocking I guess. Seeing Grandpa like that and then thinking…"

"That you might have a story here after all?" asked Raven. "But was seeing your grandfather so shocking?"

"Raven, my grandpa was my greatest influence, my role model," Arthur explained. "He was a self-made man who went from rags to riches. He came to my country with some friends and built himself up a business from nothing. He was practically king of the community. Although his friends branched out to other areas, they all kept in touch and Grandpa really was the guy who could make things happen in our town."

"Sounds like quite a guy," Raven nodded.

"He was. I'd listen to stories of knights and such on his knee all the time when I was little," Arthur smiled. "Dad looked up to him too and wanted to make our name greater. Mom's ambitious too so it's why they kind of pin their hopes on me, hoping I'd be like him or better. To make Pendragons as great as my grandpa's stories said they used to be."

"High standards to live by," Raven agreed. She was under the same pressure too, only to be evil.

"Yeah. But...I have pictures of him before he met grandma, of when I was growing up, and, well...before he died," Arthur sighed. "Just...that portrait...it looked just like him. I mean, just put him in armor and it would be exactly the same. How could he come to my country if he came from here?"

"Well, why not?" asked Raven. "I mean, the world's a big place."

"Because it's not…" The same world, were the words Arthur was about to say, but then stopped himself. No one in this world was aware of other worlds beyond their fairy tale realms. Only a select few like Merlin knew about Earth and he insisted it would be better if only few people knew. It would just make a royally huge mess.

"...people would just know if a king came to my country since we don't have them," Arthur sighed. "As grand and big as King Arthur is, we would have recognized him. Magic isn't there, stories are just stories, so how could one come to life in our little town?"

Raven felt Arthur wasn't telling her something, but she could guess from what he was willing to say, "So since you never saw your grandfather be...well, kingly, then how could he be a King Arthur?"

"My grandpa ran a hardware store before he branched out," Arthur replied. "He was a pillar of the community, but to see him swinging swords, leading knights, and all that was just...it doesn't happen. He acted more like a humble man than a mighty king."

"I...think I get it," Raven pondered. She couldn't imagine her mother being anything but the Evil Queen. If Raven found proof she was a humble girl at one point, it would likely blow her mind too. Arthur's issue was in reverse. The kind and humble, albeit popular man, he knew his grandpa to be was not the whole story. It turned out he might have been a legendary king for a story and that was truly shocking. "Are you going to ask Merlin? He might know something."

"Maybe," Arthur resolved to find his answers somewhere. Right now, he couldn't be sure if he could trust Merlin to give him a straight answer. Their mentor and guardian only told them what he believed they needed to know while keeping the rest to himself. If he was going to get some answers about who he really was, there was only one source.

He needed to see the Storybook of Legends.

Ever After High - Halls

Arthur never considered himself much of a schemer. A planner, yes, when the situation called for it. To actually use subterfuge and cunning in a way other than a simple plan to just deal with a situation? No, he didn't have much experience with that.

He needed to get to the Storybook of Legends which was in Headmaster Grimm's office. It would be easy to do via the Mirror World but he would have the book locked somewhere. Arthur needed to get to the book and to do that he'd need a key which was likely on Milton's person. He seemed to be the type to keep something like that close to him.

Thieving wasn't a skill Arthur himself had, but he knew someone who did. Even if that one student didn't like using it, he had a magic touch with it that couldn't be denied.

Headmaster Grimm was doing his rounds when Sparrow Hood bumped into him, knocking him down.

"Ow! Sorry, sir! Here, lemme help you up!" Sparrow said as he helped Headmaster Grimm up to his feet. The man dusted off his clothes.

"Next time, be careful, young Sparrow Hood," Milton advised and went on his merry way. Sparrow turned the corner and walked up to Arthur.

"Did you get it?" Arthur asked.

"Swiped it from his pocket," Sparrow handed the key to Arthur.

"Thanks, Sparrow. I owe you," Arthur nodded.

"I'll hold you to that promise, dude," Sparrow nodded. "I just hope you find whatever you need to see so bad."

"I hope so too. I royally hope so."

Ever After High - Headmaster Grimm's office

It was late at night when Ryuki emerged from the mirror in Milton Grimm's office. He did not need to look far since the headmaster did not hide the book. Instead, he kept it locked in a glass case on a pedestal by his desk, on full display.

Ryuki took out the key he had Sparrow swipe for him earlier and unlocked the case before carefully taking the book out. Meanwhile, the Evil Queen spied on him via the mirror in Milton's office with great interest, "Hmm, now what are you doing little king?"

Ryuki stared at the book. He did not believe it had control over destiny but it was definitely magical since it allowed the students to view their destinies. He was just curious to see what the book had in store for him.

"My name is Arthur Pendragon. Show me my destiny," Ryuki invoked and a key manifested for him. It was unique like Raven and Apple's as it was topped with a dragon's head. He unlocked the book and it flipped open by itself.

He watched the images in the book and his eyes widened at what he saw.

The pages flipped and showed a rather...boring story. Images of Arthur in high school, then college, then getting a job, then getting married to a woman whose face was hidden by a veil. He'd have kids and just grow old with nothing special happening. It was kind of underwhelming compared to the things Arthur had experienced since coming to Ever After. A mirror appeared at the end, showing Arthur wearing a business suit with glasses and a red tie. Completely mundane, completely ordinary...completely boring.

The mirror vanished and returned to the flipping pages. The next images came up showing Arthur trudging through the forest, following a figure which looked like Merlin. They reached a sword stuck in a stone that Arthur was able to pull out with ease. After that, it fast forward to him raising his friends as true Knights of the Round Table, but then it showed him fighting Ryuga on a battlefield with everyone taking sides. The final mirror showed Arthur laying on a boat with a sword and royal regalia, drifting on a misty lake. He easily recognized it as the canonical ending to King Arthur, but seeing himself dead(?) made him shiver.

The third time, the book's pages flipped again to show a story similar to what Raven had seen, only from his point of view. It showed him meeting Raven, treating her with kindness while others treated her with suspicion. He stumbled onto her about to poison Apple and convinced her not to. They ran away together to another land to build a life and ended up creating a kingdom. The mirror appeared a third time, showing Arthur a regal version of his Ryuki armor, looking more like a knightly king than anything else.

To his surprise, the book began flipping its pages yet again. On the first page, it showed Ever After High besieged by dragonfly-like Mirror Monsters that sent everyone in a panic. The next page showed him protecting Raven without his armor. The page after that showed him being stabbed in the back. The page after that one showed him fighting the monsters despite his injury. And then the final page showed him succumbing to his injuries and dying in Raven's arms. The mirror appeared once more this time showing him in his armor, laid to rest inside a glass coffin with Raven weeping next to it.

He slammed the book shut after that, breathing heavily as his heart pounded in his chest. He quickly put the book away, locked the case and left the key before he dove back in the mirror.

"Curious," Evil Queen pondered over what she saw.

Ever After High - Dorms

Arthur wasn't the only one dealing with visions of a possible future. Raven had taken the coin left to her by her mother and used it at a wishing well. Her wish? To know what would happen if she still refused to sign the book and follow in her mother's footsteps. The vision she got in return was...disturbing. It showed the school destroyed and her friends being chased down by the evil stepsisters who rode on dragons. Villains were running around everywhere, spreading chaos, and everyone was suffering as they had lost all hope. All because of her.

Raven kept revisiting those visions. If she refused to sign the book, her whole world and friends would suffer. However, if she decided to sign it and choose the destiny she wanted where she lived Happily Ever After with Arthur, that meant forcing him to stay with her without giving him a choice to choose his own destiny.

She knew Arthur was part of her destiny but she did not want to tie him down because of it. She wanted him to get to choose like she had, even if it meant they could not be together. She wanted her Happily Ever After but not at the cost of making Arthur miserable.

She knew she had to make a decision and soon.

Book End Library

Merlin watched from his office as Arthur came back looking more troubled than he ever recalled the red knight being. He could guess that he had seen something in the Storybook of Legends which unnerved him.

Now, Merlin wasn't completely irresponsible. Mischievous and prone to trolling people, yes. He nevertheless took every responsibility he had seriously. That included making sure his wards didn't get themselves in over their heads. He kept tabs on them, and magic was such a handy tool for that and knew when they were planning something. Usually, he let their little plots go since they were good experiences, harmless, or just fun to watch them go through. Naturally, when Arthur began concocting his plan to get into Milton's office to see the book, Merlin figured it out quickly.

He had to give Arthur credit, recruiting Sparrow to swipe the key was a clever idea. Knowing Robin Hood's boy, he wouldn't even ask for anything outrageous in return. Maybe get the knights to endorse a concert for him, or maybe have Ben try some vocals for a song the group wrote.

Still, Arthur went to Milton's office, and Merlin watched. He saw those four paths reveal themselves to Arthur: Earth, Destiny, Love, and Duty. None of them were perfect, and only one led to happiness. With two out of four of those destinies leading to his death, the odds looked scary indeed. Worse, Arthur was losing trust in Merlin for his (admittedly) slippery actions and he didn't want to burden his friends with his woes, but the distrust was showing and spreading to the rest.

Merlin sighed as he saw his wards growing suspicious of him and Arthur was reaching a breaking point. Between Heritage Hall, and then what the Storybook of Legends showed him, he was feeling lost and very confused. He wanted to be with Raven, but with so many destinies, he feared he would doom himself. His morals and love wouldn't allow him to abandon her, but his fear was driving him to run. It was tearing him apart inside and he was losing his way.

Sighing, Merlin pulled out his phone and dialed up a particular number he was sworn to never call unless it was an emergency.

"Hello, King. Yes, I know this number is only for emergencies, but this qualifies. Your grandson needs your help. Let me explain what I know..."

Ever After High - Bookball Field

"Alright, I'm here," Rex said as he joined his teammates in the bookball field the following day. Hopper had also joined them but Sparrow was absent. "Sorry I'm late." He was helping Ginger with something earlier.

"You're just in time," Hunter replied. "Tiny was about to reveal a big secret that'll help us beat Beanstalk High. Right, Tiny?"

"Right. It's fairy simple guys. All giants have a weakness. Our pinky toes are super ticklish," Tiny informed them.

"So, this should be enough?" Dexter went and tickled Tiny's pinky toe and the giant laughed hysterically before he collapsed with a heavy thud.

"Yes! We might actually win this!" Daring and Hunter high-fived.

"That sounds good and all but what if the giants wear footwear that doesn't expose their toes?" Rex questioned. He sincerely doubted that the students of Beanstalk High were unaware of that weakness if it applies to all giants.

"We'll be fine," Daring said cockily. "Giants don't wear shoes because nobody can make any big enough for them."

"I still think we need a contingency plan if things go south," Rex argued. "We could ask Cerise to join the team."

"But she's-"

"Don't start with that 'she's a damsel' line again, Daring," Rex interrupted. "I know bookball is traditionally a man's sport but sometimes, to win, you need to buck tradition. The giants of Beanstalk High have size and strength on us, so we're going to need speed to win. Have you seen how fast Cerise runs?"

"She did beat your best time at Track and Shield," Dexter reminded his brother. He saw Raven running into the bookball field, looking frantic. "Oh, hey, Raven."

"I need to speak to Apple! Do you know where she is?" Raven asked without even a greeting. Rex raised an eyebrow at her demeanor. She must be dealing with something serious.

"She's with Maddie. You know, student president business," Daring answered, pointing in the general direction.

"Thanks!" Raven was off like a shot again. Rex watched her go, wondering what the issue was. He could ask Arthur later if it was important.

Ever After High - Student Council Chamber

As co-student body presidents, both Apple and Maddie were responsible for answering student requests and concerns. These requests included ones for special events, new equipment for the clubs, and proposals for something that a club, class, or even a clique felt they needed for their activities. Of course, each one had to be presented, considered, discussed, and then finally voted on before they could be granted.

At the moment, Apple and Maddie were with the rest of the council. . It may have been odd to have two presidents, but after Maddie made the suggestion of her and Apple sharing the position just to keep the Rebels and Royals from fighting, they made it work. The pair worked together surprisingly well with Apple's knowledge of rules and regulations and Maddie's ability to think outside the box.

"So, I was thinking, how about we have meat days in the castleteria? We already have vegetarian days," Cerise suggested as she presented her proposal.

"Hm, that would be fair. If the vegetarians can have their own days in the castleteria, so should the carnivores," Maddie nodded, looking at the proposal.

"But would the animal activists and vegans be willing to compromise?" asked Apple. "Everyone can eat veggies without any issue, but we have several students who can't or refuse to eat meat. We have to think about them too."

The two presidents continued to discuss the proposal, wondering how they could make it work if put into action. As they worked something out, they were suddenly interrupted by Raven bursting into the room from a side entrance. She was huffing and puffing, looking like she had been running a marathon.

"Raven?" Apple asked.

"Apple! I want to sign the Storybook of Legends!"

*Gasp!* What?! No! Raven, don't fall for the headmaster's trick!

Brooke, you know she can't hear you.

Then I'll tell Maddie and she'll talk sense into her!

Brooke, you know that's against the rules!

But-!

Brooke, our job is to tell the story, not interfere. I know you don't like it, but it's the rules.

I just hope Raven isn't making a huge mistake.

A/N: Well, here is the first part of the Thronecoming event. This chapter feels a little short, but the whole thing couldn't reasonably be set into one chapter. So, it got broken into pieces. Here it begins and we can see that there might be more to Arthur and the others being chosen by Merlin beyond names and coincidence.