Knights of the Otherworld

by Ten-Faced Paladin

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

28. The Wing Knight's Ascension

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 28: The Wing Knight's Ascension

Today, our story does not take place in Book End, or Ever After High but instead on the way to the home of Snow White and her daughter, Apple White.

During Spring Break, Apple returns home to visit her mother and catch up during their time together.

This time though, Apple's bringing her special Knight home with her. Oooh, this may end up going badly for Lance!

---

Lance glanced out the limo driving along the road. The fairy tale scenery was nice, but it did nothing to soothe Lance's nerves.

"Apple Pie, are you sure your mom doesn't mind me coming along with you back home?" he asked his girlfriend.

"Oh don't worry, Lancie," Apple tittered. "Mom actually asked if you would be able to come along. I think she wants to get to know you now that we have a chance over spring break."

"Well, that's nice," Lance smiled weakly. In the back of his mind, he was dreading actually having a one-on-one talk with Snow White. She was friendly enough, but she was the Queen of the Realm for a reason. She already made it clear she didn't approve of him as an alternative to Daring Charming, Ever After High's big man on campus.

Asking him to show up at her home was just asking for another round of judgment. Well, at least she had a better opinion of him, right? She was polite to him during the award ceremony but that was because it was a public event. People behaved differently in private than they did in public, especially famous and legendary fairy tale figures.

Lance secretly felt inferior to Apple despite his status as a Knight of the Round Table. A title, which he thought at the time, was just a story Merlin cooked up to let them attend Ever After High. It was not until Thronecoming that he learned he was the grandson of the Sir Lancelot which meant he had roots in this world. He still wasn't royalty but he at least came from a strong legacy.

He was honestly jealous of Arthur as his meeting with Raven's mom had not been as stressful since he had nothing to prove to the Evil Queen and did not seek her approval in dating her daughter. Lance, on the other hand, could not afford to mess up his meeting with Snow White. She had the power to forbid their relationship if she wanted to.

Glancing out the window, he saw Darkwing following them in the Mirror World.

"You got my back, don't ya, buddy?"

The bat Mirror Monster screeched in response.

The limo approached the castle and Lance saw the meadow with many pink trees planted along the way. As they got closer, Lance finally got a good look at the place and gaped in awe.

"Holy moly..."

Apple smiled, "Home sweet home."

To call it just a home was modest. The castle was a huge ivory building with a tall ivory tower that would give anyone in the top a grand view of the place.

The limo pulled over in front of the palace and a dwarf opened Apple's door, letting her out. Another dwarf opened the door on Lance's side, letting him out.

"Lalalala~" Apple sang and many birds came to land on Apple's arms, chirping as she cooed.

"You're really good at that," Lance smiled, enjoying the sound of her beautiful singing voice. Apple was gorgeous, talented, and she also had a good heart. It wasn't too much of a stretch to say she was perfect. Of course, she could be influenced if her destiny was on the line but she was now open to the idea of rewriting her story. She did decide to date him instead of Daring, who many believed to be her destined Prince Charming.

"The singing lessons my mom gave me really paid off," Apple White beamed. Lance blushed. And that beautiful smile of her. Yeah, she was perfect, definitely the fairest girl in the land. "Now, come on. We mustn't keep her waiting.

Lance watched as the dwarves went and took their luggage from the limo and carried it inside. That was when Apple looped her arm around his. She wanted to make sure everyone in her home knew she was taken and he was her Prince Charming.

Lance made sure to do his research on Snow White. Not only was she a queen, but she was also an entrepreneur who ran a business that sold and distributed enchanted capes all over Ever After. She was also the Queen of Ever After and the richest woman in this world.

As they approached the gate, the dwarves climbed onto each other's shoulders to push it open for them.

Lance was not one to be intimidated by a building but the place made him feel small.

"Look, Lancie! A red carpet!" Apple smiled. "Mom must really want to welcome you!"

"Nice of her," Lance smiled. "I wish we could have dressed for the occasion."

Apple giggled, "Oh no, there isn't a party yet. That will be later. This is just Mom saying welcome home."

"Oh," Lance gulped. High society. Where no guy like him has gone before. He tugged a bit on his collar. He was dressed pretty well, wearing a navy blazer over a black turtleneck with jeans. He also wore some nicely polished black leather shoes.

The couple came to the front doors, which the dwarves once again jumped on each others' shoulders to open. Lance gave thanks to the tiny men as did Apple when they entered the entry hall. As they did, there were butlers and maids lining the carpet. At the far end at the base of some marble stairways, Snow White herself smiled.

"Apple, welcome home!" the queen beamed.

"Mom!" Apple beamed, she dashed to her mother and the two embraced. "Oooh, it's so good to be home again!"

"And it's so good to have you back home, my dear daughter," Snow White smiled, hugging Apple back. "Have you been getting good grades?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Have you been helping the less fortunate?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Have you been making friends?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Oooh, that's my girl!" Snow White cooed. She finally let her go and got a good look at her. How was it every time she saw Apple, it was like she was growing up a little more? Where was the time going?

"Mom, you remember Lance, right?" Apple gestured to Lance who was letting the ladies get reacquainted.

"Yes, Lancelot's grandson," Snow White nodded. "How do you do?"

"Very well. It's nice to see you again, Your Majesty," Lance nodded.

"Hm, I can see you and Apple are still close. Now, come with me. It's lunchtime and the two of you must be famished."

Snow White led the couple up the stairs to what seemed like an open-air balcony large enough for a table and chairs for a proper dining experience that overlooked a beautiful garden of trees and wildflowers. Snow White sat herself down at the head of the table with Apple and Lance on opposite sides of her. Dwarf butlers immediately began scrambling with plates of food above their heads which they slid onto the table.

"Ah, it's been too long," Snow White smiled, "Now then, Mr. Beauregard, I've been hearing some signs of this...Order of Rogues, which seemed to have cracked the secrets to your armor and making their own. How are Mr. Pendragon and your fellow Knights dealing with that?"

'Straight to the point,' Lance thought. "We've been dealing with them and investigating on a case by case basis. We managed to defeat Bow Knight and repurpose his deck. Then others have been popping up, but calling the group as a whole an Order seems to be a stretch."

"How so?" pressed the queen.

"They are hardly unified," Lance shook his head. "Bow Knight and the Perfect Knight may be against us, but so far we've met a mixed bag. There have been a Bog Knight and a Wild Knight who, like us, want to protect people from the Mirror Monsters. Then there's Calibur Knight who seems intent on seeing Camelot rise so she isn't technically against us, although she seems ready to eliminate anyone who is disrupting the story, like Raven.

"So, not all of them are aligned with each other," Snow White concluded. "They each have their own goals."

"Yes, it's made some of us think that the decks they have are a test batch, meant to see what extremes they can go to," Lance added. "Maybe whoever is giving them out is trying to find any potential flaws to remove later. We can't be sure for what purpose, though."."

"Well, if they let jerks like Scout, Perfect Knight, and that crazy Calibur Knight have them then it can't be good," Apple huffed as she daintily took a bite of her food.

"We're still looking into it, but we're preparing for the worst," Lance nodded. "Anything better would be a pleasant surprise."

"At least you're taking this threat seriously," Snow White remarked. "It would be a shame for the reputation of Arthur's Round Table to be marred by riffraff."

"We're working to show they're not with us, but plenty of them are doing that themselves when they take up arms against us where people can see," Lance nodded. "Merlin's still looking into it, but whoever doing this is clever enough to hide any signature details. For all intents and purposes, they look like copies of our gear."

"Concerning," Snow White nodded. "Well, enough about that dark business. Apple, what's been going on at school besides those Rogues?"

---

After lunch, the dwarves brought Lance to the guest quarters. His luggage had already been brought up while he was having lunch with Snow White. The woman had definitely been nice, but he could tell she was still judging him. She kept asking questions of what the current events were with the Knights while she asked more informal questions to Apple. Clearly, she wanted to see how serious Lance was taking his duties as a Knight and Lancelot's grandson. He just hoped he made a good impression on that front.

"Man, tense, tense, tense," Lance groaned, laying back on the bed. A brief knock made him groan and get up. He opened the door. "Yes?" At first, he saw no one, but then looked down when there was a small cough and saw a dwarf butler. "Oh, sorry. DIdn't see you there. How can I help you?"

The butler shook his head and presented a small card. Lance took it and the butler bowed before leaving. Lance looked at the card and saw it was an invitation for a party. An 'informal evening welcoming Princess Apple home for the Spring Break'.

"Great," Lance sighed. "Well, good thing I brought clothes for the occasion."

The party was scheduled in a couple of days, so it would give himself and Apple some time to rest from the trip and get themselves ready. Of course, it would give Snow White some time to catch up with her daughter and grill Lance a little more.

"Where is a Mirror Monster when you need one?" Lance chuckled weakly. He needed to blow off a little steam.

---

Spending time at Apple's home after the first night wasn't so bad. There was plenty to do. The place had its own indoor pool, an exercise grimmnasium, and even a tennis court. Apple took it upon herself to teach Lance how to play tennis, trouncing him when they played against each other. He was able to score one point at least. Not that it didn't stop Apple from dominating him anyway.

If asked, he would say she distracted him in her cute tennis outfit.

"You're getting better, Lancie," Apple praised as they finished one session.

"Yeah, but you still manage to make those funny shots I can't run to in time," Lance shook his head. "Tracking the ball is hard with how fast you shoot it. Mirror Monsters throw projectiles slower than you do!"

"Well, I have been playing since I was little," Apple giggled. "Well, let's hit the showers! It's almost time for lunch!"

"Sure thing, Apple Pie," Lance smiled.

Lance did hit the showers, wanting to just sit down and enjoy time talking to Apple. Snow White more or less left them to their own devices when she ran things during most of the day. Still, the dwarf butlers were everywhere, so Lance knew if he and Apple tried anything funny, they'd get reported and who knew what the queen would do. He was almost afraid to hold Apple's hand when they walked together.

Quickly hitting his room for the shower, Lance got dressed in some comfortable clothes before he set out to find the dining room for lunch. Stepping out of his room though, he was surprised to see Snow White in the hall waiting for him.

"Um...Hi, Your Majesty," Lance blinked.

"Mr. Beauregard," Snow White nodded. "I was hoping we could have a chance to talk alone before we had lunch?"

"Um...sure," Lance nodded. "Walk and talk?"

"Just follow me," Snow White nodded as she began leading him down the hall.

"So what do you want to talk about?" asked Lance, although he had a dark idea as to what the subject would be.

"I admit, Mr. Beauregard, when Apple called me and began gushing about how she found her Prince Charming, I had thought she finally settled on that handsome Daring boy," Snow White confessed. "I was then understandably surprised when she began telling me about a knight whose name I never heard about nor could find connected to a story."

"And as a concerned mother, you had to make sure I was the right sort," Lance grimaced.

"Precisely," Snow White nodded. "I wasn't quite sure what to make of you since it seems like you and your friends just popped into Book End from out of nowhere."

"Blame Merlin for that," Lance sighed.

"It seems to be your hashtag," Snow White chuckled. "Although I was pleased to see you had the courage and chivalry of a true knight. You proved your mettle during that dreadful Shereghost Attack on the school, so at least my daughter had become infatuated with a true knight."

"I do my best," Lance nodded. "Although I remember you saying I'd have to keep working hard to prove that I'm good enough for her."

"And I also recall you saying you didn't mind hard work," Snow White answered with a smile. "So I was happy to let Apple have her high school romance. If you proved yourself, then it would be fine, and if not, well, she'd have a happy memory from high school."

"Well, I hope I've been doing well in raising my worth," Lance smiled weakly.

"Well, I admit some of your exploits have proven you have the moral code and fortitude of a knight," Snow White admitted. "Although, I did have my doubts about your lineage until Lancelot himself showed up during Thronecoming and confirmed it on Fablebook." She took out her phone and presented a screenshot of the post, showing Lance and Lancelot posing cheesily for a photo and signs declaring who was the grandpa and who was the grandson. "I almost feel my age since he's a grandfather already. Time is a strange thing where you come from."

"Yeah, it confuses me too," Lance nodded. Somehow, even though Lancelot went to Ever After High with Snow White, the Evil Queen, and others, when they went to Earth, time moved on and they became grandparents to children the same ages as their classmates' immediate kids. Was time that wonky, or did people on Earth just age that fast? It was hard to say and even Merlin didn't have a solid answer.

"In any case, it did reassure me you were someone of substance with a proper pedigree to back it up so I have no real complaints about you dating my daughter," Snow White continued. "However…"

"I haven't achieved anything worth being called her Prince Charming over," Lance sighed, seeing the queen's point.

"Yes, I'm afraid," Snow White nodded. "Not that I don't think you can, but I have just not yet seen anything in you that makes you worthy of being part of my daughter's destiny. Now, I won't order you to break up with her. I'm not the Evil Queen. Although I do expect you to prove yourself equal to a Prince Charming by some point before you and Apple graduate."

"I see," Lance nodded. So he was on a deadline to prove that he could be Apple's Prince Charming and Knight in Shining Armor. "Well, at least I know you're not doing this to be mean, being Snow White and all."

"I am sorry, but my daughter has an important destiny and I have to make sure she's ready for it and she has someone equally ready to help her shoulder it by her side," Snow White frowned sadly. "I won't deny you your chance to prove it, but I can't wait forever after either."

Lance nodded, "Well, looks like I still have more work to do then."

"You're a good boy, Mr. Beauregard. I never doubted that at all," Snow White tried to reassure him. "Apple wouldn't date just anyone. Just try to be good enough for my daughter, the fairest in the land. Then I shall have no complaints."

"Right," Lance nodded solemnly.

Snow White patted his shoulder and kept walking, leaving Lance to keep heading for the dining room. Now his mood was down and he felt he was under a magnifying glass more than ever. He shook his head and tried to lift his own mood. Apple would be able to tell if he was upset and he didn't want to share the talk he had with her mother.

He would meet Snow White's challenge and overcome it. All for a Happily Ever After with his princess.

---

Lance had spent the day before playing tennis with Apple. Today, he was swimming with her in her home's indoor pool. He wore the same trunks he had worn at Briar's beach party while Apple had on a modest, yet no less sexy, red one-piece swimsuit. The way it hugged her curves, Fairy Godmother, was incredible.

As usual, the dwarf bodyguards were at the pool, keeping a close eye on Apple and Lance. Snow White likely ordered them to do that to prevent anything inappropriate from happening. Lance did not feel comfortable being watched like this, but this was Snow White's home and her word was law. Lance would need to respect her rules as he was only a guest.

"Oh, the party tonight will be amazing, Lancie! I can't wait to introduce you to some of my old friends!" Apple smiled as she swam in the pool with him. Both stayed in the shallow end, just playing around with some pool toys.

"Yeah, the party," Lance replied, not fully paying attention, with his eyes focused on the water instead of her.

"Lancie, what's wrong?" Apple asked her boyfriend, worriedly.

Lance sighed, but he knew he could at least talk to Apple about his issues, "Well, it's just, this is gonna be an uptight, high society event, right?"

Apple nodded, "Yeah, of course. It's gonna be a formal party."

Lance looked at Apple, for once not looking so sure of himself, "Think I'll make a good impression with those high society types?"

"Lancie, you don't need to worry," Apple smiled beautifully. "You're not just a Knight of the Round Table, you're a hero too. Just be yourself and everything will be fine. Trust me."

"Just wondering what to expect, that's all," he shrugged.

"Well, I'd hexpect some princes would try to flirt with me. You know, the kind who'd want to be my suitors and all," Apple admitted, a finger on her cheek in thought.

"Yeah," Lance understood. Apple was the crush of most of the boys in Ever After High and he could not blame them. She was the fairest princess in all the land. Sometimes he was amazed he didn't have to compete with his fellow Knights for her affection.

"But you won't have to worry about them. I'd let them know I'm already taken." Apple swam closer and kissed his cheek. "And no one can compare with my Lancie, the Wing Knight of the Round Table."

Lance grinned, somewhat reassured, "Darn straight."

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

---

Snow White had been planning this party for quite some time now. As soon as she confirmed her daughter would be returning for spring break, she had invitations sent out to invite many royal and noble families to her castle.

The party took place in the grand ballroom of Snow White's castle. Limos pulled up to the drive and dwarf butlers opened the doors, letting all kinds of fableous people out to walk down the red carpet towards the venue. Many tales were involved like the former Goose Girl, the (former) Prince, and his best friend the (former) Pauper with their wives, although they looked like twins. Even Snow White's sister, Rose Red, came to the party, although that was expected, being Apple's aunt.

Lance had no doubt that Daring's family would've been invited but he heard they were on a family ski trip. Gwen posted pictures of it on her Hexagram feed. It looked like fun and he was hoping to take Apple on a trip like that when they had the chance.

Lance left his room, wearing a tuxedo of all things which Apple helped him pick out before they left Book End. She even had the label marked with his Advent Deck symbol to show his station as one of the Knights of the Round Table. He walked to the ballroom's main doors where Apple was waiting for him.

"Ready, Lancie?" Apple asked excitedly, checking his lapels.

"As I'll ever be," Lance nodded. "Anyone I should be on the lookout for?"

"Well, Auntie Rose is going to want to meet you. She's a total sweetheart so you should get along fine," Apple replied. "I think she brought Uncle Brown and Cousin Rosa with her. That would be so fableous if you could meet them too."

"Noted," Lance nodded. "Any last-minute warnings?"

"Relax," Apple smiled. "Just be your normally charming self and everything will be fine."

"Right," Lance grimaced. Being himself may have him not fit in so well but he could try. "Well, let's do this."

"Of course," Apple beamed, taking his arm. She looked to the dwarves at the door, "Okay, announce us."

The dwarves nodded and opened the doors while a pair of trumpeters made a loud show of playing a tune. More dwarves threw rose petals before the couple as they entered, making it pretty clear that Apple White and the Wing Knight had made their entrance. Naturally, all eyes turned to them.

"Just breathe," Lance whispered to himself.

The couple walked through the crowds, meeting everyone who wanted to offer greetings or just schmooze with Apple. None of them seemed to know what to make of Lance. Of course, he never made an appearance in Ever After high society. Some of the teenagers who attended did recognize him, spreading gossip of him being the next Lancelot of the Knights of the Round Table. Others began to recognize him from the award ceremony for saving Ever After High. That seemed to thaw some people as they began making conversation with him. Still, that didn't mean the hard traditionalists warmed up to him, wondering why he was dating Apple White when he should be chasing after the next Guinevere.

It was a whirlwind of new faces and polite greetings. Apple seemed to be in her element and took it all with ease. Lance felt more than a little out of his depth. For some reason, he felt like he was dealing in politics and he was in the deep end. Like, sharks in the water deep.

Soon, he and Apple split as she saw friends she wanted to catch up with them and Lance offered to get her some punch. The buffet table seemed particularly inviting.

"Ah, if it isn't the local hero of Book End," a new voice spoke to Lance as he found the selection of beverages. These people really liked their assorted punch.

"Hm?" Lance looked up at the one who had called him. "Oh, that's me. And you would be?"

"Rebellious Charming," the other teenager smiled, offering his hand which Lance shook.

Rebellious certainly looked like a Charming. He wore fine clothes, a tuxedo similar to the one Lance was wearing, with orange hair, impeccably styled, and he had a clear face free from teenage afflictions. He even wore fancy white gloves for the occasion. In all, he seemed like a proper royal gentleman. One more example of why Lance didn't feel like he fit in, but he kept that to himself.

"Lance Beauregard," Lance nodded back. "So you heard about that hectic day?"

"Oh certainly. When the premier school of fairy tales is attacked by a mob of monsters during Legacy Day, everyone notices," Rebellious nodded. "And, of course, we notice those who save the day and are rewarded by the queen herself. No wonder you managed to get on Apple White's arm tonight."

"Apple and I were seeing each other way before that," Lance admitted. "Saving damsels just comes naturally to me, being the grandson of Lancelot and all that."

"Are you now?" Rebellious raised an eyebrow. "Well then why didn't you come with Guinevere? She is your match, isn't she?"

"It's the Rebel in me," Lance smirked. "Gwen and I have our eyes on other people so we're pursuing them and, so far, Apple and I are going on strong."

"Well, as a bit of a Rebel myself, I can applaud that," Rebellious chuckled. "I aim for a particular princess myself."

"Anyone I'd know?" asked Lance.

"Oh, my primary focus is on Cinderella's daughter, although she seems a bit preoccupied with her current boyfriend. A Huntsman turned knight if you believe the gossip and tabloids," Rebellious explained. "Although, I wouldn't mind looking to another princess who wishes to find a new prince for herself."

"Oh, it's true. I was there when he was knighted by the next King Arthur himself," Lance replied. The Charming seemed surprised by that, but he seemed to take it in stride.

"Well, I have stiff competition then," Rebellious smiled. "Still, I've left my companion tonight alone for too long. A pleasure meeting you, Sir Lance."

"Likewise," Lance nodded as the Charming left, leaving him to collect glasses of punch for himself and Apple.

He came to Apple's side where she seemed to be entertaining a group of girls her own age. They were all giggling over something and Apple looked to be the centre of it all, as if she was holding court.

"Oh, Lancie!" Apple beamed as he approached. "Come meet some friends of mine. Girls, this is Lance Beauregard, the next Lancelot of King Arthur's court."

"Hi," all three girls waved to him, looking flirty in their high-class ensembles.

"Lancie, I want you to meet Paulette Prince, daughter of the Prince," Apple introduced.

"Hello," the princess waved. She was a beauty to be sure. She sported a long braid done up in an elaborate style with hairpins and other hair ornaments. She wore a royal purple dress with gold accents which made her appear much like a princess. She had bright green eyes and even had a beauty mark under her right eye. She held herself like royalty, having the air of nobility around her.

"Next is Priscilla Pauper, daughter of the Pauper," Apple continued. "She and Paulette aren't twin sisters even if everyone thinks they are."

"How do you do?" Priscilla waved. She was a dead ringer to Paulette, looking almost like a twin to the princess. The only physical difference was her beauty mark was under her left eye. She kept her hair done in a simple bun and even if she wore a fine red dress, Priscilla seemed to be a bit more down to earth. She seemed like someone who appreciated wealth, having earned it rather than being born with it.

"And last is my favourite cousin, Rosa Red," Apple finished.

"I'm your only cousin," the last girl rolled her eyes playfully. She was definitely related to Apple since it seemed they shared the same facial structure. Rose had rich brown eyes and long tumbling red hair. She also favoured her own red dress, but accented with silver. Like Apple, she was a beauty.

"A pleasure to meet all of you," Lance smiled back. "I hope Apple has been telling only the good stories about me."

"Of course," Apple giggled. "Especially the ones where you so heroically rescued me and then later saved the entire school."

"Did an army of monsters really emerge from the mirrors?" Asked Paulette.

"And from any other surface that could cast a reflection," Lance nodded. "It was a pretty crazy situation. Thank goodness we were able to get everyone to safety before those Shereghosts tried to eat them."

"How were you able to beat so many?" Asked Priscilla.

"Well, we Knights of the Round Table tried to lure them into the bookball field to bottleneck them, and we hoped they would eventually lose their numbers and retreat or we would destroy them all," Lance explained. "But the numbers just kept coming. So Arthur and I went into the Mirror World to find the source and discovered a giant mirror that was spawning them every few minutes. We managed to destroy it and once we did, all the other Shereghosts vanished."

"Wow," Priscilla breathed. "Apple, you are so lucky! A Knight who took down an army with his king by his side?"

" I know," Apple beamed. "Lancie's the best thing to ever happen to me."

"Do you have any brothers?" Paulette asked Lance.

"Or better yet, are there twins within the Round Table?" asked Priscilla.

"Oh, here we go," Rosa rolled her eyes. "Just have to share everything or have exact copies."

"I actually am a twin," Lance chuckled. "Fraternal twin though. Harry and I are often called 'the worst twins ever'. Before you ask, Sleeping Beauty's daughter has him locked down tight."

"Are any of the other Knights single then?" Priscilla continued to press.

"Afraid not," Lance shook his head. This wasn't so hard. It was like chatting with his fans at school or in one of the local shops in Book End. "It seemed all of us managed to find girlfriends pretty quickly after coming to Ever After High."

"Aw nuts," Priscilla and Paulette pouted at the same time.

"Enough about relationship gossip," Rosa insisted. "So tell us, Lance, how did you manage to charm away Apple when it seemed she was going to be having a Happily Ever After with Daring Charming?"

"Ooooh, it was so hexciting and romantic," Apple cooed, blushing at the memory.

"Well, I caught a Mirror Monster trying to snap her up," Lance answered. In some ways, he was ashamed of how he dealt with his debut battle. Still, he learned his lesson and never let it happen again, so he tried not to dwell on it. "I chased it off and Apple and I, well, I guess we enchanted each other. Me being my knightly heroic self and her being the fairest in the land. We just had to get to know each other better."

"And then the monster and two minions came back to try and devour me and my roommate, Raven, again!" Apple added, making the three girls gasp. "But when it seemed like we were cornered, Lancie and Arthur emerged to save us! Oooh, it was Happily Ever Awesome!"

"Weren't you scared?" Rosa gasped.

"I was!I was so terrified, but then Lancie saved me and I just felt so safe and warm in his arms," Apple cooed. "And that's when I knew, for a fact, that Lancie would be my Prince Charming!"

"Oooooh!" the Priscilla and Paulette gasped.

"You know, Aunt Snow has always been a traditionalist," Rosa reminded. "I'm surprised she's not against you dating outside your story."

"Well…" Lance began.

"Oh, Mom's been totally cool about it," Apple waved her cousin off. "She's been getting to know Lancie since we got here and I'm sure she'll come around when she sees Lancie in action herself!"

"Uh-huh," Rosa raised an eyebrow as if she didn't believe it. She looked to Lance for confirmation.

"She's reserving her judgment, for now," Lance admitted. "Being one of the heroes who saved Ever After High likely got me some leeway. I just have to keep it up."

"Now that sounds like Aunt Snow," Rosa nodded. "So, you took up the role of protecting Book End from these 'Mirror Monster' creatures. Just what are they and where do they come from?"

"Well…" Lance began.

*Eeeeeeeeeeeee!*

"You're about to find out," Lance winced as he held his head.

Apple knew that expression after seeing it so many times. Her boyfriend was picking up the sound of a Mirror Monster approaching.

"Lancie, here? Now?"

"Here and now," Lance looked around, trying to find which reflective surface the tone was coming out of. With so much polished gold brass, and even the polished tiles of the floor, it could be coming from literally anywhere!

"Whut, whut, whut, whut!"

The noise echoed from above, making many people look up. From above, the polished chandelier which lit up the ceiling suddenly had a grub-white creature suddenly falling from it. People shrieked and backed away from its fall, letting it smack on the tile floor. The fall didn't seem to bother it as it just scrambled to its feet. It continued making the same noise as it seemed to gaze at the people around it. As if dazed by the smorgasbord, it seemed stunned for a moment. Then that shock seemed to pass as it fired a stream of silk from its mouth, catching one guest and pulling them towards it.

"EEEK!"

Lance quickly flew into action, propriety and fitting in cast to the wayside. As the guests ran from the rampaging beast, Lance cut the silk strings with his Dark Visor. The Shereghost grunted and stumbled back, as it was made to release its intended victim.

While the monster was recovering, Lance dashed up to the closest reflective surface, which just happened to be an ice sculpture in Apple's image. He held his deck to it, summoning his belt, then flexed his arm while twisting his body.

"Henshin!" He slid the deck into his V-Buckle and his armor appeared over his body. "Never fear, for Kamen Rider Knight is here!"

"Lancie!" Apple gasped, cheering happily. Now everyone would get to see how awesome her boyfriend was!

The Shereghost stumbled but collected itself. Making more of the obnoxious hooting noise, it charged at Knight, swinging clumsily at him. The Wing Knight reacted accordingly, dipping around the strikes and slashing or thrusting with his weapon, connecting several times. Many of the guests backed away in fear or fascination, watching Knight seemingly dance circles around the clumsy monster.

"Is that one of the monsters that attacked the school?" asked Paulette.

"Doesn't seem so scary," Priscilla commented.

"It almost seems unfair," Rosa added.

"By themselves, yes, but these are the ones that attack in mobs," Apple looked around. "Which makes me afraid that more might show up"

"HAH!" Knight roared as he delivered a downward slash which cut a line down the Shereghost's chest.

"WHUT!" The Shereghost groaned before it collapsed. It writhed on the floor for a moment, making Knight decide to finish it as he reached for his deck. It then rolled over on its forearms and knees, curling up into a ball as if in surrender. The sight made Knight hesitate, not having seen a monster do that before.

The Shereghost groaned as its back began to bulge as it looked like something was trying to come out. Slowly, the skin on its back cracked before finally splitting apart as a new creature emerged.

As the Shereghosts were based on insect larvae, it would stand to reason they were the first stage of a life cycle. What came from the Shereghost's body was a blue insectoid monster that resembled a dragonfly with its tail and wings attached to its head. Multiple red spots, possibly eyes, dotted its black faceplate. This creature was known as a Raydragoon.

"Ew!" the not-twins gagged at the sight. Many guests were equally revolted.

"Apple?" Rosa grimaced. "Did they do this too?"

"No, I never saw them do that before," Apple gulped.

The Raydragoon spread its wings and took off into the air, looking like a dragonfly attached to a humanoid body as it did so. It hovered in the air above Knight before it dove down and slashed Knight with the blades attached to its forearms. He went tumbling across the floor but managed to get back to his feet.

"You're not the only one that can fly," Knight said as he drew his Contract card and activated it with his Dark Visor.

[Advent!]

A shriek was heard as Darkwing swooped into the ballroom, flying a circle around the ceiling and making several people shriek in fright. It hovered behind Knight before diving down and attached itself to his back. Spreading its wings, Darkwing carried Knight into the air to engage the Raydragoon.

[Sword Vent!]

The Wing Lancer appeared in Knight's hands and he struck the Raydragoon, causing it to recoil. As it buzzed in the air, it lunged forward to drive its blades into Knight but he rolled out of the way to land a strike across its back. The monster quickly lost altitude as it tried to recover from the strike to a less armored spot of its body. While it was stunned, Knight decided not to drag this fight on further and finish it now before their airborne battle risked Snow White's property or her guests.

[Final Vent!]

"Yes! Go, Lancie!" Apple cheered.

"Huh?" asked Priscilla.

"Whenever Lancie uses that card, he always brings down the monster!" Apple declared proudly.

Knight was about to prove Apple right. He pointed his Wing Lancer at the Raydragoon as Darkwing's wings wrapped around him, forming a drill. He spun in the air for a moment before he dove at the Raydragoon, impaling the monster, destroying it in the air in a fiery blast. Emerging from the flames, Knight landed on the floor in a kneeling position with his cape draped over him. The next moment, Darkwing detached to gobble up the floating sphere of life force. With a screech of satisfaction, Darkwing dove back into the Mirror World.

Knight expected cheers and accolades like he was used to. Sadly, that was not the case here.

"What was that?"

"Eugh! A giant bat? Gross!"

"A knight in shining armor? Looks like a black knight to me."

"How'd he even get an invitation?"

"So violent."

Knight grimaced. This was not what he hoped for. Still, he half-expected it as bats were often seen as partners to witches or other nasty creatures in fairy tales. Sighing, he dismissed his lance and glanced at the guest who was still pulling the silk from her body.

"Are you alright ma'am?"

"Yes, fine!" she snapped, trembling. "Just, just leave me alone."

Knight sighed and looked at the other guests, but all he saw were disdainful looks. Plenty seemed like they thought he was just as bad as the Shereghost was. Wanting to avoid the judgmental gazes, Knight mustered his dignity and simply walked out of the ballroom without another word. He knew when he wasn't wanted.

"Lancie? Lancie, wait!" Apple gasped, running after her boyfriend, much to the confusion of some of the other guests. Why would Apple White want to be around a dark knight who had a giant bat as a companion?

Snow White watched him go, her expression blank as she turned to tend to her guests and make sure everyone was fine and perhaps try to salvage the party.

(-)

Apple did not have to look far. She found him standing in the balcony of his room, looking out at the meadow. The moon cast its pale light over the land, making it all look more enchanting than usual. Apple didn't care about that though as she saw the gloom practically hanging over her prince's shoulders.

"Lancie?" Apple asked, approaching him to stand in the moonlight.

"Apple Pie, shouldn't you be back at your party?" Lance questioned, looking at her as she stood beside him.

"It didn't feel right without you there," Apple answered. "Lancie, tell me what's wrong? You did something so heroic just now. Why did you just leave?"

"Did you see the way those guests were looking at me? To them, I was just as much a monster as that Shereghost," Lance scoffed bitterly. "I could see them all thinking it. I don't belong here, Apple."

Apple gasped in dismay "How can you say that? Of course, you do!"

Lance huffed, "Do I? I'm not descended from royalty, like Arthur or Rex. And I'm definitely not the ideal knight. I mean, what kind of knight has a bat for a familiar?" He knew for a fact that Arthur and Rex would be welcomed far better than he was. Heck, if they took down that Shereghost, the people would be cheering for them. A Dragon Knight and a Phoenix Knight would be treated like heroes compared to a black Bat Knight.

Apple pouted sadly, looking out to the meadows again, "I didn't know it bothered you so much."

"It didn't until I heard what they were saying about me, judging me like that. I try not to let it bother me but meeting your mom, those guests, it shows how we're both from different worlds," Lance hung his head. "Your mom's the Queen of Ever After, Apple. She has high expectations for you, for you to find your true Prince Charming. And someday, you'll inherit her throne. Any of those princes could be better than me."

Back at Ever After High, things were easier. Apple White was popular, but definitely approachable, and seemed like a regular girl. Coming here, meeting her mom, it just served to remind him that Apple was so much more than he deserved.

Apple shook her head almost vehemently, "No, they're not."

Lance looked at her again, "And why not?"

Apple turned to look directly into Lance's eyes, showing not an ounce of deceit, "Because I've already chosen you and you've proven yourself to me."

Lance smiled but he was still not completely convinced. He sighed and looked out to the scenery again.

"Did you know what I thought when I first put on my armor?" Lance asked. "I thought I looked like Batman."

"Batman? What's that?" asked Apple. That didn't sound like a tale she'd ever heard before.

Lance nibbled on his lip in thought before he started to explain, "It's...a story from where I'm from. Once upon a time, a boy went to watch a play with his parents. As the play was too scary for the boy, they decided to go home. Tragically, a bandit tried to rob them on their way home. That night, the boy lost both his parents."

Apple frowned sadly, "Oh, that poor boy."

Lance shrugged, "He was fine, of course. His manservant took him in and raised him. However, he never really moved on from that night, thinking that he could've done something to save his parents if he was stronger. So, as he grew up, he trained himself, becoming stronger, becoming smarter, even tailored himself a costume. He chose to base it on a bat since they scared him. He became a symbol of justice to good and a symbol of fear to evil. He became the Batman. The End."

Apple figured there was more to the story, but she liked the premise of it.

"That was a beautiful tale, Lance."

Beautiful may not have been the best way to describe Batman, but it was an incredible story to Lance.

"Yeah, it is. Batman's always been my favorite hero and I wanted to be like him. I mean, he wouldn't care what anyone thought of him. When he wears that bat costume, even if it made him look like a demon, he still fought for the sake of good and justice. Since he always did it at night, he was called the Dark Knight too."

"He sounds like a wonderful knight," Apple reassured him.

"Yeah...but it's harder to do in practice," Lance sighed. "You heard them talking about me. Because my armor doesn't shine, they think I'm not the right sort. I have a bat, they think I'm gross. I fight to protect people from monsters, they call me a violent brute. They all think I'm some kind of villain that snuck into the party."

Apple hugged Lance's side, "Lancie, that's not true. For many of them, their stories just don't involve fighting or monsters. They're just spellebrities or other tales which don't involve anything like that. All they know is peace and bright and shiny things. You heard them looking down on you, but did you know that there are Charmings here tonight, too? I just know they are praising you right now."

"Yeah, I met one," Lance replied. Rebellious Charming was cool.

"And Rosa, Paulette and Priscilla thought it was spellbinding that you took action so quickly and decisively. Auntie Rose is probably praising you right now, saying how a good knight was always ready to leap into action," Apple continued. "I could see it on their faces when you finished off that monster."

"They didn't mind Darkwing?" Lance asked.

"Well, he takes some getting used to," Apple admitted. "But when he becomes your cape, it makes you look even dashing."

Lance chuckled "That's good to hear."

"So, how about you come back to the party with me?" Apple offered her hand.

"Are you sure it's OK? I did storm out all of a sudden," Lance replied, looking uncertainly at her hand.

"Trust me, I'd rather have you with me than attend at all," Apple smiled, her eyes almost glittering in the moonlight.

Lance looked at her beautiful, smiling face. Yes, this was Apple's party and none of those people really mattered to him. Only she did, this beautiful blonde, blue-eyed, and built babe that caught his eye. Perhaps it was crude of him to think of a fairy tale princess as such, but Apple had so many more facets than just a princess and Lance just loved finding another to admire in the precious gem that made up her heart.

Finally, he relented, "Okay. You got me. Let's go back."

(-)

Apple did manage to bring Lance back to the ballroom. Music was playing again and people were milling around like they had not seen a monster and knight fight in the middle of the room earlier. They were somewhat tense from the monster attack, however, apparently bothered that it had happened so suddenly. Of course, many people were giving Lance looks, recalling either his fight or the giant bat which helped him in that fight.

The music changed at one point, becoming slower and softer before the attendees paired up to dance together. While this was happening, Lance and Apple looked at each other with a silent request and response, the blonde holding her knight's hand. Many of their guests saw them, bewildered that the dark knight had returned. Lance ignored their stares, focusing only on Apple.

Gracefully, Apple pulled Lance onto the dance floor and the two of them danced together. It was a waltz and Apple White knew it by heart. Lance, of course, had to learn it after coming to Ever After. Merlin had told them that they needed to learn for the sake of any formal party they might have to attend. In hindsight, it was Merlin's way of helping them prepare for their roles as Knights of the Round Table, not just being good boyfriends to their princesses. Either way, Lance was grateful. At least he would not make a fool of himself and Apple.

As the music played around them, the two danced, ignoring everyone else. Nothing else and nobody else mattered but this dance they shared together.

The two continued to dance, not realizing everyone had stopped to watch them. To some, they were shocked that Apple White, the symbol of everything a princess should be, was dancing with a dark knight who had a gross giant bat as a familiar. Others were surprised that Apple and Lance, two different stories, were together when they were clearly destined for others. Finally, Apple's close friends, just sighed in admiration and slight envy, seeing that the two had strong feelings for each other.

(-)

After their dance, Apple pulled Lance over to mingle with her friends and cousin.

"You two were like in your own little world," Priscilla sighed. "How magical."

"We were?" Lance chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't notice."

"Everyone was watching," Rosa remarked. "You were like the centre of attention and you didn't even realize it."

"Hmm. It just means we really are a perfect couple," Apple beamed.

"Okay, now I want a boyfriend like that," Rosa deadpanned. "Lance, are you sure all you Knights of the Round Table are taken? Don't you guys have, like, squires or something?"

"Well, technically Hunter may count," Lance pondered. "But if he's a squire, he's most aligned with Gawain. He's really the only new recruit we made. Even then, he's already with Ashlynn."

"Curses," Rosa huffed. Why did all the great guys have to be taken up so darn quick?

"I think Kyle's available, maybe," Lance added. "Although Duchess may not like that. It's hard to tell what their relationship is."

"Those two are so oblivious," Apple tittered. It was so cute to watch Kyle and Duchess dance around each other.

*Eeeeeeeeee!*

"C'mon, again!?" Lance complained. The night was starting to get good again.

From the windows, the black iron-clad forms of the Black Knights stepped out, blocking an exit of the ballroom. At the front of the hall, emerging from the glass protecting a portrait of the White family, another Black Knight stepped out. Oddly, this one had gold plating in place of brass like the others, making it appear to sparkle compared to the rest.

"Oh come on," Lance frowned. Wasn't the Mirror Monster attack enough?

"Not again," Apple groaned.

"Wh-who are they?" asked Priscilla, clearly scared.

"Black Knights. Clockwork soldiers used by some of the Rogues like Calibur Knight," Lance explained. "But the one at the front is different from the others. But why would Calibur Knight be here? She's only got it bad for Arthur."

"And who might you be?" Snow White scowled at the gold-plated knight.

"We are soldiers of the Order of Rogues. We are here to seize the story of Snow White," the Black Knight Leader answered in its robotic tone.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Lance stepped forward, already with his V-Buckle wrapped around his waist. "Your Majesty, do you mind if I took care of these intruders like how I dealt with that monster?"

"Granted," Snow White nodded. "I'll rally my bodyguards and evacuate the guests."

Lance nodded and hardened his gaze before he slid his deck into his belt.

"Henshin!"

He broke into a run as images of his armor overlapped his body, transforming him into Kamen Rider Knight. The Black Knights reacted instantly as he drew his Dark Visor to engage them.

"Destroy Sir Lancelot!" the gold-plated Black Knight Leader ordered.

The lesser Black Knights drew their Sword Vents and scanned them with their Slash Visors.

[Sword Vent!]

While the Black Knights began to go on the attack, the other party guests began to evacuate, but their exodus was blocked when a pair of Black Knights were found standing in front of the main doors. Both had a Slash Dagger at the ready, crossed over the mains doors. Nobody was getting in or out.

"Out of the way!" one kingly-looking guest demanded.

"Negative," the two Black Knights answered in stereo. "You all must remain as witnesses."

"Witnesses? Witnesses for what?" demanded Rosa Red.

"The appearance of the hero." the two robots answered bluntly, confusing everyone.

While the guests were blocked by the two machines, the rest took their fight to Knight. Armed with Slash Daggers, they rushed at Knight. He ducked under a couple who aimed for his head then he spun around to slash them across the back. As he drew a card, the others thrust their lances at Knight.

[Guard Vent!]

Darkwing dove down at Knight, repelling the Black Knight before attaching to Knight's back to become his protective cape. Lifting his cape, he spun in place, swiping at the Black Knights with the edges. While the cape may have looked like simple fabric, underneath it was Darkwing's dense muscles. As the Black Knights went sent staggering back by Knight, he drew his Sword Vent and activated it.

[Sword Vent!]

His Wing Lancer appeared and he dual-wielded, slashing at the Black Knights with both his weapons. The Wing Lancer gave him a much better reach due to its length and he struck the Black Knights quickly before they could mount a counter.

The Black Knight Leader continued to watch the battle. It drew a card from its belt, showing a bow and arrow rather than a Slash Dagger before it slashed it through its Visor.

[Shoot Vent!]

In a flash of gold fire, the Black Knight Leader was armed with a bow that had a gold hexagon pattern on it and an arrow shaped like a needle. It quickly loaded the arrow before it started shooting at Knight from the high ground. The arrows stuck in showers of spark, making Knight stumble. Knight's cape protected him from the worst of it, but it still disrupted the flow of battle for him.

"Ow," Knight grunted before he blocked the strike of one Black Knight. "Gh! You guys are getting annoying!"

The Black Knights continued their assault, trying to crush Knight together as per their orders. Darkwing extended its wings and both took to the air again to get away from the mob. The Black Knight Leader just continued to shoot needle arrows at Knight from its perch.

"Tsk!" Knight huffed, swooping out of the way of the attacks as he activated another card to help even the odds.

[Trick Vent!]

Knight split into five copies, wings and all, and swooped through the air. The Black Knight Leader stalled for a moment, trying to find an appropriate target. Finally, it decided to just pick one of them and began firing arrows, not unlike a machine gun. Fitting considering its nature. Its target was struck several times in showers of sparks before it fell from the air. Witnesses gasped, but the body then vanished, indicating that it was a clone.

"Wrong guess!" the four Knights spoke as one before they each drew a card and slipped it into their Dark Visors.

[Final Vent!]

Knight and his copies ascended. All at once, their wings wrapped around them like cloth, forming drills as they dropped down upon the Black Knights at the same time. The Flying Lancer attacks struck, causing explosions among the knights. At first, many of the guests gasped in horror, thinking Knight had killed them, but the cogs and other machine parts littering the ground rather than blood and body parts revealed their true mechanical nature.

As his clones vanished, the real Knight emerged from the middle of it all, brandishing his Wing Lancer, staring down the Black Knight Leader. The machine didn't seem bothered and instead merely drew another card to slash through its Slash Visor.

[Advent!]

Behind the Black Knight, the glass on the portrait shimmered before a Buzzstinger emerged, wielding a bow. This one had a gold-colored exoskeleton and if anything, had an aura of intensity around it, making it different from others Knight had seen before. This was the Broom subspecies of the Buzzstingers.

"Eliminating Sir Lancelot," the Black Knight Leaderdeclared before both it and its Contract Monster began to charge down the stairs.

Knight lifted his Wing Lancer, preparing to fight as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

[Final Vent!]

The impending fight was stopped when a gold and black blur came out of one of the windows before it crashed into the Black Knight Leader and its partner, destroying both in a blast of fire. The flames quickly died, revealing the form of Bicolius as it absorbed the Buzzstinger Broom's life energy with Perfect Knight riding on its back.

"Fear not, fair Princess Apple White! I have come to save you from these foul knights!" Perfect Knight declared, lifting his lance into the air as Bicolius reared back on its hind legs.

"Oh give me a break," Knight's shoulders slumped at the sight of Perfect Knight. "You again?!"

"Hm?" Perfect Knight looked and saw Knight standing in the middle of the destroyed Black Knights, "Huh? Wait, where did the other Black Knights go? Where's Princess Apple?"

Knight groaned, "You're too late. I just trashed them. Apple's just fine."

"Huh? But I saw you run off when everyone was shaming you! You couldn't have come back so quickly!" Perfect Knight retorted.

Knight perked up when he heard that.

"Wait, what? You saw that? You were here this whole time?"

Perfect Knight suddenly caught himself, "Uh, I mean, that is…"

Knight was suddenly getting a bad feeling about Perfect Knight. He all but admitted he was watching the party, either as a guest or through the Mirror World. That meant he was there when the monster attacked and did nothing. He watched as the Black Knights attacked, and did nothing until now.

To Knight, that spoke of two things. The first possibility was that Perfect Knight was so horrible in his timing he just missed out on the fights. The second was that he somehow knew they were coming and planned on intervening at the most dramatic moment...and his timing was so horrible he missed the mark.

As much as he wanted to say it though, Knight knew he couldn't outright accuse the dunce of anything. Perfect Knight's only public appearance was during the carnival. He fought Arthur in a fair battle, albeit badly, and took off running. He could only be really accused of being a poor sport and a frankly pathetic knight. That is, if people didn't just believe it was an act.

"Well, as you can see, everything's here been taken care of," Knight dismissed Perfect Knight. It was worth noting that the two Black Knights that had blocked the door were gone now. They had probably retreated after witnessing Knight take out the others. "Go and find some other princess to woo or something."

"That's part of why I came. I initially came here to declare my intentions towards Princess Apple," Perfect Knight scoffed. "I'm much more appropriate for her, given myself and my mighty steed than you and your flying rat."

Knight growled, "Watch it, punk. Weren't you gaga over Ashlynn Ella during the joust?"

"One of many on my list," Perfect Knight nodded. "I do intend to become the Prince of All Tales."

Knight grumbled, "What do you think this is? A Thousand-And-One Arabian Nights? You want to collect all the princesses and build a harem like a Sultan or something?"

"Uh, n-no! Did I say that? Of course not!" Perfect Knight caught himself again. Knight just shook his head. So either the moron intended to do that, or he just had a long list of princesses he intended to try and woo. Either way, he wasn't making a great show of himself right now.

"Okay, pal, whatever," Knight sighed. "Danger's over. All the princesses and noble ladies are safe, so just move on and maybe we can salvage tonight somehow."

"What? And miss out on this party?"

"Were you invited?"

"Well, yes, I-"

"Aha! So you were here the whole time!"

"Wait! I mean I just came late and-"

"So you're saying you came late to a party hosted by Queen Snow White in honor of her daughter, Princess Apple White? That sounds kinda rude and lame."

"It's called being fashionably late!" Perfect Knight snapped.

"And missed a chance to dance with Apple White, a dance I scored," Knight retorted. "It doesn't sound like you're all that serious about her if you didn't try to announce your intention when you arrived or even tried to ask for a dance."

With the guests, whispers were bouncing back and forth between them, wondering what Knight was doing by antagonizing Perfect Knight like he was.

Paulette bit her lip and looked to Apple, "What is he doing? Isn't that other Knight trying to help?"

"Lancie suspects something. He's not like this with the others and for good reason. That Knight tried to attack the next King Arthur and said he wanted to steal his story," Apple explained. "Lancie must think he's up to something just for showing up like he did."

"I believe it," Rosa frowned in agreement. "Remember what those two machines said? We were to witness the arrival of the hero? Funny how those two just happened to leave when this guy showed up."

"Now, I'm not trying to accuse you of anything, but a lot of this doesn't seem to add up. You claim to arrive late yet you knew I had left the party earlier," Knight pointed out. "Maybe I'm paranoid, but to me, that means you were waiting for a chance to show up and look like a hero while I wasn't around to steal your thunder."

"Preposterous!" Perfect Knight scoffed, denying the implications. "Stick to fighting, Sir Lancelot. Playing detective does not suit you!"

"Heh," Knight chuckled. "Okay, say for a moment you were fashionably late and you happened to arrive while I was gone. How was it that, despite all this happening, you didn't show up until the leader of the bunch made his move and not when they first appeared? I mean, there is no way any guest would just show up that late."

"Tsk!" Perfect Knight scoffed. "Your Majesty, Snow White! Are you going to let this, this Dark Knight just interrogate me?!"

"Why not?" Snow White questioned, folding her arms. "You did happen to appear during the climax of this battle. You claim to be a guest but did nothing until the last minute. I find Sir Lance's questions very pointed and thought out. So please, do explain yourself, Nameless Knight."

Snow White may have begun her career as an innocent princess, but she didn't stay that way. To become the Queen of the Realm and the head of her own corporation, she had to grow up and learn how to do those duties. While she did retain her inherent goodness, she did learn how to deal with people and see if they were trying to fool her. This knight's timing, as poor as it was, did not seem simply coincidental, especially after two attacks in her ballroom. It was oddly specific and Lance clearly thought it suspicious. So she would let this continue so she could test his intellect and deductive reasoning.

"It's Perfect Knight!" The Rogue insisted.

"With perfectly bad timing," Knight joked.

"Excuse me!? How dare you!?"

"Now, here's what I think is going on," Knight said, raising his index finger like a detective. "The Shereghost that attacked was brought in by someone to make me look bad since, well, my armor isn't one traditionally worn by a knight. I don't exactly look like a knight in shining armor, and then there's my partner, Darkwing. Whoever was behind the attack was betting on me being gone when the Black Knights showed up."

"Hey!" Rosa raised her hand. "Let's not forget about the Black Knights blocking the door talking about us waiting for the arrival of a hero!"

"Thank you, Rosa!" Knight pointed at Rosa before turning his attention back to Perfect Knight. "Now, if what Rosa said is true, about the Black Knights keeping the guests here to witness the arrival of a hero, that means it was all set up by the mastermind to show off. And I have a feeling I know who that mastermind is."

While Harry was the book smart one, Lance was street smart himself. He may not be all that good at academics, but he was smart enough to figure things out when all the clues lined up. And all the clues here were lining up to one definite conclusion.

"Simple coincidence!" Perfect Knight insisted, although one could see he was starting to lose his cool. Bicolius was also starting to get antsy, and Knight considered that horse more dangerous than the rider. "I merely made myself scarce to transform and fought through more Black Knights in the Mirror World before coming out here!"

"Okay, that's plausible," Knight admitted. "Maybe you did fight your way here through reinforcements from those machines. So then, remove your suit."

"Pardon?"

"We will need to verify your story. So take off your suit," Knight clarified. "It will prove if you are a guest or not and the Queen's security system no doubt caught you transforming. We will be able to track every move you made until you went into the Mirror World."

"We certainly can," Snow White agreed. "Remove your armor 'Perfect' Knight and we shall see if you are innocent or not in this."

Perfect Knight looked at Knight then at Snow White before he looked at the other guests who waited in anticipation to see who it was under his armor. His hands trembled, agitated.

This was not going according to plan.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Snow White questioned.

Perfect Knight's shoulders shook as he chuckled before he threw his head back in a mad cackle.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you are good, Wing Knight! Very good, to drive me into a corner like this! Well done! Well done!"

"Guess you don't intend to reveal yourself," Knight remarked, resting his hand on the hilt of his Dark Visor.

"And give up my only advantage? I can't compromise my identity, not yet, not when I was so close!" Perfect Knight. "I was so, so close but you had to ruin everything! So, I demand satisfaction!" He snapped his fingers.

*EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*

Dozens of Black Knights emerged from the Mirror World and moved toward the guests, preventing them from escaping. Snow White and Apple were grabbed as well.

"You-!" Knight drew his sword.

"No harm will come to them, Wing Knight," Perfect Knight swore. "That is, unless you face me in a duel of honor!"

"Honor? What honor? You're taking them hostage to force me to fight you!" Knight snapped. "Now let them go!"

"I don't understand how Apple White could've chosen you. If she had chosen Daring Charming, that I would understand. After all, that's destiny. But then, somehow, she chose you and you chose her." Perfect Knight stared down at Knight and let off a contemptuous sniff, "It seems Lancelot lives up to his story if he still intends to pursue a princess when a proper prince has made his intentions clear."

"Oh please," Knight huffed. "You? A prince? Give me a break! You couldn't even beat Arthur and whined like a baby about his dragon. You got your butt kicked by our Princess Knight. You're so dense you can't even tell when you're in over your head? A proper prince? Don't make me laugh!"

"Silence!" Perfect Knight barked. " Those were mere setbacks! By rescuing Snow White and her daughter today, I would have proven myself worthy of her hand and cement my first story as the Prince of all Tales! Now you've ruined that!" He then drew a card from his belt, showing it to be two sides connected by magnets titled a 'Unite Vent'. "If you will not kneel to my proper pedigree, I shall make you!"

"Bold words coming from the guy who caused this mess!" Knight snapped.

Perfect Knight ignored him as he used the card.

[Unite Vent!]

Bicolius let off a powerful neigh before vents of steam or energy seemed to burst from the base of its neck. The Rogue jumped up into the air as Bicolius' head and neck detached, turning silver and vanishing. The space that remained turned hollow and Perfect knight landed inside, the Mirror Monster's armor snapping into place around his waist. Perfect Knight roared, rearing back in his new centaur-like form.

"Behold, my ultimate power! Perfect Knight Centaur Black!" Perfect Knight shouted, his voice deeper and more menacing. "WIth Bicolius and I fighting as one, no power can defeat us!"

"Are you insane?!" Knight gasped in shock. "Do you have any idea what kind of side effect that might have on you?!"

"Bah! No ability of a hero has such a drawback!" Perfect Knight scoffed.

Knight huffed. So Perfect Knight wasn't crazy. He was just that stupid. He lifted his Wing Lancer and stared down the augmented Rogue, ready to take him on. Perfect Knight roared and charged, galloping across the ballroom floor, and stabbed at Knight's torso.

Knight tried to parry the blow, but the impact hit hard. Knight lost his balance before the centaur-like knight knocked him off his feet with his charge. With a grunt, he hit the ground hard. Rolling over, he pushed himself up while Perfect Knight turned around.

"Too weak," Perfect Knight snarled as He drew another card and slipped it into his Visor.

[Sword Vent!]

A double-ended spear appeared in Perfect Knight's hand. One end was Bicolius' head, its horns being used as the blade while the blade on the other end resembled Bicolius' sharpened mane. Perfect Knight lifted the weapon and pointed it at Knight, "Perfect!"

"Getting royally tired of that word," Knight muttered, swiftly drawing a card.

[Trick Vent!]

Knight produced clones, three in total, to support him. Together, they surrounded and circled around Perfect Knight to try and confuse him. Perfect Knight frowned as he scanned his opponents. The real one was hiding among the fakes.

"Don't think that'll work!" Perfect Knight shouted as he stomped the ground using Bicolius' forehooves. The impact produced a shockwave that blew Knight and his copies away, shattering them while leaving the real one behind. Seeing his target, Perfect Knight galloped towards Knight and swung his spear down. Knight quickly rolled out of the way as Perfect Knight ran past him.

"Need to make this a fair fight," Knight said he got back up to his feet. "Come!"

Out from a reflective surface, Knight's Mirror Warhorse came flying out before it landed beside him. Knight grabbed the reins and pulled himself up to the saddle. Perfect Knight turned and saw Knight on his steed.

"Just like the jousting tournament," Perfect Knight recalled.

"Yeah, the one you lost," Knight retorted. Gripping the Wing Lancer, he stared Perfect Knight down before he snapped the reins and his Mirror Warhorse raced toward Perfect Knight. Perfect Knight yelled and charged right back at Knight and they clashed in a shower of sparks. As the two knights fought, they raced to the windows and glass shattered as they broke through them, landing outside to fight in the meadow.

"Lancie!" Apple cried, trying to follow as many guests gasped. The Black Knights seemed ready to corral them in but allowed them to gather by the windows to watch the battle.

Knight and Perfect Knight continued to clash, the hooves of their horses running across the meadow. Knight managed to hit Perfect Knight in the chest but he turned Bicolius' body and bucked Knight right off his Mirror Warhorse, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

"Once I defeat you, Princess Apple White will be the first to become mine!" Perfect Knight claimed.

"That's not going to happen," Knight grunted as he rose to his feet. "Apple White is not some object to be stolen away. She may be a princess of a fairy tale, but she does not belong to whoever simply comes along and wakes her up with a kiss!" Gold bands lit up around his right arm where Apple once tied her favor. "She is a beautiful, kind, downright angelic girl who deserves to be given all the love and care a prince, knight, or king can offer!"

"Bah! I can offer her kingdoms, wealth, finery, and satisfy every earthly desire she could have!" Perfect Knight scoffed. "What could a measly Knight, even the blood of Lancelot, offer her?"

"Only one thing, the most important thing," Knight reached to his belt to draw a card, sending the energy into it, "My love!"

He drew the card, making it shine in the night air. As he did, strong winds began to blow and the sudden change in the weather did not go unnoticed by Perfect Knight as he wondered why he felt a chill in the air.

Knight then flipped the card around, revealing it to be a Survive card similar to Arthur's only that it was a right wing instead of a left wing and the background was blue. The background came alive, like swirling winds as Knight's Dark Visor transformed, changing from a rapier into an arm-mounted bat-themed shield scabbard. He slid the card under the panel which was engraved with his symbol.

[Survive!]

He drew the Dark Blade from the Dark Shield, and the sword extended as he pointed it at Perfect Knight. Swirling winds surrounded Knight and, in a flash, his armor changed as well. His navy bodysuit was now pitch black while his armor was sapphire-colored with gold trim. The shoulderpads were shaped like bat wings and his helmet's visor was edged in gold. Hanging from his back were two cape-like lengths of fabric that complemented his bat motif. His Advent Deck's color had also changed to match his armor.

This was Kamen Rider Knight Survive.

"...What?" Perfect Knight gaped at the new Wing Knight.

(-)

"My favor!" Apple gasped in delight, seeing Knight's arm start to shine.

"Your favor?" asked Priscilla, wondering what her friend meant.

Apple was beaming with pride despite the situation, "When Arthur evolved his armor, his arm began to shine where Raven granted him her princessly favor during the carnival joust before Thronecoming. Their bond was so strong, it caused Arthur's armor to evolve. Now my Lancie is using our love to do the same!"

"No way!" the three girls gasped, looking back out to the fight.

Snow White's eyebrows rose, glancing at her daughter and then back to her suitor.

(-)

"This is the power Apple White has given me, the will to survive no matter how hopeless it gets," Knight declared. "And with this power, I'll defeat you!"

Perfect Knight charged at Knight who charged right back at him. As Perfect Knight drove his spear at Knight, he jumped into the air, the twin capes on his back spread out like wings, allowing him to hover. He then dove down and landed a kick across Perfect Knight's face. Landing on his feet, Knight turned as Perfect Knight spun around to face him. Raising Bicolius' forehooves, Perfect Knight tried to crush him but Knight deflected the attack with his Dark Blade and Dark Shield, knocking him back. Enraged, Perfect Knight spun on his hooves and bucked Knight with his hind hooves, sending him sailing.

Seeing Perfect Knight coming at him, Knight opened the twin panels of his Dark Blade, revealing the Visor slot. He drew a card before sliding it in and closing the panels.

[Blust Vent!]

Darkwing swooped in but transformed like its master. It grew bigger, gaining armor similar to Knight Survive, and it was equipped with twin turbines in its wings. Like when Dragredder evolved into Dragranzer, Darkwing transformed into the evolved Darkraider.

As it shrieked, it went behind Knight and spun its turbines, blasting Perfect Knight with gale-force winds. The winds pushed Perfect Knight back and gave Knight the opening he needed to finish this battle. He drew his Final Vent card but the emblem that was on the card's face now had additional wings around it. He sheathed his Dark Blade, opened the Visor chamber and slid the card in before closing it with a push of a button.

[Final Vent!]

Knight leaped up and landed on Darkraider's tail, holding the handlebars behind the bat's large ears. As the bat lowered itself to the ground, Knight lifted his body up to give Darkraider clearance to twist its body 90 degrees, the turbines becoming wheels as the monster became a speeding motorbike. Mounted on the seat, Knight sped up as he raced toward Perfect Knight.

"I will not lose to some cheap trick!" Perfect Knight roared, drawing another card before slipping it into his Visor to counter Knight's finishing move.

[Final Vent!]

Perfect Knight charged right at Knight when Darkraider fired a laser beam at him. Perfect Knight froze, paralyzed, as Knight continued to race toward him. His twin cape spread out behind him before the fabric enveloped him and Darkraider, turning them both into a speeding missile.

"No, no, nonononononononooooooooo!" Perfect Knight roared, but it was to no avail as Knight's Hurricane Edge attack slammed right into him, causing an explosion that violently separated Perfect Knight from his contract. Bicolius was destroyed, small pieces flying in all directions, while Perfect Knight was sent sailing, somehow surviving the explosion.

"GAAAAHHH!" he screamed in pain, landing in a heap. Snarling, perhaps a holdover from his bond, he tried to stand again despite his pain. "You...you cur...you-!" he tried to snarl more, but suddenly collapsed with a groan, the colors, and ornamentation of his armor vanishing. Left behind was a bare-bones suit of armor, colored an unimaginative gray.

The rocketing bike spun around before the cloak loosened and the vehicle came to a stop. Knight stepped off as Darkraider changed back. It greedily swooped for Bicolius' life energy, gobbling it up with glee. Knight, on the other hand, just walked towards the downed Rogue Knight. He was no longer Perfect, no longer powerful.

"I'll-! I can still win!" the Rogue Knight groaned, sloppily drawing his shortened rapier. With a roar, no longer empowered by Bicolius, he ran to try and run Knight through.

"Enough!" Knight snapped, dipping slightly to the side to avoid the strike before he bashed his Visor across the Rogue Knight's head. He went down like a ton of bricks, no longer making a sound. "You're so pathetic as a knight I'd almost pity you if you weren't so arrogant. Now, let's see who you really are." He kicked the knight over, finding the slate grey Advent Deck in his belt and pulled it out, allowing the armor to shatter and reveal the person wearing it.

"Rebellious?" Knight blinked, seeing the orange-haired Charming out cold on the ground. "Well...that's a bit disappointing. I almost thought we could be friends. Guess you were all talk."

Knight picked up Rebellious then climbed on Darkraider who carried the two of them back into the ballroom. Many were intimidated by the large armored bat and stepped back. Knight stepped onto the floor and dropped Rebellious. Many gasped at the sight of him, surprised to see a member of the Charming family had been wearing the Perfect Knight suit.

"Is that...Rebellious Charming?" Snow White questioned, eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah, he is, or was, Perfect Knight," Knight answered.

"Lancie!" Apple ran toward him to give him a hug.

"Hey, Apple Pie," Knight smiled, hugging his girlfriend. When he drew back, he looked around. "Hey, where did those Black Knights go?"

"After you defeated Perfect Knight, they just went away," Apple answered. "And look at you now! You look incredible!" Blondie was sure to be upset that she missed Knight's new transformation. Well, Apple didn't mind having it to herself in a way.

"All thanks to you showing me that favor," Knight chuckled. "Looks like you really do bring out the best in me."

Knight Survive, compared to regular Knight, definitely looked like a proper knight in shining armor with his sapphire and gold suit. The cape also made him look dashing. It didn't matter if he looked like a bat now. He had truly proven himself. He discerned a dishonest knight's ploy on the fly, faced a monster, and defeated the knight who turned himself into a monster to win that battle, only to fall to Knight's chivalry and his bond of love with Apple.

Knight was also impressed with himself. He had played detective to determine Rebellious' guilt, almost like Batman.

Snow White chuckled, shaking her head, "I gave you an ultimatum and you succeed only a few days after I give it."

"Ultimatum? What do you mean, Mom?" asked Apple, turning to her mother.

"Nothing dear," Snow White replied, approaching the couple. "Well, Sir Lancaster, you certainly exceeded my expectations tonight. That doesn't happen often enough so I enjoy the surprise when it happens."

"Lancaster?" Apple looked back to Knight who seemed to cringe at the name.

"That's my given name," Knight admitted. "Why do you think I shortened it to Lance?" He looked to Snow White, "So, does this mean…?"

"Yes, young man," Snow White smiled. "You and Apple have my full blessings."

Apple let off a squeal and hugged her mother, "Thank you, Mom!"

"Well then," Snow White turned around to her guests. "Tonight has been quite an event. If any of you wish to stay and calm your nerves, I will have my butlers begin bringing out soothing drinks, sweets, and other delicacies. If you wish to leave instead, I will have the butlers begin chauffeuring your cars here to pick you up. My apologies for the chaos tonight."

"What about the windows?" Knight asked, pointing to the broken glass.

"We'll be fixing that as well," Snow White nodded. "So let us relocate to the sitting room to relax."

---

Most of the guests left the party, either exhausted or wished to calm their nerves after such a tense situation. Some guests remained, relocating to the sitting room to settle their nerves with beverages and pleasant conversation, wanting to put the whole mess behind them.

Many wished to speak with Lance, seeing him in a whole new light now. Some who had scoffed at him before offered their apologies for their earlier judgment. Lance accepted them, although he was sure it was just political talk since he was now accepted as Apple's boyfriend in high society and Lancelot's heir. Others were genuinely interested, especially when they saw him in action against the Shereghost, the Black Knights, and then Perfect Knight himself.

Rebellious' parents showed up. They had sent their son by himself since they were unable to attend due to work-related matters. It was rather humiliating to find out what he had been up to. It seemed Rebellious had a talent for bragging, but utterly failed when it came to combat.

His parents tried to have some of the best tutors teach him better, but no tutor seemed to stay for very long. Finding he had been causing trouble and then showing how much of a failure he was at planning his crimes would haunt them for some time.

Snow White had private words with them, but likely that Charming family would have to deal with political or business concessions with the queen for some time.

"Yeah, I got the deck. I'll hand it over when I get back. Bye, Mira," Lance finished his phone call. Merlin who would hopefully find a more suitable candidate for it, someone who actually had some decent fighting skills and was more bite than his bark. He looked over to Apple gossiping with her friends.

"You know, if it's this hexciting in Ever After High, I'm gonna ask my parents to transfer me from Far Far Away," Paulette decided.

"That would be hexcellent!" Apple smiled. "Rosa, Paulette, what about you? Thinking of joining the school too?"

"If more guys like yours are around, I might go for it," Rosa admitted shamelessly, making all the girls laugh.

"If Paulette goes, I will too," Priscilla nodded. It would be fun for them to mess with the students and teachers by switching places every once in a while.

"Hey, girls," Lance walked over. "What are you talking about? I hope it's about me and it's nice stuff."

"Just my friends thinking of coming to Ever After High too," Apple smiled. "Although you should warn your friends that three more girls are on the prowl for them."

"Ah, business as usual," Lance chuckled, taking a seat. "Called the library and told Mira I'm gonna hand over Rebellious' deck. By the way, what's going to happen to him?"

"His parents are going to make sure he gets the punishment and discipline he deserves," Apple answered.

"Serve him right," Rosa agreed.

"But he took you and your mom hostage, Apple Pie," Lance said. "He even threatened you. I thought he would at least be locked up for life, or something."

"It's politics, Lancie," Apple said.

Lance groaned. Of course, it had to be politics.

"You know, it's a shame, really. When we first met, I thought he was cool. Guess he showed his true colors in the end."

"I thought he was charming too," Paulette huffed. "I didn't realize he was so inept at anything but looking good."

"He kinda knew how to fight," Lance admitted. "But how much of that was Bicolius, I can't say. Whoever handed him his deck, probably didn't choose him for his fighting skills."

"Hopefully, Merlin can find someone better," Apple said.

---

Lance stayed at Snow White's castle for a few more days before he needed to go back to Book End with Apple. During that time, Snow White allowed her daughter and her chosen suitor to have their privacy. Lance wasn't prepared to try for second base in his girlfriend's house while her mother was around with cameras, but they sure made the most of their newfound freedom. He even managed to take Apple out on a ride in the meadow on his Mirror Warhorse.

"Hmm, best Spring Break ever after," Apple sighed as they lay on a picnic blanket to watch the clouds.

"Mm-hmm," Lance agreed beside her. "And your mom's been pretty cool."

"Lancie, do you ever wonder about what we'll do after Ever After High?" asked Apple.

"Hm," Lance pondered. Before he found out his grandfather was Lancelot, he thought he'd have to leave Ever After once the mission Merlin had given them was done. Now that he knew he had roots in this world, he was thinking of settling down someday. Here he had a purpose and likely a career as a Knight of Camelot ahead of him, if not as a potential king next to Apple. He would need to speak with his parents, maybe introduce Apple to them, somehow. "Well, maybe I'll help Raven and Arthur build the new Camelot if they decide to settle down together. It'll give me some experience with politics and all that when I settle down with you."

"Thinking of going on adventures without me?" Apple teased, poking Lance's cheek. "Well, that's too bad. I'm just going to have to go with you. If my story isn't going to be like my mom's, I'm going to have to look for mine. Just in case I bite that poisoned apple though, I'll need to stick very close to you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Apple Pie," Lance smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, looking forward to their future together. It seemed all the more brighter now.

---

Now that is how you end a chapter!

Nicely done, everyone. It ended very well for the lucky couple.

Thanks, Dad!

Thank you, dear. You weren't too shabby yourself.

It's just too bad this is our last spring break story since we'll be going back to Ever After High in the next chapter.

A/N: And Lance sees Apple's home and manages to earn Snow White's approval by showing skill, intelligence, and knightly integrity. Not bad for a simple jock from Earth. Now with that Approval, he and Apple can really be together without issue.

On another note, the TV Tropes page has really expanded in only a few days. Thanks for showing the fic some love! Let's keep it growing.