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 29: It's Complicated

It might be The End of Spring Break, but that doesn't mean that there aren't more adventures to be had at Ever After High.

With the return of the students, the annual talent show is now on the horizon and many are sharpening their skills to take home the prize.

But from the looks of it, some might not have a talent in seeing the obvious.

It was the first day of school after Spring Break. Friends who hadn't seen each other in a while reunited and shared stories of what they did during the break. Kyle, as usual, winked and flirted with some girls on his way to his locker. Like Daring, he knew just what to say to make them swoon. Just a few sincere compliments here and there to make the girls feel special to brighten their day.

He opened his locker to grab his books for his class. When he closed it, Duchess was standing next to him with a cross expression.

"Hey, Duchess. How was Spring Break?" Kyle asked pleasantly.

"Oh, you know. It was great," Duchess said, still looking cross as she took out her MirrorPhone and shoved the screen in his face. "Mind explaining this?"

Kyle saw that it was his Fablebook page. It looked completely normal to him. Nothing seemed out of place or possibly offensive. Mostly, there were pictures of him in his armor, showing off, or one of the dates he had been on. He didn't see anything that would set Duchess off.

"Yeah, my Fablebook page. You know, I should change the profile pic to something a bit more current. Thanks for reminding me, Duchess," Kyle smiled.

"No, you fool!" Duchess snapped. "Under relationship status, you wrote 'it's complicated'. What do you mean by 'it's complicated'!?"

"Well, it is, isn't it?" Kyle asked. "I mean, are we or aren't we in a relationship?"

"Of course we are!" she yelled, as if it was obvious.

"That's news to me."

"...What?" Duchess hissed in a low tone.

"I mean, we normally just snark at each other when we hang out," Kyle reminded.

"And what about the stuff you said to my mom?" Duchess demanded.

"Well, I said you needed to fight for your destiny," Kyle reminded. "Your mom was the one who suggested we start dating."

"So, all those times we went on dates, all those times we made out, they meant nothing?" Duchess looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Well, we have a lot of fun together, but we never actually said we were hexclusive. I thought, you know, it was all casual stuff."

Ever After High - Castleteria

"And then she slapped me!" Kyle complained to his friends. The stinging on his cheek had gone down but the handprint Duchess left there had not faded.

It was lunch in the castleteria and Kyle was sitting at a table with Gabe and Harry.

Gabe and Harry shared a look then looked at Kyle.

"Well, I kind of see your side since Duchess really never gave much of a sign, but on the other hand, you two were really showing all the signs you two were a couple," Harry shrugged.

"Since when?" asked Kyle.

"True Hearts Day, you two swapped fruit. Then you took her to the carnival and when you won a joust you gave her the roses," Gabe replied.

"She was my date, of course, I'd give her exclusive attention," Kyle retorted.

"The fact that she gave you her favor, both after the Shereghost Attack and at the joust should have been a clue, Kyle," Harry deadpanned.

"She acted like it was expected and, yeah, it was a nice gift, but she didn't seem to really care much about it after the fact," Kyle fired back.

"Come on, the tension between you two is so thick you can cut it with a sword," Harry shook his head. "Max is even taking bets on when you two can't take it anymore and will just start making out in the halls."

"He even has odds on the intensity," Gabe nodded. "I bet you two fall to the floor desperately grasping at each other like a cheesy rom-com."

"That wasn't going to happen," Kyle deadpanned but rubbed the mark on his cheek. "Maybe not ever. Man, that girl can slap."

Ever After High - Student Lounge

"And the jerk has the gall to say he thought we were just 'casual'! Can you believe it!?" Duchess growled to her BFFA Faybelle. She just couldn't believe Kyle could be so oblivious! "Grrrr! See if I give him any of my attention anymore!"

Faybelle listened to her best friend complain about how Kyle wasn't taking their relationship seriously. Having heard both sides over time from her own boyfriend, Faybelle had to admit she found the situation funny and the denial the two were in was too amusing to ignore.

"Duchess, girl, I'm not saying Kyle shouldn't be taking things with you more seriously," Faybelle began. "But maybe he would if you showed you took it a little more seriously too?"

"What? Me? Of course, I took it seriously! I introduced him to my mother!" Duchess snapped.

"Only because you wanted to get her off your back about not having a boyfriend," Faybelle replied. "And he did give a passionate speech about fighting for your destiny and he helped you see a new one, but he said it was you that had to fight for it, not him."

"Well, I showed him all my favor! The kiss after the Shereghost Attack, the True Hearts Day fruits, and even my ribbons during the carnival joust!" Duchess huffed.

"One could be just adrenaline since it was clear you two had tension already," Faybelle retorted. "The fruit was just the day since he did bring you as his date. Who else would he give it to? The ribbons and carnival were nice, but nothing really screamed romantic. Besides, the next day, you acted like it was business as usual. What was he supposed to think?"

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Duchess scowled.

"I am. I'm trying to get you to stop blinding yourself and start taking action before you lose the guy you're clearly got the hots for," Faybelle crossed her arms. "Remember, he's a Knight of the Round Table. Once it's clear he's single, other princesses are going to swoop in on him like Prof. Rumplestiltskin pounces for gold."

Duchess clenched the hem of her dress. She did not want to admit it, but listening to Faybelle, it did sound like her and Kyle's relationship was pretty complicated. Had she actually made it clear they were a couple? Well, those makeout sessions and dates had to count for something, right? Then again, her mom did say that boys were idiots but that was likely because she was still bitter over her own tragic romance.

"So what should I do?" Duchess asked.

"I'm not good at giving romantic advice but we know someone who is," Faybelle reminded Duchess.

Like back in her old school, Monster High, Cupid had her own MirrorCast radio show where she offered romantic advice. If people wanted to remain anonymous while asking for advice, then they could just call her and she could offer her advice on-air.

Right now, Cupid was in love and that made her much better at giving love advice than before. After all, experience granted wisdom.

"So, during Spring Break, Dexter took me with him on his family's ski trip at Winter Wonderland. It was just *sigh* so magical and romantic. We had hot cocoa while cuddling by the fire and even went skiing and ice skating together. Oh, what a week that was. It's too bad it had to end, though, but it was just so wonderful that I can replay every moment over and over again." Cupid beamed as she recalled the memory of her week with Dexter's family. It really was everything she could have hoped for. "But I'm not just saying this to brag. With the gift of love in my life, it's supercharging my advice so you all can have that Happily Ever Awesome love of your own. Now, let's get to our first caller."

Cupid pressed a button to accept her first call "Hello? You're on the air with Love Advice."

"Hi, listen," the caller's voice came to her. "I've been seeing this guy on several dates and we had some good times and even got to the point of sharing kisses. My problem is that, somehow, he doesn't get that I was serious. My friend tells me that aside from the heat of the moment, I didn't show I was all that serious either so he didn't try to make me his hexclusive girlfriend. Is he just dense, or do I have to do something more to get him to realize I want to be a couple?"

Cupid nodded in thought, "Hm, part of actually starting a relationship is making your intentions clear. Now, you said you had dates and shared kisses. Did you show interest in letting things continue as they are, or did you just go back to your ordinary lives at the end of the date?"

"Well, I guess things just went back to normal. We didn't really talk about it. Just when an opportunity arose, he asked me if I wanted to go to that event with him or something," the caller admitted.

"Then communication is your issue," Cupid replied. "Being able to talk and share with your partner is paramount. Because neither of you talked about perhaps making your relationship serious, neither of you realized that's what the other wants. Dates are nice, and kissing can also convey just being close, not romantic, so if you just share pecks on a casual date, it can still be seen as being simply casual. People can recognize signs to various degrees, but if you really want to make your feelings and intentions clear, you have to talk about them. So, if you want to be hexclusive with your guy, you have to let him know."

"So tell him plain and clear. Right. I can do that," the caller sighed. "Thanks, Cupid."

"Good luck," Cupid smiled, ending the call. "That's a good lesson for all you listeners. The unspoken conversations and subtle hints you hear about in stories are usually from couples who have been together for a long time, or share a love that bonded them through perhaps higher powers. For everyone else, talking with your partner is paramount, especially if you feel like there is something you need to convey to them."

Her monitor lit up again, "And now we'll move on to our next caller."

Ever After High - Student Lounge

"Talk to him huh? Say what I really feel?" Duchess frowned, tapping her lips with her phone. "Fine. I can do that."

"Told you," Faybelle nodded. "So, how are you going to do it?"

"...I don't know," Duchess confessed. She needed to plan a way for them to be alone. However, after the slap she gave him - which was still definitely the stupid jerk's fault - she doubted he would willingly go out with her. No, it had to be something he could not ignore.

Well, that could, at least until after the talent show. Auditions would be taking place after the final school period. Duchess spent the rest of the day to prepare herself mentally. She could sort out her romantic issues afterwards.

Ever After High - Charmitorium

It was the day of the Talent Show and students filled the charmitorium to watch their classmates perform. Raven would be playing on her guitar, even though Sparrow Hood would be doing the same. After several acts, Milton called on the next performer.

"And now, Mr. Darren Quinn who will perform...something."

"Hello, EAH! For today, I will ride this unicycle, blindfolded, and juggle these balls while reciting the alphabet backwards!" Darren walked on stage in his Joker costume.

"Yes!" Lizzie cheered. She, Kitty and Maddie's mouse Earl Grey were the judges.

Darren put on the blindfold, got on the unicycle and started to juggle his balls.

"Z, Y, X, W, V, U, T, S, R, Q...whoa, whoa, P, O, N, M, L...okay, I'm getting there...K, J, I, H, G, F, E...almost there! E, D, C, B, A! Yes!" He stopped juggling but by then he rolled off the stage with a crash. "I'm OK!"

Lizzie gave her Twisty Knight a 10, of course. Kitty, however, just gave him a 2 for falling off the stage. Earl Grey gave him a big 0.

"Pay up," Max held his hand expectantly and Kevin handed him a satchel of gold coins.

"And next, we have our very own Duchess Swan who will perform a new ballet routine."

Meanwhile, backstage, Duchess was getting herself ready. She had spent the days leading up to today ignoring Kyle in favor of focusing on her performance. She wanted all of Ever After High to see she was the best dancer, even if Justine Dancer would be doing her own routine. Well, that girl was nothing compared to the Swan Princess herself.

Duchess was about to head on stage as her name was called when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see who it was and her eyes softened.

"Kyle?"

"Duchess, hey."

The two stood awkwardly in front of each other. They hadn't spoken much since she slapped him for being an oblivious jerk but she still missed him. However, she would not let him think that. Kyle, on the other hand, missed hanging out with Duchess. Sure, he flirted with a lot of girls, but Duchess was the first one whom he had a connection with, even if it began just snarking at each other. He never said it, but she was special.

"Sorry, can't talk now. I'm going on next," Duchess dismissed him.

"I know, just wanted to wish you luck." He held a rose to her. "I know that traditionally, you'd receive a bouquet after your performance. I just thought, well, I'd show you my support."

Duchess took the rose, blushing, and smiled as she tucked it in her hair.

"Oh, I don't need luck," Duchess smirked haughtily.

"Of course not. And Duchess, after you win, and I know you'll win, let's talk after the talent show. Maybe over a couple of hocus lattes," Kyle requested.

"Sure, but you're paying." Duchess huffed and went on stage to dance. Her music played and she performed a beautiful ballet routine. It was an interpretive piece, meant to tell a story through dance. At first, it seemed tragic, solemn, full of sorrow before the tone changed to one of elation. Kyle watched, entranced, as the lovely ballerina performed.

Duchess was focused but then her mind went elsewhere. She kept thinking about Kyle, about how she felt about him, and what he meant to her. What exactly was their relationship? Were they friends who dated casually? Were they more? Could they be more?

In the middle of her routine, she did a misstep and accidentally twisted her ankle, causing her to cry out and fall. Everyone gasped. The Headmasters stood up, alarmed, as did some of the students sitting in the charmitorium seats.

"Duchess!" Kyle ran on stage. "Are you OK?"

"It's my ankle," Duchess hissed in pain. "I think I twisted it."

"C'mon, let me take you to Madam Yaga's office," Kyle said as he gently picked Duchess up in a princess carry to take her to the nurse's office while everyone watched.

Ever After High - Nurse's Office

"I can't believe this!" Duchess wailed as Kyle set her down on a bed. "I practiced that routine over a hundred times! I shouldn't have twisted my ankle like that!"

"It happens. Even professionals slip up even after they've done so much preparation," Kyle tried to reassure her. " Just chug one of Madam Yaga's potions and you'll be back on your feet in no time."

"Hmph!" Duchess pouted, crossing her arms and pointedly not looking at Kyle. "This is all your fault, you know."

"How is this my fault? You can't still be mad about that are you?"

"Gee, I don't know," Duchess huffed. "I thought I had a boyfriend. Then I found out it was all 'casual'. Of course, I'm still going to be mad!"

Kyle winced, "Sorry, but...you didn't show any signs! I mean, the day after, you didn't ask for another date, you never brought it up, and you didn't try anything, well, like a girlfriend until the next time we went out. I thought it was casual! And let's not forget, you've been ignoring me these past few days too."

Duchess reigned in her anger. She needed to tell Kyle how she felt without being mad or snapping at him. She remembered Cupid's advice and had to follow it. Taking a breath, she tried to let her temper go.

"Well, I did want to have a relationship. I wanted a boyfriend. I guess...I didn't make that clear. It's hard enough to meet a guy with a backbone and can stand up to my mother, much less one I actually like."

Kyle sighed, scratching his head, "Hm, maybe I didn't see the signs you were putting out either. I knew you were interested, but, well, I guess it just didn't click with some of the things we did that you wanted more. I guess princesses aren't used to putting out the signs?"

Duchess frowned, "Are you saying I'm not experienced?"

Kyle looked to her, "Are you saying you are?"

"Hmph!" Duchess huffed, but her answer said it all.

(-)

More and more students performed, showcasing their talents. Raven Queen, of course, played an incredible rock solo, using her magic to create huge speakers, forcing Sparrow Hood to withdraw. Meeshell sang as well, but she did it in a giant fishbowl as she swam around the water. Even Rex, as Odin, came on stage and performed a sword dance while teleporting and raining golden feathers upon the stage.

Once all the students had performed, it was time to decide the winner of the talent show. While the judges had given their points, the audience could also vote for their favorites using the Talent Show app on their phones. The number of votes would then be added to the scores of each contestant and the top 3 would be chosen.

Meanwhile, Duchess remained in the nurse's office, watching the Talent Show on the TV that hung on the wall. Well, she had to admit that Raven was talented but she only became envious when Justine performed a perfect routine without making a single mistake or slipping up.

Kyle had gone out for a bit to grab them both something to drink from the castleteria. When the door opened, she expected it to be him but it was someone else.

He seemed to be a broad-shouldered young man who wore a black coat over a red vest that was worn over a grey dress shirt with a yellow tie and black slacks. His hair was a fiery red and he sported mutton chops. His eyes were brown and he seemed to have an almost hooked nose. His style and the grin on his lips just screamed 'villain' to Duchess' sense of style...and something in the back of her mind told her he was bad news.

"Who are you?" Duchess demanded. Who was this stranger who came in without her permission?

"Me? You should know," the young man laughed. "Bartimaeus Rothbart. The one destined to steal you away and foil your prince."

"What?!" Duchess gasped. "B-but I haven't even signed the Storybook of Legends!"

"Bah, with it missing there's no point in waiting," Bartimaeus shrugged. "I wanted my Swan Princess and my future kingdom. Since the book isn't going to guarantee it for me, I'm taking matters into my own hands."

"But-!" Duchess gasped. She didn't want to be stuck as a swan!

"Relax, I don't intend to turn you into a bird unless I have to," Bartimaeus chuckled. "No, I do intend to whisk you away. We just need to make sure that Snake Knight doesn't follow us."

"Ha! Like Kyle wouldn't?" Duchess scoffed. Things might be a bit strained between them at the moment, but there was no way that Kyle wasn't going to look for her if she just up and vanished from the nurse's office.

"He will when you break up with him," Bartimaeus retorted. "My sister Rachel has a special gift when it comes to disguises. She's destined to be the one to fool your prince and have him make a vow to anyone but you. She's already moving into making him drool over her and then break up, leaving you to my tender loving care."

Ever After High - Castleteria

Kyle picked up the drinks from the vending machine and was about to head on over to the nurse's office when he saw Duchess come in.

"Hey, Kyle," she called once she spotted him as she walked over.

Kyle blinked, surprised to see her on her feet, "Duchess? What about your ankle?"

Duchess just smiled, "Oh, Madam Yaga gave me a potion and fixed me right up. I'm good as new."

"She works fast. Here, the drink you asked for."

"Oh, thank you," Duchess took the offered can and Kyle cocked an eyebrow. She had accepted without her usual snark but maybe she was feeling better after her ankle was healed. Baba Yaga's potions were no joke. Tasted absolutely horrible, but he'd seen people who had broken bones get up and about in no time after taking one.

"So, are you still upset that you messed up your routine?" Kyle asked.

"I'm disappointed but there's always next year," she said calmly as she sipped on her soda.

"Well, hopefully, you won't experience another fairy tale fail, Goose Princess," he teased.

"You don't have to say such mean things!" Duchess sniffled.

Kyle stopped, looking at the girl in front of him in confusion. Rather than huffing with puffed cheeks, she looked hurt and ready to cry, "Wait, what? I call you Goose Princess all the time."

"It's still mean!" Duchess sniffled. "I thought you wanted to be my boyfriend! Boyfriends don't say mean things like that to their girlfriends!"

Kyle quirked an eyebrow, "Duchess, I call you Goose Girl, you call me playboy knight or other things. We snark and have fun teasing each other."

Duchess wiped her eye, "W-well, you're being especially mean today."

Kyle just looked at Duchess oddly. This was so unlike her usual confident, haughty and sassy self. Something was wrong here, something wasn't right. Duchess, while she loved to dress fashionably and like a princess, she didn't get all girly. She had way thicker skin than she was showing now, not even blinking at being called Goose Princess and would just throw a snarky response back at him. Seeing her attitude change so suddenly was hitting a warning signal in his head. Deciding to be sure, he made a little test on the spot.

"Duchess," he began, "Remember when you first saw me in my armor?"

"Oh! I do," Duchess smiled. "You were so dashing, coming to the rescue! You saved me from that scaly creature and held me in your arms. It was like out of the story of your ancestor."

Kyle frowned, "Really? Because that's a long way off from the two of us arguing when you realized who I was and then we both kicked the Zebraskull monster away."

Duchess stopped, the color draining from her face, "U-uh, whoops! Guess I got c-confused? I'd better get going now!"

"I don't think so," Kyle frowned, grabbing the fake Duchess by the arm. He spun her around and scowled at her, making her pale further, "Now who are you and what did you do to Duchess?"

"Kyle, what are you talking about!?" 'Duchess' cried, looking scared. "It's me! Duchess!"

"No, you're not. I know the real Duchess and you're not her," Kyle hissed. Duchess didn't tear up when he teased her. She would just retaliate with a tease of her own. They'd snark and have fun. Also, Duchess did remember exactly how she first saw him in his armor. They mocked each other for it all the time when they got the chance. Again, it was all fun so Duchess never had her feelings hurt over it. This girl, this imposter, couldn't take the teasing and didn't seem to know such a defining moment in their relationship, whatever it was.

"But if you won't tell me, then how about you tell my little friend?" He took out Venosnaker's contract card.

"NOT THE SNAKE!" the fake Duchess shrieked in fright and her entire form was clouded in smoke before a new girl stood in Duchess' place. This girl seemed almost petite, being noticeably shorter than Duchess. She wore a simple plaid red skirt with suspenders over a white blouse. She sported long dark red hair, but it shadowed a lot of her face save for one blue eye and freckles across her nose. She was trembling in Kyle's grip and staring at his contract card.

"Who are you?" Kyle demanded, keeping his card up. If the girl was so terrified of just a picture of a snake, he could use that to get honest answers out of her.

"Rachel Rothbart," the girl whimpered, her eyes riveted on Venosnaker's card. It seemed she had ophidiophobia.

"Like from Swan Lake?" Kyle scowled.

Rachel nodded rapidly, "My older brother's the next Rothbart. Since the book went missing, he wanted to make his story happen right away. He wanted me to pretend to be the swan girl and get you to cheat on her and then break up with you."

"Duchess!" Kyle realized she was in danger and bolted for the nurse's office. He threw the door open and found the bed empty with her nowhere to be found.

"You won't find her," Rachel said from behind Kyle. "My brother has her now."

He spun around and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, his eyes wild with anger.

"And where's your brother? Where's Duchess!?"

Bartimaeus' Lair

The lair Bartimeus used wasn't anything special. He just commandeered one of the dungeons underneath the school. There were so many passages and tunnels underneath Ever After High, many of the villainous students used them as lairs to practice for their projects or just undertake general villainy for extra credit. Bartimaeus was no different, not wanting to waste the convenient resource. By the time people went looking for Duchess, he would have moved on.

The lair itself was perfect for an evil wizard. Shelves of magical books lined the walls and a table was filled with experiments and half-finished school projects. Strangely, for an evil wizard, many mirrors were hanging on the free walls, some with markings etched on the frames and what looked like notes stuck to the wall next to them. All of it inside a grand room which was sizable enough to be considered a ballroom and just barely fit the teen villain's ego. Bartimaeus was hunched over his crystal ball, keeping the images on it clear, expecting to break Duchess' last shred of hope.

Bartimaeus had taken Duchess to his lair while Rachel distracted Kyle. The Swan Princess sat inside of a large hanging birdcage as she watched everything that happened on Rothbart's crystal ball, her arms and legs bound by magic. He wanted her to watch as Kyle became fooled by the imposter, leaving her heartbroken. Sadly, the opposite occurred instead.

"Sister, you idiot!" Bartimaeus snapped as he watched his sister's failure from his crystal ball. "I thought you could fool anyone!"

Duchess sniffled, relief filling her. Kyle saw through the disguise! He could tell that something wasn't right! He proved her mother wrong! He did pay attention, he could tell the difference! Her story was playing out so differently now!

"Guess your plan's failing," Duchess mocked.

Bartimaeus scowled at her, but scoffed, "Well, it doesn't matter. There's no way he'll be able to find us,"

It was Duchess' turn to smirk, "Don't underestimate him. He always finds what he wants, without fail."

"And yet he failed to see you had feelings for him. What a loser."

"Don't you dare talk about him like that! He's a Knight of the Round Table, a hero, not some creepy sorcerer who can only get girls by kidnapping them!"

"Well, he's not much of a hero if he can't even find you to rescue you."

"Well, I found you easily enough, thanks to your sister," a third voice hissed.

Bartimaeus turned as he heard the voice and saw Ohja standing in the reflection of one of the full-length mirrors he hung on the wall. The surface rippled as Kamen Rider Ohja stepped out of the portal.

"Kyle!" Duchess cried out happily. He looked at her, trapped in a cage, then turned his angry gaze at Bartimaeus, the slits of his visor starting to glow purple.

"So, my sister caved," Bartimaeus scowled. He knew she had a fear of snakes, but he thought she would know better since Ohja hadn't even been in his armor or had his pet nearby. What Rothbart didn't realize about her phobia was that it was so bad that she'd freak out at the sight of a picture of a snake! He needed better minions.

Ohja almost didn't seem to hear Bartimaeus as he turned his glowing gaze at him, rolling his neck, "Oh...I am so vexed right now. You just made the biggest mistake of your life!"

"What will you do then, Sir Knight?" Bartimaeus challenged. "Kill me? I know your type! You've never shed human blood before!"

"No, I haven't," Ohja admitted as he drew Venosnaker's card. "But why don't I start now? Better yet, how about I feed you to my pet?"

[Advent!]

Venosnaker slithered out of the mirror, rising above Ohja with a menacing hiss, serpentine eyes narrowed down at Rothbart.

"That's your food," Ohja pointed at Bartimaeus.

"Ha! I'm not afraid of your beast!" Bartimaeus laughed. "I've been researching this Mirror World you lot keep running into. I find the monsters there very fascinating. I even made one my pet!" Bartimaeus lifted his hand and it flared.

*Eeeeeeee!*

Ohja perked up when a massive orange and silver spider began to crawl out from another mirror, . Venosnaker immediately lost interest in Bartimaeus and started hissing at the massive Dispider. The arachnid beast snarled back, showing bright purple eyes, a strange difference compared to the red stones on its body.

"Controlling the beast is difficult, but all I have to do is point it at you so no control is needed," Bartimaeus chuckled.

"Congratulations, you made a friend," Ohja huffed. "Likely the only one you have. Too bad I'm gonna have to destroy it."

"Bah! Spiders are some of the deadliest creatures in the world! Much more terrifying than a reptile!" Bartimaeus mocked, earning a hiss from Venosnaker.

"A snake can kill you within a day, a spider, not so much," Ohja hissed.

The Dispider charged at Ohja and swung its legs at him. The Snake Knight deflected its attacks with his Veno Visor. As it fired a string of webbing at Ohja, Venosnaker backed up its master by spewing venom at the Dispider, causing it to shriek and recoil.

Normally, Dispider's were more agile than the one Ohja was facing. Of course, this was not the usual battle. Bartimaeus' mind control over the Dispider did allow him some measure of control, but it addled the monster's mind and inhibited its abilities. Secondly, with Ohja's rising rage, it was affecting Venosnaker who became that much more aggressive.

The large cobra grabbed the spider with its jaws, shaking it about before tossing it away. As the Dispider tried to get back on its feet, Venosnaker sunk its fang into its body and coiled its body tightly around it as they rolled around the ground.

As Venosnaker wrestled with the Dispider, Ohja drew his Final Vent and activated it with his Veno Visor.

[Final Vent!]

Venosnaker released the Dispider as it lay weakly on the ground, its body covered in wounds from Venosnaker's bites. The massive cobra slithered over behind Ohja and reared its head back as he jumped and performed a backflip. Once in position, Venosnaker launched its Knight at the Dispider with a blast of venom as he kicked wildly, striking the Dispider with his Veno Crash. It exploded, releasing its life energy sphere for Venosnaker to devour.

"Your control is lacking. Barely put up a fight," Ohja muttered. Still, it made his job easier. With the Dispider taken care of, Ohja could focus on Bartimaeus.

"Duchess is meant to be my princess! Do you know how much work I put into this plan?!" Bartimaeus shouted, backing away as he mentally prepared another spell. "The hours I put into this! All the training I went through to master every spell I would need! All to achieve my destiny! A destiny I have been working all my life to claim!"

"Well, you didn't put enough into it, like I ducking care," Ohja hissed, slowly stalking towards the wizard. "Duchess isn't a toy or a trophy, you sick freak. She's not some doll to put on display either!"

Bartimaeus scowled at the hypocrisy of Ohja telling him that, "Oh? Like you're on to talk! I researched you just to figure out how to eliminate you! You flirt with every girl you pass! I know you were chatting up other girls when Duchess wasn't with you. Why are you even putting all this effort in when you can just replace her?"

"I can be dense, and a flirt, I won't deny otherwise," Ohja admitted, stopping his advance. "But teasing aside, I never treated Duchess as anything less than a princess. If I knew she wished for more from me, I would have carried her off into the sunset like she deserves!"

"Kyle," Duchess whimpered, touched by his words.

Around Ohja's wrist, white bands began to shine. It was the symbol of Duchess' favor and Ohja's own acceptance of it. He reached to his deck and touched the top card, letting the energy flow inside. He drew the card and lifted it up. Turning it around, the azure and gold image of Survive Shippu appeared. Around Ohja, dark smog began to drift, whirling like an ill wind.

Bartimaeus gulped, feeling the air change, "Wh-what?"

Ohja let out a hissing breath before he lifted his Veno Visor. The cobra head on the top opened its mouth, letting off a hiss before the entire cane let off a flash, molding to Ohja's arm, covering his entire forearm and looking like a cobra's head and hood, deep purple with a gold design on the back.

Ohja lifted the Survive card to the cobra's mouth and slid the card inside before almost violently slamming it shut.

[Survive!]

The smog swirled around Ohja before it temporarily engulfed him. It soon dispersed with a swipe of his arm, showing Ohja's armor had transformed. His entire torso armor was taken by a hissing cobra face, the mouth filled with segmented bands of metal. Its hood folded over Ohja's shoulders with elaborate gold designs and silver spines coming from the edges. His helmet changed, looking like a cobra hood on the top with his visor turning gold and the edges of his faceplate extending past his chin like a pharaoh's headdress.

Ohja had achieved his second stage, Kamen Rider Ohja Survive.

Venosnaker hissed before its entire body turned silver and shattered, emerging as an even larger snake. Along the middle of its serpentine body, machinery could be seen, like parts of an engine. Its hood was in several pieces with the spikes turning silver. The monster's head appeared more menacing and smoothly armored than before.

Venosnaker had changed to its own Survive form, Venoviper

"Wh-what is this?! How did you do that?!" Bartimaeus shouted.

"A princess' favor, her true and honest favor, is an incredible thing," Ohja answered. "Now, get over here!"

Bartimaeus shouted something and more Mirror Monsters began to appear, Gelnewts, all with purple eyes. Ohja gave a small whistle at the small mob. Bartimaeus had some real talent and power if he could mesmerize so many small fries. Still, it wasn't going to be enough!

Ohja took a card from his deck, one which depicted Venoviper spitting a stream of venom. He then pulled the back tab of his Veno Visor Zwei, revealing the card chamber. He placed the card inside before pushing it back down.

[Shoot Vent!]

Venoviper hissed and curled up behind Ohja, who pointed his gauntlet at the oncoming Gelnewts. Venoviper fired streams of acidic venom from its mouth and Ohja did the same from his gauntlet, bathing the Mirror Monsters in it. The Gelnets that got hit began to scream and fall over, visibly melting before they exploded, leaving spheres of life energy which Venoviper dove for. The others that remained simply grew their giant shurikens and charged for Ohja.

"Tsk! Vexing," Ohja hissed. He drew a card and the backplate of the Veno Visor Zwei slid back a second time. He slapped the card onto it before sliding it shut.

[Swing Vent!]

A grip popped out of the mouth of his Visor and he took hold of it to pull out a spined whip with a purple tip based of Venoviper's tail. Cracking it, Ohja charged into the fray. He struck several of the remaining Gelnewts, knocking them back with a blast of sparks and shrieks of pain. Pointing his Veno Visor Zwei at some charging Mirror Monsters, he fired globs of corrosive venom at them. The venomous globs hit, stopping the monsters in their tracks as they were melted alive before they exploded.

"You're mine," Ohja hissed as he advanced on Bartimaeus, cracking his Veno Whip.

Duchess would never admit it, but she definitely had a type when it came to men. Partially forged from her mother's story, Duchess liked men of substance who could back up their words and, well, be men who would commit to their promises. Any guy could say they'd fight tooth and nail to protect their girlfriends, but Duchess was cynical as not many would actually do that. Seeing Ohja tearing through the Gelnewts to get at Bartimaeus for kidnapping her was pushing all the right buttons for her.

In short, Ohja's ruthlessness was turning her on. Not that she would admit it out loud.

"Get! Out! Of! My! Way!" Ohja snapped, accenting each word with a strike of his whip or his fists. The Gelnewts fell back, writing from the strikes, but Rothbart's hypnosis kept them fighting. They just pulled themselves back up from the beating they received and tried to mob him once again despite the cracks and dents in their bodies.

"Fine then," Ohja hissed, his visor flaring purple again. "We do this the fun way!" Once more he drew a card, this one depicting his crest surrounded by golden wings.

Duchess began to smirk at Bartimaeus from her prison, "Well, you're ducked now."

[Final Vent!]

Venoviper hissed and slithered away before starting to charge towards Ohja from behind. Ohja rotated his neck before leaping up, landing on Venoviper's hood, gripping a pair of handlebars which rose from the monster's head. From its neck, a motorcycle wheel unfolded and a similar one came from its tail. Finally, Venoviper's body folded together, creating the body of the motorcycle with a loud hiss. Ohja gunned the engine, roaring towards the remaining Gelnewts.

The Gelnewts rallied and charged for the oncoming Rider. Ohja snorted and pulled a wheelie, lifting Venoviper's head into the air. The snake monster hissed and began shooting blasts of acidic venom. The Gelnets were struck, beginning to write and shriek in pain.

Ohja brought his machine back down and roared for the mob of monsters. As he got closer, he hit the brakes on one side before he pulled a sudden U-turn in front of them. At the same time, Venoviper's tail extended and in a brief flash, the bladed tail cut through the entire mob. The Gelnewts all let out shrieks of pain, both from the acid and the blade before all erupted in a chain of explosions, leaving Ohja perched on his bike, staring down a nervously sweating Bartimaeus.

"No, no!" Bartimaeus choked in denial. "This, this can't be!"

"Oh, it be," Ohja replied, dismounting his machine. Venoviper quickly changed back to monster form and began snacking on the various cores. Ohja merely continued walking towards the nervous sorcerer, "Now, last chance. Let my Swan Princess go or be snake food!"

"But, but she's mine!" Bartimaeus sputtered. "Destiny said so! She's supposed to be my queen!"

"DUCK DESTINY!" Ohja roared. His head snapped to Duchess' prison, "Duchess, what say you? Will you be my princess? Will you let me be your prince or will you decide that this clown who kidnapped you should get that honor?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Duchess snapped back. "I want you! I want the Snake Knight to be my prince! I want to ride that giant cobra into the sunset with you for my Happily Ever After! I will not be someone's trophy!"

Ohja nodded, looking back at Bartimaeus, "You heard the lady. Hands off my girlfriend!"

Ohja ran at Bartimaeus who fired off a spell at the purple Knight. Ohja merely dipped around it before punching the sorcerer across the face. Bartimaeus grunted, knocked for a loop before he tried to cast another spell. Once again, Ohja stopped him by backhanding him across the face, knocking him back a second time. Bartimaeus actually spun from the force and as he tried to face Ohja once again, he got kicked in the chest, knocking him clear off his feet where he hit the ground hard.

The last blow also had the effect of breaking the spell which kept Duchess imprisoned. Her bindings vanished, letting her sigh in relief as she rubbed her limbs. She saw Ohja rotate his neck before he approached the downed sorcerer.

"Kyle!" Duchess shouted as she knew what he was about to do and she could not allow him to cross the line, not even for her. "Hey, Venosnaker, or whatever you're called now! Get this cage open!"

Venoviper hissed. Normally, it would use its corrosive venom on the cage to melt it but that would hurt the one inside and its master would be upset if that happened. Instead, it snapped its jaws around the lock and broke it, allowing Duchess to come out of the large birdcage. She winced as she planted her feet on the ground and limped over to Ohja to stop him from making a terrible mistake.

"Now, this is The End for you," Ohja said as he pointed his Veno Visor Zwei at Bartimaeus. One-shot and it would be all over for him.

"Kyle, please! That's enough! He's beaten!" Duchess planted herself in front of Ohja, her palms against his chest.

"He took you from me" Ohja hissed, his helmet's visor flaring.

"And he's paid for it!" Duchess insisted. "Please. Let him stew in his failure."

"But…" Ohja began.

"Please!" Duchess pleaded. "For me?"

Ohja let out another hiss, bringing his hands up to gently cup Duchess' face. She didn't flinch, not once afraid that the Snake Knight would hurt her. She did blush a little when his thumb stroked her cheek. He rested his armored forehead against her, a soft purple glow from his visor bathing her features. So powerful and capable of crushing so many enemies, but he touched her like she was made of fine glass.

"I'm sorry I've been such a fool," Ohja hissed softly. "Can I have a second chance? Be your boyfriend for real?"

Duchess sighed softly, but happily, "Only if you forgive me for being dense too. Promise I'm your hexclusive girlfriend?"

"Yes," Ohja nodded.

"Then take the armor off, kiss me, and we'll declare it to the world," Duchess smiled.

Ohja looked smugly at Bartimaeus and then at Venoviper who looked ready to kill the sorcerer if he tried anything. Reaching down, he removed his Advent Deck which made his armor shatter away in fading purple shards. Still caressing Duchess' face, he put a hand around her waist and pulled her close, dipping her to give her a deep and passionate kiss.

Breaking their kiss, he took out his phone and opened up his Fablebook page to quickly change his relationship status. He then took a selfie of the two of them together with Bartimaeus lying out cold in the background. He posted it and just to make a point, he even made a caption for it.

'Rescued my princess and we're staking claims on each other. Next is Happily Ever After! #GFBF!'

Some may have called it strange to do such a thing after beating down a villain, but what better time to declare being a couple than when the Knight saved his Princess?

He swept Duchess off her feet and held her in a princess carry so she wouldn't have to stand on her injured ankle for much longer. Duchess leaned against him, feeling safe in his arms. Venosnaker, after devolving from Venoviper, hissed and spat venom at the door to make a hole for them to leave the lair.

"Hey, Rothbart, put one foot out of line, and Venosnaker will turn you into a snack," Kyle warned.

"Uuuuuugh," the redhead groaned from his concussion on the ground.

Next Day - Ever After High Halls

Duchess could feel other princesses pouting, jealous, when Kyle walked up to her in the halls the next day. Word had spread fast about their changed relationship status. Having him softly pin her against her locker and gently kiss her just made her feel like a queen as she showed off the Knight she had snagged for herself. Pinching his bum may have been rubbing it in a little, but she couldn't resist showing off a bit.

She may not have won the talent show, but she did win something better.

"Finally," Ramona huffed as she and Max watched Duchess and Kyle acting like an official couple. "I got so tired of them just dancing around each other before they decided they were official."

"Tell me about it," Max agreed as he checked his notebook to see who won the bet. He actually expected them to yell at each other before their passion got the better of them and they started making out aggressively in the middle of the halls. "Hopefully, after this, there won't be any more drama from them."

Ramona snorted, "Please, Duchess is the Queen of Drama. Trust me on this, stringbean."

Ever After High - Dungeons

Rachel grumbled as she swept up the floor of her brother's lair. She didn't feel like it was fair that she had to clean up the mess. He was the one who decided to let the fight happen there! While her brother was good at making detailed plans, he had a problem with making backup plans since he was so sure his Plan A was perfect and didn't need a backup.

Bartimaeus knew she hated snakes since he turned her teddy bear into one when they were kids! Yet, he sent her to try and seduce and dump the Snake Knight of the Round Table! Rachel didn't want to do it, but her brother had a way of making her do things she didn't want to do, either through bribes or intimidation, depending on his mood.

Bartimaeus himself was sitting in his favorite easy chair which thankfully hadn't gotten trashed in the fight. The two weren't punished since they were only following their destiny. He even cleared it with Mr. Badwolf since they had an upcoming project for evil plotting. Sadly, his grade was going to suffer since Rachel flipped way too easily and Ohja...wiped the floor with him.

"Two months of planning...all down the tubes!" Bartimaeus growled. "Rachel, couldn't you have sent him to some other lair?!"

"Hey, he had a snake ready to swallow me if I didn't fess up!" Rachel snapped back with a huff. "That thing scares me way more than you do! And whose fault is it I'm scared of snakes, huh?"

"That was years ago! You should be over it by now!" Bartimaeus grunted.

"Time doesn't heal a phobia!"

"Is this a bad time then?"

Rachel screamed and dropped her broom as her brother stood up.

"You heard that, right, Barty?" Rachel asked her brother.

He did not answer as he approached a mirror that showed a figure standing on the other side, a figure in white armor.

"I came to discuss some business," the figure spoke. "But...I could come back later. You seem to be having a bit of a mess."

Bartimaeus shook his head, getting his senses back "What business would that be?"

"A joining of forces in bringing down the Knights of the Round Table and getting us the stories we deserve."

Bartimeus began to grin. His sister on the other hand looked worried, "Brother, you can't seriously be considering…"

"Quiet, Rachel," Bartimaeus rubbed his chin. He turned his focus on the figure in the mirror, "Let's talk."

Wait, what was that?

Offhand? I'd say the white knight that Erik Tidecharm mentioned.

So now he's in Ever After? Not Good!

Indeed, and he seems to be recruiting Bartimaeus into his Order of Rogues. With a grudge against Sir Kyle, he'll definitely want a chance to get back at him.

A/N: And now we see the tension between Duchess and Kyle reached a boiling point. We also see a little more of Kyle's berserk button getting hit. Rather than a gentle push like Wise Knight did, Bartimaeus downright slammed it. Still, perhaps a princess can soothe his darker side now that he is with her and exclusive.

My beta-reader and friend Kamen Rider Chrome got the idea to make a fic in the webisode style. It's called Knights of the Otherworld: Between the Lines. It has little chapters with casual moments involving the Knights, their friends, or even how they affected events presented in the webisodes. Take a look and leave him a review.

Here it is: s/13614991/1/Knights-of-the-Otherworld-Between-the-Lines