Once Upon a Time
There was a magical world filled with many cartoon characters that we all know.
Or we think we know.
One day, they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings and adventures were stolen.
Our world.
No one knows how it happened.
Our story begins on the evening of August 2nd. A girl with dark brown hair with a light blue-colored streak in her hair as she wore a black sweater that was over a black dress with white spots and black sparkling shoes with white trim at the bottom. She pushed her glasses over her dark brown eyes that nearly matched her hair and she soon knocked on the door once she came over to an apartment door.
The door soon opened to show a light brown-haired girl with hints of blonde with her own glasses and had light blue eyes and wore a purple dress with black shoes. "Right on time, Cherry," she then said. "I thought you'd be late."
"Why? Because I'm brown?" The first girl replied sardonically.
"Can you speak one sentence without being sarcastic?" The second girl rolled her eyes playfully as she shut the door and then unlocked it to open it all the way to let her friend inside.
"If I did, I would be mute," The girl named Cherry smirked as she went inside. "So, you ready to go out or what? I need a freakin' drink."
"You be patient... I'm just about ready..." The second girl scoffed as she walked inside before she stopped and gestured at her outfit. "Are you sure I absolutely have to wear a dress?"
"Cath, it's your birthday, it wouldn't kill you to look a little nice," Cherry rolled her eyes. "Besides, it's way too hot for a suit or sweatpants."
"Hmph... Touché." Cathleen rolled her eyes again to retort against her perky goth friend.
"Just hurry up," Cherry said. "By the time you're ready on your birthday, all the cute guys or girls will be gone. I'd like to have a conversation with at least one person our age who still reads books."
"Might as well live in the Stone Age, Cherry," Cathleen smirked as she went to grab her wallet and keys. "So, is this night out my present or did you get me something?"
"If you must know, I bought these on the way," Cherry said as she took out two cupcakes. "I couldn't afford a whole cake, but we can put some candles in these and you can make your wish before you go to bed tonight."
"Like we have enough friends for a whole cake anyway," Cathleen replied. "Just put them in the fridge for right now and we'll get them when we come back."
Cherry nodded and soon went to do that. After she did, she then grunted and yelped as she straightened out the bottom of her dress as it bunched up.
"Bunching up?" Cathleen guessed.
"I love this dress, but I swear that it gives me a wedgie sometimes." Cherry complained.
"Such a shame you don't have clothes like mine!" Cathleen smirked.
"You're hilarious..." Cherry rolled her eyes and they soon went out the door together as Cathleen locked the door behind them.
"Cherry... You ever think there might be... More for us in life?" Cathleen asked her friend. "Like... Maybe we were meant to do something special and important?"
"Not this again..." Cherry snarked at herself.
"I'm serious," Cathleen said. "Like... I've been having these dreams where we explore... We meet other people... We just... I don't know... Maybe we're destined to do something... In the future... Somewhere else..."
"What is this, a badly written guilty pleasure TV Show?" Cherry rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Cath... As much as I'd love to have a new life, there isn't much for us than to get jobs, go to work, get paid, watch TV, eat dinner we can afford, and then we die. Besides, I love my job."
"I thought you'd have a little more imagination as a stocker at the bookstore... You wanna be a writer, don't you?"
"Yes, I want to be a writer, but that's as adventurous as my life will allow," Cherry said as she put her arm around Cathleen. "Listen, Cath... I have sometimes thought about having a life filled with adventure and wonder... But we were kids whenever we'd imagine adventures like that... We're not kids anymore... It's time to grow up."
"Well, sometimes I don't wanna grow up," Cathleen pouted. "Especially since I'm spending my birthday alone."
"Yeah... You're all alone... Without your mature best friend by your side..." Cherry snarked again.
"You used to be so cool until you talk about how being an adult is better than being a kid." Cathleen narrowed her eyes.
"It's all part of growing up and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll accept how being grown-up can be fun too... For instance..." Cherry smirked.
Suddenly, the two were at a bar and sat at the table, having some drinks together as they clinked glasses together.
"A kid can't drink Sangaria!" Cherry soon concluded with her smirk before she gulped down her drink.
"Hmph..." Cathleen rolled her eyes playfully as she drank with her friend at the table before seeing an older man with brown/gray hair shoulder-length hair in a black suit who had a black cane with him at his table with a golden handle, sipping from a Scotch glass as his brown eyes looked around the room as she chuckled. "Cherry, that guy's totally your type..."
Cherry glanced over as she looked where her friend was looking. "Him?" she asked with a laugh. "He's probably... 80!"
"He's your type though," Cathleen smirked. "He looks old enough to be your father, he looks like he could literally make you jump out of your skin... He's probably the world's strictest college professor."
"Ugh... I don't think so..." Cherry rolled her eyes as she stood up from her stool. "There's no way I'm running into that guy and babbling like an idiot."
"I bet you would..." Cathleen smirked.
"Yeah, right, as if I'm just suddenly gonna stumble right into-" Cherry scoffed before she was suddenly pushed against the man and fell right on his table, nearly making him drop his glass and his cane fell in the middle of the floor.
Many other people soon looked over and saw that before they went back to doing what they were doing.
"Cathleen Ross, you just marked your future grave..." Cherry grumbled.
"Excuse me, my dear, but I believe you're sitting on my wings..." The man spoke to her with a small smirk.
"Yaugh!" Cherry yelped as she shot straight up off of the table and now had barbecue sauce below her dress and had a huge stain on her butt. "I am SO sorry!"
"No harm done..." The man chuckled as he took out some napkins and tried to help clean her up. "You could've asked to come over rather than crashing over... I wouldn't mind the company though. Perhaps I should go to the salad bar instead if you'd like to join me."
Cherry giggled sheepishly, even though he was probably many decades older than she was, turning bright pink in her face. "I-I like salad..." she then mumbled out to him, sounding as nervous as a schoolgirl with her favorite teacher.
"Yes... It's good and good for you..." The man chuckled as he soon looked down at her with a warm smile.
"...I like salad." Cherry then said again, unable to think of anything else to say and she suddenly waddled off quickly like a penguin and went back over to the bar table and hopped back up on her stool beside Cathleen.
"That was smooth, Cherry." Cathleen chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah, when we get back to your apartment, I'm gonna kill you." Cherry grumbled as she turned her stool around and sipped her drink heavily with a straw with her arms crossed.
"You know you love me, right?" Cathleen smirked teasingly.
"Oh, bloody piss off." Cherry uttered out in a faux English accent.
Cathleen chuckled.
The man glanced over to the two younger women and soon took out a flip phone and turned his head as he spoke into it. "I've found them," he then said softly while trying to tune out the other patrons and the loud music. "Wait for further instruction on my signal. Just be patient."
Cherry and Cathleen hung out a bit more at the bar before they suddenly left and decided to go back home. They were now walking down the streets together to get back to the apartment building.
"Hey, can I sleepover?" Cherry asked with a yawn. "I think I had a little too much to drink... Wine really makes me sleepy."
"Yeah, just remember, it's my birthday," Cathleen reminded. "We have cupcakes to eat so I can make my wish."
"Meheheheeheheh..." Cherry babbled and rolled her eyes playfully before smirking. "Yes, but just remember, in two months, you have to do the same for me."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Cathleen replied.
Eventually, Cherry sat on the couch as she took her shoes off. She decided to put some music on for both of them to pass the time as Cathleen got the cupcakes ready. However, a car had ridden up to where they were. Out came three kids: one was a boy with short dark brown hair with a scarf, another boy was shown with longish light brown hair, and there was a girl with frizzy and long dark hair with piercing light blue eyes.
"Is this it?" The girl asked the short-haired boy. "Are you sure this is it?"
"It has to be," The boy replied to her. "Can't you sense them like my grandfather told us before we left home?"
"Maybe... I'm a little nervous..." The girl frowned softly.
"Hey, relax," The other boy smirked. "Let's just get in and go, then we're home free. Besides, it's not like they won't believe us."
The three kids soon went off into the apartment.
Cherry soon lit a match and began to light the candles in the cupcakes and sat on her knees on the couch. "Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday, Dear Spoiled Braaaat... Happy Birthday~-"
"You are terrible." Cathleen rolled her eyes as she sat next to her friend.
"Yeah, well, that's for embarrassing me in front of Rip van Winkle," Cherry smirked. "Now make a wish and blow out the candles."
Cathleen laughed a little before sighing to herself as she made her wish in her head. '...I wish that our lives were different...' she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
"A Very, Merry, Actual Birthday... Toooooo Yooou!~" Cherry slurred out after the candles were put out and she began to bite into her cupcake before grimacing. "Bwah! I bit into the candle!"
"Oh, Cherry..." Cathleen rolled her eyes before there was suddenly a knock at the door which confused both girls as she looked back at her friend. "...Did you order pizza or something?"
"No, but I wish I ordered a stripper." Cherry replied.
Cathleen snorted before calling out, "Who is it?!"
There was no straight answer. This concerned the two of them a bit more before they soon got up and decided to see who it was. Cherry held a Lightsaber close in her hands as she narrowed her eyes and soon Cathleen opened the door to see the three kids right in front of them.
"Uh... Can we help you?" Cathleen asked.
"Are you Cathleen Ross and Cherry Butler?" The short-haired boy asked in return.
"...Yeah?" Cherry replied. "Who are you?"
"My name is Henry Mills and these are my friends," The short-haired boy replied. "Dylan Mazinsky and Eve Salazar."
"...Why does this feel so familiar...?" Cherry mumbled to herself and soon, suddenly, the kids came right into the room.
"Whoa! Hey! Kids, you can't just come in here like that!" Cathleen complained. "Don't you have parents or something?"
"It's complicated for them," Henry replied as he gestured to Dylan and Eve. "Listen, it's a very long story and you have to come with us right now. My grandfather is waiting for you."
"Your grandfather?" Cherry asked. "What?"
"This concerns both of you and a mega-crossover for mine and Eve's future!" Dylan said as he grabbed the Lightsaber away from her. "This also involves Henry's family!"
"Hey! Let go!" Cherry complained.
"I know it sounds like a fairy tale, but it's true!" Henry urged before he soon took out a very large book from his backpack. "An Evil Queen put a spell on you and all the other classic characters. You have to believe us!"
"Ugh... I'm going to bed..." Cherry complained as she rubbed her head and went to go out the door. "Cath, let me know how this goes in the morning... I don't think I can take any more scares."
Suddenly, the door opened to show the older man from the bar. "Hello, dear..." he greeted her, looking a bit firm as he leaned on his cane with his hands together on it.
Cherry then suddenly let out a high-pitched scream and she suddenly fell to the floor.
"...Well, that went well." Dylan deadpanned as he stood between Eve and Henry.
A/N: Happy Birthday, CartoonNetwork90sFan.
