Apple sat in front of her vanity, staring out at the old oak just in front of her window. The sun was setting, sending a beautiful golden ray through her window and the leaves from the oak obscured the light so it coated her room in patches. Briar was sitting on Raven's bed catching up on some homework. Since Raven was staying in the infirmary for obvious reasons, Briar had moved in to keep Apple company. Apple's tremendous decision had been weighing on her for the last week. Her grades had, for the first time in her life, dropped from her usual A to a B. She hadn't been eating much and her lack of sleep was visible on her face, definitely not how a princess should look. The most overwhelming pressure was the guilt. It endlessly pulled at her mind and she knew that if she made the wrong choice, it would never leave her.
"I'm going to do it." Apple told her best friend forever after, finally turning away from the window. Her face had taken on a serious expression. It was clear that there was no way she was joking.
"Do what?" Briar asked, not fully paying attention as she scribbled down another sentence for her royal history essay.
"Start Raven's and my story. I have to." Apple sighed out the last part of her explanation. What other choice did she really have. If she didn't wouldn't that be going against everything that a princess should be? The morals that she had been raised with. Her statement had definitely gotten Briar's attention.
"Woah! Are you serious. I mean you'll have to be the Evil Queen." Worry laced Briar's voice as she questioned Apple's revelation.
"Yes I'm sure. It's the right thing to do." Apple sadly looked bak out the window, as if turning herself away from Raven would mean that she didn't have to face the consequences. "Raven would do it for me, for any of us. She proved that at Thronecoming."
"But she's got the 'evil blood'. You don't. What would your mum say if she heard this?" Briar questioned Apple. She had gotten up from the bed and walked over to Apple. Apple hesitated. She had been thinking about her Mum's reaction a lot lately. She didn't want to end up being a disappointment.
"She would tell me to follow my heart. I mean our stories still going to continue. I'm not rebelling, which is what you seem to be encouraging me to do." Apple stood up and faced Briar, an accusing look on her face. No matter the circumstance, a princess wasn't meant to back down just because something got hard. It had been clear that Briar was no longer sticking to that rule as she didn't want to sign the Storybook and Apple respected that, even if she didn't believe it was right. It was another problem, however, for Briar to try and force that mentality on her. "Don't you care about Raven? She was ready to give up her hope of a Happily Ever After for us, all of us!" Apple could feel all her pent up emotions pouring out on this assault towards Briar. She didn't really mean it, but she just couldn't help herself. She was so scared, confused and pressured that it actually felt good to let it all out. That feeling faded a little as she saw the expression on Briar's face, but she tried to brush it off. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to breakfast." she huffed as she left the room.
Maddie sighed in relief with the other Rebels. Apple had just declared that she was going to start their story. When she asked who wanted to help her find their key Maddie was one of the first to volunteer. Apple had quickly left to talk to the Headmaster and the second that she was gone, an excited buzz filled the table.
"I can't believe it! We're going to see Raven real soon." Maddie cheered happily and squeezed Cedar in a hug of pure excitement.
"I'm surprised." Cerise admitted. "I always saw Apple as stuck up and selfish. I wonder what changed? I'm impressed."
"I can't tell a lie and well I was pretty scared that Apple would let Raven die." said Cedar.
"This is going to change everything though, isn't it" Poppy was the first person to say anything remotely negative since the news.
"I don't care what happens!" Maddie shrieked. It was obvious that nothing was going to get on her bad side for the entire day.
"Besides, we can handle anything that happens." Cerise tried to encourage her friend. Poppy only nodded a silent agreement. Maddie suddenly stood up from her seat a little too quickly and her untouched food went everywhere. She was buzzing with too much excitement to care though/
"Oh, I'm just so hexited! I'm going to go and tell Raven right now!" Maddie sped off before anyone could tell her that there was no point talking to someone who was asleep.
Dexter sat by Raven, not letting himself take his eyes off her for even a second. She looked so beautiful and delicate. Her purple and black streaked hair seemed to be flowing, her pale skin made her look like a delicate china doll. His heart ached for the fact that he could do nothing help or save her now. Dexter was off in his own world of happy memories with Raven until he was interrupted by Maddie.
Dexter sat by Raven, not letting himself take his eyes off her for even a second. She looked so beautiful and delicate. Her purple and black streaked hair seemed to be flowing, her pale skin made her look like a delicate china doll. His heart ached for the fact that he could do nothing help or save her now. Dexter was off in his own world of happy memories with Raven until he was interrupted by Maddie.
"Raven! Raven! You won't guess what's just happened!" Maddie shouted as she came flying into the room. She swooped past Dexter, to the other side of the bed and took her other hand.
"Hey Maddie. What's going on?" Dexter asked, slightly started but cautiously optimistic with Maddie's almost over the top smile.
"Only the best thing ever after!" Maddie cheered. She clasped Raven's cold hand higher in anticipation.
"What is it?" Dexter asked eagerly, trying to stop himself from being too hopeful and failing miserably.
"Apple's decided to start her and Raven's story!" Maddie explained with a light, elated tone in her voice. Dexter sighed in relief as a smile spread across his face, glad that it really was good news. He allowed himself to steadily become excited too as he realised that Raven was going to be okay and she would get her happily ever after as well. It was all good thoughts until…
'Oh no!' Dexter thought as he remembered something, something important. 'If Raven takes Apple's place she'll have to marry my brother?'
The shock on Dexter's face was brief as he covered it quickly up with a smile, but Maddie noticed. Dexter made a quick excuse and left. He needed to think.
"Are you certain of this Apple?" Headmaster Grimm asked. He had to admit that he was surprise to how easily she had come around.
"Yes! Raven would do it for me and this will let our stories continue." Apple replied confidently, though with a hint of sadness and defeat in her voice. "Can we do it now?"
"First you must get both of your storybook's keys. The keys are given to the parents of those in the story, one to the Royal's parents and one to the Rebel's. Her mother Snow White has your so that won't be a problem, but if you want to start your story now you will need both keys." Explained Headmaster Grimm.
"So you're saying that The Evil Queen will have the key?" Apple slowly not looking forward at the prospect of meeting the most evil person to have ever come from Ever After High.
"Yes, but she is locked inside a mirror prison." She argued, slightly hoping that she could use this fact as an excuse. "
In order to get the key you must either persuade her to give it to you or enter the mirror and try to find it."
"There's no way she'll let me have the key if she finds out that Raven will be the next Snow White so it looks like I'll have to find it myself!"
"You'd better go prepare." Headmaster Grimm dismissed Apple.
"Are you sure about this Apple. I mean The Evil Queen is really powerful and dangerous." Briar pointed out, but Apple was determined. She was so shocked when Apple told her what she had to do and was now furiously trying to change her friend's mind, for fear of her hurting herself.
"Briar, I have to do it for Raven. And now for myself, to prove that I'm a good friend and princess. Besides The Evil Queen's in mirror prison, so her powers would be restrained."
"That still leaves dangerous!"
"How can she be dangerous if she doesn't have magic?"
"Well she's cunning and smart and deceitful." Briar paced around the room and ticked off her fingers while she went down the list. "No one would blame you if you backed out."
"Briar relax, I'll be fine. Beside all of your points mean exactly the same thing."
"How can you be so fine with this? You're basically walking straight into the dragon's den."
"Trust me, I'm more scared then. I think, but if my mother backed down at every little obstacle or anything that scared her, she wouldn't have achieved her happy ending."
Briar sighed and walked over to where Apple was sitting in a royal-red armchair in a corner of the room.
"I know that you want to live up to your mother's legacy but this dangerous. Have you really thought this through?"
"Yes, I have. I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning." Apple replied curtly, affectively ending the conversation. Briar fully understood that there was nothing she could do. This was something that Apple had to face on her own.