As Apple ran out of the classroom and climbed the stairs back up the the main floor. For once she didn't have a ball gown slowing her down.
"Apple wait!" Raven's voice called from the bottom of the stairs.
Apple ran faster, the events during class flashed through her mind and drowned out Raven's voice.
She and Lizzie were assigned to examine the Evil Queen, just her luck. She was forced to go over her beloved story, through the eyes of the woman she had thought was Raven's mother.
Apple felt her breath get heavier as she climbed up the stairs. She leaned against the wall to steady herself, and continued.
Was the way down to the dungeon really this long? Why weren't students at least given an elevator?
Her mind travelled back to classroom. Apple had been on her mothe- Snow White's side, and argued against Lizzie, but Lizzie was running out of ideas. She really hadn't meant to say anything, she was trying to be helpful, which is not very villainous if you asked her.
Still, I guess strategizing the perfect plan to kill somebody cancels that out but still… ugh! I should have just kept my mouth shut!
Mr. Badwolf's praise had shook the room like heavy thunder. Everyone heard, everyone thought she was a villain now! After all those years of community service… then again she didn't really tell a lot of people about that.
The thunder in her mind grew louder. And she stopped in her tracks. She was about a few seconds away from running into the door. Raven and some of the others were still climbing the stairs, but Raven had never been the most athletic person aside from the dragon games, so she had a bit of time to catch her breath.
Classes hadn't started yet, so there were still students in the halls. She missed most of them the first time by being late and wearing different clothes, but Briar, Ashlynn and especially Darling would recognize her right away. She wasn't required to go to class that day, but she decided to face it sooner rather than later. Now she didn't care, but she could stay here.
Apple shoved as much hair as possible into her hood and quietly slipped through the doors. She made her way quietly to an exit (window) she remembered finding while exploring (breaking out after hours) with Raven. It was a lot steeper than she had remembered, (probably because she used a rope last time) and it lead right to a nearby lake. This would have been fine if she wasn't terrified of water and could swim. She began to have second thoughts before looking behind her and catching a glimpse of white hair in the distance.
Darling.
She immediately began to climb out the window.
"C'mon Apple, you've almost drowned before, what's a few broken bones?" she muttered to herself.
As she fell she remembered why she had used a rope the last time.
She screamed like a banshee the entire way down before landing with a thud.
The pain was mostly blocked out from all the adrenaline coursing through her body, but the force of the fall still made her dizzy. She got up and realized she had landed in a nearby bush, which probably saved her from a serious injury… still did it have to be a rose bush?
Apple heard thunder again and looked at the sky. It was pouring rain. Guess it wasn't her imagination after all.
Being sure to avoid the lake Apple stepped out and let herself get drenched. She didn't care about anything in that moment, not getting sick from the cold rain, or being covered in thorns and bruises, the mad dash she took up the stairs or even how close she was to a lake during a thunderstorm
Lighting struck a nearby tree.
Apple paused and took a few steps back… ok she cared a little bit about that last part. She found a safer place to further away and collapsed on the ground. For once, she didn't have to worry about her makeup running.
Why are those stairs that hard to climb? I skip cardio for one week and suddenly I'm out of breath. Apple thought to herself.
She heard the sound of an umbrella opening up and turned her body to look, though she didn't have the energy to get off the ground. The same white hair came into her line of sight.
Apple squinted, she had forgotten to bring her glasses, (not that they would do any good in the rain anyways) and the dizziness from the fall didn't help. She could see white hair, but they were also wearing black and had paler skin.
"That new look doesn't suit you, you know that?" Faybelle's wings fluttered like a humming bird's and kept her feet of the wet grass.
Apple wanted to kick herself. Of course it was Faybelle! Darling didn't even know she was here, and none of her classes were near the dungeon. She just jumped out of a window for nothing!
"Did Raven send you here? I don't really feel like talking."
Faybelle scoffed.
"She wouldn't have sent me for that. I'm not sure if you've noticed but I'm not exactly a 'talking through your feelings' kind of fairy. I just wanted to make sure you didn't get hospitalized from your little leap of faith."
Faybelle had seen that? Apple wanted to bury herself in the dirt.
To Apple's surprise, Faybelle cast a small spell to make her umbrella wider so it covered the both of them. And handed it to Apple
"Hold this for a sec, don't get me wet or I'll hex you!"
Faybelle did a quick cheer.
"It's raining! It's pouring!
Give me something for exploring!
Pretty! And Chic! Utterly Unique!"
In a flash of light, Faybelle's outfit transformed into a purple and blue holographic rain jacket with a hat and boots to match, even the umbrella changed to match the outfit.
Apple was in awe. Faybelle looked amazing.
"Did you just come up with that spell just now? Did you make that outfit yourself or did your magic just make something up? Also do you want this umbrella back I'm very tired right now!" Apple didn't think she had it in her to talk so much at that moment, but she couldn't stop herself from saying what she was thinking. Is that how Cedar felt all the time? That must be tiring.
Faybelle awkwardly took the umbrella back. The two of them had been in lots of adventures together, and were planning on sharing a destiny… but they never really had a real conversation until now.
"I just picture the concept for what I want and my magic fills in the details. And yes I did come up with it just now, my magic requires me to make up quick rhymes." She shrugged, "I wouldn't be a very good Dark Fairy or Evil Queen if I
I couldn't do magic."
Apple's cheery mood faded away.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore."
"What?"
"I'm the Evil Queen's biological daughter, and since the Storybook of Legends that I signed was a counterfeit, signing at Legacy day means nothing. I'm not the next Snow White!" She buried her hands in her hair.
Faybelle looked at Apple confused. Then her confusing quickly turned to anger.
"Wait wait wait hold on! Didn't Raven create an entire movement so that she didn't have to follow her destiny? Why is she the new Snow White? I signed a contract with the headmaster saying I would be the Evil Queen!" Her face was going red. "Who cares who's related to who? The only reason people know is because of that stupid forum! That can easily be passed of as a rumour!"
Apple sniffled.
"There's a lot going on right now Faybelle. My family rules over all of Ever After, and monarchy is all about who your related to. It didn't matter that you would be the new Evil Queen, because I would have still taken over as Snow White. But now…"
"Raven's the next Ruler of all Ever After? Her? She knows nothing about being a ruler! She didn't even know how to handle her rebel friends! And there's no way that I'm gonna let you take my spot! You don't know the first thing about evil! You would drive an evil kingdom right into the dirt!"
"WELL OBVIOUSLY OUR TEACHER THINKS DIFFERENTLY!" Apple snapped. She wasn't actually mad at Faybelle, she was just frustrated. Also cold and hungry.
"YOU?" Faybelle laughed mockingly, "You got one lucky mark!"
"The whole class probably thinks I'm some sort of tactical evil genius!"
"Was jumping out a window and landing in a thorn bush part of your 'master plan?' Clearly I know nothing about evil then! Was this a part of your wicked plan that will doom us all?"
Faybelle pointed at the Apple-shaped imprint in the bush.
Apple was about to say something in response before her stomach loudly growled. She hadn't really eaten breakfast.
"Your'e right… I'm sorry for yelling at you." Apple grunted as she pulled herself off the ground. "I'm just in a bad mood, not that it excuses my behaviour or anything!"
Faybelle just rolled her eyes.
"You would make such an awful villain."
Apple just smiled. That was the nicest thing she heard all day. Which was odd, since she had just snapped at her for making a similar comment earlier. She really needed to sleep, or eat, maybe both at the same time? Briar did that pretty often.
The rain began to clear up, it was still wet and cold, but bits of sunlight peeked through the clouds.
"I… guess I should go up to my room, huh?" Apple chuckled nervously, pulling up her hood. "Think anyone will recognize me?"
Faybelle's face looked like a mix between pity and disgust. She turned around to leave before she stopped and turned back around.
"I'm doing one nice thing for you and that's it! Don't you dare tell anybody about this!"
"…What?"
"Injured princess, full of gloom!
Now returning to her room!"
"Wait Faybelle No!"
"Caught up in a nasty storm!
Transport her into the dorm!"
With a flash of dark magic, Apple felt herself get materialize inside of her dorm room.
Unfortunately she was about six feet off the ground.
"AAAH!"
She landed on a nearby couch with a thud. She had experienced enough dark magic accidents in the last two years being Raven's roommate, which was two years too many!
The door swung open and Raven rushed in.
"Apple! I heard you screaming! Is everything ok? How did you get up here? I didn't see you when I came up earlier."
"Close the door" Apple mumbled. "I'll tell you in a bit, but it's a long story and I'm too tired to talk."
Raven helped Apple to her bed and gave her one of her dry hoodies, it was more of a purple cloak, but at least it was dry. Raven panicked when she saw all the bruises and cuts on Apple's body but dropped it when she saw how tired Apple was.
"I'm gonna go get the first aid kit… don't go anywhere Apple I'll be right back."
The door shut and Apple quickly got changed. As she lost consciousness she thought about her chat with Faybelle. She could be mad at her for having the DNA test in the first place, but her family would have done one eventually. It was crazy how she had spent her time in that class sorry about Faybelle doing something evil to Briar because she had stayed behind to ask questions, but she wasn't allowed to hurt students while at school, Faybelle knew that.
Apple's eyes got even heavier and she let her mind wander further. Was Faybelle right? If their story hadn't got released to that forum…
Wait, that's not right. The story was released in a newspaper, that's why we all suspected Blondie. Then again, the newspaper did say they got their info from an outside source, but how had Faybelle…?
Something clicked in Apple's brain, and pieces began to fall in place.
That lying little-
Exhaustion took over, and everything went black.