Chapter Text
The Most Fairest Of Them All
{O}nce upon a time, in a world that is crafted from wishes and dreams, a soft white dove soared through the vibrant-colored sky. It glided past peppermint trees filled with gumdrop fruits and dipped its wings to salute a phoenix dancing through the fluffy clouds. A place you would only think existed in storybooks but is oh-so-very real. Here, in the land of Ever After, stories are alive, and the magic is as common as the air you breathe. Where fears are vanquished by courage, hope blossoms even in the darkest of woods, and the sweetest music is the sound of joy-filled laughter.
Here, where everyone gets their Happily Ever After.
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“Well… not everyone,” a warm, deep, masculine voice cut in.
“Excuse me?” The female voice hissed through the air. “Can’t you see I’m narrating?”
“Just trying to inform the reader. That ‘everyone gets a Happily Ever After’ line is a bit… misleading, wouldn’t you say?”
“Oh hush, now!” she snapped. “You’ll get your chance when it’s time for YOUR section. Now, where was I? Oh, yes…”
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The dove alighted upon the highest branch of a tree, overlooking a straight paved road bordered by lush grass fields and seas of forest trees just in the background. The dove’s heart was beating in time with the low hum of an engine. As just below, an elegant car-riage of ivory-white metal with shiny gold trims glided down the path.
The dove fluttered away from its branch and followed the magnificent vessel. Why? Because inside this very car, traveled a young princess of great importance. For her, this day marks not just the beginning of a new chapter, but the day her destiny truly begins to take shape.
Today is the day she finally gets to go to Ever After High.
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“Ah yes, the famous boarding school for the next generation of fairytale icons. A place where you don’t just study the history of the tales; you’re expected to repeat it,” the male narrator adds in.
“Exactly! It is where these young students prepare to sign the Storybook of Legends. A book that basically binds them to their destinies forever. It’s the most important years of their lives!” She happily follows up.
“Or the most terrifying. Depending on where you stand in the story,” the male narrator said.
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AANND… as the white dove descended, it peered through the red tinted window of the car-riage. Inside, was the beautiful princess, Apple White—daughter of the legendary Snow White who rules over the entirety of Ever After.
Apple leaned towards a small, enchanted mirror, adjusting her glasses with a smile. She ran a hand through her gorgeous curls; voluminous, sun-kissed blonde hair that fell in perfect ringlets over her shoulders.
Smoothing the cream-colored fabric of her jacket, Apple adjusted her posture, sitting as tall and poised as possible. Her red skirt was designed to frame her rounder, apple-shaped curves with elegance.
She even made sure every ribbon, and bow was perfectly in place, and her golden crown sat neatly at just the right angle. She looked every bit like a future queen, from the top of her head down to her ruby red heels.
As she was adjusting herself, a soft fluttering at the window caught her attention. The white dove has come to visit her. Apple’s face brightened instantly, her soft green eyes sparkling behind her red frames. She pressed a gold button switch to roll down the window, letting the crisp air rush in, and extended a dainty finger. The dove hopped onto it as if it had been waiting for her all morning.
“Oh, hello there! You must be a good luck charm,” Apple says, in a clear, melodic voice.
“In just a few more years, I will finally get to fulfill my destiny and become the next Snow White! Isn’t that just spelltacular?!” She said, gently petting the lovely bird as it cooed happily in response.
Across from her sat two dwarves, Notey and Hearty, whom her mother had sent to ensure her journey was nothing short of royal.
As the two look at Apple, they couldn’t help but beam at their young princess’s enthusiasm.
“You’ve certainly put in the work, Princess,” Notey said, adjusting his tiny spectacles.
“Top marks in every lesson your tutor had thrown at you, mastered almost every ballroom dance with precision, and your communication skills are simply outstanding. You even know every word in your story by heart without even looking!”
“And don’t forget your vocals!” Hearty added.
“A Snow White must be able to harmonize with the local fauna, after all.”
Apple didn’t need further prompting. She let out a short, sweet trill of a song; a melody so pure that the sun itself intensified, as if it was leaning in to listen.
The birds in the trees chirped in a frantic, happy chorus with the dove flying off to join in. As Apple’s song faded, the dwarves clapped heartily, their delight evident. Apple beamed, her heart swelled.
Just as she was about to express her gratitude, Apple’s Mirror-Phone buzzed with an incoming call. “Briar!” she exclaimed, her face lighting up with excitement pressing accept.
“Hello, hello! Are you as hex-cited as I am?”
“Oh, you have no idea!” a raspy, energetic voice crackled through the mirror.
Several leagues away, coming just from the Rose-Thorn Highlands Kingdom, a convertible with another princess was practically vibrating with excitement.
Briar Rebecca Katherine Rose Beauty; a name almost as long as the nap she was destined to take; was not the one for sitting still. The daughter of Sleeping Beauty was always about the wild side of life.
As she chatted to Apple, she fidgeted with her pink crown-glasses. Briar leaned out the window, her warm beige complexion glowing in the morning rays.
“I’ve already planned three parties, two sleepovers, and a full list of tricks I wanna try out. Plus, I’ve just gotten my highlights done with my cousin, and I’m dying to show them off to everyone!” Briar said, gesturing wildly. She kicked up her feet onto the window’s ledge, showing off her pink straps heels under her bell bottom pants.
“What do you think? Should I try bungee jumping off the highest roof of the school or jumping across the entire bridge on my roller skates?”
Apple’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly reassured her.
“Now, Briar, don’t forget the real reason we’re going. Our education, preparing for our destinies. Parties and stunts are… well, they’re secondary.”
“Oh, I know,” Briar breezed, a faint roll of her brown eyes. “But my destiny is just sleeping, right? I think I can afford to cut loose before the big nap. You, on the other hand, have the whole kingdom to run!”
“Still, it’s important to take everything seriously,” Apple insisted in a gentle but firm manner. “Every step matters.”
“Okay, okay, Miss White,” Briar playfully teased.
“You’re right, of course. Always.”
“Aww, thanks Briar,” Apple laughed, her worry momentarily lightened by her friend’s sarcasm.
“Oh, right! Have you heard from Ash at all? I know she had to head to school early with her step-family, but she hasn’t messaged me to let me know where she is now…” Apple bit her lip, her brow furrowing.
Over the Mirror-Phone, Briar was casually scrolling through her Pixiegram feed. She paused for a second to watch a video of a dancing gnome before responding.
“Oh, uh, Ashlynn?” Briar squinted at her screen.
“Yeah... no. Haven’t heard a peep. But honestly, Apple, she’s probably just deep in the woods doing... whatever it is she does out there. You know you can’t get a signal once you’re under the canopy of the forest.”
A tiny shadow of concern crossed Apple’s face. She shook it off quickly, glancing out the window at the road ahead.
“Oh! Briar, look! I think I can see you!”
“How can you tell?” Briar asked, finally looking up.
And just at that moment, the two vehicles merged into a single, wide lane. Apple’s ivory-and-gold coach took the lead, followed closely by Briar’s rose-pink car-riage.
“Just a lucky guess!” Apple said with a giggle.
Briar’s carefree laughter echoed back through the Mirror-Phone.
“Looks like we’re almost there!” Hearty announced, peering out and pointing excitedly at the horizon.
The two girls exchanged final goodbyes. The dwarves said their farewells too through the Mirror-Phone as the call ended, the magical chime echoing in the sudden quiet of the car-riage.
Apple looks out the window. Shimmering in the distance and partially framed by a stand of towering trees, the silhouette of a majestic castle began to emerge.
Ever After High. Her future. Her destiny.
A perfect, flawless smile graced Apple’s red lips. Everything was going exactly as it was meant to be.