The Apple of My Eye: Book Two (An Ever After High Crossover)

Forbidden Love

"KYLE!"

Apple's worst nightmares were unfolding before her eyes.

She hurried to his side, gently turning his body face-up from the towering grass of the forest. Kenny removed his parka and draped it over Kyle. Sweat drenched his body, and he trembled with each gust of wind that touched his skin. His eyes were closed, looking swollen, with dark circles underlining them. Apple attempted to wake him, shaking him, shouting his name, but it was no use...

He was unconscious.

"It looks like someone attacked him," Kenny observed.

"But there are no signs of danger nearby," Stan pointed out.

Apple placed a hand on his forehead, sweeping his hair from his face. His skin was cold, reminiscent of their first encounter when she mistook him for being under a sleeping spell and had awkwardly kissed him to break it. However, this time was different; Kyle was in a comatose state. Apple gently caressed his cheek, leaning in for a kiss in attempt to break whatever spell was casted on him, when suddenly a twig snapped. A shadow emerged from the forest's depths, revealing Cerise Hood, who watched everything unfold.

"Apple... what's going on?" Cerise asked, advancing towards her.

Springing to her feet, Apple attempted to shield Kyle from Cerise's gaze.

"Cerise...!" Apple exclaimed, breathless.

Brushing past her, Cerise's gaze was locked on the fallen Elf King. She spun around, her cloak billowing, to confront Apple again.

"Is this the boy who saved you during the Evil Queen's assault?"

Apple lowered her head.

"And the one you sacrificed yourself for?"

Creating an excuse to explain Kyle's sudden state would be challenging. There was no hiding the truth when she had her facts straight... Apple had to confess.

The princess nodded, rubbing her arm as she turned her head slightly away.

"Kyle isn't from our world... He is from the Land of the Readers..."

Apple's hands began to tremble, scared at the fate of her secret. Cerise's eyes never darted away. Apple sensed that she was analyzing her every movement to see if she was telling the truth.

"A portal led me to him, and we got to know each other. Next thing I knew..."

Apple felt the tears streak down her face. If Cerise was truly a Rebel, then telling her wouldn't be a mistake.

Will it?

"I had fallen for him..."

Those words fell from her lips. Apple couldn't stay still; she felt every part of herself trembling.

"I know I may be a hypocrite, but I don't care what anyone else thinks. I'll continue to pose as the perfect princess everyone hexpects me to be, but the moment we graduate, it'll be different. I will take on my role as the next Snow White, but Kyle will be the one to save me. Only now...I pushed him away and it led us here..."

Apple started hyperventilating, struggling to voice the words she held back. Clutching her stomach, she bent forward, her curls falling over her tear-streaked face.

"I don't know what to do... I need to save him, but I don't know what happened to him... it's all my fault!"

Cerise pulled Apple, comforting her as she buried her head onto Cerise's shoulder.

"We'll figure this out. Trust me when I say that things will work out."

The girls slowly back away from their hug. Apple wiped away her tears, looking up at Cerise through her running mascara.

'What exactly does she mean by, that things will work out?'

Cerise grasps the silver chain wrapped around her neck and unveils a locket, its pendant fashioned into the shape of a leaf.

"You're not the only one with a forbidden love story," smiled Cerise.

She opened the locket, with a picture showing her with her mother, Red Riding Hood. On the right of the photo, however, was no other than Mr. Badwolf, the big bad wolf and the antagonist of her tale. It didn't make any sense, so if he is in Cerise's family portrait, does that mean that Mr. Badwolf is Cerise's father?

"Red Riding Hood married the Big Bad Wolf?" Apple gasped, attempting to keep her voice low.

A soft chuckle slipped from Cerise's lips.

"Funny, Raven had the same reaction," she said with a laugh.

'Raven knew about Cerise? For how long? Were there always people trying to rewrite their destinies like Raven?'

"If they can push through, then so can you," said Cerise.

Apple focuses her view back to Kyle. He's sacrificed so much for her already. He's balancing his normal everyday life with the craziness here at Ever After. Apple then glanced back to view Kenny, Stan and Cartman. Although they also had an option to return back home, they still chose to remain by Kyle's side, dragging them in her mess. All of them bearing the secret, for the fear of what could crumble in their world. Besides, what about The End? They have to choose if they want to go back home or stay here without ever going back to the other. They would remain stuck with their choice forever after and have no way of changing their minds. That's a lot to bear for a last year student. Maybe Apple was still the selfish brat she was when she first started her journey here. They've sacrificed so much for her, but what has she done for them in return?

Right now, isn't the time to think about that though. Apple had to save Kyle! Unfortunately, she didn't see what happened to him... but maybe someone else had.

"Cerise?" said Apple.

"If you were in deep in the forest, is there any way you could have seen what happened to Kyle?" "Apple asked, her voice still quivering from the tears she had shed.

Cerise begins to examine Kyle, looking for any possible clues that the group could have missed.

"I saw him in a meditative state when I first got here. I was standing in front him, and he didn't notice me. I was trying to ask what he was up to, but nothing. So of course, I moved on and left him alone. Next thing I knew, I heard yelling and screaming, and I peeked through the forest and saw him on the ground. I was about to approach him when you showed up."

'So, it wasn't a curse or an attack, thank goodness.'

"There is one more thing...When he was screaming, it seemed that he was changing," Cerise added, her voiced shifted to a fretted tone.

"Changing? Like how?" Stan stepped in.

Cerise pulled on her hood, making sure that is remained in place. Her expression seemed almost fearful like she had seen a ghost.

"I saw his skin was turning grey, and his hair was fading to white..."

The boys and Apple remained stunned from what they just heard. Cerise opened her mouth once more, breaking the silence that crept in between them.

"If he's going through a metamorphosis, then I think I know who can help."