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

Within the Dark Forest

Nope.

Apple's face grew intensely hot as she swiftly retreated from his actions. She stared at him in disbelief, and he appeared equally stunned by his own behavior.

***

'Did I just lick her cheek?!' Kyle panicked.

'My instincts took over. I meant to kiss, not lick...' the darkness confessed within the depths of Kyle's mind.

The monster glanced at Apple through the strands of hair covering his face. She was blushing intensely, gently fanning herself.

'So much for being romantic...' Kyle thought to himself as he rolled his eyes in embarrassment.

He trailed behind her, encircling her with his arms in a silent apology. Apple spun around swiftly, peeling off the mask he hadn't realized he was still wearing. Kyle tenderly clasped her hand. They seemed so small on top of his own, a reminder of the monster he had become.

"Are you scared of me now?" Kyle inquired, feeling each word rumbling from deep within his throat.

Kyle hung his head, too ashamed to look her in the eyes. He felt Apple's fingers gently lift his chin, guiding his gaze to hers.

"I should be, but I'm not," she said, her lips curving into that familiar loving smile.

***

Kyle's ears moved adorably, like a pet expressing their emotions. Apple, in a playful gesture, rubbed his ears, making him slump into a state of relaxation. Embarrassed, he swiftly recovered, gently nudging Apple away.

"Hey!" he protested.

The princess laughed at his response, swiftly moving in to embrace him in a forgiving hug.

"I'm sorry, Kyle. It's just your ears are so cute!"

She lunged at him, aiming for his ears once more. Apple knew she was hardly an effort to keep away, but she could tell Kyle was holding back on his strength. Apple began to rub the top of his head as payback from that noogie he gave her back at Heritage Hall.

Apple experienced a swift pull at her waist. Kyle gently brought her back down and placed a finger to his lips. His ear gave a slight twitch, perking up as he swiftly guided Apple to stand behind him.

***

Something didn't feel right. It felt like they were being watched. Kyle takes a look at their surroundings, noticing that something was off about this particular part of the forest. With the enchanted full moon in effect, things should be in full bloom. 

Yet why did everything look so bleak?

"Apple, where are we?" whispered Kyle.

"I'm not entirely sure..." Apple says, shaking her head.

The forest appeared darker, missing that beautiful glow of Enchanted Forest. The tree trunks were cloaked in shaggy moss at their bases. Above, spiders lounged on their silky webs, their hungry eyes vigilantly scanning for prey. And the woodland critters were conspicuously absent. Kyle couldn't detect any within his vicinity, which was quite unsettling. The lack of creatures raised a question: was this area truly safe for them?

From the lifeless trees, a dark shadow arose, soon multiplying into a pack of wolves. With his keen hearing, Kyle should have sensed their presence.

'They are dominant predators after all.'

Apple's grip on Kyle's arm tightened as she gasped. Together, they cautiously retreated, putting space between themselves and the encroaching wolf pack.

'My princess is my top priority. I just hope I have the strength to keep her safe,' Kyle thought.

'You can't hope. You need to have the strength, otherwise we're all dead,' the darkness within responded.

'You don't think I know that?!' Kyle retorted back at the darkness inside.

'What can I do to get you to shut up?'

'I won't let the darkness win. I've made a promise,' Kyle declared, clenching his fists as he racked his brain for a strategy.

'What a fool you are.'

***
'Dammit, not again...!'

Stan slams hit fits against the ground.

'What kind of loyal knight am I if I can't even keep my king safe...?'

Stan got up from the ground, Wendy right behind him. She patted his back, offering comfort as the rest of the group gathered around.

"What the hex was that thing?!" Daring exclaimed, panicked.

Stan hung his head.

"That was Kyle..."

Daring stood frozen, like a deer caught in headlights. The memories of his nightmare started to overwhelm him. That sinister grin... it belonged to the monster lurking inside him.

"What in blazes is going on here?!"

The headmaster and Baba Yaga stormed into the building.

"Faybelle pulled a prank on Apple and things went horribly wrong," Dexter admitted.

The group faced him. Perhaps it was best that the group told him a bit of the truth.

"I didn't cause the whole school to go haywire!" Faybelle defended.

Cartman's face twisted into a sinister grin. As much as he hated Kyle, he actually had a soft spot for Apple.

"Yes you did! You used your magic to open the sprinklers and project that monster attacking everyone! Dumping trash on Apple was just the tip of the iceberg," Cartman waved his finger at her.

Raven was astonished by Cartman's quick thinking. Headmaster Grimm turned to the rest of the group with an arched brow.

"Is this true?"

The group nodded their head with Cartman's statement.

"Headmaster Grimm, I'm Daring Charming! I would never lie," Daring shined his teeth in all his glory.

Faybelle's face was flushed in anger. She wanted to yell back, but she was fighting a losing battle, especially if Daring was her opponent. Baba Yaga escorts her out, her wings dropped in shame.

"Where is Miss White?" Headmaster Grimm was analyzing the area with no sign of her anywhere.

"Kyle took her away to help comfort her after the whole prank happened," Dexter informed, though he technically was not lying.

The headmaster let out a heavy sigh.

"As troublesome as that boy is...at least I can count on him to keep our future queen safe..."

With that said, the headmaster left. When the coast was clear, the group huddled up, already knowing what to do.