The End is Only The Beginning | Dappling

Prologue

Ever After High was now floating in the air, roots dangling, curling down in dark tendrils. There was a huge divet in the ground where the school should've been, and dark clouds blocked out any sunlight.

The only sanctuary should've been the Enchanted Forest. Fairies and fireflies lit up the sky, and plants grew into walls to keep any evil out. Pixies pranced on the grass, narrowly avoiding any flower, just to avoid stepping on them. They lived in perfect harmony with the woodland creatures.

But, that wasn't good enough.

A group of students (and their dragons) from the high school had taken refuge here. Unfortunately, the forest's protections weren't enough to stop the Queen's magic from seeping through.

Apple White was poisoned. In a glass box, surrounded by flowers. Fulfilling her destiny.

She had never wanted it like this. When Apple had signed her page in the Storybook of Legends, she expected comfort to arise from the certainty of knowing what was to happen next.

This was anything but certain. Raven Queen had gone off to join her mother, Daring wasn't Apple's true love, and Apple was unconscious in the forest. Not surrounded by smaller people, but by all of her closest teenage friends. It was too much, and too fast.

Her already pale cheeks, now lifeless. She was hanging on by a thread. She didn't even stir in her sleep.

Darling Charming watched on, chewing her lip. This wasn't right. Not at all. It was too much to put kids their age through. Now, because of the Evil Queen, Apple was gone.

And Daring wasn't taking it well.

He sat in the corner with Melody Piper as she played dramatically sad music. The prince pouted, pitying himself.

That was enough. Darling dragged him away, and glared at him.

"Can't you see I'm trying to wallow?" He groaned.

"All this pouting-not a good look on you," she said. "It's time to turn the page, brother."

Daring scoffed. "Easy for you to say. Don't you understand? I just lost my destiny. I'm not Apple's prince charming."

Darling looked at him with an offended expression. "And I'm not a Damsel-in-Distress. Some of us aren't going to follow our original destinies."

"Raven did. No one ever thought she would, and look what happened."

"Raven did what she had to to save her friends," the princess sighed. "She had a choice to make, and so do you."

Daring looked back to Apple, who seemed to be coming back, but fell back asleep. She looked as though she were crawling out of a pit, only to fall back again. "I was so sure I was Apple's prince charming. If my kiss can't wake her, I don't know what can."

Darling looked to Apple, and pushed the others aside. She rushed to Apple's side and listened intently to her heartbeat.

"Darling? What are you-?"

"Breathe, Apple!" She cried, shaking the princess by the shoulders. "Breathe!"

Darling thought frantically. What could she possibly do? Apple was dying, and Daring couldn't save her with True Love's Kiss!

There were no other Charmings left! Dexter wouldn't work.

Unless...

Darling gasped. She knew what she had to do.

She quickly pressed her lips to Apple's, and it felt so right. Right in a way that she never could've imagined.

It never felt that way with any of the suitors that would come to her castle.

It felt exactly how True Love's Kiss was supposed to.

And with that, Apple coughed out a pink cloud.

She was saved.