𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🦢˚ chap.2

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚🦢⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
headmaster grimm sucks

i met raven just outside the dorms the next day for first round of the legacy day rehearsals.  "you ready?" i ask her. raven's clearly been pacing.

"not really." she admits. we began to walk. "y/n, i don't know if i can do this.."

i link my arm with hers, and exhale. "me either if i'm being honest." raven let a hum slip from her lips. "let's get this over with?"

"let's get this over with." i smiled.

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚🦢⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
time skip

i stood between maddie and raven as the headmaster spoke.

"so, when your magical key appears, you insert it gently into the storybook of legends," headmaster grimm demonstrated the action. "then stand shoulders back and declare your destiny to the world. have i made myself clear?"

if only if was so easy as he made it out to be.

"headmaster grimm, but what if-" raven began, but was cut off. "no questions? good." he says, blatantly ignoring raven.

rude.

reason number who cares as to why i don't like him.

"now, we're going to practice with this tiny manual of entirely reasonable school rules." he announced. two of the three little pigs carried the giant book to the podium. i exhaled. well, okay.

"who will go first?"

apple practically jumped in her spot. "oh! me, me me!"

i admired her enthusiasm.

"step right this way, my future queen," apple did just that. stepping toward the podium, she happily took the key from the headmaster's hands, bowing slightly as she did so.

apple reached the podium.

"i am apple white. and i pledge to follow my destiny as the next snow white." she finishes and turns with a perfect princess smile.

"perfect," grimm says to her as she places the key back into his hands. "i know," she says.

maddie went next.

then briar.

hunter.

cedar.

then dante.

"i'm dante charming, and i pledge to follow my destiny to become someone's prince charming."

he stepped off the podium and sent a quick wink in my direction when he was finished. i rolled my eyes, trying my best to ignore the heat spreading around my ears.

headmaster grim called my name soon after. it was my turn.

i stepped up to the podium.

"my name is y/n swan, and i pledge to follow my destiny as the next black swan of swan lake,"

the headmaster hums and nods his head once. i step off the podium.

"next," he calls.

finally, raven steps up. she takes a deep breath before speaking.

"i'm raven queen. and i pledge to follow my destiny as.." she pauses. "um.. i have a question."

"what is it?" headmaster grimm asks.

"i was just wondering, i mean, what if i don't want to take the pledge?"

maddie gasps with a smile. i smile too. now we're asking the right questions.

hunter's squirrel, pesky, gasps. hunter stops suddenly in his pursuit to hunt him to gasp as well. on the other hand, daring has to close apple's mouth from her shock at the question.

"what? it's just a question." raven chided.

"and here's your answer," headmaster grimm walks up to her. "if you don't pledge your destiny, your story ceases to exist."

the thought leaves a bad taste in my mouth. our stories cease to exist? that can't be true.

"ceases to exist?" raven repeats. "so, then what happens to me?"

"you will cease to exist. poof." he makes the gesture with his hand.

i cross my arms. even if there's even a chance this is true, there's no way headmaster grimm would even have proof. if there's any at all. i say he made it all up to get her to conform to her so called destiny.

"now, raven, continue."

"but, mr. grimm-"

"poof, poof!"

that was the last straw.

he wasn't going to talk to raven like that. not on my watch.

"um.." raven looked at apple for a split second. i'd almost missed it. "i have to go." almost everyone around us gasps and whispers among themselves as raven leaves.

that can't be it.

i begin to leave, but the headmaster stops me. "miss swan, where are you going?"

i turn on my heels to face him. i place a hand on my hip. "if you couldn't tell, headmaster, you've seemed to ruffle one of best friend's feathers, so i'm going to check on her and make sure she's okay. now, if you'd excuse me." i turn once more, and leave rehearsals to find raven.

after a little while of searching, i found raven sitting on a log in the enchanted forest. i let my shoulders loose from all the tenseness. i sit next to her.

"you okay?" i ask quietly.

"i don't know." she admits, sitting up. "i don't want to be evil, but i don't want to let my story go poof."

"that won't happen." i tell her.

"how do you know that?"

"call it swans intuition." i stand, and smile at her. "and besides, who needs a destiny anyway? they're overrated."

raven chuckles. "don't let apple hear you say that."

i take her hands in mine. "how about we go get some sweets from the castle café, then come back here and just chill by the lake." i ask in an effort to cheer her up.

the smile raven gives me could light up a room. "it's scary how well you know me."

"well, what are best friends forever after for?" i laugh. "come on," i urge her, holding her hand. "there's a new fairy cake flavor i think you'll like," raven stands, and we leave the forest, leaving our fairytale troubles behind.