You huffed as you continued up the rather large hill covered in pink grass. The signs in the trees were pointing every way, except for the way you needed to go. Or, at least, to where you think you needed to go. The armor you wore, though only pieces, was starting to feel heavier with every step you took. The sword that the Queen of Hearts gave you still hung from your belt.
It was funny how time seemed to work in Wonderland. You've been here for nearly a week already, but it has felt like forever. A week since you left London, a week since the disrupted tournament, a week since you left to find the Vorpal Blade.
You were still looking for a way to not only get back to Ever After, but to be able to find a way to defeat your brother. You just hoped that he wasn't doing too much damage. And if he as so much as laid a finger in one of your friends or Ruby, you would make sure to put that Vorpal Blade to good use.
You had to stop your thoughts. Take a deep breath. Ever since you had talked to Mr. Badwolf about your quest for vengeance, you had found yourself thinking more deeply in what you wanted. You were so willing to throw everything away just for a hollow scope of what was once a kingdom.
And after speaking to Susan, you found yourself understanding that things just weren't always meant to last. Kingdoms rise and fall. Should you really lose everything for a slim chance to try and rebuild something that had no chance to be rebuild?
And as for Oswalt, could you really blame him for his anger? It was partly your fault for keeping him locked inside for so long. He knew nothing but anger and rage. He didn't get to meet and bond with the people you did. He never got the help that you both clearly needed.
You let out a sigh before coming to a stop. You took a deep breath and began to stretch to try and ease your pain. However, when you did, you heard a strange sound.
Blooooooooo!!!
You nearly jumped at the sudden loud noise. You looked around confused before you noticed a trail of steam appearing from over some tree tops. Confused, you decided to investigate.
You walked through the forest for a moment before coming across a clearing. There, you found a small wooden platform where animal folk were waiting in a short line. They were waiting to get onto a train.
Y/N: What the hex?
What was a train doing here in Wonderland?
You decided to give it a go. It would probably be better to use it to get to where you needed to go. Plus, it would be a good chance to rest.
You approached the platform and waited for your turn. When you reached the front of the line, the moose(?) stopped you.
Moose: Ticket, sir.
Y/N: Ticket?
You suddenly realized that you didn't even have any money on you. You quickly patted yourself down but you were out of luck.
Y/N: Crap crap crap.
The Moose just watched as you began to panic. Then, he noticed the crest on your armor. His eyes grew wide as he cleared his throat.
Moose: M-My Knave! I did not notice you. My apologies.
He stepped out of the way and bowed.
Moose: Please, forgive me, sir.
Knave? Oh, right. The Queen of Hearts made you her Knave. Did that actually grant you power here?
You decided not to look the gift horse, or Moose, in the mouth. Besides, that would be very rude.
Y/N: Of course. No harm done.
You nodded to the Moose and stepped onto the train. You looked around the cart for a moment before turning left to find a cabin that was free. After the fourth or fifth door, you found an open seat.
You looked to the other passenger there to see it was a rabbit. One with disheveled clothing and a twitchy eye. He looked utterly mad.
Y/N: Uh, excuse me, sir.....
Hare: You may be excused, as long as you do not abuse!
You mentally sighed. How was it that the Wonderlandians that you knew were somehow more sane? Maybe Wonderland really did have some kind of influence to a person.
Y/N: Thanks.
You walked over to the open seat and set your bag down. You then took a seat and let out a sigh of relief. It felt nice to rest your body for a while. You reached up and started to take off the pieces of armor to enjoy your break in full.
Hare: Ozzian in Wonderland? Oh, that hasn't happened in....
The Hare counted on his fingers.
Hare: Since I couldn't remember!
You looked at him oddly.
Y/N: You can tell that I'm an Ozzian? How?
Hare: I can smell ya!
Of course. You took off the last of the armor and set it down beside you.
Hare: And that's the Knave's armor! That means....you are the new Knave~ And I know what happened to the old one~
You think you did as well, but you didn't want to think about it.
Hare: And what's this I smell?
The Hare began to sniff the air before be dropped to the floor and began to sniff up your boot. You pushed him off of you before he suddenly grabbed your shoulders and took a big sniff of your hair.
Y/N: H-Hey!
The Hare let go and sat back down before tapping his chin. He then licked his lips before he snapped his fingers.
Hare: Why, that's the scent of Lizzie Hearts! The princess!
He could smell Lizzie on you? You suddenly found your cheeks getting hotter. Did you really spend so much time with her that he could smell her? No, he had to be talling crazy. He was crazy!
Hare: That's what you think! And you'll be right to assume as such! Cause I am!
The Hare began to laugh loudly. You were regretting taking this seat.
Hare: Say, I have an idea!
Y/N: Really, now?
Hare: Yes!
You looked out the window to see that the train was now departing. Your trip would be long, so maybe some entertainment would do you some good. Besides, you had just spent a week without any interaction outside of some poorly painted signs.
Y/N: Alright. I'm game.
Hare: No you're not! You're Ozzian!
You sighed.
Hare: A tale for a tale!
You just stared at him.
Hare: I shall tell you a tale and you tell me a tale of your own!
Y/N: Wait, how many tales would you have?
Hare: I have many! I'm the March Hare, after all!
The March Hare? He was the Mad Hatter's friend. What was he doing on a train? And why was he so interested in your childhood? You were a stranger to him.
Hare: What do you say, Ozzian? Deal for a deal?
You scratched your arm before you shrugged.
Y/N: Sure. Why the hex not?
The Hare began to clap and bounce on his seat.
Hare: What joy! What joy! Now, what tale do you have to tell me?
You thought about it before you came up with one.
Y/N: Alright. I got one.
Our story begins two months into your time at Ever After High. You were still bright eyed and focused. Your ring was left untouched. You had reached your locker and opened it to put your things away.
Briar: The MirrorNet! It's down!
You lifted your head in confusion. You closed your locker to find Briar, Cedar, and Ashlynn gathered around you.
Y/N: Uh, what?
Cedar: I can't update my MyChapter page!
Ashlynn: I can't share the cute shoes I found online!
Briar: I can't tell everyone about the hexcellent band that'll be playing at the Red Shoe Dance Club tonight.
You just stood there with a blank look. You had just gotten used to using a MirrorPhone. What did they want you to do about it?
Luckily, help came when Raven walked by and peeked over Briar's shoulder.
Raven: Or...you can just do those things by talking to each other.
Y/N: Yeah. I don't see what the big deal is.
Apple: Except that Professor Rumpelstiltskin's online only test is due by sunset today!
Raven: Oh, I forgot about that. Okay, let's panic.
Everyone looked to you. You just shrugged.
Y/N: Why the hex not?
All: AHHHHHH!
You all began to run around frantically in a panic.
-------------
Dexter pulled down on the screen to try and refresh the page, but all he was getting was that acursed spinning ring.
You ended up going to find the one person you knew that was good at this techy stuff. Everyone had gathered in the tech lab to try and figure out what was going on.
Dexter: It looks like someone is hogging all the bandwidth.
Ruby: We need to find out who.
Your sister turned to a ladder where Humphrey was fixing some wires.
Ruby: Humphrey, you stay here and work out these cables while we search the school.
Humphrey: Sure. Leave it to Humphrey Dumpty to put it all back together again.
You nodded and you all headed out to find out who was causing this disturbance. As soon as you all left the room, the ladder began to wabble.
Humphrey: Whoa, whoa!
Humphrey then came crashing down. He groaned in pain, but no one was there to help him.
-----------
Daring: 933, 934....
You found Daring Charming sitting on the steps in front of the school. With his MirrorPad. You and Dexter approached him to see that his Network connection was still active.
Dexter: Daring, are you using the MirrorNet?
Daring: I sure am! I'm uploading a couple thousand high-res pics from my latest photo shoot.
You snatched his tablet, disconnected it, broke it over your knee, and threw it into the fountain. Daring dropped to his knees and cried out to the sky.
Daring: NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Dexter turned to you.
Dexter: You know, all we needed to do was just turn it off.
Y/N: I'm well aware.
------------
Ruby, Raven, and Apple raced into the room of one Melody Piper, the daughter of the Pied Piper. She had her headphones on and was nodding along with the music that was playing.
Ruby: Melody!
Melody looked up.
Ruby: Are you downloading any large files from the MirrorNet?
Melody: Just ever single remix in...
Raven reached over and turned her device off. The three then raced off.
Melody: Hey!
-----------
Blondie was watching her newest addition of "Just Right" upload before it suddenly shut down. Not just her MirrorPad, but the large screen and all the computers in the studio.
Blondie: Ah, Ah, Ah?!
She looked over as you stood up, holding the plug.
Y/N: Stop using my sister as an unpaid intern!
You dropped the plug and ran off before she could say anything. Blondie placed her fists on her hips with a pout.
Blondie: That is so not just right!
------------
Briar: The MirrorNet is still as slow as a troll.
Apple: And we only have 2 hours to do our online test!
Yeah, turns out the problem wasn't other people's devices. And the solution wasn't to completely uproot their plans. Who knew?
Dexter: There's only one thing left to do.
Y/N: Go back to the olden days and do everything on paper?
Everyone looked at you. You lowered your head.
Y/N: I'm not good with technology.
Apple placed a friendly hand on your shoulder.
Ruby: We need to go to the heart of the MirrorNet! The MirrorTower!
You all looked over to said tower which was where the source of the MirrorNet. All signal came from it. And so, you all marched up to it.
Y/N: So, when we find the source of the problem, what do we do?
Dexter: We fix it, of course.
Y/N: Well, yeah, but how? I mean, it's the MirrorNet. Do you even know how to fix that kind of thing?
Dexter: I might. Maybe.
He thought about it.
Dexter: We'll see.
You reached the top of the tower and immediately found the source of the issues. One Professor Rumpelstiltskin.
The little jerk was ripping the wiring out of the main server. He was laughing as he did.
All: Professor Rumpelstiltskin?!
Rumpelstiltskin: Hahaha!
You face palmed.
Y/N: Let me guess, you did this so no one would be able to take the test.
Briar: So you can give us all detention and have us...
Rumpelstiltskin: Spin my straw into gold!
Cedar: That's not gonna happen now that we know your secret.
Ashlynn: A tale that I'm sure the Headmaster would love to be told?
Rumpelstiltskin: Ah!
Briar: What do you say that you cancel the test?
The teacher hesitated to answer. Finally, he growled and stomped.
Rumpelstiltskin: Fine!
Apple: And I think that it's only Fairest that he fix the problem he caused.
You all stared him down. The teacher growled and instead grabbed the wires he was testing out and began to place them together, getting shocked in the process.
--------------
You smiled fondly as you finished your story. It was stupid, and it wasn't a good one, but you found yourself missing when things were easier. You spent the entire day running around with your friends trying to fix a problem.
Hare: The teacher?! Fascinating!
The Hare began to laugh at the idea.
Hare: Oh! Oh! My turn! Let's see here. What tale to tell.....
He thought about it before he leaped up.
Hare: I have one!
You chuckled.
Y/N: Alright. Let's hear it.
-----------
Once upon a time, there were two sisters. One was so good and kind that butterflies were drawn to her. They perched on her fingers, touched her gently with their noses, and slept in her hair like jeweled pins. Although she was good-hearted, her hair was dull and colorless, her cheeks without blush, her lips thin and sad. Her teeth pushed out and were as crooked as tumbledown fence posts.
Her sister, on the other hand, was as beautiful as a starry night. Her hair was deep black, her eyes twinkly, her teeth white behind her full-lipped smile. And yet she was so selfish and vain that wasps and flies were drawn to her. They buzzed around her head, landing in her hair to try to make their nests.
One morning their mother sent them to the well in the woods to fetch water. As they walked, the beautiful sister swatted at the bugs around her head.
Beautiful: Shoo! Shoo, you wretched things!
The flies and wasps just kept buzzing.
Beautiful: I’ll show you.
She climbed up the side of the well and put one foot in the bucket, holding on to the rope.
Beautiful: Be useful for once and lower me down. Make sure my head goes under, but then bring me back up quickly or I’ll make you pay for my discomfort.
Ugly: As you ask, sister dear.
She lowered the bucket down. When the beautiful sister’s head went under the water, the wasps and flies flew away.
The ugly girl quickly pulled her sister back up. Her sister was much heavier than a bucket of water, and the rope hurt the girl’s hands, but she didn’t complain. She put out her hand and helped her beautiful sister out. But as soon as she was standing again, the beautiful sister shoved her away.
Beautiful: That was too slow!
She shivered. The buzzing insects were gone at last, but she was soaked and freezing.
Beautiful: Now it is your turn. I won’t be the only one wet and cold.
Ugly: But I don’t want to.
She held a hand to her head. Butterflies with furled wings clung to her hair, fast asleep.
Beautiful: Get in!
She started pushing her toward the well.
The ugly sister was scared, but she climbed over the well’s edge and put her foot in the bucket.
The beautiful sister lowered the ugly sister into the water.
The ugly sister kept her head up, straining to keep the butterflies above water.
Ugly: That’s far enough, I’m all wet and cold now. You can bring me up.
Water rose to her chin.
Beautiful: All right, all right, you can stop yammering on.
She started to pull on the rope.
But she glanced down and saw her shadow lying on the forest floor. How sleek her neck! How fine her shoulders! How lovely her head without those wasps and flies flitting around. She raised her hands to smooth her hair and let go of the rope. She heard her sister cry out but was too interested in her silhouette to bother helping.
In the well, the ugly sister began to sink. She sank deeper and deeper into the cold water, the smooth sides of the well rushing past her fingers. She called out for her sister, but she heard no answer.
Her tears mixed with the well water. The butterflies drank it. And there, at the bottom of the well, a brilliant light flared. And another, and another, pink and white and blue, green and orange, dazzling shapes fluttering and flaring in the watery darkness. The wet butterflies, given power by the kind girl’s tears, were glowing like fireflies and swimming like fish. The ugly sister drew courage from their light and swam, too. Together they fought their way up out of the well.
The ugly sister managed to seize the stones of the well and climb up the side. The glowing butterflies gripped her sleeves, helping to lift her over the side, and at last she put her feet down on the forest floor.
The beautiful sister forgot her shadow and looked up. The light from the butterflies became hotter and brighter. She shielded her eyes. There was a flash that knocked the selfish girl onto the ground.
When she could see again, her sister stood before her. Her hair was now the color of summer poppies, her eyes a brilliant leaf green, her cheeks pink as roses, her lips red as a hibiscus bloom. Her smile was breathtaking. She was as beautiful as she was kind.
Ugly: Oh no! What happened to you?
The selfish sister’s hands rose to her face. She raced to the well and looked at her reflection. All the shine and straightness was gone from her features. She was as unsightly now as her heart was unkind.
And from the depths of the well rose a swarm of flies and wasps, very angry and louder than ever. The selfish sister ran and ran, through the woods and far away, but she could never escape that buzzing again.
The kind sister returned home with a bucket of water for her mother.
Ugly: Look what happened to my face.
Her mother squinted.
Mother: What? You look the same to me as always.
The kind sister kissed her mother’s cheek, and they lived happily together for the rest of their days.
-----------
Y/N: So, the Beautiful sister was about to let her die? That's horrible.
Hare: Indeed!
You scratched your head in confusion. Where you supposed to learn a lesson or something there?
Hare: Oh, what joy! But you look tired, my green friend! You should rest!
You smiled. He was right. You should get some shut eye.
Y/N: Yeah, that's a good idea.
You made yourself comfortable on the seat while the March Hare brought out a tea cup and began to drink from it. You used your bag as a makeshift pillow and used your coat as a blanket.
You closed your eyes and found yourself slowly drifting off to sleep. You had been more tired than you originally thought.
Sleep would do you good.
Dad: Hello, Y/N.
The End Is Just The Beginning......