by Shannon Hale
And so did Ever After High.
As she signed her page, the audience’s cheers filled her like sand in a jar. She couldn’t see a blasted thing without her glasses, but she imagined the entire crowd smiling up at her, adoration in their eyes. The sound softened that small worry about Raven. All would work out for the best. After all, that’s how the story was written.
RAVEN PLODDED UP THE PEDESTAL’S STAIRS. She wanted to trust what Giles Grimm had claimed (in Riddlish), but could she? Was the risk too great? Was a story more important than any one person?
Raven kept climbing.
Across from Raven on the stairway going down, Ashlynn looked as if she’d swallowed a pumpkin whole. Regret seemed to stream from her in dark streaks. She gazed at Hunter, who waited his turn behind Raven, her chin quivering, her eyes full of perfect princess tears.
Ashlynn and Hunter. Secretly, helplessly in love.
Raven shook her head. This was cruel! Requiring teenagers to give up on their own dreams, to condemn them to the same lives as their parents. Even trapping them in the good stories was unkind. What kind of a life had no choices?
Raven felt her mother’s cape billow around her with each step, and she imagined her own mother walking up these steps years ago. Had she been hesitant to become the Evil Queen, too? Even if she had, she’d signed the Storybook of Legends anyway. Raven had seen her signature in the Storybook of Legends that day in Grimm’s office.
Wait! Her mother had signed to be the Evil Queen in the Snow White story. So when she’d gone off script and tried to take over other stories, the binding magic of the book should have stopped her. But it didn’t. There was proof that the Storybook of Legends worked differently from what Milton Grimm had said.
It was a hoax, Giles Grimm had said.
Raven looked at Milton Grimm sitting in the front row, arms folded, so smug with his absolute control.
Apple was waving to the audience, who were still on their feet, cheering for her. Raven made the short but surprisingly difficult trip up the last two stairs to the top of the pedestal.
“I’m so proud of you,” Apple said, squeezing Raven’s hand before moving away from the podium.
Raven sighed and stepped up to the podium. The cheers died as if someone had flipped the off switch. She’d never felt so watched. Her feet felt like blocks of ice.
“I am Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen.” Her voice reverberated against the stone castle. “And I pledge—I pledge—”
Apple was gazing up at her, full of confidence and friendly adoration. Everything would be so much easier if she just went along with what Apple wanted, what Headmaster Grimm wanted. Just played her part.
Raven gulped. She took a steadying breath.
“I am Raven Queen, and I am ready to pledge my destiny.”
In the air before her, a key appeared. Gunmetal gray and bruise purple. She took it from the air and felt the cold of the metal burn her fingers. She slid it into the keyhole and turned.
The book lunged open to the page bearing her name, but now it was illustrated with a picture of herself as she appeared even then on Legacy Day.
The picture animated. Raven saw herself gazing into a mirror, nothing so important in the world as her own face, her own singular beauty. As her mother used to do. Fast-forward to a castle, mirrors, magic spells, a poisoned apple, Apple biting, her face even paler and her lips blue, weeping dwarves, and Raven herself laughing, laughing, as if it were all a hilarious joke.
Apparently, her destiny was no longer just the Snow White story, because the book showed Raven overreaching, just as her mother had. Raven pushed aside the Bad Fairy in Sleeping Beauty’s story to show her how it’s done. Nevermore became a terrifying dragon at her command, and together they attacked the young prince who tried to break into the sleeping castle. The rush of power she felt was intoxicating. She reached into more stories, trying to destroy more lives, to enslave as many people as she could, so they could hurt as much as she did. If Raven couldn’t have freedom, then no one should!
Raven looked up from the book to the small mirror suspended before the podium. She saw her reflection, eyes uncertain and afraid, begin to change. Now her reflection was a picture of herself many years older, her eyes full of hate. She looked beautiful and so much like her mother she got chills.
That’s not who I want to be, Raven thought. That’s not who I am.
Anger boiled up in Raven. She didn’t like feeling trapped, as when her mother used to lock her in her room as punishment for being kind. Grimm was just like her own mother, trying to force her to be evil. There had to be a better way.
Raven looked at Ashlynn again, chin quivering. And Hunter, who stood stiffly on the stairs below, waiting for his turn to condemn himself to a story in which his love for Ashlynn was forbidden. And Cerise, hunched over, whatever she was hiding making her an outcast in this world of perfection and destiny.
Raven’s eyes lingered on Maddie for confidence. Maddie gave her a huge smile and a thumbs-up. Earl Grey, the dormouse, sat up on her shoulder and waved.
Raven put her shoulders back and lifted her chin—the proper Legacy Day posture, just as Headmaster Grimm had taught. She felt a kind of confidence she’d never known—not like the Evil Queen confidence of a dark sorceress backed by her minion army. No, it was a Raven Queen kind of confidence—a girl who suddenly knew that the choice she was about to make was the right one. After all, she realized, choice itself was the most powerful kind of magic.
“I am Raven Queen, and I will write my own destiny. My Happily Ever After starts now!”
With the pen she crossed out her page, two thick, inky strokes. And for good measure, she ripped the page free. The tearing of paper sounded like a new beginning.
RAVEN TORE OUT HER PAGE WITH A SOUND of all hope and light vanishing. With the rip, magic exploded out from the book in a burst of hot yellow sparks. The projection mirrors shattered, silvery glass shards exploding over the edge of the terrace. The wall of Night Briars crumbled and fell, and sunlight poured in.
And Apple screamed.
All over the terrace, princesses were screaming and pinching themselves to make sure they were still there. Princess Darling Charming fainted and was caught by no fewer than twelve ready boys, who began to kick one another’s shins to try to get the others to let go.
“I’ve got her!”
“No, I’ve got her!”
Apple stopped screaming but couldn’t stop shaking. She stared at her hands, waiting to see them disappear. Her story depended on Raven becoming the Evil Queen. Her life depended on her story being told. Yet Raven had refused. And torn her page! There was no going back, no hope, no story, no… no Snow White? No Apple White? Never after again?
Panic rose up inside Apple’s chest, choking her. Was she dying? Was she already dead?
“Daring!” she yelled, shaking him. “Daring, you have to save me! You have to save everyone! You’re a prince! It’s what you do!”
“What?” Daring drew his sword, unsure. Apple had never seen him unsure before. “What’s happening? Should I fight Raven?”
More screaming.
“We’re all dead! We’re all going to die!”
“She tore the book!”
“She tore our destinies!”
Daring started toward the pedestal, where Raven still stood, the torn page in her hand, shattered mirrors raining glass behind her. She looked not like an Evil Queen just then—not scary and mean and proud. She did look a little afraid, but also… also relieved. And confident. Brave, even. Like a hero at the end of a quest.
No, more than that, Apple thought. Raven looked like a queen.
Apple’s chin trembled. By refusing to be evil, Raven had committed the greatest evil of all time.
“I didn’t disappear,” Raven said, hugging herself as if to make sure. She looked at Headmaster Grimm. “You lied! I didn’t disappear!”
Daring was climbing the stairs, his sword in his hand.
&
nbsp; “Wait!” Apple went after him, pulling on his jacket. “Stop, Daring. You can’t fight her!”
“What do I do now, Raven?” asked Hunter, next in line.
“I don’t know,” said Raven. “Do whatever you need to do. Sign if you want. Or don’t.”
“But… but…” Hunter looked at Ashlynn, who was freely crying, then at Apple, the princess he was supposed to help in his destined story.
“I’m sorry,” said Raven. She faced the muddle of second-year students, who had been waiting for their turn to sign. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I just couldn’t do it for myself. But if you don’t want to sign, I don’t think you have to. Nobody poofed! We can choose for ourselves!”
“No!” said Apple, hurrying back up the steps. “Don’t listen to her! She destroyed my story, but she can’t be allowed to destroy yours, too! You must sign—all of you must sign!” Apple was sobbing. She reached the final step and pushed Raven aside, leaning over the podium to call out at the audience. “Please don’t throw away the stories! Don’t turn your backs on your destinies! She’s wrong.”
“But Apple—” Raven started.
“That is enough!” Milton Grimm, who had been frozen in a kind of shocked stupor, now shook himself to anger. He stomped up the pedestal and seized the Storybook of Legends, holding it tight to his chest. “Never in all my decades have I witnessed such callous, such wanton, such vile behavior! Clearly this class isn’t ready to make intelligent choices, so you lose your choice altogether! Legacy Day is canceled!”
The headmaster, hugging the book, hurried down the steps and ran back inside the castle, the faculty following him.
Chaos erupted anew. Some wails of disappointment turned to anger. But Apple was surprised to hear amid the ruckus some cheers growing. Cheers of relief.
Apple turned to Raven, her cheeks flushed a Red Delicious hue. “How could you be so selfish? If you don’t take your part in the story, you’re stealing my Happily Ever After. You’re hurting everyone!”
The screams of terror built and built till Apple could no longer hear her own worried breathing. Raven covered her ears.
Raven faced the audience and thrust out her hands. “Hold everything!”
There was a burst of blue.
The next thing Apple knew, warm tingles skated down her limbs. Raven had frozen everyone on the terrace, unfreezing Apple alone.
“I didn’t know I could do that,” Raven whispered, looking at her hands.
“Raven…” Apple could barely speak.
“I’m sorry, Apple, but I don’t want anyone to tell me who I have to be. I want to figure that out on my own. And look—if I didn’t poof, then no one will, right? I think we can all choose our own destiny. Including you.”
“I liked the destiny I had! But because of you, now it might not happen. And… think? You were willing to risk your life, mine, everyone’s, on what you think? Well, I think you’re wrong. And I’m… I’m scared, Raven.…” Apple’s sobs drowned out her words.
“So am I. But, Apple, this could be really great. Choice means you can still choose to be Snow White. What did you tell me once? The story will work itself out.” Raven held out her hand. “Let’s see what happens next. Together? Please?”
Apple shivered. Raven wasn’t just asking her to come along on a quick journey over marshes and goblin-infested cliffs. That quest had only taken two days. Raven was asking Apple to give up all known paths forever after. To lose everything that was known and safe. To spend her entire life on unfamiliar paths and wind-beaten cliffs. Every day uncertain, dangerous, treading water in a well with no guarantee of a Happily Ever After.
Raven was asking too much.
“What you did, Raven… I can’t even look at you.…”
Apple turned and ran.
She couldn’t go to her room. Raven might go there. She thought of running to the Enchanted Forest. But sorrow and uncertainty exhausted her. She barely managed to climb the stairs to the dorms and shuffled into Briar’s room. She felt confident Briar would look for her there as soon as Raven unfroze everyone.
Though maybe Raven wouldn’t unfreeze them, since she was apparently evil now. Though not evil in the way she was supposed to be evil.
The first one to find her was Gala.
The snow fox must have left the Enchanted Forest the moment Raven didn’t sign, zipping straight to Apple. Could the creature sense her distress from afar? Gala leaped into her arms and snuggled against her neck. Apple sighed. “Here she is!” Briar shouted from the doorway. “I’ve found her!”
Briar grabbed Apple and gave her several tight squeezes. “We thought you’d poofed because Raven destroyed your story! You were there one second and gone the next. Maddie said Raven froze us and you left while we were frozen, but who can believe anything Maddie says? Oh, Apple, I’m so sorry!”
And then Briar’s room was filled with people.
“I’ve got you!” Daring said heroically, picking Apple up.
“I didn’t faint, Daring,” Apple protested. “You can put me down.”
“I’ve got her!” Daring shouted. “I’ve saved her!”
Daring placed her on a chaise lounge.
“That was a grotesque display by Raven Queen!” said Duchess.
“Not just right,” said Blondie. “Not just right at all.”
“Raven Queen destroyed Legacy Day,” said Daring. “Well, at least I was able to sign.”
“Off with their heads!” Lizzie Hearts shouted, red-faced and stomping. “Off with all their heads!”
Apple supposed it was a good thing that Lizzie Hearts didn’t have any minions to carry out her orders or there would be daily beheadings.
“Did you hear the cheers?” Briar asked. “Actual cheers! I didn’t know there were so many rebels at Ever After High. I… I…” Briar’s eyes closed. Daring caught her before she hit the floor in a sudden nap. He placed her on another chaise lounge. There was no shortage of chaise lounges in Briar’s room.
“Those rebels!”
“They ruined everything!”
“Our Legacy Day stolen!”
“Will the dance be canceled, too?”
“We need to do something!”
“Enough with the huffing and puffing,” Apple said, straightening up. She had to stop moping. This was just the sort of calamity that a queen should be able to handle. “What happened was terrible, but Headmaster Grimm… well, he’s Headmaster Grimm. And he’ll take care of it. Everything will be Happy Ever After.”
At her words, the yells softened into mumbles. Apple smiled. But it wasn’t a real smile. Could Headmaster Grimm really fix everything? When he ran off with the Storybook of Legends, Apple thought he’d looked afraid.
Daring was going on about how since he’d signed, his story was safe. But how could there be a story without an antagonist? Without the Evil Queen chasing her away, Snow White would never leave her castle for the forest, meet the dwarves, eat poisoned fruit, and wake to her prince.
And now Legacy Day was canceled for all of the rest of the students. The entire future of Ever After was uncertain. Apple just couldn’t believe that Raven was capable of being so selfish.
Briar snorted and sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Was that all a bad dream?”
“No,” said Duchess. “Everything is still a big, bad mess.”
“I don’t understand,” said Blondie. “How could she? We’ve all dreamed and waited for this day for so long.…”
Briar stood, stretching. “Well, Raven and her rebel friends may have destroyed our Legacy Day, but I refuse to let them ruin our Legacy Day dance. My planning committee worked too hard.” She slid her crownglasses down from her head onto her nose. “We royals never abandon a party. We’ll nobly see it through!”
RAVEN WAS ENJOYING THE SILENCE. Hundreds of audience members frozen, some on their feet, pointing at her, their faces in midshout. Others sitting back, confused. A few with expressions of surprise or even gratitude. And there was Madd
ie, smiling up at her.
Raven sent a yellow ray of magic, and Maddie moved.
“Wow!” said Maddie. “One of your spells finally worked properly!”
Raven felt an unexpected smile on her lips. “I know.… It feels good.”
Maddie hopped up the steps and stood beside Raven, looking out at the wild statues of the audience.
“You were very brave today. I’m feeling so smart for choosing you to be my friend.”
“Thanks, Maddie.”
“Sooo… you gonna unfreeze everyone?”
“I guess I’ll have to,” said Raven. “Eventually. Things are going to get even crazier now, aren’t they?”
“Sure as a pickle in a hat!” said Maddie. “But it’ll work out. Stories always do. And you know which stories I like best? The new ones, the funny ones, the unexpected ones where I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I can’t wait to turn the page and find out.”
“Yeah,” said Raven. “Wouldn’t it be awesome if our lives could be like those kinds of stories?”
Maddie gave Raven a hug.
And with that, Raven thought she was ready to face the consequences.
But with the unfreezing came the continued shouting. So much shouting. And anger and fear. And it was all her fault. Was this what it felt like to be the Evil Queen?
No one seemed to notice when Raven cast a Dark Mist Spell. She meant to just try to sneak away. After all, Baba Yaga might be waiting nearby with a spray bottle. But naturally the spell backfired and sent Raven catapulting into the air. She screamed, feeling sympathy for Dexter’s cabbages.
She seemed to go up, up, up for a long time, but the up part couldn’t last forever. She was so high now, the crowd on the terrace was just a brown blur. Her rise slowed, then stopped. And then began the down part. Down, down, down—
Huge claws seized the silver collar of her cape. Wings beat as she rose.
“Nevermore, you scaly angel!” said Raven.
Nevermore cooed, sounding like a monstrous dove.