There is a rule about reproduction of Fairy Tale characters. Within 10 years of the Fairy Tales ending, they all must have at least one child.

The rule has its exceptions, like how princes can be allowed to marry the Fairy Tale princesses simply by submitting an application and being approved.

But generally, it is strict. When the first couple has a child, everyone else has to deliver theirs within four years- and if they're not pregnant by the third year, they will be forcibly, artificially inseminated with the sperm of the proper partner.

These children are considered highest priority and given the best health care available to anyone. The fate of the world is in their hands…

They all go to the same school, Ever After Academy. Where they learn how to reach Ever After in their own stories. General classes, and then student-specific tutoring sessions, each course is specifically created for each fairy tale character so they can be as prepared as possible for what lies ahead…

Which for some, is a comfortable palace on a hilltop with white horses and servants to do everything for you, and for others, literal death (which comes with freezing eggs/sperm).

There is one year until graduation. One year until their destinies are fulfilled.

It's the end of the summer. Time for students to register again. Time for things to fall back into the routine they had been dealing with for nine years now. Ten years to prep for your destiny. Ten years they learn to be who they're meant to be. To keep the world turning. To keep The Author happy. To ensure the safety of everyone. Some of them giving their very lives, for the sake of the lives of those around them.

People like Apple White, however, find it difficult to understand the struggle that may come with that. She is poise, happy. She gets to live her destiny by marrying a prince- the most charming of princes, Daring, and then living in her perfect castle. White horses, servants, and the adoring public absolutely in love with her. She also understands that doing this, even though she has one of the easier parts to play, is just. Law. The only way to keep everyone safe, and so she will do it with pride.

And she reminds herself that she has a part to play every single day.

Apple White is considered the perfect example- in fact, she is perfection. Long hair so blonde it's almost white, voluptuous curls, perfect, consistent eyeliner every time, and eyes so blue that the ocean itself gets jealous. She's about 5'4, walks effortlessly in heels that make her seem more 5'8, is perfectly proportioned, and has a perfectly symmetrical pale face with rosy cheeks and red lips. It's as if someone took a flawlessly crafted doll and brought it to life. 

And that's just the outside. Her mindset is ideal to be a queen- the most powerful queen. She's been groomed to be a perfect example of a royal matriarch from the inside out. She's kind, selfless, charming, and driven. Qualities passed down to her from her own mother, no doubt. 

But above all, she is smart. So when Headmaster Grimm received her request to room with Raven Queen this final year, he, of course, obliged happily, although his confusion was obvious.

But Apple White, future queen of Ever After, didn't have to explain herself.

Students aren't obligated to leave during the summer. And often, those with unfortunate relationships with their family, like Raven Queen, or no family, like Jade Dragon, stay all summer.

And sometimes they feel sort of intruded on when the princesses, the royals, the do-gooders with lovely homes come back, invading the space they had occupied themselves for the summer months.

Raven hadn't even realized it was time for the other students to come back just yet. She had enjoyed a quiet afternoon in the library, and was simply coming home to continue reading after library hours.

But she opened the door to reveal that her lovely, purple and black decorated room with lots of natural light for her plants had been halfway taken over with ridiculously expensive furniture, white, red, and gold seemed to be the theme. Her heart sank.

Her eyes narrowed, they were set aflame by her magical powers. "Apple…" She growled, looking around for her potential target.

"Why the fuck would you want to room with me a year before I try to kill you, anyway?!" She snapped at the seemingly empty room. 

And then the giggling. The senseless giggling, which always seemed to attract pesky birds, that were now pecking at her plants… A growl rose up from Raven's throat, but she calmed herself down and shooed them off, then slammed the window shut.

"Surely there's more of an explanation than giggling for this intrusion?!" She snapped.

"Sure is! Just a second!" She called from the bathroom. Raven's bathroom, where she was doing who knows what.

"You're gonna have to get your stuff outta here, your majesty, I already put in a formal request to room with Maddie. So…"

"Oh, I had that overruled." Apple explained as she stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a fluffy red towel. Overruled. Tossed out like it didn't mean anything. Raven knew all too well that Apple was the only one that mattered in the eyes of some, and unsurprisingly, Milton was one of those people.

"Cool. Throw out my final year plans, why don't you."

"I just think… we could bond, y'know? Like, yeah, we're suppose to be enemies but why don't we be friends while we have the chance? We can talk about things, like how I overheard you saying that you wished you didn't have to go through with your destiny last month at Dexter's party-"

Raven looked absolutely appalled. "You, are a selfish brat. Please revoke your request."

Apple took a deep breath, suddenly taking Raven's hands and looking up at her. Admittedly, Raven was more distracted by Apple's body and towel that was slipping slightly than anything else.

"Raven, you know that if we don't carry out The Author's stories… we could very well all die. Instantly. Be stricken down where we stand. Surely you understand this, right? That if you really don't do it, your friends could die? Everyone could die? It's not worth it. I'm here to...make sure you're not backing down from your duty."

"I don't need a babysitter, Apple. I'm well aware of the risks that would pose and I have no intention of losing my friends for my own selfish desires because contrary to what you think, I'm not actually evil. That's just the part the world wants me to play. So, please, take your skinny ass back into that office and tell them I want my roommate back. My actual friend of a roommate. I want Maddy."

Apple seemed offended, and she noticeably pouted. "Well that wasn't very nice," she said simply.

She turned on her heel, facing her dresser. Right then and there, she dropped her towel, showing off her whole backside to Raven- who hesitantly lifted her gaze. 

"Have you no boundaries at all?"

Apple began to pull on her pajamas- a short, silk nightgown. Red with gold lace, her signature colors.

"Raven, my mother suggested this. When I expressed my doubts about you she insisted I room with you- to make sure that we understand each other. That we have a common goal."

"Our goals are not anything alike." Raven snapped. "And I don't need you babysitting me, Apple. What 'doubts' could possibly constitute this?"

 Apple shook her head, and once dressed, promptly turned around and gave Raven a hug. As if nothing she said mattered, she just dropped the topic entirely.

"Let's just have a good year, okay? I really do want us to be friends."

And that was true. Apple was good-natured, she wants to be friends with everybody. Including Raven, despite the circumstances of their lives.

Maddie was almost never surprised. At least, if she was you couldn't tell because she was always excited, always spontaneous, and always bordering insanity-if not crossing that line.

So she wasn't exactly surprised to find that her roommate would be Kitty this year, instead of Raven like they intended.

Then again, though, neither was Kitty. "They just lump two Wonderlandians together so that we don't annoy anyone else, ugh," The feline rolled her eyes. "Lizzie gets out of it because she's the most 'normal'. It's so shitty." She teleported from the door over to her bed.

Maddilyn wasn't nearly so upset.

"Well, whatever the reason, rooming with you will be brilliant!" She smiled, that friendly smile she always seemed to have.

Kitty hung from her purple hammock- that seemed to hang from literally nothing, just below the ceiling. Clearly she relied on the Wonderlandian wackiness a lot. Teleportation, specifically. 

"Yes, brilliant. So long as you don't mind the occasional guest." She muttered as she rolled over, probably to get one of the many naps she seemed to be taking throughout the day- although she never really slept at night.

"I love guests!"

"The occasional guest that you leave alone, Maddie." Kitty added with a little giggle.

Maddie understood, and zipped her lips with her hand. "I gotcha."

The cafeteria was a far less friendly place for the Wonderlandians than the safety of their dorm rooms, as per the usual.

Lizzie, Kitty, and Maddilyn preferred to have breakfast together, but that proved a daily battle in the cafeteria.

"I would just say we should go get something from the bakery, but I'm fresh out of funds." Elizabeth sighed.

Kitty nodded in agreement. "There's literally not three seats together anywhere in this whole cafeteria! Most of these people aren't even eating!" She stomped her foot in protest.

Maddie was just about to say something, when a football came out of nowhere and hit her right upside the head, knocking her beanie off into the floor just a moment before she herself tumbled down.

A random prince came to collect his ball. "Might wanna stay outta the way, Hatter. I don't need my ball turning to cake today." He snapped and simply left poor Maddie on the floor, grumbling.

"Now it takes a lot to get me angry, but damn it! That kind of downright rudeness grinds my gears like a sparkin' mechanical machine! Who raises people like that?"

Raven reached a hand out to help Maddie, dragging the disheveled Hatter to her feet. "Don't worry about it, Maddie. He'll get what's coming to him. You guys can't find a seat?"

Raven didn't know Lizzie and Kitty very well. But they were friends of Maddie, and Raven liked Maddie. She didn't much like anyone else, so Maddie's friends did hold some value in her eyes.

"Positively negative!" Maddie cried out. "Oh, Raven, do you think you can help?"

Raven simply nodded. Lizzie and Kitty flinched, expecting some sort of spell. But instead… Raven simply sat her tray on a table. "Boo," she said simply with a smirk, and the gaggle of randoms scattered, shrieking to the heavens phrases like, 'Its Raven Queen!' 'Run!' 'I'm too young to die!'

Raven wasn't really a violent person usually. But because of her mother's rampage ten years ago, and, honestly, because of her last name in general, people always assumed she was evil, murderous, and crazy. Truthfully, she was only one of those things.

The Wonderlandians took a seat around them, although Lizzie was notably a little hesitant.

"Thank you, Raven." She spoke suddenly, in a tone that made it almost sounds not thankful at all.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Problem, Lizzie?" She asked, and, in her true doesn't-give-a-fuck nature, shoveled a fork of something into her mouth.

"Not a problem, simply a curiosity, Raven… I have heard a lot of things about you."

"Yeah. Could've guessed. Whatdya hear that's got you all twisted up? That I don't wanna sign the Storybook?"

"No, I haven't heard anything like that. And, frankly, I'm more concerned with the rumor… that you can free my subjects from your mother's curse."