Part 4 (2/2)
aNope,a said Briar, fiddling with some new kind of belt. aI already visited all the fairytale characters who sleep through part of their storya”your mom, my mom, my grandma, Rip Van Winkle. The last three dozed off after two minutes flat, so I had the rest of the afternoon free to practice for the HeXtreme Games!a Apple was about to ask what the HeXtreme Games were, but she was distracted by Briaras belt. It was hot pink, strappy, and buckled not only around her waist but over her shoulders and between her legs. Apple thought it made her skirt bunch up weirdly, but Briar was always on the cusp of new trends, so Apple trusted it was completely fas.h.i.+onable.
aHow was your day? Tell me everything!a said Briar.
aWell, I donat want to complain,a Apple began.
aOh, go ahead and complain. Thatas why you have a best friend forever after.a aWell, I visited a bunch of royalty, searching for answers about how to lead the students of Ever After High through this crisis, but it turns out no one has really faced an unscripted crisis of their own.a aUh-huh,a said Briar, strapping one of those odd belts around Apple now.
aThe only real crises were the ones in their stories, and the stories told them how to get out of it. And their subjects never rose up against them, because that wasnat part of the story. But since Raven broke everything on Legacy Day, we donat have the safety of our destinies anymore. Anything could happen, and no one knows what to do about it.a aRight,a said Briar, buckling the bits over Appleas shoulders.
aSo I went to ask my momas advice, but she said, aKeep smiling and make eye contact,a as if thatas the answer to everything.a aTotally disenchanting,a Briar said, running the belt beneath Apple and up her back.
aAnd so I just feela like a damsel in distress.a Apple stuck out her bottom lip and blew a lock of hair out of her eyes.
Briar held on to Appleas shoulders and stared at her with intense brown eyes. aEverything will work out Happily Ever After. Youave always believed that. Just believe.a Apple wanted to believe, but she was distracted by that lone tree. Broad, bright green leaves, thick green trunk. Now that Apple thought about it, it wasnat a tree at all so much as the top ofa Apple grabbed the belt thingy at her waist. No. No, it couldnat be.
aBriaraa said Apple. aWhere are we?a Apple heard a click behind her as Briar snapped a bra.s.s hook to the back of her belt thingy.
aNo,a said Apple, trying to struggle out of the belt that she now realized wasnat a belt at all. aNo, no, no, not againaa She spotted the stretchy, bungee vine leading from the hook on the back of her harness, along the cloudy ground, and back to the top of the tree/beanstalk.
aNo,a Apple said, but she could manage only a whisper.
aCome on,a said Briar. aOne bungee jump and youall forget to be blue!a Briar grabbed Appleas hand, ran, and leaped through a hole in the clouds, tugging Apple after her.
And suddenly Apple was falling, the clouds left up above her, the Beanstalk a rush of bright green beside her, the wind a slap against her face.
aHextreeeeeme!a cried Briar.
aAaaaaaahhhh!!!a screamed Apple.
BANISH HER! BANISH HER!a The words struck out from both the Hood clan and the Wolf clan like thrown stones.
Raven felt sick. Banishment was the most severe punishment in all of Ever After. Banishment meant Cerise could never again go home to Hood Hollow. Her family could live elsewhere, but all fairytale characters were magically tied to their setting. Raven just didnat feel right whenever she was away from Queen Castle for too long. Losing home forever? It was unthinkable! Even beneath Maddieas constant amus.e.m.e.nt and merriment ran a quiet sadness that she was lost from her setting, unable to go home to Wonderland.
aNo, no, no!a Red Riding Hood ran onto the bridge, eyes thick with tears, but voice confident. aNo! Banishment must be a unanimous vote, and as a member of the Hood clan, I will never vote for it!a An old woman in a long nightgown, lacy nightcap, and spectacles raised her wrinkled hand. The crowds quieted for whom Raven guessed could only be Grandma. The Grandma.
aItas true enough, what Red says,a said Grandma, offering Cerise a sad smile. aAnd I donat like the thought of banis.h.i.+ng a member of my own family. But no denying this is serious business. The Evil Queen went off scripta”and look what happened there.a As one, the entire Hood and Wolf clans shuddered.
aNo, sir and maaam, no good comes from going off script,a said Grandma. aThis isnat Ceriseas fault, but the laws are clear. She is the result of her parentsa abandoning their destiny, and if the people vote her out, she cannot remain.a aButa”a Red started.
Grandma raised her hand again. aBut banishment is also serious business. What do you say, Cried Wolf?a she asked, turning to the wolf-were. aHow about we settle the dispute with a good old-fas.h.i.+oned Basket Run trial?a Cried Wolf growled but nodded. aThe winner will decide Ceriseas fate.a aA basket what?a Raven whispered.
aAll right, people and canines, you know the rules,a said Grandma. aWe start at the village, go down the forest path, and end at my house. The first Hood to cross the finish vine still holding a basket wins. If no basketed Hood manages to finish, then whichever Wolf s.n.a.t.c.hes the most baskets wins. The winner decides the fate of our young Cerise.a Grandma looked at Cerise and clucked, shaking her head. aDoesnat seem right to banish one so young, but there are laws to uphold.a She said it as if Ceriseas fate were already determined, and Raven supposed it was. Looking over the scowling faces, Raven had no doubt that whoever wona”Hood or Wolfa”would vote to banish Cerise.
Unless Red won the race. The odds werenat in her favor, thougha”there were a dozen Wolfs and a hundred other Hoods.
The Hoods began stretching their hamstrings, jogging in place. Some Wolfs shot up into human-ish form, others staying canines, pacing back and forth.
aHext your father,a Red whispered to Cerise. aHe has a better chance of winning than I do.a aThe game begins as soon as I give the signal from my watchtower,a Grandma declared.
Cerise was tapping on her MirrorPhone. aWaita”!a aWe have to move fast, dearie,a Grandma said to Cerise, and then, leaning in, whispered, abefore things really turn big bad.a She started to walk. aEach team, pick a coach to join me in the watchtower.a The elderly Brother Hood and white-haired Cranky Wolf volunteered.
aI want to compete, too!a Cerise said, still quickly typing on her phone. aI want a say in my own fate.a aYou donat fit on either team, dearie,a said Grandma.
aThen Iall be my own team,a said Cerise. aAnd Raven Queen will represent me in the tower.a Grandma and the two coaches huddled in conference. The Wolf and the Hood were shouting, angry, but Raven heard Grandma say, aNothing in the rules specifically against it. Youave got to let her.a aIf you let her compete,a Raven shouted, aand she loses, you can throw me in the river!a The two coaches grunted agreement. Grandma waved Raven forward and continued to walk briskly away.
Raven hurried after the three down a long, narrow forest path, monstrous trees guarding the darkness on either side. They reached Grandmaas cottage and climbed a ladder to the top of a spindly tower. The platform gave Raven a view of the entire path all the way back to Hood Hollow.
aThe girl is an abomination,a said Brother Hood.
Cranky Wolf growled. aThis is the first time we agree on anything. And it will be the last.a aShush up, you two,a said Grandma, handing them each a megaphone.
aCan I get a megaphone, too?a Raven asked.
aThere isnat an extra one,a said Grandma. aYouall just have to shout.a Shout? There was no way Cerise would be able to hear her.
Raven slipped her hand into her sleeve and turned on her MirrorPhone. As far as she knew, hexting Cerise wasnat against the rules, but who knew what the others in that watchtower would do to prevent Cerise from winning.
RAVEN: turn on your phoneas audio hexting and put phone in your hood pocket so you can hear what I hext you, k?
Cerise was so far away Raven couldnat see if she did as Raven asked.
aOn your marks,a Grandma shouted into her megaphone, aget set, and run for your lives!a The Hoods had the advantage in numbers. The hundred villagers came rus.h.i.+ng down the forest path, all equipped with one basket over their arms. In the far back, Raven spotted a red cloaka”it was Cerise, darting through the crowd, trying to make it forward. The Hoods seemed to be working against her, purposefully keeping her pinned behind.
aThatas right, keep it up!a Brother Hood yelled into the megaphone. aNice and straight, donat trample each other.a At first Raven couldnat see any Wolfs, but here and there she spotted dark shadows sliding through the forest. Apparently their starting point had been back in the woods, and they ran perpendicular to the path to intercept the Hoods.
aIncoming Wolfs!a Brother Hood shouted.
aHoods at twelve oaclock!a Cranky Wolf bellowed into his megaphone.
And the first Wolf erupted from the trees. He was monstrously huge, bright gray with a long, toothy snout in full snarl. He tackled the Hood man who was running in front. There was a brief wrestle, and the Wolf came away with the manas basket. The Wolf howled in triumph. The man sat on the ground. He was out.
aThatas it, Horribus!a said Cranky. aNow, step out of bounds and get another one!a Horribus Wolf entered the forest on the other side of the path, ran a ways in, and then pivoted back, emerging again onto the path to tackle a second Hood.
Even the human-form Wolfs were hairy and scary, with large ears the better to hear Hoods with, wide eyes the better to see Hoods with, and sharp teeth the better to bite clean through a basket handle. The Wolfs crisscrossing the path took basket after basket after basket. Still, there were so many Hoods, Raven wasnat sure the Wolfs could basket-tag them all before someone managed to cross the finish vine. It would be close.
Despite the tackles and growls and howls and shouts, Raven had a strong suspicion that both the Hoods and the Wolfs were enjoying themselves. It was a shame, she thought, that they couldnat let go of the old hatred and suspicion or theyad probably play this game for fun.
She strained to see Cerise, who was still running at the back of the Hood clan, unable to break through.
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