Miss Ever After.

It was an old school tradition competed by all the eligible and willing girls in the school. The most celebrated event in Ever After High, right after Legacy Day. It meant beauty, glory, perfection. Winning the competition was the highest possible honor Ever After High could bestow on one of their deserving female students.

Miss Ever After.

A tradition that died almost a decade ago when the school realized that the descendants of Snow White would always win the title. Girls stopped competing when they figured out that the Snow Whites of each generation would always be better than them: more beautiful, more perfect, more worthy of the title "Miss Ever After" than they could ever be. Soon having the surname "White" would equate to being the most gorgeous and respected girl in school; she would never need to actually earn it herself.

Everybody loved her. So pretty, so charming... she wouldn't have to do a single thing to secure her victory. Was that all it took to be Snow White? All it meant to be Miss Ever After?

If it was, then Apple, the next successor to Snow White, knew she would cry. It would be the first thing she ever hated about her destiny.

Apple White was sitting in Headmaster's office, her hands folded neatly on top of her legs as she waited for her request to be processed. The inside of the room was old-fashioned and furnished in deeply-hued woods and rich carpets. There was a large window behind the main desk, and through it Apple could see teeny birds and enormous dragons opening their mouths to sing and roar - but the entire room was soundproof. Instead, the ticking of an old grandfather clock was the only audible sound in the whole room.

Tick, tock… tick, tock.

Five minutes had passed.

"Headmaster Grimm?" Apple asked finally, after the deep silence between them had stretched long past comfort and settled firmly in the territory of awkwardness.

"Ah, yes. Apple?" Headmaster Grimm was still staring at the paper she had handed him. He was staring, yes, but not exactly reading, and obviously deep in thought.

"Are you… finished?" she said. Her document had been fairly short, in her opinion; it would have taken her no longer than a minute to read the whole thing twice.

"Ahem. Yes, I have." There was a pause. "Now… I understand why you would like to hold this event, my dear," Grimm started cautiously, "but there are serious… complications that come with holding another Miss Ever After now that it's been so long. The event died out years ago because the Snow Whites of each generation would win the competition each year - as I'm sure you would, too, if the contests were still held," he added.

"Oh, you never know, Headmaster Grimm," she said weakly. Although Apple knew he had intended that last bit as a compliment, it was not making her feel any better about her situation. "Could we at least have the pageant still? It sounds like such a hexellent event, it would be a tragedy not to have it just because of something like that..."

Grimm made a disapproving face, but he quickly replaced it with an air of patience. "That is all and well, my dear, but it may not be possible. I am certain none of your fellow students would choose to compete against you, even if we did (for some reason) decide to hold the contest again. Nothing can be done, unfortunately."

The Headmaster had expected Apple to lower her head and acquiesce to his logical reasoning; what instead happened was that she picked her chin up, gave a little squeal of joy, and clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Oh, but there is something! I know other people will compete," Apple said happily. "Remember the Student Council elections? I had a competitor, and she even ended up as my co-president! I'm sure plenty of girls will want to try for Miss Ever After."

"Miss White," sighed Grimm, obviously trying to keep the frustration out of his voice, "that competitor and your current co-president was Miss Hatter, and you know as well as I that she's just... well, mad! No sane young lady in this school would compete against you, surely."

"Are you certain?" she asked.

"I am certain."

There was her opening. Just one look at his face told her that Grimm was fairly confident about this point, and if she could only get him to agree to her terms out of that confidence, the contest would happen. She gathered all her acting experience and, barely suppressing her excitement, gave the line she had been saving this entire time:

"But, what if I am able to get enough people to join the contest?" Apple implored, doing her best to look hesitant. "I mean, it's a fairy long shot, but... if I can somehow get enough people to want to join, can we hold Miss Ever After? Maybe?"

Headmaster Grimm continued looking stern; for a moment, Apple thought she had failed. But then he said:

"If you are able to find enough people to compete - which you most certainly will not - I will allow the contest to happen again. However, my future queen, I would highly advise you not waste your time on such fruitless tasks."

Yes!

"I won't be wasting my time, Headmaster!" she squeaked, overjoyed. Oops, maybe she shouldn't have looked so happy - Grimm now looked slightly apprehensive.

"Miss White," he sighed again, holding his forehead with one hand, "I won't try to stop you, but I fail to understand the meaning of all this. You are already the most revered princess in all of Ever After High, and you will soon be the queen of all Fairy Land. What, pray tell, is the point of winning this... this mere high school title?"

Apple opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. All those thoughts and feelings that had driven her to renew Miss Ever After... they had suddenly dried up into little wisps of nothing, and she found that she could not fully articulate herself.

"I..." she started. Grimm looked, well, grim as he waited for her explanation. "I want a chance to prove myself in this contest, not just have it given to me. I want my fellow students to see what I'm capable of, which - " Which she never really had the chance to show before? Apple cleared her throat and started again. "And… don't get me wrong, I do want to win, but I'm not just going to bank on it. If I win the title of Miss Ever After, I want to deserve it."

She took one look at Headmaster Grimm's face and saw that he didn't understand any of her feelings. Apple swallowed - that was fine, she'd already gotten the permission she'd come for.

"My dear - " he called out, but the tips of her fine blonde hair were already sweeping out of the room.

ENTER CONTESTANT: APPLE WHITE

"But Briar - I did it! I really did it!" She gushed at a bemused Briar Beauty outside in the hallway, who had unfortunately slept through the first half of Apple's frantic speech and therefore had not the slightest idea what she was now talking about.

"Hold up, Apple. Could you run the whole thing over by me again?" she asked when the blonde princess had finally stopped to catch her breath.

"Briar, w-weren't you listening at all?" Apple demanded, still taking great gulps of air.

Nope, not in the slightest. "I was listening - just missed the first bit," she said.

"I got Headmaster Grimm to hold the Miss Ever After pageant again this year! Look!" Apple shoved a colorful piece of paper into the brunette's arms. Briar held it in front of her and quickly skimmed the paper.

"Hm… mhmm… huh." She grew wide-eyed, then hastily started rereading the poster from the top. "Woah. Is this for real?"

"As real as fairies and unicorns!" Apple beamed. She allowed her friend to finish reading; both of them ignored the sound of the bell signalling the beginning of first period.

"Is this the same Miss Ever After I'm think of?" Briar asked finally, her expression half-awed and half-skeptical. "The one they used to hold here years ago? I read an article about it on the MirrorNet."

"The very same," Apple confirmed proudly. "Just think about it! We'll both be able to compete in the Miss Ever After competition before we graduate! How happily ever awesome is that?"

"Both?" Briar repeated, smirking. She shook her head and handed back the flier. "I can't compete against you, Apple. You've got this in the bag for sure, just like every other Snow-White-slash-Miss-Ever-After."

Apple made a huge frown at that comment. "No, Briar, you can't say that! The only way I was able to convince Headmaster Grimm to let this happen in the first place was by saying that I could get other people to compete against me!"

Briar shrugged helplessly. "Well, it's the truth. You're gonna win this thing whether you like it or not. Why don't you like it, though?"

"It's… complicated," the blonde said hastily. "And it's not true, either! You have plenty of good things that I don't. For instance, you can throw a party way better than anymore else… you're one of the smartest students in the school without even needing to stay awake in class… and you're fairy cool, Briar! You have just as much chance of winning this contest as I do."

Briar laughed. "Girl, come on! All that talk just goes to show how clueless you are about how popular you are in this school. Okay, I admit I'm pretty good at those things you listed - but they're nothing next to how much people love you here, Apple. Nothing."

"What about the page-ripping party held at the end of the competition?" Apple offered. She got the response she was looking for; Briar perked up almost immediately at the mention of 'party'. "Did you read that part on the MirrorNet, too? The winner - and all the contestants - have a huge spellebration at the crowning of Miss Ever After! It was traditionally one of the biggest parties in the history of Ever After High."

"I did read about that part," Briar admitted, now looking a little wary.

"Then c'mon! Sign up now and you'll get to be the center of it all - I guarantee it!"

Briar stood there, shifting a little on her feet. Parties were good. Being part of a huge, awesome after-pageant party was even better.

"Fine, I'll do it," she relented. Apple cheered, and Briar laughed at her excitement - until all of a sudden there was a huge stack of papers in her arms.

"Uh… Apple?"

"Will you help me hand those out? A good party needs lots of participants!" Apple explained a little mischieviously.

Briar made a face. "Alright, alright, you got me. I'll help you pass these out."

Apple hugged her quickly, then whisked off down the hallway when she realized they were both ten minutes late far class. Briar looked again at her heavy stack of fliers. Too much work! After some thinking, she set the papers down on a nearby bench and decided that she'd just throw them over the heads of students during passing.

ENTER CONTESTANT: BRIAR BEAUTY

"Maddie, have you read this flier yet?"

Raven Queen handed over the paper that Apple had given to her. In truth she was asked simply to pass the flier along to anyone who might be interested, but it was Raven herself who was now intrigued with its proposal.

"Miss… Ever… After! Now where have I heard that before?" Madeline "Maddie" Hatter wondered aloud as she read the flier upside-down. She sipped a cup of tea that materialized out of nowhere and sat down on the school floor.

"That's just it. My dad used to talk about this event all the time," Raven explained, kneeling to reach eye level with her eccentric conversation partner. She tried to recall all the foggy details. "It was an old pageant thing held at Ever After High… apparently his senior year was one of the last times it was spellebrated. They stopped happening after the Snow Whites kept winning every year."

"Ah! There it is, I remember now!" Maddie slammed down her cup of tea; the liquid splashed everywhere. She tilted her head back to look at Raven. "So! Are you entering, or are you entering?"

"Me?" Raven laughed nervously. "I don't know about that, Maddie. Would they even let me?"

Maddie sprang to her feet and dusted off her dress. "Of course they would! It says right on the flier: all female student body are eligible to enter."

"Yeah…"

But Raven wondered if she submitted her name, would the authorities bend backwards to argue her out of it just like every other time she tried to do something normal and non-evil? Her dad had said the contest was serious business.

"You think I should?" Raven really wanted to. If she was allowed to compete, it would be a great opportunity to show everyone that she wasn't as "evil" as everyone thought she was.

"Absolutely!" the curly-haired girl declared. "Raven Queen: Miss Ever After! They're practically the same words."

The supposed-evil-queen stifled another laugh. "Maddie, I'll be lucky if I can even get through the first round. But I'm not entering to win - I just want to have fun like everyone else."

Maddie stopped to think about her words, then nodded in approval. "That, too."

"What about you?" Raven inquired as the two of them made their way down the hall to their next class. "Will you be entering Miss Ever After?"

"I already entered, silly," she replied, skipping in her steps. "Don't you know I enter every year, just in case they start up again? That and the Ever After High pie-throwing contest! You think if I send in enough applications they'll finally hold it for the first time?"

ENTER CONTESTANT: RAVEN QUEEN

ENTER CONTESTANT: MADELINE HATTER

"Thank you so much again for doing this, Blondie," Apple sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Apple! We're best friends forever after, aren't we?"

Blondie Lockes and Apple White were standing at the entrance of Ever After High. They were preparing a live special on the former's MirrorCast show, Just Right, and Blondie was making a fuss about where Apple should stand to capture her natural beauty just right. Apple, for her part, already had her speech perfectly memorized.

"Okay, that looks just right! Stay right there," Blondie ordered. She pulled out her magic mirror and began filming; Apple stood a little straighter and flashed her perfect smile.

"Hello, Ever After High, and welcome to another hexciting story on Just Right, your local MirrorNet show that is always just right," Blondie began, grinning at the camera. "Now I hope you're staying tuned for this, because today we've got a very special announcement from the one and only Apple White! What's the news, Apple?" She faced the mirror at her companion.

"Why, thank you for giving me this opportunity, Blondie! Trust me - all the girls in Ever After High will want to hear this," Apple replied, beaming.

"Wow! Now that's a confidence I like. Let's hear what this great news is!"

"It is my royal duty as President of the Royal Student Council to help organize all the fun events in our school," she started, "and for that reason, I am proud to announce that - for the first time in ten years - our school is once again holding the Miss Ever After beauty pageant!

"For those of you who aren't quite sure what that is, Miss Ever After is a traditional competition held in honor of the first fairy tale queen - that is, my great-great-great-great-great-grandmother - by encouraging all female students to show the school what it means to be a true Ever After fairy tale! Girls get to compete in variety of contests, from dress competitions to real-time war battles and everything in between! Best of all, the winner gets to hold the title of 'Miss Ever After'!

"So what's so great about being Miss Ever After? Other than being the most honored title the school has to offer, there are a bunch of wonderful perks in being the Miss! At the culmination of the event, a huge party will be held in the honor of the winner where she will receive her own specially-crafted diamond Ever After High crown. Her name will be recorded in History Hall along with all the other past Miss Ever Afters, and she will be allowed full access to the entire school at any time! She is also traditionally given the first pick of any date for the Last Dance, for those of you looking into the future. In short, Miss Ever After is considered the supreme idol of the school! How wicked is that?"

"That is wicked," Blondie agreed, although she looked a little surprised as well. "I never knew such a thing existed, Apple!"

"Well, it hasn't been held for ten years," Apple reminded her friend. "But if anyone is interested in joining, there are fliers going around the school that have directions about how to register - and also have more about Miss Ever After, if you missed any of that!"

"Oh, those fliers! Were they the ones that were falling out of the sky during passing?"

"Ah ha ha… I sure… hope… not?" Falling out of the sky? When did this happen? "I think that's it, Blondie. Do you have anything else to say?"

Blondie whirled the mirror back around to face herself. "Nope, nothing! That speech was just right - hex, even I'm tempted to join now! Thanks for listening, and we hope to see you at Miss Ever After!" Then she clicked off her mirror.

"Did you mean that, Blondie?" Apple whispered. Blondie turned around and nodded.

"You made a great pitch! I bet tons of people are going to enter now that we've got this on the MirrorCast," she replied. As if on a cue, a single colorful paper fluttered down toward the girls. Blondie caught it deftly between her fingers.

"So, how do I sign up for this?"

ENTER CONTESTANT: BLONDIE LOCKES

On the other side of the MirrorNet, C. A. Cupid was finishing up her own MirrorCast show. The topic of Miss Ever After hadn't been brought up once like she was afraid it would since Blondie had announced it on Just Right, and she was glad for it. Cupid was here to fix fairy tale romances, not to discuss idle gossip.

"Now I've got time for just one more caller," Cupid announced. The pink lights in her little office danced across her face. "So, for the last time today, Fairy Land - what's in your heart?"

It wasn't long before a face appeared on her mirror. She smiled and waited.

"Uh, hi, Cupid. This isn't really a romantic problem, but I was wondering if you heard about Miss Ever After?"

Cupid nearly face-palmed. Of course; she had been too optimistic.

"Yes I have, just like the rest of you," she answered calmly. "If you wish to discuss about Miss Ever After, I would strongly advise you contact my good friend and roommate Blondie on her show instead - this MirrorCast is for love advice only. Now does anyone else have a romantic problem you would like me to address?"

Another caller came in: "Yeah, hey, Cupid. I just wanted to know if you'd enter Miss Ever After, because you totally should!"

Cupid clicked him offline. "Again, any romantic problems, Fairy Land?"

A third person appeared. "Hi, Cupid. I called you last week with the question about the girl in the library - and I just want to say thank you. Isabella and I are dating now!"

"Oh! Well, you're very welcome," Cupid said warmly. "And congratulations! It makes me so happy to learn that everything worked out for you two."

"Yup! So, I'm just saying, if you ran for Miss Ever After, I would vote for you in a heartbeat."

Cupid felt like smashing her head into the desk. She might have done it, too, if it wasn't for the fact that all of Ever After High was watching her on her show.

"Please, guys," she pleaded. "Let's not talk about Miss Ever After right now. There will be plenty of time for that later, I promise. But if no one else has any questions, I'll end the show right now. Take care, everyone, and see you next time on - "

"Hello? Cupid?" came another caller. She peered down and gasped a little - even though she could only see the corner of his glasses, she could tell it was Dexter Charming.

"Oh. Um, hello!" Cupid responded nervously. She started shuffling around the papers on her desk. "Do you have a question?"

"Well, um, not exactly. I was just hearing all these Miss Ever After comments and wanted to say how much of a great friend you've been to me all these months. I mean, you're exactly the kind of person who should be Miss Ever After - you know, representing our school and all… and who better to do it than someone who always helps other people out?" There was a pause. "Uh… ha ha… is this awkward? Well, uh, anyway - that's if it plan on joining, you know. Because I think you would really deserve it. Ahem."

Cupid was floored. "Ah…"

"...Yeah. Um. Hello?"

"Ah…"

She was drawing a complete blank. Huh? Huh? Huh? was all that was going through her mind. Did Dexter really say all those nice things about her? She flushed, grinning like a complete moron.

"Cupid? Aw, man, I shouldn't have said all that, should I?"

Cupid shook her head back and forth. "Oh - no! No, no, sorry… I just, um, spaced out for a little bit! Thank you," she said in a single breath. "Um. Well… I mean, I guess I could join Miss Ever After, maybe. Just… just because!"

What was she saying? Was she really joining Miss Ever After?

All of a sudden, an influx of callers came in. They flashed across her mirror - pixelated bits and pieces of faces filling the entire screen.

"Do it, Cupid! I'll vote for you!"

"C. A. CUPID FOR MISS EVER AFTER."

"Yay! I'm so happy you're entering - I wouldn't want anyone else to win!"

Cupid blinked a few times, more dumbfounded still. The encouragement continued pouring in from all sorts of faces - those she had helped out and those she didn't recognize at all. Her heart was beating very fast. "I… wow. Thank you, everyone!"

ENTER CONTESTANT: CHARICLO ARGANTHONE CUPID

Ashlynn Ella walked as fast she her dainty glass slippers could take her. Step, step, step, step. Hurry, hurry, hurry!

The forest was the door to her freedom; the mass of chattering students that she knew would be waiting just around the building was the all-consuming fire, ready to snatch her up should they spot her. But the fire must not catch her. The students must not see her.

HURRY.

Ashlynn ducked behind the first tree in the woods desperately and waited. A minute passed - nothing.

Oh, thank goodness. Nobody had spotted her. She gathered herself together and, with much more composure, descended into the forest. Today had been a bad day: Apple, Briar, and almost every student she knew had stopped to talk to her just when she decided to sneak off for her date with Hunter.

The sound of crunching leaves froze her in her tracks. Ashlynn looked behind her, heart pounding, when she saw a familiar-looking creature peering back at her from the trees.

"Oh, Pesky, it's just you!" she exhaled. "I just barely managed to lose everyone. Um, is there anyone here?"

"Nobody's here," Pesky responded, looking disinterested.

"Is there anyone here?" Ashlynn asked another bird nearby - not because she didn't trust Pesky, but the cheeky squirrel did have his own ideas about her and Hunter's relationship should be.

"He's right - nobody else is here, Miss Ashlynn! Mister Hunter will be here in a minute!" the bird twittered. Ashlynn breathed a sigh of relief and pushed past the drooping branches to their designated picnic spot.

"Why are you two still hiding this?" came Pesky's chatter. He leaped from tree to tree, following the princess to the clearing at the center of the woods.

Ashlynn was patient, even though the squirrel asked the same question every time. "Because we would get into serious trouble if anyone found out, Pesky. Princesses are not supposed to be dating huntsmen," she said a little sadly.

"So? Who cares what other people think?" Pesky sat on his haunches and cleaned his face with his paws. "I mean if you just don't want people knowing you're dating a total idiot like Hunter, you can just tell me that."

"Hunter is not an idiot," she chided, sitting down on an unnaturally smooth trunk (Hunter must have already prepared the seat for her before he left). "But it's more than just what they think, Pesky… if the Headmaster knew, for instance, he might really try to separate us. And then there's our parents, and our destinies…"

The squirrel actually rolled his eyes. "I don't know what it is about destinies and crap you always go on about, but Hunter sure doesn't talk much about it. Just forget it and get married and have a hundred idiot babies, won't you?"

"Pesky!" cried Ashlynn, blushing up a storm. "Don't say things like that! That's so inappropri - oh, Hunter, there you are!"

The suntanned huntsman was weaving his way through thorns and bushes, an axe in one hand and a bunch of green flowers in the other. He looked surprised to find Ashlynn waiting for him.

"Hey, pumpkin! You're, uh, here early?" Hunter Huntsman asked, hastily stowing the flowers behind his back. Ashlynn pretended not to see them - or, upon closer inspection, the fact that he looked completely soaked head to toe.

"I closed the store a little earlier than usual today for our date. You know how I hate being late!" She actually took a quick look down to confirm that she was indeed not late and not wearing rags. "Pesky and I were having a… pleasant? chat just before you came, actually."

"I hope you weren't bothering her, Pesky," Hunter warned. In response, Pesky threw an acorn right between his eyes, eliciting a yelp from his human companion.

"He wasn't a bother at all," Ashlynn lied, smiling. Hunter continued to eye him with suspicion as he lowered himself on large rock opposite of his red-headed companion.

"I sure hope not. These are for you, my princess," he said, holding out the bunch of flowers.

"Oh, thank you! They're beautiful." Ashlynn accepted the glittering sea-green blooms with a giggle. She pressed them to her face and sniffed; they smelled faintly of salt and reminded her of the ocean. "What are these, Hunter? I've never seen flowers like these before."

"Hydra lilies," he said proudly. "They only grow at the bottom of diluted dragon acid lakes at this time of year." O... kay, that would explain the shirt.

"That sounds dangerous!" Ashlynn protested, reaching over to examine her reckless boyfriend's body. "Dragon acid could really hurt you… what were you even thinking?"

"Only of you, pumpkin," Hunter replied sweetly. Ashlynn continued glaring at him. "Aw, don't be like that, Ash. I know my way around these woods - I knew how to get them out without stepping a foot in the lake!"

"Then why do you look like you just took a shower without taking off your clothes?"

"I, err, slipped a little at one point," he admitted. Ashlynn gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "It wasn't a big deal, really! I washed it all off as soon as I got out. Pesky here really saved me, actually. As soon as he saw me fall - uh, slip my foot in, he ran off to grab a bucket of water from Swan Puddle. You know, since swan tears have magical restorative properties… not like I needed them, ha ha!"

"Like I said, your boyfriend is a true idiot," Pesky muttered.

"You're a real pal when it comes to it, Pesky," added Hunter, who could not understand animal language like Ashlynn could.

"Don't you ever do that again, Hunter," Ashlynn said, still looking worried. To make her point even clearer, she set the beautiful hydra lilies on the floor and vowed not to look at them for the rest of the evening.

Hunter threw up his hands in defeat. "I won't, promise. I, er, learned my lesson."

"Good," she sighed.

"Still, you're the most caring girl I've ever met, Ashlynn," he said, somewhat out of the blue. Ashlynn shook her head and giggled. "I'm serious. You're definitely the kind of person Miss Ever After should be."

"Oh, no, Hunter - don't tell me Miss Ever After's all you're thinking about, too!" Ashlynn groaned.

"Why, what's happened?"

She pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, huffing. "Everyone has been asking me if I'd join Miss Ever After. Apple, Briar… I don't know, Hunter. It sounds like fun, but it's just too much trouble to enter."

"Oh." Hunter looked awkward now. "Sorry, I didn't know. Well, if you don't want to join, then don't join."

"It does seem like fun to compete with the others, but…" Ashlynn shrugged, picking the dirt from under her nails. She had been trying not to think about it; it was no use entertaining the idea of entering when she knew she couldn't. "I have the shop to look after. Anyway, there's no real chance of someone like me winning, is there?"

"Of course there is!"

It took her a moment to realize that it wasn't just Hunter who had spoken, but all of the woodland creatures around them as well. Ashlynn grinned despite herself.

"If the shop is all you're worried about, Pesky and I could help you out… behind the scenes," Hunter offered.

Ashlynn certainly hadn't been expecting this. She had felt really bad, though, turning down her friends so abruptly all because she was in a hurry.

"Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded earnestly. "Well, alright, then. I'll consider it… maybe."

All the animals around them cheered, and Hunter clapped his hands. Ashlynn took a little bow and giggled. "Alright, alright. Let's get back to our date for now, okay?"

"You got it," Hunter replied, winking. He leaned in from across the table, and she followed suit; their lips met…

Again, all of the woodland critters cheered - except Pesky, who said "get a room, 'cause somebody's coming," and succeeded in alarming Ashlynn enough to send them both toppling into the swamp.

ENTER CONTESTANT: ASHLYNN ELLA

"I cannot believe the nerve of Apple White. Doesn't she have enough self-glory as it is?"

Duchess Swan was fuming. She and Sparrow Hood were sitting at the edge of Swan Puddle - it was a miniature of the Swan Lake that Duchess had back at home, but it was also conveniently located just outside the school woods.

"How'd you figure?" Sparrow asked. He was sitting, legs stretched out on the grass and tuning his guitar.

"You heard on Just Right, didn't you? She plans to throw a huge contest just for herself. Even I never thought she would sink that low."

"For herself?" Sparrow raised an eyebrow. "S'not what I heard. I thought any girl could enter."

Duchess huffed and twirled toward her companion in the unique ballet-walking motions that she carried herself with. "Don't be dense. Everyone knows Apple is going to win like she does everything. Miss Ever After is just another foo-foo title tacked onto the end of her ego list."

Sparrow adjusted his hat and peered at her. "Who knows? Not everybody is talking about how Apple is going to win."

"Who have you been talking to?" Duchess asked incredulously.

"Who have you been talking to?" he retorted.

Duchess was unamused. It was just common knowledge that Apple White was going to win anything she entered… although to be completely honest, Duchess hadn't been talking to anyone much these days. She was really losing touch with her classmates.

"This day has been poisonous," the swan princess declared, plopping down on the grass. She propped her elbows on her knees and sank her chin into her hands. "First I was practicing ballet here by myself when this squirrel comes running with a bucket and trips me; next I find out that Apple White is fooling everyone in the school with her fake contest; and now I'm stuck with you."

"But that last one - sounds like a blessing!" Sparrow sang. He stood up and played a few blaring notes on his guitar, scattering away the birds in the trees.

Duchess ignored him and continued pondering her thoughts. If Sparrow had been chatting with people, and they weren't necessarily just going to vote for Apple…

"What are people saying, then?" she asked suddenly. Sparrow stopped and looked confused. "About Miss Ever After. That's what we were taking about."

Sparrow scratched his head. "Not much, really. Mostly people were asking what Miss Ever After was about. And talking about who was entering."

"So they're just talking about Apple White?" said Duchess, disgusted.

"Sure, there's Apple," Sparrow continued, "but there's other girls, too. Some of them already signed up, I think."

"Oh yeah?" This was getting interesting. She sat up, now attentive. "So who's dumb enough?"

"Briar Beauty. And Blondie said she'd be entering on her show, remember?"

"That's it?" So she was right - yet somehow, Duchess felt a little let down by the news. "Briar's just doing it because she's friends with Apple, and Blondie was joking."

"Hold on, there's more." The son of Robin Hood closed his eyes, trying to remember the snippets of conversation he had hours ago. "Some of the rebels are in it, too. Raven Queen and Hatter. I also heard from the gang that C. A. Cupid would be in it, too."

Duchess frowned at that. "Well, Maddie's mad, so of course she would… and Raven's kind of a freak, so I'm not really surprised. I always thought Cupid was okay, though." Guess this school really was full of morons.

"And… word on the street is that Ashlynn's in, too. Huntsman mentioned it back in the dorms."

Okay, everybody was nuts. Duchess was never touching the school's water supply ever again.

"What are they thinking?" She leapt to her feet and stared intently at the red-headed rocker; he backed off in surprise, but Duchess could detect no hint of deception in his face. "Why? Why would they enter just to lose to Apple White?"

"I dunno… maybe, just maybe, they don't plan on losing to Apple?" Sparrow teased.

"That's just impossible!" Is it possible?

"Why else would they join?" came Sparrow's voice.

Something happened all of a sudden, and Duchess couldn't describe it. There was a strange dawning in her heart… like she was learning how to hope again, to really hope, for the first time in years. It was actually difficult to breathe.

What had Apple been blathering about on the show? She got to be the school idol… first pick for the Last Dance - Daring Charming could be hers... Her thoughts spiraled out of control. She imagined herself on stage in front of a cheering school, shining like a star, Daring Charming's arm in hers, and Apple White sobbing at her feet after having finally been taken down a notch. It could even be the ticket she needed to convince Headmaster Grimm for her very own happily ever after.

A girl could have it all.

"What is this feeling?" Duchess breathed.

"Uh oh. Don't tell me you've fallen for me now, after all we did to ruin Ashlynn and Hunter."

Duchess snapped out of her thoughts and glared, but Sparrow just chuckled. "Stop that. I was talking to myself."

"Sure, sure." Sparrow stretched, his body pointing toward the sky, and then relaxed. "So I'm guessing you're going to compete?"

Duchess smirked. "Who knows?"

ENTER CONTESTANT: DUCHESS SWAN

The sun had already dipped below the horizon when Cerise Hood finally retired back to her dorm. Feeling tired and strangely unhappy, she pushed open the door that led to the room shared between her and her roommate, Cedar Wood. She hoped Cedar was still out; the only thing Cerise wanted to do was to finally take off her hood and take a long shower without any questions (even in her sleep she remembered to cover her ears with her protective cloak - she liked Cedar, but the girl's curse prevented her from keeping any secrets, whether she wanted to or not).

Unfortunately, her honest roommate was present and sitting on her bed when Cerise stepped in the room. The brunette perked up and waved at her.

"Hi, Cerise," Cedar greeted.

"Hi, Cedar," Cerise replied. She made her way to the shower door. "I'm just going in for a long shower. Hope you don't mind."

"Oh. Uh…" Cedar stammered.

Cerise turned around, tired. Cedar was nervously twirling her hair between her wooden fingers. "Well, see, I cannot tell a lie, and… well, the hot water in the shower is sort of not working right now. I had to ask Raven and Apple if I could use theirs, actually."

"Great," Cerise groaned. So much for that long shower - she couldn't rudely use up someone else's bathroom for an entire hour. "I'll ask them myself later. I'm beat."

She flopped face-first into her pillow. Cedar stood up and began pacing the room, her shoes making click-click sounds against the floor. It was almost peaceful for a while: the tapping was like a metronome, and it was slowly lulling Cerise to sleep.

"Cerise?" her roommate asked. The clicking stopped. Cerise turned her head slightly.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about Miss Ever After? I mean, if you care to tell me."

"Oh. That." Cerise closed her eyes; her thoughts were blurry. Still, she knew her answer for that question - the contest meant nothing to her, even though everyone else seemed to be talking about it. "I don't really care about it."

"Oh, I see." She sounded a little disappointed.

Using the last bit of motivation still inside her, Cerise picked herself up to look at her friend - she saw that Cedar was now sitting on her bed again, looking at the ceiling.

"Why?" she asked of her roommate's gloomy expression.

"Um. It's nothing too big, um…" Cedar said.

Any minute now, Cerise thought. Three, two, one...

"Well, it's not too big, but I was just thinking about Miss Ever After. And, maybe, how cool it would be to enter? I mean, I really want to, but I also think it's something too big for anyone to expect from me…" Her ramble trailed off into nothing.

"You wanna enter?" Cerise asked flatly.

"Well, maybe… yeah? I mean, I do, but I'm nervous," Cedar continued, seeming quite unable to stop herself from talking. She felt a little bad for her roommate's curse - Cerise couldn't imagine where she would be now if she couldn't keep any secrets. "So I was thinking, since you're my friend, if you entered I would feel a lot better about it. Well, technically Raven and Maddie are my friends too, but they're always so confident about trying something new and I'm not, so… I don't know. But since you don't care anyway, I promise I won't ask anymore!"

Cerise tried to piece together her convoluted mess of an explanation. "So you want me to join alongside you?"

Cedar shook her head frantically, but she answered honestly: "Well, yes - I mean, yeah. But since you don't want to, I'll just forget about it, Cerise."

The daughter of Red Riding Hood - and the Big Bad Wolf - didn't answer for a moment. Her eyes were sweeping the room; their dorm was messier than most of the other girls', but it was decorated head to toe in paintings, all done by Cedar herself. There were several pictures of fairies and flowers, plants and portraits; over Cerise's bed was a painting of herself, given to her weeks ago by her roommate. The portrait Cerise looked a lot prettier than she did in real life, she thought. The painting had her smiling, and her unusual white stripe seemed to radiate light.

"It's okay. I'll join," she said, laying back down on her bed.

"Wh-what? You will?" she heard Cedar gasp. "Really, Cerise? You don't have to do it just for me - "

"Don't worry about it," Cerise sighed, propping a pillow over her face. Sure, she'd lose within the first round, but it was the least she could do for a friend. Cerise Hood: half-girl, half-wolf, Miss Ever After? She laughed softly to herself, relishing the absurdity in all of it.

Slowly but surely, Cerise fell asleep laughing like a hyena, leaving Cedar to wonder in horror if she had somehow broken her roommate.

ENTER CONTESTANT: CEDAR WOOD

ENTER CONTESTANT: CERISE HOOD

inb4: The girls listed above will be the only ones who are going to compete in Miss Ever After High. Other characters will absolutely appear throughout the story, but they will not enter as contestants! That said, Lizzie Hearts and Kitty Cheshire (and any other unmentioned females - or males) are unfortunately not going to be contestants in this story. I don't really know enough about either of them to write them adequately, so they will not be competing. As with other non-contestants, however, they will still appear in the story!

Okay, now that that's done - our introductory chapter is done! I'll try to get chapter 2 up soon, where the real fun begins. Voting begins next chapter, so please stay with us to decide the fates of these contestants! ;)