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Title: A Letter from a Father
Characters: Raven Queen, Good King
Summary: In a world where everyone sees you as nothing but a witch. Isn’t it nice for someone to treat you like a princess?
Dearest Raven
If you are reading this letter, than I am no longer with you. For that I deeply apologize. Unlike you and many others of your generation, most of us can't escape after signing away our lives…some may have found a loophole, but sometimes, destiny itself will just find a way. A long time ago, I met a young girl whom I would sign away my life for; and even now, I would gladly give that life for you.
Please, when I am gone, do not lose yourself. It was you that I did it for, not for a shadow, not for a reflection. I just wish that you will stay just as yourself – just to be my precious princess.
Do you remember? When you were younger and you used to cling to my side, you wanted to skip every day of school just so you could all the children and adults that existed in the kingdom.
I remember seeing you off every morning, fear filled your eyes - it had pained me that even then, that even after that woman had left our lives… she was still causing you so much pain.
I remember you would come running home after school, often times you would come crying into my leg because of the event that had taken place earlier that day – be it a horrible prank by a fellow student or snide remarks by one of the background adults to or from the school. I remember it would even take up to an hour of stroking your hair, telling you over and over that "everything was okay" and that "tomorrow would be a better chapter" even then I knew you were a smart cookie…you saw through the lies I was making.
I remember soon after the tears, you would be back to your old self. Often times you would go off by yourself into the castle, playing and running around – more so or not, you would be getting in the ways of our staff members during your wild escapades. Often times I would find you in your room, looking through the fairy tale books that would litter over your floor – you wouldn't ever tell me, but I knew you wanted to be like one of those girls from the books. I never understood why though – you were already my princess.
I remember the evenings would come around, we would be sitting at the dinner table and you would be going on and on about what mischief you had gotten into earlier or you would tell me about the book you had been reading and the characters inside as if they were you were friends; be it was a new book or a book you had already read countless times.
I remember the nights as they would sneak up on us, when you were younger I would be there to make sure your long beautiful hair had been scrubbed all the way and every nook and cranny was clean of filth. Afterwards we would just sit in your room, just talk, as I brushed your hair; just hanging onto every little word that just popped out of your mouth as if you were trying to catch me up on everything that had occurred that day.
Then bed time came, in that little pink and white frilly bed you were just the cutest lump of black sitting there, waiting patiently as I got you your book to read for you. The book you often wanted me to read you were "Snow White" the one where the evil queen and snow white became best friends at the end their story. I remember you hanging on to every word as we came to their "Happily Ever After."
I would then tuck into your bed and after I would kiss you tonight, you would often ask the same question, "Do I have to go to school tomorrow?" with sadness in your eyes. I knew it would hurt but I would tell you that you would have to and with defeat you would go on to sleep. After turning off the lights to the room, I would just often times just stand at the door way just watching and listening to the soft sounds of your snoring as you would go off into a deep sleep. You were my own sleeping beauty.
It is these kinds of memories that I will always hold dear to my heart. The times that you would often give a big toothy smile – especially when you lost a tooth – were just rays of light that would often shine in my eyes. I never want you to forget your own precious moments.
Remember when you got older? After you had started middle school? During that time I don't know if it were your rebellion age or if you were just fed up with the world and the way it was treating you. You would often come home from school and without saying a word to me or any of the staff members and lock yourself up in your room. We wouldn't be able to see you until dinner and even then, you would eat without saying so much as a peep and just went back to your bed.
Then one day out of the blue it changed when you met her. One day you came home after school calling for me telling me about a friend you had just met. For many days you would often talk nothing else but what you and the girl, Madeline Hatter, were up to and were going to do.
Of course I was afraid because the girl was from wonderland, but after talking to the girl's father, she had no ill will towards you. It made me happy that you had finally found a friend in this world.
I want you to remember, that no matter what the future may hold; that you aren't living in anyone's shadow.
I remember the day that you had decided that you weren't going to follow your destiny and that you were going to go down your own fate. I remember telling you just how proud I was for you…to be honest; I was scared out of my mind. I didn't want anything bad to happen to you, especially something that I couldn't control; but I knew how much this meant for you, so I was – and even now – with you no matter what decision you make in your life.
I want you to remember, that even now, you are not your mother's shadow; you aren't my shadow – You are, and only can be, you, just Raven Queen.
Don't you ever lose sight of yourself.
No matter what has happened to me, and even though I am gone…I want you to realize, though I may be dead…this wasn't my bad ending. You, my princess, were, and forever after, my "Happily Ever After."
I love you.
From
A very proud father
The unread letter rested quietly on the pillow of the young girl's bed.
0000000ooooo0000000
Raven stared at what had just happened in front of her, her mind not being able to process the scene that had just taken place; in an instance faster than it could even register.
Not even a couple of hours had passed since students and parents were once just chatting amongst themselves, catching up on all things related to their final year before everything now was burning.
The Evil Queen, now broken free from her prison, had attacked once again. Determined this time, she wanted to make sure her existence was known in her story and not just another foot note as she attacked the school.
As if to close the final chapter of the previous story; parents fought back against the queen that had once threatened to tear their worlds apart. Heroes and villain; it was a sight to see as every story, despite their differences, came together and to secure a future for their children…but
Even with the power of everyone; The Evil Queen - whom had absorbed the power of darkness itself - came out the victor, virtually unscathed. Even the Cheshire Cat, for what seemed to be the first time in her life she had gotten serious, barely made a tear in her dress.
With the past defeated, the evil queen set her eyes towards the future; the students of Ever After High - In particular one specific children. With a hollow cackle, she raised her hand as dark flames erupted from her finger tips.
What came next happened too fast for anyone to react. The flames were stopped just short of the students. In that one instant the purgatory fire engulfed another target.
As if time itself had slowed down to a crawl, Raven was only capable of staring wide eye at what transpired in front of her – as her father, The Good King, was being eaten away by the flames casted by her father whom had jumped in their way to protect her.
As if they were hungry, the black flames ate away at the noble sacrifice – tearing away at the life that was entrapped in its core.
"Dad..." was all that Raven Queen could muster as she stared in shocked.
In pain, the Good King turned his head back to see the young evil queen. Seeing that she didn't have so much as a scratch on her person; he smiled softly, knowing this was the end; he used what was the last of his life energy to relay one more message.
"I love you, Raven" he mouthed out.
With those final words, the good king's body fell to the floor.
"Dad…" Raven's mind was having a hard time registering as she watched as what remained of her father continued to burn
Even the Evil Queen, the most dangerous villain in this world, even her own demeanor seemed to have shaken. Perhaps there was once love; perhaps it was because of the nights of ecstasy; perhaps it was because of him she had Raven – the reason as to why didn't matter – when the time came for "Mira Queen" to fulfill her destiny, the one thing she could not find the evil to do was to take the life of her own husband. She had pushed it off for far too long; NOW she had the power to take anything that her heart desired. This was HER story. With her now power of darkness, she could consume whatever she wanted.
"Dad…" Raven choked up, staring at the remains of the body in front of her. The images started to come in…
"R-Raven…" Apple spoke.
"Don't think I have forgotten about you…Snow White…" The Evil Queen's eyes, void of any light, turned to the blonde. If it wasn't for Good taking her away in the past, NOW it's Snow that is taking away her daughter in the future. No one was going to take away Raven; she belonged to her and her alone. If anyone was going to consume her daughter, it was going to be her mother.
The Evil Queen raised her hand to Apple, darkness dripping down her finger tips.
Raven screamed. Everyone stopped to look at the young woman.
The evil magic in her body started to pour out, like magma when a volcano erupts.
Raven Screamed. The energy she was expelling washed over them like a wave, as if trying to drown everyone.
The evil magic erupted into the sky, like a beacon.
The images wouldn't stop flooding into her mind. A man having a wonderful tea party with his daughter; a man consoling his child when she was bullied; always there for her when Raven needed him. A father that would protect her from the monsters under her bed; the monsters that were in her closet; the monsters that lived in the villages outside – he was always there for her.
Raven Screamed. The ashes that were the remains of a kind father were blown away be the sheer force of the surging energy.
In a childhood where not only other children had bullied her, but also where adults would shame her, there was always one person that was there for her. In a world that saw her nothing but a witch, there was one person that treated her like a princess.
Raven Screamed. "RAVEN!" Apple cried out, hands over her eyes as she could barely look at her love.
In the darkness that would have molded her own future growing up, there was one light as a child that had kept her going; that had kept her sane.
He was always there, when no one else was.
Raven screamed.
But now that light was gone; as if in an instant, everything that had made up her life was shattered in an instant – taken away by THAT woman. Why was it that her mother wanted to take everything that she loved away? Even now, she threatened to take away her future.
"RAVEN!" Apple called out, her legs moving on their own. Her body started to push against the evil energy that poured out like smog from her queen, threatening to smother any and all in its way.
"RAVEN!" the young blond continued pushed her way towards her friend; trying to reach her friend as the world around her had just shattered. Apple crawled her way through the miasma as she finally reached the young woman.
"Raven, please!" the soon to be Snow White grabbed her shoulders. "Please, Raven!" Apple cried out. "I'm here for you Raven, just please; just please come back to me!"
Almost as if on que, all the energy that had once acted like a beacon that reached into the sky had stopped; Raven's rage had subsided, her body had calmed down. Her demeanor had seemed to return to normal.
"It's okay, Raven. I'm here."
"Apple."
"Raven!" the young blond smiled, looking at her love.
"I will only ask you this once." The long black haired woman said. "Get out of my way."
Apple's eyes went wide as she stared into Raven's.
In the past when the young girl would access the power she had inherited, be it by pain or rage, it would never be Raven's eyes that would be looking back – it would always be the evil queen's eyes that Apple would see.
Not this time.
The eyes that Apple was now looking into was calm and collected; like a fire that had burned so bright it became white light. The gaze she was looking into was Raven's not her mother's; as if the first time in Raven's life she was thinking clearly.
Looking into Raven's eyes, Apple was taken back in shock as she let go of her friends' shoulder. In a flash of miasma energy, Raven had disappeared, off to fight against her mother – and nothing anyone would say or do was going to stop her.
The young Snow White's hands went to her chest as it felt like pain was rocketing through her heart. Tears started to poor from her eyes.
This time, it felt like Apple had truly lost Raven forever.