Work Text:
“It was you after all, An?”
Lesson learned: An Beauty had to learn how to keep her mouth shut.
Mafuyu’s question played on loop in her head as her fingers became clammy, her eyes darting between the three girls as Rui’s ears twitched, alerting him to her rapid heart rate.
“I, uhm…” She clasped her hands together. “I…”
“Not on her own.”
Rui stepped in front of her, posture shifting to an almost defensive stance.
“It was not An alone who got rid of the book.” He explained. “It was my idea—I am the one who got rid of it.”
“But I still stole it.” An added. “It—it’s not like it was just a one person job…”
“You…” Ena muttered. “You two really…?”
An gulped.
“…Yes.”
For a second there, Ena’s eyes flickered between multiple different emotions. She had gone through so many so terribly fast, An could not name them all until her eyes settled on her all too familiar anger as her gaze shifted from An to Rui, who bristled, but did not falter entirely.
“…You—you put her up to this, then? Made her steal it?”
“He didn’t make me do anything.” An defended him. “Believe it or not, Ena, some of us enjoy having this little thing called free will.” The practically spat out the words. “Some of us want to keep it. I don’t want my destiny—that’s why I helped him.”
“But you’re a Royal!” Ena’s voice cracked. “I…you’re Sleeping Beauty, for godmother’s sake! There won’t be another girl like you for a century! You’re a legend! A—a blessing!”
”Blessing? Is that what you’d call it? What, sleeping my entire life away and loosing all of my friends? My parents? Marrying a guy who isn’t even born yet and then dooming my child to the exact same fate? Being left behind?“ An scoffed. “You may call it a blessing, but I’ve never seen this story as anything more than a curse.”
“But—but—“
An swore she saw Ena’s brain malfunctioning, as if she couldn’t physically comprehend the reality of An saying such a thing.
As if the very concept of not wanting your destiny didn’t make sense at all.
Mafuyu had seen that expression before.
“But the book,” Emu piped up, causing An’s eyes to tear away. “How did you ‘get rid’ of it, Rui? Did you—destroy it?”
“I couldn’t possibly.” Rui shook his head. “Not without some sort of magic that I most definitely don’t have any access to…it’s the Storybook of Legends, after all—do you really think no sort of ancient protection spell was ever placed on that thing? I doubt even The Evil Queen could simply vaporize it.”
“So…what’d you do with it, then?”
“See, now that is a funny story…”
Emu raised an eyebrow. “Rui…”
“I, uh, threw it someplace.”
“Whereplace?” Emu questioned hesitantly. “Whereplace in Ever After could you have thrown it so that no one can find it…?”
“Well, no one in Ever After will find it…I made sure of that.”
“But—“
Emu’s eyes widened.
“…Rui.”
“Hey.”
”Rui…”
“Hey…?”
“Did you throw it down the well, Rui?!”
“The well?” Mafuyu, Ena and An all asked.
“The…The Well of Wonder.” Rui sighed in defeat. “And yes, I did—The Storybook of Legends is now either in Wonderland’s Sewer System, or Wonderland itself.”
”Wonderland?!”
“The sewer system?!”
“…Wonderland has a sewer system?”
“Is that really the only question you have, An?”
“Sorry.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Ena waved her hands in front of her face. “You threw…the Storybook Of Legends down The Well of Wonder? Meaning it’s somewhere in Wonderland—”
“—Or it’s Sewer System.“ Mafuyu added helpfully.
“—That place that is sealed by a curse from The Evil Queen? As in, no one can get in or out unless they go through that well? The well that’s impossible to find because it’s always moving?!”
“Hey, come to think of it,” An raised her hand. “Rui, why is the well still an entrance? Like, why doesn’t the curse affect it?”
“Don’t ask me, I can’t tell you.” Rui shrugged. “But yes…although, it’s not impossible to find. There is a map.”
“A map?” Ena echoed. “For a…a moving well?”
“Mhm. The only problem is, the map belongs to Airi.”
Rui could see Ena’s face chsbge again, her expression becoming one of…displeasure, to put it lightly.
“Airi, as in…” She began. “Airi Hearts, Daughter of the Queen of Hearts and Future Queen of Wonderland?”
Rui nodded, and Emu shrieked.
“Wait—did you steal her map to find the well in the first place?!”
“I gave it back! She didn’t even know it was gone!” Rui exclaimed. “What do you take me for?”
“Forget that—if we’re going to find the book, we’ll need her map and there’s no way she’ll give it to us!”
“I could steal it again.”
”No!”
“Why is she protective over this thing?” Ena crossed her arms. “Like, why won’t she give it to us if we just explained and asked?”
Emu pulled the rim of her hat down, as if she was trying to burry herself in it. “Because it’s her most precious thing! More precious than her croquet mallets!”
“Her most precious thing…is a map?” Ena huffed. “That’s…odd.”
“It’s a family possession, if you must know.” Said Emu. “Passed down to every Queen of Hearts when they turn fifteen. Airi got it just before…before that day. It was the very last thing The Queen ever gave her before they were separated by the curse…which is why you should have never taken it, Rui!”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time!”
“Okay, okay,” Mafuyu cut them both off. “Look, all of this shouting and arguing isn’t getting any of us anywhere—aside from closer to getting caught. Not to mention, we’ve all been up so long that the sun will rise soon, and so will the teachers. I can’t imagine any of you want to face detention once we’re caught sneaking back to our rooms…”
“…Let’s put a pin in it then.” Ena decided. But this—this isn’t over. We’ve got to get that map from Airi one way or another, or find another way to get into Wonderland.”
“Good luck with that.” Rui grinned, before his body began to disappear. “Well, then, goodbye!”
“Irritating, even in departure…” An sighed, although she didn’t truly seem annoyed. “I…guess this is goodnight, then?”
“Yeah…” Mafuyu nodded. “Goodnight, An. Ena, shall we go?”
“…Mhm.”
The unusually subdued comment made An shiver as the two of them walked away.
“Does she really think all of that about me?”
“Hm?”
“An.” Ena repeated, turning to Mafuyu with a small pout. “You heard what she said—is that what she really thinks? What everyone thinks?”
“Sooner or later, I’ll have to ‘work it out’ with her—by that, I mean I’ll have to cave and apologize for what I said at Legacy Day—or else she’ll ruin my life. And, considering the book is gone, I’ll actually have to worry about that now…”
“…Does she really think I’d go as far as to hurt her and her family if she doesn’t stay my friend?”
“No,” Mafuyu said, expression still serene. “I think that she thinks you’ll go that far if she doesn’t remain your ‘yes’ woman. There is a very clear difference.”
“Yes woman?!” Ena huffed. “I don’t—she’s not my…my yes woman.”
“You expect her to be. I mean, I have no doubt that An is the most…” Mafuyu paused. “Defiant out of all of your friends, but that doesn’t mean she felt strong enough to go against you completely and cut you off.”
“She’s been against me before.” Ena pointed out. “Akito, the book, and whatever ‘friendship’ she has with Rui now—she can do what she wants, of course, but—“
“But you don’t really think that way.”
Ena’s breath hitched, but she didn’t respond, so Mafuyu continued.
“She had a point. Akito and I aren’t that different, but you insisted on us being friends—and even now, as much as you detest me for what I started, you still willingly chose to room with me this year. And you choose to spend a lot of your day pestering me, which I imagine is your idea of bonding.”
“Hey!”
“Shhh.” Mafuyu shushed. “You’ll wake someone up. The point is, you and I can be friends despite being on opposite ‘sides’ as you’d say, but An and Akito can’t?”
She opened the door to their bedroom, letting Ena walk in first. “Anyway,” She continued. “That’s not even the only good point she made. You are a hypocrite—and you really don’t make a lot of sense.”
“What are you trying to say?!”
”Exactly what I just said.”
That earned Mafuyu an eye roll as Ena threw herself onto her bed and began taking off her shoes, her face pinched as she slammed each one onto the ground once it was removed.
“…For the record, Ena, I do not think all of what she said is true.”
Ena froze for a moment, looking up cautiously.
“…You don’t?”
“I agree with most of it. I think you are obsessive, judgmental, jealous, and I think you crave power more than you’re consciously aware of. I think that for someone who’s supposed to be the next Snow White—a girl who embodies generosity, humility and has faith in those around her—you do not embody a single trait as well as you think you do.”
Ena looked as though she may yell again, but Mafuyu cut her off.
“But,” She said softly. “I do think you aren’t completely terrible. I actually…I think there are a lot of nice things about you.”
“Like what…?”
“I think you are good.”
“‘Good?’”
The word confused her. Of course she was good, because as the next Snow White, Ena was meant to be the embodiment of goodness and perfection. But hearing it out of Mafuyu’s mouth made it feel…
Different.
“I think that maybe you have an absolutely awful way of showing it, but you do care. You want what’s best for everyone. An, Ever After High, me, even…you are protective, you have faith in yourself and, above all else, you want to be good—whatever the word means to you—you’re just…going about it the wrong way.”
“I am not.” Ena puffed up again. “I am…there is nothing wrong with me.”
“I didn’t say that,” Mafuyu clarified. “I said that you are trying to do the right thing incorrectly, and the that’s why An said all of those things.”
“What, so I’m supposed to change myself to please her?”
“You said it, not me.” The faintest hint of the smile traced Mafuyu’s lips. “But that, Ena, is for you to decide.”
“…You and your cryptic speeches really will make me go mad one day.”
She did not continue the conversation after that.
“Rui.”
“Hm?” The cat snapped out of his daze, brushing thoughts of legendary books and stubborn princesses aside as his dear friend approached him. Classes had just ended, and he assumed she’d be heading right to the pool, or to her dorm room like always. This was quite the surpsie.
“Nene.” He grinned. “It is so rare that you approach me first.”
“That is because I tend to enjoy normalcy.” Nene replied dryly. “But right now, your madness might be the only normal thing about this place…”
“Oh? What could that mean?”
“Ever since the book has been gone,” Nene didn’t notice the way Rui tensed slightly. “This entire place has been flipped on it’s crown, and I feel like I’m going crazy, or something…”
“Nene, between you and me, you might be the last person in this building going crazy. Everyone else is far down the rabbit hole…”
“Whatever-after, Rui, I’m serious!” Nene huffed. “You should’ve seen Princessology this morning, I swear both Ena and An looked like they had eaten rotten fish. So angry, and yet…upset? I could have sworn An nearly cried…”
“…Maybe a bit abnormal,” Rui’s voice cracked. “But perhaps it’s personal?”
“But it’s not even just that! Even Kohane is acting strange, Kohane! I didn’t even think she was capable of forming thoughts that weren’t about shoes, but even her eyes looked distant. Out of it, like she knows something we don’t.”
Oh, An, the snitch. She couldn’t keep secrets from Kohane for five minutes, could she?!
“Then there’s Ichika, who’s been way too happy these last few days. I don’t know what is making her so giggly or why, but it’s weird, especially considering the entire school is like, one incident way from imploding. And Saki’s been walking on eggshells around her own brothers, and—“
Nene went red suddenly.
“…Don’t even get me started on her brother, actually.”
Rui raised an eyebrow. “Which one?”
“Your roommate.”
“Tsukasa?” Rui bristled. “What’s wrong? What is he doing?”
“Nothing bad…I think?”
“You think?”
“Well, everyday, for the last few days, he’s been coming to the pool while I’m there and he…”
“He what, Nene? Tell me.”
“…He wants to hear me sing.”
That threw Rui off. “Pardon me? Is this your idea of a joke?” He knew she was awkward, but goodness…
“I’m not joking.” Nene huffed. “He just…likes it? He brought Toya, too, at first, but stopped because he said he…he noticed that I’m less shy when it’s only one person, and he doesn’t want to make me uncomfortable…”
“I’m sorry—you’re sure you mean my roommate?” Rui placed a hand on Nene’s forehead. “Did you drink or eat anything made by Emu? I have told you countless times, do not trust anything that comes out of that hat.”
“Cut it out, Rui!” Nene bat his hand away. “I’m serious! He’s being…nice to me. And when I don’t sing, he just sits there and talks to me. And doesn’t make me respond, or anything. And when he notices I’m tired, he just…goes. Says goodnight and goes. I’m telling you, everyone’s going crazy!”
“…That’s,” Rui blinked a few times. “That is…that’s definitely a thing.”
Nene groaned, burying her face into her hands. “Oh my Grimm, now I’ve broken you. Next thing you know, Ena is going to appear out of nowhere and execute for me for having secret musical rendezvous with her destined prince. Might as well put me out of my misery before I go crazy next.”
“I wouldn’t manifest that into existence, if I were you.”
“You are absolutely no help sometimes, you know that?”
“If you say so,” Rui smiled again. “But you are right about one thing—things here really have changed…arguably, ever since Mafuyu didn’t sign last year.”
“Well, duh, but without the book, it’s been…”
“Particularly bad, I know.”
Nene nodded. “I heard talks, yesterday, some of the first years. They’re wondering if…since no one went poof when Mafuyu didn’t sign, and now the book is gone…what if it stays this way?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear, voice growing quieter.
“No book, no Legacy day, and no signing. Without putting your name on the page, well…can you escape your destiny? Will it just…fade into the background without the book, if the next generation continues without it? Will it become a thing of the past? Without every last one of us signing, will we be the first generation without destinies?”
“It is…possible, assuming the book is never found and remains in—remains lost.” RuI corrected himself. “After all, without a signature, the story doesn’t start. Though Airi and Kanade have both signed, they cannot become The Queen of Hearts and Alice until Emu and I do as well. And with over half of the signatures needed for our stories to begin missing…I suppose that we could be the first ones that don’t have them.”
“The thought seems…unreel.”
“In a good way or bad way?” Rui’s ears twitched.
“…I don’t know. I mean, my destiny was always…” She paused. “A thing. Like, I didn’t want it. Nobody wants to die,Rui, but I never didn’t want it, either. Besides, at least I knew what would happen to me in the future. It was almost comforting, I guess. Just knowing that. But without it, I find myself…wondering things.”
“What things?”
“Just…who I could be without it. What I could be.” Nene wrung her hands together. “Do you think—that if I wasn’t doomed, I’d be able to work on all my stage fright? Imagine if I could sing in front of others, put on a show…I’ve never thought about it because, well, I’m supposed to die, and there’s no point, but…”
The uncertainty, yet undeniable hope in her voice made Ruims heart ache. And yet, it made him so pleased.
Even if now, Ena and Mafuyu know how to find it, throwing that book down the well might have been the best decision he’d ever made, if it allowed him to see Nene like this.
“I think you could.” He said softly. “I think you could even try now, if you wanted.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
The two of them paused for a long moment, and for a second, Rui wondered if he had said something wrong.
Eventually, Nene spoke again. “I’m going to the pool.” She mumbled. “But I really hope you’re right, Rui.”
“I’ll come see you later.” Rui promised. “Hopefully, after my roommate leaves…I imagine he’s probably going to find you as we speak.”
“Yeah, probably.”
As Nene turned away, Rui swore he heard a faint mutter.
”Maybe one day, I’ll sing for the both of you all the time.”
He didn’t have time to dwell on the comment though, before his phone lit up with a message from Emu.
>HIIIIIII!!!! Ena told us to meet in her dorm room IMMEDIATELY!!! She puffed up her cheeks and everything, so I think she’s serious🤔🤔🤔or she’s just mad again
>it might be both. Do you think she’s going to chop off our heads this time?
>Maybe!!!
Rui rolled his eyes, but vanished from the hall.
Goodness knows what Ena wanted now.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to Wonderland.”
“Is this what you called us all here for?” An asked Ena as the brunette paced back and forth. “A strategy meeting?”
“Essentially. This is something we cannot delay on.” Ena insisted.
“I keep telling you all, I can take Airi’s map.” Rui reminded them. “I’ve already done it.”
“And I told you, Rui, we’re absolutely not going to do that!” Emu exclaimed.
“Forget getting the map, once we go into Wonderland’s Sewers, how are we supposed to get out?” Ena asked. “Or worse—what if the book isn’t in the sewers at all and we actually have to go through Wonderland? And if we do that, how in Ever After are we supposed to get back?”
“…You ask a lot of questions, yknow that?” Rui huffed. “Okay, so clearly getting Airi’s map and going down the well is out of the deck.”
”Anyone got any better ideas?” An asked.
There was a small silence, before Rui spoke up once more.
“Mafuyu.”
“Hm?”
“Could you get us there?”
“…I’m sorry?” Mafuyu asked. “I can’t…I don’t have enough power to just reverse my mother’s curse.”
“Maybe not, but you’ve got enough power to squeeze through it, don’t you?” Ena suggested. “Even if you can’t break it entirely, you could probably still get us there, right?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“Could you try?”
Mafuyu fidgeted, drumming her fingers along her own arm as she looked down.
An reached over, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“We can find another way, if you can’t. Or if you don’t want to.” She said. “If it’s too much…”
“I’ll think about it.” Mafuyu settled on.
“On that note, then,” Rui raised his hand. “One more thing.”
“What?”
“What about Airi and Kanade?”
Ena pursed her lips. “I don’t see why we need to bother them about this. Especially since we aren’t using Airi’s book anymore.”
“But…Wonderland is their homeland, isn’t it?” An titled her head. “If we’re going to go at all, I’d feel pretty terrible about not telling Princess Airi or Kanade…”
“Besides, Kanade and Airi know Wonderland better than me or Rui!” Emu added.
“They do?” Ena raised an eyebrow.
Rui nodded. “It’s in Kanade’s nature, as you’d put it. She’s been exploring Wonderland ever since she could walk, and Airi wanted to know every inch of the kingdom she’d one day rule over. And I mean every inch. I think they only place either of them haven’t gone is, of course, the sewers, and that’s because Airi won’t go near them. The two of them could map out Wonderland in their sleep…and they miss it, too.”
“So, you’re saying they could be a useful asset to us?” Ena put her hands on her hips.
“More than that.” Rui crossed his arms. “I’m saying that…that they want to go home.”
“…Tch.”
Ena turned away from him.
“Invite who you must, then. By tomorrow morning at dawn,” She looked at Mafuyu. “Make your decision. Otherwise, we’ll ask Airi for that book of hers and…go from there, I suppose.”
“I thought we weren’t—“ An shook her head. “Whatever-after. And if she refuses?”
She “Then I’ll figure it out, An.”
“On that note,” Mafuyu said quickly before another argument could break out. “I do have assignments to finish, and I would like to do so in silence.”
“You’ll have plenty of that. I’m going to the library.” Ena titled her chin up again in that way she always did, and walked out of the room. Emu and Rui quickly followed suit.
“…You’re really doing this, then?” An asked. “Going to Wonderland and…and searching for the book?”
“Yes.”
“That’ll take forever, yknow. It could be anywhere. The sewers, the Queen’s castle—or anywhere else. It could take years to find it.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing Ena plans to leave tomorrow.”
“Why do you take her side?” An asked. “Why are you agreeing to do this? Help her find that thing, when you’ve got no intention of signing it, and when she’s been so awful to you? You know the minute she has it, she’ll start her campaign again.”
Mafuyu hesitated for a moment.
“…I don’t think she understands.”
“What?”
“I don’t think she understands that she’s hurting us.”
“What are you talking about?” An grumbled. “She’s not two. She’s the future queen and, contrary to what we all like to think, competent. She’s not incapable of understanding that her actions hurt people.”
Mafuyu agreed. “I know. And I don’t intend to infantilize her. But I wonder if, in her mind, the very idea of denying destiny simply doesn’t make sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“For example, my mother. She was delighted to become The Evil Queen, no matter how many people despised her for as long as she lived. Mizuki seems to be ecstatic to be the next dark fairy, even though she dies at the end of your story. Even your own cousin didn’t seem too opposed to her fairytale up until recently, and she becomes a victim of Stockholm syndrome.”
An fought the urge to laugh. It wasn’t like her fate was better than that. “What is your point?”
“It means that the generations of the past, and our current generation, have reinforced this idea that everyone is supposed to be happy with their destinies. They’re something that everyone wants, even if we get a ‘bad ending’ because they’re ours. It doesn’t make sense to us, because why would we want to, I don’t know, be exiled or asleep for a century? But Ena doesn’t think of it that way. She views all of this—this very system—as a privilege, even if she’s one of the only few actually benefiting.”
“What if she was evil?” An asked. “Or if she had my destiny? Do you think she’d still want it so bad?”
“That’s likely the case. I don’t doubt that her destiny being what it is…amplifies her antics, but even if she was the next evil queen or dark fairy, she’d want to follow her destiny simply because it’s destiny, and she’s supposed to want it.”
“If that’s the case, then…” An rubbed her arm. “Will she ever change?”
“Only if she wants to.”
“Do you think she does? Or ever will?”
Mafuyu simply shrugged. “Only Ena can decide that.”
An sighed.
“…Regardless,” Mafuyu reassured. “When we do get the book back, I don’t let you sign it if you don’t want to. No matter what Ena says.”
“Mafuyu…”
An’s lips shifted into a relived smile.
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”