Chapter 16
Later on, while most of the student body, even some of the teachers hung out, partied and helped clean up the school along with most of the Ever After High students, Jared was beginning to approach Hunter and the friendly giant known as Tiny, who currently had Duchess restrained in a straightjacket, Hannibal Lecter style.
"Sure you don't need any help keeping her under control?" Jared asked, gesturing to the fuming and gagged Duchess Swan.
"Nah, I think we got it, Jared." Humphrey assured him.
"Yeah, don't worry about her, she ain't going nowhere." Tiny added, while Duchess growled at them.
"Good." Jared nodded. "Carry on."
The two nodded and continue to walk away with their traitorous classmate while Cerise started to slowly approach Jared a bit timidly.
"Uh… hey Jared," she said.
Jared nodded, respectfully. "Cerise."
"Thanks…" Cerise nodded back. "For helping me with… you know… my little wolf problem…"
Jared shrugged. "Hey, don't worry about it, and hey I'm sure everyone will warm up to it, especially now," he told her with a smile.
"You think?" Cerise asked, hopefully.
"I know." Jared nodded, smiling.
"Thanks… again… that means a lot." Cerise smiled, touched before she and Jared shared a hug.
"Well… take care of yourself." Jared told her.
"I will," she nodded before walking away. Then Hunter and Ashlynn walked over to him, with Hunter's arm around Ashlynn, they smiled.
"Hey, thanks for the help, Jare." Hunter said.
"Yes, thank you so much." Ashlynn added.
"Not a problem." Jared shrugged. "It was really nice meeting you guys, all of you."
"Back at ya." Hunter nodded. "And good luck with Perdita."
"Back at ya too, your girlfriend sure seems like a real keeper." Jared observed as Ashlynn held Hunter closely, smiling. "Take care of her, ok?"
"Oh I will." Hunter promised, smiling at his girlfriend fondly, she smiled back in response.
"Well, see ya." Jared said.
"See ya, man." Hunter nodded as he and Ashlynn walked off to join the others while Daring approached Jared, much to his surprise.
"Daring?" he said.
"Uh… listen ki… I mean Jared… about before…" he began.
"Yeah?" Jared asked.
"I want to apologize for how I acted when we first met, I guess I wanted to be a Prince Charming so badly that I may have forgotten what truly means to be a Prince…" Daring admitted.
"And… I'm sorry for… yelling and wanting to beat you up." Jared apologized. "You didn't deserve that…"
"No… I probably did…" Daring admitted.
"Yeah, you're right." Jared confirmed with a smirk.
"Ha-ha, very funny." Daring said, sarcastically.
"Well good luck." Jared told him.
"And to you as well." Daring nodded as they shook hands.
"By the way, just between bros… I think Lizzie likes you." Jared told Daring as he gestured to Lizzie Hearts herself, who gave Daring a little wink.
"Oh really?" Daring asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, really, and because you don't have a set future you don't have to keep it from everyone like Hunter and Ashlynn did!" Jared pointed out.
"Your right!" Daring realized.
"Plus, from the looks of it… I don't thinks she's ever been on a real date before…" Jared deduced.
"Really?" The eldest brother remarked, surprised. "How can you tell?"
"Just a hunch… a really accurate hunch…" Jared muttered to himself.
"Well, I should seek it out, shouldn't I?" Daring asked.
"Yes, you should." Jared nodded.
"Thank you." Daring said, grateful. "Well, wish me luck, Jare."
"Yeah, you'll need it." Jared said, patting him on the back with a cheerful grin before he walked off. As he did so Raven approached Jared and stood beside him, gazing at the horizon.
"You think Grimm is really gone?" Raven questioned.
"Don't know but I still doubt he'll cause us anymore trouble." Jared stated.
"How do you do it, Jared?" Raven asked.
"Do what?" Jared inquired, raising a brow.
"Keep hoping. After everything that happened, everything I did…" Raven said a bit sombrely and shamefully.
"Because of you. You don't really see it, Raven… but you're actually the most hopeful person I've ever met in my life" Jared confessed.. From the day you were born, they said you were evil, that you were created to do unspeakable things. But you wanted something else. You dared to hope that you could be a hero."
"I thought it was all over. And now… suddenly…" Raven began.
"…you have your whole life ahead of you now." Jared finished, smiling. "Your free to decide your own destiny. Just like everyone else."
"I guess, in the end, there really is no end-just new beginnings." Raven smiled also.
"Exactly!" Jared confirmed.
"Thank you." Raven said before she hugged Jared tightly and gave him a peck on the cheek. They both smiled at each other. "I love you like a brother Jared… I'm sorry we have to say goodbye…"
"Same. Take care of yourself." Jared told her.
"You too. Well… see ya." Raven said, sounding sad.
"Yeah…" Jared added with a low tone as she began to walk back to her fairy tale friends.
"And good luck with Perdita!" Raven told him, playfully. Jared blushed and smiled as he waved to her happily as she walked over to the others and held hands with Dexter. Jared smiled, approvingly. He then stepped forward.
"Well… you ready?" Jared asked them.
Raven nodded, along with everyone else. "Ready," she said, eagerly.
Jared then began to read from the book. "Hezberek Et Morine… Gost Wenthen Verbis Nex… Ind Obrium Bis Pendrule Paran Sic Cortis Rex… Reverto!" he read.
The words on the book began to glow with a bright blue light, then a blue portal opened up beneath the feet of the Ever After High students, much to their surprise. It then went up and began to envelop them, the last thing Raven saw was Jared's sad face. Then the portal consumed them completely and vanished in a flash. It was over.
"They're gone." Perdita declared. Everyone sighed, sadly.
"Well guys… goodbye." Jared whispered, tears falling down his face. Perdita walked over and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, he held it tightly.
"Think they'll be ok?" Perdita asked.
"Yeah… I have hope for them." Jared stated. "With them all together… I don't think there's anything they can't do and now… they can finally write their own stories. Create their very own destinies."
"That's good…" Perdita nodded, relieved. "Meanwhile… maybe we could also start writing our own stories as well."
Jared smiled. "Maybe," he said as he held her hand and they continued to gaze toward the horizon.
Elsewhere, in the magical Fairy Tale world, more specifically the grounds of Ever After High, a ball of light suddenly appeared, followed by a ring in the ground that soon went up and revealed the Ever After students, it vanished once they all appeared.
"Hey… We're back!" Raven suddenly realized.
"Yay!" Maddie cheered, happily. "Oh boy it is good to be back home! Right?"
"Oh yeah." Hunter nodded, while wrapping his arm around Ashlynn gently. She giggled in response.
Dexter sighed. "I sure did miss this place… it feels good," he admitted.
"Yeah, it does." Raven agreed, smiling as she gripped his hand tighter, making both of them blush.
"So… what now?" Hunter asked, just as the bell rang, catching their attention.
"Well the bell just rang and you know what that means!" Briar said, excited.
"Party?" Cedar inquired, hopefully.
"Wonderland style?" Maddie added, excitedly.
"Oh yeah." Briar smiled.
"Alright, let's do it!" Hunter said, enthusiastically.
"Yeah!" Ashlynn smiled. "And then maybe we can do some shopping afterward."
"I'd be ok with that." Cerise admitted.
"Yeah, and maybe during said time you can tell us how you got your hair like that!" Poppy added, happily. Cerise smiled at this.
"Ah, enough free time fit for a queen!" Lizzie expressed, happily.
"Or a Prince." Daring added, smiling at Lizzie fondly, she smiled back in response.
"What about her?" Hunter questioned, gesturing to the still tied up and gagged Duchess Swan. Most of the others smiled.
"Oh… I'm sure we'll think of something." Ashlynn said. This seemed to worry Duchess.
"In the meantime… let's party!" Maddie cried.
"I'm on board with that!" Poppy agreed.
"Me too!" Holly nodded.
"Me three!" Sparrow cried, playing a chord that hurt their ears until Daring stuffed a sock in his mouth.
"You're welcome," he smiled while winking at Lizzie, who winked back.
"So where should we have it?" Dexter inquired.
"Inside the school should do." Briar said.
"We'll need some snacks!" Blondie added.
"I'll make the sweets!" Ginger piped up.
"I'll make the pies!" Kitty added.
"Why do we need pies?" Poppy questioned, confused.
"To throw them." Kitty grinned in response.
The others all traded puzzled looks and then proceeded to laugh themselves stupid. Raven then lowered her face.
"Uh… you guys on ahead I'm gonna… well I just want to be alone for a bit." Raven said, sadly as she began to walk away. They all watch her go with sympathetic looks on their faces.
"Is she ok?" Briar questioned, concerned.
"I don't think so…" Apple observed.
"She misses Jared." Poppy stated.
"Aw…" Holly remarked.
"Her heart must be breaking right now…" Cupid said, sympathetically.
"Should someone go talk to her?" Blondie wondered.
"I think so…" Briar agreed.
"But who?" Tiny inquired, curiously.
"I'll go." Dexter volunteered as he walked off.
Dexter soon found Raven on the roof of the school, where she said to him that she always enjoyed watching the sunset from there and at the moment she looked rather sad.
"Hey, you ok?" Dexter asked Raven. Raven turned to him.
"Yeah, it's just…" Raven began.
"You miss Jared don't you?" Dexter guessed. Raven nodded.
"He really was like a little brother to me… the only person besides you guys that actually got me… that understood me" Raven said, thoughtfully. "And now… with him gone…"
Dexter put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. I'm sure you'll see him again, we all will."
Raven smiled, comforted. "Yeah… I think you're right."
"Well, I am the smart brother." Dexter pointed out, smiling proudly.
"And the cutest." Raven smiled as she kissed him on the cheek, making him blush.
"So… you want to join the party?" he offered.
"Just try and stop me." Raven said with a big smile as she took Dexter's hand and together they left to join the others.
They soon reached the front of the school, where most of the guys are doing their best Grimm impressions with all the girls laughing uncontrollably, and Kitty doubling over in midair. The next four words from Rave bring everyone up short for a moment..
"So what's the deal? Are we having a party here or what?" Raven asked them all with a smile on her face. The others paused then cheered. A jumble of happy voices were heard as the happy couple walked over to join in the fun
"Hat-tacular!" Maddie exclaimed, while spinning around and around.
"Sweet!" Cerise smiled, happily.
"Very nice!" Hunter said, happily.
For the rest of the day, the sound of all jubilant Ever After High students were as they were all happy to be back home and free from the chains of destiny while still thinking of their friend Jared Prince. While none of them we're sure if they would ever see him again deep down they knew that he wasn't about to leave all their lives, not even for a minute. After all… the end… is only just the beginning.
Fin