Pixie Dust and Hydrogen Part 7


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There was reason for clamor in the school. Apple knew and recognized that fact. She knew it, but that made the matter no less difficult to swallow.

7:35 AM, the time of Professor Goodfairy's appearance in televised council, her address to all the people of the realm confirming what had merely been the rumor of academia these many years past. Panic, widespread, as predicted-- for nobody knew how or why the doom would come upon them, only that it was inevitable now. Apple had been  prepared  for that; she'd been ready to assure her classmates that she and Raven and Ever After's best and brightest were working on a plan to save them all. She'd even hexted all of her friends outside Fairy Physics to come and watch the council on the common room's flat screen.

Her soothing voice and leadership had at least managed to control that episode, if only slightly, and Apple had even managed to convince most of her classmates to attend school that day instead of cutting class, citing the possibility that the professors would be conveying key organization efforts during the day.

"We're going to need all the teamwork we can muster," she'd proclaimed. Looking recalcitrant, "I'm so very, very sorry most of us didn't find out sooner... but the professors were just trying to keep everyone from freaking out all at the same time. Even then... only the faculty knew what was going on before yesterday."

"Look, Apple, I know Headmaster Grimm had you sworn to secrecy, and he  might  be using classes to convey info," Briar seemed the first to recover. "But I still can't get over the fact that I spent last night  completely asleep  while the world was literally ending. Whatever you want to say about it, I'm cutting class today. There's so much living I haven't done yet, and I'm not about to spend the last of it  in class ."

"Even when the world's ending, Headmaster Grimm  still  won't cancel class!" Faybelle huffed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with Briar on this one. I'm outta here."

"I... okay, I know, that's a reasonable thought to have," Raven tried to support Apple. "But maybe there's some way we can contact you if anything  really  important happens at school?"

"We can make a list, and hext everyone when something major happens," Apple offered. She pulled out a scroll and a handful of pens, "Attention, everyone! Even if you've decided not to attend class, please put your name and phone number on this scroll so we can keep you updated! Your safety is our number one priority."

Students began lining up, scrawling their names on the paper and making quick exits. Apple sighed, relieved that nobody had gone shrieking down the halls in absolute panic. Perhaps the shock had dulled the fear, just as her royal responsibilities had dulled her own.

She had been supervising the collection of these phone numbers when, at 8:04 AM, Apple's own MirrorPhone rang. Her mother came up on the caller ID.

"We can manage out here, go take your call," Darling squeezed her shoulder, nudging her slightly. "I'll, um... walk you to class afterwards?"

"All right," Apple smiled weakly, the courtship still so very new. The thought occurred to her that it was soon, too soon, for everything to end, and it was all she could do to maintain her composure.

She stepped around the corner, into the dorm halls, and answered her phone.

"Princess White, can you hear me?" came a very gruff, decidedly not-Snow-White voice across the line.

"Hudson!" Apple answered, easily recognizing her mother's morning-shift dwarf bodyguard. "I can hear you. Does mom need me for something? EAH is a little hectic right now, but..."

"Princess White, you may wish to be sitting down to hear this," Hudson answered. "This morning's news report..."

"I know, I saw it," Apple replied solemnly, "And rest assured that I'm doing my fairy best to keep Ever After from panic."

"Just... just sit down, Princess," he sighed, losing patience for a moment. "Please. Sit."

Apple carefully sat down upon the uppermost stair-step. "I'm sitting."

"Queen White had plans to declare a state of emergency on national television," Hudson explained. "The podium with the apple tree statues. You know the one."

"Does she need me to be there?" Apple fidgeted, itching to stand. "I can grab Braebryn and be there in half an hour."

Hudson took a deep breath, "Princess, there's no good way to say this. One of those statues collapsed. It fell on your mother. She's on her way to the hospital right now, but... well, you've seen those statues. Two tons of marble. Quartz apples as big as someone's head."

The ground seemed to swoop out beneath her, taking Apple's gut with it. Dizzily, she leaned against the banister.

"She's... she's okay right? I mean, she's probably hurt but," Apple's hands shook. She tried not to drop her phone. "She's... alive?"

"She survived the initial fall," Hudson confirmed. "But she's in critical condition. Someone needs to give the national address, Princess White. And your mother... you know her. Always prepared."

"Her will... in the event of the unthinkable, her duties officially fall to her heiress," Apple's mouth went dry. "Me."

"We've deemed the podium sites too unstable in this time of emergency," Hudson answered. "Secretary Katt's sending you a copy of Queen White's address. We currently don't advise leaving school grounds, given the disorder of Book End and neighboring communities, but we'll send over whatever press you think you need."

"Understood," Apple swallowed, and reminded herself-- she had a royal duty to fulfill. "I don't want to make a scene with too many reporters... I have all the press I'll need right here at Ever After High."

"Blondie Lockes," Hudson realized. "We'll make sure any reporter worth their salt tunes into the MirrorCast. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

"Well..." Apple hesitated. She knew that her people came before her personal matters, but... "Will I be able to visit my mom? After the address?"

"We don't know when the doctors can approve it," Hudson replied after a brief pause. "But we'll keep you updated. Just know that whatever happens on-air, not a single dwarf among us doubts that your mother would be proud of you. Good luck... Princess Regent Apple."

And the call ended.

Apple took a deep, leveling breath. She thought about her people, the citizens of the fairytale realm, and she thought about how badly they needed this address. How they would depend on her while her mother was... well, perhaps she shouldn't think about  that  right now. Her citizens would come first. They would have to.

"Apple?" A gentle voice spoke, startling her. When had Darling arrived? "You've... sort of been up here a long time. Everyone's worried... is everything all right?"

She wished that she could string together more than one coherent thought. She wished she could have offered a real explanation. What she said instead was this: "I... don't think I can go to class today."

"You were so determined that everyone should go just fifteen minutes ago," Darling scooted a little bit closer to her. "Did something happen?"

"A tree fell on my mom," Apple found herself saying. A two-ton tree made of stone, she thought, and knew that she couldn't say it for fear she would begin to cry.

"Oh no... that's terrible," Darling hesitantly reached out to hug her. "Do you need a ride to the hospital? Herowing and I can get you there."

"I can't go," Apple sniffled. "She wanted me to declare a state of emergency. I... I need Blondie. I need her to start up her MirrorCast. And Headmaster Grimm... the auditorium..."

"I'll tell Blondie so she and Dexter can get cameras set up," Darling offered, making to stand. "And I'll send Daring to run for Headmaster Grimm's permission. But I'll be right back here in five minutes, Apple, and after that, I'll stay with you as long as you need it, okay?"

"Okay," Apple whimpered, trying desperately to hide her face behind her hand, trying not to show how badly the stress of the situation had gotten to her.

Darling began to make her way down the stairs. She stopped, and turned back. "Just remember... no matter who tries to tell you otherwise, it's okay to cry."

Apple trembled, but otherwise didn't seem to react-- and so Darling made her way down the staircase, prepared to hurry back up. She didn't expect Apple to suddenly stand and begin making her way down with her.

"I'll... I'll cry later," Apple wiped the tears beginning to leak from her eyes. "Right now, the people of Ever After don't need a damsel... they need a  queen ."

"Do you feel up to doing it?" Darling asked-- neither condescending nor pitying, but merely  asking.

"No. But I can manage being Queen for half an hour," Apple took a deep breath. "As long as a hero can rescue me afterwards?"

Pride bloomed in Darling's chest-- pride at how very, very strong this princess could be. How determinedly she would take responsibility for her people.

"I would be honored to be that hero," Darling replied, and Apple took her hand.

-

This was the story of the century-- no, the story of the millennia! Perhaps, indeed, the story that would quite literally end all stories, and Blondie Lockes knew how essential it would be that she covered it  just right. Reporters from all over Ever After would be looking towards her MirrorCast as their exclusive source of information for this important speech, and she refused to let them down.

"Just half a step to your left, Dexter," Blondie directed her cameraman. She glanced up at the eaves, "And Humphrey, don't forget to switch the feed once the announcement starts!"

Humphrey gave her a thumbs up, plugging in a headset to ensure the sound quality. Dexter carefully adjusted his stance-- familiar, now, with Blondie's finicky framework-- and prepared to activate the live streaming footage.

"All right," he said, "On air in three, two, one..."

"Blondie Lockes here with breaking news for all of Ever After," her expression was unusually somber. "After an unfortunate accident at Marble Plaza mere minutes before her state address, our beloved Queen, Snow White, has been rendered unable to act in this time of confusion. Mere moments from now, her daughter and heiress, Princess Apple White, will deliver us news about the state of the issue that grips the hearts and minds of so many. Live from Ever After High, here is the state of the nation."

Exactly on cue, Humphrey switched the feeds to a more central camera, one which had been assured exact placement before the stage. Apple White's heels clicked as she walked onto the stage and began to speak.

"Citizens of Ever After, it is with a heavy heart that I speak of the danger that will consume our world," Apple spoke as levelly as she could. "As we know from an announcement made by Professor Faragonda Goodfairy of the Fairies' College this morning, the academic community is in agreement that the very fabric of our reality is unraveling, and soon shall cease to exist altogether. It is with this knowledge in mind that I regretfully declare that Ever After is in a State of Emergency. My mother and I would both advise you to remain calm, spend time with your loved ones, and never,  ever  give up hope. Until then, do  not  panic and do  not  instigate undue mayhem; scientists do not yet know if these will hasten the end. I know that here, at our very own Ever After High, we have students and faculty alike working on a plan to bring our world back together. I have faith in their ability to save us all."

"Really quick for a moment," Farrah popped up behind Apple. "I'm Farrah Goodfairy, Professor Goodfairy's niece, and I'm one of the students working on this plan. We've got a pretty good lead on how we can undo this, but we need  your  help. If you happen to notice any collapsing buildings, disintegrating landmasses, or anything similar, we would  really  appreciate it if you could report it on the MirrorNet at EverAfterHigh-dot-com... just click on the big, red link that says 'Unusual Sightings.' You can also hext reports to EAH-1444."

"I believe with all of my heart that we can find a solution to even this problem," Apple clasped her hands, then turned back to her audience. "The heroes of Ever After and the Royal Dwarf Guard both will be making regular patrols throughout your villages in an effort to keep our streets safe and our roads hazard-free. Rest assured, citizens of Ever After, your safety is our highest priority and we will keep you informed about our latest developments. Thank you so much for listening."

And as she began to walk off the stage, Humphrey and Dexter switched the feed to Blondie's MirrorPad as smoothly as if they had done it a million times.

"There we have it, citizens of Ever After-- we are  officially  in a State of Emergency," Blondie reported. "Princess Apple White encourages all of you to remain optimistic as the students and faculty of Ever After High attempt to prevent our very world from ceasing to exist. Students working on the project are seeking reports of unusual sightings in order to develop a solution, but only time will tell if they'll be successful. I'll be reporting the most breaking news on my MirrorCast and blog, but for now-- this is Blondie Lockes, signing off."

Dexter cut the recording, "And that's a wrap."

"I hope I did just right... this was Apple's first address to Ever After, after all," Blondie sighed, seeming to sag as the tension trained from her. "She did amazing, though... someday, she's going to be a great Queen."

"If we live that long," Humphrey Dumpty reminded.

"Now that is just  not right ," Blondie huffed. "You two are working on that plan, too, right? I need every detail you can spare for my next MirrorBlog post; we're all in need of a little hope these days."

"Well," Dexter exchanged a look with Humphrey. "We don't have anything really concrete, except that we're probably going to have to rewrite a couple thousand stories in the next few days."

"Stories that have to meet the same criteria as the original storybook without being the same stories, and without knowing the designated parameters-- which could be literally  anything  that begins with 'once upon a time,'" Humphrey glanced at Dexter. "I estimate a 30% chance of success, roughly."

"You can't report that number," Dexter disagreed. "Because  my math  says 70% chance of success!"

"You mean," Blondie leveled. "There's a real chance that no matter what we try, it won't work??"

"Well... think of it like guessing someone's MyChapter password," Humphrey offered. "If you know the person, have a pretty good idea of what they might put down, you've got a handful of likely guesses. The only problem is that if you guess wrong, it's game over for  everyone ."

"We're making headway in narrowing the options," Dexter elbowed him. "It's going to be a lot of stories to cover when we've got a working combination."

" If  we get a working combination," Humphrey corrected.

Blondie was prepared to tell them that neither of those viewpoints seemed  just right  when the sound of shattering glass from behind the auditorium curtain disrupted her thought. That was definitely  not  a normal thing to hear right after a public address.

"Something's happened," she decided, and without a second thought for her tech support, she hastened backstage. "Apple!"

She was met with the sight of Farrah Goodfairy levitating the remnants of Apple's MirrorPhone, the source of the broken glass. Raven Queen and Darling Charming hung closely to the stricken Royal.

"Apple, are you okay?" Blondie's brow creased, beset with genuine worry for her friend. "Your speech was just right, you know... You were perfect."

"It's not about the speech," Apple's voice croaked out. "The hospital called. They did everything they could, but by the time she got there..."

"Oh, Apple," Blondie's expression softened, and she forgot abut reporting for a minute. She joined Raven and Darling crouched on the floor beside her.

"You've had a rough morning, maybe you should take a rest," Darling suggested.

"I'll take care of going to class and doing all the hexting," Raven offered. "If you need anything..."

"No... I can't just rest while Ever After is in crisis," Apple swallowed. Shaking, she stood. "I am Apple White, daughter of Snow White. And I pledged to uphold the royal tradition of  always  putting my citizens first. I have to organize an obituary announcement--"

"I'm on it," Blondie asserted, already messaging Dexter and Humphrey to arrange an address time and blog post.

"And I need to get a working hero patrol in order..."

"I'll get Daring to call dad and all our uncles," Darling agreed, "They'll help spread the news to heroes far and wide."

"And then we have AP Fairy Physics this morning!"

"Like I said," Raven patted her shoulder. "I'll take care of things at school. The only question that's important right now, Apple, is where do  you  want to be?"

Apple's lower lip trembled, "I want... I want to say goodbye to my mom."

"Herowing and I will take you," Darling soothingly rubbed her shoulder. "And wherever you need to go afterwards, we'll take you there, too."

Apple blinked hard in an effort to stem her tears. "I have the best friends in all of Ever After."

"We'll be here for you," Blondie smiled, softly, and story of the century be damned.

She would do whatever she could if it meant keeping all of her friends safe. If it took every ounce of reporter's intuition in her body, Blondie swore that she would use every minute of her media exposure in the name of good.


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