A Kings Gambit: Part 3
Thursday
The air in the hallway was thick with the usual morning rush, but the three of us stood frozen in a tight, conspiratorial circle near the lockers. Yesterday’s lunch had ended with Alistair dropping a proposition so bold, that it had taken all night just to process it. The concept itself was deceptively simple: a tool designed to mimic a frequency that only a giant scaly reptile would respond to. But the nightmare of actually acquiring one had been weighing on my chest since dawn. Alistair didn’t seem to be too bothered though, almost as if he had this plan from the get go and was just waiting for the perfect time to tell us. A dragon whistle, he told us yesterday. A dragon whistle was going to help us win the second challenge. He had worked out a whole plan and walked us through it: if the unlikely occurs, and we do get to the last challenge with Daring and his partner, Humphrey is to be in the crowd watching, holding the whistle for the perfect time as Daring comes close to it. He would wake it up with the whistle and since only the dragon can hear it, it will be assumed that Daring or his oblivious partner woke it up and lost the tournament. Making us the automatic winners. It seemed perfect, too perfect. No one would find out, or even suspect anything out of the ordinary not to question a force of nature.
“Where are you even going to get one of those?” I asked
We were all huddled around his locker, as he nonchalantly grabbed books and trinkets out of his locker and moved them to his bag. I figured he wanted to act normal, as to not alarm any of the other students walking by. The inside of his locker was cloaked with class notes from Bunny and pictures of his friends. I stared, still waiting on the answer that could potentially get me a medal over Daring for once in our lives. He looked up at me and pointed to a picture of Kitty in locker at the same time.
“Kitty has one, I’ll get it from her today at lunch. That way Humphrey can find a good spot at the top of the bleachers and wait for us all to arrive”
“But what if we don’t even get to the final round. This’ll all be a huge waste of time” I said in a worried tone
“Doesn’t matter. Who cares if you guys win, all you want to see is Daring lose” Humphrey clapped back
He was right. I guess all those days of ranting to him were finally being put to use. He read my mind like a psychic. I didn’t even care that much about winning. I don’t care about this class and I don't care about what my dad thinks, all I want is for Daring to feel the same thing I’ve been feeling for our entire lives. The disappointment and shame. And I don’t need validation from other girls. The only girl I have eyes for wouldn’t care about this tournament or who wins but perhaps she would if she found out about the petty game we were playing. But we were too far gone. Maybe this could work and I could get the ending we’ve been plotting for.
“We’ll meet again at lunch and talk more” Humphrey said, before leaving for his first class of the day
After our first two periods were over, it was time for lunch. I had snagged a table away from most of the other people near the trash cans and back exit door to avoid anyone from hearing about the things we were plotting. Hero training was the class after lunch, and since it was such a huge part of our grade, my dad got special permission from Headmaster Grimm to cancel last period classes for everyone to come and watch. It was a nightmare and I was holding onto the pathetic whim that Alistair would acquire a dragon whistle in time for this afternoon. But sooner or later, he did show up. Holding what was unmistakably, undeniably, a dragon whistle. We all talked more about the events. Alistair and I conspired an idea for the first challenge that hardly involved sabotage, but rather strategy on our end. There was nothing much we could do except hope Alistair could make his way to the finish line without me. He could keep his grade and I could at least be spared with a C. But that was generous.
After a while, lunch came to an unsettling end. It was finally time to face the challenge that ruined my entire week and potentially more to come. I gave Humphrey a look of desperation before he scurried off to the bleachers outside; I was left with Alistair who mirrored my expression, but perhaps out of pity more than worry. We made our way to the locker rooms to change before sealing our fate. As I stepped foot inside, a pungent and familiar scent burnt my nose hairs. The same perfume from Daring’s dorm mixed with body odor. I looked at Daring as I made my way to my gym locker. He looked so oblivious, chatting away with Hopper and other princes also participating in the tournament. The way he had no idea that we have been conspiring for the past week–cutting his shoes and sneaking around–just to win this against him. The disdain and resentment I held toward him would be apparent on that field. But I still held hope that it wouldn’t. Alistair changed out of his v neck shirt into a zip up long sleeved gym shirt and sweat pants. I did the same, adding my breathable blue jacket on top. It was nearly impossible to breathe, so we both made our ways out quickly. I eyed Daring’s feet on the way out. He was wearing the same shoes that I tore up the day before. And he had no idea.
“Let's hope Humphrey found a good spot. He needs to be able to see-” I cut him off
Even though Alistair was speaking in an almost unhearable tone, I still found it far too risky to let anyone else peep our plan. He took it as a hint and stayed silent until we walked out on that field. Then it was impossible to be silent. I saw everyone. All the princesses and damsels, even the girls from the grimmastics classes. I saw a few guys too. It seemed like the entire school was here. There were also people selling snacks and merchandise on the side of the bleachers where everyone sat.
“Oh my fairygodmother” I whispered
It was too overwhelming. I was about to be the most embarrassed in my life and everyone was here to see it. Even Raven. I saw her sitting next to Maddie and Cerise, presumably all being from the gym class together. She looked as breathtaking in a way that I didn't even think was humanly possible. There was a slight breeze, making her ebony hair blow around like a lone feather. My heart rate spiked, reaching an all-time high since the beginning of my life. I took deep breaths that did next to nothing while I looked around deeper for Humphrey. I panicked. I saw him at the top of the bleachers isolated from everyone else.
“There he is” I said quietly
Alistair turned his head and peered into the crowd, making eye contact with Humphrey amidst the huge volume of people. He then jerked his head back with the announcement from my dad.
“Hello Ever After High. Welcome to our hero training tournament,” he yelled, earning the cheers and screams of everyone in the crowd. “The first challenge will take place immediately, where these young heroes will go through a maze and make the best decision based on the damsels’ situation on the screens”
After he was done giving his introduction to the first challenge, all of us lined up in our respective pairs at the beginning of the grassy scene. The maze was deep and tall, I couldn’t make out the whereabouts or how many twists and turns it could be riddled with. Just looking at it made me realize I was doomed. The entire courtyard was a towering perimeter of jagged stone walls and dark granite blocks draped in thick ivy that spiked the obstacles. Behind us, tier upon tier bleachers rose into the air, packed tight with hundreds of students excited to watch everything unfold, turning the arena into a roaring colosseum of loud chatter. Above us was a huge screen, showing a close up of the inside of the maze in real time. My heart beat faster as all the boys stood in a line, just waiting for my dad to call a word of advance. A few feet down the line, Daring stood stretching his calves, completely oblivious. And right there, locked onto his feet, my gaze caught his running shoes.
The laces looked normal enough from a distance, woven tight and white against his ankles. But in my head, they screamed. Every fiber I had sliced through yesterday felt like a pulsing, rhythmic thrum. thump-thump, thump-thump. Beating against my eardrums like a hidden floorboard echoing a buried secret. My stomach coiled into a sickening knot, and a cold sweat broke out across the back of my neck. It caused a maddening rhythm that I could hear louder than the roaring crowd, louder than the fanfare echoing to my dads’ stand, a relentless ticking guilt telling everyone exactly what I had done. But it didn’t matter now as the damage was done and we were about to begin.
The blare of the brass starting horn ripped through the air, and the black stone archway swallowed me whole as we both ran in without hesitation. The moment I crossed the threshold, daylight vanished and was replaced with a claustrophobic gloom of the green covered cave. The air turned ice cold and I could feel the nervousness that rippled behind each corner. We ran deep into the cave, taking a right turn of pure luck into the first questionnaire. The maze felt less like a school track and more like a high tech mechanical jungle. All around us, the labyrinth echoed with the frantic shouts of competing students, the blare of red error buzzers, and the harsh, blaring static of wrong answers bouncing off the walls like gunshots. Every few feet, a digital prompt flared to life in our faces, giving us only seconds before things got more difficult. One of our questions flashed on screen and Alistair read it aloud out of habit as I tried my very hardest to figure it out.
“Your damsel is stuck in a tall tree,” he continued “what is the best course of action for you to take?”
Even though I wasn’t the best at the principals of hero training, I still had some common sense. I figured the answer wouldn’t so black and white, but also not too detailed. Getting a damsel out of a tree was one of the easiest situations in the book. I remembered all that we did in class, and all that I tried piecing together. I waited for half a second, before I pressed my finger on the button and spewed out the answer with prayer in my heart.
“Get on a branch slightly below her and lower her down without making her jump” I said loudly
The screen took a second to register the answer, but when it did, the screen moved out of our way while flashing a green check mark. We had gone through a few, but my heart dropped down further and further as I heard a few bells ring. We were almost halfway there. But there was something wrong. Not one girl cheered for Daring, not once did I hear any cheers or praise form my dad out of his loud speaker. Daring didn’t make it out yet. I knew we were almost there, since I saw a bit of the school at the end of one of the screens. Beside me, Alistair was pushing hard, but his footsteps suddenly hitched. I glanced over as we slammed around a tight, high walled turn and saw his face had gone completely pale. His eyes darted frantically up at the identical hedges closing in on every side. It hit me then, flashing back to that speech he had given during his very first assignment in hero training where I had first heard him speak; the one where he recounted getting utterly trapped and hunted through a hedge maze by the Evil Queen herself. I knew he was panicking, so I tried my best to pull through for the both of us. The loud cacophony of screaming and running soon came to a blissful halt as we reached the end of the maze.
As Alistair and I got out in time, my breath finally puffed out. I was barely aware that my breath was being held the entire time we were in there. I nodded at Alistair when I think we both realized something. Daring wasn’t on the other side with us. I looked around in awe at everyone who stood with us, highfiving and laughing of joy together; Daring and Hunter weren’t here with us yet. My stomach did a 360° turn. Was it because of his shoes? Was it because of Hunter? I couldn't tell. But sooner or later the inevitable happened. He and Hunter came out. I looked at his shoes before his face; they were torn up and dysfunctional, almost like they’d been run through a shredder. I couldn’t bear to see it. I turned my head to Alistair who had his eyes glued on the scene that took place. I could hear the cries of outrage and confusion from both Daring and the other princes. I could hear the faint complaint of my brother.
“My shoes broke” he cried
I tried to keep my eyes off, to ward off any suspicion and all guilt. Alistair cleared his throat, being clearly unbothered by the events that just took place. I knew Humprey would behave the same, he didn’t care about guilt from playing dirty. The two of them didn’t have siblings so they wouldn't know. I wanted to go over there and help him and get him a new pair of uncut shoes with an apology and admission. But I knew I wasn’t going to. So far things have gone our way… how would the rest of the tournament go?
“Come on,” Alistair started “lets go talk to Humprey during our break”
The bell that cleared us for a 10 minute break rang loud. Alistair and I made our way towards the bleachers and I looked back for a second or two; Daring was still being surrounded by quite a few teachers and other students. I heard faintly of one of them offering to get him a new pair from his dorm. My heart slowed a tad bit, almost as if what I had done was being resolved without any drawbacks. When I turned back around, Alistair wasn’t in front of me, he was talking to Bunny and Maddie who were sitting close by Raven. Since I could see he was immersed in his conversation, I decided that it was the perfect time to talk to Humphrey alone.
“Hey Humphrey” I whispered “Daring’s shoes gave out”
“Things seem to be going to plan, huh”
As we whispered, I breathed a sigh of relief. The first challenge was over and we were still in. According to the grading system, the second challenge is based on your physical performance. Even if we don’t advance to the last challenge, I didn’t want to take Alistair down with me; I figured we could get the best grades we could and he could at least get a B without me. But alas, I still had the burning passion to beat Daring. After all, the plan was working.
After a while, one of the boys eventually came back with Daring's shoes. They were a different pair from the ones I cut up. While I didn’t want Daring to have to suffer with those shoes, it still made me nervous. Daring is good at what he does; I've seen plenty of it growing up, so I was really counting on those shoes for the second challenge. But it didn’t matter. As I walked back to the arena and met back up with Alistair, my heart soon did the fast paced thumping once again. Though stakes were lower here, it’s almost where the real challenge came in since we didn’t have Daring’s shoes to slow him down anymore.
The course before us was a brutally intimidating obstacle relay sprawling across the lower field, designed to test raw physical endurance, agility, and speed. Towering poles wrapped in thick, artificial ivy reached toward the sky like rusted metallic trees, connected by swinging rope bridges, cargo nets, and slick vertical climbing walls that made my stomach drop just looking at them. We stood in line once again, waiting for my dad to introduce it to the crowd and the rest of the boys.
“Ok ladies and gentleman!” he began “"for our second challenge, we are testing pure agility and grit. They will start by crossing the narrow suspension balance beams suspended directly over a pool of heavy mud. From there, they'll sprint straight through the rotating pressure tracks, and finish by scaling the vertical rope net wall to reach the buzzer on the other side. The first two teams out of here will advance to the next challenge”
As my dad finished up his speech, I was expecting to hear a buzzer or bell to indicate the beginning of the challenge. But instead, he added an evil touch that I didn’t even think about.
“And one more thing” he said, smirking “the pairs will be chained together. Whatever you do, your partner will have to follow.”
Curses
Our plan was ruined. If I fell, Alistair was coming down with me. If I couldn't keep going, he wasn't going either. We looked at each other, both bearing the expression of pure disbelief and disappointment. I turned my body halfway, just to meet the eyes of a grinning assistant holding chains fit for two people. I winced as the cold metal touched my wrist, hooking it to my right and Alistair’s left. As I watched the other students get chained together, I heard the familiar cheers and screams of girls in the crowd. Naturally, Daring turned his entire body to face the bleachers, making direct eye contact and waving to all the girls.
The deafening blow of my dad’s starting horn ripped through the air, and we bolted forward. The first obstacle met us in a blur: the balance beams. They stretched over a deep and thick mud, the thick rope swayed violently under our shoes. I held on tight to the rope above us that was parallel to the one below us. The crowd screamed up and down with shock and excitement; I could hear a few boys go down, but it wasn't over yet. I threw my arms up high, fighting desperately to stay centered above the churning sludge. Beside me, Alistair was moving with surprising speed, but the worst part wasn't just the height, it was us being bound together. Being strapped to your partner meant every time Alistair shifted or corrected his balance, the momentum jerked viciously against my wrist, threatening to drag us both down into the abyss.
“Watch out” Alistair said sternly
I almost fell in a million times, my heart doing backflips each time. Each time I slipped, I made both of us jerk forward and back fighting for our balance. But after grueling minutes on that rope, we eventually got to the end, leaping off together and running towards the unsettling spiderweb-like statue. I didn't stop to breathe. As we got closer, the looming reality ahead of us made my skin crawl from the final terror: the vertical rope-net wall. It stretched upward like a giant, woven spiderweb, towering at least forty feet into the sky, being held up by massive scaffolding poles.
My muscles were already burning like acid, lungs screaming for oxygen, but there was no time to think. I grabbed the coarse, fraying hemp fibers, my fingers instantly stinging against the rough weave, and started climbing. Every pull felt like dead weight, the harness dragging down my hips with every vertical inch. Below us, the rest of the pack was surging forward, boots pounding against the ground, but we were locked in a desperate race against the clock and our own exhaustion. I heard various screams of admiration, excitement and disappointment; I heard as several pairs fell into the thick mud, vocally expressing disgust after the fact. My eyes flew everywhere, but my brain stayed on Alistair and his lead on the climbing wall. I had a flashback to the lab room when we first talked; the way he scaled the ladder like a hero. I had faith in him, but not in myself. He let out an exasperated grunt, the one where I was far below him, struggling to climb up to his level. I was holding him down like a dead weight and there was not much I could do about it. If only we weren't chained together, he would’ve gotten to the top by now, and I would have been on the ground being left behind with defeat. Where I belonged.
I looked back, being haunted by the sight of Daring and Hunter catching us close. Perhaps they struggled with their balance because of the unexpectedness of the last challenge. But nevertheless, we were still ahead. For now. I couldn’t pull myself up no matter how hard I tried. Alistair looked down at me, shouting words of encouragement with worry in his tone. I looked up, down, behind me, around me, and finally facing forward. Though my back was against the crowd, I saw her. I saw Raven cheering for me and thinking about how heroic and strong I was for going this far for the title I didn’t even care about 4 days ago. But it was just me, Alistair, and the grim reality that Daring was cutting it close. I was still stuck at the midline, being unable to pull myself up anymore from my lack of upper body strength. And since Alistair was almost as lean as I was, I let go of the hope that he could pull me up to the other side. But it was far too late. I watched helplessly as Daring and Hunter passed us by with ease. But it wasn't over yet. The first two pairs to get on the other side would be competing in the last challenge.
The sight of Raven, just the glimpse of purple and black in a sea of screaming students and high hopes was like a shot of pure adrenaline straight to my heart. My hands were slippery with sweat, the rough hemp fibers tearing at my palms, but the paralyzing weight of my own self doubt suddenly snapped. I wasn't just going to hang here and be the dead weight. Not in front of her. Not when I was this close to actually being something other than Daring's shadow. I was close. Too close. Alistair finally got the freedom he needed to make it onto the other side of the rope, beginning to climb down as we nearly made eye contact. I pushed myself a little more, just enough to finally hear the thump of Alistair's boots against the grassy ground and a roar from the crowd.
We had done it. Not before Daring and Hunter of course, but we did it nonetheless. I couldn’t believe it. I was on the ground, being unable to stick the landing, and Alistair was kneeling, being unable to get up with us chained together. There were roaring screams so loud that I could almost hear each individual student personally if I thought of them. And it’s clear who was on my mind at the moment. My hair was covering my eyes, my hairstyle being messed up by the acrobatics we had to endure. My limbs felt like lead and my hair was still plastered to my forehead in sweaty, unkempt strands.
Alistair and I dragged ourselves out of the arena, walking towards the bleachers to be greeted with our friends. I fixed my hair out of my face as I saw her face. Raven was standing up and lightly clapping as we walked closer. Bunny stood on the bleachers a bit above her, clapping as well and waving. Alistair and I drifted apart slightly, going off to meet with those who were cheering for us. I guess I was more nervous then I could care to admit, since my eyes made sure to drift everywhere but her until I felt like the time was right. I glanced over at Daring, him and Hunter both mirroring us by walking to the bleachers; he looked a bit shocked to say the least. I figured that everyone was. Hunter looked both proud and exhausted. I never realised until now but, with me ruining Daring’s shoes, I also could have ruined Hunter’s grade. I was planning on apologizing to him for everything after today but, I wanted to still see how everything played out. I turned my head the other way, spotting Alistair not too far away getting hugged by Bunny as she told him what a good job he did out there. And finally, I looked in front of me, where Raven was still waiting.
“Hey Dex,” she began, taking a seat and tapping the empty spot beside her “that was wicked awesome”
“Oh. Thank you” I said, sounding unsure
“You know, no matter what happens in the last round, I’ll still think what you did was pretty sick”
I choked on air. I knew Raven, I had talked to her before no problem. I knew what language she used when describing something that impressed her. But the word she used. Sick. It made me think of the more accurate version for what we were doing. Sickening. Cheating. Lying. Like I didn’t deserve the praise I was being given by her or by anyone.
“Yeah. Thanks you.. thank you. I mean thank you” I stuttered
She laughed at me and my heart did a special flutter only she could trigger. I awkwardly put my hands in my pockets, looking up, down, and all around for any type of excuse to seem normal. Small talk wasn’t really my strong suit, but I wish I could just be myself and relax around her. She's not judgemental and I really think that with enough time spent together, we could really have a connection. Though I wanted to stay here with her for a lifetime, someone interrupted. It was Humphrey. He tapped my shoulder and earned the attention of Raven in the process. I excused myself, walking inches away before he took out the dragon whistle from his suspender pockets.
“Good job, Dex,” he whispered “so for the last challenge I was thinking, when Daring gets close, you stay-”
I cut him off
“Humprey listen, I think we should rethink all this. If someone found out, we could be in so much trouble, and I don’t even care about winning. Raven doesn’t either.”
“You don't care? Dex, you do care. Just think about all the times Daring won the approval of your dad over you. We’ve come this close and now you want out?”
I looked down, being torn about everything. On one hand, I really didn’t care much about the grade or the win, but on the other, I really wanted for just once in my life to earn the hearts of everyone. Humphrey and Alistair had spent days helping me with this. Humphrey seemed angry. Perhaps not because I was bailing, but because he knew how upset I got everyday after something happened in hero training. He was there for me everyday in the tech lab room as I poured my heart out from the despair that Daring and my dad managed to cause every single class.
“Whats going on here?” Alistair said in a low tone
“Dexter wants to back out. After everything”
I looked at the both of them, hoping maybe they could see my perspective on the matter. I thought the reason why I started all this was because of Raven, but now I see it for what it is rather than what I thought. Raven didn’t care about me winning. I didn't care about winning. Maybe I convinced myself I did, but being here with Raven and all of my friends, I realize I didn’t even really want to continue with the challenge. But I was too far, and this seemed like the wrongfully right thing to do.
“Fine. We’ll do it”
“Good. Daring will try to get to that scroll first. Let him. The minute he goes for it, I blow the whistle and you guys automatically win.”
We all nodded at each other and I braced myself for the dreaded whistle of the next challenges’ calling. But as I turned around, I saw something even more nauseating.
Oh my fairygodmother
As I stood there like a grain of sand, I stared down the ginormous and seething sleeping dragon that several guards reeled into the erena. Things started getting real.
The blare of the final horn shook the stadium, signaling the start of the final challenge. In the center of the arena, the sleeping dragon's ears were covered with what looked to be custom ear plugs, making sure to not wake it before anyone got into the arena with it. Being placed in its hands were two big scrolls, both on opposite sides of each other. As we got onto that field one last time, all the outside noise went silent as a highpitched ring and fuzzy vision took me over. We weren't handcuffed together, Daring’s shoes weren't sabotaged, it wasn’t in our hands. All I could was hope this would pass as if I was in a long lasting coma and would wake up with the trophy in my hand, an A as my grade, and Raven by my side. But it wasn’t going to be easy. Daring has been training for his entire life. Nor me or Alistair could compare to his brawn, and Hunter wasn’t shy of a warrior that I saw as a figure of intimidation standing in front of me.
We were on opposite sides of the dragon; Alistair and I were standing together on the right looking across from Daring and Hunter on the left. Daring didn't hesitate. Driven by a desperate need to reclaim his flawless record and shake off the set back of his ruined shoes, he and Hunter sprinted straight for the center. Daring leaped forward, his hand outstretched to snatch the scroll. It felt too fast. No thinking, no strategizing, no planning. Just going for it. Alistair and I didn't move, making sure to strictly follow every instruction Humphrey gave us prior. I looked up in desperation, holding my breath between the two getting closer to the scroll, and Humphrey letting us take the victory.
Up in the bleachers, Humphrey raised the dragon whistle to his lips and blew with everything he had.
Silence.
Not a single note came out. No ultrasonic summon, no high pitched screech, just a pathetic puff of air. My heart completely stopped. Time stood like a rock. No one moved, not a soul. Not the dragon or us. Hunter and Daring secured it before our very eyes, and were sleekly trying to get to the finish line without waking the snoozing beast.
Alistair, standing right beside me, leaned in a whisper in my ear.
"It’s fake"
Before we could even process the unexpected, Daring and Hunter had run to the finish line to secure their well deserved win for the entire challenge. We had lost. Alistair muttered under his breath, and though it was decibels quieter than the screaming crowd, it seemed to be just the thing to wake the beast. That sharp, sudden sound echoed off the stone pavilion. Down in the center of the arena, the massive, seething pile of scales suddenly awoke. A pair of glowing yellow eyes snapped open in the light of day.
The sleeping dragon woke up.
Panic exploded across the yard. A massive gust of heated, sulfur smelling wind blasted through the arena. The dragon let out a ground shaking roar that rattled my teeth, its colossal head whipping around to lock onto any movement.
"Run!" Alistair yelled, grabbing my arm.
We bolted. The dragon lunged forward, stomping its massive feet inches from our heels as it plowed through the obstacle track. We scrambled, diving behind heavy steel equipment crates and ducking low as a sweeping tail shattered the equipment beside us. The beast thrashed wildly, sending all the people who were once on the bleachers running for the school. Screams got louder and the calls of my dad and other professors for nearby men to tame the beast filled the field. It was our fault, but I did expect the security to be better. As Alistair and I hid behind the big crates, I looked back into the bleachers. It was almost empty now as everyone had run to safety, but there were still some that caught my eye. Humphrey was crouched behind one of the bleacher steps and we made brief eye contact; I figured he was just as shocked as we were that the whistle didn't work.
I then looked at Alistair whose head was turned to the crowd as well. He had his eyes locked on the space where our friends were. Raven, Maddie, Cedar, Cerise, Bunny, and Hunter were all pointing and beaconing their hands, jesting for us to come to them. I had no idea what this dragon was like or what it would do. I pointed over at Humprey and made eye contact with Hunter. I was suggesting that he would go and save Humprey, then we would all leave for the school together. He did, and I turned my head back before being able to see any of the action.
Eventually, the dragon was detained and taken back into its nest in the hills. By then, everyone was waiting for us beside the bleachers. Alistair and I walked over there and they all smiled to see us safe. I can admit, I was super embarrassed with the events that had just taken place. I felt though it was the worst thing to happen, which no one would have expected. As we walked, the fake whistle was in Humpreys hands and I stared at it with disgust. Something I leaned on for getting so close to defeating Daring was just a fake prop for Kitty’s chaos chasing desires. Humphrey, Hunter, Raven and Cerise were all huddled in one spot as I met up with them with messy hair and dirty clothes.
A few feet away, Bunny had rushed over to Alistair, throwing her arms around him in a hug as they laughed off the near death experience. Raven stood in front of me and my heart nearly stopped. Her eyes were more diamondiferous than I normally imagined. They glistened with an amethyst finish that I couldn’t look away from. Our eye contact stayed as she spoke to me with a smile and a touch on my arm.
“Hey. I’m happy you’re ok,” she said, then bursting into laughter seconds later “but that was wicked cool, make this entire show worth while”
We all laughed and I felt happiness for the first time in a while. The dragons, the challenges, the sabotage, my dad, and Daring, all didn't matter anymore. I figured my life was already perfect. With my close bond of friends and Raven by my side, I didn’t need a trophy. I didn’t need all the superficial stuff I never cared about; I had the best people by my side who would go to lengths to see me succeed. And that was good enough for me.
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Yay this fanfic was super fun to write but its finally done! Im kinda sad lol i rlly enjoyed this idea of the trio being friends and I might do more with them in different fanfics (perhaps with bunny and darling involved in their shenanigans). Anyway near the end i ran out of energy lol so sorry if its a bit lazy sounding. I hope some people clocked the dexter's cousin at the end (Good enough) and the tell tale heart reference. Anyway as always please feel free to tell me if you have any ideas for fanfic and any feedback on writing. Thx so much for all the nice comments on the first and second parts hope yall enjoyed!
