The mirror spat Raven out with a bit more force than she was expecting, almost as though it was washing its metaphorical hands of her. Judging by the looks on the Monster's faces, the trip hadn't been much more fun for them.
Most of the Royals and Rebels had returned to their own homes. Tomorrow they all had to return to Ever After High and most of them hadn't had time to get ready while looking for her.
There were still a few, Maddie was offering Draculaura some tea, the vampire girl was staring wide eyed as the next Mad Hatter pulled a table, two chairs and a complete tea set out of her hat.
Apple was handing a waste bin to a particularly ill looking Clawdeen who sat on the floor next to her equally ill looking brother. Apparently mirror travel didn't agree with werewolves at all.
Monster High's It couple seemed to have handled the trip with grace though, as did Frankie and ... Raven rubbed her eyes just to make sure she wasn't seeing double. Nope.
Well, she had mistaken Jackson for Dexter when she had first met him, but still the current similarity between them was kind of frightening. They also seemed to have been sizing each other up when her entrance drew everyone's attention.
"Is everyone okay?" Raven asked. "No missing limbs?"
"Raven!" Several voices cheered and suddenly Raven found herself with an arm full of Apple, the Royal practically mowing Maddie down as they both went in for a hug. Maddie took it in stride and instead came in from behind to bookend the Raven sandwich.
"I'm so glad you're back, everyone was really worried," Apple said. She squeezed Raven a little tighter the necessary.
"Air." Raven gasped out and Apple let go, taking a step back.
"Sorry, I'm just so happy that you're okay."
"Me too," Maddie said from her position still wrapped around Raven's waist.
"I'm so sorry, if I had known trying to go home would ruin everyone's vacation, I would have just stayed at school."
Apple looked away, a frown on her face. "Nonsense. It wasn't your fault and we wanted to help find you. We made the choice, you didn't force us." Her frown deepened and she appeared contrite, almost ashamed.
Apple cleared her throat and her smile returned to her face. "And besides, I got to see where you live and meet your father." She looked around at the dark decor. "You have a lovely home."
Raven just shook her head, then looked down at where Maddie was still cuddling her middle.
"Maddie, you can let go now."
Maddie's eyes opened and rolled up to look at Raven's face. "Nope, I have to get in a whole week's worth of hugs into this one, you know."
Raven looked up at the Monster's, who were watching the spectacle that was Maddie with slightly baffled expressions. Raven just shrugged at them in response. What were you gonna do?
Before Raven had to say or do anything else, the door opened and The Good King walked in, followed by Cupid and Giles Grimm.
Maddie disentangled herself to allow Raven's dad to take her place. He broke away from the hug after a deep, relieved sigh and looked at the new faces in his office.
"Are you going to introduce your new friends?" He asked her.
"Oh yeah, everyone,"she said, walking to the middle of the group. "This my father," and she began pointing to each person in turn.
"My best friend, Madeline Hatter, Maddie for short." Maddie waved with both hands and one foot.
"This is Apple White, the future Snow White," Apple curtsied and waved.
"And this is Giles Grimm, my school's head librarian and the best assistant headmaster any student could ask for." Giles blushed as he nodded his head in greeting.
Raven smiled widely as she turned to her Ever After friends and made a sweeping gesture to her Monster High friends.
"And these are my friends from Monster High. The stitched one is Frankie Stein. The werewolves are brother and sister, Clawd and Clawdeen Wolf. The vampire is Draculaura and the Mummy and the dude with the snakes are the most popular couple in school, Cleo DeNile and Deuce Gorgon."
Raven turned to where the last two boys to be introduced were still eyeing each other suspiciously. She squinted at them, before perking up. "And the two glaring at each other are Dexter and Jackson." She said, pointing to each with complete confidence.
Apple perked up from the slight nervousness she had been exuding at the mention of real monsters. "Oh, there was another of us over there. Which Jack? Jack BeNimble? Jack Horner?"
"Jack Pumkin-Eater?" Maddie threw in. "I love the name all the Jack's game. This could take awhile." And she began to spout every Jack she could, including the Jack of Knaves, famous in Wonderland for not stealing the Queen's tarts yet.
Jackson slumped forward, the look on his face melting from unsure to annoyed.
Raven laughed as she put a quick stop to it. "No, no. He's a monster too. That's his name. Jackson Jekyll."
"Oh," Apple said, then leaned in to whisper in Raven's ear. "He doesn't look all that monstrous, comparatively."
"Trust me, looks can be deceiving. Just, don't play any loud music around him and nothing will catch on fire." She patted Apple on the shoulder, leaving the princess very worried about having the new guests roaming the halls. If things spontaneously combusted around them, she'd definitely have to warn Cedar to be extra careful.
Squaring her shoulder's Apple stepped forward and gave her most graceful curtsy. "Welcome, students from another world, to the land of Ever After. I hope you enjoy your stay and if there are any special accommodation any of you need, please feel free to ask. I want Raven's new friends to have a spelltacular time."
"Do you always talk like a stewardess?" Cleo asked, breaking an awkward silence that had fallen. Frankie elbow nudged her in the side before stepping forward.
"Thanks. I can't wait to see your world. I'm sure we'll have a voltageous time. I don't think that there's anything we really need beside some place to stay. We brought everything else from home."
Apple brightened up immediately. "Since classes are resuming tomorrow, I'll talk to the headmaster about letting you attend. Ever After High is the best place to learn all about our world. Oh, but are you the heroes of your stories or the villains? I mean, villains seem the most logical from my perspective, but I suppose in your world monsters can be both."
"Apple, I told you, they don't have that sort of thing in the monster world. None of them have prewritten destinies, remember?" Raven said.
"Destinies, no," Giles said stepping forward. "But their tales are still told."
"So," Apple began, now really confused, "they do have destinies?"
"No." Raven said, making the princess even more unsure of what to make of these new people.
"In the world of monsters and men," Giles answered, "there are still stories of the past, though the generations that came after are not beholden to those pasts. And if I'm understanding correctly who our new guests are, then each one has had their fair share of family drama made known to the world. But their stories are a bit different from what you are used to. Our fairy tales tell of triumphed over darkness or serve as warnings against naivete and selfishness."
The group of kids had all gathered, listening to every word Giles spoke with rapt attention. He turned now from Apple and stepped up between Frankie and Jackson. One of his hands patted Frankie on the shoulder as he continued.
"The stories of their world are more complex, more internal. They ponder on the question of what makes a man," he paused and looked toward Jackson, placing his other hand on the boy's shoulder as he continued, "and what makes a monster." Frankie looked away suddenly uncomfortable, while Jackson seemed to sink into himself, staring at the floor.
Giles gave each another pat on the shoulder before walking away from them. "Perhaps it is good then, for everyone's sake, that their world does not force them to repeat the same mistakes as their ancestors, yes."
"Wow, Mister Grimm," Raven said. "How do you know all that?"
"The Vault of Lost Tales is home to many a forgotten lore. Including those of other worlds. The Gothic Horror section is rife with interesting tomes. Some I've become quite familiar with over my years locked in there. The mythology section has some fairy interesting tales as well. Many of these stories, I think have lessons of their own that our society could stand to learn from."
"Then why are they locked away?" Apple asked. Now this was something she had been slightly curious about for awhile, but when she had asked Headmaster Grimm he had seemed to get angry at her, so she had dropped the subjected.
"My brother believes they are dangerous."
"I don't understand anything that is going on right now," Draculaura said, promptly destroying the mysterious atmosphere that had settled over the room. Raven began chuckling and soon it spread to everyone.
"But seriously," Draculaura said, once everyone had calmed down. "What was all that about?"
"How about I explain it while I show you all to your rooms," Raven suggested. "They do have rooms ready, right Dad?"
"Of course."
"Well, in that case, I guess I better get going home." Apple said. She grabbed Dexter and motioned to Maddie and Cupid to follow her lead.
Cupid stalled. "I think I'll stay here and help everyone adjust. After all, I'm originally from Monster High as well, so I've been were they are. And I wouldn't mind catching up with my old friends about what's going on back home."
"Oh, oh. I want to stay too. If Cupid gets to sleep over then so do I. I've never had a sleepover at Raven's before and as her best friend that just is not acceptable," Maddie said glomping onto Raven.
"Are you sure, this place isn't nearly as much fun as your home," Raven said. Queen Castle was drafty, dreary and an entire wing was off limits because of the creatures her mother had unleashed in it. The Monsters wouldn't mind, it was pretty much what they were used too, but Maddie's home was bright and cheerful and full of the same wackiness as the tea shop below it.
"Yep. There is no way I'm passing up this opportunity." Maddie bounced on her toes, a big smile on her face.
"Okay then, now that that is all settled, I for one would like to see my room for the night. I'm sure my hair is in absolute disarray thanks to that awful mirror," Cleo said. She was running her fingers through her hair and trying to pat down any wayward strands.
"You look great, Cleo." Deuce said, rolling his eyes as they all headed out the door and down the hall. "I never thought I'd see the day Cleo would call a mirror awful." he whispered to the other boys.
"I don't know, something has felt off ever since we came through that mirror." Frankie said.
"Yeah, I'm with Cleo," Clawdeen said. "Everything feels muted, washed out." She rubbed at her arms and shivered at the feel of smooth skin instead of fur. She felt kind of tingly now that she was no longer distracted by her new surroundings.
"Maybe it's because you all changed a bit," Jackson said, distractedly. He seemed to be looking around as though searching for something, only to suddenly flinch.
"Jumpy are we? Come on, Dude. This place is hardly different from Monster High. I think I've even seen that same suit of armor in the catacombs," Deuce said, pointing at a black armor with sharp spikes all over it and a wicked looking mace. Jackson ignored the armor and spun around, eyes darting every which way.
Now this got everyone's attention. He tensed up and turned to see the group staring at him curiously.
"Something wrong?" Raven asked.
"Seriously?" He asked incredulously. "Is no one else bothered by this."
Raven shifted self-consciously, more than aware that the castle wasn't friendly. But it had never occurred to her that Jackson of all people would be upset by it. He always seemed to take creepy things in stride.
"I do!" He said. "That's not what bothers me."
Now Raven, and the rest of them, were just confused.
"Don't tell me you it doesn't bother you having someone narrate every little thing you think and do."
Wait, what?
The blood drained from his face a moment before Maddie bowled him over in a huge hug.
"Yay! You can hear the narrator too! I have to tell Kitty that there's another character who is just as mad as we are. Oh, you'll love the narrator, she is super helpful."
Oh, no. Not another one. Listen here you, just because you can hear me, don't go thinking I'm going to give away the plot and I'm not going to be tricked into helping you either. The same goes for you Maddie. I am not giving away the story this time.
Silly narrator, we both know you can't wait to get to the good part.
Everyone loves getting to the good part, Maddie. But my job is to follow the events as they unfold, not to direct them.
Giving us a hint isn't the same as directing events though.
No. No hints.
Not even a little one. Come on, do it for the new guy.
I don't want it.
Good, because giving away plot elements could completely change the course of the story, especially if I give them to a character pivotal to the story.
So what you are saying, is that Jack Jack is important some how.
Don't call me that!
Curses, I'm not talking to you anymore. We have to get back to the story already in progress.
"I'm scared," Draculaura said, watching both Maddie and Jackson have a conversation with no one. She clung to Clawd's arm tightly.
"Um, yeah, Maddie claims to be able to hear someone she calls the Narrator, who sometimes tells her what's happening to others when she isn't around and describes things as they happen. Apparently Kitty can too, but I always figured it was just Maddie being silly and Kitty being, well, Kitty." Raven said.
"I guess you have to be the right kind of mad to hear it," Cupid said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Actually, if that's the case, it kind of makes sense he can hear it too."
"Just what are you implying?" Jackson said, narrowed eyes locked on Cupid.
"Nothing." She said, backing up a step.
"I'm not mad!"
Blank stares greeted this declaration. Someone, Clawd probably, started whistling nonchalantly.
"Oh, but you have to be mad to hear the narrator," Maddie said happily. "There's no point in denying who you are. Let the madness flow freely and roll with it." She said, getting all fired up now. "Trust me, you'll feel better if you do."
"All the same, I'd rather not."
"You know what," Apple said, interrupting before this turned into an uncomfortable argument. "Why don't we table this for now and come back to it after we've got you all settle in."
"Yeah, I'm still a little woozy from the trip here and really don't feel like dealing with your crazy right now," Clawdeen said. "Raven, lead the way to the rooms, I could use a good night's rest."
"Right, this way," Raven said, getting everyone's attention.
The rooms were what one would expect from a castle owned by an evil queen. The decor was all dark purples, maroons and blacks, with silver chains and skulls used liberally as accent pieces. All in all the Monsters felt right at home.
Raven showed them to two large rooms, one for the ghouls and one for the boys. Draculaura threw herself on the bed, bouncing a little, while Frankie rooted around in her bag for pj's and her travel charger. Clawdeen flopped face first onto her bed with growl and Cleo checked her reflection in the vanity mirror.
She turned this way and that, pinched her cheeks and pulled at her lower eye lid. Then placed both hands on her waist and pushed in slightly.
"Is something wrong?" Frankie said as she finished pulling her pajama shirt on.
"Do I look, thicker, to you?" Cleo asked, a disgusted sneer on her face.
"Well, you do look less gaunt, but I wouldn't say thicker." Draculaura said. She held up her own arm and examined the skin. "But it's like Jackson said, we all changed a little when we got here. Look how pale cream I am. Frankie too."
Frankie looked in the mirror too and noticed for the first time what Draculaura was talking about. Her skin wasn't the usual mint green anymore, but an ashy white and the seams where she was stitched together almost gone. Actually, looking closer, it appeared that her skin was sealed, like a healed wound and her stitches were marks on the skin itself, like tattoos.
She reached a hand to her neck. She still had her bolts, which was a good thing since without them she had no idea how she would recharge.
Cleo studied herself some more in the mirror, then stepped back as it suddenly occurred to her what was off. "This is closer to how I was before, when I was still human. It's been such a long time, I'd forgotten."
Clawdeen groaned slightly, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. "Ug, my limbs feel awkward." She stretched, twisted then quite suddenly turned into an actual, four legged, fur covered wolf. "Ah, that's better." She said, seemingly not noticing the sudden change, just curling up into a ball and falling asleep.
"Okay then, so that happened," Frankie said. "But I think Clawdeen as the right idea. We should all get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be quite the day."
With that they finished their nightly rituals and went to bed, unaware of what lay in store for them.
I can still hear you, you know.
But you aren't even a focal character right now, how?
Boy's room is right next door and you're loud.
...Just go to sleep already.
EA
Light cut through the gloom and dust as the Vault of Lost Tales opened. Milton Grimm scowled at the shelves as he picked his way around the towers of unsorted books and piles of clutter.
For the first time in his life he was here to take books out, rather than lock them in. He would be taking several, actually, and he hated it.
These books were dangerous, filled with ideas and new possibilities that would send Ever After and all her citizens into chaos. Some of them, even he wasn't sure were they came from. He had certainly never heard of an author named George Orwell until a book simply called 1984 showed up one day in a box on his desk.
It, like all the other none fairy tale based books, quickly found itself collecting dust in the Vault.
It seemed that at some point in the years he'd been locked in the Vault with the books, that Giles had taken the time and effort to categorize and shelve many of the stories. All the better for Milton, as this made finding the books he was looking for easy.
A couple from mythology, one of lore, two thick novels, and one novelette.
Research on the 'students' that would be attending tomorrow. His prized student had been gracious enough to inform him of Raven's return and subsequently, of the creatures she had brought with her.
At first, Milton had thought that maybe this was a good thing. That surrounding herself with monsters was just the push in the evil direction that Raven needed.
To then be told that they encourage non conformity and choosing your own path was a real poisoned apple to swallow.
Milton was sure he could fix it though, with a bit of research into these kids' destinies. If he could get them to follow their stories, Raven would have no one to hide behind.
Once he made it back to his office, he shifted through the little pile. He would start with the smaller ones first, then make his way to Frankenstein and Dracula. He opened the book on simple lore first, and skimmed through all the ways one becomes a werewolf.
It wasn't that interesting really, just lore, no plot. Same with mummies, though that was significantly more disgusting.(It took him awhile to realize he was reading an instruction manual on how to make a mummy from a dead body, not how to make a Mummy the species. Once he found that section, being mummified alive with all your organs still in place was nothing to him.)
When none of the basics proved to have anything of interest in them, he moved onto the Greek mythology. However, the story of Medusa was a bit confusing, as the book had several iterations of the same story, none of which could agree on why the gods turned the young priestess into a snake woman who would turn you to stone just by looking at you.
He wrote off the gorgon boy as a possible new recruit as Milton highly doubted he could convince him to let his head get chopped off, and didn't want to risk the consequences of trying to get him to follow his story.
Four down and he had nothing to work with. It was getting late into the night and Milton was getting frustrated. None of the books had anything useful to his cause in them.
With a groan, he picked up the next shortest book. He frowned at the title. Well, at least this one kind of sounded like a fairy tale, though from what his star student had told him, he only had half the cast here.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was mercifully short, but very wordy. Purple prose wasn't really Milton Grimm's thing when it came to reading and surprisingly there was little in the way of either titular character present for the main bulk of the story. A mention here and there of Hyde's cruelty and a few brief encounters with Jekyll that gave more questions than answers and Milton had no idea where the whole thing was going.
Then, at nearing one in the morning, Milton got his answers. Not just to what was going on in the book, but to all his Rebel problems too.
He pushed the rest of the books off his desk, completely ignoring the last two, and stared down at the pages with rapt attention.
A magic potion that brings out your darker self. One that eventually consumes you body and mind, so you can't ever go back. This was just what he needed.
But no ingredients were listed, only one was even hinted at and it wasn't enough to even guess what it could be. How was he suppose to make this without a recipe.
The old grandfather clock on his wall struck one and he realized, he was going to have the great grandson of the inventor in his halls within a few hours time. This was a part of the family history, the boy would know how to make it. All Milton had to do was convince or trick him into giving it up and that would end this rebel nonsense.
With a simple sip of a monster's potion, everything at Ever After would go back to normal.
EA
"Just, wait right here," Raven said, holding her hands out as she backed away. "I know someone who might be able to help. I'll be right back."
The monsters all watched as she quickly darted away towards the school. The morning had been interesting to say the least.
Raven ran through the throng of returning classmates, desperately searching for a familiar flash of red.
Finally she spotted Cerise shifting out of the shadow of a tree by the entrance.
"Cerise! I am so glad to see you," Raven yelled as she grabbed the unsuspecting girl by the wrist and dragged her away from the door. "We need your help."
Cerise was instantly on alert. The last time Raven had asked for her help, she had almost been disowned by her whole village, but it had all worked out in The End. Actually, it had made her shortened vacation home much more memorable this last week. There had been a party, before she was called away to help find Raven.
"What's going on?" she asked as she quickly regained her footing and matched Raven's pace.
"Some new friends of mine are having some trouble adjusting to our world. You're the only one I could think of who could help them find their feet. Literally."
"Uh?"
"You'll see. Over there." Raven pointed to a group of kids Cerise had never seen before, plus Maddie and Cupid, who were crowded around some decorative shrubbery off to the side of the school archway.
Her nose picked up the scent of wolves almost immediately and she slid to a halt, growling.
"No, no. It's okay. Those are my friends," Raven said when she realized Cerise had stopped. Cerise raised an eyebrow and approached cautiously.
The group of kids parted to reveal what Cerise already knew was there. Two large, brown wolves with gold eyes stared up at her pleadingly.
"We, uh, don't know how to change back," said the male.
"Yeah, this isn't really a thing that happens in the monster world," said the female.
"Oh," said Cerise. Well, at least no one was trying to throw anyone into a rocky river this time. She bit her lip in thought as she leaned in to whisper to Raven.
"I may need to get Dad."
EA
"Well, that was awkward and embarrassing," Clawdeen said as the group made their way through the halls, heading towards the main office to work out schedules and dorm arrangements with Giles Grimm, who had helpfully agreed to set everything up.
At least they were walking on two legs again. Not that being in an actual wolf form was bad, it had felt so right, but not having opposable thumbs would have made attending class difficult.
"It's a good thing one of the teachers here is a Wolf, or it could have been worse," Draculaura said. "Though, if you don't mind me asking, how exactly is The Big Bad Wolf, well, you know, alive?"
"Yeah, isn't he suppose to be killed?" Cleo asked.
Raven and Cerise shared a look. "Well, it's complicated. Sometimes, a generation of a story of will go off script a bit. And it's not like the character dies is every telling. Sometimes he's just run off before eating anyone." Raven explained.
"So, he was just scared away?" Frankie asked. "Wait, so, if everyone survives their stories, then do you all get to just go off and do whatever you want after?"
Cerise frowned, "No, it depends on your role. If you are suppose to marry someone specific you still have to do that, even if you don't really want to. All the princess' have to marry Prince Charmings and become queens. But after my story is done, I can do what I want with my life."
"Then why don't you want to?" Frankie's question hung in the air. Cerise hunched into herself and began to back away.
"It's okay. They'll understand," Raven said. "They can keep a secret. Right guys?"
The Monsters all nodded.
"I'd rather not," Cerise said, she wrapped her arms around herself and stood stiffly away from everyone.
"That's okay, Raven. She doesn't have to tell us if she doesn't want to. It's not like we're close ghoulfriends. Right?" Frankie smiled reassuringly.
"Right, sorry Cerise. I didn't mean to pressure you," Raven patted her on the shoulder. "You've been more than helpful enough. We really appreciate it."
Cerise smiled shyly and took off, leaving the group behind as she headed towards her dorm.
"The Big Bad Wolf is her dad, isn't he?" Clawd ask as Cerise disappeared from sight.
"How could tell?" Raven asked, not answering definitively.
"We could smell it," Clawdeen said. "I suppose, you'll just say it's her story to tell?"
Raven nodded, glad they understood.
EA
Raven directed the everyone to the office and waited patiently until they were done working out class arrangements.
"Ah, Miss Queen." The voice of the headmaster came from her left and startled her bad enough to make her jump.
"Headmaster, hi," she said, nervously. She looked around the hall, but she was alone with him.
"It's good to see you back. I was worried there for awhile that we may have lost an important student. Your role is vital to the Snow White legend, after all."
Raven frowned. "I'm still not signing the book."
Grimm frowned at her, his genial expressed turning to one of annoyance. "I thought your return might mean that you had finally come to your senses, but I see now that was just wishful thinking."
"I came back for my family and friends. And to show the world that we don't have to be slaves to destiny to find Happily Ever After."
"Yes, the new 'students' you've brought with. I've heard from my brother. Well, we shall see just how Rebellious they really are, won't we."
Raven smiled, "They don't have destinies to rebel against, didn't you hear? Their world doesn't have a Storybook of Legends, they are free to be whoever they want."
Grimm hummed in the back of his throat and raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that so." Then he walked away, headed to his office for the day.
Raven watched him go, a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that he was up to something, but she couldn't even begin to figure out what.
"Is everything all right?"
She turned to see Jackson existing the office, shutting the door behind him.
"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. Did you get all your classes figured out?"
"Yep. Clawd and Deuce are just finishing up. Mr. Grimm wanted to do my schedule first because he thought it would be the more difficult one to manage."
"You know what, it just occurred to me. Does Holt know what's going on?"
Jackson rolled his eyes (twice actually, with a deeply annoyed sigh at the narrator, who would like to add that it's not her fault he's got some screws loose). "Of course. You didn't honestly think I'd run the risk of that guy turning up here with no idea what's happening, did you? We talked it over while packing our stuff. He promised to be on his best behavior when he gets out, but the two of us have very different ideas of what 'best behavior' means."
Raven scrunched her face up at that. It would explain why he had been one of the later ones to arrive when they went through the mirror. That would have been an interesting conversation if it had been able to happen in real time, but having to make a recording or write it all out must have been a real hassle.
"So, what classes are you in?" She asked, changing the subject.
He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and looked it over. "Mr. Grimm said that since we aren't really from this world it wouldn't get the Headmaster in a uproar if our classes were more diverse, so I'm in Hero Training, Grimnastics, General Villainy, Science and Sorcery, and Crownculus. We gave Holt Muse-ic, just so he has a class to let loose in."
"Why General Villainy?" Raven looked at him confused. It seemed like such a strange class for him to take.
"Why not? Understanding the mindset of a possible enemy can't be a bad thing. And it sounded like the most fun." He smiled winningly, that same smile he gave her when she first bumped into him over a week ago.
A throat cleared just on the other side of her and they both turned to see Dexter standing there. He looked at Raven with a deep blush on his cheeks and waved awkwardly. She smiled at him.
"Hey, Dex. What are you doing here?" Raven pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as Jackson looked past her shoulder, eyes darting back and forth between the two.
"I, I was asked to show the guys to the boy's dorms," he said. Dexter glanced briefly at Jackson, a look of worry on his face.
"They're not all done yet, but if you want to wait here for a moment, I'm sure they will be soon." Raven leaned back against the wall and motioned him over with her head.
"So, what were you guys talking about?" Dexter asked. Raven thought his voice sounded kind of funny, like the words were hard to get out.
"Just my class schedule," Jackson answered. An uncomfortable silence settle over them all.
Raven shifted nervously, wondering why these two seemed not to be getting along. It couldn't really be that they were angry about how similar they looked, could it.
"Oh, Jackson is taking Hero Training, maybe you could help him catch up," she suggested. Maybe if they found something to talk about the tension would abate.
"Yeah, sure, anything for you," Dexter said, then coughed and corrected himself. "I mean, I wouldn't mind helping out a new student."
Jackson motion between them. "Are you two...?"
Before he could finish or they could decide if they were going to agree or deny, the office door opened and Deuce and Clawd came barrelling out the door.
"Oh man, some of those classes are going to be fun. I can't believe there's a whole class just for wooing," Clawd said as they came through the door.
"Yeah, dude, you planning to sweep Draculaura off her feet?" Deuce asked him, ribbing him in the side.
"Yeah, well. Draculaura is a classy ghoul. She deserves it." Deuce rolled his eyes. "We can't all be trophies that are expected to do nothing but look good and keep our mouths shut."
"Just what are you saying? I'll have you know, me and Cleo share a really deep connection. I'm not just her eye candy, but it certainly doesn't hurt how good we look together, you know what I mean." Deuce ran his hands over his snakes, briefly pushing them all down like he was a model running his hand through his hair for the camera. The snakes popped back and shook their heads about, disoriented by the motion.
"And that would be the rest of them," Raven said, pushing away from the wall. She waved to get their attention. "Dexter is going to show you to the dorms. You guys remember him from yesterday, right?"
"Yep, Jackson's clone, how could we forget. Hey, just out of curiosity, you don't happen to occasionally wake up in places that you don't remember how you got there, do you?" Deuce asked.
"Uhh,...what?" Dexter blinked confused while Jackson punched Deuce in the arm.
"Not cool, man."
"What, it's a perfectly legit question."
"You guys," Raven just shook her head and shooed the whole lot of them off. It wasn't long after that the ghouls joined her and she led the way to the dorms, showing them their rooms.
Frankie, Draculaura and, not surprisingly, Cleo had signed up for Princessology, though Cleo was the only one of the three to take Kingdom Management. Draculaura had taken Damsel-in-Distressing , siting that it seemed like an easy A. Frankie had taken Literature, believing that was the best way to learn about a world that revolves around books and stories. She wasn't wrong when Raven thought about.
Clawdeen had taken the longest to finish her schedule and grumbled that none of the classes had looked that interesting, so she had gone with Kingdom Managment and Hero Training believing them to be the most useful to her.
The rest of their classes were the standard curriculum, Science and Sorcery, Crownculus, and Grimnastics.
"I'm surprised Baba Yaga didn't make any of you take General Villainy other then Jackson," Raven said.
Frankie shrugged. "Actually, he was the only one that wasn't offered it out right. But Mr. Grimm told her that it was fine for us to not take it."
"I can't believe she had no idea that I was royalty. I mean, how many commoners have the grace to hold themselves so regally," Cleo groused.
"Yep, look as us commoners, stumbling around like lugs," Clawdeen drawled out sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Come on Cleo, get over it. This is another world, you're lucky she even knew what a Mummy was."
"I suppose, but I still want to have talk with that headmaster of yours about how dismissively I was treated." Cleo said to Raven.
Draculaura leaned into Raven and whispered in her ear. "Don't mind Cleo, she's just upset that certain expectations she had about a school for princess' weren't met."
Raven laughed as they neared the dorms. As the group rounded the corner a flash went off in their faces.
"Raven! Were did you go? What was like? Who are the new students you brought back with you? All of Ever After wants to know!" Blondie rattled off question after question, her mirrorpad held up in their faces as she tried to get the best angle.
"Blondie, how about you let everyone get settled in their dorms first?" Raven said, shielding her eyes from the little flash as Blondie took another picture.
"Blondie was it?" Cleo said, wrapping an arm around Blondie's shoulder and pushing the mirrorpad away. "You'll have your interview, don't you fret. But the day has only just started and already it's been exhausting. You understand, yes? Mirrorlag and all that. It wouldn't do to have us not looking our best for such a groundbreaking story."
"Oh, right, yes. But I have your word, I get to be the first to interview you?"
"Definitely, I, we, wouldn't want to keep the public in suspense for too long. We'll see you later then, darling."
"But I'm not Darling, I'm Blondie," She started to say before Cleo pressed a perfectly manicured finger to her lips, silencing her.
"Later." She said, her best, most in charge smile on her on lips. Blondie nodded and scampered away.
"Well, at least the paparazzi recognizes my status." Then she turn on her heal and headed down the hall, glancing at room numbers until she found hers.
"Wow, I've never seen anyone shut down Blondie so fast before," Raven said.
"Cleo has a way with getting what she wants if she puts her mind to it," Frankie said. Raven led them to their rooms and left them to unpack, wondering what she had just unleashed onto the student body. Well, the next few days would definitely be interesting.
EA
"So. Boring." Draculaura slumped onto a bench in the castleteria and flopped face forward with a groan. Damsel-in-Distressing had turned out to be not as much fun as she thought it would be. "But Holly was really nice. I'm glad I had her for a partner in that stupid tower and not the girl who kept falling asleep in class randomly."
Frankie laughed at her friend's predicament. She had liked all her classes so far. She looked around the room while they waited for the rest of their friends to get there. The school was certainly different from Monster High, but Frankie kind of liked it. It was bright and welcoming and every thing was so clean it sparkled. Venus would love how trees were integrated as part of the structure, rather then being torn down to make way for it.
But it had taken getting used to how bright everything was. It was like walking from a dark room directly into a summer day. The sterility of everything was almost blinding.
And there had been a lot of questions asked by other students. It was a bit overwhelming and she wondered if Raven had felt the same way when she ended up in Monster High. Probably more so, since Frankie had at least known she was coming here and what that might entail.
"There you are!" The bubbly blonde from that morning jogged up to their table and sat down. "You haven't forgotten, have you? Your friend promised me the scoop during lunch and it's lunch. Where's everyone else?" She asked, looking around the castleteria as though they were hiding from her. Frankie thought that maybe that happened to her a lot.
"We're here, Blondie," Raven said, coming up behind her. The rest of the ghouls and guys with her. Blondie spun around and smiled, grabbing Raven my her shoulders and pushing her into a seat.
"Okay, you sit there in the middle," Blondie began directing them all were to sit, not fazed in the slightest by onlookers.
She waved over two boys, one was Dexter and the other a tall boy with really pale skin, who Blondie called Humphrey, a name that caused the boys to snicker until the ghouls shot them disapproving looks.
Soon their faces were plastered all over the screens placed throughout the school.
Blondie was hyper active, but focused. She started with Raven, who was happy to get the whole story out to everyone at once. It had been getting rather annoying to have people constantly asking her the same questions. Though she left out the part about her magic being held under a curse.
Once that was out of the way, Blondie turned to the monsters. For the most part they were prepared for the questions she ask, but every once in a while she would slip something in that was either a bit too personal, "Do you ever feel guilty about being made from a bunch of dead girls?" or slightly offensive, "But wouldn't it be better to stick to your own kind when dating?"
Frankie had mostly tried not to think about were her parts had come from, but had to admit to herself that she had been a little relieved when she had found out that all her bits and pieces came from donated cadavers. Draculaura and Clawd had spent an ungodly amount of time reassuring eachother that they wouldn't let pesky things like life expectancy get in the way of being together. That ended with Draculaura throwing out the idea of getting her dad to turn him, to which Clawd had looked very uncomfortable.
Blondie shrugged everything off with a certain obliviousness that Frankie couldn't tell if it came from her need to keep reporting on them or if it was innocent naivete at how loaded some of the questions were.
Blondie still had one more doozy for them. "So, a single human in a school full of monsters. Isn't it scary?"
Frankie was about to go on rant about how one shouldn't judge and no one back home would ever dare hurt Jackson, when she was cut off by Deuce leaning back, smiling and saying, "Nah, everyone knows Jackson wouldn't hurt a fly. He's cool with us."
"But seriously," Clawd said when his chuckles subsided, "There aren't any humans at Monster High, he's just a species that's really good at hiding his monster traits."
Jackson groaned and slid down in his seat. "Really guys, that pun was bad even by Monster High standards."
"Um, what?" Blondie looked so confused. There was a moment of silence as everyone debated whether or not to explain it. But the general consensus seemed to be that it was more fun to let their new classmates figure it out on their own.
"Jackson is a Hydebrid. Sort of." Clawd said.
"My dad is a Fire Elemental and my mom, well, isn't," Jackson added for clarity. That seemed to satisfy Blondie. She moved onto asking them what they thought of Ever After High so far and before long they were done.
As the boys Blondie had brought with her packed up all their equipment, microphones and lighting mostly, and Blondie began discussing post edits with Humphrey, Dexter broke off and took Raven aside.
Frankie watched from a distance while scarfing down her lunch. There wasn't much time left for her to eat, but she was curious about what was being said. Raven smiled shyly and nodded her head. Dexter went from looking nervous and bashful to cheerful. Raven patted him on the arm reassuringly as they parted ways.
Smiling to herself that things seemed to be going smoothly for her friend, Frankie went back to eating and listening to the others talk about the interview and their new classes. Despite the rough start in the morning and a bit of culture shock, this was looking to be a fun adventure.
EA
Raven sighed happily as she headed across campus and toward the dorms. Classes were over and the day had been surprisingly good. Once the interview was done, her classmates had stopped hounding her constantly with questions, which was a huge relief.
And the best part, the headmaster hadn't yelled at her once. In fact, she hadn't even seen him at all.
All in all, not a bad first day back.
Just as she rounded the building, heading to the doors, a figure called out to her. She turned to see Dexter making his way towards her.
"Hi," he said, shifting nervously, holding something behind his back.
"Hey, Dex." She smiled at him. "Something I can do for you?"
"No, yes, I mean," he trailed off before suddenly holding out a bouquet of flowers to her. "For you. I'm glad you're back."
"Thanks. They're beautiful." Raven's smiled turned wistful as she accepted the flowers. They really were beautiful, bright purples and blues, with a few small white ones as contrast.
She brought the bouquet up to her face, taking in their scent. Just as she inhaled the sweet, earthy scent she felt her magic spike a little. It wrapped around the bouquet and the petals instantly exploded.
But not into flames. The softest flutter of wings caressed her cheeks as a dozen butterflies scattered about them. Each one's color reflected the color of the flower it had once been.
On the upside, no one was hurt. On the downside, she was now holding a handful of headless stems.
Raven sighed, even with her magic no longer cursed, she still managed to screw up.
"I'm sorry Dexter, they were lovely. Really." She looked up at him, hoping he would understand only to see him staring at her in gobsmacked wonder.
"That was amazing. I didn't know you could do something like that." He was staring at her like she was made of pure light.
As far as Dexter was concerned she may as well have been. He had always thought she was gorgeous and sweet and talented, but he had just watch her turn flowers into butterflies and one of them had landed in her hair on the side of her head. It's blue and purple wings shimmering in the light and complimenting her hair and eyes.
He was stunned by her beauty.
"I used to do that all the time when I was a little girl. Although, back then I was doing it on purpose. I guess I still don't quite have control over my powers. I'm really sorry about the bouquet." Raven was suddenly very self conscious.
"No, no. It's fine. If your magic was going to do anything to them, there isn't anything more amazing than that. But I thought your magic only worked for evil?" Dexter looked slightly confused, but still obviously giddy at the display of magic he had just seen.
Raven frowned and spent a moment debating whether she should tell him or not. She hadn't really wanted to advertise she was no longer bound to evil magic, mostly because she was still a little bit afraid that the headmaster would expel her.
But she also really wanted to shout it out to anyone and everyone. Dexter, she knew, wouldn't tell anyone if she asked him not to. She could count on him.
"My magic was never evil. There was a curse on it and a doctor in the Monster world removed it. Now I can do anything I want with my magic, no matter what my reason for doing it is."
She looked down at the destroyed bouquet. "At least, when I use it intentionally." She added. To prove her point, to herself just as much as to Dexter, she waved her hand over the stems and new buds appeared on each one, growing larger before blossoming into full bloom, the bouquet restored to its former glory.
She looked up at Dexter through her eyelashes, watching his reaction. His eyes lite up like fairy lights and even through his glasses lens she found the sight stole her breath. She could look into those eyes all day.
She blinked rapidly at the stray thought, clearing away the slight fog that had taken hold of her brain.
Dexter, oblivious to what had just happened to her, grabbed her into a big hug. "That's great. I know how much this must mean to you. Now there's no excuse to force you to follow your destiny."
A completely different kind of fog filled her thoughts. He was genuinely happy for her. It felt nice, to know someone was happy that she was happy. Someone besides her father.
Suddenly he took a step back and a worried look crossed his face. "What did Headmaster Grimm say about it? I can't imagine he was too happy."
"I kind of, maybe, haven't mentioned it to him, yet." She giggle nervously as she watched Dexter's reaction.
He just appeared thoughtful for a few seconds then nodded his head in understanding.
"Yeah, I probably wouldn't tell him either if I was you. You're already on his radar enough without adding that to the mix. Who knows, if he found out he might even try to have the curse put back on you."
Icey shards of dread slid down Raven's spine. The headmaster pulling something like that hadn't occurred to her before and it was not a pleasant thought. She had just gotten her magic back to the way it was suppose to be, she didn't want to have go through that again.
"You won't tell anyone about this, right?" She asked him, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Of course not. If you don't want me too."
"Thanks Dexter. I'm not ready for everyone to know just yet. It means a lot to me that you'll keep it a secret."
"Anything for you," he said, smiling shyly at her. Then he cleared his throat and shuffled his feet a bit. "I mean, I'm a Prince Charming, protecting the princess is what we do."
"You think of me as your princess?" Raven asked, suddenly feeling bold and maybe a little excited.
Dexter's whole face turned tomato red as he realized what he had just said. He started to step away from her. Then his eyes fell to the bouquet of flowers held gently in her hands and seemed to steel himself for something.
He looked her right in the eye and said, "Yes, I do. I mean you are a princess, but what I mean is..." He trailed off, cleared his throat again and said, "I've wanted you to be my destiny since the day we met. And now that we can make our own, I was kind of hoping you would try writing me into your story."
His bravado instantly left him and he turned away from her and looked to the ground, muttering to himself.
Raven was speechless. That was the cheesiest thing anyone could have ever said to her. It was also the most romantic. She reached out a hand and turned his face to her, interrupting his self criticizing, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I would love to have you in my story, Dexter."
That night Raven fell asleep staring at a vase full of purple flowers, a butterfly still sitting on one petal, and wondered what the pages of The Tale of Raven and Dexter would hold. She hoped it had a happy ending.
EA
Milton Grimm walked with purpose through the halls of Ever After High. It was dinnertime and this was the first time he wasn't busy while it was guaranteed that the "new students" wouldn't be in their dorms.
He slipped through the shadows with easy and silently passed through the boy's dormitory. Finally, finding the room he wanted, he pulled out his master key and entered.
The room was spotless and mostly barren of personality. The teenagers from the other world wouldn't be staying too long, for which he was ecstatic to hear. The shorter their stay the less chance they had of actually infecting his school with their ideas of choosing their own destiny.
He had enough problems with Raven, he didn't need her to have backup in her war against him.
And hopefully one of her little soldiers would be the key to bringing her down.
Milton pulled open every dresser drawer, looked under both beds and mattress'. He shifted through every article of carefully folded and recklessly tossed clothing he saw. He even opened up the empty suitcase and duffel bag he found in the closet, hoping there would be a hidden compartment.
Nothing. Nadda. Zilch.
The books and papers on the desk only contained thronework. The suitcases only air. The dressers and closets only a weeks worth of clothes.
There were no little vials of mystery liquid anywhere. No notes or instructions hidden in the pages of notebooks.
That couldn't be. The boy had to have it on him.
Unless what he had heard was correct and they didn't follow their parents stories after all. But even then, there had to be something. Family tradition or lore. A human kid didn't attend a monster school just for the hell of it, there had to be a reason.
Grimm stomped out of the room, not caring if anyone saw at this point.
If the brat didn't have the potion with him, he should at least know how to make it. Milton would just have to pry it out of him, with force if necessary.
Before the monsters returned home, he'd have what he needed to give Raven the final push towards her proper destiny. One way or another.
This one was harder to write for me. There were more characters and I wanted to give all the monsters at least one mention, even if they weren't the most pivotal to the story on a whole. Also, like the first one, this story does not acknowledge anything that happens during or after Way Too Wonderland, nor does it acknowledge the MH relaunch. It also doesn't follow any lore that appears in the Susanne Selfors book series, but does have mentions of things from the Shannon Hale series. Basically, I did what I wanted with the Vault of Lost Tales, but used some character history from the first book series.