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Hey, Everyone! Some fresh set-ups this chapter. As always, I do not own Firebreather or Monster High, nor do I own 'Dani Phantom' or 'Clockwork' from Danny Phantom. The design of Lilith's new form is from my friend, Creaturemaster, and used with his permission, with minor changes. Enjoy!
Chapter 28
"So what's the damage in here, ghouls?", Clawdeen asked.
"Almost every gauge, valve, control lever, throttle, brake, and electrical panel has been taken apart and the parts spread all over the place", Robecca said distastefully.
"Ugh", the werewolf grunted. "It's the same on the outside of the engine. How long you think it'll take for you, Ghoulia, and the train crew to get us going again?"
Ghoulia showed the checklist to Robecca, and both considered time for repairs.
"At least a day, maybe two", Robecca reported.
"Time is not on our side", Clawdeen grumbled. "But we should still be ok. Would it shave any time off if the rest of us help you?"
"That might make it only a day at most."
"Then get started",Clawdeen said. "We'll join you soon as we finish checking…."
"Done", Duncan said as he approached with Clawd. "No foot-prints or scent-trails leading away from the train, and the train itself is clear. We did find the gremlin cocoons in the cargo car, along with the crate that I think they were in originally, but it looks like we killed all of them."
"Ok", Robecca grinned, hefting her toolbox. "Then with everyone's help, I'll get this train back on track in no time!"
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Van Hellscream was in a good mood. His private science lab had cracked replicating MEGTAF's Nth metal, and were now making weapons and armor for him and his followers. Dr. Moreau's genetic research with animal DNA was also helpful now, since his lab had also managed to acquire particular living specimens from Asia. With a little more time and luck, Moreau would also crack the monster DNA strains as well. If not, he had his back-up plan in place, thanks to a special delivery from the best thief in his organization.
He grinned maliciously as he inventoried the various Boogie Sands he now had at his disposal, plus the generous supply of so-called 'normie' sand that was included. This back-up plan to creating monsters that he controlled; temporarily turning his followers into monsters, then turning them back, had an unrelated bonus….
"Lilith, dear", he called. "Come to my study, please."
He heard her footsteps come down the stairs.
"Yes, Uncle?", she said when she entered.
"Your chance for redemption has come, my dear", he smirked.
"I'm down for anything!", she said. "What's my mission?"
"You will infiltrate Monster High and gather all the information you can", he told her as he opened a jar of Boogie Sand and poured a small amount into his hand.
"But, they know me there, Uncle Van", she said dejectedly. "And there are way too many monsters there that could sniff out my scent and find me before I could learn very much, no matter how sneaky I am."
"Not if you infiltrate undercover as a student, Lilith", he smirked, and threw the sand at her, causing her to yelp in surprise in the sand-cloud. The sound of ripping cloth could be heard in the cloud before it settled.
"Wha-what did you do to me?!", she gasped as she looked down at her now red-skinned hands with black-clawed fingers.
"I've used Boogie Sand to turn you into a monster, my dear."
"WHAT?!", she shrieked, turning to a nearby mirror. Her skin was now scarlet-red, her brown eyes were now whitish-grey, her golden hair was now longer and streaked with black, and a pair of grey ram-like horns curled back from her forehead to down around her ears. A large pair of red bat-wings with black talons had sprouted from her back, which explained the sound of cloth ripping as they had torn through the back of her top. Waving behind her was a long tail tipped with an arrowhead-shaped growth and when she looked down at the open toes of her boots, she saw that her toes were now black cloven-hooves! She was horrified!
"You turned me into a hideous monster!", she screamed, noticing two final details. "I have fangs and my tongue is forked!"
"It's only temporary, my dear", he assured her. "I can easily return you to normal."
"Change me back now!"
"Tut-tut, my dear Lilith", he said. "I will turn you back once I no longer need you inside Monster High. You will spy on the school and the monster community in general. Succeed, and not only will you have redeemed yourself, but you will be a hero of our cause!"
Lilith wept as she looked in the mirror. She took some solace in her uncle's words, and a little more in the fact that even with the changes, she still had her pretty face and curvaceous body. If she had to be a monster, at least she was a beautiful monster.
"I've taken the liberty of pulling you from school on the pretence of travel abroad with me", he told her. "You will take this time to train here; learning to use your new body and all the abilities that come with it. When you're ready, you will enroll at Monster High under an assumed identity and backstory my expert will craft for you."
"So, what exactly am I?", she asked tearfully.
"A succubus", he said. "I chose this form for you due to the pheromones you will constantly exude will gently persuade everyone around you to accept you more readily. I've emailed you a link to an online boutique for monsters with wings and here is a clean, high limit credit card. Shop to your heart's content for your new monster wardrobe."
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Headmistress Bloodgood was at her desk, reading a progress report from Volcano Academy concerning Heath Burns. He was, thankfully, doing very well in gaining better control of his powers. When he returns to Monster High for the second semester, he will hopefully not have any more accidental fires in the school.
Just then, the crystal ball that sat on her bookshelf began to glow, then levitated over to her desk and a familiar face appeared.
"I hope this is not a bad time, Ms. Bloodgood?"
"Hello, Ms. Revenant", Grace said in greeting. "I always have a moment for the Principal of Haunted High. What can I do for you?"
"Actually, I have student to transfer to Monster High", the ghost principal said. "This is a request not only by the student, but also the Ghost King himself."
"Really?", her curiosity piqued. "Tell me more."
"The student is a prodigy in many ways; at least two years ahead of her peers here. Her physical age is twelve, and yet she easily keeps pace with high school freshmen, and is already an expert with most ghostly powers and abilities as well as having experience with almost every kind of ghost power there is. In fact she has been tutoring students much older than her in the use of their powers."
"Impressive", Bloodgood said.
"Indeed", Revenant replied. "On the advice of Clockwork, the Ghost World's Master of Time; King Phantom has suggested that she could not only do well at Monster High, but she could teach your own ghost students to learn new ghost powers and better master those they already have."
'Clockwork?', Grace thought to herself. 'Could he be one of Hexiciah's fellow Time-Walkers? Are they working together? Could this ghost girl be another of the "helpers" he told her to expect?'
"Very well", Grace said. "What is this ghoul's name?"
"Her name is Dani Phantom, with an 'i' ", Revenant explained. "She is half-ghost, like the King himself. She is, in fact, apparently a female clone of him, originally created by his arch-enemy. King Phantom loves her like a daughter, despite the fact that she is physically only five years younger than him. He and his few normie friends and family are the only real family she has ever known. Thus, the King has requested that she reside with you and the other ghouls in the dorms you have at your home; he feels she would be more comfortable with a sense of family while separated from him."
"I believe that can be arranged", Grace affirmed.
"Very good", Revenant smiled. "I will have all the required forms and records delivered to you tomorrow. King Phantom himself will bring her there via ghost-portal sometime next week."
"I look forward to meeting them both. Thank you, Regina."
"Of Course, Grace", she said. Then the crystal ball dimmed and floated back to the shelf.
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Claire was still adjusting to her new life as a witch. Her parents were very supportive, and Jackson was great; picking her up and bringing her home from Monster High everyday. Classes were kinda different, but similar as well. And it's awesome learning magick from Boodika Le Fey. However, Claire couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Ms. Le Fey's interest in her. It nagged at her ever since they first met, and now she had to know!
"Ms. Le Fey?", she asked after class was dismissed and the others had left the room. "I know I'm a complete rookie when it comes to magick, so I need a lot of help; but I've noticed how often you look at me as if you've seen a ghost. What's going on? I need to know."
"You're right", the elder witch sighed, as she took an old book off her magick bookshelf. "You should know."
"A spell book?", Claire asked.
"No", she said. "A family album."
Boodika opened the album and began turning pages. "Long ago, when I was still young, my sister Jordanna was as gifted a witch as me, perhaps more so. But she fell in love….with a normal, mortal man. Our mother gave her a choice: forsake her love, or forsake her magick and family. Needless to say, mom was not as enlightened as I am."
"What did your sister decide?", Claire asked. Boodika smiled gently.
"She loved us and her magick", she said sadly. "But she could not deny her heart. We parted tearfully, and to protect her love, they moved far away. I never saw or heard from her again."
"No disrespect", Claire said, "but what does this have to do with me?"
Boodika smiled warmly at her and turned another page….to a picture of a teen-age girl with long dark hair in an old-fashioned style, period clothes, and Claire's face! Claire's eyes widened in shock.
"My magick confirmed it after I found you", Boodika said. "Your great-grandmother was Jordanna Le Fey; my long-lost sister."
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"Well, that should do it", Robecca said satisfactorily, as she finished repairs. They had managed to finish repairs in just under twenty hours.
"Then let's get going", Clawdeen said with a grin, giving the engineers a thumbs-up. "We're already a day behind."
"I just texted Elizzabat", Draculaura said, holding her iCoffin. "So she knows when to expect us now."
The engine fired up, and the train began to chug along, picking up speed. Even with a brief stop on the way, they would arrive at the Vampire Court by the following evening.
Once they got back to the lounge car, Duncan decided it was time to tell Clawdeen what he'd discovered.
"Clawdeen, the crate that I found in the cargo car?", he started.
"What about it, Hon?"
"Ghoulia and I looked it over", he continued ominously. "It was rigged to open after midnight two nights ago."
"Rigged?", she growled. "Then that means…"
"It was deliberate", Duncan confirmed. "Imagine if we hadn't been able to stop them so quickly, or if we didn't have Robecca and Ghoulia with us…..?"
"We could've been stuck for days, or worse", she realized. "Someone knows about my mission, and they don't want me to succeed."
"But they don't know you very well, do they?", Duncan smirked.
"Got that right, Handsome", she grinned, givng him a kiss. "With all of you with me, nothin's gonna stop me!"
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Author's notes: The Quest is back on track and continues! But who arranged to put the crate containing the Mogwai on the train? And what will they do when they learn their plan failed? Wait and see!
My take on Lilith Van Hellscream's succubus form was inspired by Creaturemaster turning her into a very similar 'jersey devil' in his Ben10xMonster High masterpiece: "We are Monsters"! Those of you who haven't yet, check it out along with his sequel: "Once Upon a Tennyson"!
Clockwork, the Time Ghost from 'Danny Phantom', is one of Hexiciah Steam's Time allies. Many of my works here will have appearances by members of my "Multiversal Time Corps."; none of whom I own: Professor Paradox(Ben 10), Hexiciah Steam(Monster High), Future-Trunks(Dragonball Z), Sora(Kingdom Hearts, Keyblade wielder), ClockWork(Danny Phantom), and Metron(DC). This idea was also inspired by my friend Creaturemaster!
Long reviews and suggestions are welcome as always! No flames, please.
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