Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from Monster High, Ever After High, Disney Descendants, DC Super Hero Girls, and Project MC2 worlds which are trademarked by Mattel, Guru Studio, Disney, Dreamworks Animation's AwesomenessTV and MGA respectively. All characters are created and owned by Mattel, Disney and MGA and I do not claim any ownership over them or their story and it is not purported or believed to be part of the original story canon. This story is for entertainment only.

A/N: It is that time of year when papers are due. I've already posted up to everything I've edited. Thus no new material has been edited and chapters will be posted wheneverly. I apologize to the three actual people who read this on the regular, I'm glad you looked at the story. Thank you for your time. Any and all feedback on the story so far would be greatly appreciated, whether it is concrit, one word comments, or compliments. It would really help me in moving forward with the edits. Have a good foreverly.

Episode 18:

Who Knows Our Woes

-Frankie-

Monday evening of the nineteenth of June, Frankie sat quietly at a table in the chess club room as Apple sobbed.

Cleo handed Apple a box of tissues, "We all miss her, but she wouldn't want us paralyzed by fear. She would want us free from the blood-binding, at home in our own worlds."

Apple dabbed at her eye corners, "I know, it's just…so unfair." She sniffled, "First Raven refuses to be my evil queen, which I'm a good friend so I'm very understanding and supportive. Then Darin's kiss didn't wake me from enchanted sleep, instead he went all beasty and returned to normal for Rosabella, which I'm happy for him but…; and now… Darling's been killed. I'll never have my happily ever after, why do all the bad things happen to me!"

Petra rolled her eyes, "Oh no, whatever shall you do without a Charming prince?"

Frankie furrowed her brow, "Wait…"

Farrah placed her hand over hers and shook her head.

Cleo put her hands on her hips as she circumnavigated the room, "We are not defeated yet. We may have lost our dearly beloved classmate but we won't allow her remains to waste away on this island."

Frankie turned in her chair to keep Cleo in view, "Is that why you had Abbey freeze the coffin?"

Cleo clicked her heels together as she stopped behind the podium, "I preserved her for our time of escape, the waterfall would deter grave robbers, not that she had anything." She pointed towards the door, "And why are you two still here?"

Frankie's bolts sparked as she recalled her task, "Oh my ghoul, sorry." She rose to her feet and grabbed Farrah by the hand, "We need to go and search from some faces that look like they know something."

Farrah pointed towards the large portrait in the corner on the floor, "Something like that."

Frankie gazed at the portrait of the young man; the eyes stared back at her. She bristled, "Yeah…"

The eyes blinked and a translucent ghostly face emerged.

Petra stomped which caused everything in the room to rattle, "Glimmer Lautergeist, quit spying on my scavenger hunting team."

Glimmer giggled as she floated above everyone, her long violet rose pink side braid dangled mere centimeters from the table, "The way I see it, what you're searching for would benefit all teams. Information that could benefit us all should be shared."

Frankie tilted her head, "You're Spectra's cousin, right?"

Glimmer swam through the air to stop in front of Frankie and stare with wide heather purple eyes, "Do I really look so much like her? Must you always compare me?"

Farrah gripped Frankie's shoulders and pulled her back, "No offense was meant, our sincerest apologies."

"No offense?" Glimmer blinked then cracked a smile and doubled over with laughter, "Am I so haunting?" She waved dismissively, "You two go search for whatever face you are supposed to find. I'm just super irritated with Porter right now is all."

Frankie nodded as the laughter echoed around the room, "Oh okay. Whelp, we're off."

Farrah shrank down and administered the drop of honey to the back of Frankie's neck, "Can you hear me?"

Frankie nodded.

"Perfect, let's see what's out there."

Frankie closed the door as she stepped out of the room. She scanned the dimly lit stone hallway as though the answer to the riddle would reveal itself.

Farrah fluttered forward, leaving a thin trail of glittery dust, "I'll scout up ahead and let you know if I see a teacher."

Frankie pressed herself flat against the wall as she tip-toed after her, "Yeah, getting caught would be a disaster."

A dull ache plagued her calves as she continued along the sloped hall, glancing at elongated shadows in the alcoves. Why is this hallway tilted? This is so weird. Did they carve it like this on purpose?

She snuck towards the other side of the hall where the floor seemed smoothest. When she encountered a door, she gently pushed it open. There was a dart board along the far wall above some random sports equipment. Not seeing anything noteworthy she continued up the hallway.

As she came close to another room on the right a thud of objects falling sounded behind her. She ducked into an alcove as the echo of a bouncing ball drew near. She inhaled sharply as a basketball rolled into the hallway. It turned and headed down towards the stairs, "Oh no!"

Frankie ran and grabbed it before it bounced down the stone steps and gave away her position. She walked it back to the club room, noting the mess the door caused when she pushed it open.

Farrah hovered overhead, "Is everything alright?"

"Just knocked this over."

"Oh my goodness, here, let me help."

Frankie stepped back as a splash of light hit the objects and everything re-shelved itself.

The whistle of wind shifting in the hall indicated a door opening. Frankie glanced around and ducked behind a chair. Footsteps drew near and one of the janitors peered into the room, with a shrug they closed the door and walked away. Frankie waited for the familiar whistle from beneath the door before she rose from her hiding place.

Farrah sighed, "I wonder what their lives were like before here."

"Oh my ghoul. Do you think they were kidnapped too?"

"Why would anyone volunteer to work here?"

"Valid." Frankie narrowed her eyes when she noticed another door in the corner, "What's in there?"

"An office. All the club rooms have a teacher's office attached."

Frankie crept towards it, "Really?"

"Yes. That debate and chess club room is attached to LT Delahaye's office but Cleo always magically muffles the sounds so if LT Delahaye is in there, she shouldn't hear anything."

"Cleo always thinks ahead." Frankie lowered her hand and stepped away from the door, "I'd better not snoop around an office. I would hate to move something in LT O'Malley's office."

Farrah giggled, "She would probably go on another rampage like she did with her stuffed crocodile."

Frankie smiled as she cautiously exited the club room, "I wonder if the employees would be willing to work with us to escape."

"Mmm, maybe, but for now let's actually find this knowing face. We don't know how much they interact with the principal; they may be too afraid to go against her and rat us out."

Frankie sighed as she ascended up the inkling hallway, "How awful."

She made her way back to the room on the right and cracked open the door. Inside was what appeared to be a living quarters with additional doors and hallways behind it. She shut the door and continued up the hall.

Farrah rushed towards the alcove where Frankie had previously hid, "I wonder where this door leads."

Frankie opened it and the familiar rush of wind whooshed past her as she revealed the outer ramparts of the school.

"Oh wow! This overlooks the front dock."

Frankie stepped out and peered over the stone to view the dock below. The ramparts curved around the docks with huge cannons facing outwards. There was a shack far along the opposite wall where employees of the school stood chatting.

Frankie stepped back and returned to the second floor, "Well I don't think what we need is out there."

"I suppose, although we have no idea of what exactly this knowing face is supposed to be."

"Hmm," Frankie furrowed her brow as she followed the incline upward through the curve of the semi-circle shaped hallway, "Well it has to be something long lasting as Class 149 tried to get it."

They passed a large empty room with windows on the right side of the hall as they continued upward.

Farrah zoomed towards a room on the left side of the hall, "There were plenty of books in this room, maybe it's a reference to a face in a book."

Frankie rushed over and peered into the dark room, "What kind of club room is this?"

A whistle in the hall indicated someone's entry. Frankie slipped into the dark room and pressed herself flush against the door. She held up her hand and formed a spark between her fingers. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed the room was split into two sides by tables with multiple types of light sources set atop.

She crept forward past the cabinets, under table storage, and stack of papers to a table in the center with a large and expensive looking piece of equipment. Several sets of camera lenses were carefully set in small boxes.

Farrah gasped, "This must be the dark room for photography."

Frankie picked up a lens and peered through it, magnifying scratches on the table, "Is there a club here for that?"

"I don't know, but I don't see a door connected to this room so whoever is in charge of this club must have their office separate."

The door to the dark room opened and shut. The spark between Frankie's fingers ceased as she waited, "Umm, hello?"

There was no response. She put the lens back in its case and used the table to navigate her way around the room. She strained her ears but could detect no movement.

"You're not supposed to be here," a cheerful male voice teased.

Frankie furrowed her brow as she recreated a spark, "Have we met?"

A pale rousseau-green face morphed into view as Porter Geiss made himself visible, "Once or twice last year. We also met back at that spooky cool party in Monster High when us students from Haunted High came through to meet."

Farrah whispered, "Haunted?"

Porter's turquoise eyes narrowed as he floated closer, "Did that bug just speak?"

Frankie shook her head, "That's Farrah, she can shrink."

"Oh okay, any ways. You're not supposed to be up here. Second years only get access to the library and a later curfew. Second floor is still off limits."

Frankie chuckled, "I doubt that rule kept you off this floor last year."

Porter smirk as he lounged mid-air, "Yeah, perks of being a poltergeist."

Frankie narrowed her eyes, "Can't ghost travel between worlds?"

Porter grimaced as he sat up, "That… is a bit complicated." He turned towards the door and poked his head through it. After a moment he pulled his head back into the room, "Coast is clear. Let me escort you two back down to safety."

"Or you could help us. Glimmer said what we're doing is important enough for all classes to know."

Porter quirked a brow, "Glimmer?" He leaned close and whispered behind his hand, "Do you think she's still mad at me?"

"She did seem irritated when I asked her about Spectra."

He tossed his viridian green bangs out of his face with a sigh, "Ah, yeah. I figured." He drifted towards the door, "Would helping really get me on her good side though?"

Frankie smirked, "I could put in a good word for you."

Porter's ghostly glow brightened as though a light inside him had switched on, "Would you?" He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, "I mean, that's cool, yeah sure, what do you need."

Both Farrah and Frankie giggled.

Frankie calmed first, "Have you seen any old faces around the school?"

Porter tilted his head and hummed thoughtfully, "Old faces?" He glanced around the room, "Oh, that's why you two are in here."

He rushed through the door. Frankie ran and opened it to follow.

Porter opened the door to the adjacent office, "LT Walker has plenty of pictures of old classes in here."

Farrah gasped as they entered the book-filled office, "This was the room I was telling you about earlier Frankie."

Porter pulled a book off a shelf and held it up, "Tada, old yearbooks."

Frankie tilted her head as she accepted the book, "When did they have time to take pictures?"

Porter laughed as she opened the book, "Look closely, they had no idea someone was taking pictures."

Farrah landed on her shoulder as she flipped through pages, "Each picture is from the same angle. Look, that's somewhere outside, and there, where is that?"

Frankie shrugged, "No idea, but I recognize some of these ghouls. There, that's Bonita Femur."

"Class 217…oh, there's Humphrey Dumpty! He was in the news back at home when he went missing. I remember it well because it was a pretty big deal because everyone was worried that he'd fall in a place where the king's horses and men wouldn't be able to get to him."

Porter spun slow circles as he lounged in the air, "Are those the faces you're looking for?"

Frankie shook her head as she closed the yearbook, "Maybe something older."

"Like Class 149," Farrah suggested.

Porter flicked his wrist as he telepathically removed a book from the shelf, "Here you go."

Frankie snatched it out of the air and opened it. As she flipped through the pages one thing became abundantly clear, "These are all monsters. Just ghost and zombies…"

Porter hummed thoughtfully, "Really?" He glanced around the room, "I wonder…"

Frankie watched as he painted a door on the ceiling, "What are you doing?"

Porter pushed it open as he summoned the book to himself, "Just taking a stroll down memory lane see if I can find any clues of what happened to these ghosts."

"Wait," Frankie raised her hand just as he flew through the door, a piece of paper drifted to the floor as the door shut.

Farrah flew to it and picked it up, "Oh I can't make heads or tails of this."

Frankie walked over and picked it up. It seemed to be a note but the handwriting was completely illegible.

"Why are you in Addy's office?"

Frankie turned to see LT Read leaning on the doorframe. She smiled as she hid the paper behind her back, "I ahh, I was just umm…"

Read crossed the room and picked up a yearbook off the floor, "Ah, these." She chuckled, "Brings back some memories."

Frankie side-stepped LT Read as she made her way towards the door, "Yep. Some friends of mine had been kidnapped before, just checking to see if they made it here, and they did so…"

"Mmhmm," Read nodded absentmindedly as she flipped through the pages, "Ah, Chad…"

Frankie slipped out the door and quick-stepped towards the chess club room.

Cleo quirked a brow when she entered, "Oh my Rah, what's the rush?"

Farrah grew to full size and panted, "LT Read is on the floor."

Petra stuck her nose in the air and sashayed towards the door, "I'll save us as per usual."

Cleo propped her elbows on the table and smirked, "Are you sure you can manage it? LT Read doesn't like queens."

Petra scoffed, "She simply doesn't like you dear sister." She left the room with a flip of her hair.

Cleo narrowed her eyes.

Frankie held out the note, "We found this in an old yearbook but its unreadable."

Cleo stared at it, "A yearbook?"

Farrah sat down, "From Class 149. Which held only ghost and zombies."

"Zombies?" Cleo's eyes widened as she held out the note, "Crecha, take this to Ghoulia."

Crecha reached for it, "Okay…"

Cleo waved her away, "Its written in Losbreken, the written script for Zombese, older zombies tend to lose limbs but they still want to communicate."

Crecha nodded and left the room.

Frankie's eyes widened, "Wait…how did they figure out how to write without hands?"

Cleo shrugged, "I'm uncertain but Ghoulia's mother is top scholar at university and she often translated older zombie texts as part of her job. Ghoulia has most certainly seen it and while I am unable to translate it I know she can. If you come across any more notes like that, give them to Ghoulia. I'm certain the information will be useful."

She sighed as she touched her bob, "Likewise, if that class had ghost and zombies then that means things may be hidden in places we wouldn't be able to walk."

Farrah gasped as she slapped the table with her palm, "Porter entered a door on the ceiling with the yearbook, perhaps he and Glimmer can help with that."

Cleo pursed her lips, "While I don't like having too many elements out of my control, it is to my advantage to put them to work for me." She rose from her seat, "All right, I'll allow it. Our ghost friends will search ghost places and Ghoulia will translate zombie scripts. In the meanwhile, you two keep searching for this face, we don't know what it is but it must be key to our freedom."

Farrah wrung her hands as she glanced at the shadow, "What about Twyla?"

Cleo waved dismissively, "Shadows can't survive in the light. Leave her to me. Freddie was powerful and I handled her, Twyla is nothing in comparison."

Frankie put her hand over Farrah's and smiled warmly, "Don't worry, I'm sure once we've secured a way to freedom, Twyla will calm down."

I hope.