To 8Ball3- Cake is definitely better XD AND YES, SHE TOOK HER AWAY AFTER JESSICA GAVE BIRTH! Jessica told Lou when they played that Twenty Questions game or whatever a few chapters back :P BYE BYE BOOMER!

To propheciesandbluecookies- Kids take news rather well, I've found. I mean, I remember when I was in primary school, I convinced this other kid there were dragons living in the local park, but they only came out at night. Kids will believe anything XD And zap away, she deserves it O:)

To Anonymous Person Lucky 13- Three devices? What you been up to? Dual-wielding a bat and a sword... oooh, I quite like that idea :3 I use gravity to move heavy things all the time. I can't say for certain if the heavy things remain intact, but it is a much quicker way of moving XD She could be Scary Lady 2, we shall see... XD Seriously, if I didn't have ice-cream, I would have committed many many murders

To - Oh, she's fiiiiiineeee! A little insanity keeps life interesting! (Even if it does come with Titans and monsters XD )

"Mr. Becks?"

The teacher looked up at the little voice, pen coming to a still over homework to mark. Louisa stood on the other side, hands holding the edge of the desk nervously.

"Everything alright, Louisa?" It had been a week and a bit since the incident with Jessica's mother. After a long rant filled with much swearing that Louisa was banned from repeating (but repeated anyway), Jessica declared anything about her mother off-limits.

Louisa nodded, looking over her shoulder. The classroom was empty, kids having piled out for their lunchtime play. Mr. Becks set his pen down, lacing his fingers together. "I see you've turned your shapes into animals again."

"They want to be animals." Louisa defied, turning back to him with a scrunch to her nose. Before he could speak, she was asking him something. "Can you find people?"

"Can I find-?"

"With magic."

"Um… well, I do know a couple of tracking spells, yes. But I normally need something that belongs to the person." Louisa's shoulders slumped and she pouted. Mr. Becks leaned forward in his seat, studying her face. "What were you thinking?"

"Mom's baby."

"You want to find her?"

"Yes. Cheer Mom up."

"Mmm…" He wriggled his conjoined fingers, tapping his knuckles in thoughts. "Maaaaaayyyyyybbbeeee if you got some of Jessica's hair… I might be able to use that." Louisa frowned, confused. "I know it's not something that belongs to the baby… who wouldn't be a baby now, but it is something that belongs to her mom and I might be able to track her that way. Genetics and stuff."

"How much hair?"

"Do not shave your mother bald. You know what," he pressed on quickly, seeing a devilish gleam of an idea building in her eyes, "I'll get the hair."

"Don't tell her though."

"Oh, is it a surprise?"

"Yes."

"That's nice of you, Lou."

"She's nice to me."

"She is, yes. So nice that you won't shave off all her hair now, will you?" He peered at her pointedly over the top of his glasses. Louisa huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Fine. Would be funny though."

"Until she wipes your head clean off with her bat."

"Oh. Not so funny."

"No, not really. Go play. And stay away from Roxanne." Louisa grinned at him and he sighed, realising that was like telling her not to swear.

"Lou, that's mist, not Mist."

"Well, if there's lots of it," the girl turned her nose up at him, wafting her hands through the mist she had created from her cup of water, "then ain't gonna see shit, are you?"

"Stop swearing!" Jessica reprimanded from the kitchen, Harvey doing his best to stifle snickers.

"As that may be," he agreed with as straight a face as he could manage, "you need the magical kind to hide monsters and whatnot from mortals. Look, it's this or more Math. What would you rather?"

"This."

"Cool. Now stop cheating-"

"Stop swearing!"

"-and use the Mist." He pointed at Beartrice the teddy bear. "That's a fruit bowl."

"You're a fruit bowl." Louisa muttered, frowning at the toy. Her mist dissipated, leaving sparkling droplets of water on the carpet. Harvey snapped his fingers, shoving his hand out. The air rippled around Beatrice, covering her over and replacing her with a very nice fruit bowl, steeped with all kinds of fresh fruit.

Apples! Storm trotted forward excitedly, coming out of Louisa's bedroom, back from her flight.

"No!" Louisa cried, dashing forward. "Is not apples! Is Beartrice!"

Let me eat! The mare protested, stomping her hoof. The Mist fell away as Louisa snatched up her prized teddy, hugging her tightly. Storm snorted, trying to bite the bear anyway. Stupid bear!

"It's not a real bear!" Louisa reminded her for the umpteenth time.

I'm better than her!

"I ain't gonna let you eat her!"

Don't want to eat her. Want to bite her stupid smiling head off!

"No!" Louisa shoved the bear protectively under her T-shirt and ran off. Storm huffed and made a rude noise after her, then slunk to Harvey, ears flattening. He smiled kindly, patting her head.

"It's alright, Storm." He assured. "Every kid has a favourite teddy bear, but that doesn't mean it's the most favourite thing." The pegasus shook her mane, clearly sulking. He scratched her behind the ears, drawing a contented, quiet whinny from her.

Jessica emerged from the kitchen, balancing her tray. Two cups of tea, a cup of hot chocolate, a plate of biscuits and three apples. Storm brightened upon seeing the last thing, leaving Harvey to walk alongside Jessica, eyes fixed hungrily on the fruit.

"One second, one second." Jessica had to hold the tray carefully, away from the mare's inquisitive snout. Storm was pressed right up against her side, grumbling and huffing- probably Pegasus for Give me now! but their translator was busy elsewhere, placing a teddy bear in secure, secret hidey-hole.

The tray was put on the table, no drinks spilt, no biscuits dropped and no apples stolen. Storm wriggled and headbutted Jessica's arm, snorting in the apples' direction. "Oh my gods, OK. Here." Jessica fed her one, almost losing her hand in the process. "I was going to get a dog before all this." She told Harvey. "But I don't think I need one anymore."

"No, I don't think you do." He laughed. "Oh, you're back."

"I am!" Louisa confirmed. "I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry." Jessica sighed. She motioned to the table and Louisa beamed, hurrying forward to take a seat. She took her drink and then, rather than one or two biscuits, she took the entire plate. Jessica bit her lip, raising an eyebrow at Harvey. He was looking back at her with a similar expression, a bemused smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Jessica waved a finger in the direction of the kitchen. "I'll get some more."

"Good idea." He nodded. Jessica took a step away, Storm biting her sleeve.

"Alright, alright." Jessica fed her another apple, scratched her ears for her. "Can't leave you alone for a second, can we?"

Nope! Oy, where are you going? There's still another apple! Get back here!

Jessica frowned at her dresser. She got down on her knees and looked beneath it. She stood, using the drawer handles as leverage, and began checking the contents.

"Lou!" She called. "Lou!"

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen my hairbrush?"

"No!"

"Can I borrow yours?" Jessica asked, coming out of her room. Louisa gave her a sheepish look, pressing her hands together.

"No?" She squeaked, smiling nervously. Jessica put her hands on her hips.

"Don't tell me you've lost another one?"

"No, no. Shush, Storm. No, not lost it."

"Where did it go, Lou?" Jessica raised an eyebrow. Storm was clearly trying to tell her, shuffling on her hooves excitedly, shaking her head, snorting, nodding at the window. Louisa was trying to push her back, shushing her. "Louisa…" Jessica warned. The girl froze, shoulders hunching, throwing her arms over her head protectively. "What did you do with your hairbrush?"

"I didn't!"

"That's the seventh hairbrush this month. Where is it?"

"Um…" Louisa hesitated, fidgeting with her hands atop her head. Storm whickered, clearly laughing, and began telling the story again to Jessica.

Over the last few months, Jessica had gotten a bit better at reading Storm's 'charades'. The mare extended her wings a little, nodding at the window again. She pawed the ground, shook her head and began repeating the motions.

"She threw it out the window?" Jessica guessed. Storm whinnied with delight, nodding eagerly. "Aaaand she did this why?" Again, another spread of her wings. Jessica frowned, rubbing her fingers across her chin. "It had wings?" No. "It… wanted wings?" A motion between a nod and a shake. "It wanted to fly." Jessica sighed. Storm nodded again, snuffling Louisa's hair. "Lou, why did the hairbrush want to fly?"

"Not a hairbrush. I made it a hedgeyhog."

"Hedgehog."

"Hedgeyhog." Louisa insisted, sticking her tongue out.

"OK, fine. So… why did the hairbrush-turned-hedgeyhog want to fly?"

"Freedom."

"This is coming out of your allowance."

"Freedom!" Louisa declared, punching the air with both fists.

"Not under my roof, you don't." Jessica countered. "We're leaving for school in ten minutes and your hair looks like a rat's nest. No, wait. That's offensive to rat's nests. I don't even know what your hair is, but you are not going out looking like that."

"Gonna have ta stay here 'n' have ice-cream then."

"No. No. Don't say stuff like that. Because now I want to stay here and have ice-cream too, but I've got to go to work and you've got to go to school. Ooh, you're a bad influence." Louisa snapped her fingers and shoved her hand out, palm out.

"Ice-cream!" She ordered. Jessica folded her arms. Louisa's smile faded and she tucked her hands behind her back.

"Did you just try to Mist me?"

"No…" She shook her head fervently. Jessica hummed dubiously. "Can I go to school now?"

"Oh, I see how it is, you big chicken. We can go in a minute- we still need to sort out whatever died on your head."

Mr. Becks called Louisa back as the other kids went out to recess. He took his glasses off as she came closer, cleaning them on his shirt.

"Did you, by any chance, try to Mist your mom to stay off school and have ice-cream?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. Didn't work." Louisa hunched her shoulders. He examined his lenses with a sigh, wiping at a particularly stubborn smudge. "Did you do magic?"

"I've tried a few spells. It's trickier when the item isn't a personal belonging, so it might take me a little while. Oh, you can have this back though." He pushed his glasses back up his nose, leaning down for his bag. From it, he retrieved Jessica's hairbrush, now lacking the stray hairs that had been on it when Louisa had stolen it for him the other day. "Just say it was in your bag or something." He suggested, sliding it across the desk to her. Louisa nodded. "But, um… yes, going back to Misting your mom. No. Just don't. She can see through the Mist, so it wouldn't really work on her anyway."

"Ah, fuck."

"No. Gods, you're awful."

"Thanks."

"Go play. And please stay away from Roxanne. Pretty please."

"Buy me ice-cream."

"No."

"Then suffer."

"Why am I nice to you?" He sighed, rubbing at his face. Louisa hummed in thought.

"Mom's scary?" She eventually suggested.

"Yeah, that might be it. Go away, you menace. I'm on my break."