I'll admit that this chapter isn't really something I'm proud of, but I think I say that about every other chapter. I think I could've done this better, but maybe it's good as it is?

I'll leave you to judge on that. I hope you enjoy it either way.

Things had been tense at first when the Ed's made it back with Eddy fully conscious, but things calmed down since it was obvious Eddy wasn't out of control anymore. Cleo had kept her distance, but even Eddy kinda understood why. Even if anyone did have any serious reservations, it wasn't like they had the time to argue.

They had to get to Stoker's castle after all.

They were nearing the last few uses of the teleportation crystal, something they planned to make count. A flash of light, along with some preparations, and they all appeared in front of the place. A small group instantly headed towards the front gate, most of them staying back and going through the plan once again.

Eddy frowned, giving Draculaura a look. "This is the place, right? We better not have come all this way for nothing."

The vampire clutched the keys in her hand protectively, nodding. "This is the place. It doesn't look like anyone's been here for a long time, though."

That was true. While most Monster architecture did consist of heavily creepy imagery and gothic themes, the place did look genuinely decrepit. Though it had been maintained for the most part through some type of magic, that didn't mean it had remained clean. And some of the magic must've failed, as some of the decorations or windows looked busted.

"This place has definitely fallen far." Apple may not have cared much for Monster architecture, but this was a sad sight to see. "I'm surprised he let it go this far. I would've thought Stoker would keep things up."

"This castle isn't even close to some of the wealthier vampires of the world, so I doubt he cares much about it as long as he lives in a palace." Cleo was right. Stoker's castle was an equivalent to a summer home compared to how some vampires lived. "And since he's got the Vampire's Heart here, so he's not going to encourage foot traffic. Let's just open it and get things ready."

Draculaura nodded, moving up to the locked gate. It had several chains, one for each key, each with their own magical signature to it. As she moved forward, the keys vibrated a little, as if reacting to it. However, something became clear to her almost immediately.

"Uh, guys?" Draculaura gulped, dreading what she was about to say next. "There are four locks here."

The group stopped, looking to check on the gate. Four locks were on it, sending a ripple of anger and disbelief at it.

"Are you kidding me?" Raven had to fight down the urge to let her magic go free. If they weren't able to open the gate, then they'd never be able to get inside. Thanks to the magic on the place, it was the only way they could get in. "What do you mean there's four? Did we go around the world for nothing?!"

"I wouldn't say that. We certainly have more leverage than Stoker does." Apple did feel some anger too, but maybe this was a mistake of some kind. Or a desperate rouse. "Maybe Ygor set it up to mess with us so we wouldn't try to get in."

"We both know that didn't happen. He spent way too much time on that security system." Raven had been calm about all of this, but she was starting to head towards her breaking point. "And none of those chains look new. That means we're missing one and we don't know where it is."

"I may actually have the solution for that."

The voice was almost met with an inordinate amount of ordinance for the interruption, causing the robed figure to come out of the forest with some trepidation.

"Sorry about that! I was hoping to make a better entrance." The figure took off their hood, revealing it to be… Veronica Von Vamp? "I guess I could've sent Clawdia a text, but that would've cut things down."

"Okay, what is the actress doing here?" Cleo put the Worshippers Staff away, giving everyone a weirded out look. "I figured I'd get an autograph after this was over. Not that I wouldn't appreciate one right now."

"How did you know to come here? We appreciate the help so far, but it wasn't like we kept updating on you on…" Apple stopped, squinting at the girl before something dawned on her. "Oh. That's why."

"Princess, what the heck are you talking about?" Apple pulled out her phone, showing Eddy a picture. "…Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Gothica, go talk to Veronica for a bit."

Draculaura jolted at the nickname, unsure of why she had to be the one to do it. The girl did move forward, having no idea what to say to the actress, who smiled patiently. She couldn't help but notice they weren't very far off in height.

"I'm really sorry for this intrusion. But I figured I needed to come here and… check on a few things." Veronica laugh was a shaky, along with the breath she took right after. She looked Draculaura in the eyes, searching for something. "It really is good to see you again, Draculaura."

"Again? I don't think we've met…. before…" Draculaura felt something well in her throat as she said this, something making her stop. Something was clicking, but the circuit hadn't reached her brain until she looked into Veronica's eyes deeper. "…Elissabat?"

Veronica- no, Elissabat smiled, her eyes getting misty. "I'm so sorry."

Draculaura wasted no time jumping into the actresses' arms, which was immediately reciprocated. The group, other than Apple and Eddy, were just immediately confused.

"Ok, this is not how I expected this to go, but I suppose this works." Cleo figured asking too many questions would be detrimental right now. Plus, she was starting to get teary eyed at the reunion too. "I guess you have the final key for us?"

"Right, sorry. I do have the final one." Elissabat didn't let go of Draculaura but did produce the key fairly quickly. It was humming just as loudly as the other ones. "We should be able to get in as soon as possible. The only reason I wanted to keep one on me at all times was just in case Stoker wanted the heart and found the others."

"If you already knew where the keys and heart were, why didn't you do anything about it? You didn't have to go after Stoker, but maybe some evidence would've worked out." Raven waved her hands in front of her, realizing that didn't sound great. "I'm not blaming you for running, but he's been at this for over four centuries."

"Stoker's is greedy and power hungry, but not exactly a tyrant. I believed that I'd be able to play the long game for a good while before something came up." The vampire was apologetic as she said this. She even looked embarrassed. "Unfortunately, a long game to a vampire is one that lasts for hundreds of years. Due to civilization constantly evolving, I wanted to see what resources I could get. Then Stoker had to escalate things…"

"Well, it's not like he's going to keep doing it for long. We just need one final push." Eddy raised a hand, glowing blue with his magic as he smiled. "And I think, with your help, this should go just fine."

That sentence would sound sinister to some, but it wasn't directed at Elissabat. And frankly, she was more than happy to help them.

The first thing they had to do was open the gate…

Stoker wasn't sure when his patience officially ran out, but it was safe to say that it happened after her called Ygor three times with no answer. Considering Ygor would usually, at worst, pick up at the second call with a flow of apologies, Stoker realized something had gone wrong.

Having gained a significant following before heading out, he used the last teleportation crystal he had. He regretted giving Ygor one, and especially regretted having lost the first one to his blasted niece so long ago. However, the fact that he had a good group with him made him confident that this fiasco could be put under the rug quickly.

Bloodgood and Grimm would be dealt with later. He's sure there would be dirt on them that he could use to keep them quiet.

"Alright, men, if you want to keep the jobs I've so graciously given you, I'd suggest listening." Stoker addressed everyone, heading down the path that would lead to his castle. The only reason they didn't directly teleport inside was due to the magic he put onto the place before locking it. That, and the large amount of people would've caused some issues. "We are to get in, get the object, and leave. Anyone that's in the way it to be capture and put on trial for later."

"What exactly are we going to charge them with, sir?" Great, one of them was already trying to lick his boots. Appreciated, but annoying. "Are we going with kidnapping or breaking or entering?"

"Both, if we can manage. Get creative if you have to. The best charge wins a bonus." If that didn't get their blood boiling, nothing would. Stoker was certainly going to have his fun with all of this when he could. "Though, remember, they are teenagers. If they get too injured, we'll have a media circus on our hands."

Stoker had to put down the urge to smirk. If those children thought they could get to the Vampire's Heart without a fight, they had another thing coming.

"Sir!" One of the guards pointed toward the gate they were about to approach. "The subjects seem to have already got inside!"

Stoker growled, seeing the chains on the ground. He knew the idiot had lost, but he didn't know it was this badly. He supposed he should've kept watch on those camera's as well but having Bloodgood and Grimm breathing down his neck kept him from thinking of it.

"We're going in still. They can't have gotten far." Stoker may not have remembered the entirety of the castle since it was years since he last ventured in it, but he knew it was far in. "Let's head to the entrance and make sure they don't have the chance too."

The entrance to the castle wasn't far, and Stoker was surprised to see very little disturbance in the place. Obviously, some people had been through here, but he expected teenagers to do some more damage in the name of "good."

With a sudden flash of light hitting them all in the eyes, he figured out that may have been to put a false sense of security in him.

"And looks like the star of our show has finally arrived!" Clawdia smiled widely, sitting on a director's chair. She was happy that they'd found a part of the castle flat enough for this, especially since it gave her the best seat in the house. "I was wondering if we'd get the heart before you even noticed we were here."

"You can act smug all you want, but a few fancy lights aren't going to help." Stoker saw that his patsy's little boyfriend was the one holding a spotlight at their faces. How they got it up there, he would never know. "I suppose you were one of the ones that sniffed me out?"

"Kinda. Really, you just aren't really good at this type of thing. Seriously, you do conveniently find an heir after you're ordered to by your bosses?" Clawd clucked his tongue, shaking his head. "That's kinda lazy, dude. Not to mention you did it in front of some very smart people."

"I really don't have the time for this, you realize. I'm going to have to ask you and your friends to simply give up. You're more than out numbered." Stoker waved his men. He was able to assemble thirty of them before he had to leave for here. "If you do, there's a good chance none of this has to end in bruises."

"Appreciate the offer, but no. I know a bad deal when I see one, and it would be such an unsatisfying ending if I took it." Clawdia clapped her hands. A third figure started to walk up beside her, up to a tower nearby. "Besides, Bloodgood and Grimm worked too hard to get this for us."

Stoker gave the side-eye to the patched-up form of Hoodude, who was wearing the strangest looking jacket he'd ever seen. It was obviously patchwork, and done in a hurry, made up of various materials and types of clothing. The only reason it kept his attention was pretty close to some of the guard's uniforms.

"Would've liked a full ensemble, but I can make do." Hoodude had to be careful with the stitching, even if it was made by Clawdeen. It was still pretty flimsy, and she had to do it by hand. "Don't take any of this personally!"

Hoodude, as quick as he came, left by jumping into the tower immediately. Stoker would've thought it insane because of the traps he put in, and that didn't change when he heard something collide with the boy.

That confusion turned into fear fast as fifteen out of the thirty soldiers fell down, collapsing in pain.

"Yeah, Hoodude can't feel pain. Since he's a living voodoo doll, anything he holds onto will make any pain he should feel go onto someone else." Clawd hummed, surprised as another sound could be heard from the tower. "Made sure to find a place he could play in. Can't believe the headmasters got as many pieces from you guys."

"T-This is preposterous! What do you hope to gain from this?" Stoker tried to ignore the gasps from the men not under the voodoo boys spell, and the shouts coming from the ones on the ground. "I can easily charge with you magically induced assault for this! You can't win here!"

"You obviously haven't taken a script writing class if you think that's the only thing we've got." Clawdia brought up a megaphone, looking behind them. "Cue Ed and…"

"Action."

The rest of the vampire troupe turned around to see a boy turn from a teenager to a mass of tentacles and wrath. The immediate response as the thing roared, the innate fear forcing its way through logic. It moved after them, surprisingly fast for its size, eyes swirling black and white.

Stoker saw three of his men get grabbed before they made it inside. All he could hear was the outright laughter of the people outside as the doors shut behind them.

Stoker wasn't sure when they stopped running, but it had been a minute at least. The fact that his old body wasn't used to that level of exercise anymore made it clear that was a bad idea.

"Those blasted- How did they take half of us down so fast?" Stoker grabbed one of his men roughly, making sure that at least some of them stood up right. "Alright, you all better be much smarter than your comrades. How they didn't notice parts of their uniforms missing, I will never know."

"The fact you underestimated us is something I personally don't understand either."

Stoker was starting to tire of hearing the voices of petulant brats. This one was on a flying machine this time, which really shouldn't have surprised him.

Double D rolled his eyes at the glare he was getting.

"I'm not sure if you simply have an issue with knowing things outside of your immediate bubble, or you're allergic to technology. Maybe it's both." Double D mused casually, much to Stoker's anger. "I'd recommend looking up our names online, but that would sound really boastful."

"I don't care if you're internet famous or not! I'm not dealing with any foolishness any longer!" Stoker clapped one of his volunteers on the back. "And will one of you do something?! I didn't hire you as decoration."

"Yes sir!" The vampire in question leaned forward, grabbing one of the stun sticks as the others prepared. "Right on it."

The volunteer jumped, turning into a bat before flying directly at Double D. The idea was to switch as soon as he got close and swipe at him pretty easily, something the boy didn't seem impressed by.

A light suddenly shot out from the dark, hitting the bat with eerie accuracy, disabling the transformation instantly. The soldier flailed in midair before Double D caught him with a mechanical arm. He was quickly shocked unconscious before being put down gently.

"A good dismount, but a pitiful landing!" Maddie laughed, moving out of the shadows, and throwing another blast at a chandelier above them. Her cackles got louder as it turned into cake batter, nearly trapping some of the soldiers as they dodged. "Oh, looks like some of you are actually dodging! Good, this makes it fun."

Stoker saw the room immediately turn into chaos as everyone started to scatter, a maneuver that would be costly in about a second. He could see Cerise already pouncing on another guard, kicking him across the room. A werewolf slipped through too, catching and grabbing another to lob at the same flying guard. He winced at the sound of impact.

"I'd say that's one for nearly all of us. Make sure to catch up Maddie." Cerise darted around some of the soldiers, preventing them from getting an opportunistic swing. "Or maybe not. I'm actually hoping to win this."

"In your dreams. If anyone is going to get a good score here, it's me." Clawdeen grabbed a loose piece of debris, throwing it in the general direction of some of the guards. It wasn't meant to hit anyone, just cause them to scatter. "Wait, does Hoodude count in all of this? If he is, that's just broken."

"Eh, I think that guy deserves a win from time to time. I don't think he gets that enough." Maddie primed another shot but changed her positioning last minute to dart forward and knock one of the men unconscious. "Then again, I've got a point now!"

"Will one of you take this seriously?!" Stoker didn't actually want them too, but the fact they were winning while treating is a joke irked him. He dodged a shot sent for him from Maddie, eyes wild. "I'm the adult here and I have the power!"

"No, you're a sad old man who gained an empty throne by pretending your niece disappeared without a trace. You definitely don't deserve our respect." Double D sneered, an alien look on his face as he seemed wound up. "And considering one of your plans hurt several of my friends, you'll have to excuse me for this…"

Double D shot down, nearly clipping Stoker with the glider. Octo arms flew in several directions, knocking some soldiers off their feet and grabbing another guard. A quick shock later, and another guard was down for the count.

Stoker and the rest of the goons spent nearly a minute dodging the attacks from the group, not having any time to attack back. The vampire could see flashes of light in the edge of his vision as Raven teleported the knocked-out guards out of there. He wasn't sure where they went, but his imagination made it more terrifying in his mind than it had the right to be.

He could see I the edges of his vision as Clawdeen overpowered another of his guards and as Cerise ran around several others before knocking out one's legs. Maddie turned the suit of another into glue, trapping the man as she knocked him down.

They were down to four guards and himself left when he decided this wasn't worth his pride.

"Retreat!" Stoker felt panicked again as he heard the roar of Double D's glider, Maddie's laughter, and the banter between Cerise and Clawdeen. "Focus on the heart and nothing else! We're not dealing with this anymore!"

Stoker didn't check on whether they actually heard him, and honestly didn't care. As they disappeared into the castle, he could hear them arguing about how they all were at a tie because of the fight.

The vampire couldn't help but wonder if he was dealing with psychopaths.

The final room was where he kept the throne. He never realized how ironic, but he was in mood for it. He had to reach the heart before the kids got their hands on it. He'd already lost too much in so little time to a problem he never conceived.

He'd still retained four guards, thankfully enough. As long as they hadn't made it this far, maybe they could pull this off…

"Uncle Stoker! Sorry to intrude, but-"

Stoker didn't scream. But the noise he did make was filled with frustration, fear, and something else he couldn't identify. Looking at Elissabat, who was eerily happy to see him, he narrowed his eyes.

"…You." He pointed at her, half insane due to the failures he had to deal with in the past few days. Of course, it all had to deal with this. "This is all your fault. I don't know how you hired these people, but I'm sure I can double the price."

"Uncle Stoker, why would I do that? We're family!" Elissabat waved off the man's accusations with a mocking titter. "Besides, they've done this completely on their own. I may have given them a bit of a push, but they're frighteningly competent without too much."

Stoker paused as he heard footsteps come from his left. Draculaura was shuffling papers around, decidedly ignoring them. She handed some off to the Elissabat with a shrug.

"It doesn't seem like he's kept it anywhere obvious. Even if we had a lot more time to search through than planned." Draculaura curtsied. "Is that all you need me for, Your Highness?"

"Draculaura, I know you're joking, but please don't say that ever again." Elissabat took them, though she didn't bother looking through them. "And things haven't been made official yet either. Just a few more steps."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Stoker took a step forwards, his men close behind as he tried to parse out where his niece had disappeared to. "Nothing is going to happen until-"

Stoker felt something push him down, getting him onto his knees before he could make any type of advancement. Surprised grunts from the guards caught his attention as well, signaling that it wasn't just happening to him.

"As someone who's lived as long as you have, I'd expect you to know that bowing to your queen is customary." Cleo didn't let the staff off of them for a second, though she did act casual about their containment. "Then again, you've showed a lack of proper decorum since you've arrived at Monster High, so maybe I shouldn't expect much."

"What… are you… talking about?" Stoker struggled, cried, and even debated groveling. He knew he'd lost, but this couldn't be because of these idiot kids.

"…You do realize I disappeared for a reason, right?" Elissabat raised an eyebrow at the glare from her old uncle. "You know the original reasons, but didn't it surprise you that I decided to up and leave without a word? I'm starting to think you didn't even notice I was gone."

Stoker opened, and then closed, his mouth. Things became startingly clear by now. He figured the girl knew about his lies and retaliated, but the fact she was…

…There was no way out of this. He'd lost.

All he could do was beg.

"Okay, okay, you win. I… I'll tell you where the Vampire's Heart is." Stoker raised a finger, a monumental task by itself. "But only if you're willing to give a pardon. If not, then you're going to waste a lot of time searching for it."

Elissabat considered it for a brief moment. Stoker almost hoped that meant she thought he could turn a new leaf, giving him a chance in her court. Then he could try for the throne again, with a much more calculated plan.

"Alright, let's hear it." Draculaura produced her phone as Elissabat nodded, holding it out to the man. "Where is the heart?"

"In your old bedroom, put inside a covered dumbwaiter. After you disappeared and I got in the seat." He could see a frown form on his niece's face. "It was the perfect hiding spot. You can't say it wasn't."

"Did you get all of that, Eddy?" Draculaura spoke into the iCoffin before nodding with a bright smile. "Good! Make sure to get down here soon. This place is really starting to creep me out."

Cleo looked at Elissabat with a raised eyebrow, not letting up on her uncle in the slightest. "So who are you giving the pardon to?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Elissabat's fangs shined in the moonlight as she said the next part. "I'm giving it to Ygor. I think he's suffered enough considering he's worked for my uncle so long."

…Stoker wouldn't stop screaming until the authorities finally arrived.

Apple sighed as she healed up the last soldier they'd taken out in their onslaught. As rays of light went over every one of them, each one that was fully healed was taken away by another member of the vampire authorities.

She could hear the space distort as Raven teleported beside her, something she'd gotten quite used to long after they finished taking Stoker down. The sorceress wiped her hands off on her dress as she gave out a relieved groan.

"Thank god that was the last of them. These magic enhancements help, but teleporting is still really tiring." Raven rolled an arm around to prove her point. Her muscles did look tense, and her roommate did seem exhausted. "Are you almost done healing?"

"I will be soon. Though I kind of wish it weren't on people that wanted to attack us earlier." Apple switched off the wand as the last of the vampires were taken away, sighing. "I don't think I really did much this adventure, quite honestly. Especially at the end."

"Eh, there's nine of us. Not all of us are going to get a starring role all the time." Raven didn't mean that as a jab, but it did feel like it. She backtracked, looking around. "Have you seen Eddy around? He got the heart back to Elissabat, but I haven't seen him since then."

"He's… right over there." Apple winced as she could see the boy in question looking at the castle, but it was clear he wasn't taking anything in. His eyes were completely blank, almost dead to the world. "He was able to convince Elissabat to get closure for Stoker's abuse since statues of limitations don't exist in vampire law. He looked exhausted afterward, though."

"Not like he can get it himself, I guess." Raven kicked at some rocks, face twisting. "Maybe we should've said something before all of this. You think he'd be willing to talk now?"

"No. If we do anything now, he'll just get angry and push us away." Apple did wonder if things in the caves would've changed if they'd talked to him. There was a good chance it wouldn't, but that didn't rule some possibilities out. "He'd definitely get defensive if he learned what he and Cleo talked about when he was under the influence."

"She's been going on about that for a while. I think we're all a little bit fed up with the mystery by now." Raven shrugged. The mummy did have a point, but she had plenty of skeletons in her closet. She didn't want to release someone else's just yet. "Maybe you can try one more time? If not, I think Cleo's going to do something on her own."

The princess frowned, though nodded. Prying too deep would just end up with an angry sorcerer, and possibly an angry inventor and monster. She let Raven relax as she moved towards Eddy.

The boy didn't respond to the sound of her footsteps, something that irked her a little. However, he didn't seem surprised when she stopped next to him, which was a good sign.

Apple debated on what to say, though came to the realization that there was no good way to broach this herself. Eddy wasn't going to say anything outright without significant prodding.

Eddy eventually started the conversation for her.

"Are there some things you wish you did, but didn't? Things you wished you would've known before the answers disappear completely?" Eddy didn't look sad, but his expression was one of resignation. It didn't fit on his face at all. "I wonder if there were some things I could've done differently. Things I should've known. Or could've kept unknown."

"…You don't really strike me as someone with regrets. And I don't think you should have any." Apple really wanted to know the context, but this wasn't the right time. "I don't know what it is, but I think you're past it now and outlived it, right?"

She really hoped that wasn't too on the nose. Apple could see Eddy blink, eyes becoming a little bit more focused before he turned around.

"You know what? You've got a point there." Eddy gave a quick, genuine smile before walking away. "I'll keep that in mind, Apple."

…She wasn't sure what to make of that conversation. Honestly, that was probably the only time she could remember him saying her actual name. But that was progress, she thought.

Apple made sure to ignore the look Cleo sent their way. That was a problem for another day.

And that day was coming soon.

Again, this probably could've been done better, but I think it'll all get better in the next arc. It's going to be a little darker, I'm not going to lie, but I think it'll get to the heart of the story.

Either way, I hope you've enjoyed and I'll see you all next chapter!