Curse of Briar Rose
Once upon a time many years ago, on the day of the princess was born, the King held a great festival and invited all but one godmother, who was strong in sorcery yet wicked at heart. Upon hearing the news, the Evil Godmother placed a curse on the newborn child. Later in life, the young Princess came across a spindle in a dusty old room and pricked her finger. The inhabitants instantly fell under a sleeping spell while briars burst from the ground and shrouded the castle. One day, a daring prince braved the thick vines and ventured into the castle. Upon finding the princess, he gave her a kiss, which was foretold to free the princess from the curse. Though the kiss removed the briars and awakened the inhabitants, the princess never rose from her eternal slumber. Many years have passed and the truth behind the sleeping princess has been forgotten. What remains is the tale passed down through generations as "The Sleeping Beauty".
Prologue
It's the year 2000 in this majestic building. Full of magical people, animals, and more. Charlotte was reading her book in Mr. Hershel's office when he called her name. "Charlotte, I'm going to need your help on this case."
Charlotte looked up. "What is up?"
Count Hershel gave her a folder and a tape recorder. "Orders from the top. You'll find out when you get there. Agatha and Irene are going with you."
Charlotte asked, "But why me? I'm only 14 and nowhere near getting close to get my license. Only reason why I'm here is because my parents ran away, Renee went with the circus for the summer, grandpa is missing, and uncle is too busy for me."
Alexandra heard everything and kneeled down in front of her. "Listen to me. You can't spend you life in the office reading books from not only from here, but also Boddy's, Edger's, and Poe's library. You need to get out there and see the world." Then she nudged her shoulder. "And who knows. Maybe you your magic abilities can do more then solve a case."
Charlotte smiled said, "Alright. I'll go. I'm actually tired of read all the books twice." She got up. "When do we leave?"
Count Hershel said, "Tomorrow. Should take you no longer then day. Pack light."
Charlotte got out of there and went home, under the watchful eye of Cthulhu, and when she arrived she went to her room and packed some things. That's when her head her window open and she saw him. "Hey Cthulhu. Excited that I have my very first case at DP?"
Cthulhu said, "I'm more worried then excited. I sense there's a darker force not only on this case but here on out. Will you be all right? I won't be there to protect you."
Charlotte smiled at him. "I'll be fine. I think I'm getting the hand of my powers. I just wish the magic of this land could grant me more. Do you know why it ignores my family? I'm started to blame it for the reason why my parents left me and sissy."
Cthulhu sigh and sat down. Charlotte sat down next to him. "Even a creature as old as me can't give you all the answers. Maybe being out, you'll get your answers and maybe more." Then he handed her a golden rose. "You're going to need this. I'm not going to tell where to use it, but you'll find out when you see it."
Introduction
The next day, Charlotte, Irene, and Agatha arrived at their target place, Edinburgh, Scotland. There was an entrance to a castle and the statue there was a young lady, a princess, holding a staff. Irene said, "Not so far from home, yet I never knew this place had a princess."
Agatha said, "It not on any of our maps going back 1000 years."
Charlotte said, "Cthulhu never told me we had a princess and he's over 2,000 years old. Do you think this used to be his home?"
Irene said, "For now let's focus on the case. Who has the file and recorder?"
Charlotte got them out of her backpack. "Right here. Also Ichabod gave me a bag to hold our inventory. Should carry stuff that's less then 5ft."
They opened the file and turned on the tape and heard the voice of Jessica. If the cases from the Blue Tea branch, she would do the recording. Every now and then the 3 would turn a page to see the info. "Detectives, the case file you have in front of you may be connected to the tale of Briar Rose. I've given you a map to an abandoned castle rumored to be her resting place. Recent evidence shows vines are growing under the castle grounds. Your investigation will be to find the source of this anomaly and to quickly stop it from spreading further. This case is of the utmost urgency. If the vine growth is not contained, it will consume out city within 7 days. Good luck detectives." Then the tape ended.
Agatha gave a question look. "Briar Rose?"
"It's a character of Sleeping Beauty. But she's supposed to be French." said Charlotte.
Irene said, "They don't call us fairy-tail detective for nothing. Can't wait to tell Boss about this one." Then turned the page in the book and asked, "Do you recognize these vines Agatha?"
Agatha picked up the vine that was in the file. "I can't feel anything from these." Then she shook her head and put the vine backing the file. "Can't give you an answer unless there's live ones." She pointed at the door. "So far, those vines are dead so we need something to bust it open."
While Agatha and Irene were looking around for something, Charlotte asked, "Why not go to the statue? I see sparkles there."
The 2 looked at the statue but didn't see any sparkles. Irene said, "Honey, we don't see anything other then the statue."
Charlotte went closer and saw part of a sturdy ax. "Yes but there's parts here for a sturdy axe. One of my powers is seeing sparkles where broken pieces are and it might help us." The 3 went to the statue and saw the pieces. After gathering them up, going into 3 bigger pieces, they started to float and fit together to make the axe.
Irene said, "Wow. You're right. But how is it they just fixed each other?"
Agatha said, "Maybe someone is putting the pieces here for us to find and once fix, use them." She ruffled Charlotte's hair. "Good eye Charlotte."
Charlotte smiled. "Thanks, but this axe is brand new, who would put it here, in pieces, so suddenly? I also saw no sparkles before we played the tape or open the file. Something isn't right." Charlotte used the axe against the door and the vines went away and the doors opened and the 3 entered the castle grounds.
Chapter 1
They arrived at the stairs and they saw 2 statues. One was the king and the other one was the queen, both looking like they were holding staffs but there weren't any. Then Agatha noticed something on the base of the king statue. "Girls, I think we found our first puzzle."
They went to it and saw a circle divided into 3rds, and there were pictures of a king, queen, and knight, and in each section has 3 empty slots for clothes, head, and hand. Irene said, "We're missing one more." She then noticed the owl on the top right was glowing and when she touched it she found a secret compartment. "Now we can do the puzzle." King: crown, robe, and scepter. Queen: tiara, dress, and mirror. Knight: helmet, armor, and sword. When they put the pieces in their proper place, another compartment on the bottom opened and there inside was a door handle. "Who puts a door handle in here?"
Charlotte said, "Someone who is trying to hid secrets."
They went up the steps and saw a fountain and 2 walkways. Irena asked, "Agatha, those vines are alive. Do you recognize them?"
Agatha walked up the vines that were on the wall and just before she was about to touch them, it swatted at her. Then she tried to control them and they went back hiding from her view. "These vines are not responding to me, almost attacking me when I was about to touch them. This magic is unfamiliar to me and I doubt Master Houdini would know too."
Charlotte pointed to the fountain. "See sparkles. We got another item." The 3 went to the fountain and picked up pieces for what it seemed to be a Sun Emblem. When it was put together, they only have half. Ariel asked, "Does it fit on that door?"
Irene went to the door and saw the slots. "The door handle, yes but not the emblem. Let's save the door handle when we find the proper slot."
They went to the door way on the right and there was a swing, and on the floor was a circle. But what got their attention the most is that the circle glowed yellow and then they saw a ghost of the princess from the statue. She had long blond hair, with a rose on it, a rose staff, and was wearing a long white dress. "Welcome Detectives. Don't be alarmed; I am Briar Rose and I wish you no harm. The Curse has returned and a great danger looms, but I can help you to stop it, before all is consumed. My body lies in repose, in a castle room deep; to vanquish the Cruse, you must rouse me from sleep. However, and Evil Godmother is haunting this place; be wary, or else she may foil your case. Fallow me." Then she turned and as she walked, she disappeared.
The 3 were in awe. Irene started, "Was that—"
Charlotte interrupted. "That was Sleeping Beauty. So the stories are real." Then she noticed that the circle stopped glowing. "Do you recognize this Irene?"
Irene kneeled down and felt the markings. "I remember seeing these but I don't remember what it does. Briar Rose came from it so it's either a teleportation to the afterworld, or a teleport from one place to another." She looked at the girls. "Can't tell you where it goes."
Agatha picked up the doll from the swing and put it on the bag. "For now, let's press on."
They walked forward and arrived in the graveyard. They saw 2 statues of the king and queen, 2 graves but no headstones, and bright red square with funny markings, and a raven with smoking red eyes. When Charlotte was about to touch it, it turned its head and it spoke like a woman. "You cannot stop me!" Then it laughed and flew away.
Charlotte got a bit scared. "I think we found the Evil Godmother from the story."
Agatha asked, "But doesn't she die in the stories?"
Charlotte answered, "Only in books, TV, and movies. This is the first for me."
Irene went to the graves where the stones are missing. "I see them…" Agatha and Charlotte turned her. "They waited for her to wake up, but it was in vain…they won't pass on until we solve this." She stood up. "I think Briar Rose is giving us the items so Charlotte can find them and put them together."
Agatha said, "That explains the statue, and the water fountain and how only she can see them. Let's keep going."
Charlotte said, "Wait I think there's another puzzle." She went to the statues and saw 3 animals, a mouse, a rabbit, and a monkey, and 8 slots on the side. She knocked at the design in the middle and heard an echo. "I think there's something in here." Irene and Agatha kneeled next to her as she touched every slot until she found the key. She put the key in the lock and when she turned it, the animal heads went up to show buttons, and pictures. Charlotte solved it and when bells appeared on the bottom. "Do any of you have a bell ringer or something?"
Agatha said, "I got nothing."
Irene said, "And my needles won't make much noise."
Then Charlotte used her hands. First she ringed them and made note of what does what. "315." Then the compartment opened and it was the bell tower's key. "Good thing we didn't went forward."
They walked closer to the bell tower and saw 1 godmother statue and one statue base, but no statue. Irene said, "I think this was supposed to be another godmother. How many are in the story?"
Charlotte said, "Depending on adaptation, from 3 to 7 to 12 to 30. There's no common number."
Agatha said, "Then we'll count this as 2, not counting Evil Godmother."
Irene took the key and opened the gate. They went to the top and saw the whole landscape of the kingdom. Then they noticed the telescope. Agatha looked through it and saw it was dirty. "Can't see anything. We need a rag and a cleaner."
Charlotte said, "Well for now I see more sparkles. And I think it's the part for the second gate at the fountain." They gathered the pieces, put them together and quickly made their way back to the gate at the fountain. They put the parts in and the doors opened. Once through, they were inside the kingdom.
Chapter 2
They arrived at the main gate and the fight thing they see is a statue of a gargoyle and it was moving. Irene said, "It's not a real gargoyle like the one at the town. It's a robot."
Agatha said, "Must have been built to scare off intruders, though one doesn't do the trick."
Charlotte said, "We'll ask our guy to destroy it after the case, right now more sparkles." They went to a mini weapons museum and saw stones. "And I think we found a part for the Godmother statue."
Once it was put together, they went to the courtyard and saw a transparent figure. Irene said, "It's Evil Godmother. Haven't felt that strong energy in a long time."
Agatha said, "You're not the only one. We felt it too." Then she saw something sparkle and looked inside the tree. "Hey girls, I see a wooden owl statue base and it is missing some parts."
Charlotte said, "This place is one big friggin' puzzle."
Irene said, "Welcome to the detective agency honey. You're going to see this a lot."
They went to the stable door and saw a puzzle. Agatha said, "I got this puzzle." First she got the red and blue ball and put it in the upper left slot and when it went down/left, the horse started to move. Then she found a compass arrow and put in its slot and after pressing the button a few times. Then after pressing a few buttons she found the 4 squares to make an arrow going left, an then finally she found the 2 gears so now the door can open.
When the door opened and went inside. In side they saw 2 name slots, but they were empty and a toy horse in a cage. Irene asked, "Sparkles?"
Charlotte nodded. "And it's a shovel. Thank you Rose."
They put the parts together and Agatha said, "I think we found something buried near the gate. Let's head there and then we'll continue after we dig it up." Well they did and they found a disk with a shield rose on it. "Could this be the family seal?" The girls shrugged.
They went right and saw a well. Charlotte looked down said, "There's something down there and it isn't water." Then she felt a loose brick but couldn't get it out. "And another hiding place."
Irene then picked up a knife. "Something we can use."
Then they walked forward and arrived at the chapel entrance. Agatha picked up another disk but this time there was a crown rose on it and then an altar. "I think we found where we're suppose to put them in. But we're missing a couple."
Charlotte said, "Not only that but there's an unfinished ladder, and 2 statues that looks like they're missing instruments." Then she went to the door and saw a puzzle, a ball puzzle. "This looks easy." After a few turns, she managed to open the door. Inside of course is a chapel. She looked on the ground and said, "Even the vines entered here."
Agatha touched it, and it didn't attack. "And they're tamed. Still unfamiliar to me but tamed." Then she saw Charlotte going to some of the pews near the front. "More?"
"This time a king scepter. All we need after that is the queen's." Then she held her head and saw something. "And I think there's another one at the fountain and the bell tower."
Irene said, "We'll head there next."
After collecting the King's scepter, they went back to the fountain, to get the half of a ladder, and then they went back to the bell tower for the body statue of the Godmother. After that the 3 went back to the chapel entrance and put the ladder together and went up the wall and into the kingdom building.
Chapter 3
Once the 3 were on the roof, they found a door that has a slot for a circle object. Charlotte said, "I think the sun piece fits here."
Agatha said, "The pattern looks like the half sun dish we have. We need another part. Charlotte do you feel that we need to go to another area?"
She replied, "There's a crown key pieces in this hallway and we have to go back to the small museum at the gate." They wasted no time into getting those pieces. Once they have the key and the second half of the emblem, they went back to the roof where the door is.
Once they put the pieces in place the door opened and arrived in a hallway. Inside there were 3 doors. One was covered in vines, another one guarded by a knight, and the last door was slightly opened. Charlotte asked, "Can you control those vines Agatha?"
Agatha went up to the vines but got the same result from the first time. "Untamable and stronger. But it's not guarding the needle room. Question: if all the spindles were destroyed, how is it that there's always one left?"
Irene said, "I can answer that. It all depends on the adaptation. Either a villager hides it, one has yet to be found, or twice on Disney, it was created out of the blue. It's inevitably."
They entered the dining hall and found a table with neatly set silverware, plates, and cups, and on a desk where a vase of flowers were the 3 found another disk. This time with a parasol rose on it. Charlotte said, "I don't think the rose is the family crest but maybe flowers are."
They used the key to a near by door and when they unlocked it, they found the throne room. It was neatly set, other then a few planks here and there and a wall full of bookshelves neatly preserve. They found a door near the throne and saw it was indeed another puzzle. The puzzle had 10 small curtains, 4 windows on the bottom and on the very top, a clue of how to solve it. Agatha said, "First clue, is to find 2 cats that match."
They manage to find it and they were right next to each other. Irene said, "Next clue, find the king and queen." They opened every curtain and saw that the pictures changed from cats to people. Naturally it didn't take them long to find the 2.
Once that was done, another clue appeared. Charlotte said, "Now we need to find 2 items a knight needs." This puzzle was truck seeing as, in common sense, there were more then one item a knight needs but the actually answers were a shield and sword.
Then the last clue appeared and it was simple as pie. What plus what equals fifteen? Didn't take them long to find 9 and 6. Once the red button appeared, they entered the room and found a shrine full of Godmothers. Charlotte said, "Now we know the total. There's 5 here, 2 are missing their wands, 2 near the tower, and 1 evil one. So in real life there's 8 Godmothers."
Then Irene found something on the floor. It was a book. "Hey guys look at this. It's a sorcery book on teleportation."
Agatha and Charlotte looked at the book and saw the rim. "It's half a rose," said Agatha. "Do you recognize the cover sissy?"
Irene said, "I heard of this book before, but I thought it was lost forever. This also might explain the circle at the swing area too." She wanted to open it but stop. "Best if I don't opened it. I might ruin the pages."
Then Charlotte felt something. "We have to go back to the stables. I we now have to find a wooden goblet."
Irene put the book in the bag. "Another clue from Rose. Best head there now."
So they left the shrine, went pass the throne room, got into the hallway and down the ladder to go back to the stables. The looked everywhere until they fixed a wooden Goblet. Agatha asked, "Anywhere else?"
Charlotte said, "Yes the dining hall. There's something on the table." So they went back to the dining room by climbing the ladder outside the chapel, entered the door at the end of the hallways in the castle.
Chapter 4
Once they saw the table, they looked for the object. Turns out it was a sorcery book on immortality. This time, the book can be open without damage. Irene said, "Look at this. The sleeping spell Briar Rose is under makes her immortal. That explains why in every story, when a 100 years pass she is still young as ever. Same with the inhabitants." Then she closed the book and looked at the rim. "And we have the other half of the rose." Then she remembered something. "Wasn't there an empty slot on the bookshelf in the throne room?"
Then everyone got the same idea and ran to the throne room. Maybe that's where Briar Rose is. They found the slot and put the books in opening up a secret passage. They walked up the stairs only to find the spindle room hallways but it was carpeted with thorn vines. Charlotte asked, "Agatha?"
Agatha shook her head. "They're stronger then me. I can't move them. And even if we try to cut them, specifically near the door, they will attack us." Then she saw the shield against the wall wrapped around by vines. She got the knife and managed to get it free. But luckily the vines didn't attack them. "Let's get out of here."
Charlotte held her head and said, "Good timing cause we need to get back to the dining hall again." And so they did.
Chapter 5
On the table they found pieces of a horse sign and it's symbols represents fire. "I guess the other one is water?" asked Irene.
Agatha said, "Probably. Let's use the shield on the knight guarding the door."
The 3 made it back to the hallway and gave the knight the shield. Once they did, the door opened revealing a corridor. Inside there was a picture of 2 knights but their weapons are missing, and a staircase going up into another room. Once up there, it turns out it was a music room. There was a piano, a harp, and a small stage. Charlotte said, "There's sparkles near the instruments but I think the small stage is where we put the dolls. We have the princes so we need the prince and the horse. There's also one at the hallway on the roof."
They got the pieces but it wasn't a prince or another piece to unlock the horse. What it was is a sword for the picture. Then they went to the hallway on the roof and when they solved it was part of the owl that was in the tree. Irene asked, "Anywhere else?"
"The chapel. We get a glass goblet and we should be able to open the room in the back," said Charlotte. Then she saw something in her head and she jumped awake. "But I'm scared what will happen if we open the door. There's something down there guard a important piece to this case."
Agatha asked, "What did you see?"
Charlotte gulped. "Something big."
They went inside the chapel and got the glass goblet. Once they put it together, they went to the back and saw a stain glass showing a royal family and 2 slots where the cups should be. Once it was put in place, a puzzle, near the door opened and another marble puzzle appeared. Once solved they entered into the dungeon and not only did they found jars, pots, and spices but what was guarding the door to the next room was a BIG ASS SPIDER! Charlotte hid behind the girls. "Spiders. Why does it have to be spiders?"
Irene asked, "This is the thing you saw?" Charlotte nodded.
Agatha said, "The thing is, it's not attacking us. It's just guarding the door. I think this is an allusion from the Evil Godmother or it's a minion, which is order to guard the room only, and not attack us unless threaten."
Charlotte said, "Umm, there's sparkles at the jars on the left. Can I hide so you can do that?"
Agatha said, "You got to face your fears sooner or later."
"But not like this!"
Irene said, "If you want to be a real detective, you have to do things you though you would never do in a 100 years. Now let's get it done just calmly and slowly. Once we get the item we'll get out of here."
And so slowly and quietly, they got the pieces of what it appears to be a decoration axe. Once they got the pieces they slowly get the hell of there and outside of the chapel and let out a breath of relief. Charlotte said, "Please tell you went against giant spiders before."
Agatha said, "Not really but for us more of paranormal illusions. Never real like that. But you'll see some big spiders in your life, just be prepared in the future. Now let's get back to that painting. We have the missing pieces."
They went back to the corridor and put the weapons in place and it opened for a secret doorway. Then they went through the doorway into the armory.
Chapter 6
Inside the armory, there were about 4 suits of armor standing here on display but there was also a hallway to another room. Charlotte pointed to a box of weapons. "Remember the 2 room we saw pass the music room?" The 2 girls nodded. "There's a potion coin there. It might help us open that room. Also the music room has something for us. I think it's an owl head."
The other's agreed and for the potion coin in the armory, and got the owl head from the music room. Then they went back to the library where the 2 rooms here and opened the alchemist's room. Once inside they saw a small desk, a giant pot, jars, and books. But caught their attention was a small lad, and a pentagram on the floor, almost similar to the one outside. Agatha saw a key on the desk and took it. Irene looked at the opened book and said, "Guys, this is a teleportation circle, to the one outside, a short cut. What we need is a energy cell, hang it up there," she pointed to a place near the shelves of jars. "And then it'll activate."
Charlotte said, "And I see sparkles on that desk. It's the power cell." So they went to the desk, put the power cell together, put it place and then the circle lit up.
Agatha said, "Well here goes." They held hands and walked into the circle. When they opened their eyes, they were outside near the swing. No rush, no nausea or anything.
Irene said, "Ooo who ever made that discover I want to kiss."
Charlotte said, "Save it for later. I'm sensing items at the fountain, Briar Rose's statue, and the main gate."
Agatha said, "Let's go."
Chapter 7
They made their way to the fountain and put together a cleaning product and got it. Then they went to the statue and put together an owl brass key. Then they went to the gate to put together a pickaxe. Charlotte said, "This might help the loose brick at the well."
Then they went to the tree, put the owl together and used the key on the head and got an owl coin. "Well we got the key to the next room." said Agatha.
Irene asked, "Anywhere else Charlotte?"
She answered, "The dining hall and the armor room. After that we can go down that hall. We can't to the bell tower yet."
Chapter 8
So they went to the dining hall and saw pieces of the king's tombstone. "Oh I hope they're not heavy." said Agatha. Then they went to the armory and got the angel's flute.
Then they went down the hall and saw 3 closed doors. Agatha got the key and used it to a mechanism and once she turned the key, all 3 doors opened. In order, there was a spindle, but with a ball and chained, a dummy hanged from the ceiling, and a dead body, with a disk. Charlotte asked, "If there's one in the room, where did this come from?" The girls shrugged. Irene got the rope from the dummy and Agatha got the disk. This time it was a mirror rose. Charlotte said, "We have to go back to the music room. We'll get a statue wand for the godmother."
Irene asked, "Anywhere else?"
"Yeah the alchemist room. There's a wand we have to get for the shrine."
So they went back to the music room and put together the statue wand and then went to the alchemist room and for the rose wand. Agatha said, "Let's go to the bell tower now."
They used the transporter and went to the bell tower and cleaned the telescope. Irene looked through it and saw 4 statue birds. "We got a clue for a puzzle. Remember this pattern. Owl, humming bird, parrot, and pigeon."
Charlotte got out her journal, which she was writing notes the whole time, and drew the picture so keep note. Then they went back to the circle and got back to the lab. Then they used the owl coin to open the other door in the library. That's when they entered the aviary room or to put it simple, an apartment complex for birds. Agatha saw a puzzle that had picture of birds. Charlotte opened her journal and Agatha looked through it to press the right buttons and then put them in the correct order. When she solved it, a hatch opened and got a machete. "Now we have something for the last room."
They quickly went back to the 3rd unopened door and used the machete. The vines were gone and another marble puzzle remained. Irene said, "I'm starting to hate marbles." Once it's solved they went inside.
Chapter 9
Turns out the vines were blocking the outside corridor, which looks like fancy hallways with bust of queens and princess of the past. Charlotte pointed to one of them. "Sparkles. The King handle." They got the pieces and put it together and then pressed on.
At the end of the hallway, they found 2 doors. One was the princess's room and the other belongs to the king and queen. The king and queen doors didn't have handles, but the princess door had, you guess it, a marble handle. Agatha solved it and they went inside. Inside the room, there was a small desk and chair, a bed, a chest, and wardrobe but it was wrapped in chains. Irene said, "There has to be something really important if it has to be locked up."
Charlotte said, "Maybe it's a pathway to Narnia." The 3 laughed at that joke.
Then Agatha noticed something on the desk. "Got the queen handle. Let's go into the royal room."
They put them on the door and they opened it. Inside was a fancy bed, a painting, a broken window and a torch with life fire. Agatha took the fire and Irene checked the broken class. "Someone tried to get inside but judging from the dead body in the prison, he was overcome by the spider."
Agatha said, "But now with this fire, we can take it down."
Chapter 10
As they walked by the outside corridor, Charlotte led the girls to the bust again and this time they put together an angel's harp. Then she led them to the roof and got the head statue of the godmother. After that, they went down the ladder and Irene and Agatha put the instruments on the angel statues. Then a compartment opened and it was a boot rose disk. Irene asked, "Anywhere else?"
"The pews."
They went inside the church and put together a prince doll." All we need is the horse," said Charlotte. "But where's the missing piece to free the horse?"
Then they went into the dungeon and Charlotte saw sparkles at the shelf of jars again. Once they got the witch's hat for the statue, Agatha got the torch ready. "Cover your ears." The other 2 did and Agatha threw the torched at the spider. It made a screech and then it turned into dust. She removed the webs and opened the door. "One pest dead."
Charlotte said, "Thank you Agatha but I see sparkles again at the same area."
Irene said, "Then we know for sure Briar Rose is doing this." They put the pieces together and go chain pliers. After that, they went to the room, the spider was guarding.
Chapter 11
Turns out the spider was guarding the kitchen and its connection to the servant's room. Agatha said, "Okay I'm stumped. Why would the spider guard this place? There's nothing value here other then the glass jar that has a disk inside."
Charlotte looked at the fireplace. "It was guarding the last puzzle." It took her some time but she manages to put together the Queen's tombstone. "Remember the graveyard guys. I think this is what he was guarding."
Irene went to the servant's room but came back quickly. "There's nothing there for now. Feel anything Charlotte?"
She closed her eyes and held her head. "Yes the outside corridor. It has a key for the wardrobe. That might be where the queen's scepter is."
They quickly went to the corridor and got the key pieces, than they went back to the princess room and unlocked the wardrobe. Inside was indeed the queen's scepter. Agatha said, "You're right. We have to get back to the graveyard."
Charlotte stopped her. "Not yet. We have to get to the tables. There's a black rose there for us. Let's use the teleport circle."
They made it to the alchemist room and used it to get outside and made their way to the stables. Charlotte was right. There was a black rose ready for them. After that they made it to the bell tower and put the statue back together. Once it was assembled an ivy wand came out. Irene asked, "Ivy? Does Briar Rose have a sister?"
Agatha said, "That can't be. In every adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, she was an only child. The only time she had a sibling is in fan fiction on the internet."
Charlotte said, "This might be a hunch but this might have connection to the prince that tried to wake her up."
Irene asked, "What do you mean?"
Charlotte said, "In the very earliest edition of Sleeping Beauty, she was indeed comatose but the prince didn't wake her up. He raped her and impregnated her and she was asleep the whole time. She didn't wake up until after she gave birth to twins and one of them sucked on her finger. After that edition it changed to the prince waking her up with a simple kiss. I think whoever Ivy is, she sent the prince to try and wake her up."
Agatha asked, "But what about the prince if it didn't work?"
Charlotte said, "Your guess is as good as mine. We have to go back to the stairs to put the scepters in place."
They quickly went back to the stairs and gave the statues their objects. That's when another secret compartment opened. This time it was the other horse sign that was water theme. They quickly made it back to the stables and once they put the pieces together, the freed the horse.
Irene said, "NOW we can put the dolls on the stage." So they went to the music room.
Chapter 12
They made it to the music room and put the toys in their proper place and then a key popped out. It was a roseroom key. Agatha said, "It's not as fancy as the other keys. What makes this one so special?"
Charlotte said, "We'll find out soon but we have to go to the Alchemist room." So they did and they put together a rose potion.
Irene said, "I've never seen this before in any of the books." She puts it in the bag. "Anywhere else?"
"The kitchen."
They made it to the kitchen and they manage to get the hammer pieces from the fireplace. Once it was put together, Irene used it on the glass jar and for the heart rose disk. Then they made it back to the godmothers shrine and put the wands in place. When they did, the small altar, in the front, opened to reveal a white rose-rose disk. Agatha said, "I think we have all the parts."
Charlotte said, "Not yet, there's still the well." They went to the well and used the axe to knock down the loose brick. There it showed the last disk. It was a glass slipper. That's when they used the rope and tied it to the well. "Think the rope will support all of us?"
Irene said, "We'll go down on at a time. You go first Charlotte."
Charlotte slowly went down the well and found a broom but also golden doors. She called out to them. "Girls! Come down here! I found gold doors!"
One by one, they went down the well and saw the doors too. The 3 tried to get them to open. "It won't budge." said Agatha.
Irene asked, "How are we going to open it?"
Then Charlotte remembered the golden rose Cthulhu gave her. She put it in a vase nearby and the doors opened. They walked inside and saw a statue of a frog prince and 6 pictures. One was the king, as a prince, another was the queen, as a princess, then their wedding day, their first daughter's birth, then Briar Rose's birth, and the final picture showed Ivy grown up and married to a young man. Then Charlotte figured it out. "Girls, Ivy was Briar Rose's sister and she married the frog prince. The man that tried to wake her with the kiss, is the frog prince's brother."
Agatha asked, "Do you think there's a connection to another case?"
Charlotte said, "Too soon to tell. For not let's find her and ask questions later."
They got the broom and made their way back to the servant's room and cleaned up a mess and got a rose star risk. Now it was time for the rose altar. On the altar, there was a white rose in a glass case multiple slots, and riddles. Irene got the disk, Charlotte reads, and Agatha puts them in place. "A symbol of power, I am worn on the most powerful ruler in this land." Agatha put the crown disk in place. Then another riddle popped up. "I am your best protection from undesired weather, be it rain or ray." Agatha put the parasol rose in place. "Use me well and you can deflect incoming blows." Agatha put the shield rose disk in place. "To see yourself best, I may be of help." The mirror rose disk. "Sturdy and durable use me to trek on rugged land." The shoe rose disk. "I am a famed object a prince seeks at the stroke of midnight." The glass slipper disk. "I am a powerful symbol of love." The heart disk. "There are thousands of us if you look up at the dark clear night." The star disk. "Last one. The White Rose, I will lead you to the sleeping princess." Agatha put the last disk in place and the white rose was freed.
The group headed back to the graveyard and put the tombstones in place and the same square that puzzled the girls in the beginning was actually a secret door. They unlocked it and went down into an underground hall until they were stopped at a gate. Charlotte said, "Behind this door is Briar Rose."
"And possibly the Evil Godmother." said Irene.
Agatha said, "I'm ready when you are."
The girls nodded and put the roses in place and the gate opened. They went inside and found a bedroom with Briar Rose asleep in bed, a carrier pigeon, the ghost of the Evil Godmother, and a machine. Charlotte said, "It's the last game. I think I can solve it but I need your help." They put the rose potion in the machine and then the Evil Godmother appeared. Then a scroll came down with symbols going slowly down to the cauldron that was on the bottom. The 3 wasted no time as they pressed the button before they touched the cauldron. After a few presses, it got harder, and it got harder, the godmother was taunting them. Then the final level came and they worked even harder.
Finally they defeated her and she disappeared. After that they went to Briar Rose and she gently wakes up and the vines went away. "Thank you, Detectives, for fully lifting this dreadful curse. My body is weak from centuries in slumber. I'll rest here for just a bit more. When the curse resurfaced, it also awakened the spirit of the Evil Godmother. She led you here to find my sleeping body; with it she can once again materialize in human form. You have done well, for now she is gone forever, along with the accursed vines. Your city is now safe." Then she gave Charlotte a small crown. "However, another curse has awakened, one that will submerge our world in water. To stop it you must find the fabled Frog Prince, as he still lives among us to this day." The 3 couldn't believe what they heard. Charlotte looked at the small crown that was in her hands. So her theory was right. "The carrier pigeon has given hints to his location. Good luck in your next investigation, Detective." Then Briar Rose closed her eyes to relax.
Charlotte looked at her 2 friends. "Guess I was right about the secret room, the pictures, and the theory." she said.
That's when Cthulhu appeared at the window and then the 3 turned to his attention. He said, "Thank you for find my lost friend." He walked to the bed, removed the curtains that was around the bed and looked down at Briar Rose. "The room from the staircase at the throne room is now open. Go there and you'll find clues to the frog prince and of the royal family. I'll stay here with her."
The girls nodded and got out of there. Then Briar Rose opened her eyes and saw him. "Been a long time my friend." she said.
"It has princess. The land has changed since you went to sleep." he replied.
Briar Rose sat up a bit and said, "Tell me everything. Start from when the kiss failed."
Spindle Room
Back at the girls, they made it back to the room and just like Cthulhu said, it was no longer blocked. When they went inside, there was a giant spindle, a little green house and another door. Charlotte led them to the little green house and found parts to a ruby brooch. Once that was done, they went to the door and saw it was a puzzle they're not familiar. Agatha said, "Let's give it our best shot." After a couple attempts, they manage to solve it.
Once the door opened and they went inside, it was actually a tomb room. In the middle of the room was the grave of the prince. Irene went to the plaque and said, "Here lies the prince who died from the killing curse of the kiss. Brother of the Frog Prince." The girls looked at each other in awe.
Then Charlotte noticed something in a box of spindles and saw pieces of a rusty key. Then she walked to the door that was in the room and locked, and when she opened it, it was a sewing room. There was fabrics everywhere, a dress, and2 tuxes it was a mess. Charlotte said, "Girl. Can I do this one by myself please?"
Irene asked, "Are you sure?"
Agatha asked, "Honey, do you think you handle?"
Charlotte said, "I think I can take it. Besides, I think whatever next case is going to pop-up it might be called to me."
Irene asked, "One of your powers?" She nodded.
Agatha asked, "What do you see?"
Charlotte closed her eyes and told them her visions that are now popping up. "A underground palace, an evil mirror, young girls in red, evil woods, a kingdom in the sky, purple flowers, mermaids, and an hourglass. And I think I'm seeing 3 bears. Everything after the hourglass is blurry at the moment." She opened her eyes and then turned to the 2. "I think they're my future cases."
Irene then kneeled down and said, "Then we'll support you in every step of the way." She stood up. "Me and Agatha will scout the area to make sure there's no surprises. Where should we meet?"
Agatha said, "My vote is the graveyard to make sure Briar Rose is alright."
Charlotte said, "I second that."
Irene said, "Graveyard it is. Don't take too long Charlotte." Then the 2 left.
Charlotte got right back to work. First she got a glass lens from a box, and a disk from a tux pocket, she went to the desk where there were sparkles. She got a garment dagger out of it. Once that was done, she noticed there was a bulge in one of the fabric rolls. She cuts it and got another disk. "That's disk number 2. Do they belong to the big spindle?"
She went back to the tomb and looked at the box of spindles. She saw sparks and went to solve it. In a result she got a spindle coin. When that was done, she saw that the lens belonged to a lamp on top of the door. "Oh I wish I was tall." She fond a box near by and used it to get to the top. Once the light was in place, it aimed at a small theater on one of the walls near the ground. She went to it and saw it was a mini-game. It took her a while, but she manages to solve it. "Damn that was a hard game." She got a right star emblem out of it.
Then she went to the mini-green house and got a small ladder. "Now why not use this first to get to the lamp?" she mumbled to herself. She went back to the sewing room and used the ladder to get to the top cabinet on the right. She looked inside and saw 2 princesses: one in a green dress, another in pink. She put the spindle coin in place and opened the door. She saw 2 empty slots under the princess dolls. "That's' where the brooches go to." She found a crowbar on the side and picked it up.
She went to the sewing room and saw sparkles again on the desk. She solved it and got the left star emblem. And then she went to the tomb and went to the box of spindles and got the jade brooch. And finally she went to the small green house and got an envelope opener. "If Briar Rose gave us the parts before she woke up, then where are these popping up?"
As she was about to leave, when she nodded a loose brick under a window. She used the bar and it revealed another puzzle. It looked the same, the puzzle was the same, but the symbols were different. After she solved it she got another disk. Then she went to the tomb and saw an envelope on the small desk next to the grave. She opened it and got another disk.
That when She went back to the cabinet and put the brooches in place. Then another puzzle appeared. "Looks like the one on the door. She manages to solve it and got another disk. Then she went to the tomb and on the plaque there was a slot for something. She put the star emblems in place and got another disk.
Then she went to the spindle room and put the disk on the big spindle. When she put all 6 in place, the big spindle was destroyed. "That's what the disks were for, to destroy the damn thing.
That's when she saw a light coming from the tomb. When walked inside the room and saw the ghost of the prince that tried to wake her up. He said, "Thank you for destroying the spindle that caused this nightmare. I also want to thank you for waking up Briar Rose. If I had of known about how great the curse was, we probably would've been married."
Charlotte said, "It's alright your majesty. Maybe it was meant to be this way. But now the curse is over and Briar Rose is awake, will you rest in peace now?"
The prince nodded. "I will. But please save my brother." Then he disappeared.
Charlotte left the spindle room and went to the graveyard where Agatha and Irene were waiting for her. Irene asked, "Well?"
Charlotte said, "Well turns out our little mission in there was to destroy the giant spindle that caused this mess. How's Briar Rose?"
Agatha said, "Still pretty out of it. Cthulhu says he's going to stay here with her until she gets back on her feet so we might not see them for a while. It's possible, she's going to look around this place until he finds her a place to live. I doubt she wants to remain here."
Charlotte said, "For now let's head home. We got some paper work to do."
And so they made it home. When they arrived back at the building, Mr. Boddy was outside waiting for them. When Charlotte walked up to him, he asked, "So how was it?"
Charlotte said, "Amazing. Though not a fan of the giant spider."
Mr. Boddy chuckled. "You'll get used to it. Now for the fun part, you report." Charlotte groans as she walked with him. "And another surprise." They walked up to his office and saw another door next to his. It had a bow in it. Charlotte looked at him confused. "Open the door."
Charlotte did and then everyone in the building heard. "OH MY GOD!" Some woke up, other dropped their stuff, and other jumped out of their seat. The surprise was, an office, just for her. "This is amazing uncle!" Then she hugged him. "Thank you thank you thank you."
Mr. Boddy hugged her back. "You're welcome. Now I know you're not done with school yet, but it's official." He handed her a badge. "You're one of us now." Charlotte smiled and took the badge in her hand. "Now all you need to the DP feather tattoo."
Charlotte paled. "I ain't getting that yet. Remember I'm just 14."
Mr. Boddy patted her back. "I know I'm just teasing. You're not allowed to get it until you're 18 and I'm being lenient about the age."
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Very funny uncle. But before I do the reports, I need your help on something."
Mr. Boddy asked, "What is it?"
"Well that depends," She showed him the small crown. "What do you got the Frog Prince? Because his bride is the sister of the princess we found at that castle and is still alive." Mr. Boddy sigh and rubbed his jaw. "When were you going to tell me, we once had a princess that was the original Sleepy Beauty?"
Mr. Boddy said, "It's going to take me a year to get the information on your next case but all that I'm going to tell you is that it's the same reason why we're not blessed by the magic."
She asked, "Meaning I'll find out in time?" He nodded. "Does mom, dad, sissy, and grandpa know?" He nodded. "Then we better get started."
Epilogue
Thought to be a fairy tale, Charlotte, Irene, and Agatha found the sleeping beauty princess through their investigation and awaken her from her curse, and destroyed the spindle. Now that the city is safe, the princess hands Charlotte a small crown and urges her to stop another imminent threat. Holding a map left by a carrier pigeon, Dark Parables begins her next investigation in search for the fabled Frog Prince.