In the few weeks, it took Christina to heal, the others re-interviewed everyone. They even snuck back into the school to speak with the Evil Queen again. The evidence was piling and pointing to Grimm. His hatred of Radu and clear dislike of Christina only served to strengthen their conviction. He was the prime suspect the only suspect but was he the actual killer.

Or was there another?

The group currently sat around the kitchen table while Christina remained on the couch in the living room Scooby keeping her company. They were silently awaiting Maleficent's arrival as she wanted to hear their progress and check-in on Christina.

Red was bustling in the background trying to make her house presentable but rejecting any offers of help.

"There has to be an accomplice or something!" Clawdeen stressed, "Grimm's a stiff, he doesn't strike me as the type to kill someone,"

"So we're looking for a contract killer then?" Duncan asked.

"It like, makes the most sense," Shaggy nodded "I'm like, going to check on Christina,"

Christina sat on the couch staring blankly at the wall.

"How are you feeling Christina?"

"Bored,"

"Just bored?"

"Cold,"

he wrapped another quilt around her. Sitting next to her quietly. She looked at him with a sorrowful glassy-eyed pout that made his heart melt. She was tired of couch arrest and it showed but Shaggy was firm. She needed to stay put and heal. Glancing out the window he was startled to see Spitfire curled around nearby trees watching the house intently. Dragging his gaze from the window to the rocker he found Prince fast asleep, Scooby wasn't far away passed out on the rug.

"When did Spitfire like, get here?"

Christina shrugged, laying her head on his shoulder.

Maleficent arrived minutes later. Her primary concern was not the investigation but, Christina. So naturally, she was enraged and suspicious when they told her the poison had come from Grimm's office. She commended the group on their skills before returning to Christina's side.

"The investigation is to be put on hold until you're well again, Christina," she informed her.

The young hybrid wanted to argue but held her tongue, nodding her understanding instead

…...

A few days later:

"They're getting too close to the truth! Much as it pains me, their little investigation needs to stop now!", Grimm's voice spoke through the Crystal Skull. "Eliminate them if you must! There are two werewolves, a talking dog, and a dragon-boy who claims to be some kind of 'prince' as if a monster could be royalty! Spare the hybrid if you can. The loss of the others will break her resolve; perhaps enough for her to sign her page in the Book, or at least return to the realm I sent her to."

"Just open the portal on Grimm's peak after nightfall", Van Hellscream grinned. "According to my copy on the Infini-Map, That's the most opportune time and place on your end. They won't even know what hit them."

Meanwhile,

"Penny for yer thoughts, Hot-Stuff?", Clawdeen asked, sliding onto Duncan's lap and into his warm embrace.

"We're missing something, Clawdeen", the half-kaiju said thoughtfully. "Like something we might have seen but didn't think was important, so we overlooked it. The one clue that would make it all come together and give us the solution. I'm gonna sneak back into Ever After High tonight and go over Grimm's office one more time."

"Has your pilot light gone out?!", the lovely werewolf chided. "How do you plan on doing that without being seen?!"

Duncan smirked as he grew and extended his wings.

"All right, shut up and let me kiss you for luck, Handsome", she smirked, pulling his face closer to kiss him.

…...

As dusk fell across the Hollow, Duncan prepared to leave, waiting until everyone else was asleep. He smiled softly as he passed Christina and Shaggy curled up together. If he hurried he'd be cuddled up with Clawdeen in no time. Under the cover of the night, he crept back into Ever After High, into Grimm's empty office where he rummaged through the various files and books, running over the trinkets displayed on the shelves, where he found the crystal skull, partially hidden. This is what made Christina sick. Why and how did Grimm have this?

Then the pieces fell into place.

Van Hellscream.

A foreboding feeling shot down his spine.

He had to get back to the Hollow and quickly!

Upon his arrival, he found Van Hellscream had already arrived and was outside the cottage setting a trap.

"A trap, Van Hellscream?", Duncan growled. "I heard you were a hunter, not a coward. Afraid to face them?"

"Never", the hunter hissed. "Simply precautions to prevent escape or interference. I'm finishing what I started long ago. Though I cannot fathom why my partner waited until now when it would have been so easy the finish it last time."

The commotion brought the others out of the house. Thankfully, the trap wasn't ready and therefore didn't spring.

Clawdeen and Shaggy growled, bracing themselves for a fight, Scooby doing the same.

"Shaggy?" Christina yawned stepping out of the house, "What's the matter?"

Van Hellscream paled upon seeing Christina. No one noticed, however, Shaggy trying to get Christina back inside, she was still weak and the last thing he wanted was to potentially lose her again.

"I am not going back inside!"

Shaggy didn't really have time for an argument so he pushed Christina behind him. Just in time for Prince and Spitfire to come crashing angrily onto the scene.

The magical vampire must die! She cannot be allowed to survive and breed! But the monsters and fairy tales arrayed against him were daunting, especially the dragon-boy. However, as a master hunter, Van Hellscream was prepared.

With a sweep of his arm, Van Hellscream threw multiple silver, crescent-moon-shaped throwing blades at all the wolves and tossed a smoke bomb with his other hand.

Dragons can see through smoke so...YES! There he is charging ahead out of the smoke!', Van Hellscream thought as he pointed a blue-tinted crystal wand at the snarling Duncan. A bolt of magic struck and encased the angry teen in a block of ice! Spitfire and Prince met the same fate

'That takes care of the dragons the hunter smirked to himself. The smoke cleared and he saw that the wolves had managed to avoid all the blades. Pity.

"Duncan!", Clawdeen cried upon seeing him locked in ice.

She moved to help him, only to spin around when Van Hellscream came for her. Throwing a silver dagger that sunk into her right forearm with intense pain.

The hunter quickly did the same for Shaggy.

Christina was fuming. Screw the fact she was in a paisley printed nightdress. IT WAS ON! She whipped out her wand and fired away. Only for the intense magic to come right back at her, she barely jumped away in time, moving to the right before firing once more. Only for the same thing to happen. Two more times and Christina was seriously angry.

"Poor, poor, stupid half-breed," Van Hellscream spat, "Your magic can't hurt me, not as long as I have this." he pulled an amulet from his pocket.

Christina grit her teeth.

"I killed your parents, it was so easy," he taunted drawing closer, "First your blood-sucking father then your weakling mother,"

"My mother was anything but weak," Christina charged, only for the hunter to sidestep her.

"I beg to differ, it was easy," he chuckled darkly, "All I asked for was some bread and I had her fooled," he lunged for Christina but she leaped away, brandishing her wand still, "Once she suspected something and tried to fight back it was useless, I drove that dagger through her heart,"

Christina shook her head.

"Killing your father was much simpler. I shot him in the back,"

"BUT WHY? WHY? WHAT DID MY FAMILY EVER DO TO YOU?" Christina screamed.

"THEY EXISTED! YOU EXIST!" he tackled Christina, "And now you can join them!"

During all of this, however, the ice trapping Duncan began to shake. Harder and faster until it exploded, ice raining everywhere and drawing Van Hellscream's attention away from Christina in time for Duncan to fly at him, separating him from Christina.

"IMPOSSIBLE! No dragon could free themselves from an ice tomb like that so quickly!"

"That's because I'm NOT a dragon, you nimrod!", Duncan smirked with flames in his mouth. "I'm half-kaiju! My dad is BELLOC!"

Christina stood looking wildly around the battle sight. Clawdeen and Shaggy were still crumpled to the ground, a dagger sticking out of their arms, Van Hellscream was distracted by Duncan who it seemed was intent on beating the snot out of him. Not that Christina could blame him but what could she do now?

Nothing. She didn't have to do anything as a mighty flapping of wings and an ear-spiting roar shook the trees. Maleficent landed before them in a fiery rage. Trapping Van Hellscream within a cage of thorns so sharp the tiniest touch would draw blood. Not that it mattered considering he was already covered in it thanks to Duncan. With Van Hellscream contained, Christina rushed to Shaggy's side, Duncan doing the same for Clawdeen, each wondering:

What now?

…...

"I'll ask again, WHO were you working with?" Maleficent demanded to know.

Hours had passed. Clawdeen and Shaggy both had been taken care of, stitched up and bandaged. The dragons had thawed, Christina doting on them while they slept curled around the trees on either side of the cottage. Christina worked very hard to compose herself with a hot shower, a warm blanket and a piece of cherry pie.

Now, here they were, in the living room, Van Hellscream caged across from them while Maleficent frightening and calm interrogated him. He wasn't cracking, The Dark Fae Queen at the end of her rope finally cast a truth spell upon him, her dragon shadow looming behind her.

"Who?"

"Milton Grimm," he spat the words against his will.

Christina gasped, bursting into tears once more. So, Grimm truly did hate her family! Shaggy held onto her trying to help her calm down but it was near impossible. The nights' events had rattled her to her core as this whole mystery had and she couldn't take it anymore. The two didn't even notice Maleficent until she laid a hand on Christina's shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said, "Tomorrow we'll make sure all of Ever After knows what he did,"

"What about him?" Shaggy asked, glancing at Van Hellscream.

"I know just what to do," Maleficent grinned, turning to the stone-faced hunter.

Maleficent painfully blasted him with her magic. He wanted to scream but he could not. It felt like he was on fire. The fire slowly burnt away his skin as scales forced their way in. The room around him grew large and larger as he shrank stopping at barely three feet. His bones proceeded to shift and pop painfully as his skeleton reformed itself a sharp pulling sensation yanked two wings from his back as a rat-like tail snaked it's way out. His eyes and nose burned painfully as they too changed. He closed his eyes and tried to fight off the pain failing as fangs cut their way through his gums and two very long tusks painfully pushed out.

There was still blood leaking from his mouth and scales when the pain finally subsided. Worse yet, the hybrid was laughing at him through her tears, her friends joining in. his sense of balance was thrown off when Maleficent reached inside the cage and grabbed him forcefully. Bringing him to her eye-level she said:

"You shall spend the rest of your life as that which you have hunted so passionately!", Maleficent smirked

She turned him to face the mirror where he was greeted by the sight of a chupacabra. He tried to scream only to let out an animalistic shriek. He tried and tried but he was unable to form words.

"I now send you home, Van Hellscream. May others be as passionate in the hunting of YOU."

With those words, she flung him into the small portal she had opened his shrieks of terror fading as it closed.

…...

a perfect sunny day was an excellent backdrop for the Thronecoming parade. Milton stood happily beside his brother Giles, smiling for all the reporters and news crews that were gathered. Hopefully, his world was now free of monsters

"GRIMM" Maleficent roared, the sky turning black as she, Christina and, Christina's friends appeared.

"Lady Maleficent," he gulped, "How nice too-"

"YOU HAD MY PARENTS KILLED!" Christina screamed causing everyone present to gasp in surprise.

"I was protecting Ever After," Grimm replied evenly.

Maleficent neared him, "Although I'm not allowed to replace you without the consent of the school board you might want to consider resigning or else," Maleficent hissed, smiling as Grimm paled.

With that warning, the group left, knowing every news outlet and gossip magazine would publish the truth and while protected it would damage Milton Grimm's reputation.

…...

With the case solved and justice doled out it was time for Christina and her friends to go home.

"I don't see how I'm going to explain, you two to Uncle Dracula," Christina laughed, scooping Prince into her arms while Spitfire watched.

The portal stood ready behind them but, Christina found herself crushed with goodbye hugs and promises to visit.

"We'll have another sleepover soon," she promised.

After the teens had left the room Maleficent embraced her granddaughter, "I'll come to visit," she whispered making Christina smile, "And I'll bring you back whenever you want,"

"Thank you, Grandmother,"

"You're welcome, now go, your Uncle's waiting for you,"

"I'm thankful we remembered to message them," Duncan chuckled, "Who knows what my dad would have done,"

they cringed.

With one final goodbye, the group stepped through the portal and into the excited embrace of relatives on the other side. Maleficent watched briefly before turning to the urn they had left behind, she had something important to do.

…...

"...AAaauuuugh!", Drew screamed in agony as his body finished regenerating. "Wh-what? Wh-wh-where am I? The last thing I remember was being chained to a wall while the half-normie punk werewolf was allowed to beat on me for hours! And then D-D-Duncan grinning as he burned me with his fire, starting at my feet! H-h-h-how did I survive?"

"You didn't", a regal, female voice said nearby. He turned to see the tall, mature Dark Fairy standing between him and the only door in this windowless stone room. "I brought you back from death with the Blood Ritual."

"Well, thank you", he replied. "I can never walk in the sun again for the rest of my un-life, but at least I'm back. I owe you one. Now to get my princess back and..."

"You misunderstand, you arrogant fool", she hissed. "I brought you back because death is too good, too quick, and too merciful for the likes of you!"

"QUICK?! MERCIFUL?!", he snarled as he stood. "You have no idea how humiliating and painfully slow & agonizing my death was!"

"It was NOTHING compared to what you shall suffer for all of eternity at my hands for what you did to my granddaughter Christina!"

"Wh-wh-who are you?", Drew stammered, fear starting to claw and clutch at his undead heart, as the dark power radiating from her became palpable and oppressive.

"Who am I?", she sneered with a bone-chilling chuckle. "I am the Queen of Darkness. The Mistress of All Evil. I. AM. MALEFICENT!"

THE END

…...

Was it the best ever? Probably not but I tried. A big thank you goes to DRAGONDAVE45 for all of their help and encouragement.

Lord knows I needed it LOL.

Please review!