Once Upon a Tennyson

by Creaturemaster

(After WAM) Ben somehow arrives in a world of fairy tales and magic, where following one's destiny is important above all else and the student body of a certain school is locked in a war over how to live their lives. Can Ben unite the students under one flag before the dark force lurking within the shadows ends them and claims the world for itself? The first of it's kind!

16. It's How you Play the Game

Hello, one and all! Welcome back once more!

Hiya, everyone! I'm Maddie!

Maddie, they already know that.

Well, maybe they didn't! Maybe they just want to hear me say my name again!

You keep telling yourself that. Either way, both me and Maddie are seriously Wonderland crazy happy right now! Why are we so insanely crazy happy? Because of your guys, of course! It's been only fifteen chapters since I began this Wonderlandiful story and we already have 500 REVIEWS thanks to you guys, gals, princes, princesses, aliens, and monsters! I can't believe how well this story is turning out right now, so thank you all for your support! Also, Maddie kinda went overboard with the tea during the celebrations, so . . . yeah. Times both good and bad were had, that's all I'll say.

As much as I know they deserve it, you're stalling again!

Sorry. Right. Onto the review answers! And considering how some (okay, a lot of you) have spoken out to my roommate/partner/possible girlfriend, Maddie, she will be answering some of them, too.

Aw, so I'm your roommate/partner/possible girlfriend now?

Wear the title with pride, Hatter. Now if you could put that mallet away, stay sober enough off of your tea, and join me in reviews, it would be much appreciated.

storygirl99210 – You really think so? I guess 500 reviews is nothing to sneeze at XD

Aw, thanks storygirl99210! I love how mad and crazy I am in a good way, too! Drop by the tea shop sometime!

1985 – I fully intend to upkeep both series as much as possible, my friend. Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Codecrash – You're right about Clawdeen and Cerise. Once they've worked out who the Alpha is (until Frankie arrives), they should become fast friends; as for Jane, she'll naturally panic at first until she's comfortable before she even thinks about studying her furry friends a little closer. I'm imagining she and Ashlynn will get along well, once the later gets past the fact that the former can easily kill her. As for Whisp . . . well, I'm not sayin'! XD That's one lamp that has yet to be rubbed and one genie that has yet to be released. But until then, lets keep this whole thing bottled up for now (I kill myself sometimes. Oh, wait, I'M ALREADY DEAD!).

NecrorexSparda Juubi-No-Kishin – First off, let me just say that that has got to be the longest username I have ever encountered XD Second, Dexter won't be able to transform at will like Jane can, but he'll slowly be able to control and channel the beast within him to the point where it looks like he can. And as for Alpha I can promise you that he is in fact one-hundred percent dead as much as a nanite construct can be.

Marshman101 – Glad you enjoyed the song selection (it was easy. Halloween's my favorite holiday after Christmas), and as for what will happen to Dexter, lets just say it'll be a long road to recovery.

Miya, marshman101! Nice to finally meet ya!

Quiet, you. We've still got more review answers to get to.

Don't make me bring out the mallet again.

As I was saying, feel free to interrupt all you like!

Menatron the Angel of Ideas – Thank you. I'll admit, it took some thought (almost equivalent to your own, oh, mighty angel of ideas) for the Dexter/Beast subplot to work successfully, but I am muy feliz with the end result.

spurlinpatricksean2 – I think Jane, Skelita, and Venus will be more forgiving of Ben (mostly just relieved they've found him and that he's still alive) while Clawdeen might be a little harder to convince to except Ben's new fairy tale girls. And yes, this chapter was incredibly long.

Karlos1234ify – Thank you for the kind words. I spent an incredible amount of time on this getting every just right (glad you found Daring's forced costume and unfortunate antics amusing), the emotions of all the characters being the hardest to portray. And yes, I'm pretty much just torturing the Headmaster right now XD

StrongGuy159 – Gracias, amigo! I fully intend to!

Guest – It won't happen right away, but Ginger will be dragged into the harem eventually. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical at bringing her in considering, compared to the other girls, she doesn't get as much screen time, but I thought why not? And knowing Ben, there's bound to be some sort of fight somewhere sometime (sooner than one might think, actually). As for for Whisp and Dexter, the former will be explained a little later while the later . . . well, the Curse of the Beast isn't genetic. If it was, Rosabella would have shown signs of it by now. Yes, I do read the comments on my other stories, I just don't respond to them like this. As for your Skelita idea, it very well could be referenced later on, but it definitely will be written; I have an inkling of an idea I could use, but it'll be some time before I get to it. And yeah, I've been meaning to get around to answering reviews for my other stories at some point. Regarding the Time Travel Fiasco, I don't think I'll really expand on that any more than a few mentions here and there. And yes, I did have to put that much heart wrenching in the last chapter for it to suit my tastes and the mood. Paying attention to Whisp and your minion idea, I ain't saying anything for the former and please stop asking me about the later: it's not happening.

Stretchy-Rat – Now that you mention it, the little scene with Ben and Cerise wrestling in the fountain (and Cerise consistently winning) are borrowed lines from The Lion King. I'm not sure if any other references will be made or not, but seeing as how almost all the fairy tales are based on the Disney versions (the original Snow White had her prince actually want to keep her 'lifeless' corpse as a trophy because of how beautiful she was), I don't why not.

mechacard01 – I swear, the last one was actually unintentional. I guess it's no secret that The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie of all time (and why not? I love the art style and Scar's voice. Delightfully wicked).

masterart – Knowing Whisp and the trouble she can get into, I imagine it won't be long XD

DracoAngel17 – I didn't have your respect before? ;) Continuing, don't worry about Whisp. When she gets out (which will be sooner than you think) Ben's gonna have to get use to a really clingy and possibly aroused genie XD

Darkness Rissing – You make a fair point. I mean, seriously, Halloween to Hades is like a kid in a candy store where everything is free (really annoying and hilarious at the same time). And believe it or not, the classic Disney look you're referring to is actually the look the whole tale is based on (Disney based it on an actual folklore story by the same title). And yes, Grimm will be getting on the bad sides of some certain ghouls and fairy tales. And as for your Whisp question . . . you actually guessed right. As for who it is, I'm not saying!

Fantasylover4ever – Hahahaha! Yeah, Grimm does seem to have something up his butt, don't he? Either way, concerning the ending, it seems to be the most likely course of action; I'm still open to suggestions and ideas for the ending since repeating what did last time might either just be cliché or lazy. And yes, things will work out for Cupid and Dexter in the end.

Soos – What about those folk songs, Soos? I hear you're quite the legend. Either way, me and Maddie can try to convince Ben, but he seems a little preoccupied at the moment.

When do I get to answer some questions?

Patience is a virtue, young Hatter.

You know you're really cute when you get all wise and stuff.

. . . I will not dignify that with a response. Back to the review answers!

Yay!

Kaiju Fan – STOP TRYING TO GIVE ME A CONCUSSION! XD I'm glad I managed to pleasantly surprise you and keep things interesting, despite your ability to guess what'll happen next. Unfortunately, I don't think anything noteworthy will happen for Thanksgiving, except maybe some kind of gigantic, Wonderlandian celebration feast or something, but I can guarantee you that something with happen around Christmas. After all . . . It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Stop it, silly! If I can't sing no one can!

Maddie, please put those cymbals away.

Depends. Do I get to answer some reviews?

Actually, yes.

Hat-tastic!

Royal Rebel – Yes, Astranova will join the harem some time in the distant future. As for Dexter, despite the tangled and mixed up bloodlines that curse Ever After High, Dexter is not related to Beauty and the Beast in any way (at least, I don't think so). The Curse of the Beast, as I've said before with another reviewer, is genetic in this story, if it ever was. Curses generally aren't genetic, though the one exception to the rule seems to be Briar Beauty and her little narcoleptic problem. And yes, Rosabella and Darling will be making more appearances later on. As for Thanksgiving, I'm not sure if I'll do anything really special for that, but definitely expect something around Christmas time.

Oh . . . well, that's a little . . . awkward.

Well put, Hatter.

Hey, I don't interrupt you when you answer!

Actually, you do. A lot.

Sorry. Anyway, Royal Rebel . . . stop by the tea shop anytime you like! My offer still stands like a jabberwock in a mine field! As for your offer, I'll have to check with Creaturemaster. After all, it is his room I'm staying in and he's technically the boss . . . not that I listen all that much. I just don't want to lose my hat again!

You've got dozens of them!

Yeah, well, this one is special! I LVE YOU ROYAL REBEL!

Oh, for the love of gargoyles, will you just let me finish!? Go get yourself drunk on some tea or something!

You're just waiting for me to get delirious enough to get up close and personal with me, aren't you?

. . . I will not dignify that with a response.

Lord Dominator – I did find some profiles on DeviantArt for the sons and daughters of DC Nation and Marvel superheroes. I'm pretty sure they're all fan made, but it wouldn't be a bad thing to see. I'd see it something similar to what they're doing for Ever After High: you got two sides attending, the Heroes and the Villains, and maybe some villains that don't want to be evil and some heroes that do want to be evil or don't want to follow in their parent's footsteps and become superheroes.

Erebor – Don't worry about Whisp. I like her too much to put her through another thousand years of isolation.

Gojira – Once again (I've had to explain about two other times now), the Curse of the Beast is not genetic, meaning Dexter does not have to be related to the Beast to be cursed. Besides, it's almost common knowledge that he would become the Beast/Prince of Rosabella's story in the book series, so I decided why not? And, sorry, Darling won't be officially appearing until Way too Wonderland.

The Question – So many questions, so little time!

.coronado72 – Hmmm. The idea if Dexter having a mini harem of his own, per say wouldn't be bad. I'd have to put it to an official vote and talk it over with Maddie, but I don't see why not. It'd definitely would be interesting. And yes, Headmaster Grimm's gonna get his hands dirty at one point or another.

KittyWolf – Hmmm. It has been a while since I've shown an angry mob, now isn't it? Time to mess with some characters! MUA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Wolfslick – Actually, that is one of the future stories I'm planning on writing. While it probably won't be anywhere near as long as We're All Monsters or Once Upon a Tennyson, it's definitely something I plan to write.

Isom – Well, what did you expect? That everyone's favorite, meddling Headmaster was going to idely sit by while a band of monsters, rebellious fairy tales, and one alien shape-shifter tear down everything he's striven to work for? Yeah, I thought so.

Ernest P Worrell – While it's not directly outright said, it's implied that do to the maddening nature of Wonderland and the effects it has on its inhabitants, the raw Wonderland magic that flows through them and their world is what keeps them immune to Jigsaw's pheromones, mostly because they are, in a sense, just like Jigsaw: complete and utter Looney Tunes.

Dragonsaurus – I'm pretty sure the Wonderlandians would like Ledgerdomain as much as they love Wonderland. And as for Blondie not jumping on the chance to interview Ben after the destruction of the Beanstalk bakery . . . sometimes I am so stupid.

Yep! You definitely are!

This is the part where you're supposed to make me feel better, not insult me.

I never said I didn't like stupid men . . .

Back to the review answers!

Resistance is futile!

Grimlock – Halloween was a blast! Which is more than I can say for the little kids I accidentally scared. Note to self, do not wear a gorilla costume when handing out candy.

Titanzilla – You actually are pretty close to what'll happen between Cerise and Clawdeen. Hope Ben is okay with love bites . . . ouch. And yes, "Cupid and the Beast" would definitely be an interesting story to read.

Fanfic Fan – Trust me when I say you don't want to know what Maddie did when we reached the 500 review mark. Lets just say that Hades will be seeing things for a week and I need to move Maddie's secret stash of tea somewhere where she can't find it. As well as hide her mallet and other dangerous instruments.

Dragonsaurus Rex – Don't worry about Cupid and Dexter; he's taken enough of a beating for you to jump into this story and slap him silly. As for Whisp, that's me to know and for you to find out later . . . and what is Halloween without Thriller? Arbor Day, that's what. Now that I say that out loud, I probably find a place to hide in case Venus comes around . . .

Redrangerlegacy – It may be the move of dick, but I have my reasons. Be patient, young grasshopper.

Hat-tastic324 – Heeheehee! Us fourth wall breakers sure are screwy, ain't we? I mean, this one time I got Creaturemaster's bed to stay on the ceiling for the whole night while he was sleeping and he didn't even notice until the next morning!

And I have the scars to prove it. Last time I let Lady Persephone decorate my room with spikes.

Either way, send over the cannon right away! If not to play a few pranks on my roommate, than I'll use it to drive ol' Hades to the brink of, well, madness! I could always use some more company.

Aren't I enough for you?

You still haven't joined me in madness.

Whatever. Onto the next one.

maverickmoxey2000 – Looks like you and I have something in common with female Wonderlandian roommates that can't take a hint (not that I'm complaining about mine) XD And actually Venus didn't unlock her Nosedeenian form last chapter, she had it for quite a while; in the last chapter of We're All Monsters (before the epilogue) when the ghouls are receiving their Omnitrixes, Venus is revealed to have Whampire (a bad idea for fights that don't take place at night or indoors) and thus changed into Buzzshock to avoid burning to ash. Also, I don't think your dimorphism example works very well, since Subdora was the only Merlinisapien to appear in Omniverse and ChamAlien never debuted, so . . . yeah. I think a better example would be how male Conductoids are negatively charged and females are positively charged (this is actually true). And yes, Dexter and Daring will have some 'bro-talk' (though I doubt I'll ever write in a suicide attempt). As for your villain idea, I was actually considering that, so thank you.

Are we done?

Yep. I think so.

Ah-HA! You're lying!

I am?

What did you just talk to maverickmoxey2000 about?

Oh, yeah. Silly me. You heard the Hatter, ladies and gentlemen! For those of you that are unaware either of us is talking about, I had a Nemetrix Predator OC contest back during We're All Monsters asking for my viewers to submit originally made Nemetrix predators for Ben's aliens during a chapter I like to call "Nemetrix Unleashed". So now, I am having a Villain OC contest for Once Upon a Tennyson!

Long story short, Ben needs more bad guys to fight before the big guns come out, so I need/want you guys and gals to submit your own villains for Ben to battle! Here is the app for those that chose to submit.

Name:

Age:

Species (can not be from Ben's world or any other franchise):

Appearance:

Powers/abilities/weapons (do not make too overpowered):

Weaknesses:

Personality:

If you believe I have forgotten anything else of importance, do not hesitate to add on to the application! The villains will not really play a big part in this story, it's just something to fill in those moments between major events; also, the ones that I chose will not only be featured in the story, but will also be brought to life by me and posted on my DeviantArt account hopefully sometime in the near future. So send 'em in!

Are we done now?

Yep! As always, comment, review, suggest, and request down below!

And be sure to drink lots and lots of tea, too!

Don't listen to her. The world does not need more Maddies.

Oh, as if you don't want to put a little Maddie in me right now.

. . . For the third time, I am not going to dignify that with a response.

Shout out to Codecrash and Morantis for helping me out on how to freakin' start and end this chapter! You guys (or gals) rule!

Onward!

Raven covered her ears and gritted her teeth against the freezing, biting wind. Snow swirled and swarmed around her like clouds of angry bees, stinging her pale, ivory skin and turning her purple lips blue from the drop in temperature; shivering, Raven wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to stay warm in the frigid wasteland that surrounded her, with nothing but snow and ice for as far as the eye could see.

Well, no, that wasn't very true. Raven peered through the flurries and raging blizzard around her, just barely able to make out shapes forming in the snow, still and rigid in the howling woods. Wincing at seeing her own breath in front of her sudden freeze into ice and fall to the snow below, Raven took a cautious step through the knee deep snow, really wishing she had decided to wear something warmer than her usual school clothes. As she stumbled through the snow, ancient, icicle covered, stone walls rose up around her, forming into a large square that Raven could not see the other side of; her pace slowed even more than it already was when she noticed that inside of this stone prison there were odd objects jutting up from the ground around her, some in neat rows, some posted about haphazardly.

It only took a minute for the witchling to realize that strange objects were grave stones and statues.

"H-Hello?" Raven called out, her voice echoing and sounding frail and alone in the cold graveyard. Biting her lip nervously, the witchling took a few more cautious steps through the frozen cemetery and glanced back and forth worryingly as she approached the closet tombstone and crouched down to get a better look at it; with breath visible in front of her, Raven brushed away the layer of ice crystals and snow that obscured the grave's name and immediately wished she hadn't.

"Here lies Cerise Hood," Raven whispered to herself. "A wonderfully, diabolical pet to her Evil Majesty." she continued, reaching out and running a hand over a carved image of a howling wolf, wondering just who this 'Evil Majesty' was. Whoever she was, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Raven climbed to her feet and continued to walk through the graveyard, leaving Cerise's tombstone behind to investigate the other headstones; she stopped at a second grave marked with a depressed, weeping angel hunched over a stone plaque marked with an engraving of an apple with a arrow shot right through the middle.

"Apple White. Biggest sucker her Evil Majesty has ever known." Raven read, gulping nervously when she noticed that the stone angel crouching over the grave bared a frighteningly striking resemblance to Apple herself; the young witch noticed that part of the engravement on the princess's grave was covered in ice and stooped down to brush it away and reveal a second part of the message. "She did, however, make a lovely statue."

"I'm sorry, Apple." Raven whispered, bowing her head at the stone angel that had once been Apple White; how her murderer had managed to get a pair of stone wings on the princess before turning her to stone was beyond the witch, but she was pretty sure she didn't want to know how. Raven backed away from the grave and turned around to never impale her face on the tip of a stone sword thrust down in her direction. Rolling her eyes up, Raven saw a stone statue of Daring Charming standing tall and proud over her, his face stoic and unmoving.

"Here lies Daring Charming. He made a delightfully wicked court jester to her Evil Majesty." Raven read. The more and more the witchling walked through the cemetery, investigating the horrifying graves of her dead friends and the repulsive ways they had died or been treated before death, the more and more Raven was wondering who this 'Evil Majesty' was. A look at the burial site where poor Ashlynn Ella and Hunter Huntsman had been buried together holding hands and embracing each other to the last breath revealed they had once opposed her Evil Majesty and had frozen into the very, icicle covered statues that marked their grave; Briar had been impaled through the heart during a small rebellion against her Evil Majesty; Dexter himself had been forced to participate in her Evil Majesty's Colosseum, pressed against his will to cut down Cupid, Sparrow Hood, and Duchess Swan before he himself had been slain by . . . Raven couldn't make the name out.

Her heart was hammering in her chest now as she crept through the desolate, ice covered graveyard, nearly skipping a beat when she came across two large tombstones and an even bigger mausoleum between the two of them; the first tombstone on her left picture four, feminine figures standing in menacing positions with fingers twisted into sharp claws and giving vicious snarls, exposing pointed fangs. "Here lies Clawdeen Wolf, Venus McFlytrap, Jane Boolittle, and Skelita Calaveras, a few of the best and most competent of her Evil Majesty's army. They shall be fondly remembered." Raven read, quickly recognizing the four monsters that had recently been added to Ever After High's growing population.

The second tombstone had a single statue that may have looked slightly taller than the four other statues on the left of the mausoleum; even when the statue was covered in ice and obscured by the howling wind and snow, Raven recognized who it was of, taking immediate note of his strong, lean arms, firm chest, warm eyes, and the watch with an odd, squid-like creature plastered on it strapped around his wrist. "Here lies Ben Tennyson, the greatest warrior, asset, and lover her Evil Majesty had ever known. May he rest in peace and kick butt while doing it." the witchling read, barely able to form the words with her lips.

She barely found the strength to look upon the large mausoleum between the two, statue decorated graves; the frost covered mausoleum was decorated with icy pillars of stone with intricate, stone vines wrapped around them and stone ravens engraved above the door. A sour feeling in her stomach, Raven climbed to her shaky knees and approached the door of the mausoleum and pushed it open with some difficulty, the stone door freezing her hands until they had turned a burning red in color; the inside of the tomb wasn't any warmer.

At the back of the mausoleum was a an ancient, stone crypt elegantly decorated with thorn covered vines and crows with ruby eyes implanted in the small eye sockets of the stone birds; resting above the vault was a carving of a woman wearing a spiky dress and bat-winged cape, with four, slim arms clenched tightly into open palmed claws that held crackling, hot flames. She was frighteningly elegant and beautiful, withholding an air of regalness and royalty, her purple eyes replaced with sparkling, violet diamonds of the highest quality; below was an inscription.

"Here lies her Evil Majesty; despite all odds set against her, her horrifying origins, her terrifying childhood, and her overwhelmingly saddening destiny years, she has conquered all. She has loved, lost, killed, and conquered all those she knew and once held dear. May Raven Queen rest in . . ." Raven choked at the end of the sentence, unable to finish.

"I-I . . . I did all this?" Raven whispered, her throat dry and tears starting to well in her eyes.

"Oh, yes. You did." a whispery voice purred. Raven watched with horror as the lid of her crypt shifted slightly and broke off a thin layer of ice before the lid moved again and fell to the floor with a thick thud! A pair of bone white hands grabbed the edges of the tomb and strained to pull something up, slowly revealing a deathly pale, feminine figure dressed in black and purple robes that Raven recognized all too well. Trembling, she took a few steps towards the door of the mausoleum before turning on her heel to run and slam into something hard; it wasn't overly hard like a slab of stone, but it was hard enough that it made the witchling freeze in her tracks and peel herself off of it for a closer examination, immediately wishing she hadn't.

Standing in front of and taking up the entire frame of the mausoleum door was a large and well muscled Tetramand, a deep frown on his face; unlike Ben's Tetramand form, Four Arms, the hulking creature seemed to be incredibly ill, his skin a light shade of scarlet orange instead of deep crimson and his pulsing, blue veins were visible underneath of his tough exterior. Deeper splotches of orange covered his thick neck and arms, his black and green undershirt torn and ripped in places and exposing yellowed bones and raw muscle and tissue; a few, crooked teeth poked out from his four jaw and curled up over his upper lip and one of his eyes was gone entirely, the socket messily sewn closed with stitches. His beard and mustache were thick and scraggly, yellowed skull being visible from his decaying scalp while parasites feasted on his festering flesh; what really caught Raven's attention however, other than the fact that one of the monstrosity's lower arms had been messily reduced to a stump and replaced with a crude, steampunk knock off, was that the belt that held up the Tetramand's pair of ragged, black pants had an ever familiar black and green, sharp hourglass figure on it.

"B-Ben?" Raven gulped, gazing upon the rotting Tetramand.

"RAAAAAA-AAAAAAGGGH!" Zombie Four Arms snarled, swiping at her with the bony claws that tipped his strong fingers. The witchling instinctively covered her face and head and ducked to the ground under the attack, scrambling between the slightly confused Tetramand and stumbling out into the cold once more.

"Get her, my pretties!" the Evil Queen cackled from within the mausoleum, climbing out of Raven's crypt and climbing onto Zombie Four Arms' shoulders; the festering Tetramand roared angrily and thumping all four of his fists, both organic and mechanical, against his rib cage, his howl echoing throughout the frozen cemetery. As Raven ran away from her mother, the graveyard around her began to move and come alive all around her; tombstones quivered slightly and rotting hands thrust up out of the snow covered burial sights while a few of the statues started to slowly move on their own accord, sending ice and snow raining down on the graves they guarded as they came to life.

Raven glanced to her right and gasped with horror as the statue that had been Apple at one point straightened its posture with a loud cracking noise and spread its stone wings, breaking the layer of ice that had formed over them before the stone princess turned to regard Raven with hostility and take to the air with a flap of her wings and a horrible screech. While Daring's statue didn't move, a pair of rotting hands poked up and out from the snow that covered the ground and hauled up his rotting zombie, the festering prince stumbling to his feet and tearing the stone sword of his statue's hand with little effort.

A long, low howl pierced the night from a figure perched on the head of one of the few tombstones Raven had passed by earlier; it was a woman, if the feminine figure was anything to go by, and had a tattered, crimson cloak covering its body. A single, bright, amber eye sat in one of the figure's rotting sockets, the other one bloody and empty as pointed fangs decorated the inside of her mouth. Cerise snarled and growled, leaping off of her gravestone to cut off Raven's path of escape, crouching low on all fours while Apple guarded her above.

More horrific, frozen, walking corpses of Raven's friends were slowly approaching her, stumbling and shambling through the snow after her, forming a wall of rotting flesh and stone around her, fencing her in; with the broken head of a spear in her heart and the rest in her grip, Briar hissed and snarled at her with Ashlynn and Hunter's statues by her side, their emotionless faces twisted into ones of hatred and anger; Cupid's rotting corpse descended down from the sky and hissed venomously at Raven, going so far as to try and rake her bloody nails across the witchling's face before she managed to duck out of the way in time; the decomposing remains of the Beast lumbered up into the ranks of the undead, his lower jaw exposed and nearly free of his rotting flesh as Cupid alighted down on his shoulder like a hunting hawk, awaiting orders; even the decaying cadavers of Clawdeen, Venus, Jane, and the broken pile of bones that was Skelita were roaring for her blood, hissing and screeching like untamed beasts only held back by their mistress's iron will.

"Well, well, well. Cornered once again like the rat you are." the Evil Queen purred as Zombie Four Arms pushed and shoved his way through the wall of the undead to bring his master to the center of her army so that she could talk to and berate her pathetic daughter from up high.

"P-Please . . . j-j-just leave me al-lone . . ." Raven pleaded.

"What's the matter, dear? Can't handle the truth? Can't stand to see the repercussions of your mistakes?" the Evil Queen wondered in a playful tone, enjoying the way her own daughter cowered beneath her like the scum she had always been. "Can't handle the fact that nobody loves you?"

"Y-Your wrong! Raven shouted. " I-I have friends!"

"Oh, you mean these?" the Evil Queen asked innocently, raising her hands to the sky; the army of undead fairy tales hissed and screeched hungrily, as if laughing at the witchling's naivety. "I'll admit, they make wonderful puppets and subjects and playthings."

"Well . . . I-I . . . I have Ben!" Raven yelled, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Do you? Really?" the Evil Queen purred with a raised eyebrow; she snapped her ivory fingers and Zombie Four Arms grabbed his mistress by her outstretched arms to set her down gently in the snow in front of him before slapping the Omnitrix on his waist and swallowing himself in a flash of green light. Raven was blinded for a brief second as Ben emerged from the blast of energy, taking note that he was oddly healthy looking, devoid of signs of decay or rot.

"Kiss your mistress, won't you?" the Evil Queen asked Ben with an innocent tone.

"Yes, mistress." Ben nodded without even batting an eye or looking at Raven; she watched with horror as Ben wrapped his arms around her mother's waist and stood on his tip toes to press his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that neither party seemed even remotely disgusted by. In fact, they began to deepen their kiss even further, knowing full well that Raven was watching as they kissed and heavily gropped each others person without care of what she or the surrounding undead body thought (not that the zombie fairy tales could really think).

"Pleasure your mistress later, my pet," the Evil Queen smiled darkly once she and Ben had broken away from one another. "For now, do as your mistress says . . . and attack."

"With pleasure, mistress." Ben gave a sinister grin as the ring of rotting corpses shuffled closer towards Raven while Ben slammed a hand down on the Omnitrix and encompassed himself in a flash of green light. His skin began to crawl as it hardened and smoothed into something similar to an exoskeleton, yet not quite at the same time as it turned black as midnight with blue blotches with lighter center appearing all over him. His fingers cracked and trembled as they sharpened and turned into claws while his toes ripped out of his shoes, melting into a pair of talons as his heel thrust out behind him and formed a third toe with a loud grinding noise; Ben's teeth fused together into two plates that felt like they could bite through almost anything as his eyes widened and bugged out of his skull, flashing a spooky green as three, darker dots appeared. Muscles piled themselves up on his chest and arms as his spine arched forced him to hunch over; an itching sensation came from his back and head as four, large wings ripped out of his back with a sickening noise like that of wet flesh slapping against itself while a pair of anteannae burst out of his head. The wings and antennae flapped for a few seconds before they wrapped around him like a cloak and could as a chilling sensation formed at his core; his wings started to tear and rip, becoming ragged along the edges as flesh started to decay on certain parts of his body, the entire left side of his face melting away to expose a transparent shell that let Raven see the pulsing arteries and tissue beneath.

"Sad, isn't it?" the Evil Queen grinned maliciously as Zombie Big Chill held out his hands in front of him and formed a long bladed scythe made entirely out of ice and frost within his tight grip. "To think such a worthless, undeserving, pathetic, insignificant insect such as you lasted so long, even through all that I put you through." Raven's mother smirked as the zombies closed in, reaching for her with low snarls and hisses while the Necrofriggian hovered above her with a creepy smile on his face. "Oh, well. You won't last long anyway."

Raven trembled and fell to her knees, hugging herself tightly as her mother's words buzzed around and around in her head, pounding against her brain as the undead closed in. "And I'll be keeping Ben . . . comfy . . . while your gone. Who knows? Maybe he'll produce a better offspring than your idiot of a father." the Evil Queen added playfully as Zombie Big Chill froze Raven to the spot, encasing her feet in ice crystals and allowing the army of fester fairy tales to converge on the witchling and grab her, pulling on her arms and hair, scratching and biting her relentlessly and without mercy.

"Raven!"

"Raven!"

"RAVEN!"

---

With a start, Raven bolted up in her bed with her pulse racing and her heart pounding in her chest, her breaths short and rapid as she looked around with frightened eyes; she relaxed only when she was sure that she was safe in her dorm, her horrendous and absolutely ghastly mother nowhere in sight. Gulping nervously, the witchling pulled down the neck of her nightgown to glance at the silvery scars that marked her skin, a constant reminder of her childhood. A quick roll of her sleeves revealed the raw, red scars she had received from the Beast the night before, a night that Raven would never forget as long as she lived; her terrified cries for help, the Beast's angry and furious roars, the rolling thunder and bright lightning and Cupid's scream of terror and fear would forever haunt her mind until the day she died. And she had the scars from the Beast's claws to prove it.

A light snore caught her attention and she turned to see Apple turn over in her sleep, completely oblivious to the witchling's discomfort. In a way, Raven envied the princess, admiring how naive and ignorant she could be, hardly suffering the constant, reoccurring nightmares that plagued the poor witchling's mind, terrifying memories that haunted her, or the silvery scars that marked her skin and would remain there for as long as Raven lived. She couldn't count the many times she had dropped the brave leader of the Rebel cause she had carefully crafted over the years and simply collapsed to the floor of the bathroom or closet and curl up into the tightest ball she could muster and letting out all the fears and sorrows she had kept within her during the day. Sometimes it would be over the constant, hushed whispers behind her back, or over a bad day during classes, but most of the time it was over the constant reminder of her mother; the scars that covered her body were but one reminder of her.

Glancing around, Raven noticed that it was still dark out and a quick look at the alarm clock on her bedside table revealed it to be two-thirty in the morning; with a defeated sigh, Raven slipped out from under the covers of her bed and touched her bare feet down to the dark purple carpet that covered the floor on her side of the room. Once she was sure Apple wouldn't stir, the witchling crept to the door of the room and cracked it open, wincing as the hinges creaked in protest before she closed it softly behind her and hurriedly sneaked down the hallway and towards the boys dorm, hoping she wouldn't be caught by the enchanted suits of armor that patrolled the corridors; she had already glimpsed at a pair of heavily armed suits of armor posted outside of Dexter's door and was not eager to run into anymore of them.

As Raven made her way towards the safety of Ben's dorm, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a chill traveled, getting the sense that she wasn't alone in the halls; the knowledge that there were dozens of sleeping boys behind the doors lining the hallways didn't comfort Raven as much as she had hoped, especially when she heard a shuffling noise from behind her. Whirling around, the young witch saw nothing more than the empty, moonlit hallway.

"Easy, Raven. It's just your imagination." the witchling told herself. With this in mind, she continued walking down the hallway, quietly wondering why a corridor was so long in the first place, regardless of the sizable dorms on either side of the halls. She was especially wondering why Ben's dorm just happened to be at the end of the hallway, though she supposed it might have something to do with its significantly grander design, a mistake made when Ever After High was first being built.

The sound of footsteps caught Raven's attention and she turned around to see that the hallway behind her was empty once more, save for a few decorative tables, statues, or potted plants that added an air of class to the relatively blank corridor; Raven thought it was pointless, as the items simply got in the way of moving furniture or luggage. As well as the fact they provided perfect hiding places for things that went bump in the night. The witchling shook off that silly thought, knowing full well that the only monsters in the school were in Ben's dorm and in the Enchanted Forest outside.

A low growl suddenly caught her attention and she paused midstep to turn around and see a pair of crisp, golden eyes glaring at her from the darkness, a set of white fangs glistening in the moonlight just below them. Before Raven could yell for help, the thing in the darkness pounced upon her and slammed her to the floor, pinning her legs beneath its weight and pinning her arms to her sides with its sharp claws.

"Oh. It's you." Raven opened her eyes, not realizing that she had squeezed them tightly shut out of fear, to see Clawdeen sitting on her with a slightly irked expression on her face; the witchling's heart was hammering in her chest from the fright, her attempts to calm herself down not being helped by the werewolf's cold expression or pointed fangs. "What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Raven grunted.

Clawdeen shrugged as if she hadn't just tackled Raven to the ground like prey. "I asked you first."

Raven sighed. "I . . . I was trying to get to Ben."

"Why?" Clawdeen cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little too early in your relationship with him to be sleeping with him?" she wondered, her eyes narrowing at the word.

"Maybe, but . . . he helps me sleep." Raven replied lamely. "You wouldn't understand what he's done for me." she sighed as Clawdeen climbed off of her and allowed her to climb up into a much more comfortable sitting position.

"I think I have a pretty good idea. We interrogated him the minute we got out of the storm," Clawdeen shrugged. "And you're not the only one asking to see Ben tonight?"

"R-Really?" Raven blinked, curious.

Teh werewolf nodded. "Yeah. Earlier, some girl with a hood and wolf ears tried getting' in the door; almost didn't hear her, too. After that, some girl that smelled like she got too close to a fireplace or somethin' tried it too. Kept claiming she was trying to see Ben's annoying room mate, though."

"You must mean Cerise and Ashlynn," Raven hummed before a thought occurred to her. "Hey, um . . . i-if you're going to be here for a while, can you . . . not tell anyone about Cerise's wolf heritage? It's . . . kind of a sensitive topic . . ."

"I gathered as much from the way the way your Headmaster fainted when he went after your friend." Clawdeen explained. "What was his name? Dexter?"

Raven nodded. "Thank you. If I may ask . . . what were you doing out here?"

"Taking a leaf out of Jane's book and doing some exploring; ghoul doesn't feel comfortable until she has decent information on wherever she is. Course, she skipped that little routine and curled up to Ben the moment she hit the mattress. Jane's kinda . . . jumpy." Clawdeen explained when she caught sight of Raven's confused expression. "She was raised in the jungle, far from civilization and gets nervous around new people, places, and really big crowds."

"Poor thing." Raven shook her head sympathetically before she rubbed her arm uncomfortably, mentally cringing as her fingers brushed past the latest scars on her arms. "So . . . can I see Ben? I fugured that . . . well, you've been with him longer, so . . ."

Clawdeen actually seemed to brighten up upon hearing this, a small smile crossing her lips. "I don't see why not. You were a lot less pushy than . . . Cerise, was it? I swear, if Ben hadn't still been awake we would have gotten into a fight or somethin'."

Upon hearing this, Raven wondered if it really was a good idea to spend the night in a room with two, wolf-like creatures that seemed fully intent on tearing each others throats out when their boyfriend wasn't around, a potentially carnivorous plant monster, a jumpy shape-shifter, a huntsman, a princess, Ben, and who knew what else might decide to drop in on them in the middle of the night. The prospect of a good nights sleep and at least five of those things on her side if things were to take a turn in the wrong direction however, helped the witchling walk the rest of the way down the hallway with Clawdeen by her side and slip into the dorm on the other side.

Hunter and Ashlynn were quietly sleeping together in the huntsman's bed, wrapped securely up in the warmth of the sheets and blankets it provided; it was almost as if the happy, young couple were oblivious to the variety of bizarre and possibly frightening monsters sharing the dorm with them. Venus had taken a position by the dorm's wide windows to gain the plant equivalent of a caffeine boost in the morning when the warm sun finally rose. Skelita had dozed off in a cushy chair near the window, a blanket wrapped around her bones and a pillow underneath her marigold and black locks, her chest slowly rising and falling as she slept despite not actually having any lungs in her chest (that Raven knew of anyway); Ben lay on his own bed adjacent to the skeleton's resting place, softly snoring with his arm wrapped protectively around Jane's shoulders, his fingers ensnared gently in her hair as if he had fallen asleep stroking her. Much to Clawdeen's annoyance, Cerise had managed to slip into Ben's bed while was gone and was currently resting near his feet with her arm draped over the side and her crimson hood tugged securely over her head while she wore a pair of ragged shorts and shredded tank top for night clothes.

"Voltage. She moved." Clawdeen frowned.

"You're not going to be able to move her." Raven shook her head quietly.

"Fine. One night." the werewolf relented angrily as she sat down on the bed and slipped off her boots and gently pulled the dangling, hoop earrings out of her ears before dropping them down into her footwear for safe keeping as she shrugged off her jacket and took a spot near the foot of the bed at Ben's feet, yawning. "Only one spot left. Enjoy it while it lasts." Clawdeen mumbled sleepily, resting her head on her hands as she got comfortable.

"Right." Raven sighed, crawling carefully over the bodies of Jane, Cerise, Clawdeen, and Ben, lest she wake up an already skittish shape-shifter and accidentally get injected with who knew what horrible venom or paralyzing poison was embedded deep within the billions of DNA samples that floated around in Jane's bloodstream. Once she was out of danger (relatively speaking), Raven bedded down next to Ben with Cerise sharing the end of the bed at her feet with Clawdeen, and snuggled up close to him, instantly feeling much more relaxed and secure than before.

"Good night, Clawdeen." Raven yawned as she started to dose off.

"Night. Don't let the Normies bite." Clawdeen replied.

"What?"

"It's just an expression." the werewolf replied before dosing off and leaving Raven to drift off into peaceful slumber; the witchling was asleep within minutes.

---

Raven blinked and glanced around at her surroundings, finding herself floating in the emptiness of a suffocating, black abyss devoid of any other color, matter, or even light for that matter; if she had been asked to describe what the inside of a black hole might look like (assuming she would survive the immense pressure, gravitational forces, and life threatening conditions), the witchling would have to describe it as where she currently was, a place so black, so dark, so isolated and lonesome that it would have driven anyone else to the brink of madness and beyond in this place where time was meaningless and meaning had no meaning.

Thankfully for her, Raven had one thing to keep her from going insane; a soft, white light glowed in the darkness of the void, sparkling and shimmering like a star. The young witch was sure that it was beckoning to her somehow, as if summoning her with invisible arms, gesturing for her to come closer. Most people would have been put off by a mysterious, glowing light in the darkness of an empty abyss or at the very least curious, but Raven oddly didn't feel any of this. She felt . . . oddly calm and serene. With the fearless curiosity of a young child, she made her way towards her, floating in the empty, black space she had found herself in as she approached the light; as she got closer and closer, she was forced to squint against the harsh glare, narrowing her eyes to near slits before they had closed all together. By then, the light strange light had sucked her in, completely blinding her entirely.

The sound of tolling bells pounded relentlessly against her ears, the light growing more intense until she dared to blink her eyes and found herself in a new place entirely, having left the inky, black space of the void and soft, white glow of the bright light behind. Raven found herself at the end of an aisle, rows of pews on either side of her filled to the brim with people and fairy tales and some rather unusual characters as well, the vast numbers of the crowds not even fitting entirely into the seats and forcing others to stand against the walls or perch on top of some of the larger guests. One thing Raven noticed about them, no matter their size, species, or anatomy, was that they all seemed to be dressed in fancy, classy clothes, mostly dresses and tuxedos from what Raven could see, along with what seemed to be the equivalent of those for some of the more bizarre members of the audience.

Raven glanced down at herself and found that she had been dressed in a gorgeous and simply stunning. Flowing white dress with a layer of soft, lavender silk underneath to accent her dark heritage as a witch with a sizable train trailing behind her with a violet veil over her ivory face, slightly obscuring her view. She felt a slight tug on her arm and looked up at the unmistakable face of her father beaming warmly at her with his bright, blue eyes; he had gray beard and thinning hair underneath of a magnificent, golden crown that sat on his head while he was dressed in a crisp, black tuxedo with his strong arm hooked in hers.

It took several seconds for Raven to realize that she was at a wedding. Her wedding.

The witchling nearly cried with joy and slight confusion as her father, the Good King, led her down the aisle, drawing the warm looks from several of the invited guests; a large, female Chimera Sui Generis that dwarfed the majority of the guests that had been seated around her with her tentacles pulled back into hair-like locks allowed a small smile as an aged Galvan with thick, fleshy whiskers sprouting from his upper lip nodded with approval and the warm smile that most would assume to find on a grandfather of sorts while he stood on the large alien's shoulder. At the Chimer Sui Generis' side was a seemingly human girl with pale skin, short blonde hair, and a white dress with black stripes and gloves, a few tears leaking from her eyes as Raven was walked down the aisle.

A few more rows down sat a large, bulky, Petrosapien slightly bigger than Diamondhead wearing a black, white, and light green suit of sorts that made his bulk and size much more imposing an impressive, his chin sporting markings to what Raven could only guess to be the Petrosapien equivalent of a beard. Seated next to him with perfect, erect posture and a strange looking weapon perched on his shoulder was a Revonnahgander dressed in a crisp, black suit and a woman with snow white hair tipped a venomous purple and appareled in dark purple and black royal robes of some kind. Sitting next to her was a human girl with bright, orange hair, a pair of blue glasses, freckles, and wearing a white dress while another seemingly human figure, this one male, sat next to her with his arm around her; he had dark, cold black eyes with slight bags and shaggy, black hair that blended perfectly into the tuxedo he had been forced into against his will. The fact that he was looking up at the alter with slight jealousy did not help his case as the girl he had his arm around sharply elbowed him in the ribs, summoning a glowing ball of pink energy to her finger tips as a threat.

Raven soon found out what the dark boy was ever so slightly irked about when she looked at the alter to find Ben standing there with a warm and slightly nervous smile on his face; his dark, green eyes accented his black tuxedo trimmed with green, the Omnitrix securely strapped to his wrist as he watched her with a happy grin. Aside from Ben, there were almost two dozen other girls behind or beside him, some that Raven quickly recognized; Maddie was the one that stood out the most, dressed in a Wonderlandian wedding dress of wild and extravagant colors and designs that made one dizzy just by looking at it. Another girl, a dragon of some kind if the golden scales, reptilian tail tipped with a plume of green fur, and the smoke drifting casually from her lips were anything to go by, was dressed in a snow white kimono with jade green locks pulled back into a tight bun with what looked similar to a pair of black chop sticks holding it in place. A tall, tan skinned girl with sharp, light purple eyes and black and Nile blue locks pulled back into a long ponytail that reached her waist wore a single, white dress with a shimmering, jewel studded Shendyt around her waist and faded, golden bandages wrapped snuggly around her arms, shoulders, and ankles with large amounts of fine and expensive jewelry adorning her.

Raven finally came to the end of the aisle and approached the alter, taking a position beside Apple; the princess was wearing white wedding gown similar to the witchling's with the exception of bright golds and deep reds emphasizing her undeniable beauty and kindness. Glancing out over the audience of strange folk that had gathered for the wedding, Raven saw numerous fairy tales, monsters, and what she assumed to be aliens amongst the human crowd members, taking note of a row of seven, young male dragons sitting towards the back of the church under the harsh glare of a far older dragon. Towards the front of pews Raven caught sight of Cedar's father, Grandfather Gepetto, and the Blue-Haired Fairy sitting in appropriate attire while the Mad Hatter stood on his head next to them, a cheeky grin on his face to compensate for the rather drab suit he had been forced to wear for the occasion under the request of Maddie (Raven highly suspected there was a second suit of far more grander and wild design just underneath of the black tuxedo, just waiting to be let out as the old suit was torn to shreds at the grand climax of the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of the ancestors," a warm, kindly old voice spoke up; Raven turned to see none other than Giles Grimm at the head of the alter dressed in a set of rather impressive robes that marked as a high, authoritative figure in the room, possibly even higher than the several kings, queens, princesses, princes, other rulers of planets and far away lands, and people just as much respect. "And in the face of this company, to join together this Man and . . . several ghouls, monsters, princesses, and other woman . . . in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted by the ancestors. Into this holy estate these . . . many persons," the old Headmaster seemed rather befuddled by the high amount of girls eager to be wed to a single man. "Present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace."

Raven half expected the doors in the back of the church to be banged wide open and have someone of dark, sinister nature, be it Headmaster Grimm, a band of eerily silent Forever Knights, or even her own cruel mother, come storming in and protesting about how the wedding was over, unlawful, and just down right wrong. But after several moments of heated silence, Raven relaxed and knew it was never coming; as if anyone in their right mind would want to take on roughly two dozen heavily armed females of varying species all eagerly awaiting to be wed to what was perhaps the most powerful man in all of Ever After.

"Ben Tennyson, do you take these girls as your lawfully wedded wives?" Giles asked once enough time had passed.

"I do." Ben replied without hesitation, taking Raven's hands in his and giving them a comforting squeeze.

Giles now turned to Raven. "And do you, Raven Queen and your fellow princesses, monsters, and assorted other girls all take Ben as you lawfully wedded husband?"

"WE DO!" the majority of the girls all replied at once. Raven had been hesitating, biting her lips nervously and wondering what to say; it wasn't every day a girl got to get married, especially to someone as kind, caring, loyal, and brave as Ben. The witchling realized that the entire church, both guests, Ben, and fellow brides were all waiting with baited breath for her response, a rather awkward silence washing over the gathering.

"I . . . I do." Raven said confidently.

"I now pronounce you husband and . . . wives." Giles nodded with a gesture of his hands. "You may attempt to kiss all the brides before you are engulfed and forced to kill your feet in the resulting after party." Ben ignored the joke and simply focused on Raven, hugging her close to him and holding her hand fondly; the witchling could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she lunged forward and passionately kissed Ben on the lips over the earth shattering roar of the cheering crowd and the loud ringing of the wedding bells overhead.

---

Raven awoke to the warm feeling of the rising, morning sun on her face and slowly stiffened, stretching ever so slightly so she wouldn't wake anyone else up; after a few seconds of waking up, the witchling became aware of a slight weight on her chest, most likely Ben's hand or someone's foot that had accidentally ended up there in the middle of the night. It wasn't until Raven actually fully woke up did she realize that the thing on her chest was very warm. The young witch rolled her eyes down towards her chest to see a ball of deep crimson resting on her breasts like a pillow; the ball of red shifted ever so slightly and rolled over just enough for Raven to catch a glimpse of Cerise, completely oblivious to what had transpired in the middle of the night.

"Awwww. Just like the author said!" a familiar voice cooed quietly.

Raven rolled her eyes up to see Maddie hanging upside down from a pitch black hole on the ceiling, her little top hat unsurprisingly somehow managing to remain fastened to her head and defy the law of gravity. The Hatter skillfully swung down and gripped the edge of the hole, as if there was a hidden lip inside of the black void, before dropping down to the floor; she was dressed in a pair of teacup and teapot decorated leggings that reached down to her ankles just above a pair of fluffy, pink bunny slippers that were wearing monocles over each of their eyes and a light blue nightshirt that cupped her small, perky breasts nicely for anyone that cared to check. "Maddie, what are you doing here?" Raven hissed quietly.

Maddie giggled madly. "Looking for Kitty, silly! She disappeared from our room sometime last night and I thought to check here!" she smiled happily. "Looks like I was right as a left handed bandersnatch!" the Hatter added, pointing above Raven; the witchling rolled her eyes up to see Kitty curled up beneath Ben's head like a pillow, most likely having snuck into the dorm while everyone else was sleeping and switching out the cushion for herself. Raven wasn't quite sure why the Cheshire cat would do such a thing, but she had a guess at what it might be.

"You have got to be kidding me." Raven grumbled.

"It's like a sleepover!" Maddie beamed brightly.

"Yeah, a sleepover with a werewolf, a plant monster, a skeleton, a shape-shifter, a huntsman, a princess, a witch, a Cheshire cat, and a Riding Hood that doesn't seem to understand the concept of personal space while she's sleeping." Raven muttered under her breath; Cerise shifted in her sleep and cuddled up closer to the witch, nuzzling her hooded head deeper into her cleavage and neck region. "Uh, Maddie? Can you . . . give me a hand, please?" Raven hissed with slight discomfort. "This . . . kinda hurts."

Maddie's bright expression immediately turned seriously. "Are those nasty ol' scars acting up again?"

Raven stiffly nodded. "Unfortunately. Even after all these years . . . they still hurt . . ." she whispered. Maddie sadly shook her head and carefully reached across the sleeping bodies of Ben, Clawdeen, and Jane to place her hands on Cerise, studying the Daughter of Red Riding Hood's position for a few seconds before Maddie expertly slipped her fingers underneath of her tight grip and loosened them with ease without waking her up. Within seconds, Cerise had been pulled off of Raven and moved onto Ben, allowing the witchling to crawl out of bed and relax.

"Raven, be honest with me. Is Ben hurting you?" Maddie asked; while the Hatter was commonly insane and crazy as her heritage and entire realm celebrated, this didn't mean that she was not able to be serious when the time called for it.

The witchling shook her head. "No, no. He's . . . surprisingly gentle." Raven admitted. "Whenever he touches me, it's like . . . my scars don't hurt anymore."

"That's a relief." Maddie sighed with a smile.

"What's a relief?" Ben yawned as he slowly awoke and stirred; alerted of their boyfriend's movements, Cerise and Jane soon woke up afterwards with slight yawns and whimpers of protests on Jane's part. The shape-shifter kept a firm hold on Ben, like she were a small child hugging her security blanket or favorite stuffed toy close to her for comfort as if she were afraid she would be yanked out of her grasp any second. Ben didn't blame her in the slightest, barely able to imagine how frantic she and the others must have been when he didn't return home the fateful night he had left his world behind. This thought made him frown with anger; whoever tore him away from his loved ones was going to get a beat down. Then again, if he hadn't been kidnapped he very well would never have met Raven, Apple, Cerise, Maddie, or his other fairy tale friends.

Maddie instantly resumed her happy demeanor. "I found Kitty!" she exclaimed merrily.

"What? Where did she-" Ben started before he was interrupted by a sleepy purr from behind him. Glancing back he saw Kitty Cheshire curled up on the spot where his head had been resting moments ago and where his pillow might have been had it not vanished under mysterious circumstances that he suspected were somehow linked to the crafty feline. "You have got to be kidding me."

"That's what I said." Raven smiled slightly. "Everyone sleep well?"

Cerise yawned. "Sleeping in a bed with someone else will take some getting use to, but it's not something I wouldn't welcome." she grinned, kissing Ben softly on the cheek with a slight blush on his face.

"Yeah, well, don't get use to it." Clawdeen grumbled as she woke up and sat up to stretch and scratch an itch behind her ear with the back of her foot; Ben raised an eyebrow at this, as despite her canine nature Clawdeen was not normally one to display such primitive behavior. Though, now that he thought about it, even she hadn't been able to resist a thrown tennis ball much like her older brother, and she was the one able to show more restraint over such things.

"What are you talking about?" Cerise frowned.

"If you're going to join this harem, then there are gonna be some rules, got it?" the werewolf snarled with a threatening tone. "Rule number one: only those at the top of the social ladder get to sleep with Ben. And as far as I'm concerned, you're not there yet."

"And you are?" Raven raised an eyebrow of confusion; Jane gulped nervously at the building tension between the two wolfborn girls as they had taken to glaring at each other with bright, furious eyes of gold and amber, and pressed herself a little closer to Ben.

"As a matter of fact, I am." Clawdeen smirked. "Frankie made me Beta."

"Beta?" Raven was confused. Even with Cerise as a best friend forever after, the witchling's knowledge of a wolf pack's social structure only extended to the fact that there was an alpha pair, of which seemed to be this Frankie and of course, Ben.

"Second in command." Clawdeen explained. "Meaning, you, your half breed friend, and anyone else that Ben manages to seduce is beneath me. And seeing as how Frankie isn't here, it looks like I'm Alpha."

"You make it sound like me attracting girls is a bad thing." Ben smiled lightly, despite the way Cerise was clenching her fists and grinding her fangs together out of fury.

"I'm not saying it is." Clawdeen shrugged. "But there's only so much space in the house."

Cerise continued to glower heavily at Clawdeen as Venus finally came to life, the vines that circled her arms and legs spreading out their leaves to the fullest extent to gather the full amount of sunlight possible. Raven watched curiously as the plant monster stirred and stood up from her position near the window, stretching her arms and cracking her back before beaming warmly at Ben and Jane; the witchling's eyebrows shot upward as Venus bent down and affectionately kissed Jane on the cheek without hesitation.

"Morning, Sweet Mango. Sleep well?" she asked.

Jane nodded. "Especially now that we found Ben."

Venus grinned toothily. "Of course. I could I forget that our man needs some morning sugar, too?" she purred, leaning over further to kiss Ben full on the lips; it wasn't until she had finally let him go did she notice Raven and Cerise starring at her. "What, you've never seen two ghouls kiss before?"

"No . . ." Raven said, looking at Cerise out of the corners of her eyes; the young witch couldn't be one-hundred percent sure, but she could swear she saw a deep blush cross the Riding Hood's face beneath her hood. "Ever After High . . . isn't really big on homosexual couples. You know, what with the whole fairy tale prince and princess thing."

"Talk about narrow minded." Cerise mumbled quietly.

"Amen. It took weeks for just our friends to except the fact that we were dating." Hunter said with a yawn as he sat up in bed and noticed Ashlynn curled up beside him; before he startle and wonder just why and how his girlfriend had managed to get into his dorm, the princess grabbed hold of him in her sleep and yanked him back down to the bed, securing her tight grip on him and snuggling her head into his chest for comfort. "How did she get in here?" he rasped.

"Don't you remember? I gave her the passcode to the room." Ben replied. "She was thankful for that."

"Isn't our boyfriend the sweetest?" Maddie giggled, clapping her hands happily.

"I'm not complaining." Hunter grinned. Ashlynn stirred in her sleep slightly, a smile crossing her lips as she slowly blinked open her eyes and yawned herself awake. "Morning, babe."

"Morning, handsome." Ashlynn smiled. "Hope I didn't scare you."

"I'll admit I was surprised." Hunter shrugged. "But, hey, if Ben can have girls share a bed with him, I don't see why we can't."

"Because your Headmaster is asustado of us." Skelita said as she arose and stretched her bones with a loud clattering noise that made Ashlynn visibly flinch. "At the very least, I do not think he would be very welcome to the idea of us staying here."

"She d-does have a p-point." Jane gulped, remembering the small, angry mob that had been formed last night during Dexter's rampage; having been the only one brave or crazy enough to go see him after their late night ordeal, the shape-shifter could only imagine what kind of night Dexter had been forced to live through. And if such a crowd came after her and the ghouls . . . she didn't want to think about the disaster that would transpire. She wasn't sure if we she would be able to restrain herself, much less Venus if the plant monster even heard her in danger; and if Ben was even involved in such a fight . . . Jane trembled at the thought.

And then came the scream.

The already on edge shape-shifter yelped with fear and immediately felt the changes sweep over her body fast and fluid. Her bones cracked and snapped as they roughly pushed their way past her muscles and tissue to the surface of her body, melting together like molasses with her lavender skin and hardening into a durable exoskeleton with a loud crunching noise. Her frame compacted and shrank down to a size that was dwarfed by those around her, shrink down to the size of a volley ball while her fingers and toes each fused together to formed sharp, pointed tips; a wet, splitting noise filled the air as four, extra, jointed legs suddenly thrust out from under her original arms and hips, glistening with moisture as her legs and arms soon copied their look and became sharply jointed as well with some small modifications. Jane's head pushed back against her shoulders as her chest, torso, waist, and ass were swiftly rolled up into a small orb a little bigger than a golf ball, her eight legs shifting slightly into their appropriate positions; organs sloshed around inside of her shifting body as her lips twisted into a vertical structure that swelled and hardened into a pair of sharp, pointed fangs dripping with toxic venom. Her eyes splint into four, shiny, black pairs as thousands upon millions of sharp hairs sprouted across her body, covering her in a thick, shaggy coat of hairs that could fired off with a quick movement of her legs as a tiny, almost unnoticeable, spiked, red collar appeared around Jane's abdomen.

Ashlynn shivered slightly as the black and lavender tarantula skittered up onto Ben's shoulder (who didn't seem to mind it in the slightest) and held on tightly as he scrambled out of bed and kicked open the door to his dorm to rush down the hallway towards the source of the panicked scream; Hunter was naturally right behind him, his huntsman nature berating him for not responding to a helpless maiden's scream sooner, with Ashlynn in tow. Raven, Cerise, Clawdeen, Skelita, and Venus soon followed after sharing looks with each other and decided they didn't want to be caught in the boy's dorm by anyone who might have been alerted by the cry.

Of course, it was only then that Kitty woke up.

"Mmmhaa?" she yawned, blinking blearily at her surroundings.

"Oh, goody! You're awake!" Maddie smiled broadly.

"What'd I miss?" Kitty yawned a second time, stretching her stiff muscles and flicking her tail back and forth in anticipation.

"Oh, nothing that you should be concerned about." Maddie waved it off. "The author's just lazy and wants us to stay here so he doesn't overwork himself later on."

"Party pooper." Kitty pouted.

Ben and the small group of worried fairy tales and inquisitive monsters that followed after him ignored the absence of their Wonderlandian friends and continued to run towards the source of the loud, bone rattling scream that had shaken them all out of their early morning stupor; both Raven and Ben were getting increasingly worried when they found themselves running down the hall of the girls dorms, ignoring the curious and half awake cries and inquiries of the dorm's inhabitants as they ran closer and closer to the dorm that Raven shared with Apple.

"I can't believe Skurd isn't awake." Ben grumbled, glancing down at the sound asleep Slimebiote fixed permanently to his wrist as he skidded to a stop outside the door, nearly causing everyone else to crash into him while he turned the doorknob. "Usually he'd be complaining about the noise."

"Will you cease that incessant bellowing this instant!? Some of us are trying to get our much needed beauty sleep!" Skurd shouted sleepily as he compressed himself back down on the Omnitrx and promptly fell back asleep before Ben could tell him off.

"No amount of beauty sleep will help you, Snot Rocket." Ben shook his head as he entered the dorm and looked around; this was actually the first time he had been in Raven and Apple's dorm, and the first thing he noticed as he walked into the room was that the short hallway that led out from the door and to the main room was decorated with pictures. On Ben's left were pictures Apple with what Ben assumed to be her family, some close ups with Briar, Ashlynn, and occasionally Blondie, and a few photos of Daring that lay scattered on the floor beneath their empty frames for some reason. On the right were pictures of Raven and what Ben guessed to be her father, a photo of a younger Raven playing a toy violin in front of a small gathering of servants, maids, and her father once more, and finally a picture of Fasttrack, Cerise, and Raven in the nurse's office smiling like fools; there were no pictures of her mother in sight.

As Ben stepped further into the dorm with the others behind him, he noticed that unlike some of the other dorms he had managed to sneak a glimpse of during the past few weeks he had been attending Ever After High, there was a distinct difference from both sides of the room, a clear line drawn right down the middle by a royal red on one side and a deep violet on the other. While one side was decorated with glimmering golds and vivid reds dotted with plushy cushions and pillows, the other side was covered in brooding blacks and poisonous shades of purple that seemed to dare Ben to edge closer to the multiple spikes, fake cobweb designs, and dark ravens that adorned everything; he had a sneaking suspicion that this was Raven's side of the room.

"Apple?" Ben called out.

"We lookin' for that mermaid princess ghoul from last night?" Clawdeen asked.

"That was a costume," Ben corrected. "But, yeah, that's who we're looking for."

With this in mind, Clawdeen took a deep breath through her sensitive nose while everyone else spread out to search the room for any sign of the missing princess; the purple and black tarantula on Ben's shoulder crawled down his arm and leg to jump to the floor and explore the more out of reach places for any clues. Within seconds, Clawdeen was down on her hands and knees, sniffing the floor and drawing the others attention before she stopped in front of another door to the room just to the left of the entrance.

"She's in there. Bathroom, I think." the werewolf replied, climbing back up to her feet in what she deemed to be a dignified manner.

"Is she okay?" Ashlynn asked worriedly.

"I don't smell any blood," Clawdeen sampled the air. "What I do smell is sweat and I can hear her heartbeat. She's really scared or upset about something." she explained, pressing her head to the door for better examination; in doing so, she failed to notice the tarantula at her feet press itself to the floor and just barely manage to slip its sizable abdomen underneath the bottom of the door. "I think we can-"

"EEEEEE-EEEEEEEKKK!"

Clawdeen stumbled back from the door, her hands cupped over her sensitive ears as Cerise tugged down her hood even further in an attempt to block out the shrill shriek without exposing her secret. Ben charged at the bathroom door and kicked it open with a loud bang! to find Apple curled up in a tight ball wrapped up in the sheets of her bed wedged into the small area between the bathtub and toilet, her eyes watching the ceiling fearfully. Ben rolled his eyes upwards to see a shivering, lavender and indigo striped gecko clinging to the ceiling, its wide eyes glancing around nervously. With a sigh, Ben held out his hands and let the small reptile fall safely into his hands before it skittered up his bare chest and curled itself around his neck, licking its eyes to clean them.

"Apple? What's wrong?" Ben asked calmly. "Why did you scare Jane?"

The princess was shaking, pointing a trembling finger at the equally frightened gecko around Ben's neck. "I-I-I s-saw a g-giant spider." she whimpered slightly. "T-The spider . . . it t-turned into a lizard!"

Ben chuckled slightly, rubbing the purple gecko's head with a finger to soothe it. "Apple, do you remember last night? Cerise's Halloween birthday party? Dexter's rampage?"

"Th-That all happened?" Apple blinked. "I . . . I was hoping it was a bad dream."

Ben shook his head. "Well, it wasn't. Jane wouldn't dream of hurting you." he assured her before turning his attention to the gecko that affectionately licked his cheek. "Would you?"

"I just might if she does that again . . ." Clawdeen grumbled under her breath.

"Clawdeen, please try to keep your temper in check. We really don't want to lose Ben after just finding him." Venus pleaded; the werewolf couldn't argue with that and reluctantly agreed as Venus stole a peek into the bathroom to meet Apple for the first time. The princess took one look at the plant monster's spike-like claws, razor-sharp fangs that glinted in the morning light and promptly let out another scream of fright, backing up as far against the wall as she could while Jane startled for a third time and morphed into the form of a lavender furred tarsier that launched itself off of Ben out of fright and onto Venus' shoulder before scurrying into her sleeve and shirt for safety, making Venus giggle at the feel of her ghoulfriend's feet tickling her.

What is it now, Apple?" Ben cringed, taking his fingers out of his ears.

"I-I-It's her! M-Mary, Mary Quite C-Contrary!" Apple trembled.

Ben quirked an eyebrow up in confusion before realization finally crossed his mind. "Wait, you think Venus is that crazy, psycho plant girl from that movie we watched on our first day?" he wondered; Apple was confused as to why her boyfriend found this even remotely amusing. Now that she looked past the frightening features of Venus, she found she was only starring at a green skinned girl that was currently giggling like a small child as the hyperactive primate that had once been Jane scurried around and around inside of her shirt.

"Y-Yeah." Apple nodded.

Ben laughed lightly. "Trust me, Venus won't hurt you. Pretty much all of my ghouls are harmless, unless you either get on their bad side, endanger any one of them, or hurt me. Then you're in for a world of hurt."

"Really?" Apple gulped.

"We promise, Apple." Venus snorted as she finally got the little tarsier out of her shirt and convinced it to at least stay still on her shoulder with a small scratch behind its large ears. "Just don't get between Clawdeen and T-bone steak during a full moon." she added with a small smirk that showed off her fangs, earning a glare from said werewolf and a look of fear from Apple.

"This is fascinating and all, but unless someone's life is in danger, I'm going to go get ready for school." Hunter piped up. "The Damsel-in-Distress course was rebuilt and they're making us do a reevaluation that I do not want to be late for."

"It's cool, dude. We'll wrap things up here." Ben waved him off as the Son of the Huntsman and Ashlynn left the dorm once the later was sure that Apple would be alright.

"Now that we're back on track, what exactly were you screaming about? You woke up the entire girls dorm and about half of the boys." Cerise winced at the slightly painful reason she had been dragged out of her nice warm bed and away from Ben. Now that Apple had been brought around and out of her fear of gigantic, shape-shifting spiders and flesh-eating plant monsters, she hesitantly fished around inside of the bundle of blankets she had pulled into the bathroom with her before finding her Mirrorphone and handing it to Ben after a moments vacillation, biting her lip anxiously.

"What is this?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow as he took the device from the princess's hands while the ghouls and girls gathered around to peek over his shoulder out of curiosity.

"I-It's a hext." Apple gulped.

"From your padre." Skelita noted.

Apple nodded her head to confirm this. "The H-Headmaster . . . I-I got detention and-"

"Wait, how did you get detention?" Cerise wondered.

"Cerise makes a good point, Apple." Raven added with a knowingly chilling tone that made the princess tremble under the witchling's frosty gaze. "How did you of all fairy tales, the nicest and fairest princess out there get detention?"

Based on the slight emphasis that Raven was putting on certain words, Apple was guessing she wanted her to simply just tell the truth; Apple knew it was the right thing to do. After all, a princess never lied if she could help it and it was only bound to get in trouble later on down the road. But she confessed and told Ben what she had been doing, he would be angry at her for trying to do such a thing and Cerise would most likely break her in half.

"I-It was an accident, I swear." Apple half-lied. "The point is, I-I got detention from the Evil Step-Librarians-"

"Wait, I thought you said the Headmaster gave you detention?" Clawdeen interrupted.

"He cemented it." Apple sighed before continuing. "Anyway, the Headmaster said that he was going to have to call my parents about my behavior . . . and my relationship with Ben."

"Why?" Ben blinked.

"Apparently . . . you're the cause of my 'bad behavior'." Apple winced, sniffing slightly as she climbed to her feet and wrapped her arms tightly around Ben, burying her head into his chest as she felt tears come to her eyes; even though she was actually able to cry on command, something her Princessology classes had taught her to do in order to get a prince to save you more heroically, these tears were general. At first, Apple had only fallen in love with Ben because her story dictated that she do so, along with the prophecy her magic mirror had given her, but over time she had come to love Ben for just more than that; she couldn't bear the thought of going one day without Ben there beside her. "I don't want to lose you."

Ben was slightly taken aback by the kind gesture, mostly because he had been trying to read the hext message from Apple's father, but returned the loving gesture full force, sliding his arms around her waist and shoulders, running his fingers through the princess's blonde locks to comfort her. Raven was watching all this with slight surprise, as she had only thought Apple was after Ben to preserve her story; but taking one look at the princess's face told her that she was generally worried, whether it was for his story or not. "I promise, Apple. Nothing is going to tear you and me apart." Ben reassured her.

"Promise?" Apple sniffed.

"Promise." Raven cut in. "Count me in."

"Me, too." Cerise nodded, her grip on her hood never faltering.

Clawdeen sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, seein' as how everyone else is so invested in it, we'll help as much as we can, too."

"Th-Thank you." Apple smiled. "But forgive me if I'm still scared of you. I'm not use to-"

"Talking to a werewolf that could easily mutilate you faster than you can blink, a walking skeleton, a flesh-eating plant that could convince you walk off of a cliff, and a shape-shifter that can turn into any animal you can imagine?" Clawdeen summed up with a small smile on her lips.

"Yes." Apple squeaked.

At this the werewolf laughed. "I'm just messin' with ya, ghoul."

"You could have engañado me." Skelita murmured, earning another smirk from Clawdeen. "I suppose we should all get ready for the day. We should at least try to make a buena impresion for our first day."

"Agreed. We don't want to lose Ben again." Venus nodded; the purple tarsier effortlessly jumped up onto her head and squeaked in agreement before happily nestling down into the plant monster's green and pink locks.

---

The students of Ever After High were use to seeing odd creatures occasionally grace their hallways. After all, quite a few fairy tales required strange beings such as the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, and Tiny; even Ben could be considered under that category, though most students and staff were still getting use to having the shape-shifter in class with them, Daring being chief among them. They were prepared however, for the four monsters that followed Ben into the Castleteria with Raven, Cerise, and a slightly on edge Apple with them as well.

"I really wish they would stop starring." Jane whimpered as she took a small, almost fearful bite out of an apple, as if she bit off a bigger piece the entire Castleteria would attack her.

"They can't help it," Ben shrugged, taking a sip of his orange juice while Raven picked at her expensive omelet; Apple once again took pity on the witchling and traded her for half of her meal for the two slices of toast and a fluffy pancake that she had been given for breakfast. Jane and Venus chipped in too, handing over a few apple slices and the chunks of pineapple the lunch ladies had hurriedly prepared for their meals after a short explanation of what they preferred (Venus could swear the two trolls had nearly collapsed with relief when they found out she wasn't an avid carnivore). "Believe me, they didn't stop starring at me when my secret got out and they still haven't stopped starring."

"I suppose a band of monstruos would draw some atención." Skelita nodded, resting her skull in her bony hands and her elbows on the table out of boredom; a plate of steaming breakfast potatoes sat in front of her untouched.

"Aren't you going to eat those?" Cerise asked as she bit off a piece of bacon with a twist of her head.

"No puedo." Skelita shook her head. "It is rather . . . difficult to eat really anything, considering my . . . unique physiology."

"It's not that she can't eat." Ben added, swallowing a mouthful of eggs. "It's just that it's really disgusting Trust me when I say you do not want to see that." he shuddered slightly; in simple terms, it had not been a pleasant experience for Ben when he accidentally opened up the door to Skelita's bedroom and found her trying to eat a basket of warm of nacho chips drizzled with some of the homemade salsa she, Sandra, Ma Vreeedle, and an uncomfortable amount of Pretty Boys had made while simultaneously keeping the Vreedle spawn from using Skelita's bones as teething toys.

"Sí. No es bastante." Skelita nodded. "Unlike most monsters, I do not require food. It is more of a tratar than anything else."

"I suppose it's better than what they make everyone else eat." Cerise sighed, glancing around at the specialized meals the majority of the other students were forced to eat; Faybelle was drinking her morning nectar and hungrily chewing her fruit salad, the Three Little Pigs were happily gorging themselves on a pile of slop of vegetable scraps, and Maddie, naturally, was drinking tea and eating teacakes while shooting the breeze with Earl Grey. The eating however, stopped cold when everyone caught sight of Dexter Charming silently making his way through the breakfast line, his gaze never wavering from the tray in his hands; whispers rustled through the air as the Son of Prince Charming finished gathering his food and made his way towards a table in the back of the Castleteria and sat down to pick at his food, avoiding the eyes of his fellow students.

"How's Dexter doing?" Raven asked, not sure if she could look at him just yet.

"Based on the looks people are giving him . . . not very good." Apple concluded, wincing slightly when she caught sight of some of the harsh expressions sent Dexter's way. It was then that Cupid walked into the Castleteria and gathered her own breakfast before looking around for a place to sit, briefly glancing at the table Ben, the ghouls, and the girls were sitting at before she caught sight of Dexter sitting all alone; without hesitation, the young deity made her way over to him and sat down across of him in silence, deciding now probably wasn't the time to try and make small talk.

"Is she out of her mind?" Clawdeen hissed.

"As of right now, Cupid's probably the only friend poor Dex had left in the world." Ben shook his head sadly.

"Should we . . ?" Jane hesitated.

Raven shook her head. "Right now, the best course of action is to just let him readjust to a normal day before . . . it happened." the witchling winced, remembering the fateful day that had started this all; several things had happened on that day, most notable among them being the fact that she had been fused with a Vladat's DNA and nearly burned to a crisp in the sun, but the one that would remain burned in the back of her mind for as long as she lived would be Dexter's hurt expression as she and Ben unwittingly tore his already broke heart in half and crushed it into the dust.

"We should probably invite him to sit with us during lunch, though." Apple suggested. "If for no other reason than to make him feel less lonely."

Ben nodded. "That, and keep him safe. Someone's bound to try and rough him up after what happened last night. Not one of your better birthday's, I can imagine." he joked lightly to Cerise. The group chuckled awkwardly, making a silent agreement to talk about the night of All Hallows Eve as little as possible and unless absolutely necessary; before they could engage in slightly less uncomfortable conversation, the squawk of the intercom interrupted them and silenced the majority of the Castleteria.

"Would Apple White please report to the Headmaster's Office? Apple White to the Headmaster's Office." Giles voice came through; despite the old headmaster's kind voice, Apple gulped nervously upon detecting what she guessed to be a slight strain in his voice, as if he didn't like making such nerve wracking announcements. Shivering with worry, Apple gave Ben and Raven a pleading look before quietly standing up from the table and making her way out of the Castleteria under the steely gazes of her fellow students.

"She looks like she's on death row." Venus remarked, bit her lip with one of her pointed fangs.

"Apple might as well be." Cerise said quietly. "Knowing Headmaster Grimm-" the Riding Hood was suddenly caught off by the harsh ringing of the morning bell, signifying that breakfast was over and that students had but a few minutes to get to their classes before they would be marked tardy. Ben however, knew that he would be going to his classes, while the ghouls opted to remain in the safety of Ben's dorm until their fate was determined, without any knowledge of what was happening to Apple.

And that was a thought that frightened him.

As the crowds of students poured out into the halls, Ben grabbed Jane by the arm and pulled her aside once she realized who it was that was grabbing onto her; with the majority of the crowds moving against them, Ben pulled Jane against the nearest wall and bent down so he could speak to her in private. "Can you keep an eye on Apple for me, please? Alert me if anything goes wrong?" he asked.

"I-I can try." Jane nodded before she concentrated on an image in her head and felt the changes begin. Her lavender skin began to blister horribly, hundreds upon thousands of sharp, little barbs prickling their way across her arms and shoulders, chest and stomach before traveling down to her thighs where they stopped; the skin on her legs started to harden and become crusty in appearance, splitting and cracking to form overlapping scales that ran all the way down to the very tips of her toes while they melted together into three, small digits tipped with tiny talons. As her heel ground against her foot and formed a fourth toe growing out the back, Jane was shrinking all the while and becoming smaller and smaller with every passing nanosecond, her bones crunching and snapping loudly as she grew small enough to sit in Ben's hands. Her arm bones hollowed out with a horrendous cracking noise as they were quickly realigned in while looked like an incredibly painful manner into the structure of a bird's wing. Jane's nose and lips fluidly melted together like hot cheese, forming a pointed, horny beak as every last strand of hair on her body disappeared and her eyes rotated to either side of her head. The final piece of the transformation was the swift appearance of a coating of soft, purple and indigo feathers that covered her entire body and formed her wings and tail as a small, spiked collar formed around her neck.

With a small chirp, the the small swift flapped its wings to alight onto Ben's outstretched finger before he tossed Jane into the air and watched the small, purple swift fly quickly down the hall, avoiding the eyes of anyone that hadn't witnessed her sudden transformation.

"C'mon, dude." Hunter interrupted his thoughts. "We've got Heroics 101."

"Great. My favorite class." Ben rolled his eyes.

---

Ben sighed and folded his arms across his chest, having lost count of the blades of grass that made up the recently reconstructed Damsel-in-Distress course while King Charming lectured them on the proper way to rescue the damsel posted in the tall tower at the end of the course. He didn't know why the elderly king was even telling them about such tactics when they weren't even going to be using the new course today, mostly out of fear of Ben destroying it again. Beside him, Hunter was just as equally bored and seemed like he was just about ready to fall flat on his face out of exhaustion, but Daring seemed to be paying attention with rapt focus, his gaze only occasionally drifting away from his father to look at his younger brother; the majority of the boys in the class stood a fair distance away from Dexter. The nerdy prince didn't look at them and merely watched the demonstration with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his gaze far away, avoiding his father's unreadable expression.

"Alright, Huntsman! You and Tennyson are up!" King Charming announced from atop his white stallion; as far as Ben knew, the king never left the back of his horse and made him vaguely wonder if he was actually surgically attached to the poor animal.

"What are we doing?" Ben wondered.

"Mr. Tennyson, I explained this at the beginning of the class." King Charming glared.

"Um, no you didn't." Hunter pointed out.

King Charming narrowed his gaze at the huntsman and Ben before turning to face his elder son. "Daring, would you care to enlighten these fools?"

"Certainly." Daring nodded, though Ben noticed the slight cringe he gave at the insult sent his way. "Due to the fact that the Damsel-in-Distress course is still in need of repairs, we'll be sparring."

"Alright, that's something I can get behind." Ben nodded with a confident grin. "I'll give you a sporting chance." he added to Hunter as the two of them walked out to a large ring made of wide, flat stones embedding in the ground; Ben quickly accessed the Omnitrix and randomly selected an alien before slamming a hand down on the activation button, engulfing himself in a flash of green light. Ben could feel his body shift and move dramatically as his skin was cut and sliced into thin ribbons with a sickening squelching noise, as if he were being messily cut apart by a pair of gigantic, invisible scissors. His circulatory system and organs melted together into thin strips of their own, stretching out to an incredible length before of the thin strips of flesh that had become Ben began to bundle themselves tightly together, wrapping around each other and forming themselves into a crude, masculine figure with long, exaggerated fingers and toes made of single strips of the bandage-like material. He could feel his face harden once more and quickly flatten itself out into a rough, triangular shape and turning black and green in color as it sat itself on top of the broad, bandaged shoulders; a green and black headdress appeared on his head complete with a pointed beard, a wide collar materialized around his neck, and a green belt attached to a Shendyt formed around his waist. The transformation ended when a set of black and green braces appeared on his wrists and ankles, two long tendrils snaked out of his back, and the Omnitrix and a now awake Skurd appeared on his belt.

"Ooh! What fun, eh, old boy?" Skurd quipped with excitement.

"I still hardly think this is fair." Hunter grumbled as he was handed a wooden shield and sword.

"I could have turned into Humungousaur, if you prefer." Snare-oh gave a mouthless smirk.

"No, thanks. I'm good." the huntsman shuddered before startling as King Charming gave a shrill blow from his whistle, signaling the match to begin. With a loud battle cry, Hunter charged at the Thep Khufan with his shield raised in front of his face and sword dragged out behind him to allow him enough momentum to strike Snare-oh. The Thep Khufan however, stretched himself upwards to avoid the brunt of the blow and only stumbling backwards when Hunter managed to ram his shield into waist; thanks to his bandage-like physiology, the Thep Khufan was able to effortlessly avoid the swing of Hunter's sword by stretching his body into the bare minimum his body could muster over Hunter's head and reform behind him, letting him nail him in the back with a swift kick.

"Nice trick." Hunter smirked as he turned around to face his opponent.

"Can you believe I never had a lesson?" Snare-oh joked as he lashed out with his bandages and swiftly wrapped them around Hunter's shield, tearing it away with a sudden flick of his wrists; the weapon sailed over his head and promptly smashed King Charming in the face, nearly knocking him off of his horse while several of the other boys snickered. Ignoring the annoyed look on his teacher's face, Hunter swung his sword and managed to slice off Snare-oh's fingers as he came to try and steal the huntsman's wooden blade from him.

"Come on, dear boy! Finish him already!" Skurd argued.

"I'm trying to draw it out so he won't feel so bad when I beat him." Snare-oh replied.

"I heard that!" Hunter yelled. "Come on, dude! Don't hold back on me! Show me what you got!" he taunted.

"Well . . . he asked for it." Snare-oh shrugged; Skurd winked one of his beady eyes and pressed himself down on the Omnitrix disk fixed to the Thep Khufan's belt and swallowed the both of them in a flash of green light while the Slimebiote oozed and warped and wrapped himself around Snare-oh's arms, tapping into one of the Omnitrix's many DNA samples and forming a thick, crusty, red shell over the thick bandages as four sharp claws took the place of his fingers and special organs materialized under the protective exoskeleton. Taking a quick glance at his newly formed Orishan gauntlets, Snare-oh fired off a blast of pressurized water at Hunter, increasing the pressure level behind the water when Hunter blocked the shot with his sword.

"And now you're all wet!" Snare-oh cracked as he aimed one of his hands lower and fired off a jet of water at Hunter's feet, turning the ground beneath him into slick, wet mud; unable to gain proper footing, Hunter slipped and slid in a fruitless attempt to stay standing before the Thep Khufan nailed him in the face with another blast of water and sent him falling on his back into the mud with a loud splat!

"Huntsman, you're out!" King Charming barked before turning to the rest of the boys in the group. "Hood, you're up!"

"Ha! This'll be easy!" Sparrow smirked broadly as he slipped off his precious guitar and handed it off to Hopper Croakington II for safe keeping. "Prepare to lose, Bandage Face!"

"Looks like someone needs their ego taken down a few pegs." Snare-oh grumbled under his breath as the omnitrix timed out and returned Ben to the world; with a grunt, he knelt down and grabbed hold of Hunter's outstretched hand, helping him to his feet and earning a playful face full of mud from the huntsman.

"Now that's what I call fighting dirty." Skurd chuckled as Ben wiped his face off and took his position at one end of the fighting ring while Sparrow took the other side, rejecting the sword and shield he was offered and opted to fight with his fists.

"This is for humiliating me at Talent Show!" Sparrow yelled as he charged forward his fist drawn back to slug Ben in the face; the wielder of the Omnitrix however, saw this coming jerked his head to the side and caught the Son of Robin Hood's fist in his hand. Smirking slightly at Sparrow's surprised look, Ben then twisted his wrist around and shoved Sparrow back before tapping the Omnitrix on his wrist and slapping the waiting activation button. Thick, shaggy fur started to sprout all over Ben's body as his frame cracked and crunched loudly, his body gradually growing taller as his posture forced him to hunch over slightly. His jaw crunched loudly and jutted out into an ape-like fashion while his lower canine teeth curved out over his top lip, joined later by a few more crooked teeth; muscles and tissue packed themselves into his arms and chest, his figure swelling dramatically as small, metallic bumps formed on his wrists. Ben's fingers grew thicker and stronger, becoming more adapt to smashing things as his feet changed drastically with his big toe jutting out at a forty-five degree. His brow pushed down, giving him a permanently irked look as a metallic, three horned prong suddenly appeared right between his eyes and a thick, green belt formed around his waist, the Omnitrix and Skurd apearing in a blast of green light and completing the transformation.

"Try Shocksquatch on for size, eh!" the Gimlinopithecus grinned, socking his fist into his large hand with a short burst of static electricity.

Sparrow was only slightly put off by the large, ape-like alien that towered a good four feet over his head and had hands about as big as his face, and rushed at the Gimlinopithecus with blind fury, slugging him as hard as he could in Shocksquatch's gut before ramming his head into his chest and then kick him in the gut once more. Shocksquatch merely grunted from the Son of Robin Hood's strikes and grabbed him by the back of his shirt before promptly chucking him across the fighting ring and sending his face into the mud. With a loud cry of power, Shocksquatch then slammed his fists into the ground and discharged a blast of electricity from the static build up in his thick, furry coat, lighting Sparrow up like a Christmas tree much to the class's amusement.

"Shocking, eh?" Skurd chortled.

"And people claim my jokes are bad." Shocksquatch grumbled under his breath as Sparrow coughed a small cloud of soot and glanced at the dark marks that decorated his skin; now completely furious, the Son of Robin Hood rushed at the Gimlinopithecus and managed to slug him in the jaw making him stumble backwards, allowing Sparrow to kick him right his nether regions, stunning him. With a grunt as he held his gut in pain, Shocksquatch let out a short charge of electricity and briefly stunned the guitarist before he decked Sparrow across the face and then fired off a powerful blast of static energy that made Sparrow howl with agony.

"I think he's had enough, eh, don't you?" Shocksquatch chuckled as Sparrow fainted on the spot, twitching ever so slightly whenever a static discharge rattled through his body.

"Uh, well done, Tennyson." King Charming shifted uncomfortably from atop his force as the Omnitrix timed out and Hunter and Hopper kindly dragged the stunned Sparrow Hood out of the ring. "Daring, you're up. Make your old man proud and show this simpleton what for!"

""You got it, old man!" Daring grinned charmingly as he stepped into the ring and excepted the sword and shield offered to him.

"Ready for round two, Daring?" Ben smirked confidently.

"Give me your best shot, Tennyson." Daring sneered cockily; with this in mind, Ben selected Badaboom and slammed a hand down on the Omnitrix, swallowing himself in a flash of green light that warped and changed his DNA into something new. He felt his head sink down into his neck, almost merging with his chest as only a small amount of muscle built up on his arms, though it was mostly just flabby fat; several teeth tilted askew and popped out of his jaw or disappeared altogether as a great deal of blubber and tissue built up around his shrinking skeleton, insulating him as his skin turned a dull yellow and thickened to nearly four inches. Ben's eyes rotated to the farthest part of his face while remaining on the front of his head while his mouth broadened and widened to fit his new dental work. His toes were sucked back into his foot, leaving the toenails as his fingers became nothing more than dull claws while every last strand of hair upon his head and body disappeared. A pair of green and white underpants materialized around him as the Omnitrix popped out of his belly button, completing the transformation as several wart-like growths swelled up on his forehead.

"You butterfingered buffoon! You've done it again!" Skurd berated the Atrocian.

"You're enjoyin' this, aren't you?" The Worst frowned at Daring as the Son of Prince Charming held his aching sides as he laughed.

"Daring! While I will admit that this is mildly amusing, now is not the appropriate time!" King Charming lightly scolded his son.

"You mind givin' me a hand or pseudopod or whatever it is you have?" The Worst sighed.

"Mmmhmmhmm! It would be my pleasure!" Skurd chortled as he compressed himself down on the Omnitrix buried into the Atrocian's bellybutton and swallowed the both of them in a bright blast of green light. His skin became more loose, like that of a wet paper bag or liquid while his bones dissolved into nothingness, and even then his organs seemed to disappear; but Ben could sense that they were still there, somewhere, just a lot more squishy and more modifiable than they had been before. His skin turned a shiny, black in color, racing to cover his everything as bright, green circuitry patterns arched and etched their away across his body; his feet molded together into a single, wide toe as he lost a finger on each hand. More mass piled up between his head and shoulders until there was a smooth, slope-like transition between the two. Ben's mouth and nose vanished altogether as his eyes crashed into each other and molded into one, forming a glowing green ring around the Omnitrix and Skurd that materialized on his face.

"You're messing with me now, aren't you?" Upgrade seemed to glare at the Slimebiote that resided right between his single eye.

"Maybe I am, dear boy, and maybe I'm not." Skurd replied deviously. "Look out!"

The Galvanic Mechamorph wasn't able to react fast enough as Daring slashed his sword through Upgrade's liquid metal skin, slicing clean through his neck; this would have normally decapitated most adversaries in a spray of blood or the likes, but this was not so for the Galvanic Mechamorph. With a slow blorping noise, he fastened his head back onto his shoulders and quickly flattened himself down into a puddle to avoid another swing of Daring's sword. Before the young prince could defend himself, the black and green circut-pattern puddle lunged at him, slithering over his body and encasing him in blackness much to everyone's surprise before Upgrade oozed off of him and to the ground.

"What was that all about?" Hunter wondered.

"Astounding." Dexter breathed, drawing the majority of the class's attention towards him and away from the bubbling, liquid metal mess on the grass; Daring however, watched as Upgrade engulfed his Mirrorphone, having stolen it off of his person, and began to modify and alter the device to his liking. By the time he was done and satisfied with his work, Upgrade's new technological body stood about even with Daring and stood on three, spider-like legs with glowing green wires encircling around them. A wide screen composed the majority of the android's body, the protective covering blinking to life to show Upgrade's face directly below where the Omnitrix and Skurd had been repositioned.

"Hey, Daring! Say 'Cheese'!" the Galvanic Mechamorph quipped; knowing Ben, the prince instinctively ducked behind his shield and covered himself with his sword as Upgrade's screen hummed loudly and fired off an intense, green beam of light and energy, blasting Daring full force and sending him skidding back. When the light finally died down, Daring blinked and looked over himself, wincing at the small burn marks that covered his arms and face and the smoke that curled off from them while the wooden shield and sword in his hands promptly crumbled to ash.

"Uh, Daring?" Upgrade beeped. "I don't mean to alarm you or anything . . . but your head?"

"It's on fire, dear boy!" Skurd announced loudly.

With this news, Daring promptly started screaming and running around like a frightened hooligan, slapping at his smoking crown in an attempt to put out the small flames he was overreacting about; unfortunately, King Charming didn't think this to be a small accident and was riding after his flailing son on his horse, shouting and cursing at the top of his lungs while the rest of the boys chased after the two of them, a few of them bending down to scoop up mud to lob at Daring's head in an attempt to put out the flames. At least, that was their story.

"Looks like he got burned on that deal." Upgrade snickered.

"Stop now while you're ahead, dear boy. You're only hurting yourself." Skurd shook his head sadly.

Upgrade was about to retort with an insult or cynical comment when his entire body gave a jittery buzz, like that of a phone on vibrate; it took several seconds and another buzz for the Galvanic Mechamorph to realize that not only was Daring's phone buzzing, but he was buzzing as well, signifying a call. Seeing as how the Son of Prince Charming was unable to answer right now, his head plunged into the river underneath the Troll's Bridge and his father unable to restore order to the massive mud fight that had ensued amongst his students, Upgrade oozed himself off of the Mirrorphone and picked it up in his hand, tapping the screen with a finger and finding that it was a call from Apple.

"Helo?" Upgrade said.

"Ben? Is that you?" Apple's frightened face blinked to life on the screen. "I hexpected Daring to pick up, but this works just as well and-"

"Apple, what's wrong?" Upgrade interrupted.

"Oh, right." Apple gulped; the Galvanic Mechamorph took notice of a small, purple bat with indigo fur perching on the princess's shoulder, noting that the small, winged mammal was shaking like a leaf in a storm and squeaking frantically. "Things have gotten really, really, really bad . . . and now my parents are really upset about us and Daddy's yelling and Mom's crying and Grimm is shouting at the top of his lungs and-"

"I'll be right there." Upgrade promised. "Just try to calm them down until I can get there."

"I-I'll try." Apple gulped nervously before signing off to the sound of her father's yelling. Now with a goal in mind, the Galvanic Mechamorph slapped the Omnitrix disk in the middle of his optical sensor and swallowed himself in a flash of green light. Light blue fur sprouted all over Ben's body in a short layer, covering him from head to toe before his arms and thighs suddenly shed every last off of him, exposing deep, black skin beneath the blanket of fur; black spots appeared in random places on Ben's body as his bones hollowed out and became lightweight and strong, filling with sturdy beams of sorts that supported their structure while muscles piled themselves onto his arms and legs, packing themselves particularly tight in his chest and thighs. His fingers strengthened as they grew into sharp and pointed claws with a loud cracking noise like that of splintering wood. A long, feline-like tail with a black tip arched out from the base of his spine, cracking back and forth with anticipation as his toes molded together into a pair of sturdy paws while his ears became sharp and pointed like a cat's, rotating to the top of his head as if they were floating on liquid metal; a handful of whiskers sprouted on Ben's face as his teeth cracked and ground into sharp canines. The final piece of the transformation was the addition of a black and green track suit, a pair of green tinted goggles, and the Omnitrix and Skurd at the center of the belt around his waist.

"This time, keep your comments to yourself." Fasttrack grumbled to Skurd as he slipped his goggles over his eyes.

"Whatever do you mean?" Skurd asked innocently.

"You know hexactly what I mean." was all the Citrakayah said before he sped off in a blue and black blue and left King Charming to become the favored target of the mud fight.

---

Apple sucked in a deep breath as she hesitated outside of Headmaster Grimm's office, waling around a freshly mopped area of the floor directly outside of the doors; on the other side was Headmaster Grimm, her parents, and hopefully Headmaster Giles. She hoped to the ancestors that Giles would be there to at least provide some sort of protection from the onslaught of harsh words and negative comments that would undoubtedly be sent her way from both Headmaster Grimm and her parents for her deplorable behavior.

Deciding there was no other way around it, Apple curled her fingers around the handle of the door and opened it, stepping into the office beyond and instantly noticing that Giles was nowhere in sight, much to her dishearten; the princess failed to notice a purple swift fluttering in through the door above and behind her just before it clicked shut.

"Ah, Ms. White. We've been expecting you." Headmaster Grimm greeted her with a voice that made her shudder.

Sitting in a pair of comfy, plush chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk with a chair between the two of them was a man and woman of perhaps middle age or older, though their looks made them look as if they had hardly aged much since their own years of attendance at Ever After High; the man was tall and had a large, square jaw with a clean shaven face and dark, blue eyes like that of the ocean's depth that heavily complimented the bright, golden locks that could be seen under his grand, sparkling crown. The woman next to him had skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and lips as red as blood, all with a calm and pleasant demeanor to compliment the royal robes she and her husband wore.

"Hello, sweetie." Snow White IV greeted her daughter with a warm smile.

"Yes, it is nice to see you again, dear." Leonard White I added with a slightly gruff tone; Apple knew her father could be much more joyous and carefree than he was now, though she suspected that he was more stern thanks to the circumstances they had been brought together by.

"If you will have a seat, Ms. White, we can begin." Grimm gestured to the chair between Apple's parents.

"Lets make this quick, Milton. We were lucky to slip past our kingdom's borders without being detected by those insufferable bandits that attack everything on four wheels and hooves." Leonard sighed warily.

"Of course, your majesty. This will take but a few minutes." Headmaster Grimm as he sat back in his chair with his hands folded together. "Now, I'm sure you are aware of why you are here?"

"This is about our daughter receiving a detention of some kind, yes?" Snow White guessed.

"Preposterous!" King Leonard protested, slamming a fist down on Grimm's desk; the Headmaster didn't move. "Apple isn't capable of doing such dastardly deeds!"

"As much as I hate to admit it, our daughter just isn't capable of such things." Snow White agreed.

Headmaster Grimm nodded. "While I completely agree with you, you majesties, there is simply too much proof against Ms. White to prove her innocent.

Apple instantly hated how her parents and the Headmaster were talking about her like she wasn't even there, as if she were just some lifeless vegetable or animal that didn't fully understand what was happening to her nor had any choice in the matter. She watched as the Headmaster rolled back in his chair and pulled open a desk drawer to pull out a Mirropad that Apple guessed had been only recently used; she knew that the Headmaster Grimm, unlike his brother, was not as adept to using technology as his students were and guessed that he had only recently started using it to keep an eye on Ben's exploits, most likely to keep evidence on record. It was in this nervous fidgeting stage as her parents started to bicker with the Headmaster while he fruitlessly attempted to figure out how to work the Mirrorpad, that Apple noticed a slight movement in the high corner of the office. Focusing on it, she found that it was a small, purple bat of kinds that was clinging to the wall for dear life, as if getting spotted would most likely get it killed.

Is that . . . Jane? Did Ben send her to keep an eye on me? Apple wondered, watching quietly with her eyes as the bat crawled a short distance against the wall before losing its footing and flapping its leathery wings to keep from falling to the ground; the furry, winged mammal fluttered over the Headmaster's head, snapping up a small, buzzing fly, before it flew up to hang from the chandelier overhead.

"Apple? Apple!"

The princess was shaken out of her thoughts by her father's stern voice against her eardrums and she was startled back into reality as the Headmaster and her parents starred at her strangely. "Y-Yes?" she squeaked.

"What are you looking at?" Headmaster Grimm raised a suspicious eyebrow; he had been holding up the Mirrorpad for Apple's parents to watch footage of the school's security camera feed that occasionally switched points of view throughout the halls. The Mirrorpad was paused on an image of her dressed in dark, foreboding, rebellious clothing that was most certainly not becoming of a future queen and bending down to pull out a thick book from underneath of a towering bookshelf overhead.

"N-Nothing." Apple tried to lie, her anxious gaze flickering up towards the chandelier overhead.

The Headmaster and her parents followed her gaze and gasped as Jane took that very moment to try and beat a hasty retreat, swooping down low from the ceiling and nearly colliding with Snow White's crown as she frantically beat her wings and chattered with distress as the queen began to scream bloody murder; while it was common knowledge that all fairy tale princesses had a connection to the woodland creatures of the enchanted Forest, even when they grew older and older, this did not mean that some princesses were not fond of certain animals. Snow White, in the current case, did not seem to be very fond of bats if the way she was screaming at the top of her lungs and covering her head with her hands was any indication. Set on edge by his wife's screaming, Leonard promptly got out of his chair and heaved it over his head, waiting for just the right time to strike before he threw the chair as hard as he could and just barely missed hitting the bat as it did a barrel roll and flew back up to the ceiling.

"Your majesty, in case you haven't noticed, my school is currently falling apart at the seams. I'd prefer you do not add to the damage." Headmaster Grimm pleaded as he took cover under his own desk when the king remembered that he had a sword clipped to the belt of his royal robes for emergencies and quickly drew it out. Determined to kill the bat or at least drive it off, the king swung his sword in a downward arch and missed the bat by mere inches, whirling around with expert precision and just barely grazing the top of the Headmaster's balding head in attempt to slice the bat in half. He was about to make another strike of his sword when he noticed that Apple standing between him and the small, winged animal like a guardian angel of some kind, holding her finger out and close to her so that the bat could roost in safety.

"Apple, put that rabies infested creature down!" Leonard demanded with anger and fear.

Apple sucked in a deep breath before responding. "No."

Eerie silence followed as the king tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade and lowered it to the ground, his expression becoming cold and hardened as Snow White nervously bit her lip, no longer concerned about Jane for the moment, and the Headmaster crawled out from under his desk. "What did you say?" the king asked.

Apple drew in another deep breath. "I-I said . . . no. I'm not going to let you hurt this poor creature."

"And why is that?" Leonard frowned. "Can't you see that your mother is terrified?"

"I can," Apple nodded, turning to her mom to give her a sympathetic look. "B-But I'm not going to let you k-kill my boyfriend's pet."

Leonard stopped cold at this. "I was not aware that young Daring was even capable of keeping such a disgusting creature as a companion." he muttered. "Are you sure that thing doesn't belong to your roommate?"

Apple nodded once more. "I'm sure. And . . ." the princess bit her lip at this, unconsciously slipping the bat into her hand to stroke the back of its head with a finger for comfort, an act that made her parents cringe slightly with worry. "Daring . . . isn't my boyfriend."

If the silence before was awkward, then the one that followed Apple's last words were frightening as the king's gaze turned from cold confusion to absolute fury. "WHAT!?" he roared before turning full force onto Headmaster Grimm. "Were you aware that my own daughter was jeopardizing the ways and traditions of our ancestors, denying her destiny, and not even dating the prince of her story!?"

"I was getting to that, your majesty." Grimm huffed coldly. "It seems that your daughter's choice of a male companion and future husband is what has resulted in her horrendous behavior. You've seen the unfortunate destruction that had befallen my school, yes?"

"Hard to miss, really." Snow White nodded, her gaze never straying away from the shivering bat in Apple's hands; something about it didn't sit well with her, and it wasn't the fact that it was purple instead of black or brown like most bats she had seen were.

"Unfortunately." Headmaster Grimm nodded sadly. "Gaping holes in the walls, holes in the floors that endanger students and staff alike, the destruction of the Lifairy and Mirror Lab, not to mention endangerment of staff and students as well as small bouts of destruction such as the two . . . Rath-sized holes . . . in my office."

"What exactly is a 'Rath'?" Leonard wondered, utterly confused; he had noticed the holes upon entering the Headmaster's office, but he wasn't quite what had made them or what they were for if anything. To think something that small, compared to the awesome might of a dragon per say, put his nerves on edge.

Headmaster Grimm sighed dramatically at this. "It would seem, your majesties, that Apple White has fallen in love with a shape-shifting incubus hellbent on hypnotizing her into a mindless slave and toy."

Snow White froze up at this. "My daughter would never-"

"Dear, our daughter is cuddling with a bat. A parasite covered, disease ridden, rabies carrying bat." King Leonard sighed wearily. "Unless Charlie's girl has been too careless in who she hits with that hammer of hers, our precious daughter being possessed by a sex demon is the only option left."

"Dad, I'm not-" Apple tried to protest.

"I'm afraid I must agree with you, your majesty." Headmaster Grimm interrupted her. "The incubus has been amongst our midst for a while now, always changing his appearance to gain the affections of our female populace to gain control and power. He is a vile, disgusting creature that will destroy everything we hold dear to us, including your precious daughter." the Headmaster lectured, his voice becoming louder and louder as he went, taking hold of the Mirrorpad and fumbling with it for a moment to pull up video feed from the school's security cameras of Bullfrag and a mutated Briar, Daring, and Apple attempting to fight off a severely irked, fire-breathing dragon in the school's Charmitorium. The king and queen watched with horror upon catching sight of the monstrosity their daughter had been twisted into and how she was forced to act anything but like a proper princess in training, actually fighting instead of calling out for help like a proper maiden.

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" King Leonard roared at the top of his lungs as the footage continued to role; Snow White had broken out into a small fit of worried tears, not sure if she could look at her precious daughter anymore. "I DEMAND THAT THIS . . . THIS . . . HEATHEAN BE SUSPENDED! EXPELLED! EXECUTED EVEN!"

"We have tried, your majesty, but-" Headmaster Grimm tired to say before the king interrupted him and continued to rant and yell a the top of his lungs. With her hands over her ears, Apple placed the indigo furred bat on her shoulder hurriedly crawled towards the doors of the office, casting her mother a fearful look, before she slipped out. Snow White watched her go through the tears that streamed down her face, wondering where she had possibly gone wrong as a parent for her daughter to suddenly and unexpectedly to turn down the destiny she and her mother and all of their ancestors before them had forged for her so long ago, all for a boy. Sniffing and drying her eyes with a handkerchief she produced from her sleeve, Snow White supposed she couldn't blame her daughter for doing such things at such an age; after all, she was still a child and still had a few more years ahead of her before her story would play out for her, meaning she was technically allowed to experiment and enjoy her life and date a bad boy . . . just like Snow White herself had done so many years ago . . .

"Where is this . . . this incubus!?" King Leonard roared. "I'll cut him down where he stands before he can lay a hand on my daughter!"

"Daddy?"

King Leonard White I paused in his ranting to turn swiftly on his heel and glare at Apple as if she were worse than the mud beneath his boot before it instantly softened upon seeing the heart retching look on her face, how she was standing with her back to the door with her hands folded in front of her like she was when she had been a little girl and had managed to get into some sort of mild mischief. His cold heart softened when he noticed the way she was visibly shaking with fear, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as her bottom lip quivered and he realized that his sweet, precious daughter was actually scared. And while the bat she had been so fully intent on protecting earlier hadn't dared to move from her shoulder (which he had to give credit to. For a bat, it was quite crafty, he would give it that), he felt compelled to simply just hug her and hold her like she was the little girl that had snuck into her parent's room in the middle of the night during a great thunder storm that had frightened her so.

"Yes, Apple?" he asked in a much more relaxed tone.

"I-I . . . I . . ." Apple sniffed, trying to form words.

"EEEEE-EEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Apple had mere seconds to dive out of the way as Fasttrack came crashing right through the front door of the Headmaster's office, sending wood splinters flying everywhere as he slipped and slid all over the floor, unable to stop and crashing right into Snow White; the two of them tumbled a fair distance across the room before coming to a stop with their arms and legs tangled up in the chair the queen had been sitting in just before the Citrakayah had barged in. Apple winced at the sight of her mother and boyfriend in a heap on the floor, just barely managing to keep Jane from frantically fluttering away and getting within range of her father's sword; this didn't seem to be much of a problem though as both Leonard and Headmaster Grimm were too stunned to do much but stare.

"Ben? Are you alright?" Apple asked, clenching her hand firmly around Jane; normally, holding an animal as creepy and skittish as a bat would have sent shivers up Apple's spine, but knowing full well that it was not entirely a bat helped comfort her. Then there was the fact that she had no reason (yet) to believe that Ben's ghouls would ever intentionally hurt her, with the exception of Clawdeen and Venus. Something about the werewolf made Apple uneasy and while she had gotten over her initial fear of the plant monster she was still put off by her.

"I'm fine," Fasttrack mumbled from the floor, lying on top of Snow White. "This nice, cushy pillow broke my fall."

Apple blinked and took a look at how the Citrakayah was positioned atop her mother and felt her face burn and turn a bright red; Jane covered her eyes with her leathery wings. "Um, Ben? Th-That . . . That's not a pillow . . ."

"What?" Fasttrack blinked his eyes blearily and found himself less than half a foot away from Snow White's pretty face, an intense blush on the queen's cheeks.

"How dare you sexually assault my wife!?" King Leonard roared.

"I didn't! I just slipped on the wet floor outside, I swear!" Fasttrack defended himself as he quickly scrambled to his feet and ducked under a swing of King Leonard's sword, backflipped away from him and held out his arm before him; the king and queen watched with amazement as Skurd oozed himself over and around the Citrakayah's furry arm, encasing it in cyan colored crystals and strengthening his hand and fingers before forming a long, jagged, crystalline blade in his grip.

"What is that foul creature upon you that looks like muck with the same viscosity of a booger?" King Leonard wondered with astonishment.

"Not again." Fasttrack grumbled.

"Booger!?" Skurd roared incredulously. "Is that all I am to anyone these days, just a talking booger!?" he screamed.

"Evidently, I have struck some kind of nerve with the slime creature," Leonard murmured aside to Headmaster Grimm. "If I may inquire, just who are you? I would at least like to know who I am avenging my beloved wife over."

"Name's Ben," Fasttrack replied. "And it was an accident!"

King Leonard's stern expression instantly turned far sourer. "So, you are the incubus that had ensnared by precious daughter in your vile clutches? I can't say that I am impressed."

"For the last time, I am not a sex demon!" the Citrakayah yelled as the Omnitrix beeped and engulfed him in a flash of green light; the fur that covered his entire body prickled against his skin as it was sucked back into his body like millions of strands of spaghetti being slurped through straws as his fingernails dulled and his fingers shrank slightly, devoid of the enhanced muscle they had before. His skeleton cracked and snapped as his frame decreased slightly as his bones became heavier and more weighty than before, his tail compressing back into his spine with a loud crunching noise. Fasttrack's paws split into two extra toes, losing their razor-sharp claws as his teeth dulled and became more flat and perfect for chewing rather than tearing into flesh; his pointed ears rotated down to the sides of his head and became more disk-shaped as his muscled figure became slightly weaker than before, his skin turning a pale pink in color while a pair of brown pants, green sneakers, a black and green T-shirt with a white number 10 on the front and a strange, watch-like device appeared on his left wrist, completing the transformation.

"See? I'm just a boy." Ben said, gesturing to himself and only oblivious to the fact that his right arm belonged to that of a Petrosapien's for a few seconds before he gave a quick look to Skurd and deactivated the somewhat negative looking transformation.

"As you can see, you majesties, the incubus is capable of multiple forms of deception." Headmaster Grimm coughed uncomfortably, climbing back into his office chair to recompose himself into a more regal looking position. "And as much as I would like to send the vile demon packing, I'm afraid we can not."

"And just why," King Leonard snarled. "Can you not get rid of a vile creature that won't stop until he has control over the minds of every member of your female population, including that of my beloved wife?"

"Because," Headmaster Grimm sighed. "Despite our initial attempts to get rid of him, he's like that of a one man dragonfly infestation; no matter how many times we try to do away with him, he comes back stronger than before. That, and he has just as much right to be here as Ms. White. It would seem the horrendous creature possesses a destiny to follow." he grumbled, glaring coldly at Ben. "I can assure you, that this is not something I am fond of."

"Then we have no other choice," King Leonard frowned. "We will be taking Apple back home with us to be home schooled until it comes the time for her to fulfill her destiny."

"Dear, I believe you are being a bit over dramatic," Snow White piped up as she came to her husband's side. "I am completely fine and unharmed; Ben has nothing to me."

"Then what do you suggest we do!?" King Leonard cried, raising his voice and making Apple cringe; Ben would have comforted her, but he got the distinct feeling that the friendly gesture would be taken the wrong way. "Idly stand by while our daughter is taken by the clutches of horrific, disgusting, vile, mass rapist sex dem- AHHHHH!"

The king was promptly interrupted in his anger as Jane quickly slipped out of Apple's grip, avoiding her grasping hands, and morphing into a lavender Velociraptor covered in indigo and deep purple feathers that slammed full force into Leonard and knocked him to the floor; the king instinctively grabbed the raptor by the throat and held its lethal jaws just out reach of his face as Jane snapped them repeatedly, not taking kindly to the way this man was insulting her boyfriend. With a grunt, the king threw the Velociraptor off of him and sending her skidding a few feet away, her dagger-like claws and scythe-like middle toe digging into the carpeting of the office before she charged at him with such swift speed he barely managed to raise his sword in time to block a swipe of the dinosaur's claws.

"What is this monstrosity!?" King Leonard demanded to know as he blocked and twisted his sword to shield himself from Jane's vicious attacks.

My gi-" Ben started to say before she caught sight of Apple's warning look. "Uh, my Guard Monster. She, um, attacks anything that puts me in danger; in this case, it took you insulting me as a sign that I was in danger."

"Then I shall smite the foul beast!" Leonard roared as he swung his sword in a wide arch to get the Velociraptor to dance backwards to avoid getting hit before he drew back his fist and socked the dinosaur in the snout, sending it flying back across the room where it slammed into the wall with a loud thwack! and slid down to the floor, giving out a pain screech of terror. The king smirked and marched towards the downed dinosaur, his shaky grip tightening on his sword as Apple bit her lip and covered her eyes while Snow White looked like she was about to say something before she too turned away; Ben was cycling through his Omnitrix, trying to find XLR8 or Kickin' Hawk to save Jane while the Headmaster was mentally egging the king on.

"Back to the deepest depths of hell, you foul demon!" King Leonard roared, raising his blade above his head to plunge it straight into the Velociraptor's chest; before he could land the final blow however, the doors to the office were reduced to splinters and slabs of wood with a loud crash! as an angry, bat-like creature swooped into the room. It was clearly feminine in gender, if the hourglass figure and sizable bust and ass were anything to go by, and had pasty, pale skin stretched over her nearly skeletal figure. Yellowed fangs curved out over her lips and razor-sharp claws tipped her fingers while she wore a tight, black and neon green costume that showed off her curves and part of her bust while a pair of bat-wing horns and curved covered her face and a pair of thick membranes spread from her wrists to her hips, forming wings. The vampire-like creature hissed violently and attacked Leonard from behind, slamming into the wall and pitch him over her shoulder and to the floor, standing defensively between him and the Velociraptor as an equally ticked off werewolf and confused skeleton scurried in through the doorway; Snow White gave a startled scream upon seeing Skelita's exposed bones.

"If you touch another hair, feather, fin, or scale on my ghoulfriend's head, I will drain you of all your bodily fluids before chopping your carcass up into mincemeat and feeding them to Chewlian!" Whampira hissed venomously.

"And that'll be after I'm through with you!" Clawdeen snarled, baring her teeth.

"Ah, HA!" Headmaster Grimm cried triumphantly, jamming a finger towards the group of monsters; the Velociraptor on the floor whimpered feebly like a puppy, instantly drawing Whampira's attention as the dinosaur's image suddenly disappeared in a whirl of feathers, scales, and claws to be replaced by that of a teenage girl with purple skin, a jungle style chic to her clothing, and a bizarre, spiked, red watch fixed tightly around her left wrist. Jane groaned and held her aching side where she had been forcibly thrown against the wall, feeling around for any broken or bruised bones and thankfully finding none.

"What manner of deceit is this?" Leonard growled.

"That is my ghoulfriend, Jane. She is a shape-shifter." Whampira helped, supporting the jungle girl with comforting hands.

"My point is further proven, your majesty! It is because of Tennyson and this ungodly, sum licking creatures that your daughter has resorted to such behavior!" the Headmaster declared, pointing a shaking finger at Whampira, Clawdeen, Skelita, and Jane with great disdain. "Their very presence is jeopardizing our ways of tradition!"

Ben frowned. "Okay, hold it. First off, something tells me you might of accidentally drunk some Wonderland tea or something instead of your morning coffee or whatever, 'cause half the stuff that's coming out of your mouth is complete nonsense and garbage! Second, we're not trying to jeopardize anything! They've only arrived last night, and even then they helped us stop Dexter from accidentally throwing Raven off of the roof! And ever since I've been here, I've been trying to do nothing but good! Sure, my exploits often involve collateral damage, but it's not like I'm trying to destroy everything!" Ben defended himself.

"And this gives you the right to poison my daughter's mind!?" Leonard snarled.

"For the last freakin' time, I am not an incubus!" Ben yelled back, refraining from swearing no matter how much he might want to. "And you are not taking Apple from me!"

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter, Tennyson." Headmaster Grimm interrupted with a stern tone that Ben could tell that he was enjoying watching Ben squirm. "And as for your disgusting monster friends, they will be going as well. That, or they will most likely be hunted down by an angry mob."

"If you won't listen to my words, then maybe you'll listen to my fists: I am not letting you get rid of my ghouls or Apple." Ben snarled, clenching his fists tightly. "And there is nothing you can say or do that will make me change my mind."

Snow White watched all of this with increasing worry, wondering who she should side with in the matter; on one hand she had her husband, who was both kind and protective of her to a fault (he was a Charming, after all). They loved each other dearly and were quite happy in their just rule over the kingdom they resided in, being quite adored amongst their subjects and respected throughout Ever After. On the other hand, she loved her daughter to pieces and only wanted the best for her. At first, she thought this was to be a good little princess and follow her destiny like she had followed her own mother's, getting married to a handsome prince and having a lovely daughter together that would continue on their legacy and tradition, but now as she watched Apple huddle on the floor in fear, not sure of what she should do in all the yelling that ensued, she was wondering if she actually knew what was best for her.

Now that she thought about it, Snow White hadn't been too keen on following her destiny either back in her school days at Ever After High. She felt her face heat up as she remembered spending countless hours with the school's resident bad boy without a care in the world, an unspoken love forming between the two of them before he suddenly came to class one day and completely ignored her, avoiding her for the rest of the day as if she had the plague. Snow White felt her heart clench at the memory, of how her crush had avoided her advances and pleadings until she never saw him in the halls again, nothing more than a flicker of a shadow or rush of wind behind her back to signify that he was still there. With nothing left to fight for, she had mindlessly excepted her destiny and happily fallen in love with Leonard after he had awaken her from and courageously fought off the Evil Queen's advancements to try and take over all their stories at once. If she could somehow go back in time, she would still do it all over again, if she could only get the chance to see her bad boy once more.

Looking back at Apple curled up on the floor in fear, not use to being surrounded by such harsh yells and curses, Snow White knew that she only wanted the best for her daughter; if that meant her prince was to be a bad boy and not one of royal blood . . . so be it (there was the slight chance that Apple would be doomed to repeat her mother's unfortunate history, but Snow White was hoping it wouldn't come to that). "If I may offer a suggestion?" she spoke up, silencing everyone in the room.

"Yes, what is it, your highness?" Headmaster Grimm asked politely, though the queen could tell he was quite annoyed about being interrupted.

"I propose a game," she recomposed herself into a commanding and regal figure that even her own husband was not willing to go up against if he could help it. "A game of Wonderland Chess. If Ben wins, his monsters can stay; if you win, they will have to leave."

"And what about Apple?" Ben asked.

Snow White sucked in a deep breath before speaking. "I'm afraid that she will still be coming home with us."

"Mom!" Apple protested, feeling very hurt.

Snow White shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear, but this is for your won good." she said. "But I suppose we can allow you to watch the match before we return home. That's fair, isn't it, dear?" she turned to her husband, phrasing the words like a question but saying it more like a command that couldn't be argued with.

"I suppose." he grumbled under his breath, clipping his sword back to his belt. "How about it, Milton? Feel up to a round of Wonderland Chess?"

"Gladly." Headmaster Grimm smirked.

"Guess I don't have much choice, do I?" Ben sighed. "Quick question, though: what the Sphinx is Wonderland Chess?"

---

It turned out that Wonderland Chess was something of a lost and ancient, yet highly respected sport in Wonderland, according to Maddie and Lizzie Hearts when Ben asked them out of the curiosity of what he had managed to get himself into. According to the Princess of Hearts and Hatter, back in the old days of their homeland before Frabjous Day, the many warring tribes and clans of Wonderland would settle disputes and matters that would have resulted in an unnecessary amount of destruction and loss by selecting a certain number of their best warriors and pitting them against each other in a gigantic, life-sized game of chess that would usually only result in the deaths of the selected warriors that functioned as the game pieces. The selected 'game pieces' would move under the command of a player, a leader or general of some kind, and would only attack when confronted by another piece from the opposite side; other than that, the rules were simple and results were usually wild and unpredictable, considering the random and mad nature of Wonderland.

Adding to Ben's nervousness was the fact that his ghoulfriends would be functioning as his chess pieces, Apple was being taken away from him, and Lizzie Hearts was both watching and referring the whole thing to ensure that the tradition of Wonderland Chess would be held with high honor; all that, and Blondie was recording the whole thing for everyone else to watch.

Ben now stood perched on top of a hastily constructed, stone wall that Maddie had happily provided with two platforms on either end of a gigantic, colorful chessboard made of alternating pink and yellow grasses also provided by the Hatter; Clawdeen, Venus, Skelita, and Jane each stood on a patch of grass that represented a single tile on the chessboard facing the opposite direction of Ben and looking at the other side where Headmaster Grimm stood tall and proud, a look of overconfidence on his face as he stood calm and collected. Sitting on a bench to the side of the whole thing was King Leonard, Snow White IV, and Apple with Lizzie Hearts standing above them in a basket of sorts that allowed her to observe the whole game from above while Blondie eagerly recorded the whole event from below them all with Humphrey Dumpty at her side; she had been unable to reach Dexter for assistance, though she was unsure of whether she wanted to ask for his help just yet.

"I'm not sure whether I should be amazed or worried." Clawdeen mumbled when she caught sight of Headmaster Grimm's choice of chess pieces; two pairs of burly, gigantic suits of armor stood poised and ready at the opposite end of the game board. Each one was about twice as tall as any of the ghouls, perhaps a little less, and was covered in thick, protective armor that could have easily withstood a direct hit from a dragon's fiery breath or whip-like tail with spiked shoulder pads and knee guards and a durable chest plate with the Ever After High symbol portrayed proudly in the middle. A large helmet like that of a Greek Corinthian with a large, red plume of feathers sticking out of the top and only adding to the enchanted suits of armor's impressive size and bulk; what really set the ghouls on edge however was how each knight-like gladiator wielded a massive, spiked mace in their grip, currently resting the weapon on their shoulders and standing motionless while awaiting orders.

"They don't look so tough!" Venus smirked, though Clawdeen could smell the fear radiating off of her from a mile away; even Ben looked nervous at this, what with his ghoul's lives possibly on the line.

"You do realize that this is Ben we're talking about here, right?" Clawdeen rolled her eyes. "As much as we all love him, brains aren't exactly his thing."

"Sh-She has a p-point." Jane gulped nervously.

"Spéralo. I sense that Ben has a plan." Skelita said patiently, looking over her shoulder blade to watch as Ben tapped the Omnitrix on his wrist and cycled through his roster before slamming a hand down on the activation button and swallowing himself in a flash of green light. His skin turned a dark gray in color as his skeleton groaned and cracked loudly as he slowly grew a couple feet taller, his ears becoming long and floppy like that of a rabbit's, drooping down on either side of his head before they stiffened and stood erect once more; his eyes shifted shape slightly, becoming more diamond-like and turning an emerald green in color. His arms grew until his knuckles just barely touched the ground, small spikes popping out at his elbows and his pinky finger slurping back into his wrist. A loud grinding noise came to Ben's attention as a skeletal tail whipped out from the base of his spine, fresh muscle surrounding the bare bone and wrapping it into tissue before smooth skin raced over to cover up the pulsing red flesh. His toes popped back into his foot one by one as the bone quickly oozed to the surface like jelly before hardening into a solid hoof, like that of a horse, while his organs sloshed and blorped around inside of him as his expanding skull was crammed full with his pulsing brain. The final piece of the transformation was the addition of black and green arm and leg braces, chest plate, shoulder pads, belt, and a helmet that protected his skull while the Omnitrix and Skurd appeared on the belt around is waist.

"Okay, I'm feeling a little less scared right now." Venus sighed with relief as Brain's eyed up the situation with his keen eyes, noting the cocky smirk on his opponent's face; with a roll of his green eyes, the Twin folded his arms over his chest and glowed a faint green aura as he levitated a few inches off of the ground to create an air of power around himself that he was glad to note that Apple's parents were taking notice of.

"Are we ready to begin?" Lizzie asked.

"Affirmative." Brains drawled, glancing his claws with nonchalance.

"Lets get this nonsense over with." Headmaster Grimm nodded, puffing out his chest with pride.

Lizzie narrowed her eyes at the Headmaster. "Do not make me give you a penalty for insulting the great importance of Wonderland Chess, Headmaster." she warned in a chilling tone that said her shouting 'Off with your head!' through a bullhorn would be the least of his problems. With that being said, the Princess of Hearts gave a shrill blow of her whistle to signify the beginning of the game, much to Blondie's excitement; while he was wise enough to keep his biting comments to himself, Leonard wasn't quite sure she would be able to stay awake during the game, especially one between his former Headmaster and the despised boyfriend of his daughter, who sat uncomfortably between both him and her mother.

"Ben, you may begin." Lizzie nodded.

"Hold that thought for just a moment," Headmaster Grimm frowned. "Why does he get to go first?"

"Because he is actually respecting heritage and is keeping any rude comments he may or may not have to himself." Lizzie snapped angrily; Grimm decided it wise to keep his mouth shut.

Brains tapped his chin in thought, evaluating the board before him; in addition to his ghouls acting as game pieces, he himself was also a piece, the king in fact. Should his opponent somehow miraculously manage to get an edge over him, he would have to be captured in order for the game to be won and for his ghouls to be banished or executed as the case may be, depending on how the Headmaster was feeling. The chess board was labeled by a system of numbers and letters, with numbers running horizontally across the board and letters running vertically as made evident by the shimmering, glowing symbols on the side of the checkerboard lawn.

"Hmmm. Rook move to A4." the Twin commanded, rubbing his chin as he ran through the calculations and all possible moves that his opponent could make.

"Who the Sphinx are you talking to?" Clawdeen wondered.

"You, Ms. Wolf." Brains sighed, rolling his eyes; confused as to what he was so exasperated about, Clawdeen caught sight of a faint glow coming from her chest and looked down to see the shimmering image of a tiered tower on her chest giving off a light luminescence and signifying her position in the game. Now knowing what was going on, the other ghouls looked over themselves for similar symbols as Clawdeen moved from her corner of the chessboard to about half way.

Headmaster Grimm grinned at this. "Rook to A5: attack." he ordered, jamming a finger across the grassy board. One of the hulking suits of armor in the opposite corner of the board shifted slightly and raised up a monstrous foot to slowly stomp across the board, moving down his row before making a sharp right and marching right towards Clawdeen in a straight line with an emotionless mask before it came to a stop with a slight creak.

The werewolf had mere seconds to duck to the ground and dodge to her left across the sizable square to avoid a downward swing of the gladiator's mace that left a large crater in the spot she had been moments before while simultaneously sending dirt clods flying in a wide radius. Clawdeen snarled, wishing she could use her teeth and claws against the hulking, metal monstrosity, but knowing full well she wouldn't make a dent and only hurt herself in the process; instead, she tapped the Omnitrix fastened to her wrist and slammed a hand down on the activation button, swallowing herself in a blast of golden light that warped and scrambled her genetic code into something new. The first and most noticeable part of the transformation began when the fur and skin around Clawdeen's head suddenly melted off, the bare muscle and tissue quickly solidifying and turning a hard, metallic sheen. Clawdeen's head suddenly separated from her body, a forked eyebrow-like crest forming above her yellowing eyes. Her shoulders pinched upwards, forming large points and then an upside down arch with her head floating between them, held in place by some magnetic field; the werewolf's chest swelled slightly into a more noticeable bust. Her skin turned a durable, metallic black with bright, silver lines and spots as her claws crunched and snapped loudly to fuse together into a pair of large pincers, her frame shooting upwards until it was about ten feet tall. Her toes ripped out of her boots into a pair of large claws, a tingling sensation coursing through her entire body as the Omnitrix appeared on her chest.

"Not bad for a rookie." Skurd remarked as Polarizer raised her metallic pincers above her head and focused on the metal composition of the heavy mace heading in her direction, figuring it to be something similar to iron; she was proven correct when the gladiator's mace quivered and shivered in his grip, trembling there for a few seconds longer before its weapon was torn from his grasp and into the air. The sudden release nearly threw the Biosovortian off balance before she was able to focus more on the mace now within her grasp and sent it flying back at the enchanted gladiator, narrowing her eyes when it managed to catch the weapon in its hands and hold it in place in the air.

"What are the odds that she'll win, good chap?" Skurd asked Brains.

"Estimation: roughly 18.66667 percent." the Twin replied, his position never wavering as he watched Polarizer yank the mace out of the gladiator's grasp once more and send it into the air before promptly beating the hulking metal suit over the head with the weapon, smashing and compressing it down to about half her size before she focused on the gladiator itself; the suit of armor squealed and creaked in protest as its metal suit was compacted and compressed into a smaller and smaller metal ball, making everyone wince from the sheer noise of the act before the Biosovortian finally stopped and let the roughly beach ball-sized orb of antimonial material fall to the ground.

"Make that 72.349 percent." Brains corrected himself as the Omnitrix timed out and returned Clawdeen to the world in a flash of golden light; Headmaster Grimm was fuming as the werewolf sighed with relief at not getting ground into mincemeat.

"Lucky shot." Leonard grumbled, oblivious to his daughter's particular interest in the fight and the way his wife was looking at Brains with admiration.

"I can not believe my eyes, Ever After High! It seems Ben isn't the only shape-shifter!" Blondie exclaimed with surprise as Humphrey took a pause in his filming to clean his glasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Your move, Ben. The previous skirmish is sound." Lizzie nodded as Headmaster Grimm clenching his fists and teeth angrily.

Brains nodded and tapped his chin in thought once more, wondering if he should proceed to continue to use Clawdeen or throw in another one of his available ghouls in order to keep the tables turned on his opponent. "Knight to E3." he ordered.

Jane gulped nervously and took a few cautious steps forward, moving three squares straight in front of her before turning a sharp left and resting on the single square, awaiting further orders or for something to happen. Headmaster Grimm frowned and stroked his mustache in thought, knowing full well that he shouldn't underestimate the trembling, violet girl before him. From what he gathered from mere glimpses of her behavior, he could establish that she was easily frightened by strange, new things she didn't fully understand and was fiercely protective of those she cared for and loved, if the little skirmish in his office that left horrendous claw marks on his rug was anything to go by.

"Pawn to . . . G6." he tried, watching as the bulky suit of armor slowly lifted its legs with a low creaking noise and loudly stomped its way through two squares of colorful grass before coming to a stop; after receiving a nod from Lizzie that the moves were valid, Brains continued with a slight edge on his face.

"Knight to F5: attack." the Twin ordered.

Jane sucked in a deep breath to still her jittery nerves before moving the three, brightly colored squares in front of her and taking a sharp right to come face to face with the gigantic suit of armor that completely dwarfed her trembling figure; she stole a quick glance back at Brains before she rushed forward and punched the gladiator as hard she could in the chest, crying out as she bounced off and held her throbbing hand. A quick check told her that nothing was broken, but the jungle girl supposed that this wouldn't deter the gladiator from trying to crush her bones into dust. This was quickly proven when the hulking enchanted suit of armor swung its mace high and around its head before swinging it downward.

Jane instinctively focused on an image in her head and felt the changes begin instantly, quickly changing her genetic code and body structure within milliseconds. She felt her skeleton compress in on itself, her bones shrinking and cracking loudly as her frame quickly shrank down to about the size of a dollar bill, if not a few inches larger. Her violet skin blistered horribly before thick, pebble-like scales exploded on her arms and shoulders and ran down to her hands while they twisted and morphed into small, claw studded digits. The scales continued to traverse across her body, forming gnarled bumps and spines that made it look like a very unappetizing meal as her face pushed out slightly and her eyes rotated to either side of her head. Her full lips disappeared to be replaced by gums lined with small, needle-like teeth and a broad, flat tongue while bony ridges formed over her eyes to shield her from the sun; Small horns formed on the back of her head, giving her spiked crown of sorts as her chest and sides widened into a shape similar to that of a pancake with spiked edges while a short tail squirted out from the base of her spine; the transformation ended when the Nemetrix appeared as a small, spiked collar around Jane's neck.

:Ha! The coward!" Leonard guffawed at the tiny, almost invisible horned lizard lying very still on the grass in the hopes that the gladiator wouldn't notice her. Unfortunately, the metal giant's gigantic steps were more than enough to set the small reptile on edge as it instinctively began to puff itself up as an intimidation tactic that would most likely not work on the gladiator who bent down to pick up the horned lizard by its tail and hold it up to its face out of curiosity.

"I can't watch . . ." Apple covered her eyes, fearing the worst; the lizard was small enough that the enchanted suit of armor could have easily crushed her into a bloody paste with a single clench of its fist.

What happened next however, surprised everyone as Jane screwed up her eyes and fired off jet of dark, crimson blood from special ducts in her eyes, successfully blinding the gladiator for a few, precious seconds as it dropped her and stumbled back trying to wipe the foul tasting blood from its face; this was all Jane needed however as she landed on the ground and instantly began to attack. The small horned lizard instantly disappeared in a whirl of purple scales and fur to be replaced by a jittery kangaroo that leaned back on its tail to deliver a swift kick to the gladiator's stomach that would have actually managed to break bones before the marsupial vanished in a cloud of fur and bony plating to be replaced by a massive Ankylosaurus the size of a car.

The heavy, armored dinosaur snorted and turned around to smash its club-like tail into the gladiator's shoulder with a loud crunch! before raising its tail into the air to bring it down on the enchanted suit of armor's head. The gladiator however saw this coming and managed to duck out of the way in time, swinging its mace with one hand like a golf club into the Ankylosaurus' side, knocking it over onto its back with a little effort and proceeding to punch it repeatedly in its vulnerable underbelly. With a roar of agony, the heavily armored dinosaur disappeared in a whirl of bony plating and feathers to be replaced by a small swift that flapped its wings and took to the air, disappearing from view. The Headmaster was about to eagerly call out on a foul when he noticed that the tiny dot that was Jane almost instantaneously got bigger as it came back down, his expression turning from one of confusion to one of fear as a gigantic Diplodocus came crashing down to the ground and crushed the hulking suit of armor into the dust.

"Foul! I call foul and cheating!" Headmaster Grimm roared as the titanic sauropod shifted its pillar-like legs to scrape off the remains of twisted metal plating from the bottom of its large feet. "There is no possible way that this, this tactic, if it can even be called that, is fair!"

"I deem it fair, Headmaster." Lizzie frowned. "It is not an uncommon tactic to be used, and I commend Ben's shape-shifting friend for honoring the favorite move of my ancestors, The Mad Hatter Mallet Smash. Accusation overruled and skirmish is sound and fair." the Princess of Hearts declared, much to Jane's relief and the Headmaster's fury as the former returned to her original form and fell to her knees out of exhaustion; shifting between multiple forms in quick succession often made Jane tired and even a little bit sore on occasions as well, at least when Venus hadn't offered to smooth our the tight knots and massage her sore muscles.

"Bishop to G4." Brain drawled lazily, watching with disinterest as Venus moved across the board with a broad, toothy smirk on her lips.

"Bishop to E5: attack!" the Headmaster roared with fury, watching as the enchanted suit of armor marked as the bishop hurriedly rushed diagonally across the board to comply with its master's plans, raising its mace above and behind it in preparation to smash Venus upside the head. The plant monster however merely raised up a foot and stomped it down on the earth, smiling as she felt the roots in her feet shoot down into the ground and slither towards the patch of colorful grass the gladiator was approaching, her grin broadening further as she felt the roots hastily split off and thicken themselves into hungry, new shoots that burst out of the ground just as the gladiator was about to mash her into paste. Strong, thorny vines and creepers wrapped themselves around the armor's neck and arms and wrists, restraining him in place as they converged on the rest of him, smothering him and injecting tiny hooks and roots into him for support. Venus was quite sure she had won when the small mound of pulsing plants across from her suddenly exploded in all directions with a loud, green squelch that made her cry out as her 'children' were destroyed; the gladiator took this moment to grab its fallen mace and bash the plant monster in the side of the head, sending her flying across the square and plowing into the dirt with a groan.

"Venus!" Jane cried, hastily crawling on her hands and knees to the edge of her square before a shrill whistle that made Clawdeen howl with pain cut through the air.

"Pieces are not allowed to leave their position unless ordered to by their king." Lizzie recited, shaking her head and pointing a finger at Jane, telling for her to get back where she belonged before she was disqualified and counted as a victory for the eager Headmaster.

"Aren't you the slightest bit concerned?" Skurd wondered, raising an eyebrow up at Brains.

"I have my rational motives." Brains huffed, absentmindedly glancing at his claws out of boredom.

"Please . . . don't fail be now," Venus pleaded to the Omnitrix on her wrist, wincing at the wound in her head with one of the mace's spikes cut through her skin and allowed valuable sap to leak through her hair and fingers as the enchanted gladiator slowly approached with its mace dragging through the dirt. She was engulfed in a flash of neon green light as her DNA was scrambled and rearranged into something new. Hard metal plating raced up his back and front, melting together into a single shield as her shoulders crunched and squelched loudly, broadening out while becoming rounded and massive; flexible, black tubing covered the skin between her elbows and shoulders. Venus' arms began to swell, metal plating taking the place of her skin as the plant equivalent of bone and muscles fused together before sending out thousands upon thousands of sensitive nerve endings that connected themselves to the armor that now encased Venus in a tight, faint orange shell. Her hands trembled and splintered loudly as they suddenly changed into sharp, gray claws while a large piston formed on the back of her elbows, merging with her arms beneath the thick layer of durable armor. Metal plating enveloped Venus' head and formed something that resembled a Greek Corinthian helmet as a pair of small, pointed ears slipped out from beneath the armor just as her feet tore through her boots and turned into hard, metallic claws. The Omnitrix appeared on her chest between a pair of slight bulges in her armor where her breasts might have been as patches on her chest, knees, feet, and wrists turned a fiery pink in color, completing the transformation.

"Hah!" the Talpaedan raising a jackhammer-like arm to block a wide swing of the gladiator's mace with little more than a slight dent to show for it; narrowing her small, beady eyes, the hulking, armored alien climbed to its feet and drew back its arm, clenching her metal fingers into a fist and watching with amazement as they instinctively fused together into a hardened, drill-like tip in contrast. With an unseen, cocky smirk, the Talpaedan thrust her arm forward and smashed it deep into the center of the gladiator chest, activating her drill-like arms and watching as the enchanted suit of armor spun around like a pinwheel in a hurricane before being blasted back to the very edge of its square with a loud thud!

"As much as it pains me to admit it, this was an outcome I did not see coming." Brains admitted as the Talpaedan looked at its claws, as if thinking before raising an arm above her head and plunging it deep into the earth at her feet; the piston on the back of her elbow hissed and started to pump up and down viciously, going faster and faster as the ground began to tremble and a large fissure appeared in the ground at her feet, snaking outwards the gladiator and opening up a large crack underneath its feet, trapping it as the hulking suit of armor fell through and up to its waist.

"And that's why I'm calling this one Wreckta Scale!" the Talpaedan seemed to smirk before jamming her other arm into the ground and adding to the trembling and quaking that was radiating through the ground; Apple had curled up into a ball out of fear of her first earthquake, not quite sure what to do, as Leonard struggled to keep his crown on his head and his butt to the seat as the ghouls wobbled and staggered on their legs. The Headmaster had fallen flat on his black a long time ago, Lizzie was furiously gripping the sides of the referee basket with white knuckles as Blondie and Humphrey tired to hold the camera steady while also standing, a task that was not easy to do. The enchanted suit of armor struggled with all its might to pull itself out of the closing crack, but the attempt proved to be fruitless as it was squeezed and compressed by the shifting plates before the suit of armor shuddered and rattled and finally died as the faint, glowing aura gave off blinked out and let the metal body parts fall lifeless to the ground.

"And it seems as if a new alien has been unlocked for Venus!" Blondie declared from a sitting position on the ground, not yet ready to trust her legs as Wreckta Scale flexed and poised for the camera for a few seconds, earning a slight blush from Jane and smiles of amusement from Clawdeen and Skelita. The Headmaster on the other hand was furious at his losses, realizing how much of a disadvantage he was at against beings that could alter their form for any occasion or trial he threw at them.

"As unanticipated as the outcome was, the results are undeniably desirable." Brains hummed just before the Omnitrix beeped and suddenly timed out in a flash of green light, returning Ben to the world much to his exasperation. "Oh, come on! How am I supposed to win now!?"

"Turn into another alien, you imbecile!" Skurd sighed with exasperation.

"Oh. Right." Ben chuckled sheepishly before he tapped the Omnitrix and cycled through the roster before selecting Brainstorm and slamming a hand down on the activation button, encompassing himself in a flash of green light. His skin began to harden into a smooth covering, the little hairs on his body solidifying and rearranging themselves into little, spiked diamonds that rose up from his arms and quickly fused together to form a solid layer of crystal that quickly traveled his arms and across his shoulders to work downwards towards his chest and across to his other arm, traversing across his skin as his bones amalgamated with his new skin; his frame bent and warped loudly with a loud cracking noise as his height and size increased while Ben's jawline pushed out into a square, charismatic way; his teeth fused together into two, hard plates as his skull pinched back into a sharpened crest. A pair of sharp blades tore out through the back of his shirt, adding to his considerable bulk as his body finished solidification into a diamond-like substance. A black jumpsuit with a wide, green stripe down the middle that showed off his crystalline chest and muscles materialized on his body, a green belt with the Omnitrix and Skurd forming at the center and completing the transformation.

"Not again." Diamond sighed, pinching his brow with annoyance.

"Would rather be turned into your Appoplexian form?" Skurd countered.

"At this point, it might be the best option." the Petrosapien grumbled as he glanced over the chessboard and took a look at the one remaining piece of his opponent.

"Uh, Pawn to B3." Diamondhead guessed, hoping he was making a good decision as Skelita moved forward two squares and awaited further orders.

"Knight to C6." Headmaster Grimm immediately said afterward.

"Pawn to C5: attack." Diamondhead ordered, hoping Skelita would be able to defend herself against the hulking, metal gladiator; unlike most his ghouls, the skeleton was more susceptible to injury in her natural form with no muscles, tissue, or skin to protect her bones from brutal beatings. His worry quickly dissipated as Skelita bent down into splayed leg, fighting gesture much like Diamondhead had seen multiple time in martial arts movies, and deliver a swift roundhouse kick that sent the gladiator stumbling back; the lessons Jinafire had been giving her seemed to be paying off, especially considering Skelita didn't have any muscles or organs to weigh her bones down and allowing her to perform almost unrealistically flexible flips, kicks, and dodges that left most enemies dumbfound, much like the enchanted suit of armor was when it swung its mace and witnessed Skelita leaping over the weapon and arching her spine to propel her back to the ground at an impossible angle.

This allowed Skelita to activate the Omnitrix fastened securely to her radius and ulna and tapped the watch face with a bony finger before selecting the desired transformation and pressing a hand down on the activation button, swallowing her in a flash of marigold light and scrambled her DNA into something new. Her bones cracked and snapped loudly as they grew larger and began to thicken, hundreds upon thousands of firm rods forming inside of her marrow to them extra structure and support as her rounded shoulder blades began to broaden slightly, allowing her chest and rib cage to grow larger as well. Her bony knuckles and finger trembled and clenched slightly before exploding in size, wicked claws tipping each bony finger as her legs started to match her arms in size and strength. Skelita's lower jaw jutted outwards in a large underbite that let two of her sharpening teeth to curve up over her upper jaw while horn-like protrusions start form above her eye sockets. Now crimson muscles commenced their slow and steady invasion of her skeleton, coating her white bones in fat and tissue and packing particularly tightly around her legs and lower abdomen as organs started to form within the protective shell her body was building for her. Skin began to form over Skelita's new muscles and flesh, allowing deep, orange fur to sprout all over her body, coating her in a thick carpet as black stripes etched their way across her legs, shoulders, and back while patches on her stomach, jaw, hands, and feet formed. Her nonexistent bust swelled into existence as a tight, black and marigold colored leotard materialized on her body, followed quickly by a pair of black finger-less gloves, open toe boots, and a luchador mask that matched her outfit and allowed a short, orange ponytail tipped a deep black to slip through. The transformation completed as the Omnitrix appeared in the form of a thin belt around Skelita's waist as two, large claws ripped out of both of her feet.

"RAGH!" Furryosa bellowed loudly, reverberating the air and making everyone within the vicinity cover their ears for fear of losing their hearing. "Lemme tell ya somethin', traje encantado de la armadura wieldin' a mace that may or not be custom made design specifically to destruirme! You may be grande, but Furryosa is even bigger!"

The hulking gladiator drew itself up to its fully height and set its massive mace to rest on its shoulder, as if glaring at the female Appoplexian currently yelling her head off at it.

"Except for the part you're taller and heavier than me . . . but that doesn't matter!" Furryosa roared angrily, jamming a finger up at the gladiator that stood well over her by more than a couple of feet. "'Cause the bigger they are, the harder they-"

Apple cringed as the gladiator didn't let the Appoplexian finish her ranting and swung its massive mace around to brutally slam it into her side, sending her flying across the two squares and skidding painfully into the dirt, leaving a large trail of destruction in her wake as the gladiator seemed to chuckle while it marched over to meet her and finish the job; Headmaster Grimm was watching with great intensity, silently chanting on his champion.

"Something tells me ol' Grimmy forgot about Rath." Diamondhead noted when he caught sight of the headmaster's excited expression.

"The fool doesn't know what he's got himself into." Skurd shook his head in agreement as Furryosa groaned and climbed to her feet, rubbing her aching skull.

"Ugh, Furryosa doesn't remember how the rest of that goes," she grumbled under her breath. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall! That's what Furryosa was gonna say! By that logic, you being bigger than Furryosa, IS A DISADVANTAGE! RAAAAGH!" she roared with fury, rushing forward to ram the gladiator in the gut and sending it skidding back as it held its dented chestplate.

"Cosmic Clothesline!" the Appoplexian declared, dashing forward and slugging the gladiator across the face and knocking it down to the ground.

"Kineceleran Leg Drop!" Furryosa roared, throwing herself into the air and slamming the back of her legs across the gladiator's chest, knocking the wind out of it or at the very least, stunning the suit of armor.

"To'kustar Big Boot!" she added, kicking the gladiator in the jaw after it threw her off of it and climbed to its feet, only to have its head snapped back by the furious kick.

"Khoros Arm Bar!" the Appoplexian yelled, launching herself at the gladiator's face before shifting herself to wrap her arms and legs around the enchanted suit of armor's arms, squeezing her thighs and and clenching her leg muscles to loudly tear the limb off and away from the body. With a grunt as she fell to the ground, Furryosa rammed herself into the now one-armed gladiator's gut before it managed to grab by the wrist as she attempted to punch it and threw it a fair distance away; the Appoplexian quickly landed on her hands and rushed forwards, lashing out with the claws on her feet in swift kicks and jabs that made the suit of armor jolt and stumble back with every blow as it tried to get a shot in edgewise with its giant mace.

"Sirius Butt-Kicking!" Furryosa screamed as she flipped herself over, grabbed the gladiator's dismembered arm, and proceeded to beat the enchanted warrior over the head with its own limb; she mercilessly pummeled it down and into the ground before ditching the arm and proceeding to stomp down on the gladiator's chest, stealing the gladiator's mace and then beating it into scrap metal with that.

"Lemme tell you somethin' traje encantado de la armadura wieldin' a mace that may or not be custom made design specifically to destruirme!" Furryosa roared. "El Kabong Mace Shot!" she screamed, raising the mace above her head and slamming it down on the gladiator's head with a sickening crunch! and the twist of screaming metal; the Omnitrix timed out as the Appoplexian effortlessly tossed the heavy weapon over her shoulder and across the field, narrowly missing Clawdeen as it smashed through and obliterated the stone wall behind as Skelita returned to the world.

"¡Estoy tan cansado!" the skeleton wiped her sweaty brow.

"The game of Wonderland Chess is over!" Lizzie declared loudly. "You know have an option, Headmaster Grimm: surrender and allow Ben's monsters to stay at Ever After High for however they may be here, or jump into the game yourself and attempt what can only be a suicide mission to win victory."

"You say that as if he has no chance." Blondie remarked.

Lizzie shrugged. "While it was not uncommon for games of Wonderland Chess to be won with nothing more than a single 'game piece', it is somewhat considered an honorable, yet foolish and desperate move to make that is only to be attempted by the most mad or powerful of 'kings'." the Princess of Hearts explained.

"You don't think he can do it?" Blondie asked.

"Not even I am mad enough to try to single handedly take on those monsters." Lizzie shook her head. "Especially the oddly amusing purple one; her fear and the results that follow are quite interesting to watch." she added with a slight smirk. "What is your decision, Headmaster?"

The Headmaster glanced at the chessboard, watching as Clawdeen glared at him and cracked her knuckles while simultaneously baring her teeth; Wreckta Scale flexed her impressive bulk and fired off her drill-like hands in a threatening manner until the Omnitrix timed out and returned Venus to the world; Diamondhead whipped his arm out to the side and morphed it into a long, sharpened blade, narrowing his eyes at the Headmaster and daring him to make a move; only Skelita and Jane weren't making menacing gestures at him, though he supposed they were merely keeping up a facade of sorts.

"I . . . submit." he grumbled before a bright smile crossed his face. "On the brighter side of things, Ms. White will still be going home where you won't be able to touch her."

"Don't remind me." Diamondhead sighed; he stole a quick glance at the princess and felt this heart clench when he saw that she was curled up into a tight ball with her head on her knees, sobbing slightly as her mother tried to comfort her. Leonard remained stone faced and unresponsive, though the Petrosapien could sense that he was uncomfortable with his crying daughter at his side.

---

Apple sniffed as she watched Diamondhead come trudging out the front doors with the final trunk of her luggage and belongings on his shoulders, looking down at her feet with sorrow while the Petrosapien hefted the trunk up onto the roof of the White family's carriage and secured it with a sturdy rope; having packed light and absent of any guards in the hopes of going unnoticed by the band of highwayman that threatened their kingdom, the Petrosapien had offered to help Apple move out of her dorm if for no other reason than to spend their last few moments together.

In addition to the heartbroken princess and Petrosapien, Raven, Briar, Ashlynn, and Daring had all been allowed to be excused from their classes to see Apple off, an atmosphere of depression and awkard farewells lingering over them all.

"That's the last one." Diamondhead sighed as he turned to face Apple for the last time.

"Good. Now we best be on our way." Leonard huffed, climbing up into the driver's seat of the carriage; normally they would have had a professional driver handle the horses and drive the carriage, but it wasn't often that the king got to go out of his own kingdom without a band of guards at his beck and call. That, and he never got to drive around as much as he wanted to (Snow White could already feel the many bumps, potholes, and and tree roots that would jostle the carriage).

"Say good-bye to your friends, dear." Snow White sighed wearily, climbing into the carriage and preparing herself for the bumpy ride ahead.

Nodding Apple turned to the small group that had been allowed to say their good-byes to her; the ghouls were noticeably absent under the request of Diamondhead. "Well . . . I guess this is it."

"And you wonder why I'm a Rebel." Raven smiled sadly, giving Apple a comforting hug. "We can come visit you during school breaks, if you like."

Apple nodded. "I'd like that." she sniffed before Briar pulled her into a bone-crushing hug that was simultaneously squeezing the very air out of her lungs.

"I promise you, the moment we meet up again I am throwing the biggest, baddest, page ripper of a party." Briar said after she allowed Apple to breath again and regain the color in her face.

"I can ask my bird friends to carry messages if you like." Ashlynn offered after giving the Daughter of Snow White a softer and more gentler hug than her narcoleptic friend.

"Thank you." Apple smiled before she turned to Daring, the two of them remaining silent as they faced each other in awkward silence; despite sharing the same story that would supposedly have them end up marrying each other, things had never really grown between the two of them. For the most part they simply ignored each other and stayed out of each others lives, with the exception of Daring stepping to try and resecure his role as Apple's prince from Ben (and everyone knew that that little plan had turned out horribly). So came to no ones surprise when the two of them merely shared a simple handshake and comforting smile with each other, much to Leonard's annoyance.

Snow White watched her daughter's interaction with her destined prince, remembering how back when she was in school she wasn't as on board with the 'following your destiny' thing; back then, Leonard had been something of a rude and pompous jerk that always vied for her affections while simultaneously flirting nonstop with nearly every other member of the female species that attended Ever After High. That was probably the main reason she had been deterred from the path set out from her and why she was so attracted to the bad boy of her dreams, how he never let anything bother him or how he simply ignored practically everyone around him; then again, almost had mostly been avoiding him for fear of getting bitten. But not her, no the moment she had laid eyes on him she had started to follow him around until he had finally lost his cool and told her off. Snow White remembered how she had stood her ground against the bad boy's brutal words and wasn't the slightest bit affected by it, something that drew his attention towards her. And after months of a strong friendship and silent love, he had suddenly ignored her, avoiding her as best as he could for some unknown reason. All she knew was that he had left her on the steps of Ever After High right before a study date together to attend a meeting in the Headmaster's office, and that was the last she saw of him.

She watched as Apple finally came to Diamondhead, the quirky little Slimebiote that usually resided on the strange device that allowed the Petrosapien to transform at will having moved to his shoulder to be in a less awkward position.

"So . . . I guess this is it, huh?" Diamondhead sighed after a while, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Yeah," Apple sniffed. "I guess it is."

"You know, I could always . . . ya know . . ." the Petrosapien tried to say.

Apple shook her head, remembering the somewhat dark and frightening offers he had occasionally made while cleaning out her side of the dorm the princess had once shared with Raven. "No, Ben, freezing my parents inside a block of ice is still not an option."

"Well what about-"

"Neither is freezing them in time for the next twenty years." she scolded him lightly, knowing full well that he was only joking around to try and lighten the somewhat depressing mood; it worked, but only slightly as the two of them fell back into a sorrowful state. "I'm . . . I'm going to miss you." Apple sniffed, feeling tears well in her eyes. These tears, unlike several occasions before, were genuine and full of fear and regret, afraid of what would become of her when she left Ever After High, of what would become of Ben and her friends when she was gone, afraid of the unknown.

"Hey, come on now," Diamondhead said, bending down to one knee and carefully brushing away her tears with a finger. "Chin up, and all that. It's like they say: life is a highway. Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand, sometimes you turn your back to the wind. And then you occasionally end up in an accident, but that's beside the point." he added, earning a small smile from Apple. "Fate's a funny thing, Apple. We'll see each other again someday, maybe even sooner than you think."

"I hope so," Apple nodded before she wrapped her arms around the Petrosapien's thick neck and burying her head into his shoulder for comfort. "I-I'm going to miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you, too." Diamondhead replied, pulling the princess into a secure hug and easily lifting her off of the ground; he never wanted to let go of this girl in his grasp, this girl who had made one of his first few friends in this strange new world. Before he knew what was happening, Apple was kissing him on his crystalline lips, not even put off by the fact that she was kissing an alien transformation and not his human form.

"Ooh, the drama!" Skurd squealed excited, twisting his tentacles with enthusiasm.

Ahem." King Leonard coughed crossly. "I hate to interrupt this touching . . . moment . . . but we must be on our way before it gets dark."

"Coming, Daddy." Apple sighed as Diamondhead set her back down on the ground. With a final, farewell look behind her, Apple made her way towards the carriage and climbed in, closing the door behind her and getting comfortable from across her mother; with a snap of the reins,the carriage took off a brisk pace, crossing over the Troll's Bridge and disappearing out of sight towards Book End.

"Ben?" Raven asked after a few moments of silence. "Are . . . are you gonna be okay?"

"'Course I am." Diamondhead lied. "Not like I haven't broken up with a girl before."

"You're in denial, aren't you?" Brair guessed.

"And if I am?"

Daring was about to interject with own thoughts when a loud, shrill scream came from off in the distance, followed by a series of destructive noises that didn't sound the slightest bit good; to Diamondhead however, that scream was all too familiar. "Apple!" he cried, stomping down on the ground and spawning a cluster of diamonds beneath his feet. The Petrosapien effortlessly slid across them like ice, increasing the rate at which they spawned and sprouted out from the earth to slide across them much like a snowboarder would down the slope of an icy mountain.

"Ben! Where are you going!?" Ashlynn called out.

"Apple's in danger! Stay here!" Diamondhead called back over his shoulder.

"Ah, off on another harrowing journey to save the girl of your dreams, eh?" Skurd chuckled excitedly as he and his currently Petrosapien partner moved along at a quick pace.

"Not now, Snotty. Just get ready to fight."

"With pleasure." Skurd chuckled wickedly.

---

"Get your hands off my wi-mmmphf!" King Leonard yelled, swinging his sword in a wide arch and warding off a pair of bandits opposing him and failing to notice the third one that came up behind him and gagged him a piece of burlap, kicking him in the back of the knee and forcing him to drop to the ground where his trusty weapon skidded just out reach; the pair of bandits he had been fighting before grinned wickedly and converged on him with several coils of rope, tying his hands and feet together before leaving him to squirm on the road like a helpless worm.

As soon as the carriage had rumbled into the Village of Book End, chaos had broken out as a band of bandits, the very same group that had been terrorizing and attacking every coach to come in or out of the White Kingdom with extreme vigor, laid waste to the the village. Despite their screams, no one was brave or willing enough to try and rescue the royal family as Leonard had fruitlessly tried to keep the ruthless men off of his wife and daughter before being captured himself; about a dozen or so bandits were looting the carriage or chasing after and trying to secure Snow White and Apple, each one of them wearing a heavy, dark brown cloak that obscured their faces over a thick, black shirt and a pair of deep blue breeches. Each bandit wielded either a knife or a sword of some kind as they scrambled about in a mad chase.

"Please! Leave me alone!" Apple pleaded as a band of bandits chased after her, hungry smiles on their faces as they followed her into an alley where she struggled to climb up a drain pipe and onto a low roof top; a brigand tried to follow her up the same way, only to be beaned upside the head and into unconsciousness by Apple as she ditched her heels in favor of making a quicker getaway. Now safe in the knowledge that their target was unarmed in any way, the other two criminals climbed over their fallen comrade and scaled up the drainpipe after the princess, chasing her across the roof with swords in hand. Apple was inching her way across the thin edge out of fear and falling as the bandits rounded on her and skillfully followed after with much more speed that she had suspected them to move at; then again, they had managed to elude her parent's forces for a very long time and were most likely highly skilled in methods of espionage and escape.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Snow White screamed, pulling off her heels and throwing them with deadly accuracy at one of the bandits, succeeding in hitting him in the jaw and sending him falling off the roof; the other shoe missed by a hair, nearly making the other bandit wet himself out of fear before he continued after the fleeing Apple. Snow White frantically looked around for anything that might be able to help her daughter when he wrists were suddenly clapped together and pulled above her head by a bandit from behind that put a knife to her throat.

"One move, and that pretty head of yours ain't stayin' on yer shoulders." the thief hissed in her ear. Snow White clenched her feet and slowly moved her foot from under her dress, aiming it just right and driving it back as hard as she could to kick the bandit in his nether regions, sending him crumbling to the ground as she caught his knife in her hand with a triumphant smirk.

"I think I'll keep my head, thank you very much." Snow White smirked before she was suddenly slammed into from the side by a bandit and knocked to the road, the knife sliding out of reach and under an abandoned fruit stand; with the queen temporarily dazed, a group of bandits descended on her and held her arms and legs out spread eagle to restrain before tying them together behind her back and gagging her before deserting her on the road for the time being. A few furious bandits even went so far as to spit on her and the one that had taken a shot to his coconuts gave a swift kick to the ribs in revenge before she and her husband were dragged over to the broken down carriage and put under guard by another pair of bandits before the rest went after Apple.

The princess gulped nervously as she reached the end of the roof, glancing to her left to see the bandit plus another pair that were farther off quickly making their way towards her, dark grins on their faces and twisted grips on their weapons; Apple then glanced to her right at a frightful fall to the ground below, a drop that would most likely bruise or break a few bones if she didn't land it correctly. With little other choice, Apple sucked in a breath and jumped off the roof, luckily landing on an awning beneath her that cushion her fall and bounced her across the road into a deserted fruit stand, covering herself in the sticky, juicy remains of watermelons, apples, oranges, and grapes.

"If anyone can hear me, for the love of the ancestors, please help!" Apple screamed as the bandits surrounded her and edged in closer and closer, mixed emotions on their faces; some looked as if they merely wanted to kidnap Apple and hold her for ransom while others looked as if they just wanted to kill her and get it over with, finding her parents to be more profitable than her. And there were a small number that looked as if they wanted to have their way with her, a thought that made the princess tremble where she lay.

"If you lay one finger on her, I'll grind you into dust!" a deep, masculine voice threatened. The group of bandits looked around wildly for the source of the noise before something large and bulky landed in front of them right between them and Apple.

"Ben?" Apple gasped with relief.

"In the flesh." Diamondhead nodded. "Now we can either do this the easy way-" he started to say before a bandit lunged forward with his sword; the Petrosapien effortlessly raised an arm to block the shot before pushing back on his arm and slugging the criminal in the gut, sending him flying clear across the square and through a shop window. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way. Diamond hard." he grinned wickedly, whipping his arm out to the right and morphing it into a long, sharpened blade of crystal.

"Cut 'im inta jewelry, boys!" one of the bandits yelled as the majority of the group rushed at the Petrosapien with swords raised above their head and ready to fight; Skurd wiggled his little, squishy antennae and tapped into the Omnitrix's extensive genetic database, oozing himself over Diamondhead's left arm and morphing hard, crusty rocks over the shimmering crystals and turning it into that of a Pyronite's.

"Guys like you really burn me up." Diamondhead glowered as fired off a jet of fire from his new limb at the road, creating a wall of fire between himself and the approaching bandits. The Petrosapien then stomped a foot down into the road and formed a thick pillar of diamond beneath his feet that he warped and spawned over the wall of fire, swinging his sword in a wide arch to send them back. With a loud war cry, the Petrosapien leaped into the middle of the battle and swung his sword in a wide arch around him, managing to take a pair of thieves that didn't duck fast enough.

A bandit lunged at him with sword in hand, thrusting it forward only to have Diamondhead parry the blow and slug him in the chest with his flaming fist, sending him screaming off in search of a way to put out the fire that had started to consume his cloak.

"En guarde!" Diamondhead grinned as a bandit used one of his brothers as a spring board and tried to attack from the air, sailing too far overhead and allowing him to grab a hold of his foot and slam him into the ground before stomping a foot down just an inch from his face and spawning crystal restraints over his wrists and ankles. A pair of bandits tried to take him on at the same time, only to be pelted by an orange and watermelon from the fruit stand by Apple, an act she instantly regretted as a trio of bandits converged on her while Diamondhead was distracted.

"Ben! Help!" Apple pleaded as she was gagged and tied in a similar manner to her mother.

"Give me a sec!" Diamondhead grunted as Skurd returned his arm to its original form upon his request; the remaining bandits all rushed at him at once; the Petrosapien glowered at them and morphed his other hand into a sharpened blade, lowering himself into a fighting stance before charging at them with a battle cry. What followed was a blur to him as he swung his arms to parry blows and block strikes towards him before he counteracted with swings of his own weapons, clubbing a bandit or two over the head when he didn't send them flying in all directions with a movement of his arms.

"And stay down." Diamondhead growled at the fallen bandits around him. Snorting with annoyance, the Petrosapien shifted his arms back into their original forms and looked around for any signs of remaining thieves before he noticed that the royal family had mysteriously vanished; with a grunt, Diamondhead whirled around and slammed a fist into the ground, dozens of glimmering diamonds jutting up out of the road and forming a tall wall in front of the remaining trio of bandits that had managed to get away with Leonard, Snow White, and Apple in tow.

"Ready to surrender?" Diamondhead offered with a threatening tone; the three leftover criminals all shared looks with one another, took a glance at their fallen comrades, and promptly raised their hands above their head in a yielding position.

"That's what I thought." Skurd huffed proudly as Diamondhead thrust a fist down into the ground and formed tough, crystalline prisons around the three thieves before shifting his arm into a jagged blade and proceeding to carefully cut through the ropes that bound the White family where they lay.

"Am I ever glad to see you!" Apple cried with relief, hugging Diamondhead viciously; the Omnitrix timed out mere seconds later and Ben was returned to the world, allowing the princess to hug her boyfriend's true form once more.

"As much as I hate to admit it, young lad, your help was greatly appreciated." Leonard grumbled as he climbed to his feet and rubbed his bare wrists before he helped his wife to her feet while she dusted herself off and winced at several bruises that lined her arms.

"Does this mean I can still date Ben?" Apple pleaded, her grip tightening on Ben's shoulders as he genlty slid his arms around her waist and her close for what could possibly be the last time.

"I'm afraid not, dear." Snow White sighed. "Not to be nit-picky, but he's not even a knight or prince, just-"

"If you say incubus one more time . . ." Ben threatened.

Snow White shook her head. "No, I was going to say 'boy'. Granted, your skills are highly admirable and it's clear that you love our daughter dearly, but he is not of royal descent and thus cannot be your prince."

"But my magic mirror said-"

"Magic mirrors are not always correct, sweety." Leonard grumbled with annoyance, glancing back at the carriage and noting with disappointment the lack of its horses and its two, broken wheels. "The only possible way he could have a chance at even becoming your prince is if he was a hero or proved himself worthy enough to become your future wife."

"But he has," Apple protested. "Ben fought Daring and won!"

"And, I'm actually a worldwide famous hero back home." Ben added.

"What do you mean 'worldwide famous hero'?" Leonard narrowed his eyes. "If you really were that famous, I would have heard of you by now."

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about the whole 'being from a parallel universe' thing for a second there." Ben grumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Leonard raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, someone needs a quick lesson in alternate dimensions." Ben sighed, giving Apple a comforting smile before he took the confused king aside to try and attempt to explain to him the concept of time travel, parallel universe, alternate dimensions, and extraterrestrial life while Snow White took her own daughter aside.

"I'm sorry, Apple, but you can't keep him." she said in a somewhat unusual, loud tone.

"But why, Mom? Why are so set on keeping me and Ben apart?" Apple asked with a hurt voice.

Snow White didn't respond at first, glancing over her shoulder at Leonard and Ben as the former was massaging his aching cranium from the amount of information Ben was giving him before she turned to look back at Apple with the same, warm smile that she had known since she was a mere baby. "I'm married, dear, and I love your father too much to openly disagree with him under most circumstances." she said quietly. "What he doesn't know, won't hurt him, now will it?" she winked mischievously.

Apple blinked with confusion before a look of realization crossed her face. "You mean . . ?"

The queen nodded. "You found yourself a good one, sweety." she smiled, hugging her daughter warmly. "Be good to him; he's a keeper."

"W-Why are you so supportive of us?" Apple wondered, mentally crying with relief.

Snow White gave a childish shrug. "Believe it or not, dear, I wasn't always so insistent on following my own destiny as I am now. Before your father and I met, before I was poisoned and he awoke me from my slumber, he was the biggest womanizer I had ever seen and I . . . well, I was dating a bad boy. I was a princess, he was a villain, but despite that small, little detail, among other things, we developed feelings for each other. Unfortunately, it came crumbling down when he never talked to me again." she added with a disheartened tone before recomposing herself to bend down to Apple's level. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm just glad that you have the courage to break away from the script a little, dear, unlike me. I'm proud of you." she smiled, giving her daughter a tight embrace.

"Plus, you have excellent taste in boys." Snow White added with a small smirk.

"Really?" Apple blinked with surprise.

"Yes," Snow White nodded, her devious smirk broadening like the Cheshire cat's as she glanced over at Ben with a hungry look in her eyes. "Why, if I wasn't married, I'd-"

"MOTHER!"

And there we go!

Well, looks like we all know where Apple that small, little dark side from. On an unrelated note, I am rry this took so long to write. I just couldn't figure out how to start out the chapter without completely messing it up (among other things), so thank you all for your patience! Once again, I'm sorry this chapter put off Spring Unsprung, but it was absolutely necessary so that I got this out of the way without just ignoring it and leaving a loose end to tie up some twenty chapters or so later. Regardless, Spring Unsprung will be coming up next, even if I have to kill myself to do it.

Your forgetting so small detail . . .

Oh, yeah. I'm the equivalent of a Tetramand zombie. Which reminds me, how in the name of Galvan Prime did you get down here and past Cerberus without angering Hades?

I'm your eternal tormentor! Until you've finished this story, you're stuck with me!

I'm beginning to see why Hades likes you so much . . .

Well, I never said this little job doesn't have its perks . . .

I don't like that look you're giving me.

Just sign off already. You and I both know you could use a good cup of tea.

Ugh, fine. Just keep that mallet away from me. I'd like to actually enjoy my tea with sugar this time without the threat of getting a concussion.

Aw . . .

As always, comment, review, suggest, and request down below!

Hasta Luego!

Stop stealing my lines, woman!