Hey, guys, it's me again. Just putting this up because I was able to get it finished and give an update on how things are going.

Before anyone asks, I'm just having a really busy time at work right now and it's been putting a drag on writing progress and motivation right now. I'm doing some side stuff now and again to make up for it, so I'm not losing focus or anything, just need to enjoy what I do get to write too. So, hopefully you still like this despite this not being an official update to the main fic.

Either way, this chapter is a mix between the Madness Reigns AU and the Childhood Friends AU. If you don't understand what those are, feel free to read anyway and look them up later. Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter.

Apple wasn't sure if she liked Blondie sometimes. Oh, they were friends, and the princess would absolutely die for her, but that didn't mean sometimes the other blonde didn't annoy her immensely when it came to the next "big scoop."

Then again, she never really did like sitting in front of a camera. And from the looks of Raven's shifting mood, neither did she.

"Do we really have to do this?" Raven muttered over to the princess, who was keeping calm despite her displeasure. "I know Blondie has been hounding us pretty bad, but is giving her what she wants a good idea at all?"

"I know it's just feeding into her obsession, but I don't want her or Spectra coming up with their own conclusions." Apple was always taught that nipping things in the bud was better than letting it fester. It was a lesson from her mother, something she was aware was ironic. "We can't have any rumors going around, especially about this."

"Okay, but still," Raven sighed, waving her hands in the air in frustration. "I mean, I get why she's interested, but this still feels…"

"In bad taste, I understand." Apple really did. But airing this out now would mean less stares and whispers later. And maybe a few less old wounds opening up again. "But let's just get this over with. I'll make sure to set up some boundaries with Blondie after this is all over."

"That's all I ask."

Blondie was finalizing some of the details over with Dexter while they talked, having gone over the last part of her checklist. She moved on over to the seat opposite to them, plopping down as everything was "just right" for her.

"Alright, that should be the last of the preparations!" Blondie cheerfully stated, giving them both an award-winning smile. It only served to make the two even more nervous. "I hope you two are ready for this. I have a long list of questions for you two, but you can skip them if you need to."

"We'll make sure not to abuse the privilege." Apple was sure some things would have to be skipped over for the sake of their sanity. And Raven's temper. "Raven, are you ready for this? I'd understand if you really don't want to do this."

"Let's just get this over with." Raven wondered if it was too late to use her mom's reputation to her favor for once. "Start rolling."

Blondie did her best to hide the wince, switching fully into her reporter persona. Her smile got wider, and she started the intro.

"Good morning my faithful viewers! I'm Blondie Lockes with your latest news update." Blondie motioned to her guest stars, with Apple putting on her own professional look while Raven kept her face calm and cold. "And today's show is a special one! I'm here with Apple White and Raven Queen and their relationship to one of the country's biggest cold cases…"

"…The disappearance of Ed, Edd n' Eddy!"

"Ugh!"

Cleo missed the television screen by a country mile as the empty cup sailed over it, hitting the wall with a clonk. Deuce was glad that it was empty, as cleaning soda from the wall was a nightmare.

"Babe, I get that you're ticked, but maybe hold it off a little?" Deuce didn't even flinch at the glare he received from his girlfriend, sipping at the remains of his own drink. "I have to clean up after this, remember?"

"I'll make sure she doesn't go too far, Deuce. You have my word." Goulia lightly kicked her friend from under the table, taking the heat off the gorgon. "He's right, you know. I get being mad, but Apple did have a point."

"That doesn't mean I still have to approve of this! This is just ghastly." Cleo pouted, crossing her arms and huffing. "I get that true crime videos became fairly popular, but that doesn't mean we have to bend to some bimbo with a camera."

"Hey, you like Blondie. And while I agree, this is better for us overall. It does… hurt a little, but this might be good for us." Ghoulia wasn't one hundred percent sure about that, but it was the best reassurance she could give. "And maybe this might help in the investigations. Well, whatever ones are still going on."

Cleo grunted, not paying attention. She categorically refused to look at the screen, eyes glaring a hole in the table. Deuce awkwardly tried to sip more of his drink, eventually clearing his throat.

"Maybe you'd feel better if you said your side of the story then?" Deuce raised his hands at Cleo's even more poisonous glare. "I just- you've been depressed about this since those humans posted that video. I just want to help out here, babe."

"What, so you can post a video on Scare-stagram about it?" The mummy did stop, noticing her boyfriend flinch. She swallowed her pride, shaking her head. "I'm- I'm sorry. This is all just a little painful to deal with."

"There also isn't that much to tell, quite honestly. The Ed's- well, the Ed's were good friends of ours back when we were kids." Four years ago, if Ghoulia was being precise. It wasn't that long ago, but still long enough to note it. "They happened to get into trouble a lot with a lot of scams they pulled to get some candy from the local candy store."

"I'd say it was a lot more than that, Ghoulia." Cleo let out a breath, letting nostalgia bleed in in its stead. "Some of the things they built weren't really scams if I remember correctly. Remember that time they built that rollercoaster?"

"It nearly sent us to the hospital, so yes." Ghoulia smiled ruefully at that, though her eyes caught the television screen again, only to see pictures. She wilted, though kept her posture. "…I remember a lot of those scams. My favorite was Eddy almost convincing everyone it was still summer. His most creative yet."

"…Yeah. It really was." Cleo remembered that too. She'd been so angry at the time that it only sunk in later how much planning that took. "That was a favorite of mine too."

Deuce frowned, the mood turning melancholy in front of his own eyes. He put down his drink, moving so he could face them both. "What happened to them when they left?"

Ghoulia started softly as Cleo scoffed. She frowned, remembering the details of the last scam clearly in her mind.

"It was near the beginning of our last summer together, I think. At least, spring was already coming to a close at that point." Ghoulia had blocked the date from her mind. Too many feelings related to it. "Though, I don't remember what that one scam was about. None of us were there to see it happen unfortunately."

"We didn't have to. It was like any other time those three idiots tried messing with things they didn't understand." Cleo thought it over, not remembering the exact scam either. It wasn't important though. It was the conclusion of that scam that truly led to what happened on their last day. "As usual, the damn thing went wrong, with us only learning that when Eddy took his brother's car…"

"Why did his brother leave his keys in that car?"

Clawdeen looked up from her sketches, mind catching up to the present. "Huh?"

"Why were the keys in there? He literally had the car in the room, and it was fully functional?" Cerise glared at her MirrorPhone as she watched the livestream. It was making her blood boil and some old questions fired up again. "I get bringing it up to his room, but why did he reinstall the engine?"

"Cerise, I thought we agreed to not watch this while it was going on." Maddie reached for the hooded girl's phone, causing her friend to recoil. "It's not really good for your mental health. Or any of ours, to be honest."

"She's right, and I better see that phone of yours down before I have to come over there." Clawdeen had promised herself to watch it later. She figured it would ruin the rest of her day afterward, but she thought it was a small price to pay considering she wanted to know what was said. "I'll give an update later, alright? I doubt Raven or Apple are going to say anything bad."

"It's not like we did anything incriminating." Cerise grumbled, but she did let Maddie take her phone. Her friend moved her around, so her head was lying on the other girl's lap, and she curled up without any protest. "…Can you believe it's been four years? I didn't really think about that until today."

"Yeah. I still can't believe it either." Maddie carefully pushed a strand of Cerise's hair behind her ear, carefully avoiding their wolfish shape. "Kind of makes you wonder where they might be now."

"Girls…" Clawdeen started but stopped as she saw the look Maddie gave her. She let out a frustrated groan. She understood wanting to hope for the best, but it'd been years by now. "At least we know were Eddy's brother is. Prison is still too good for him, but it's better than him being free."

"Eddy did look pretty bad. So did Double D too. Ed was fine, I think." Cerise didn't really like thinking of the aftermath of that beating. She wished she got the chance to bite that guy when she could. "I still think they would've been okay, but there should've been some kind of trace of them after."

That was true. Despite all three being injured and tired, the three were gone barely a half hour after running from the scene. Despite there needing to be a trail, it was like they just vanished from existence.

"I really wish our parents would've let us at least stay in Peach Creek for a while. I know all that heat was on us and everything, but I felt like we should've at least been there." Cerise knew their families had funerals about a year after the initial disappearance. That had been a difficult day when she saw the pictures of it online. "It was just so dumb."

"It was either that or get discovered due to some idiot wanting to get a good picture of the 'grieving friends and family," Clawdeen put down her tools, realizing she wasn't going to get any work done today. She moved over to sit near the other two, getting comfortable. "…Maybe we can grab some jawbreakers from the local candy store. For old times' sake."

"The ones here really aren't as good, but that sounds like a good idea." Maddie figured it was one way to celebrate. Not like her dad would let her spike their tea outside of Labor Day. "We can pick up enough for the others! I'm not sure how much they'd appreciate it, but I'm sure we can find a flavor for everyone."

That was comforting at the very least. Hopefully that interview would be over soon so they could make sure to enjoy it.

"And do you think there were any supernatural forces involved with the disappearance?"

"I keep telling you, I don't know." Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a small groan. "It wasn't like I could detect magic at that age without making a toaster explode, so why would I-"

"Raven, please." Apple was starting to get tired of the questions herself, but she didn't want Raven to rack up a bill with the school if she destroyed Blondie's equipment. "As for your question, Blondie, there wasn't. My mother and the Mad Hatter did do some research of their own and hadn't found anything pointing to that."

Apple gave her friend a look that, even in her semi-crazed state, the other girl could recognize. Blondie figured her time for questions were running out and cleared her throat for her final one.

"Alright folks, I think I maybe have overstayed my welcome, as usual." She stated jokingly, giving another of her showy smiles. "If we're lucky, anyone out there might have some information still relevant to the case. Is there anything you want to say to them before we clock out?"

Apple and Raven looked at each other briefly, the latter giving a shrug to the former. Raven straightened herself out, letting out a defeated sigh.

"Look, as much as I don't like talking about this and what happened, I do want to get some kind of closure here. It's been years now, and even if it's not good news, I still want to know." Raven felt vulnerable right now and it was showing in her voice a bit. "If anyone knows what happened, or at least could provide a lead, contact someone and do something about it."

"O-Or, if maybe any of our old friends are watching… somehow," Apple interjected. She knew Raven had given up on any idea of them surviving, but she hadn't. "Please come back. Or send out a message we can hear. It's all we're asking for."

There was an awkward silence after those final words. It looked like it took plenty of effort to even say them, making it hard for anyone to interrupt it after. Dexter was ready to motion to Blondie to say something to break the silence.

In the end, something did. It just wasn't something in the room.

A shrill sound echoed across the entire town. Not just through the room, not just through the school, but the entire town. Everyone instinctively covered their ears, the assault on their senses ending several seconds later. Before a word could be spoken, the screens in Blondie's newsroom went dark, lights flickering shortly afterward.

"Did- what even was that?" Apple ignored the sound of Blondie and Dexter panicking in the background as they checked on their equipment. She wondered if what happened caused her MirrorPhone to short out too. "Raven, are you alright? That almost sounded like a banshee screaming."

"It-it wasn't. I don't know how I know that, but it wasn't." Raven felt dizzy, ready to stumble as her head swam. "Whatever that was, I don't think that was a person. It felt almost… magical."

"Okay, but what happened?" Apple didn't want her to be vague. She wanted answers. "What happened to cause a reaction like that?"

Raven didn't know how to phrase it, as there wasn't a simple explanation to it. So, she went with the simplest idea she had.

"I think…" Raven said slowly, forcing her thoughts to come into focus. "Apple, I think something broke."

"I'm not getting anything from any proper channels, guys."

"Well, check again! That couldn't have just been nothing."

Ghoulia typed fast, trying to figure out what killed the signal like that. Now that she was looking things over, it appeared it wasn't just that channel, but any livestreaming service in the area. The internet wasn't down, but something had clearly taken control of the area at large to make sure all focus was on there.

"Okay, this seems like an extremely dramatic overreaction to Blondie's newscast. Hopefully Spectra didn't get too jealous about losing a scoop." Deuce joked. It didn't land, mostly because he was knocked off kilter as well. "That didn't come from the computer, right? I think your speakers might be shot if that's the case."

"If that's true, whoever did it owes me a new laptop." Ghoulia checked over the social media sites as well, not gleaning much information on that end. Everyone appeared to be just as confused as they were and if none of the normal troublemakers took credit, then that meant it was someone new. "I'd almost consider this a cyberattack, but it doesn't appear to be causing any real harm."

"I'd say assaulting my ears is harmful to me! I'll certainly give them something to scream about." Cleo groaned. She kicked the chair she'd previously been sitting in, getting ready to pace. "I swear, if I find them, I will sue them right up the Nile myself!"

Deuce sighed, watching the scene unfold before turning back to the television. He blinked as he could see it change, realizing that while it had been turned black, that didn't mean it was off.

"Uh, girls?" The gorgon pointed at the screen, frowning as color slowly seeped in. "You might want to see this."

"Okay, this is starting to get weird for a prank." Cerise squinted at the screen of her phone, calming down from the sudden panic. "If someone wanted us to watch a nature documentary, then this is a weird way to do it."

"It might be one of those extreme ad campaigns or something. This doesn't look like any landscape I've ever seen before, though." Clawdeen looked over the trees, the sky, drinking it all in. It looked like a normal forest at first glance, but something occasionally would stand out and look alien compared to the rest of the scenery. "What even are some of those animals? Maddie, you have any- whoa."

The Wonderlandian watched the screen with wide eyes, tears forming as they darted around to catch everything that passed by on it. It looked slightly warped from her memories, but it didn't warp her sense of familiarity.

"Girls, I know this is going to sound a bit crazy," Maddie's voice shook, but it wasn't out of sadness. It was out of joy. "But I think I know what this place is."

That was when the voice on the stream started to speak.

"Wonderland. It's been through some rough times lately."

The stream started to change, the beautiful landscape turning into something more warped and damaged. It looked like some parts of it were scarred and broken, with the occasional building appearing to be overgrown. The torn banners of one of the kingdoms came into the view, with the camera stopping on it as it flapped in the wind.

"Thanks to the work of the Evil Queen, years of blight, and previous leadership, the land has almost fell into ruin. And with it, years of history would've been lost."

The voice was calm as it said this, the picture zooming out to show two other banners flying in the wind. Anyone familiar with a card deck would've recognized it as the symbols for spades, clubs, and diamonds.

"That's why a few changes were made."

The scene changed nearly instantly, the banners that were previously torn now whole again, and changed. The diamond banner was replaced by a red banner with a white gear symbol, the club with a brown banner and a red wolf, and the spade banner with yellow and a black star. The landscape changed into something much healthier, buildings restored, despite some obvious disrepair remaining.

"And now that we're not bound by the curse, I think it's time to make a comeback."

The scene abruptly changed, the sight of a dark room overtaking everything. If someone squinted, they could see someone standing in the middle, the top half of their face cut off by the camera angle. Wearing a suit and a tie that had the black star symbol in the middle, the teenager stood with his hands in his pockets. The smile, being the only part of the face anyone could see clearly, was wide and crooked.

"I'm very excited for everything that's going to happen next." The voice came from the boy's mouth, and the grin getting wider as he spoke. "And I sincerely hope you're ready for the biggest show of your lives."

The teen pulled one of his hands out of his pockets, all of the fingers except for his thumb having rings that shined like diamonds. Lighting up in blue fire, he put two of his fingers together.

"I'll see you all soon…"

And with a snap, the screen cut to black.

Chase Redford let out a shaky breath as the feed was cut off finally, letting his form relax as he slowly put down the camera. His anxiety didn't lessen, though, the boy in black radiating so much energy that he couldn't help but shake. It wasn't hostile by any means, but somehow the glee that was apparent within the other teens form made him even more afraid for some reason.

"Um, my lord?" Chase swallowed, pretending that he was swallowing his anxiety away with it. It almost caught in his throat as the boy in black turned his attention towards him. "Is that all you needed? I need to get back to my duties for the King of Beasts soon and-"

"Relax, Redford. You can go. I appreciate the help and I'll make sure to put in a good word later," Despite the sincerity, Chase still felt himself recoil at the laugh the other teen let out. It echoed in the room, despite there being no reason for it to do so. "Make sure to put the camera back where you found it. If you don't mind, I'm expecting someone to call soon, and I don't think it'll be pretty."

Chase didn't have to be told twice, leaving the King of Glass behind as he rushed out. The boy in black sighed, pulling out his own MirrorPhone. It didn't take long for it to ring, the color id being instantly recognizable as he answered it. It went straight to video as the angry visage of the King of Gears looked right at him.

"You mind explaining why you decided to move up our timetable without giving me notice first?" The boy in white and red spat out. The connection got fuzzy, the boy in black smiling at the reaction. "Revealing ourselves like this was on the table, but there were better ways than that."

"What can I say? I figured that it would do better with a captive audience. And you know I like making a scene whenever possible." The boy in black laughed quietly, still echoing in the breeze. He squinted downward at the visage of his friend, slightly more serious. "And you can't tell me you weren't watching it too. It was perfect timing if I can say so myself."

"…Point taken. That doesn't mean this doesn't complicate things, though." The boy in white sighed, knowing that arguing would only waste time. It wasn't like they could waste the little of it they had. "That does mean you're going to call the shots on this, since that is your fault."

"Alright, alright, fine. I'll make the preparations and take point if that makes you so happy." The boy in black rolled his eyes, the blue of it sparking instantly. His smile got less crooked, more sincere when he spoke again. "How's he taking all of this? Haven't heard much from him."

"He's… he's excited. I haven't seen him this happy in so many years." The boy in white shrugged, a smile tugging on his face for the first time. "I can't say I blame him either. This will be the first time we've set foot on our home soil in an awfully long time."

"Well, good. He's not the only one that can't wait either, because I want to make contact within two days' time." The boy in black felt something stirring in him, though he wasn't sure if it was excitement or nerves on his end. Could be both, for all he cared. "I wasn't kidding about wanting to make a big show of this."

"Right. I already had a few plans in place in case this happened either way." The boy in white was ready to hang up, though he did take a brief moment to pause. "…You think they'll be happy to see us? It looks like at least two of them miss us."

The boy in black did stop smiling then, taken aback. He shook his head, forcing it back onto his face and feeling his eyes shine brighter as he did so.

"I'm sure they'll be very surprised to see us." He stated slowly. It'd be a little weird if they didn't, after all. "I'll see you soon… Sockhead."

"Likewise."

The phone clicked off as Eddy cackled. After four years, it was finally time to go home.

Yeah, just something I had on the backburner for a while and finally finished. Hopefully you enjoy and I'll be sure to put up something for the regular fic soon.