This chapter will officially wrap up this arc of the fic and start on a new one! Admittedly, a little less is planned, but there will be plenty to work with in the coming chapters. Hopefully you all enjoy it as the fic continues!
See you at the end of the chapter!
It was night in the Enchanted Forest and very few things were active around that time. Pixies were usually preparing for bed so they could get back to work the next morning, animals were tucked into their habitats, and the sentient ones were in their own little homes. People rarely ventured in there as well, whether they be Monster or Legend.
Which is why the crunching of dead leaves was a strange sound this time of night.
"Duchess, I ain't sure if this one of your better ideas." Sparrow strummed his guitar to calm himself down, trying to drown out the weird noises in the forest. "We don't even know where they're hosting the party. I may be hurt not to get an invite but going in here doesn't seem wise."
"You are not one to talk about making wise decisions." Duchess was a lot quieter, ballet training allowing her to avoid the noisier leaves. That didn't mean she avoided all of them, wishing desperately that she'd be able to clean her shoes up later. "We just need to ruin that stupid party. Then we'll be even against Eddy and his little troupe."
"All this over some stupid footage? Lame." Sparrow really did sympathize with Duchess, he really did, but this was really petty. "I don't think Headmaster Grimm would really believe us, anyway. Especially after that stunt I pulled in Mythestry last Friday."
"Which is why I'll go talk to him while you make sure they don't leave." Duchess rolled her eyes, like that had been obviously stated before. It hadn't. "You really think I'd let you do it by yourself? I know better."
"Okay, now that's just hurtful." Sparrow stopped then, frowning. He turned around, figuring it was better to head back then deal with this. "Call me when this flops on you. I need to go practice for a gig."
"Wha- you can't just leave me here!" Duchess shook her fist at the retreating form of her friend, cursing under her breath. "You'll regret this, Sparrow! I know where you live!"
"So does everyone else!"
The swan princess huffed, turning back around to head farther into the forest. She knew it wasn't wise to do it alone, but she was being fueled by spite now. That pushed past any common sense she'd normally have.
Though, the farther she got in, the more she could hear the forest getting quieter and quieter. And when things weren't silent, she could almost hear twigs snapping under foot, ones she wasn't breaking on her own. The swan princess thought about turning back, but then she heard something breath to her left. Freezing, she turned her head slowly, trying to locate the source of the sound…
A jaw suddenly broke forth from some bushes, snapping at her. She yelped, a puff of smoke overtaking her as she turned into a swan, flying away instantly.
The jaw, along with the face attached to it blinked before it turned to shadow. The shadows themselves turned to Ed, who simply watched as the swan flew away at top speed.
"Huh. I didn't know she could do that." Ed hummed to himself, confusion passing over his face before he shrugged. "Well, at least that got her out of here. You guys can come out now."
More bushes rustled as Kevin, Nazz, and Ghoulia stepped out, brushing leaves off of them indignantly. Kevin especially seemed irritated as he tried getting a tiny stain out of his shirt.
"Yeah, and I didn't know you could turn into that giant monster whenever you wanted. Worlds apparently full of surprised, dork." Kevin grumbled, finally feeling presentable. "Can we finally head to the party now? I don't want to be out here longer than we have to."
"Yeah, sorry. Just wanted to make sure she didn't spoil our fun." Ed shrugged, heading off to lead them to the cottage. "You're gonna love it. I know you haven't been to a Monster/Legend party before, but it's pretty cool."
"I'm sure it is Ed." Nazz still wasn't sure if they should even go, but this was probably the only time they'd see the Ed's in a while. Might as well make it count. "Still can't believe we've been able to hide out this long. It's been a while since I've even been in a real Monster community before."
"Just as long as Kevin plays the part, nobody will figure out he's human. I'm pretty sure you'll be in the clear if you leave later on." Ghoulia made a few more texts before looking up, realizing that they were staring at her. "What? You didn't exactly make it hard to figure out. The only reason I haven't said anything before is because Kevin doesn't appear to be a threat."
"Yeah, can we keep it that way?" Kevin really didn't want to focus on this longer than they had to. Dangerous enough as is that the Ed's knew at all. "Really don't need to have my memory erased. Doesn't exactly sound fun."
The silence was companiable for the most part afterward, though there were some things still in the air. Nazz looked over at Ed briefly, contemplating something before opening her mouth again.
"No, none of us are coming back to Peach Creek."
"That-that wasn't what I was going to say." Nazz was going to say that, but she certainly didn't expect that fast a response to come from him of all people. "I just wanted to know what you guys want to the others to know. Hello's, goodbye's, something like that?"
Ed shrugged, not having put a lot of thought into it. He probably should've, but there was a lot of things to keep track of and he wasn't sure how to deal with all of it yet.
"You can say that we're safe, but don't tell them where we are. Especially Sarah. Can't have her wrecking this place if she finds me." Not to mention it would ruin their scam in a completely different way than what they were expecting. "Don't even mention the whole Monster thing to her. Just in case."
"Shouldn't they have some idea where you are? It seems like they all miss you." Ghoulia normally wouldn't butt in like this, but she was curious. This was the most information she'd gotten on him since they'd first met. "Especially your sister."
"She doesn't need to know. Besides, she might tell my parents." Ed didn't bother looking back at the zombie, still walking forward. His face was obscured by darkness, enough so anyone moving near him couldn't see him well enough. "Can't have that. This place is good, and I don't want them to ruin this."
That sent the mood down, enough for everyone to shut up once again. Nazz almost felt guilty for bringing it up, but it was something that needed to be said before they went home. They planned on leaving tomorrow and it wasn't like she could go back saying they hadn't found anything.
"Don't be sad about all of this. You have our numbers if you want to call us or anything." Ed felt the need to reassure everyone, even if the rules were firm. It wasn't like they were completely cut off now. Nazz could even come visit with Kevin as long as they kept things secret. "We can update you on stuff that happens around here. Lagoona can too if Eddy doesn't want us telling you some embarrassing stuff."
"…Guess it's a good thing I got an iCoffin after all then." The blonde sighed, still not completely satisfied. However, this was a step forward. Nazz hoped that they'd come home again someday, but that'll have to come years down the line. "We're here. Time to ready up people."
The cottage itself seemed quiet from the outside, but as Ed opened up the door, loud music and people chattering flooded the silence before them.
The party itself was decorated in a lot of pink streamers, banners, and hearts in every corner. People mingled with each other, some more flirty than others. Like the concert, not every group was hanging out with each other, but there was a bit more a mix this time.
"It's a little early to say this, but I think this has been a success so far." Ghoulia grabbed Ed's hand, leading him down the steps. "Come on. We have a party to enjoy. We earned it."
Nazz and Kevin watched the two go out there with raised eyebrows. Nazz elbowed Kevin, wiggling hers suggestively at them with a smile on her face. The boy laughed, nudging her right back before heading into the crow too.
They had a point. They did earn the right to party today.
Clawdeen really was enjoying the party. The drinks were good, the people were happy, and it was a good distraction for everything else that was happening. It was what people really needed and spreading some love was a good thing.
Now if she could only shake off the events of the past couple of weeks and she'd be able to fully immerse herself in it.
She wasn't going to lie to herself; she felt terrible. She knew that her fears weren't illegitimate, but she did forget that Double D and his friends were still people after all. People with messed up stuff they were running from. Their parents possibly being arrested for something and Eddy's brother were certainly dark enough to permit running from.
And she was ready to just throw that out there on them before Blondie did. That can of worms wasn't something anyone should've opened but themselves.
"Clawdeen, is everything okay?"
The werewolf blinked out of her thoughts. Speak of the devil, here he appears. Double D was looking at her with a concerned look on her face, Cerise not far behind him. She did her best to smile despite the heavy thoughts.
"It's nothing. I just usually don't go to parties like this." She waved at everything, frowning at the lovey-dovey stuff. "Single mixers aren't my thing. Draculaura's kept trying to bring me to them, but I don't usually click with anyone."
"None of us really looking to hook up with anyone here anyway." Cerise rolled her eyes, eyeing Daring as he chatted up another girl. "Unlike some people who are treating this like a buffet for desperate people."
"As much I don't understand Eddy's animosity for him, he really does need to quit with the flirting." Double D received some nods from the others. He kept searching the crowd, frowning deeply. "Have either of you seen Ashlynn or Hunter? I've heard some concerning rumors about them breaking up."
"It's not entirely true, but it does look they're fighting." Clawdeen pointed at a moping Ashlynn, then following up with a depressed Hunter several tables away. "Looks like the infighting is tearing them apart. Kinda sad, really. They seem like a nice couple."
Double D frowned harder, eyes switching between the two of them. He suddenly did a U-turn, moving towards the stage they had erected for the time being.
"I'm going to do something about that. Can't have any of that on this joyous occasion." Double D waved at the girls casually, a smile in his voice. "It'll only be a moment."
The two girls looked at each other, raising their eyebrows as he left. The hatted boy usually wasn't the type to pull something impulsive, so this was a strange turn of events. Neither of them were sure what to expect.
Maddie skipped up to them, quirking an eyebrow as she saw their expressions. "Did I miss something fun?"
"I don't think so. Double D's going to help with the broken hearts club over there." Cerise gestured to the saddened couple with a jerk of her head. She sighed, swirling her own drink sadly. "As he said anything to you guys about that thing we overheard? He hasn't talked at all about it and that worries me."
"No, and I've been trying to get something out of him." Maddie actually pouted, waving her phone. "He hasn't been responding to my texts or anything. I haven't heard anything from Eddy either."
"Ed's hasn't said anything either. Ghoulia keeps saying not to push them on anything, but I'm wondering if not saying anything is worse." The werewolf felt the horrible feeling resurface, drinking some punch to drown it out. "We really shouldn't have heard any of that. Think we should tell them?"
"Its their business, and even if we're concerned, we shouldn't mess with it." Cerise wasn't happy with that either, but she wasn't going to open up things they didn't want to talk about. "If anything, they'll talk to us about it. Double D always talks of taking care of ourselves, we'll just have to see if he's willing to follow his own advice."
"Considering we had to stop him from overworking himself before, I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon." Maddie twiddled with an antenna on her phone, smile dropping. "I really hope he does, though. We haven't exactly been good friends lately."
"We'll work on it. I've been meaning to ask him for some help making some new dresses." It was supposed to be a return to normalcy, something Clawdeen needed herself. It'd been a long time and- wait a minute. "What's Double D doing on stage?"
The question did turn their attention upwards, seeing the boy in question meddling with a microphone. The music died slowly as he held a guitar in his hands, smiling nervously as the crowd noticed him slowly.
"Greetings everyone." The boy adjusted his tie, looking over them with a critical eye. "I trust that everyone is having a good time tonight?"
A chorus of cheers and the occasional whoop from the crowd was his answer. He noticed some people where closer to certain people than others, causing him to smile genuinely.
"Excellent. However, I have heard something concerning these past few minutes; a couple of you here are suffering broken hearts." Some people booed at that, causing him to placate them with a raised hand. "I know, I know. Can't have any of those here tonight; that's not what the spirit of the holiday is all about."
Double D sighed then, adjusting the guitar one more time. "This song is for you two."
(Play "StopRewind" by NateWantsToBattle)
The music started suddenly; the guitar strummed quickly as Double D leaned towards the mic. The band behind him were quick to follow as he started singing softly.
"Day and night my mind is running,
"Reaching out 'cause I want something more,
"That I've never had before."
The song piqued everyone's interest, causing a stir with some couples that gravitated towards the dance floor. To Double D's delight, it also caught the attention of Ashlynn and Hunter.
"I'm scared to chase what I've been dreaming
"Beyond a want and now I need it.
"Push me by surprise,
"So I can take the dive."
Double D instantly went into a tiny guitar solo as the band kept playing, the sudden upbeat causing everyone's energy to surge. A lot more couples moved to the dance floor now, moving to the new beat with renewed energy.
"Day and night my mind is racing,
"Dents and footprints I've been pacing.
"What am I supposed to find?"
Hunter looked curiously towards Ashlynn, who was watching the stage with rapt attention. He looked away when he saw her turn towards him, gulping down some saliva. He wasn't sure if he wanted to look at her just yet.
Double D frowned, getting more into the music as his frustration built.
"My god, I'm the bait and the predator's my mind,
"It eats at me all the time (it eats).
"Can we stop and rewind? (Can we stop and rewind?)
"I'm not so sure."
Double D went into the chorus hoping desperately that it worked. The first time was always the most difficult.
"When'd I become my own enemy,
"I don't understand what you see in me,
"'Cause I'm just another story,
"(That's not worth the reading)."
This caught Ashlynn's attention, eyes moving over to Hunter. She could see how miserable he was and felt a pang of sadness go through her. She gripped the table tightly as she thought over the words of the song.
"Now you've got me pinned up against the wall,
"Why aren't you afraid that I'll take the fall?
"There's more that came before me.
"(Am I worth believing?)
"I'm not so sure."
Double D played the instrumental quickly, sparing a glance across the crowd. It looked like everyone was getting into the song well enough, but Ashlynn and Hunter still sat at their tables. The looks were promising, but not enough for him.
"Eye to eye our worlds collided,
"Ear to ear you kept me smiling,
"Kept me happy kept me grounded,
Before I flew away."
Hunter got up then, making Ashlynn jump and Double D stumble over his lyrics. The boy stood there for a second before moving over to the girls table, causing the performer to smile.
"And I felt it breaking, then you came around!
In this world of white noise, you're my favorite sound."
Double D was able to glimpse Hunter raising his hand out to Ashlynn before he started up the chorus. He hoped desperately that she accepted whatever Hunter was going to offer and that it would end this madness once and for all.
"When'd I become my own enemy?
I don't understand what you see in me,
'Cause I'm just another story.
(That's not worth the reading)."
Double D lost them in the crowd now, the chorus firing everyone up into dancing. He frowned, though kept the performance up for everyone. This was as much about the crowd as it was for those two.
"Now you've got me pinned up against the wall,
Why aren't you afraid that I'll take the fall?
There's more that came before me.
(Am I worth believing?)."
Double D reared his head back, scanning the crowd again. Everyone looked happy, enjoying themselves immensely, but he still couldn't see Ashlynn or Hunter. He hoped the next part would allow him to see something.
"Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh.
Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh."
Finally, Double D was able to pierce through the crowd and see the couple again. He was happy to see the two of them dancing together, if somewhat tentatively, to the beat of the song. He felt it was safe to stop watching them now, nearing the microphone as he whispered the next part.
"We brave and broken fewer,
Three cheers to fear the future.
We brave and broken fewer,
Three cheers to fear the future."
Double D strummed the guitar hard before hitting the final chorus, true happiness leaking through into the final lyrics.
"When'd I become my own enemy?
"I don't understand what you see in me,
"'Cause I'm just another story.
"(That's not worth the reading)
"Now you've got me pinned up against the wall,
"Why aren't you afraid that I'll take the fall?
"There's more that came before me.
"(Am I worth believing?)
I'm not so sure…"
Letting the lyric last, he bowed before the cheering crowd with a smile. He went behind the stage before anyone could ask for an encore, heading back to his friends.
The three girls were cheering along with the crowd, surprised that he was willing to pull that. They could see some people already posting it onto any social media they could, so it was bound to spread fast.
"So," Maddie whispered into Clawdeen's ear sweetly. "I'm going to guess he isn't all that scary anymore, is he?"
The werewolf nodded with little hesitation. Double D arrived, out of breath, causing her to smile a little. No one willing to sing a couple back together was dangerous.
"Remind me never to do that again." The boy straightened out his tie, sighing softly. "That should get them talking again for now. It would've been much worse if they decided to break up."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure there would've been riots in the street." Cerise was only being slightly sarcastic, patting him on the back. She looked up, frowning slightly. "Looks like Cupid released the hearts."
The hooded girl was correct, as a bunch of hearts fluttered down to every person in the room thanks to the cherub's magic. The four caught theirs, some more amused than others at the little sayings etched into the corners.
Double D, Clawdeen, and Maddie caught eyes with each other briefly, a glint of mischief in their eyes. They turned to Cerise in unison, much the hooded girl's confusion.
"Oh Cerise~."
The girl's flustered scream was drowned out by the music.
Apple waved off Ashlynn and Hunter, glad to see the two happy once again. The party had been going great so far, but she felt that she wouldn't be satisfied until she made up with the other girl. At least one thing would get done tonight that way.
She people watched for the most part, making sure no one was doing anything that would ruin the party. Everyone was getting along for the most part, but that didn't mean it couldn't change. As for everything else, Briar was actively keeping up the positivity while Cupid set people up. It was fun to watch everyone mingle, even if it was for only one night.
Her musings were interrupted when Cleo, followed closely by Deuce. The mummy seemed content, but obviously personally held up by something.
"I see everything is going to plan so far." Cleo watched as a Legend tried dancing with a Monster with more than two legs, with varied success. "I don't think we're going to see a lot of people dating each other later after this, but it's a start."
"I just made up with Ashlynn and Hunter, so we've got that part covered too. It wasn't easy, but she seemed happy to just accept my apology." Apple looked between the two Monsters, raising a brow. "Is there something wrong?"
"Eddy's been hanging out at one table for twenty minutes now and staring into space." Deuce adjusted his sunglasses, grimacing. "Not even messing with his phone either. It seems like he's completely checked out."
"Raven is going to head in. We figure we'll need everyone there to see what it's about." Cleo looked away, muttering to herself. "Not like we already have a pretty good idea…"
Deuce did give the mummy a look but didn't question what that meant. He wasn't told anything about what they heard, mostly as an act of solidarity. They did make sure Blondie wouldn't say a thing either, even if the girl had agreed that she shouldn't publish it.
It didn't take long to find the table, especially with Raven hovering nearby. Eddy was the only one sitting at it, doing exactly as Deuce said, staring off into space and completely not reacting his surroundings. The holes he was staring into the table would've been literal if his magic was activated by now.
They didn't waste any time sitting, Raven joining quickly. He barely even noticed the movement around him, snapping out of his trance briefly to take a look at all of them.
"So, how're you enjoying the party?" Raven's question was awkward, but it got the ball rolling. Really, that was all anyone could ask for in this situation. "You seem pretty worn out. I thought you'd be trying to flirt with some girls by now since this party is about love."
"Not in the mood. Just taking a few minutes to think." Eddy rubbed at one of his eyes, humming to himself. "Stopped a few idiots from wrecking some of the decorations. Stink bombs in their pockets. Got them out quickly."
"Sounds hilarious. Would've turned them to stone if I were you." Deuce was doing his best too but was kinda fumbling over what he wanted to say. "Well, probably not. Gorgon Tears are hard to turn into dust, so it'd be a bad idea. I'm pretty sure I'd get locked up for it too…"
"What Deuce is trying to say is…" Cleo drew out the last word, trying to think up of something. She decided to go with the simplest thing to say. "He's trying to ask if something happened. Bad news maybe?"
They'd barely got any words in and this was already a train wreck. They almost thought of quitting and trying this again later, but the fact Eddy shook his head made them stop. The boy grimaced before speaking again.
"No. That's the funny thing, actually," Eddy grabbed something from his pocket. It was the obituary he took from Kevin and Nazz, crumples as if he'd been touching it since he got it. "I got some good news. Great news, actually."
"Was it really good news? I would think you'd be happier if that was the case." Apple was really confused now, unsure of what was going on here. A death in the family was rarely good at all. "Maybe you're just confusing things?"
Eddy scoffed. "It's not confusing at all, Princess. And I don't get why I'm not happy about it."
He took in a deep breath. For the girls at the table, they could already see the rant billowing under his skin, ready to spill from his mouth. It practically caused smoke to spill out of it as he began. His eyes even glowed, the image reminding them of a dragon ready to waste a village in its fire.
"Imagine being told that one of the worst things you can think of just ceased to exist. Something you've always hated deep in your bones, that you only ever wished was gone, finally disappeared." Eddy swallowed his spit, eyes wild. The glow got stronger, shining brightly. "Not only that, but it got cut down in a way that it sorely deserved. A way that no one in the world wouldn't doubt was ironic.
"That should be the best news you ever hear in your life, right?" Eddy looked at the worried faces of his friends, the expressions lost on him. "There's no need to worry about it anymore. The nightmare under your bed, the thing in your closet, gone completely. It can never touch you again, no matter how hard it could try."
"I-I'd be pretty happy about it." Raven leaned back as the enraged boy looked over at her. She'd seen light like that dance in her mother's eyes before. It only danced whenever she was ready to go nuts and raze a country. "Are you not happy? Is that it?"
"Yes, and that's so frustrating!" Eddy's voice hadn't risen, but the anger in it was enough. He gripped the obituary in his hands, the paper crumbling and starting to rip. "I should be celebrating today! I should be out dancing in the damn streets, Double D and Ed with me! They hated him too, but somehow, they're happier than I am that he's gone."
"Why aren't you happy he's gone?" This was a lot worse and more complicated than Apple had thought. She didn't know much about the situation, but clearly she didn't know enough. She almost wished they hadn't brought it up. "Would you even want him here now?"
"No!" Eddy stood up, fists on the table as he stared down at him. The anger was mixed with slight fear, eyes frantic as they bounced across the room quickly. "He'd ruin all of this. Everything I've built to get here, stay here, and everything I'll ever do."
Raven gulped. She hid a hand under the table, a spell ready to disrupt anything if Eddy accidentally started casting. "Then why are you so disappointed by it?"
"Because I didn't have time to get back at him before he died!"
Eddy's hand lit up then, fire branching out across his arms. Raven cast the spell to disrupt it before it could set fire to the table, the hit causing the boy to snap out of his rage state.
He was about to say something, most likely to ask her what the hell she was doing before he felt something weird in his hands. Looking down at them, he blinked owlishly as ashes spilled out of them, dirtying the table.
Huh. Looks like he burned up the obituary. Great.
"…I'm going in early. Tell Sockhead he did great on the song." Eddy pushed in his chair roughly. Not looking any of them in the face. "Hope the party goes well. Good night."
No one in the group got up to stop him, watching as he stalked away. They figured he needed some time to cool off before they tried talking to him again, lest he burn the entire place down in his anger. Apple herself was honestly bewildered, though extremely worried about everything she just heard.
"I think we're going to have to put a pin in that for now." Cleo got up from the table, shakily grabbing Deuces hand. "Let's all enjoy the party. We'll try to talk with him later."
"Good idea. I think Dexter wanted to talk with me anyway, so it might be a good idea to check on him." Raven patted Apple's shoulder, getting up from the table. "It'll be fine. Probably. We just need to give him some space."
Apple nodded but didn't really hear anything. She did her best to focus on the music, not on the turmoil of emotions that were being spread around them.
When the party ended later that night, it was with happy thoughts and new feeling shared between Monsters and Legends. However, for some, it would also be tinted with melancholy and mystery, as if a line had been crossed. And now that it was, there wasn't any way to get back to it.
And none of them properly knew what that meant.
...Things got a bit heavy there. Sorry, but like Eddy said, his victory was stolen from him before he could get it. He's going to have strong feelings about it no matter what.
Hopefully you enjoyed the end of this arc. The upcoming one deals with Monster High more, so I hope you enjoy that. The Ed's angst is aplenty as well.
See you all next chapter! I hope you enjoyed.