It's not a very long chapter, but it's good. Hopefully you all appreciate it either way.

See you at the end of the chapter!

The move to tell the public was an impulsive one, but something they would do it again in a heartbeat. Maybe with a little bit more fluff to cushion the blow.

At least, that's what Eddy believed. Right now, they were just huddling in Raven and Apple's room until the initial excitement died down. That, and to hopefully prevent Grimm trying to put them in detention for an eternity.

"I think, frankly, this is all a huge overreaction." Eddy watched outside the window as people either panicked or just shut down in the middle of walkways. Legends really were dramatic sometimes. "I get that it's the Book of Legends, but this can't be that bad. It's mostly just a traditional contract."

"True, but since everyone seems to freak out at the slightest wrong movement around here, it should be expected." Cleo would also admit to jumping the gun, but that required showing weakness. "Speaking of which. Apple, are you starting to snap out of your panicking just yet?"

"No one signed the Book this year. We're all doomed." Apple had been muttering that since they got here, and it was honestly getting depressing. "Nobody is safe until it's found. But Grimm doesn't even know where to begin."

In a rare show of malice, Raven came out of their bathroom with a cup of water. She gave Apple's face a splash, putting the cup down before plopping down next to her roommate.

"Sorry about that, but nothing was going to get done if you were still catatonic. Which reminds me," Raven leaned back into her bed, motioning towards everyone. "Does anyone have a plan on how to deal with this? We're all kind of in a bind until the book gets found."

"You really think we have anything? If Grimm doesn't have any idea where it went, then we're not likely to have any better ideas." Cleo pointed out. Just because they were good at solving problems didn't mean they knew how to deal with everything. "I think we need to focus on dealing with the panic first. I know that book is important for getting your destinies on track, but this seems excessive."

"It's a lot more important than that, considering it can probably cause a succession crisis if the wrong person gets their hands on it." Raven said. She blinked as Cleo and Eddy gave her surprised looks. "I'm guessing you don't know about that."

"No, and please explain soon." Great, just another headache to think about. Eddy wondered if he should've just called in sick today. "What do you mean the Book of Legends affects succession?"

"I-It's related to our destinies. Since so many stories rely on princes and princesses ending up with a kingdom, it became a point that whoever signed the book is expected to take the throne if the story calls for it." Apple sniffed, wiping the water off of her face. She needed to redo her makeup soon. "It's almost like a contract saying that if you follow the story rules and promise to be a just ruler, then you get the throne."

"...Wait, are you saying that some random person could just make a claim to a throne just by signing it?" Cleo got up from her seat, the news forcing her to start pacing. "If I had it with me right now, I could just write my name into several roles and gain everything?"

"You'd probably start several wars, but yeah, you basically could. It had to be established to prevent the regular form of succession conflicts from coming up, and why the Book of Legends was so well-guarded." Raven shrugged. That was why they needed to find it as fast as possible. "Heck, some entries can actually net you magical power too if you pick the right one."

"Magical powers?" Eddy latched onto that thought, even if he rightfully knew he shouldn't. "You can get magic from that thing?"

"Yeah. My ancestors have always gotten a big power boost whenever they signed the book. My mom compared it to being put on a permanent steroid." Raven tapped a finger on her chin. "Even the few Evil Queen's that weren't born with magic would be able to do spell work after using it. And as much as I don't want to sign, someone gaining that kind of power in one night isn't a good thing."

"That... okay." Eddy ran a hand down his face. A bunch of thoughts came and went, but not a single one of them would be a good idea to voice. "That's a lot to take in."

"And that's why it needs to be found as fast as possible. We can try and calm things down through Blondie and Spectra by saying there's an investigation." Apple was finally out of panic mode, but that just meant she was swinging in the other direction. "The only problem we have is actually figuring out where to start."

The brainstorming session would've started then and there, but a knock caused them all to stop. Cleo was the one to get up, mumbling all the while.

"Oh for Ra's sake- we're not taking any visitors right now, so I'd suggest leaving!" The mummy opened the door, noting the two individuals first. "Oh, it's just you two. Briar and Charmless are here!"

"That nickname has spread to the rest of you all too?" Daring walked in despite the lack of invitation. Briar just rolled her eyes and followed soon after. "I thought Eddy was the only one that used nicknames."

"It's because it's accurate, Charmless." Eddy got up, moving towards the two with some suspicion. "What are you two even doing here? Not like any of you have ever taken an interest in anything we've done before."

"I wanted to see if you needed some help! I'm sure you'll need a few extra hands for what is sure going to be a rough adventure." Daring had actually seen the opportunity to get some fame for himself while doing something good and wanted to take it. Not like they needed to know that. "And I can assure you, I have my own skills to offer when need be."

Eddy didn't bother calling him out on his transparent motivations, simply turning to Briar with a raised eyebrow.

"I honestly was just on my way to help Apple out of a mental breakdown, but it seems like you got it covered." Briar looked around at the assembled group and could already sense the plan they were about to brew. "I wouldn't mind helping too. All the extreme sports I've done have made me a little more fearless in my life."

"I actually wouldn't mind having a few extra hands." Raven put a finger up to shush Eddy and Cleo before they could protest. "This is a pretty sensitive situation and I think having them help around would make things look more official. Daring is a knight and Briar is a princess, so it makes things legit."

"Apple and I are princesses too. Technically, the only one that we don't know is royalty is Eddy." Cleo didn't want them to join, even if she knew she'd be overridden. "And while we did have some people help out with Stoker, that doesn't mean I want to keep adding people to the roster."

"I think she means having a few more Royals would be a good idea. Seeing some cooperation between them and some Rebels would be a good idea too." Apple noticed Briar wince but didn't pay much mind. She did come off from a skating tournament not long ago and she probably injured herself. "We'd be doing everything at once this way at least."

"Ugh, you can't be serious..." Eddy didn't honestly care about Briar joining up since he did know what she could do. It was Daring and his transparent motivations that were the problem. "Alright, fine. But if things go south, we're using Charmless as a human shield."

"Fantastic! I'm sure you won't..." Daring stopped, registering what Eddy said. "You're going to use me as a what?"

Apple's phone dinged, causing the girl to fish it out of her pocket. She looked over the message, brightening up. "Looks like Grimm decided to release some information. Some of this might give us an idea where to start."

Apple started listing off everything mentioned in the press release. The only one not fully paying attention was Briar, who was rethinking her plan as everything went into place.

Briar's motivations weren't totally selfish, but simply helping to get the book back wasn't her only goal. While she didn't want to be put to sleep for one-hundred years, that didn't mean she couldn't outright say it without betraying Apple or possibly disappearing. Signing the Book of Legends as it was out of the question.

Revising it, however...

Well, she'd have time. She just needed to play her cards right and no one here had to suffer any consequences. At least they'd be able to help her, even if they didn't know it.

Double D wasn't sure what to make of Snow White. However, he's dealt with many types of people when he was on the road, and while classifying people wasn't something he tried to do, he still had a mental category for each person.

Snow White was very much a "Karen" archetype, with a mix of "Desperate Housewife." He really wished he didn't have to think like that but being around Eddy did result in thought processes like this.

"I really don't understand why I'm here. I should be out there trying to calm the masses." While Snow didn't complain too much, she did want to get on with this. "If anything, bringing me here will only make people more nervous."

"We're just cutting off some of the simpler possibilities first and we think you might be able to help with that." Cerise tapped her fingers on the library's table. Thankfully, the librarians had left so they didn't have to be shushed every five minutes. "Grimm stated in the release that they kept the Book of Legends locked up after everyone in a generation signs. However, the fake one had been discovered not long before the year started."

"Which means that most likely it was stolen back when you were attending Ever After High." That was a worrying thought to Double D. That meant the book could be anywhere by now due to the massive amount of time that had passed. "We just want to apply Occam's Razor to this and see if we can bump off a suspect."

"...Oh, you're talking about the Evil Queen?" Snow White clicked her tongue, leaning back into her chair. "She would be the top suspect in all of this, I suppose. I'm surprised she would go with a plan that goes on this long, though."

"So you do think this is something she might do?" Cerise had heard stories from Raven about her, so yeah, she figured that it would be related to her. But why this type of plan. "Do you have any idea why she would try this kind of plan? The motive doesn't really make sense."

"We have a few theories of our own," Double D went through some papers of his own, sighing as he looked them over. "The only reason we can come up with involving this… well, it isn't pretty."

"Nothing involving her is pretty." Snow tapped her fingers on the table, thinking over some things. She eventually looked up, frowning. "What exactly do you want to know?"

Double D and Cerise started to talk her out of any piece of knowledge she was willing to share. A good deal away, on a live feed, Clawdeen, Maddie, and Red Riding Hood listened in.

"Are you sure I should be listening to this?" Red asked. She didn't exactly like listening to Snow White, not to mention this situation being unpleasant. "I'm not sure this is entirely appropriate."

"Just giving you an idea what's going to happen here." Maddie made sure the feed was recorded, hiding it away so they could focus on her. "Sorry we couldn't have Cerise talk to you, but we figured she'd be biased."

"Only reason you're here is because you and Evil Queen roomed together for a good while. And other than you and Snow, you're the only people that were close to her." Clawdeen had hoped that Raven's dad would show up, late as it was. Turns out being on business to help reparations to kingdoms the Evil Queen victimized was a full-time job. "And we're a little afraid that Snow might be a biased source."

"I guess that makes sense. I can't say I was friends with Raven's mother all that much, though." Red usually didn't think much of high school, but that stood out to her most. "She wasn't exactly as bad as most people would claim- at least back then- but she wasn't always pleasant to be around."

"It's not really about personal feelings, honestly. If we went off that, every kind of misfortune can be blamed on her." Clawdeen figured that they'd reach a stonewall, but they really did want to confirm that it wasn't her. "Do you think she could've had a hand in it? So far, we don't have any other suspects that could be related to this."

"I… I never said that it couldn't be her. Snow is right, it is a distinct possibility." Red's eyes became unfocused, a memory resurfacing. "Do you know that the Evil Queen's name used to be Regina?"

"No. Not a lot is really known about her before she started actually doing anything." Maddie knew what she meant by former names. Most people who fulfilled their destiny didn't go by their old names anymore, usually going by their titles instead. "Honestly, the only reason she even became known is because she went completely off book."

"How is this important? Names mean a lot, sure, but that doesn't play into this." Clawdeen checked the recording they had for this. She wondered if they'd need to scrap it after this. "The Evil Queen, Regina, it doesn't really matter."

"I think it actually means quite a lot. Before the Evil Queen ever existed, there was Regina. Before there was Snow White, she was named Edelweiss." Red remembered her name. Her husband would occasionally call her Carmine behind closed doors. "And Regina wasn't a bad person. I'd even say that she and Raven were very much alike."

Maddie tilted her head, putting her chin into her hands in open curiosity. "How so?"

"Regina didn't like her destiny that much. Quite honestly, felt like she was being cheated. She technically does all the work and Snow White gets the rewards?" The hooded woman shook her head. "She always complained about that, especially before our Legacy Day. She hated it with such a passion, along with how she wasn't given any respect for it."

"So, she would've gone Rebel if things had gone differently." That didn't mean too much, but obviously this meant something to Red. Clawdeen could sense that. "Did she ever try to do anything about it?"

"Oh, unfortunately not. Everyone was a lot stricter about following how the story goes back then, and theories on disappearing were treated as scripture." Red thought over the last time she'd seen Regina as… well, Regina. "Then Legacy Day happened."

"Raven did say that anyone that sings her mom's passage would get a boost in power. I'm guessing that transfer didn't go so well." That had been underlined in Maddie's notes. Twice. "Is that when she started committing actual crimes then?"

"Yes. The day after Legacy Day was done and everyone signed the book, she just changed completely." Red gestured at the books lining the shelves with a wary glance. "She'd spend hours studying black magic and rituals. I think I almost caught her committing one once in the middle of the night, but I was never sure."

"Do you think that she stole the book then?" Clawdeen noted the withdrawn, positively upset look Red seemed to have. Regret hit her as she realized how she was acting. "Sorry. This is all extremely stressful, so you can kinda understand why we need to get this done."

"No, I understand." Red sighed. "I really, honestly do."

There was a pregnant pause as the information was digested. Red eventually lifted her head up, looking at the girls with a forlorn expression.

"I do believe the Evil Queen stole the book as one last act before Regina was left behind. It wouldn't be for anything complex, though." Names long gone flashed through her mind, along with the children they left behind. "If Regina couldn't get the happy ending she wanted, she'd make sure no one else did. Even if that meant making their children vanish before their eyes."

That… was a horrifying thing to say. And honestly, the only thing that made a lick of sense considering the situation they were in.

"We need to figure out what's happening here before people tear each other apart." Clawdeen ran a hand through her hair, getting up. "You're free to go. Not like we were even keeping you here, but still."

"Thanks for your time. Sorry it couldn't be under better conditions." Maddie gave the woman a hug. She felt like it was needed. "Have a good rest of your day."

Red didn't really feel like answering. She was missing the days when she was just Carmine.

Bloodgood had taken the news of the Book of Legends being missing better than most. That didn't mean it wasn't a shock to her either.

"I'm assuming that I'm not the first person you've talked to?" Bloodgood received nods from Ed and Ghoulia, something that set her at ease. She may not technically be involved with the working of Milton's school, that didn't mean she didn't want to be uninformed. "I don't suppose I have that much information, but I am willing to help if need be."

"We won't lie and say it's entirely related to the book." Ghoulia started, getting to business quickly. "Though, it could be said that it is related due to the circumstances."

"It's kind of about Milton and stuff. Ever since this started, we kind of did some digging on him so we could figure out why he would try to hide all of this." Ed scratched the back of his neck, shifting in his seat. It had been an enlightening search in some ways. "We've checked and he usually has a spotless record when it comes to this sort of thing. All of the problems seemed to only start this year."

"As much as we hate to admit it, he ran a tight ship before the Royal/Rebel conflict came around." Ghoulia would've been impressed if it wasn't for the fact it was Milton. "Which makes his behavior about something like this out of character. If he was willing to let us go deal with Stoker because it went against destiny in some form, why not explain the disappearance of the book?"

"Milton is a very... complicated individual." That was one-way Bloodgood could put it while remaining polite. "He's always been trying to work towards a single goal, which is really just upholding the status quo. I wouldn't be surprised if that was... wait a moment."

Bloodgood got up, face scrunching up as she went rifling through her desk. The action caused the two teens to get nervous as she seemed to curse, an angry look settling on her face as she continued her search.

"Is something wrong, Bloodgood?" Ed saw her pull out a file before shoving it back where she found it with great frustration. "What are you even looking for?"

The headmistress put a file on the table, opening it to show the contents of what appeared to be a handwritten report. They looked it over carefully before a name popped out to them.

"Assistant Headmaster Giles Grimm?" The zombie snatched the file up, looking over it with bewilderment. "How is this- I knew the school had an assistant headmaster position, but it always looked like it was empty. I've never heard anything about him."

"Milton has a tendency to be a glory hog, so you actually wouldn't find much on Giles despite doing your best." Bloodgood moved a picture to Ed, who picked it up without a second thought. "You'll find that he looks extremely familiar, though."

Ed squinted at the photo, the image of an old man with Einstein-like hair and a contemplative face greeting him. He honestly didn't spark anything too familiar within him, but something about his face really did seem familiar.

"Wait!" Ed slammed the photo onto the table, the realization hitting him. He almost felt embarrassed that he didn't realize it sooner. "Milton has a brother. He always radiated single child energy to me."

"I don't know what that means, but I agree with you on that." Bloodgood just figured rolling with it would work better than not. It was important to get this information out there anyway. "Milton and Giles may be blood related, but I can assure that they're total opposites. We used to do a lot of important work together before the year started."

"You mean before he went supposedly missing." Ghoulia had read the file over and that fact launched out at her. How come they didn't hear anything about it? "It looks like these are your own notes, not a police report. If he was considered actually missing, that would've been on the news."

"Milton claims Giles went off on vacation, but considering he and I were planning on committing some very delicate plans at the beginning of the year," Bloodgood gave a quick look to Ed. It didn't take much for him to realize what she meant. "I highly doubt it. Many had to deal with what would happen if someone didn't follow their story, and I think we were close to having a definitive answer before he 'went away'."

"He must've figured out about the Book of Legends being missing and Milton tried to hide... it." Ed stopped, a thought entering his mind. He looked at the two nervously before deciding to speak his mind. "You don't think Milton-"

"No. Milton is a jerk and will do anything to get his own vision up and running, but that doesn't mean he would do anything like that to his own brother." The headmistress was sure about that, though the alternatives left a lot to be desired. "However, I do believe his disappearance could be connected to Milton, and the missing book. It's something to consider at the very least."

The two teens looked at each other briefly, shared questions brimming behind their eyes. Ghoulia cleared her throat before deciding to voice a particular thought.

"Not to call your judgement into question, but are you sure these are entirely related? It doesn't appear you and Milton ever had a good history." Ghoulia didn't want any bias tainting this, especially in something important like this. Like she said, Milton was a jerk, but that didn't make him a criminal. "These are serious accusations, if you are planning on making them."

"I'm not just saying this to be cruel. It's…" Bloodgood stopped, hand unconsciously going to her neck. She let out a breath, and Ed couldn't help but think back to the first time he was in this office. When she'd explained what she was. "Have you ever wondered how I turned out like this? I wasn't born this way like many other undead."

"I always kinda guessed that you had it happen for the story." Ed knew she was a dual student in the past. That must've meant she was a part of a story. "Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman?"

"Essentially. Back when I was a student, I used to be friends with those two. Used to be inseparable, even when they knew I'd have to die for my destiny to even start." Bloodgoods breath hitched. Her seams felt tight for some reason, and she felt the need to take off her own head. "I was never told the date of my 'execution' though. I was left in suspense because they didn't want me possibly working against it, which honestly made it worse.

"I suggested finding a way out of it, because hey, no one wants to have their head cut off. Giles agreed. Milton certainly didn't." Bloodgood stopped rubbing her neck, the tight feeling only getting worse when she did that. "And when the day came, only one of them tried to help me. Milton and I didn't exactly talk much after that."

That was underexaggerating the entire event. Bloodgood remembered very little that day other than finding people wearing black robes outside her dorm's doors. Barricading said doors while she called for help, trying to find an escape route before they could make it in. Getting calls back from Giles on the landline, but not a single peep from Milton.

And waking up a week later, her head detachable. Being undead may have its advantages, but that didn't mean she wanted it.

"W-We'll place him at the top of the list when it comes to investigations." Ghoulia was uncomfortable with the turn of this conversation. Though, it was enlightening, in its own way. "Ed, let's go find the others. Our best place to start might be in the school's catacombs."

"Right, let's get on it." Ed didn't seem as shaken up by the story. He figured that there was history there anyway, but he did mark it for later. Nothing was unimportant when it came to information. "Milton isn't getting out of this without something happening to him, Bloodgood. At least you can feel happy about that."

Bloodgood nodded, but only watched them as they went without saying a word.

Her head was wound up too tight for her to do anything right now. All she could do was wait.

Again, it works. Hopefully you all enjoy it. I've been able to write a little easier whenever I'm on break at work, so this should help speed up chapter production.

I do have one thing to ask you guys; when this fic is over, how many of you would like a crossover between EEnE and DC Super Hero Girls 2019? I have a chapter written out for it (remember the backlog?) and I think I'll stick with that one unless something else comes up. I've already come up with some playlists for some the characters in it, along with the other concepts in the backlog. I'll link if you ask for them.

Thank you, and I'll see you all next chapter!