Ever After High: The Unfairest Of Them All Part 12

aWaita sheas evil,a Apple said to a squirrel, who was sweeping up wall debris with its fluffy tail. aSheas, like, honestly evil-evil. What if sheas wronga"or even just lied?a Squeak, said the squirrel.

During Snow Whiteas story, her mother had somehow survived sharing a castle with the Greatest Evil the World Has Ever Known and come out of it not only okay but Happily Ever After. What advice would her mother give?

Apple knew because Snow White had cross-st.i.tched the words on a pillow and propped it up in the informal receiving room: WHEN LIFE IS ALL DARK WOODS AND POISONED APPLES, REMEMBER YOU HAVE FRIENDS. Snow White had st.i.tched messages on other pillows, too, such as: SQUIRRELS WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN, UNLESS THEYaRE HIBERNATING; THERE ARE ALWAYS BIRDS; NATURE LOVES A BROOM; LOVE IS KNOWING A RABBIT NEEDS YOU; HUGS ARE HOW ITaS DONE; DOUBLE HUGS FOR THE GRUMPY; TREES AND DOGS ARE HAPPY, SO START BARKING; and others. Honestly, it was hard to find a sofa in the enormous White Castle that didnat sport a cross-st.i.tched pillow. But the REMEMBER YOU HAVE FRIENDS one offered the most insight to Apple at the moment.

Apple ran to Blondieas room and knocked. Blondie opened the door, rubbing her eyes. She was wearing fluffy bear slippers with a blue nightgown, her hair in curlers. When she saw Apple, she put a hand to her hair.

aItas naturally curly, I swear,a Blondie said. aThe curlers are just fora fora taming the, uhaa aBlondie, I need your help,a said Apple. aYou have everyoneas MirrorPhone credentials for your Mirrorcast show, right? Can you send out a private message to all the students who were in the Treasury that daya"everyone except Maddiea"and ask them to meet me there now?a The Evil Queen may have suggested they not ask others for help, but she most definitely had warned that telling Maddie would nullify the spell. Apple wouldnat risk breaking that rule.

She hurried back to the Treasury. Bright yellow caution tape that read BEWARE! BEWARE! BEWARE! crisscrossed the door. But the door itself was broken, its lock having been smashed by a swing of the jabberwockas tail, and Apple easily opened it. Apparently, with the Uni Cairn gone and the wall broken, the headmaster wasnat as worried about keeping the Treasury locked up tight.

Within minutes the small crowd gathered, looking through the threshold as if afraid to go in. After all, jabberwockies might be lurking.

aDear friends,a said Apple. aRaven and I are trying to save Maddie from banishment, but we need your help. Weare working on an Irrefutable Evidence spell. It will show the faculty what really happened here that evening, and if Maddie didnat break the unicorn-prison-thingy, then sheall be free.a aWhat if she did?a Blondie asked.

aWella but what if she didnat?a Apple said.

The crowd s.h.i.+fted. No one entered the room. Apple cleared her throat.

aUm, in order for the spell to work, the Treasury needs to be as close as possible to how it was before the riot. So I need your help. To clean it up. And fix it. Please.a Everyone looked around: the monster-sized hole in the wall, broken wall stones littering the floor, bashed pedestals, shattered gla.s.s display cases, treasures lying around, a giant helmet fallen from its gigantic suit of armor. The floor was swept, but fixing all that was broken seemed insurmountable.

aYeah, good luck with all this,a Sparrow said, turning to go.

aWe have to try!a said Apple. aPlease, for Maddie, we have to try.a Sparrow paused. The crowd s.h.i.+fted but still seemed unsure. Apple bit her lip, searching for something, anything to do. Her mind clung to the advice her mother had given her.

Smile, Apple. Smile like you mean it.

Could her mother have meant more than Apple thought? Maybe this group just needed to believe there was a chance of success. People would work for something once there was a hope it would work out.

So I have to believe first, Apple thought.

aWe can do this,a Apple said, smiling. aWe can do this,a she said, smiling bigger. And the longer she smiled, the more she believed it. aLook at all the talent in this room! Why, thereas almost nothing we canat do when we work together.a Now not only her smile felt confident, but Apple did, too, from the tiara shead pinned in her hair sometime yesterday down to her white ballet flats with gold thread trim.

And then Apple thought of Old King Cole, and she laughed. Some of the students looked startled, but Briar smiled and said, aWhat? Whatas funny?a aEverything!a said Apple. aI mean, isnat it? Kind of funny? What were we thinking, storming into the Treasury where things like jabberwocky prisons are kept? Well, we made a mess of things, but that doesnat mean we canat have fun while we fix it!a aIam always up for fun,a said Briar.

aBriar, you enchanting girl you,a said Apple.

aYes, Apple, you fabulous slice of pie?a said Briar.

aI think we need to rock this thing.a Briar put her hand on her hip. aI know youare not suggesting that I party-up this dismal scene, because you know Iall do it all the way.a aAll the way, Briar Beauty,a said Apple. aAll the way.a They b.u.mped fists.

aOh, hey, Melody Piper would be a great help for you, I think,a Apple said.

Briar got to work. Under her supervision, Ginger contributed some freshly made finger foods, and Melody Piper brought in her turntables and started the music. Briar got some people chanting parts of the songs, and good energy flowed through the room.

But much of the crowd just shuffled around the Treasury, unsure, perhaps, where and how to start fixing things.

Make eye contact, Appleas mother had said, but surely she had been talking about more than good manners. Look back, and look deeper.

At first glance, Blondie was a talkative, bubbly girl with really great curls. But as Apple looked closer, she noticed earnestness, an eagerness to be involveda and under her arm, her ever-present MirrorPad.

aBlondie, did you happen to film anything that happened that evening in the Treasury?a Apple asked.

aI did!a Blondie said, lifting up her MirrorPad. aYou know, in case something newsworthy happened I could use in my Mirrorcast. But just at the beginning, before I got distracted by all the crowns.a aThe beginning is perfect!a said Apple. aYou have a valuable record of how the Treasury looked. You will be in charge of returning the misplaced items where they should go.a Blondieas eyes brightened. aYes! Thank you! I will help make everything just right.a aCerise and d.u.c.h.ess, weall need supplies,a said Apple. aYouare so good at Basketball in Grimmnastics, Cerise, I bet you could be quick to gather materials in your basket. And in swan form, d.u.c.h.ess, youare such a fast flier. Will you two work together getting the builders what they need?a d.u.c.h.ess looked at Cerise out of the corner of her eye without deigning to turn toward her. She sniffed as if smelling something foul.

aWe could make it a race,a Cerise said. aYou know, just to keep things interesting.a d.u.c.h.essas lips curled into a smile.

aI could fix this wall if I had some grout,a Hunter called out.

Cerise smiled, too. There was a flash of red as Cerise ran and a puff of white as d.u.c.h.ess changed into a swan and took to the air, off to fetch grout for Hunter.

The wall looked like a big job, even for someone as skilled at making things as Hunter was. Besides, the pairing of d.u.c.h.ess and Cerise was giving Apple an idea. And Briar with Melody, too. Royal working with Rebela aOh, Lizzie!a Apple called.

aOff with her head,a Lizzie Hearts said automatically, though she didnat seem to mean it.

aLizzie, Iave seen you build the most amazing house of cards from your deck. And a bridge, too. It was truly inspiring.a Lizzie sniffed and kept looking just over Appleas head, as if making eye contact were beneath her.

aWhat I mean to say is, I think youare fairy, fairy talented.a Lizzie blinked rapidly and peeked at Apple. aReally?a Apple nodded, holding that eye contact and smiling confidently. aI really do. Iave always thought so.a Lizzie smiled, too, and for a moment she didnat look like a haughty, royal queena"she looked like the young girl she was beneath the Heart crown and behind the flamingo scepter. Apple began to suspect that the seemingly aloof daughter of the villainous Queen of Hearts actually had a tender heart.

aI was wondering,a Apple asked, acan you make more than houses and bridges of cards?a Lizzie leaned forward and whispered, aI can make anything.a aI suspected as much.a Apple took Lizzieas arm and walked her to where Hunter was working. aHow about a wall?a Lizzie pulled a deck of cards from her purse and shuffled them so they flipped through the air, arcing in the shape of a heart.

aHunter, youare royally talented at fixing things,a said Apple. aCan you and Lizzie work together to remake the wall and window again?a aIt would be my pleasure. A Huntsman is ever ready to save the day.a Hunter put his fists on his hips, striking a pose. Out of nowhere, trumpets played a fanfare. Apple startled. No matter how many times she witnessed the Huntsman-To-the-Rescue Move, those trumpets always caught her off guard.

aI knew I could count on you!a said Apple. aOh, Cedar, could you clean up the gla.s.s from the broken display cases? I think anyone else might risk getting cut.a aBeing made of wood has its advantages!a Cedar said.

aCupid, you always have good advice. Know of a way to mend broken gla.s.s?a Cupid fluttered over to Apple, landing between her and Cedar. Apple noticed she wore her quiver of heart-tipped arrows but not her bow. Raven had that, hopefully perfecting the Irrefutable Evidence spell with her mother.

aMy arrows mend broken hearts when I manage to shoot straight, which I rarely do,a said Cupid. aLittle-known fact: I canat hit the broad side of a palace.a aThat must be awkward, given your destiny.a Cupid shrugged, her countenance as rosy as her pink hair. aItas okay. Iave found people would rather have good, solid love advice than an arrow shot through their heart anyway. But my arrow tips are handy for mending things besides hearts. If I could get someone to hold the gla.s.s bits together for meaa Her gaze drifted over to Dexter.

aDexter!a said Apple. aI need a prince to come to the rescue of Cedar and Cupid.a aOf course!a said Dexter. aIam happy to help any damsel, or anyone really. Iall do what I can. Uma whereas Raven, by the way? Just wondering.a aRaven will be here soon,a said Apple. aHey, Kitty, we need to get that helmet back onto the giant suit of armor. If you held on to it and disappeared, reappearing up on the shoulders of the armor, would the helmet go with you?a aMaybeaa Kitty Ches.h.i.+re said. She made a low, purring noise. aBut fixing things isnat really my thing, oh Fairest One of All.a aWould you do it for Maddie?a Kitty wrinkled her nose like a cat offered a bath. But she nodded. aFor Maddie.a aDaring, can you help Kitty?a Apple asked.

aI think Iam better suited to something more dangerous and heroic.a Daring straightened his crown.

Apple looked at Daring and looked closer. Explaining the why of it all again wasnat going to change his mind. Logic did not motivate her future Prince Charming. So Apple tilted her head, batted her eyelashes, and said, aPlease?a Daring bowed. aWell! Of course, my future queen. Anything for you.a Daring began to examine the helmet. aI shall require a rope to tie the helmet to the suit!a aUmaa Apple looked around. aHolly, could you help out?a Holly hefted her hundred feet of hair. aOf course! Rule three in our Princessology hextbook says a princess is always helpful. But rule fourteen says a princess must be dignified at all times. Do you think using my hair as a rope is dignified?a She gazed hopefully at Apple.

aDonat worry, I believe being helpful is dignified,a Apple said.

Holly breathed out in relief. aOh good. Itall take me a few minutes to braid a strand, and then Iall cut it out.a aOh!a said Apple. aCutting a lock out of your fablelous hair! Are you sure?a aIt grows back fast, trust me,a said Holly. aBesides, anything for Maddie. I dreamed about Ever After High for years! I want everything to stay as magical as the first moment I arrived. And it wonat be, not even close, if Maddie isnat here anymore.a aWe canat afford any interruptions if weare going to get this done on time,a said Apple. aAshlynn, can you ask some of your wee friends to keep watch and warn us if any faculty member is coming?a aOf course!a said Ashlynn. aI know a very nice family of mice living in the wall near here, ooh, and just the sweetest little cricket.aa Ashlynn wandered off with a far-off expression, shouting, aOh, mousey!a aApple,a said Blondie, aone of the seven-league boots slid under Charonas boat, and I canat reach it.a aHmma we need a tool, or else someone small. Hopper, can you lend a flipper?a Apple asked.

aI canat just change at will, you know,a said Hopper, straightening his bow tie.

Apple studied him a momenta"looking deeper, as her mother had adviseda"and caught him casting a furtive glance at Briar.

aOh, Briar!a said Apple. aCould you help us out for a minute?a Briar left Melody to run over, because Briar rarely walked if she could run instead.

aWhatas up?a aCould you tell Hopper here how das.h.i.+ng he looks today?a aIa uha hi, Briara umaa Hopper stuttered.

Briar looked him up and down. aHmm, that is a risky fas.h.i.+on choice wearing shorts with a brocaded blazer, but I must say, Hopper, you pull it off. You even look kinda cute.a Hopper blushed red, then green, then plopped down to the floor in frog form.

aSqueeze your charming, little self under that boat, Hopper, if youad be so kind,a said Apple, aand fetch the boot?a Briaras party atmosphere had kept Sparrow and his Merry Men arounda"though they were just lounging against the wall, eating pies and singing along to the songs.

aOh, Sparrow!a said Apple, smiling sweetly.

aDonat bother asking,a said Sparrow. aWe donat do floors.a aOr windows,a said one of the Merry Men.

aRight, or windows.a aDo you do thievery?a Apple asked. aHeadmaster Grimm took the heirlooms you and Maddie stuffed in your pockets and locked them in his office as evidence. I wonder if you could manage to steal them back. Of course, breaking into his office might be more than you can handle.aa Sparrow stood up straighter. aNothing is more than I can handle. But be careful what you ask for, Apple White.a He put a hand on her back and dipped her low, smiling that bad-boy smile. aOr next I might steal your heart.a He winked at her and ran off. Apple rolled her eyes but put her smile back in place.

It was working! Maybe her mother had been right. Apple could help fill the world with suns.h.i.+ne, even if things were broken now. After all, sometimes it was the cracks that let the light in.

They only had the few hours till Maddieas scheduled banishment at midmorning, and Apple kept herself busy, answering questions, hiding gla.s.s slippers and cobbleras shoes so Ashlynn wouldnat get distracted, batting her eyelashes when necessary to keep Daring motivated. But the sun kept rising outside the rapidly shrinking wall hole.

Apple needed to fetch the headmaster, Maddie, and the faculty before they went to the wis.h.i.+ng well for the banishment spell. But she didnat dare leave. She couldnat risk this group dissolving into another riot.

Helga and Gus Crumb were wandering around the Treasury as if lost in a vast forest, wearing embroidered green clothes, knee-high socks, and hiking shoes.

aHelga, Gus, tell me,a Apple said, watching their faces closely, adonat you think Headmaster Grimm is royally perfect?a Their eyes widened slightly at the sound of his name as if in pure adoration. Apple nodded, satisfied.

aI suspected that you support Headmaster Grimm and his plan to return this school to normal. In order to keep things as they were, we need to protect everyoneas destiny, including Madeline Hatteras. Can I trust you to go fetch him, Maddie, and the faculty and bring them here?a aVhat do you tink, my cousin Gus? Should ve do vhat de fruit girl asks?a said Helga.

aJa, vhy not, my cousin Helga? If she promises a treat.a Both looked at Apple with wide, expectant eyes.

aSure, I can find some candy for you if youa"a They ran off.

Apple was expecting the Crumb cousins to take fifteen minutes at least to track down the headmasteras group and bring them all back, but she underestimated the motivation of candy. Just a minute later Ashlynn came running in.

aApple, the mice say the headmaster, Maddie, and several others are coming up the stairs.a aNo, I thought we had a few more minutes,a said Apple. aThe room isnat finished yet, and weare out of time!a aI can help with that.a Darling Charming, Daringas little sister and Dexteras twin, entered the room. She wore a pale blue-and-purple gown with black lace trim, and for some reason her clothes were s.h.i.+nier than Apple remembered. Darling smiled shyly behind a hand fan. aI want to help Maddie, too. She is so funny! So I can give you a little more time by slowing it down. Please avert your eyes for just a few seconds.a They all turned their backs or covered their eyes, but Apple was too curious. She opened her fingers and peeked just as Darling bent forward and then came upright quickly, flipping back her long, so-blond-it-was-almost-white hair. As her hair settled around her shoulders, Darling lowered her eyelids halfway and smiled coyly.

And suddenly everything slowed. Apple saw a dust mote trembling in a shaft of morning light, not moving. She tried to lower her hands from her face but they traveled just a couple of inches per minute.

Meanwhile, everyone else who hadnat looked at Darling kept moving at normal speed, which to slow-moaed Apple looked like super-speed.

In the time it took Apple to say, aEn-chant-ing!a the remaining tasks were finished, the wall and gla.s.s cases mended, the helmet tied back on top of the armor, the treasures returned to pedestals, and everything tidy.

Time jumped forward again. Apple and Darling were free from the slow-motion spell just as a herd of mice came scurrying in under the door, squeaking madly.

aTheyare here!a said Ashlynn. aTheyare here!a The door burst open. Helga and Gus led the faculty, including Baba Yaga, Gepetto, Mr. Badwolf, Rumpelstiltskin, Mother Goose, the White Queen, and Maid Marian. Maddie trailed behind, her wrists chained. A troll carried her luggage, which consisted of several hatboxes and a suitcase shaped like a giant nose. And in front of them all was Headmaster Grimm, his face as red as Ceriseas cloak.

aWhat in Ever After is going on here?a he shouted.

Apple blanched. The Treasury was in order. The witnesses were present. They were ready to do the spell and save Maddie. Except Apple had forgotten one pretty essential thing.

Raven. Where was Raven?

RAVENaS FINGERTIPS WERE BLISTERED, HER shoulder ached, and her throat was as dry as Milton Grimmas attempts at jokes. After a long night of spell practice, all she wanted was to lie down on her bed, pull the comforter over her head, and play Sleeping Beauty.

Buta Maddie.

aNo, youare doing it wrong!a said Ravenas mother. aI told you, hold it straight.a aI am holding it straight,a said Raven. aItad be easier to get the arrow through the eye socket if the dragon skull was full-sized.a aBe practical. The full-size skull wonat fit in the Treasury. You need to practice with it this size.a Raven pulled back Cupidas bowstring. She notched the giantas-hair-arrow, tipped with the pea, and aimed for the empty eye socket in the dragonas skull for the hundredth time. She wobbled. Goblin guts, but was she ever tired. She released the arrow. It missed, bouncing off the skullas forehead.

aIf you would just do exactly what I tell you to do, then everything would be better.a aEverything?a Raven lowered the bow. aLike the time you told me to push over that little village girl who was trying to balance on the fountainas edge?a The queen stuck out her bottom lip, pouting. aA harmless prank. Imagine how funny it would have been when she popped out of the water, drenched and confused!a aOr the time you sent me to a picnic at the Charming familyas palace with a potion you wanted me to pour down their well? Drinking it would have turned them all into c.o.c.kroaches.a aAgaina"funny. Grow a sense of humor, Raven. Besides, the potion wasnat even permanent! They would have been back to their normal, goody-goody selves in a year or two. Or three. Probably.a aI didnat want to turn anyone into c.o.c.kroaches!a The queen shrugged. aA sense of humor is individual, I suppose. But the past is no excuse for why youare failing now.a The bow felt as heavy as a house. Ravenas arms lowered. aThis has been a hard day, Mother. And night. The tasks, no sleep, and, worst of all, on Maddieas last day in Ever After I had to ignore her.a aWhat? Youave been upset about that? Ha! You could have talked to Maddie. I made up the silence part. I just wanted you to be focused. Besides, Wonderlandians are too mad to be trusted. You should find yourself more powerful friends.a aYou meana I was mean to hera fora for nothing?a Raven dropped the bow, her fists clenched and sparking with magical energy. aYouare evil!a aWhy, yes, I am!a said the Evil Queen brightly. aThank you for noticing. Oh my badness, but you do look simply gorgeous when youare angry. Brightens the eyes and the cheeks! My fairest girl, Iam so proud.a Raven sat on the floor, resting her forehead on her knees. aI donat care about being fairest. I justa I donat knowaa aYouave been away from me too long.a The queen breathed on her side of the gla.s.s and then rubbed it clean with the sleeve of her scarlet velvet gown. aYouave forgotten how wickedly wonderful it is to be evil. Stop wasting your life thinking about poor widdle Maddie or poor widdle anyone and just do what you want! I didnat raise you to be good and weak, I raised you to be powerful and happy.a aI am happy.a Raven kept her head down, embarra.s.sed, as she said quietly, aHappier here than I ever was with you.a Her mother didnat hear. aDonat let the inconsequential fairytales stand in your way! You do what makes you happy, no matter what.a Raven sat upright. aWhat if what makes you happy hurts other people?a The queen shrugged. aYou think too much, Raven. Look at the natural worlda"do we cry and whine when a wolf kills a deer? When an eagle takes a hare? Some animals are predators, and they do as they were born to do. You were born to be a predator. You were born to rule.a aI donat want to rule,a Raven said. aButa they want me to. The Rebels. They look to me.a aOf course they do.a The queen leaned in till her earnest eyes were large in the mirror. aLead them wherever you want to go, and youall always have a devoted army at your back.a aI donat know how to do it, Mom,a she said. aIam not like you. I just wantaa Raven shrugged.

aCome here, darling,a said the queen.

Raven scooted closer to the mirror. Her mother smiled, and Raven wanted nothing more than to be a little girl again, sit on her motheras lap, lean her head against her motheras shoulder, and let her stroke her hair. She lifted her hand but stopped just shy of touching the mirror.

aYou are special, Raven,a said the queen. aYou are more important than most. You are my daughter. And I love you.a Part of Raven wanted to take her motheras words like a potion and drink them down, no matter what that potion might do inside hera"make her strong, turn her invisible, change her into a c.o.c.kroach.

aI always wanted you to be proud of me.a aI am proud of you, Raven. Why, look at you! Rebelling against the great Milton Grimm. Ha! You showed him. He wanted you to be evil, and so you are, but what a shock that you donat play by his rules.a aBut Iam not evil.a aOf course you are! We both rebelled against the system because wonderful, freeing evil courses through our veins.a aNo, that doesnat sound right,a Raven said. Her mother was so beautiful, her voice as rich as hot chocolate, dark and warm in a mug. The enticing bittersweetness of it made it hard for Raven to think.

aGoodness is weakness. Weak and boring as peas porridge in the pot nine days old. Some actually like it cold, you know. Imagine. Now letas get back to work. Practice the incantation again. Remember, you need to speak everyoneas name who was in the room, the day and time of the event, and the magic words before accurately shooting the arrow through the dragon skullas eye socket.a aI need five, Mom,a said Raven, standing. Her thoughts felt as thick in her head as mulberry syrup.

aWhat? Evil sorceresses donat take five. You succeed because youare willing to give everything to your crafta"everything!a aJust five minutes.a Raven didnat have enough time for a nap, and she wouldnat risk oversleeping through Maddieas banishment anyway. She just needed to clear her head.

She sat at the keyboard her father had sent and began to play a Tailor Quick tune. Her fingers had stumbled over the string of Cupidas bow, but on the keyboard they knew what to do. Her voice had caught on the words of the incantation, but a song drew them out straight. She played and she sang, and the knotted, snarly mess inside her seemed to settle, as relaxed as Maddie at a tea party.

You look around

And you only see what you want to see You come undone Trying to be who they want you to be Raven sang all three verses, searching for meaning in the words. She held out the final note and played the last chord. It was an odd song, ending on a minor chord halfway through a measure as though it were unfinished. And she liked it. The song felt as true as life.

Raven left the keyboard and sat on the floor in front of the mirror.

aThat wasaa The Evil Queen looked up as if at clouds, smiling. aThat was wicked good.a aThanks.a Raven took a breath. aHereas what I think, Mom. We both rebelled because we wanted to choose our own path, not what destiny dictated. But choice and evil arenat the same. Now that Iam free from my story, I can write my own destiny. Iam sorry, but I wonat choose evil. I wonat choose your path. Iall find my own.a The Evil Queen opened her mouth as if she would argue, but then she nodded. aAnd if you change your mind, well, you know where to find me. Iam not going anywhere.a Appleas cuckoo clock cheeped.

Raven jumped to her feet. aIs that the time? Oh, no, Iave got to get to the Treasury.a aGo then, and come back and tell me all about it!a Her motheras eyes sparkled as if she truly was excited.

aOkay, I will,a said Raven. She stooped to shut off the mirror but hesitated. The mirror path to the prison was wicked complicated, and having Apple do it for her was kind of a pain. Maybe she could just leave the connection open for now, so she could talk to her mother after the spella"or get extra help if something went wrong. Raven took a second to smile at her mother and said again, aIall be back soon.a The queen nodded. Her smile seemed truly happy.

Nevermore had curled up on Appleas bed, drooling on her red satin bedspread.

aNevermore, sweetie, can you get the dragonas skull and follow me?a Raven grabbed the bow, chin hair, and pea, and waved to her mother in the mirror.

aWish me luck!a aYou donat need luck,a said her mother. aYou are powerful, clever, and fearless. After all, you are a Queen!a Raven ran down the stairs, a shrunken-sized Nevermore flying with the shrunken-sized dragon skull in her claws. Raven burst through the Treasury door to find everybody there, staring at Apple.

aRaven!a said Apple. aHere she is. Weare ready, Headmaster.a aWhoa, okay,a said Raven. aWeare ready ready? But whereasa"?a aHi, Raven,a said Maddie. She couldnat wave. She was standing between Baba Yaga and Gepetto, and her wrists were chained together.

aIam going to try to help, Maddie,a said Raven. aCross all your crossables for me.a In truth, Raven wasnat feeling all that confident, but Apple was smiling like this was going to be a piece of fig cake.

aRaven,a Apple said with warning. aWeare not supposed to talk to Maddie.a aItas okay,a Raven whispered back. aShe was lying.a Apple groaned. aYou mean Iave spent the last several minutes frantically thinking about bunnies for no reason?a aBunnies? What?a aNever mind. Um, ready?a Apple said, still with that confident smile.

aYes, okay,a said Raven.