Chapter Eight

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The two girls arrive back at Ever After High just as the sun had begun to set, transported by griffins. Their arrival caused quite a commotion and they were bombarded with questions by the crowd of students.

"What is the meaning of this?" Headmaster Grimm demands, pushing his way through the sea of bodies to get to a flustered Ashlynn and Raven.

"Headmaster Grimm," Raven says firmly, "we need to talk in your office."

In the Headmaster's office, Ashlynn and Raven told Headmaster Grimm about everything that had happened and all that they knew. 

A moment later, a sly cat and fairy enter the Headmaster's office.

"You asked to see us, Headmaster Grimm?" Kitty says I'm her high-pitched voice, her purple pigtails bouncing.

"Can you explain to me why you decided to turn Ashlynn into a donkey?" Headmaster Grimm asks, eyes narrowed.

Kitty and Faybelle shoot quick daggers at the seated Ashlynn and Raven before playing innocent.

"Whatever do you mean?" Faybelle simpers.

"You may come in now, Giles," Headmaster Grimm says, to the door.

The door opens and in creeps an old man with gray hair, tattered robes, and glasses perched on his nose.

"I requested that Giles make a special potion for this occasion," Headmaster Grimm explains, taking the vile from his brother. "Kitty and Faybelle, you two have two options. Confess everything now and receive minimal punishment, or confess everything with this truth serum and receive the maximum punishment."

Kitty and Faybelle shuffle their feet nervously, knowing that they're bluff had failed.

"Headmaster Grimm," Faybelle finally begins, "you know that Kitty and I are Rebels and can't help being bad. So, when a guy, who said his name was Joey, said that he had a boss who'd pay us for doing something for them, we couldn't turn it up."

"He gave us a piece of paper with instructions on how to make a potion that turns humans into animals. He told us to use it on Ashlynn Ella," Kitty adds in.

"We achieved the seashell it required by bribing the floral shop lady, and we also found a Yamenelle flower and a seven-leaf clover from a traveling tradesman," Faybelle jumps back in. "We made a potion and I used it to turn into a black bunny so that we could grab another Yamenelle flower, while Kitty turned invisible, without having to encounter the griffin guardian."

"We successfully made the potion and slipped it into Ashlynn's bookbag during lunch period," Kitty says, "We worried when Cedar was present when Ashlynn drank the potion that everyone would believe her and we wouldn't get our reward. But, to our luck, no one did."

"Everything continued to fall into place. Ashlynn was delivered to the stables, as Joey said should happen, and then was taken by Joey and his counterpart, Bern, undetected," Kitty says, "They said that they had orders to deliver animal Ashlynn to their boss and our payment would arrive sometime after."

"We waited and waited, but nothing came," Faybelle adds, "and I can see why now. No doubt you intercepted the delivery and helped Ashlynn? I don't understand how the daughter of the Evil Queen, who's literally my role model, can be so, so, nice." She hisses the word "nice."

"And I want to know their boss is," Raven shoots back.

"Did they ever say what the reward would be?" Headmaster Grimm says.

"No, only that it would be 'handsome,'" Faybelle replies.

"Tell me, girls," Headmaster Grimm says, "why didn't you just make the potion with the Yamenelle flower you'd already acquired? Why make a potion and use it on yourself simply to go and make another one?"

Kitty and Faybelle share a look and shuffle their feet again.

"Guess we didn't think about that," Faybelle says, staring at her feet, clearly embarrassed.

Headmaster Grimm nods in understanding. "Thank you for your honesty, Miss Cheshire and Miss Thorn," he says. "Rumpelstiltskin will be the decider of your punishment."

Faybelle and Kitty groan, knowing that they'll most likely be forced to spin straw into gold for hours.

"Meanwhile, Raven, I'd like for you to ask your griffin friends for help in finding the bandits Joey and Bern, and have them delivered to me."

"Certainly, Headmaster Grimm," Raven
replies.

It didn't take long for the griffins to locate the bandits, Joey and Bern, hiding out in a cave.

They stood, trembling, in front of Headmaster Grimm, and confessed everything.

"She calls herself Morgana," short, hairy Bern, says. "She's wanted revenge on the Ella family ever since they refused to help her some time ago. During the Evil Queen's terrorizing days, she'd lost everything and had been singled out for a certain time by her majesty; becoming a prominent victim of her ruthless attacks. She's resented them ever since."

"She wanted us to turn Ashlynn into a donkey because a donkey would be easier to take then the princess herself," lean, balding Joey, adds. "And then to have her delivered to her so that she could demand a ransom from the Ella family in order for to get what she wants."

Headmaster Grimm strokes his beard in contemplation.

"Morgana, that name sounds oddly familiar," he says. "Never the mind, thank you, Joey and Bern, for your honesty. I am not, though, in position to rightfully punish you. But, however, the students of Ever After High are my top priority, and you endangered two of them. So, the two of you will be assigned to clean the school grounds and stables for two months. Meeting adjourned."

Joey and Bern didn't argue.

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