Once Upon a Time: Ever After High (Book 9)

Ch.27 Beast

By the time it was twilight, Kim still hasn't been found as Macy, Aidan, and Kayla searched frantically as they walked down the street.

"Where the hell is she?" Kayla asked with frustration.

"I don't know" Macy said nervously as she looked at the enchanted rose in the doom and saw that it had lost 3 more petals since the first one "But time's running fast."

"Kayla are you sure you can't sniff her out?" Aidan asked.

"If I had an item of hers I would of, but with her glasses being broken, it's hard to sniff it out."

"Then how do we find her then?"

Just then an idea popped in Macy's head.

"Wait a minute" her eyes widen as she pulled out her phone "I gotta call Rachel real quick."

After talking to Rachel, they all headed to Mr. Gold's shop where they saw Rachel near the counter with the enchanted silver hand mirror in her hand.

"Got it right here" she smiled as she held it up.

"Thanks Rach" Macy smiled back as she took the mirror.

"Hey isn't the same mirror from Kim's castle back at Ever After?" Aidan asked.

"The one and only, now let's see if it'll show us with Kim is."

She then held the mirror up so everyone could see the reflection.

"Mirror" Macy said out loud "Show us Kim."

At that point the surface of the mirror showed an image of a large beast figure in the dark going through the woods.

"Oh my God" Macy gasped.

"She's in the woods" Kayla concluded "Maybe if we go to the woods I'll be able to catch her scent."

"Well let's go!" Macy ordered as they headed off while bring the mirror.

As soon as they got to the entrance of the woods, Kayla stopped as she took a sniff.

"I think I have her scent!" she exclaimed as she took another sniff "This way!"

Aidan and Macy followed Kayla down the woods as they came to a stop.

"No I'm starting to lose it!" Kayla gasped as she tried to sniff out Kim.

Macy then looked at the rose and saw that another petal had fallen off.

"Oh no" she said with a scared look "We just lost another petal."

"Macy ask the mirror again" Aidan said.

"Mirror" Macy said to the mirror "Show us Kim."

The mirror then showed an image of Kim as a beast who was still going through the woods while grunting.

"Wait that boulder she just passes" Kayla said surprised "I know where that is, come on!"

As they ran through the woods, it was starting to get darker as they had to stop.

"It's getting dark" Macy said "I can't really see anything now."

"Not for long" Aidan said as he pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight "Good ole technology."

"Wait I have her scent again!" Kayla gasped as she took a sniff "This way! And try calling out for her!"

As they followed Kayla, Aidan and Macy took turns calling out Kim's name. Just then they suddenly head a growl and large footsteps as they turned and saw a large figure running away from them.

"Kim!" Macy called as they ran after the figure.

They continued to run after it as the figure suddenly disappeared into a small cave as they all stopped.

"Kim!" Macy called again as Aidan flashed his light into the cave but couldn't see Kim.

"Kim!" Kayla called in a calm tone "We know it's you! Don't be afraid it's just us!"

But Kim didn't come out.

"Hey Kim!" Aidan called "Look I know that you're feeling scared right now, I know because I felt the same way when I turned into a beast. But remember what you told me, that I was still me, well now I'm telling you that you're still you, and you shouldn't feel scared."

"We're trying to help" Macy said as she then held up the rose "We have an enchanted rose that if it looses all of it's petals, then you're going to stay a beast forever. But that wont happen if you can just come out so we can help you before it's too late."

"Quick question-" Kayla spoke up "How exactly are we going to turn her back?"

"I- I don't know" Macy mumbled "But I know we'll find a way."

She then turned back to the cave.

"Kim" she called calmly "Can you please come out? You don't have to be afraid, and we're not afraid. Think of your father, remember how your mother taught him to accept himself, well that's what we're telling you now. We will find a way to turn you back before the last petal falls."

"Uh Macy" Aidan's eyes widen as he pointed to the rose as she turned and saw that another petal has fallen off.

"Kim" she called nervously "Please come out, we just lost another petal, I don't know how long it'll be until the last petal falls but you gotta come out of that cave so we can help you. Please."

They waited, and soon they saw the figure emerging. They stepped back as they saw a feminine like beast stepped out from the cave with her clothes she was wearing all teared up. Everyone was surprised to see Kim as a beast, but when they looked into her eyes, they calmed up.

"Hey Kim" Macy said calmly with a smile to Kim.

Macy then handed the rose to Kayla as she turned back to Kim.

"It's alright" she said as she stepped towards the beast "You're gonna be okay."

Kim held onto her hairy arms as her eyes began to water.

"Don't worry" Macy said "We caught the person who did this to you, it was Evan."

At that point Kim gave a loud growl.

"We know-" Macy frowned "He's a douche, but he wont hurt you anymore. We're gonna find a way to turn you back, and I think the only way you can turn back is that if you accept yourself. Remember what happened to Aidan? When he accepted him and became a true hero, he turned back, and now we need you to accept yourself, can you do that?"

She then held out her hand towards Kim. Knowing what she needed to do in order to turn back, Kim held up her courage as she slowly took Macy's hand.

"Whether you're a beast or not-" Macy smiled "You're still you, isn't that what you always tell everyone?"

At that point Kim felt herself as she suddenly felt herself transform back into her own self as she collapsed to the ground.

"Kim" Macy gasped a she bent down to Kim who was still wearing her torn up clothes as she started to burst into tears.

"Hey it's okay" Macy said as she pulled her into a hug "You're safe now."