Part 6 (2/2)

Tink, tink, cricka The microscopic crack in its neck lengthened, and its tiny head clinked off.

aNo,a Headmaster Grimm breathed.

A wisp of black smoke snaked out of the beheaded neck. The smoke rose, billowing bigger, wider, greater, until it filled half of the huge Treasury. Then, as if someone had turned on a humongous fan, the black cloud gusted away, revealing beneath it an enormous winged monster.

Its body was scaled like a dragonas but its long, clawed hands and feet were ragged with fur. Its eyes were huge and pearly white, its front teeth like some demon rabbitas, and its tail as long as a hundred snakes.

It hissed. Or roared. Or growled. Or shrieked. Or some mix of all four. Its head snapped around, its blind white eyes looked right at Baba Yaga, who was chanting a spell. It hiss/roar/growl/shrieked at her. Baba Yaga shrieked back. The monster flinched, turned, and flew through a window. Only the window was much too small, so technically it flew through the wall.

aChase it!a shouted Headmaster Grimm.

aItas too late,a said Rumpelstiltskin.

aI didnat get a chance to finish my containment spell,a Baba Yaga said, her shoulders slumping. aNow that itas gone, there is no hunting it. There is only waiting for it to attack. It will likely go into hiding for years to recuperate. But when it returns, all of Ever After will feel its wrath.a aWhat was that?a Raven asked.

Maddie, Lizzie Hearts, and Kitty Ches.h.i.+rea”the three Wonderlandiansa”were standing together just outside the Treasury, their backs to the wall, their eyes wide. At the same time, they said, aThe jabberwocky.a THE NEXT MORNING, TALKING FROGS AWOKE the school. Apple heard the wet slaps of their hops coming down the hall before she heard their voices.

aAll students, report to the Charmitorium. Croooak. All students to the Charmitorium at once. Crooooooooak.a aNoooaa Raven croaked from under her covers, not unlike a talking frog. aItas the weekend. No school today. Must. Sleep. In.a aNo sleeping in today,a croaked a frog from the corridor.

Apple stretched, dressed, and ran a comb through her golden curls. Raven was still trying to work a brush through her black-and-purple snarls when Apple left to meet up with Blondie and Briar. They sat in their usual high-backed, plush box seats in the Charmitorium.

aAny idea?a Briar asked.

aNone,a said Apple.

aOh toadstools,a said Blondie. aI was hoping to get an inside scoop.a aI mean,a said Apple, athis meeting probably has something to do with how a bunch of students broke into the Treasury last night, turned into a mob, and broke something called a Uni Cairn, which released a terrifying Wonderlandian monster from its tiny, magical prison, but besides that, I have no intel on the specifics.a Though shouldnat she, as a prominent student leader at Ever After High? Apple made eye contact with Maddie, who was sitting next to Raven, Cerise, and Cedar on the wooden benches on the main floor. Apple tilted her head, asking her co-president a questiona”did she know what was happening? Maddie shook her head no.

Headmaster Grimm took the stage, looking, Apple thought, particularly grim. Baba Yaga, Gepetto, the White Queen, Mother Goose, Rumpelstiltskin, and other members of the senior faculty stood behind him. The White Queen looked extremely pale today, Baba Yaga looked as if she hadnat slept in a decade, and Gepetto was trembling.

aYou all know why weare here,a Headmaster Grimm said.

Apple could see the heads of students around her go lower as those whoad been in the Treasury the day before cowered in their seats.

aI am not happy, students, not happy with any of you. But one of you especially crossed a linea”yes, crossed so far that thereas no going back.a Apple a.s.sumed the headmaster meant Sparrow Hood. But fear bathed her with an icy chill as she thoughta”what if he blamed Raven? Her rebellion had incited the students, after all, and she had torn the Storybook of Legends. No, he couldnat expel her. If Raven didnat go to Ever After High anymore, Apple could never change her mind and get her back on the right path again!

But instead of Sparrow or even Raven, the headmaster called out, aCome up here now, Madeline Hatter.a There was a general gasp of surprise and alarm.

Maddie stood and made her way down the row. Raven started to go with her, but the headmaster said, aMadeline alone, if you please.a Maddie stood on the far end of the stage, twisting the finger of one of her gloves. Her knees knocked, her feet pointed toward each other. Apple had never noticed before how small Maddie was until she saw her there beside the faculty. Apple could see in Maddieas pocket her pet dormouse s.h.i.+vering, his tiny hands gripping the brim of his top hat.

aYesterday I saw Madeline Hatter in the Treasury, her pockets full of stolen heirlooms. At her feet, clearly just fallen from her hands, the Uni Cairna”one of the Great Gla.s.s Prisons. Her carelessness has unleashed the most terrifying horror Wonderland ever knew, now loose in our own Ever After! And Iam not convinced she didnat throw down that gla.s.s prison on purpose. Itas well known that Madeline Hatter misses her home world. Perhaps she went into the Treasury with the express purpose of setting free one of her countrybeasts, thea the jabberwocky.a The headmaster shuddered.

aButa”a Maddie started.

aSilence! Your testimony is not needed. It doesnat matter what you meant to do, only what you did. And what you did was free a vastly dangerous, frightening, and deadly beast!a A general s.h.i.+ver pa.s.sed around the audience. Someone began to weep.

The headmaster raised his hand. aNow, donat be afraid, children. We know from legend that the jabberwocky will hide itself for years, slowly regaining its terrifying powers, before attacking. But when that distant day comes, Madeline Hatter, it will be your fault. You committed a crime of Big Bad Proportionsa”something great, terrible, dangerous, and completely off-script. Your punishment, therefore, can be nothing less than banishment from the land of Ever After. You will leave here and never return.a The students in the audience gasped again, this time with even more alarm. Someone banished! And not just anyone, but Maddie! Apple couldnat think of anyone else whom all the studentsa”both Royals and Rebelsa”liked as much as the tea-loving, party-throwing, riddle-spouting girl.

aThank you, thatas very kind,a said Maddie, voice quavering. aI appreciate it.a aWhat are you saying, girl?a said Baba Yaga. aYou appreciate getting banished?a aOh, no, I find the idea of banishment horrifying, frightening, and generally extremely icky. I was responding to what the Narrator saida”that you all like me. Itas nice, at least, to know that.a Maddie sniffed, and a fat tear rolled down her cheek.

Apple quaked in her seat but could resist no longer. She stood up. And at the exact same moment, so did Raven.

aHeadmaster!a they both said at once.

aSir, if youad be so kind as to hear a question?a Apple shouted to be heard across the Charmitorium. aI saw, as you did, Maddie standing near the broken Uni Cairn in the Treasury. We witnessed the moment after its break, not its breaking, therefore, any witness testimony is circ.u.mstantial at besta”a aYour Royal Highness,a said the headmaster. aThis is not the time to debatea”a aAnyway, what is one of these so-called Great Gla.s.s Prisons doing in the school Treasury?a Raven asked. aShouldnat you keep it somewhere safer?a aSuch as behind heavily locked doors?a Baba Yaga muttered.

aYou of all people, Raven Queen,a said the headmaster, ahave no place to speak up in this matter. Youare lucky youare not getting banished, too!a Raven glanced back at Apple, as if asking for help.

aBut Maddie has an explanation, I bet,a said Apple, aand if we just listened to hera”a aMadeline Hatter not only meddled with one of the Great Gla.s.s Prisons, she broke it!a said Headmaster Grimm. aAs such, I am authorized to judge and convict her myself. The only defense for a crime of Big Bad Proportions would be Irrefutable Evidence, something Madeline cannot offer. Therefore, she is banished. I will personally inform her father that she has twenty-four hours to pack and make her good-byes. We will meet by the school wis.h.i.+ng well at this time tomorrow morning. There, Baba Yaga will perform the banishment spell, and you will all witness Madeline Hatter depart Ever After forever after.a Neither Apple nor Raven, who were both still standing, seemed to find anything else to say. Their mouths hung open in stunned silence.

Maddie broke the silence. aUma where am I being banished to?a she asked, her voice a little shaky.

aWonderlandas portal is sealed shut, Maddie,a Gepetto said with some warmth in his voice, aor we would send you home. So we decided on the next best thing: Neverland.a The faculty members all nodded. Apple didnat think they noticed how Maddie recoiled at the name.

aYes, Neverland,a said the White Queen, smoothing her shockingly white hair over her white shoulder. aSurely it is the most like Wonderland. After all, they both share the same last name: Land.a The headmaster dismissed the school, and immediately the Charmitorium erupted into conversations and shouts of concern. Apple left Blondie and Briar and ran back to the stage door. Raven did the same, so they met Maddie as she came out.

Something was very wrong with Maddieas face. Apple s.h.i.+vered, unsure what had happened. A spell? A mask? No, she realized. For the first time since shead met her, Maddie was frowning. It was a sight sorrowful enough to provoke a tear from even a jaded Narrator.

aMaddie,a said Raven, reaching out for her hand. aThis is unbelievable. I canata I donat even have wordsaa aIave got to go with Mr. Grimm to tell my dad,a said Maddie with a sniff. aHead wonder, you know, if I just disappeared and never came back. Telling your dad that youare getting banished makes sense, doesnat it?a aNone of this makes sense, Maddie,a said Apple, squeezing her other hand. aNone of it!a aOh good,a said Maddie. aI didnat think it made sense, either, so I was worried that it probably did to everyone else and Iad just gone mad. Or, madder than normal. I meana I donat even remember touching the wee, bitty unicorn. I donat think I broke it. I thought everyone was celebrating a festival,a Maddie sighed. aMaybe I donat belong in Ever After anyway. Iave never understood how everything works.aa aMaddie,a Raven said, giving her a hug.

Maddie pulled away and smiled, though it seemed to strain her trembling lips, and her eyes still glistened.

aDonat get gloomy gummy about me. Iall bea Iall be okay. Bubble pop shop,a Maddie said, stood on one leg, and jumped forward. aAnd hop.a She hopped away, shoulders slumped, looking like a disappointed rabbit. Raven started to go after her, but then Baba Yaga emerged from the Charmitorium stage door.

aMadam Baba Yaga,a said Raven. aPlease, you have to help Maddie. She didnat do it, but if she did do it, she didnat mean toa”a aMiss Queen, a crime of Big Bad Proportions cannot be waved away by whining that the criminal probably didnat mean to do it.a Baba Yaga turned to Apple, the tiny bones tied up in her long gray hair clinking together. She stared. Apple felt her scalp crawl, as if it were trying to run away.

aAs the headmaster declared,a Baba Yaga said, still staring at Apple, aonly Irrefutable Evidence could have saved her.a Baba Yaga walked away, though Apple held still as if at attention, just in case the old sorceress had eyes in the back of her head.

Headmaster Grimm entered the corridor. He saw Raven and lowered his eyebrows.

aYou see what happens when you donat follow your destiny, Miss Queen? Your friends get hurt. Banished, even. Itas enough to make one reconsider oneas previous rash decisions.a He stalked closer. aIf you donat change your mind and make the right choice, I wonder which of your dearest friends will suffer next!a Raven took a step back, her eyes wide in shock.

aShameful day, Your Majesty,a he said to Apple. aMost unpleasant.a Apple could feel Raven practically vibrating beside her as she watched the headmaster walk away.

aI just made my own choice,a Raven said through clenched teeth. aI didnat make anyone do anything. Itas not my fault!a Apple knew Raven hadnat meant harm, but going off script endangered everyone. Now was not the time to say so.a Raven looked as if she was about to explode.

aI feel like Iam about to explode,a Raven said, fists clenched and flickering purple.

Apple began to pace. aThis is just wrong. I mean, Maddie is everyoneas friend. Sheas always happy and always helps everyone else to be happy. Without her, everyone will be more miserable. And I donat believe sheas ever purposefully done something bad. Thatas why this is soa so unfair. I really, really donat like unfairness, Raven. Just thinking about Maddie getting unfairly banished makes me want toa to throw something!a aReally?a said Raven.

aOr something even worse than throwing,a said Apple. aHitting something? Like, punching a pillow, maybe? Iave never done that before, but I feel quite prepared to punch all sorts of pillows. Maddie didnat get a fair trial, not to mention that banishment solves nothing! For one thing, banis.h.i.+ng Maddie means she canat grow up to run the Mad Hatteras Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe, and thatas another destiny lost, another story that wonat get told.a Apple stopped pacing. Raven dropped her fists. They both just looked at each other.

aWe need to do something,a Apple and Raven said at the same time.

Apple grabbed Ravenas hand and pulled. They ran down several flights of stairs and into the library. Apple pulled the aIa volume of Auntie Aesopas Complete Compendium of Ever After from the shelf, and together Apple and Raven carried the twenty-pound tome to the far back corner. Apple flipped it open.

aIrrefutable Evidence is a spell!a Apple whispered, reading. aHeadmaster Grimm said the only defense for a crime of Big Bad Proportions is Irrefutable Evidence. Auntie Aesop starts to describe how to do the spell but suddenly changes languages.a Raven took the book from Apple, reading hungrily, then sighed and slammed it shut.

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