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Ashlynn stomped through the Dark Forest. The forest was wet and rainy - normally something Ashlynn enjoyed (sans muddy shoes), but today the weather matched her mood.
Where...am I?
Surely she was still in the land of Ever After. Though occasionally she thought she saw glimpses of a tentacle in Blue Rain lake on the five times she walked around it, lost.
I'll be late for Forest Fest at this rate.
It wasn't in her gentle nature to curse another being under her breath, but she couldn't help wishing Faybelle Thorne would never find the perfect pair of shoes for a big party.
Ugh. I should have gone with Hunter and Briar. Briar was already there, organizing last minute plans and Hunter was leading groups through the treacherous woods.
"You sure you'll be alright?" He had asked her. "I took Briar and Apple already, you should have gone with them."
But Ashlynn had shook her head. "A quiet walk will do me good." To maybe think about the three of them, what exactly was their deal. She liked them both. They knew this, they accepted this.
So what was -
Crack.
She jumped, almost dropping the map (whose constantly moving squiggles were unhelpful anyway). She hadn't seen hide nor hair of a furry woodland creature since shortly after setting out.
"Do you see anything, Jina?"
Who is Gina?
"Afraid not, Clawdeen. Didn't the Headmistress say that portal would return us back to school after the field trip?"
Portals were a little easier to understand for Ashlynn. After all, she and her friends had gone through some on the eve of Thronecoming. I think they're lost too -
Ashlynn cupped her hands around her mouth - "Hello! Are you lost?"
Suddenly out of the brush came one of the strangest beings Ashlynn had ever seen. She had almost dropped her lantern in surprise.
The lantern she carried almost hit the ground. Was that dark brown ... fur? And with hair upon her head? Would that be hair spilling over the furry collar of her purple jacket? Her shoes were tall and her skirt was shorter, and claws sprung from her fingers and toes.
Her yellow eyes widened in surprised and she drew her arm back in surprise. "Uh....Jin?"
Another girl came by, holding a makeshift torch. "Hold on." With a quick blast, fire came out of her mouth, alighting the torch and illuminating the girl's golden skin, reptilian eyes, and green hair. She passed the torch to her....tail....and inspected her clothing.
"This is an absolute wreck upon my outfit....." she trailed away as she noticed Ashlynn gaping at her.
This was.... Ashlynn took a step back, suddenly very afraid.
"N-no please!" The brown girl put her arm down. "We're as lost as a normie in the catacombs -"
"Clawdeen, I think that is a normie." Mumbled the other girl.
"Oh-oh yeah - well, anyway - Have you seen a portal about? Big, glowy, can be round -"
"Or square -"
Ashlynn shook her head, still frightened.
"What's wrong with her?" Muttered - Clawdeen - was it?.
"I think we're somewhere completely different and have frightened the poor girl. I mean, I just - " The golden girl let out a puff of fire, and Ashlynn almost fainted.
She saw this, "No no, it's okay. I'm Jinafire. This is Clawdeen. And we are from Monster High."
The name sounded very familiar, but at this point Ashlynn could not think straight - "Lost - what - you?"
"Ye-e-s?" Clawdeen said gently. "We are. Can you help us?"
"I mean...w-what are the pair of you? Are you human?"
"Ah..." Jinafire shrugged her shoulders. "No. Not at all. I'm a dragon - if you hadn't caught on yet." She added, winking.
"And I'm a Wolf. Werewolf."
The shaking princess held up a finger. Hold on. After leaning against a tree and hyperventilating, she was ready to continue. "Well...I'm lost too. I was trying to find my way to a p-party but - I - I think we should go to the headmaster."
Jinafire's reptilian eyes widened. "Oh - there's a school here?"
"Yes, Ever After High." At this, both of their eyes lit up.
"Cupid is here! This is where she went..." Clawdeen waved an arm around. "Well, not here here. It'll be fangtastic to see her!"
"If we can get out of here." Ashlynn handed her the map, shaking as she did so, and watched as she turned the parchment around.
"Eh." Clawdeen looked around at the tracks Ashlynn had left in her stumble through the forest. "This is easier than finding a portal. Compared to Skulltimate Roller Maze, this is a walk in the park." She took off down Ashlynn's trail.
"Almost literally." Said Jinafire, relighting her torch. "Let's go, Ashlynn."
And with no other option, Ashlynn Ella followed a dragon and a werewolf out of the mysterious forest.