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Tell 'em when you find love it lives on, that's why I stay here
Professor Dovey and Lady Lesso were at the library of the honor tower, arguing and revising the curriculum of now united schools of good and evil. You could almost hear them raising their voices.
"That's not what I said Lady Lesso! You were twisting my words—"
"And you were trying to switch my students doing your Evers work. Which is absolutely ridiculous! My Nevers will stay what they are".
"As they should. They are still villains, what I'm trying to say is an Ever-Never's Ball will be the first step for us to unite our both schools. Agatha and Sophie proved that Evil and Good can be friends, companions of each other while keeping the balance between good and evil. Is it that what both brothers vowed to the Storian? Love each other although they're different side of the coin, until Rafal broke it! And happens to ruin the balance resulting Good to win over and over again while Evil losing. The Good lose it's real purpose and you fighting against the unjust of what did came to your part".
Dovey draw shallow breaths after that speech. She calm herself and gaze up to the other dean, hoping she will finally catch her point. But instead of an answer, Lady Lesso step forward until the distance is close an inch between her and Dovey. The fairy godmother felt the hot breath of the Evil Dean through its nose, her eyes switch it's gaze down the floor therefore she wouldn't see the glaring gaze upon her.
"Do you think we're friends, Clarissa?". Her voice was now strangely calm, Dovey's jaw quivered. Were they friends now?
She couldn't bring an answer.
"No."
Her eyes twitched, she found courage to gaze up to the taller Dean. Surprisingly, there's no hint of hate or anger.. almost
"I–" She tries to say a word, but she couldn't come up with one. She thought—
You thought what?
Lady Lesso steps backward from the fairy godmother all that composed and regal as she grabbed her cane and fixed her tie.
"I accept Good as my equal, to co-exist with them for the balance. Striving to win, as the Good and for our story to be unfold as the Good.. once again. However, I do not find companion nor a friend to a Nemesis".
Professor Dovey felt her chest tightened as if something has blocked the air way through her lungs therefore she couldn't properly breath.. Breath, breath
You breath from her smile, her presence, her smell, her wits .. and yet
"Now, if you'll excuse me I shall take my rest now. This discussion is over".
"No, wait! Lady Lesso—". She tried to grip her hand but Lesso already left the room before Dovey could even reach her.
And there's no remedy for memory, your face is like a melody
Professor Dovey already found herself at the Good Shore, lost in her thoughts. The moon's image mirror the lakeside of Hallway Bay, she sauntered towards to the hundreds of fish which can picture your deepest desires. They dig into your soul to mirror your greatest wish.
She dip her finger in the water, a thousand of tiny fish surfaced as white as the moon's image. They have formed to a picture of someone she know she could never have.
Leonora Lesso.
Dovey felt a tear ran down her cheek. Her chest hurts again to the point she had to place a hand on it to feel if her heart was still beating. The fairy godmother let her mind wanders to some memories, memories together with the Evil Dean. How she remembered herself so in love while writing letters she know she will never deliver to her.
After the past weeks, she thought everything is happening according to her favor—until today. She was too hopeful for her counterpart, for things to go beyond she had happily said contented for the rest of her life.
We gather here, we line up, weepin' in a sunlit room
The teachers had gathered inside one of the rooms of the former school master's tower. Everyone sat around the long table—unrest at their seats—and one particular person in the room is internally frantic on what's about to be uncovered to them.
Lady Lesso knew the moment she entered the room without the presence of her co-dean, something is not right. Clarissa Dovey is never late, especially not on meetings. But after their argument last night she thought for a bit; the Good Dean is quite sensitive. She was probably upset but Lesso couldn't careless. Now, she suddenly felt bad. Damn it!
But if this being late for a meeting is all for the dramatic effect she will definitely drag the fairy godmother from wherever place she was right now. She couldn't no longer bear the uncomfortable silence surrounds her until Yuba decides to end it.
He stood at the center, his face looks.. unnerved. Lady Lesso squinted her eyes and tilt her gaze towards the Good staff. Professor Anemone was the first who caught her attention. The beauty teacher seems crestfallen on her seat.
What in the bloody Storian is going on?
Even some of the Evil teachers had shared confused looks to each other.
"Everyone, we have been gathered here therefore to deliver a devastating news—"
"For all due respect Yuba, the Head teacher for the School for Good has not yet arrived. Shouldn't we wait for Clarissa first?".
The expression of the Good teacher standing—worsens.
"That's.. the news Lady Lesso. Professor Clarissa Dovey is missing".
Yuba raised his hand holding a round patch embroidered with a crest of white swan—soaked in blood. That definitely belongs to Clarissa.. it looks like it had been ripped from her chest.
There was a pregnant pause until it was broken by the ugly sobs of the beauty teacher.
No.
It can't be—
It's impossible
Whose bastard who would dare to harm Clarissa Dovey?
Lady Lesso suddenly felt her head throbbed in pain—anger and incoming grief.
Who took her away from her..
The cane broke in her grip with purple magic, gritting her teeth. Her eyes glistened with tears and Lady Lesso would swear some of them ran to her face.
1 year later
And you can aim for my heart, go for blood, but you would still miss me in your bones
Lady Lesso stood beside the ever reader, it's eyes discriminating on her work. Agatha is on her last process finishing the retouch of the portrait adding some paint to improve the skin color of the subject.
"Ugh, her skin supposed to be a bit dark. I should practice more—".
"It's beautiful. Thank you, Agatha". The young reader turns around to see the Evil Dean standing straight nearside of her.
"Lady Lesso," Agatha grabs a cloth to clean her hands before turning her full attention to the Dean.
Both hands clasped on her lap.
"Any progress?".
The Evil Dean only shook it's head in dismay. Agatha sulked and nods.
"Uh—I'm almost finish with the painting Lady Lesso, I would just place this on your desk at the faculty when I'm finished".
Lady Lesso nods, she suddenly remembered something she has to give to Agatha. Her hand slid inside her coat's pocket and pulled a blue box entangled with a ribbon handing it to her.
"Clarissa's been wanting to give you this. I think it's time."
The young reader grabs the small box from her hand and examines it. Lady Lesso thought she would return in the faculty before her next class. She was about to turn her back and leave when suddenly Agatha grip her hand—warm and tight.
Like Clarissa. Her jaw quivered.
"Everything would turn out just fine Lady Lesso. We will find Professor Dovey".
But instead of answering Lady Lesso ignores it. Evil don't hope. "When did you learn to paint Agatha?".
The grip tightens to her hand, and she could only think of one name from the gesture. Clarissa
"Well when we returned to Gavaldon, Sophie found a new hobby and drags me with it so we learn to paint together before the Storian decides to reopen our tale and bring us here again."
Lady Lesso merely nods, "I see".
"I miss her.." Agatha whispered. Lady Lesso suddenly felt her eyes burning from tears but she immediately blinks them away. So do I, Agatha.
"Everyone in the School for Good do, Agatha".
"And don't you?". The young ever gaze on her with sullen eyes. It almost mirrors what she feels.
"She's your friend."
She's more than a friend.
"I'm heading back to the faculty". She immediately leaves Agatha alone in that room. And although, she didn't answered, Agatha should know better.
No one compares to you I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side
When Lady Lesso has reached the faculty room after her last class. Her eyes stared at the desk across the room placed with plum basket and crystal pumpkin paperweights. The owner of that desk has been missing for a year now.
She remove her gaze from the co-dean's desk and walk towards her own. Lady Lesso saw a canvas wrapped in white cloth. This must be the portrait.
The Evil Dean takes the canvas with her as she heads back to her chambers. It has been a long day. Clarissa's disappearance didn't tormented the School for Evil, but the Dean itself. Besides, the School for Good has faced more problems including on how will they cover the Dean's duties for the meantime since there was none yet suitable person to be switch. Shortcomings befall to the School for Good in the absence of their Dean.
The curriculums were still untouched and hadn't been refined, and the Ever-Never's Ball whose Clarissa's first plan on unification for both schools has been scratched out from the picture.
They still had no lead on Clarissa's whereabouts and it tormented Lesso more than she would admit. She rummaged through the depths of each library between two schools with the help of Professor Anemone—who is much devastated on the sudden disappearance of the dean—finding spells, magic or anything that could help them locate the fairy godmother and her attacker.
Still, it was fruitless
There was one time Lesso finally broke down and consumed by self-blame and fear. Thoughts hit her like a train of her friend might be already dead somewhere in the endless woods and she was too late to save her.
She unwrap the cloth from the canvas revealing a portrait of none other than the Good Dean herself. Lady Lesso finally reached her chambers, she decides to lit some candles with a flicker of her finger before hanging the small portrait on her dark wall.
Lady Lesso stared at the portrait for a moment.
"Ugh, it looks like I'm setting up a memorial for you, Clarissa."
Please, come home.
She noticed how everyone was already giving up on finding the Good Dean, but never will Lesso. She won't going to give up on Clarissa.
The Evil don't hope.
They scheme.
Everytime I close my eyes, it's like a dark paradise
"What has gotten into your mind and you decided to brought me here, beauty teacher?". Lady Lesso glowered at the paintings across the long wall of school for good gallery before landing her gaze upon the Beautification teacher.
"Have you seen the new paintings of Professor Sader, Red?"
Lady Lesso made a look of distaste. "I don't find pleasure of appreciating his works, but I bet it's one of the product of his delusions again—"
"No."
The Evil Dean squinted her eyes against the hard face made by the Beautification teacher.
"The paintings he made, new just now– they happened to appear in my dreams too. Strange mask and hooded black fur-cloak; blood smeared boots and gloves. And—and his holding a severed head—"
"Hey, hey Emma—"
"Both s–schools are on fire! W–we're going to die—"
"EMMA!" That seemed to do the trick because Professor Anemone was now facing the Evil Dean and aware of her surroundings again. Lady Lesso tried to steady the other teacher by holding it's shoulders.
"It seems to me that the person you were pertaining to is the School Master. The School Master is dead Professor Anemone. Sophie and Agatha—"
"No, no no! Not the School Master, not Rafal! It's completely different person!". The beauty teacher looks petrified.
"D–do you think, it has something do with Clarissa's attacker?"
Lady Lesso's jaw quivered.
"I don't know. However, I think you should rest and dismiss your next class. You're not entirely in a good shape." The Evil Dean successfully steadied and maintained a calm voice despite the turmoil building up inside of her.
"Maybe you're right. I was so stressed these past weeks. The School for Good is a state of distress for a year now. Oh, Clarissa."
They already left the school for good gallery and Lady Lesso strode off towards her tower. Professor Anemone's question lingers in the mind of the Evil Dean. She's having the same dreams too.
You've turned into your fears
The Uglification class going smoothly in the tower of School for Evil. Professor Manley teaching the students how uglifying one self is a key towards freedom. Everyone cheers around him except Sophie who can't still stand the sight of the tadpole juice.
The class continue in discussing "ugliness" and "freedom" until a piercing sound pained the ears of Sophie. She covered her ears and eyes shut closed from the shock. All the windows from the room have become broken and shattered.
Then suddenly, multitude of crows entered all the broken windows and hovered the students. Some screamed in pain due to the crows pecking their hair and skin. Sophie tried to hide under her desk but it's no use.
Professor Manley glowed his finger and tried to shoot a spell towards the great number of crows. Unaware—behind him was a masked figure standing all black and mysterious holding a black trench knife.
The masked figure slowly hold the knife towards the Uglification teacher and strike it swiftly across his nape—blood spurts over on it's strange mask.
Sophie decided to sneak and run towards the door to leave this hellish place. But her eyes landed on the poor teacher that was making the frantic screams throughout the room. She also saw the mysterious masked figure with blood on it's covered face; Sophie looks horrified as her eyes gaze land again to her teacher who is now crawling across the floor covering his bloody nape.
The students have left the room running while still being chased by some of the crows except Hort and Hester who ran towards their teacher. Sophie was about to stride towards their direction too until Hort signal her to get help and she didn't hesitate to follow the Never boy.
She leaves the room without removing her gaze on the masked figure while Hester is dealing with him—whoever that is—and to Hort who is tending to their teacher. It feels like the whole School Master's scenario again.
Sophie keeps running until she spot someone to ask for help and luckily Lady Lesso is sprinting towards her direction—frantic.
"Lady Lesso!"
"Sophie! What happened?"
"Someone—someone attacked our Uglification class."
The Evil Dean squinted her eyes.
"A–and Professor Manley, he's injured! We need help!" The never girl was clearly horrified.
"Lead the way".
They have reached the room quickly, and the scene that welcome them is not a good sight. Hester was lying on the floor along with her Demon and Hort making himself a body shield to his teacher whose close to losing consciousness while the masked figure saunter towards them with the trench knife.
Lady Lesso quickly blast the person with her magic but it just easily dodge the attack.
"Hort! Get Professor Manley into the infirmary along with Hester. Sophie go with them, now!".
The Evil Dean tried to distract the attacker while the rest of the youngsters escape.
Lady Lesso shoot a spell against the intruder—again and again—while the masked figure successfully dodged every attack. Until they reach one of the balcony in the tower.
The masked figure was about to jump over but Lady Lesso was able to grabbed on it's wrist.
"Too bad for you." She formed a sinister smile and positioned her finger glow to perform a Petrification spell against the mask figure.
However, instead of pulling from her grip the attacker also grip on her wrist—
Warm and tight.
What the—
"Your hand.. it's cold". Lady Lesso felt her arm being twisted making her shrill in pain.
Your fate as enemies was sealed... forever.
That voice—hoarse but familiar. I've heard it before.
"Lady Lesso, dear. Why your hands are always cold?".
The Evil Dean sat down on the marble floor holding her broken limb as she helplessly watch the attacker dissappear into the Endless Woods.
Come on, Lesso get up!
"That probably caused by the temperature condition of my icy classroom,"
Clarissa chuckled. "Yes, you're right."
"Did you ever consider wearing gloves?".
"No," She whispered as her eyes peered aimlessly into the Woods.
Clarissa.