Cats slept odd hours, that is to say, they slept whenever they very well felt like it. This was the precise reason that Eva Catra was up at the crack of dawn and already wandering the grounds unlike her classmates. It was in her nature to be about her mischief when it was inconvenient for others.

Though, on this morning there was a truly dreadful lack of anything happening. As it was the weekend, there were no classes and those that might normally start their day early as well were enjoying a few extra hours of sleep. In Underland, something magic, mysterious, or just plain silly was always happening. At Storybook University... not so much. At least, not yet. Eva mindlessly floated about the school looking for something to make a mess of, phasing in and through walls as if she didn't see them.

She found herself on the athletics field, finally sensing someone else awake. Floating through the differently painted grass (it was marked in very boring lines for sports, not naturally growing different colors like in Underland), she spied a sizable building for school-sanctioned weaponry for sparring, as well as an unfamiliar figure.

New faces were some of Eva's favorite things! New faces meant new jokes and new fun.

It was a boy, a student, according to his assumed age, with dark hair that was a bit too long as he kept moving it out of his face. Sometimes he appeared to be practicing actual fencing moves, while at other moments he danced about and swung it randomly as if imagining a great battle (of which he was the apparent victor).

"Caspian Hook, master of the seven seas and Neverland's waters!" He proclaimed as he raised his saber high.

Eva couldn't help but chuckle in her non-corporeal form. What a silly boy, he was nowhere near the water! Her laughter echoed, and Caspian whipped around, sword first. His eyes darted back and forth a moment, not seeing where the noise had come from.

Growing an unseen, crooked smile, Eva floated over to the sword rack and poked the hilt of one of the weapons, knocking it over and letting it topple to the ground. Caspian jumped at the sound and pointed his sword at it. Seeing no one there, he carefully walked over to the mess and bent over to pick up the fallen sword. As he was bent over, Eva struck again, pushing another sword down so the hilt hit Caspian on the head.

Caspain yelped as it hit him, "What the-?" He stood up and rubbed his head.

As Caspian looked around for the culprit, Eva floated invisibly over to where the shields were kept, taking one down and rolling it at full force towards Caspian like a bowling ball.

Caspain grunted when the shield made contact with his side, "Knock it off! Show yourself you bloody coward!"

Eva laughed as he waved his sword at the air wildly.

"What are you?! A pixie?!" Caspian shouted.

Eva finally turned visible, floating upside down in front of his face, "Not a pixie I'm afraid." She said, smiling at him with her signature, toothy grin, "I'm Eva Catra, child of the Cheshire Cat."

Caspian recoiled and stepped away, face scrunching. "Ugh, just another one of you Underland freaks. Leave me alone, I'm practicing."

Freaks.

Eva's smile disappeared. She was personally quite proud of her home, more so now that she had to stay at this lousy school. She wasn't a freak! He should try being forced to stay in Underland for a semester.

"I'm no expert on this world, but I'm fairly certain that was quite rude." Being called a freak made her feel... uncertain. Who else thought like this? She tried to think of what her dad would do....

Obviously, he'd play a trick.

"I'm a pirate, I am rude. Are you going to leave me alone so I can practice now?" Caspian asked, polishing his sword with his shirt.

"Can't get much sparring practice when you're fighting thin air." She gently tapped one of the still standing swords.

"I can practice with a cat if that suits your taste more." He smirked, pointing the sword at her.

Eva grinned. She put her feet on the ground and picked up a sword, looking at it with a glint of mischief in her eyes, "I suppose I can try. I'm no swordsman but I've used one before." She said, testing its weight.

Caspian bowed to start the duel, "You may not be a challenge for my skill, but practice is practice."

Eva bowed back and grinned, "Whatever you say."

Sharp clangs echoed through the grounds as the swords clang together. The sun's rays beamed down and shined on the metal.

Caspian decided to go easy on the Underland freak, beginning by thrusting forward with a very easy strike to block.

To his surprise, Eva kept up well, parrying with perhaps not enough enthusiasm but still dancing around his blade and managing a few return strikes.

"Not bad for your kind. But you'll need to put more strength behind your sword!" With a clang, he upped the difficulty, faking her out and swiping in different directions with practiced skill.

Visibly, Eva faltered, catching less of the blows with her sword and having to jump out of the way more and more, until she seemed to stumble and lose her footing. She watched as a horizontal swing came in her direction and her eyes widened. It almost seemed like she stepped into the strike.

The sword didn't even make a sound as it passed clean through her neck. Or maybe Caspian simply didn't hear it over the sudden roar in his ears. He did hear the dull thud of her body and head hitting the ground, however. Separated by his sword.

His gut dropped in horror at what he'd done and he dropped his weapon. His hands shook while he knelt down beside her, desperately searching for something to do. What had happened? How had he lost control so quickly? What was he going to do?

"No no no, come on you crazy cat- Oh bloody hell what have I done...." Caspian whimpered as her body began to disintegrate. In mere moments, the evidence of his crime had completely vanished.

Caspain looked at the blank space on the ground, then stood up and started looking around, 'N-No one saw... Maybe I'm okay...." Did all Underlandians vanish after death? Would anyone look for them? There was no blood on the ground or sword. Oh god, he was a murderer now!

"Excuse me, Caspian?" He flinched so hard he fell flat onto the ground.

"I didn't-!" He started to shout, but he turned and saw Myra looking a bit uncertain, not The Fairy Godmother here to take him to a mirror prison.

Myra looked at Caspian curiously, "You are Caspian, correct? I'm Myra, I was wondering if I could ask you about-"

"I can't talk now!" Caspian interrupted, starting to panic. He had to get out of here. If they traced the cat girl's disappearance back to the sports field he wanted to be far away. Ignoring Myra, he turned and booked it back up to the castle.

As soon as the large back doors slammed shut, Eva reappeared, head perfectly attached to her shoulders, body rolling in the grass while she laughed in near hysterics. "Oh- Oh-please! HAHA! I can't breathe!" She cackled into her hand, but couldn't stifle her amusement.

Myra chuckled as well, the laughter contagious, though she had no idea what was going on. "Oh, Eva... What did you do?" She asked, shaking her head affectionately.

"Oh- oh- you'll love this! I was sword sparring with him and you'll never guess what I did!" Eva giggled, standing up with Myra's help, "I made him think he sliced my head off! And then I evaporated! He thinks I'm DEAD!" She fell back again into the inconsolable amusement.

"Eva that's-" Myra burst out laughing, until all the pieces actually connected in her head, "Eva that's horrible!" She said, her smile faded.

"Aw, he deserved it. He didn't even look twice at me before bad-mouthing Underland." Eva rolled her entire head as one would their eyes.

"What? What did he say?"

"He called us freaks. He said I was 'One of those Underland freaks. How rude!"

Myra felt her stomach twist, "He... he really said that?" She asked, "B-But we just got here, he doesn't even know us!"

"I know!" Eva replied, "That's why I had to get him. Make him think twice before being so rude."

Myra put a hand on Eva's shoulder, nodding, "I understand... but how long are you going to keep it up? You'll eventually be seen alive again so you ought to tell him it was a trick." Myra smirked, though Eva pouted. "Though, you can only tell him that once. Until then, it is quite funny. Perhaps... I could assist your little ruse until then."

Eva grinned, "I like where this is going."

Myra straightened up, taking Eva's hand, "Let's go get the others, we freaks need a plan for this rotten pirate. After all, our dear Eva is dead and we have no idea!"

The pair ran back up to the castle, giggling with barely contained mischief all the way.

-----

Though Myra wasn't fond of homework, schemes were very fun to concoct, almost as much as potions and chemistry was. Her mother wasn't fond of schemes, but Myra had been raised in part by the local carpenter, so she enjoyed a bit of chaos (that, and she had not yet taken any vow of pacifism, like her mother). She and Eva found an empty classroom to host their meeting, where she had drawn up an entire game plan for how to get back at Caspian Hook.

Well, the plan was actually titled 'Dispel and teach a lesson to the discriminatory students of Storybook Uni via demonstration'. But it was mostly to get back at him. She'd drawn an entire step-by-step plan on the chalkboard complete with diagrams and drawings (of which Eva had made sure to draw rude symbols over the face of Caspian).

Only a handful of Underlandian students gathered, but it would have to suffice for their plan. The rest would hear the plan through the grapevine soon enough.

The reasonings for why those present did show up became apparent fairly quick.

"Are we going home yet, Myra?" Archie, a young boy with blond hair and curious eyes asked. "I've come to understand why my mother chose to leave this place, it's insufferable."

"This place is so boring. Nobody does what I ask, even when I shout. I, too, would like to leave as soon as possible." Another boy said, this one with dark hair and red eyes fixated on his compact mirror while he touched up his makeup. A beautiful heart was engraved on the back, as was his name in intricate lettering: Damien Hearts.

"Well, um, we're not going home just yet." Myra faltered, she was aware her future subjects were very homesick, but it still hurt to hear their grievances. "I've called you all in today to discuss some unfortunate opinions circulating the school in regards to us Underlandians."

"They hate us, we know." Damien shrugged. "Far too foolish for their own good. Once I'm king their heads will roll for my amusement."

"Well, actually, about that-"

"My head already does that!" Eva giggled, demonstrating said head-rolling. "And I did it earlier for Caspian."

"Who?"

"There was-!" Myra didn't raise her voice, but she did speak with enough force to settle Eva back down. "An incident earlier today, wherein a student was very unkind to Eva due to her Underlandian origins. I asked you all here today to help us make sure he has learned his lesson."

"Execution is a permanent lesson, and works fantastically well as an example to others." Damien smiled around his mirror. "I will happily volunteer my guards."

"Well- not yet. I wish to solve this diplomatically first. I am simply waiting for one more person to arrive."

"What good will one more person do?" Archie asked.

"She's vital for this plan to work." Myra said, insistent.

"I am a very busy prince," Damien snapped his mirror closed with a haughty sniff. "Whoever she is, she's late!"

"For a very important date?" Eva joked with a grin.

"Hush you mangy cat."

"Of course, Mr. Hearts."

"That's Prince Hearts to you."

Myra held her hand up as a figure appeared in the doorway, "There she is, Dusty!"

Sandra Sandman stepped into the doorway, but shrank back at seeing the gathered people. "Um... I got a mirror message saying to come here at noon, something about a dream request?"

Myra smiled and waved her over, "Dusty! I'm the one who messaged you, we have a very important job for you!"

Sandra walked in and sat down at one of the desks, looking around at the other students, "Well, um, my name is Sandra. Myra, right?"

Myra nodded, "Oh, apologies, sometimes my memory goes off on an adventure. I've had you as 'Dusty' in my mind since the first evening of school, how does Sandy sound to you? I think I'll remember that since it's almost between the two."

Sandra shifted in her seat, it wasn't all that different, but it also wasn't bad. "Sandy? Huh... I kind of like that. I've never had a nickname before." She smiled.

Eva floated down to place her feet on the floor, "Perfect, Sandy then! Let's get to business. We have a stinky pirate to take care of."

Myra nodded, taking a ruler off of the teacher's desk and pointing to the place on the chalkboard labeled 'Step One'. "Alright. Step One was put into motion by Eva. Caspian called us all Underland freaks, and we're getting back at him by making him think he killed Eva."

"You did what?!" Sandy recoiled in shock.

"Please hold all questions," Myra said as she tapped the board with the ruler again, "Step two, we are going to act like we're all looking for Eva. She's going to stay invisible all day whenever Caspian is around. Then, step three is where Sandy comes in. We need you to make Caspian dream about Eva's ghost or something with your sand magic. When he wakes up and opens his door tomorrow morning, we will all be there, he'll see that Eva is alive and well, then he knows forever after he should never mess with the Underlandians!" Myra put down the ruler and looked to the others, "Any questions?"

The audience stared blankly at her.

"Y'know, you probably could have just... not told us anything and we would have still gone around looking for Eva eventually." A girl with long rabbit ears snickered.

"It's quite a lot of work for one pirate." Archie shrugged. "But I have no other plans today."

The group's eyes turned to Sandy.

"Well? Are you in or out?" Damien demanded impatiently.

Sandy squirmed in her seat and shook her head, "I'm... I'm sorry but does this revenge plot have to be so... dramatic?"

Eva smirked, "This is how we do it in Underland."

"Plus, it's not revenge. We're teaching him a lesson." Myra insisted.

"Are you saying we're over reacting?!" Damien slammed his hand down on his desk and Sandy flinched away. "We are perfectly in the right to do whatever we please with someone who disrespects us like that! He's lucky we're not in Underland or I'd have his head!"

"The plan is already in motion. He already thinks Eva's dead, so either you send him dreams or we sneak into his room while he's asleep and have her whisper hauntings in his ear." Myra shrugged.

"Ew no no, don't do that please-" Sandy said with a shiver. Her own ears felt gross just thinking about it. She sighed, "The thing is... I'm supposed to make people happy with my powers? Doing this sounds more like a... Boogeyman thing."

"But you'd be making all of us happy by doing it." Eva grinned.

"And all of us being happy is objectively more people happy than one person." Myra nodded.

"Come on, it doesn't sound like any fun to you?" Archie smiled, then began to clap his hands and chant. "Sandy... Sandy... Sandy!"

The rest of the Underlandians joined in until the whole room echoed with Sandy's new nickname. She wanted to feel pressured, but instead just felt... amused. It was such a silly game they wanted to play, and they really seemed to want her to be part of it.

Sandy closed her eyes tight, before shaking her head, "Oh fine! Okay. I'll try!" The students all cheered in delight.

"Perfect!" Myra said, "Let's move out then! Give him the dream tonight and we'll mess with him all day!"

The group nodded and laughed as they headed out of the room, talking about what they would all say to convince Caspian that Eva was really missing.

Eva patted Sandy on the shoulder as she left, giving her a grin, "Thanks for helping, Dream Girl."

"You're the best, Sandy!" Archie added, beaming.

"Hope I can make you guys proud." Sandy finally smiled with them.

"That's not the right goal. It's a game, remember? I hope you have as much fun as us!" Myra said, waving as the cat disappeared once again into thin air.

"Pah, I can think of a dozen games more fun than this! These peasants don't know what they're talking about." Damien shook his head. "I'll show you some real games later." He winked- though his grin looked a bit deranged on his face. Perhaps it was the very red makeup.

As they all dispersed, Sandy felt a strange warmth and thought perhaps this was what it was like to have friends.

She tried to stifle that thought, however. Making friends via silly revenge schemes was probably not the best way to start her career.

-----

Caspian cast his eyes around the cafeteria a few times before entering to get his lunch. He kept a close watch on all the exits, looking back and forth as students came and went. He started so hard at the sound of clattering dishes he almost dropped his tray, and again when his tray was filled. His nerves were well and truly shot. How could they not be? He was a murderer and he hadn't even graduated school! Not that any of these students knew that. He just had to act normal. It would blow over and nobody would even notice that stupid cat was gone.

He took a deep breath and made his way through the cafeteria, searching for a seat. As he looked around he swore he saw other students turn to look at him, whispering to each other and giggling. Had they always done that? Were they staring at him? What did they know? This did not help Caspian's panicked mood and his legs felt like jelly. He found the closest empty table and plopped himself down, placing his tray down before him and rubbing his temples.

"Are these seats taken?" A girl's voice startled him again.

He took a stabilizing breath. "Whatever, I don't care."

"He says we can sit here!" She turned and shouted to someone else and Caspian was forced to watch as five people all converged on his table, happily taking up the previously empty space with their own lunches.

He rolled his eyes and kept them firmly on his food. He could tune out some silly conversation.

"Have any of you guys seen Eva?" The girl asked the group around the table.

Caspian felt the color drain from his face, "E-Eva Catra?" He stammered.

"Oh? Do you know her?" The girl asked, eyes lighting up. "I'm Myra of Underland, daughter of the White Queen." Myra smiled, pointing around the table, "Here's my cousin Damien Hearts, Archie, son of the great Alice, Cotton, this generation's white rabbit-"

Caspian held his hands up, "Stop stop, I-I get it. You said you were looking-" He gulped, "For Eva?"

Myra nodded solemnly, "Yes... we haven't seen her since yesterday, I'm... excuse me..." she said, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing her eyes, "I'm so worried something happened, she doesn't know her way around yet, and she's not in her room!"

"You haven't happened to see her lately, have you?" Archie tilted his head, eyes very round and curious.

Caspian felt like he may be sick. So it wasn't a crazy dream, he had actually killed the cat girl. He pushed his dishes away from him, suddenly sick to his stomach. The group of Underlandian's were staring at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. He jumped up from his seat, running a hand through his hair.

"Excuse me, I have to go- now." Caspian said quickly before running out of the cafeteria.

The group of Underlandian's watched as Caspian ran out, waiting for the cafeteria door to swing shut before Myra said, "I think that went well, don't you, Eva?"

Eva appeared out of thin air with a devilish grin on her face, "And he left his grub! This is working out purr-fectly!" She laughed, happily digging into the abandoned lunch.

-----

Caspian's day had been awful.

As if accidentally killing his fellow student wasn't enough, people hadn't shut up since the morning asking about that damn cat! The rabbit girl from lunch had crossed his path at least four times combing the hallways and calling for Eva, Myra had put missing pages on every corner, and he'd even spotted the boy with dark hair employing some very official looking (albeit flat and rectangular) red guards to search for her.

Caspian felt like everyone's eyes were on him. He didn't have an alibi (not that anybody had asked for one), but he also had no reason to be suspected in her disappearance. He'd been so skittish all day, it was an incredible relief to be able to close his dorm room behind him and lock the door. Nobody could suspect him here or ask about their missing friend or stare at him while he walked through the hallways.

Exhausted, he didn't bother changing and simply laid down in bed. It was early for him, but he didn't care. Turning the lights off, he relaxed almost immediately. Tomorrow everyone was sure to forget Eva had ever been a student. Caspian was looking forward to forgetting about her, too. He drifted off to sleep easier than he realized.

Outside of his dorm, Eva and Myra had Sandy by the hands, eagerly taking her to his door in the dark hallway.

"You guys are really sure about this?" Sandy whispered.

Eva floated ahead of them, "Oh, absolutely."

The pirate flag covering the peephole in the door would have been cute, were they not looking forward to harassing its owner in his sleep. Myra held a finger to her lips and motioned Sandy forward.

She gulped, but knelt down anyway and waved her hands in a vague circular shape. Between her palms a circle of golden sand gathered and swirled, before she held it out and blew it gently under the doorway where it swirled and dove to stay as a cloud until it had all squeezed underneath the door.

"Now we just... wait." Sandy whispered.

Eva grinned wide and giggled.

-----

His dreams were peaceful, just black swirls and indistinguishable faces and events, until they abruptly weren't.

He watched in sickening detail as his sword severed Eva's head in much more gruesome detail than it had happened in real life, before she picked up said head and spoke through it with a mangled, bloody voice.

"Caspian..." The voice said, echoing around him, "You destroyed me... how could you kill an innocent girl?"

Caspian rolled over in bed, mumbling, "No... no I didn't mean to...." Though in his dream he could only watch, feet rooted to the floor.

"I will haunt you forever Caspian... You have to apologize..."

"I don't understand." Caspian murmured.

"APOLOGIZE CASPIAN... TO ALL OF US!" Suddenly it wasn't just Eva's voice, but every Underlandian he'd seen all day, all of them clutching their necks while blood seeped between their fingers. "WHERE IS OUR FRIEND, CASPIAN?"

Caspian awoke screaming, throat already raw both from his terror and his own hands that had apparently clawed at his neck in his sleep. He launched himself out of bed and ran to the door, throwing it open, "I HAVE TO FIND-" he stumbled back, however, when he met the gathered crowd.

He took them all in, the Underlandians he had been about to look for, a girl with golden hair- and Eva. Floating just above the crowd and her head perfectly intact.

"Good morning, Caspian!" Myra greeted happily, seemingly unaware of his entire demeanor.

"I'm s-sorry." He gasped, "For everything I said... and I'm sorry I- I didn't mean to, can you go to the beyond now, Eva?"

Eva burst out laughing, shrill and delighted, before patting Caspian on the shoulder, "Dude, that was just some Underland payback, I'm perfectly fine! Look!" She put both hands on either side of her head and lifted it off again, still grinning and cackling.

Caspian blinked wildly at the group of Underlandians in front of him, all of them laughing and encouraging Eva while she juggled her head like a ball. He dug his hand through his sweaty hair, "God... you all are mad...."

"So what? We're from Underland, of course we're mad to you! Things are different there. Just like they're different here versus Neverland. For us, everyone else here is mad!" Myra stepped forward. "But that shouldn't matter, because we're all students of this school, and we all deserve respect. Now, don't mess with my subjects, and we won't mess with you." The princess held her hand out, "Truce?"

Caspian stared at Myra for a moment, completely dumbfounded, but eventually shook her hand, "Yeah, ok. Truce. Could you all go away now? I'd like to get some real sleep. You guys do sleep in Underland, right?"

The group started to chuckle, and that grew into laughter that echoed down the hallways of the dorms as the students disassembled and finally went back to their dorms.