Chapter Summary: Moving sucks and all the students can agree. It's hard and backbreaking, but their destination seems to be worth it.

The week went by impossibly quick, dumbly fast. Their lessons were a blur, Mr. Burns went through a few more students, Monaco and Mickey, Fly-boy, Quasi, and Mosshead even. They only got 4 days, so only 4 types of students they got to review. The last day, Friday was entirely committed to packing, meaning Ra's lesson got delayed until they could get settled into their new establishment. They would have the whole weekend to settle in and clean up the castle, then Monday it was right back to their lessons. The students had very few belongings- a suitcase at most, but they were put to work the second they finished with their dorms. They had to clean up the dishes in the cafeteria to help out the lunch lady, books from the library were being packed into crates and dust being brushed off after years of negligence... Though what every student did not know was that Clementine was outside with all their old textbooks on humans, forcing Dr. Burns to set them aflame as Kibosh watched.

Casper just tried to focus and work. Since he could fly he and Fly-Boy were forced to take books off the higher shelves. Thatch had to use his newfound powers as a giant broom, having to go into every classroom, office, and hallway and open the windows to get all the dust out, letting the light in for once. The school looked so different from the changes. It was being emptied and cleaned, and now it didn't seem so terribly creepy. It was just old and neglected. He wondered what it would look like when they returned, but all the students were wondering that. With the newfound light, he also noticed a lot of cracks in the stone.

Several times Casper had come across a group of students whispering to each other about the changes and the strange adult vampire. They even asked the friendly trio, plus Slither about Thatch's mother. None of Casper's friends could answer, and the friendly ghost refused to. He didn't know if it was his place to speak of such things. He rather kept his mouth shut to be on the safe side. He didn't want to betray Thatch in any way, and seeing how Thatch was about his home life, why would he take the gamble? Thatch was crazy protective over his mother.

Box after box, crate after crate, and then barrel after barrel of supplies was placed into the ship's cargo hold, which was filled with dust and spider webs from years of... General forgetfulness on Cappy's part. Then again the captain couldn't see, so no one could blame the blind pirate. The ship was stuffed with supplies, and as the sunset the students were gathered up, sitting on the benches placed on the upper deck. Clementine stood near the wheel with Kibosh, holding a black umbrella to keep her in the shade in case the sun was still up when they left the underworld. Only human-world light harmed vampires, as Thatch explained while they were cleaning a while ago.

Thatch was sitting beside Casper, tightly holding his hand as he was pretty much bouncing in his seat. Casper knew why Thatch was excited, he had the same mindset. The comfortable bedroom, the strawberry shortcakes and the dance in the empty ballroom, all theirs. They could do it all again, and they didn't have to worry or hide it. They could be them, be together. Not even Kibosh could get in their way now. The ghost let a relieved sigh escape him as all the teachers boarded the ship, standing around the railing instead of sitting down. Casper could see they were just as worried as many of the students. But Kibosh seemed so sure of this choice. Who were they to ask questions?

As the ship took off the student's excitement was brimming, the pirate ship soaring through the air and towards the portal. It got even more extreme when Clementine raised her hand, and an almost see-through sphere surrounded the ship. It was scarcely noticeable, just the light glimmering off of it gave it away to the people inside the bubble. Kibosh whispered to Clementine, causing the two to both chuckle. Kibosh playfully nudged the female vampire before he put his strict expression right back onto his big green face.

Then the ghost turned around to face the students. "It'll be a long trip to our new home. Relax and enjoy the trip, because when we get there it'll be a lot of work." He warned sternly, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Sir?" Ra raised his hand. Kibosh nodded to the mummy so Ra continued. "What is this bubble thing?" He asked, looking around the ship with curious eyes. Casper found it odd that Ra seemed interested in vampire magic, but then again... magic. Of course, Ra was interested.

"You can do it too Ra, when you're older." Clementine softly spoke, giving the young child a gentle smile. "Vampires, mummies, witches and a few other creatures can cast spells or hexes. This is a simple protection spell, it keeps us concealed from prying eyes. The location of our school is strictly secret, a human must never be allowed to find it, or else... Since we will now live in the human world rules will be stricter and enforced harshly. It is best if you obey them." She spoke firmly, her violet eyes narrowing as she looked at the young monsters. Casper squeezed Thatch's hand gently, but he oddly didn't feel fearful unlike the rest of the students, whose excitement was gone and replaced with worry. As she addressed the students, the ship navigated through the portal, causing it to shake a bit. Casper could hear the sound of the supplies below deck crashing a bit, he hoped nothing broke.

The sun was just setting in the human world, causing Clementine to hiss in discomfort, taking a step back into the shade of the large sail, despite Kibosh holding her umbrella close. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

Thatch almost got up from his seat right there if it wasn't for her shaking her head at him. "I'm fine..." Was all she could say, she didn't even turn to look at her child. Thatch didn't look like he believed her, but she wasn't smoking and didn't seem hurt, so the child monster had to listen and stayed put beside his ghost boyfriend. Casper laced his arm with Thatch's, leaning against his side to give the vampire some comfort. It seemed to work because Thatch let a faint smile show.

~~~

The trip was long, longer than Casper remembered. Maybe it was because Cappy SUCKED at taking commands from Clementine AND Kibosh. It left the two trying to reason with the parrot to try to guide Cappy. Honestly, at one point, Casper thought for sure Kibosh was just going to take the wheel or shoot them out of the sky with lightning. But the ghost seemed to be holding his temper pretty well.

But, Casper couldn't help but get excited as he saw the city... or er, more like a small town. Casper got out of his seat and hurried over to the railing of the ship, his smile so wide it made his cheeks sore. Over the town, they sailed, then over the dark forest with the towering trees. He could see nothing but forest at first, then in the far, far distance, he saw a lake. He wanted to look at it more, and to his delight, Clementine was telling Cappy to sail for it.

Casper looked back at Thatch, who was clinging to his seat because he knew how Cappy was... Oh right. OH SHIT.

Casper dived back for his seat, clinging to it as the ship tipped forward suddenly and dived down. The students yelled loudly as they were shaken around, some nearly sliding out of their seats. Kibosh made to support Clementine, but she never once moved. It was like her feet were suction cupped to the wooden deck. Casper wishes he could do that. The ship shuttered and yanked, jerking back as it hit the surface of the lake, bouncing a bit because Cappy went in far too fast due to the unfamiliar setting.

Then, they just drifted on the lake surface towards the shore. But as they neared the shallows Clementine ordered the ship to drop anchor, and so it was done. Flying was fine for some students, but some of them couldn't fly so the adults were being given odd looks by all the students. There was no rowboat on the ship, and they had items to unpack and carry.

But they only followed orders given by Kibosh, heading below deck to get their belongings as they should. Casper was disappointed to see some boxes were knocked around, even a few cracked open. It was mostly the library books, and now their order was all jumbled up. They would be forced to sort the books all over again- they had tried to keep them in somewhat order as they packed them away.

But the books were for a later time. Casper sighed softly and grabbed his bag of belongings while Ra fussed over his sarcophagus, making sure there wasn't a single scratch... Or crack in this case. Ra's sarcophagus and Thatch's coffin were tucked away into a corner, away from everything and they were even strapped down to prevent them from moving. They seemed fine to Casper, so the ghost shrugged and headed back up the stairs.

By the time they got back on deck, there was a whole dock just... THERE. A whole wooden dock was right up by the ship's side, Cappy's ramp already down and ready for them. Casper did note the dock looked old and utterly soaked, moss even covered it- the deck had been below the water's surface, and was raised? How was it raised? Magic? But Casper had to remind himself Thatch's dad was an inventor. Did his dad... make some sort of machine that makes a dock rise when needed? If so there had to be a switch, but where?

"Come along!" Kibosh boomed as the students started to surround the ramp, but none of them attempting to be first... Expect Thatch. Thatch was the last to leave below deck, and when he did he shouldered his way through the crowd as he carried his black backpack, the only thing he needed for now. He confidently walked down the ramp and onto the soggy docks. His mother was waiting for them all on the beach already, her umbrella closed and used as a walking stick now. The second Thatch had stepped into the docks the students were much more willing to follow. Casper promptly followed, having a bit of difficulty raising his suitcase but he didn't mind. He hastened back to Thatch's side, hovering just off the wooden docks. Thatch looked at Casper, then flashed his big pearly grin, happy that Casper was right by his side now.

"I didn't know there was a lake around here," Casper softly whispered, anxiously glancing around the soaked wooden docks. He felt better when they reached solid land, actually letting his feet touch the ground. Clementine started to lead them down an overgrown path. Kibosh was quick to catch up, letting the teachers bring up the rear so no student got left behind. Kibosh was using his powers to push back the overgrown plants, clearing the trail back for them all. Not once did a stray branch or leaf touch any student. Clementine, on the other hand, was making small orbs of... moonlight? Just small floating orbs of light she would release from her hand, and they would stay exactly where she left them, lighting the path.

"We own the lake," Thatch told the ghost. "We actually own a lot of the forest, but we just stay within the castle walls." He considerately told. He reached over and helped Casper carry his bulky luggage since Thatch only had a small backpack. "Dad wanted a space far, far away from people for his inventions, and when he turned it just became convenient... I hope everyone will like the castle. This was so suddenly planned." He almost whined, nervously looking to Casper.

It was then the ghost saw Thatch didn't want the school here. Yes, he wanted to return home to be with his mother, but everyone was an intruder about to enter into his private life. To invade the walls of his old family, to explore his home and poke around into the past, to see where he lived and probably question him for weeks to come- Thatch didn't want it. Casper also knew Thatch must have been terrified of someone finding the spiraling staircase to his father's lab. They would have to hide it away- and the ballroom! Casper wanted to hide that away from all but those who could be trusted deeply, such as his friends. Some things just couldn't be shared, it was theirs.

The ghost couldn't give Thatch any words of comfort. Not until he could calm himself. So Casper just kept in line with Thatch, walking by his side with the rest of their school following behind them, Clementine and Kibosh ahead of them. As they went closer to the castle the pathway became more clear, dirt to gravel, then cracked cobblestone that seemed to twist between the trees, moving with nature instead of making nature move around it. Casper could see from these small details either Clementine or Vincent was very in tune with their surroundings. He had a feeling it was Vincent, sure Clementine had a garden but Thatch said his father picked this location and designed the castle himself.

It oddly reminded Casper of home, his real home. No, not the house they were currently haunting in Deedstown for a laugh. His human home, the manor. His manor was out in the open, with wide fields which he sledded on, that much he knew. Thatch lived in a forest with a nearby lake. They were similar, but opposites at the same time. Everything he learned about the vampire entranced him to no end. The blue-eyed monster briefly wondered if Thatch ever thought the same things he did.

Casper then barely saw it, the sphere that circled the castle. He felt his heart leap in excitement and fear as they all passed through it, but nothing looked different. He didn't even recognize the trees, he pushed it off because he knew they were heading to the castle in a different direction than he and Thatch had. He sighed, raising his gaze to the tall trees above. And he saw it, through the leaves he could just see the outline of the castle. It was hard to see, the only thing that gave it away was the absence of the stars in the night sky, which was now pitch black with the sun far below the horizon. He stared up at the outline for a bit, and as they drew closer he lowered his gaze, trying to see ahead in the dark. Then through the trees, he saw the tall stone walls, and behind that the pitch-black castle, void of any life. It was scary to look at, but at the same time, Casper felt so excited. They were so close to where everything started.

Clementine was taking the students around the front, avoiding the moat that surrounded the whole castle. The students seemed surprised about the moat, Quasi nearly slipping and falling down the steep slope, luckily Fly-Boy managed to get him back on track.

Casper just felt so excited, he could barely tear his eyes away from the moat, the walls, and the normally forbidden castle. He could only imagine what the others were feeling... the others!

He turned his eyes away and looked behind him. The students were walking in pairs in a line right behind Clementine and Kibosh. Mantha and Ra were right behind him. Slither and Wolfie were behind Ra and Mantha, though he couldn't see any further back. He flashed a smile, trying his best not to laugh as Mantha's jaw hung open in shock. Ra was almost bouncing on the balls of his heels. They have only heard about this place, and now they got to see it! Casper felt his chest swell with joy, and he didn't feel so worried. Yeah, their school was entering Thatch's home, but Thatch needed to remember he had the upper hand. He knew all the hallways, most of the secrets. Also, this was his home. Surely that gave Thatch some sort of order over the students, right? Surely Thatch could just tell the students not to go into the tower or ballroom, right? He'll have to talk to Thatch later and comfort the poor vampire.

"Here we are," Clementine softly spoke as she stopped at the front gates. Casper nervously looked at the drawbridge before them, which of course, was sealed shut. It hadn't been open in years. The gears were rusted no way they would... oh.

Clementine used those weird... moving powers of hers and the rusted gears creaked and turned, layers of rust cracking off as they moved. She forced them to move without touching them, the drawbridge dropping down with a loud thud, dust flying up and causing the students to cough.

"As I said... We will need to get the house into working order before it's perfect." She reminded them calmly. She started to walk across the wooden drawbridge towards the front doors. Casper smiled as he saw the familiar front courtyard. The nice smooth stone path, the fountain that only came to life during the nighttime, the mist sweeping over the grass as he remembered it. So eerie but beautiful. Just as he remembered the flowerbeds were still dead, but those didn't matter. The trees were fully alive again, their silver leaves reflecting the moonlight. He could even see the overgrown path going around the castle, the one they took to get to Thatch's pond. Casper set his bag down briefly, making Thatch groan as he too had to set it down, they had been carrying it together and it seemed too heavy for the vampire to hold up on his own. Casper tried not to laugh, seeing as the friendly ghost was actually able to lift it on his own, even if it was hard. Casper instead took Thatch's now free hand, giving it a squeeze as he looked over the beautiful courtyard. The students were starting to line up, all staring at the main gates and just gazing out at the haunting, yet enchanting looking castle.

"Kibosh, will you...?" Clementine softly spoke. Kibosh nodded, and to Casper's surprise the ghost took off speedily. He never seen Kibosh ever move fast. He was always slowly hovering, never in a rush. Why would the ruler of the underworld rush anywhere? Then they all saw why...

The castle was being brought to life. The torches inside were suddenly being lit aflame, the windows busting opening. The castle seemed to breathe as if releasing a breath it had been holding for the hundred years. Casper did notice the back tower, Vincent's tower was kept in the dark, unseen in the night sky. That was fine, no one needed to pay mind to that. He only smiled as the front doors were opened with a gust of Kibosh's wind, just for dramatic flair. Kibosh hovered at the doors, grinning widely with his arms crossed over his chest. Behind him, Casper could see the familiar hallway with the red carpet, and he also could see from here the paintings were no longer covered...?

"Welcome to Manora manor," Kibosh called out loudly in his booming voice. The students just stood in awe, gazing up at the castle. "We'll get you students to your bedrooms for the night, then tomorrow we start to unload the ship." He informed them all.

Clementine nodded in agreement and started to walk forward, going up the small flight of stairs to the front doors. As she passed Kibosh they gave each other a knowing look, but no words were spoken. The student body followed Clementine, all in hushed silence, in pure awe by the large castle with its long stone walls and tall ceiling.

Casper let his eyes wander, looking at the paintings- and he couldn't help but smile. Mortals, fleshies, or in other words humans. Forever pictured in the home of a vampire. Seen as equals and friends, even after they passed. They all wore the uniforms Thatch had described in his stories, most of the pictured servants had bite marks on their neck, which was proudly displayed by their open collar uniforms. Seeing their paintings made the friendly ghost wonder just how disconnected the monster world was from the human one. Perhaps staying in the underworld for so long wasn't good for any monster. The blue-eyed ghost just had a good feeling about this. A lot was changing, but he had Thatch right by his side and his friends close. He felt... content.