Monster, Monster High

𓋹𓂀

"𝕀𝕊ℕ'𝕋  this amazing? Everyone's miserable." Toralei purred, leaning casually against a row of lockers. The dim hallway echoed her voice, and her green eyes glimmered with mischief as she turned to Valentine.

Valentine stood nearby, his expression unreadable as he adjusted his crimson scarf. The faint flicker of annoyance in his eyes went unnoticed by Toralei.

"Draculaura and Clawd are toast, and the party is cancelled! This is gonna be the best birthday ever," Toralei continued, practically vibrating with glee. Her smug smile widened as she added, "And it's not even mine!" Unbeknownst to them, Spectra silently emerged from the floor behind them, her translucent form barely visible in the dim light. With her phone clutched tightly, she held it discreetly between the two, recording every word of their conversation.

Valentine sighed deeply, brushing a hand through his slicked-back hair. "Wish I could say the same thing, darlin'," he muttered, his tone laced with frustration.

Toralei tilted her head, her tail swishing lazily as she smirked. "Operation Steal Her Heart not going so heart?" she quipped, revelling in his dissatisfaction.

"It's moving slower than molasses," Valentine admitted, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Her love for that hound was stronger than I anticipated."

Toralei raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "I thought you hypnotized her."

"I did," Valentine replied with a sharp edge to his tone, "but I still have to fill her heart completely with love—my love. Otherwise, I can't harvest it and put it in my trophy case." He sighed, the weight of his words sinking in. "I just need to make sure I get it soon."

Toralei leaned closer, her grin wide and unrelenting. "Why the rush? This is fun!"

Valentine stopped pacing and turned to her, his expression darkening. "The spell will become permanent in three days—on her birthday," he explained, his voice growing more serious with each word. "She'll be stuck in that state forever. Her heart will disappear like smoke. She'll become incapable of loving anyone ever. Even me."

Toralei's grin faltered for a moment before returning, this time with a glint of cruelty. "And no heart, no trophy, huh?" she teased.

"Exactly," Valentine muttered, resuming his pacing.

Toralei shrugged nonchalantly and stepped back, a smug smile creeping back onto her face. "Either way, I win. Good luck with that," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she turned on her heel and sauntered off.

Valentine watched her leave for a moment before heading in the opposite direction, his steps echoing ominously down the hallway.

Once the coast was clear, Spectra floated up from the floor, clutching her phone like a prized possession. Her face lit up with glee. "This is so juicy," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with excitement. "I better send this video to the ghouls. Fast!"

Without wasting another second, she bolted down the hallway, phasing through walls in her haste. In her excitement, she accidentally knocked into a skeleton student, causing his skull to pop off and roll onto the floor.

𓆙

As Zeraphine and her friends huddled around their phones, watching Spectra's video with growing alarm, they wasted no time. Sprinting straight to the basketball court, they found Clawd in the middle of what could only be described as a disaster zone.

The court was a wreck—shattered backboards, torn nets, and scattered debris. Clawd stood in the centre, his chest heaving as he angrily gripped a basketball in his hands. "A spell? Steal her heart?" Clawd growled, his voice echoing across the court. His amber eyes burned with fury as he crushed the basketball in his grasp, the material popping loudly under the force. "I'll pound him!" Zeraphine's gaze drifted upward, catching sight of Manny stuck awkwardly in the basketball net, his arms flailing as he tried to free himself. She tilted her head, wondering how on earth he had ended up there, but said nothing as Ghoulian's stern groan captured everyone's attention.

Ghoulian crossed his arms, his usual calm demeanour tinged with impatience. He moaned in a low, firm tone, gesturing emphatically.

"Ghoulian's right," Frankie translated, her tone urgent but thoughtful. "Getting rid of Valentine without breaking the spell would be a voltageous fail!"

Clawdeen nodded, pacing with her arms crossed. "She'd be a total zombie!" she added, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she froze, glancing sheepishly at Ghoulian. "No offense," she said quickly, flashing him an apologetic smile.

Ghoulian shot her a deadpan look, clearly unimpressed, but chose not to respond. "So how do we break it?" Clawd asked, his voice thick with frustration as he slammed his fist into his open palm. "Because I really wanna pound him."

Frankie tapped her chin thoughtfully, her bolts sparking faintly as she mulled it over. "Who knows the most about the awesome powers of love?" she murmured to herself. For a moment, her face scrunched in concentration before an idea struck her like lightning. Her eyes lit up, and she let out an excited gasp. "I've got it!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers with a delighted grin.

𓆙

"Cupid, it's a love emergency!" Clawdeen announced dramatically as they burst into the control room. Cupid spun her chair around, her wings fluttering slightly as she faced them. "A love emergency, huh?" she said, raising an intrigued eyebrow. "If he put her under a spell, then to break it..." She leaned forward, her voice taking on a decisive tone. "...we're gonna need this."

She pointed toward a sealed glass cabinet on the wall. Inside was her iconic heart-shaped crossbow, gleaming faintly under the soft glow of the room's overhead lights.

"Hand me my bow," Cupid said with a confident smirk, gesturing toward the cabinet. Cleon stepped forward immediately, his sharp features set with determination. Spotting a key dangling from a chain affixed to the cabinet, he reached for it. But instead of unlocking it, he used the key to break the glass.

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room, leaving everyone momentarily stunned. Cupid blinked as she gestured toward the now-obvious key in his other hand. "Uh... You could've just opened it," she said flatly, pointing at the key. "That's literally the key right there."

Cleon glanced down at the key in his hand, then back at the cabinet. Realization dawned, and a sheepish chuckle escaped him as he scratched the back of his neck. "Uh... whoops?" he offered with an awkward grin.

Zeraphine couldn't help herself—laughter bubbled up from her chest, soft at first but quickly growing as she covered her mouth in a futile attempt to suppress it.

Cleon turned to her, his golden eyes meeting hers with a mix of embarrassment and amusement. "What?" he asked, though his own smile was already forming.

Zeraphine shook her head, still trying to stifle her laughter. "Nothing," she managed between giggles, her shoulders shaking slightly. 

Cleon shrugged, his grin widening. "What can I say? I like to make an impression."

She rolled her eyes playfully, but the warmth in her gaze was unmistakable. "Well, you definitely managed that," she teased, the corners of her lips tugging upward. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "If it made you laugh, then it was totally worth it," he murmured with a wink.

Her cheeks flushed faintly, but she smiled back at him, her heart feeling lighter despite the seriousness of the situation. Meanwhile, Clawdeen groaned loudly, breaking the moment. "Great. Are we done with the flirting? We've got a heart to save!" Cupid sighed, grabbing the crossbow Cleon had freed. "At least the bow's intact," she muttered, shaking her head as she inspected it. Zeraphine and Cleon exchanged one last amused glance before turning their attention back to the task at hand

"Cupid was gonna shoot Draculaura with an arrow, which would make her fall in love with the first monster she saw. And we were gonna make sure that monster was Clawd." 

Zeraphine and her friends strode down the hallway with determined expressions, their footsteps echoing like thunder. They encircled Clawd as if they were his personal bodyguards, with Cupid walking at the forefront, gripping her bow tightly in her hands. The tension in the air was palpable, and their mission was clear—break the spell and save Draculaura.

As they approached, Heath suddenly appeared in their path, his usual smirk plastered across his face. "Hey, ghouls!" he called out, completely oblivious to the serious mood.

Lagoona crossed her arms and shot him a stern glare. "Now's not a good time, Heath," she said firmly. But Heath, as always, ignored the warning. "This is one fire you can't put out, Lagoona. Whoa!"

Before he could say more, Ghoulian silently stepped forward, grabbed Heath by the collar with one hand, and dragged him away without a word. Heath flailed but didn't protest further, allowing the group to continue their mission uninterrupted.

The group soon reached the staircase, where Draculaura and Valentine sat on a bench, deep in conversation. Clawd stood on the steps, his fists clenched as his amber eyes locked on the two. Frankie turned to Cupid, her bolts sparking faintly. "Ready?" Cupid nodded, her expression serious as she raised her bow and nocked an arrow. Her heart-shaped eyes glowed faintly as she aimed at Draculaura. But after a moment, her confident expression faltered.

"I've never seen a monster with powers like his," Cupid said, her voice tinged with worry. "One arrow won't be strong enough to break the spell!"

Unbeknownst to the group, Toralei lurked behind the vending machine nearby, her mischievous grin spreading wider as she watched. "Hurry," Clawd urged, his voice thick with frustration as Valentine and Draculaura began descending the stairs. "Here they come." Zeraphine's heart raced as she turned to Cupid, her urgency clear. "Use two, then! We're running out of time!" Cupid hesitated for only a moment before she nodded. With a deep breath, she loaded two arrows onto the bowstring and drew it back. Just as she was about to release, a paper plane came sailing through the air. It struck her hair, tangling in her curls and breaking her concentration.

"Ah!" Cupid exclaimed, losing her grip on the string.

The bow released, sending the arrows flying wildly. Zeraphine gasped as one arrow veered dangerously close to her. "Zeraphine!" Cleon's voice cut through the chaos as he moved in an instant. He stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body. His arms wrapped protectively around her as he braced for impact. The arrow missed them by mere inches, ricocheting off the wall. Cleon let out a relieved breath but kept himself positioned in front of Zeraphine. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Zeraphine replied softly, touched by his instinctive protectiveness.

Before they could say more, another arrow zipped through the air, heading straight for Clawd. "Look out!" Cupid cried, lunging forward. She shoved Clawd to the side, taking the arrow herself. The second arrow struck Clawd moments later. Both arrows burst into an explosion of glowing hearts, showering the area in glittering light. The group froze, their gasps filling the hallway as they watched the aftermath.

Clawd and Cupid looked at each other, their eyes wide at first—but then, something changed. Their gazes softened, and they stepped toward one another as if drawn by an invisible force.

Completely ignoring Draculaura and Valentine, the two ran into each other's arms, holding one another as if nothing else in the world mattered. "That went well," Cleon muttered sarcastically, though his tone betrayed his worry. He kept an arm around Zeraphine, pulling her closer as they all turned to look at Cupid and Clawd, now lost in their love-struck haze.

"Oh, no," Zeraphine said, her voice low as the group collectively sighed, bracing for the chaos to come.

𓋹𓂀

By: SilverMist707

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