Monster High: Black and Pink

Monster High is copyright of Mattel

With the reboot of the Monster High franchise now in full swing, I felt it was the perfect time to write about one of the subjects that has never been fully explained in MH's canon: Why did Draculaura stop drinking blood?

It's one of those questions that has never been answered, even though we've had lots of information about Draculaura and her family in recent years. So I'd like to present my own take on Draculaura's past, as well as exploring the idea of what she might be like if she was a little more mature than how she's presented in the webisodes and movies.

This story contains lots of references to past Monster High movies, webisodes and books, so beware, there are a few spoilers about.

With that said, let's start the show. I hope you all enjoy this first chapter.

It had all started as just another day.

The school was returning to normal after being repaired, and the students were getting over the shock of a giant Kraken emerging from the swimming pool, smashing several buildings, then apologising and helping repair the damage before returning from wence it came. Kala Mer'ri and the Serpentine twins had returned to the Great Scarrier Reef, all promising to take home the lessons they had learned from Monster High and to keep in touch in Lagoona. The Fear Squad and their friends were praised for once again saving the school from destruction, before the incident was put aside and life was returned to normal.

Now the ghouls were busy concentrating on studying for their last series of tests and classes over the next few months before summer break, and wondering what their senior year would bring.

"I still can't believe we only have a little over a year before we have to leave here." Frankie spoke quietly as she gazed around the study howl. "So much has happened here.. it feels like a second home, you know?"

"Yeah, I get you. I'm gonna miss this place when I go back home." Lagoona was sombre. "We've had so many wonderful experiences."

"I wouldn't exactly call our several near death adventures 'wonderful'. Cleo made little question marks with her fingers. "Seriously, how many times were we almost killed this scaremester alone?"

"I hear that." Clawdeen nodded as she filed her claws. "Don't get me wrong, I don't regret anything that's happened. Those escapades have helped us all grow up a little. But why does everything always happen to us?"

"I know.. it is like we are stars of popular kids cartoon franchise or something." Abbey huffed.

"I just hope we don't get into any more trouble before summer break." Draculaura added as she glanced at her iCoffin.

"Hail Ra to that. I don't think my nerves, or my hair, can take another adventure." Cleo sighed. Ghoulia let out a groan of agreement.

"You know... Mr D'eath said that he was going to start advising us on our future plans for when we leave school." Frankie spoke with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

Draculaura grimaced. "Ugh, stuck in a warm room with Mr D'eath droning on forever. I think I'd rather be staked."

"I know, but he made a good point. He said we should start thinking about college, and what we're going to do after that."

"I already got that in the bag." Clawdeen spoke proudly. "I've had a few fashion and design colleges asking me to join them ever since my fashion show in Scaris. Some have even offered scholarships. I figure I'll see which one helps me out best and... boom! I'm on my way to my fashion empire."

"Daddy's already promised to get me into Scarvard to study business." Cleo spoke nonchalantly. "Once I have my degree, I intend to get a job managing one of his businesses."

"Taking after your old man, huh?" Lagoona asked.

Cleo sneered. "Please, after that nightmare in Boo York, I'm convinced my father's method of doing things is still stuck in the stone age. I intend to surpass him and start my own dynasty... or at least prove I've got more initiative and responsibility in my little finger than Nefera has in her entire body."

"After graduation, I plan to return to mountains and help run family farm." Abbey stated.

"Seriously? Not even going to college?" Frankie blinked.

"We have large farm at my home, need to be there to help out." Abbey smiled. "But I intend to use all that I have learned here to make things better for my family and my clan."

"I'm seriously considering going home to the Great Scarrier Reef to study marine biology." Lagoona spoke up, looking pensive. "It's something I've always wanted to do, but..."

"Let me guess, worried about you and Gil?" Clawdeen asked.

"He wants to get into engineering, and I'm totally for it. But if we have to go to different parts of the world.. what does that mean for our relationship? We've finally gotten to a point where we're not dealing with his parents all the time, and now we might have to break up?" She let out a sad sigh.

Cleo patted her shoulder sympathetically. "I understand. But Deuce is thinking about attending cooking or business at Scarvard so we can still be close. Maybe Gil could attend college at the reef?"

"Maybe... I don't know if there's much demand for engineering under the ocean.."

Ghoulia groaned, pointing out that with the internet, communication over distances was easier than ever.

"Yeah, but it doesn't make keeping a relationship any easier." Frankie sighed. "What about you and Moe?"

"Uuuuugh." Ghoulia replied.

"Both you and Moe are going to college in Portland? That's lucky." Frankie smiled.

"Errrgh?" Ghoulia asked.

"What do I want to do? I don't know really." Frankie spoke, worry in her voice. "I want to be a doctor like my dad, but I'm also really tempted to go into Mad Science... and I don't know which school I want to go to. Dad suggests this college in Goremany where he studied, but I might want to study closer to home..."

She closed her eyes in frustration. "I really don't know what to do."

"Hey, relax ghoul." Clawdeen held her shoulder. "You're not the only monster who doesn't have everything planned yet. Lots of people aren't sure what to do yet. You've still got plenty of time, so just relax and review your options."

"Yeah, whatever you decide, we'll be totally behind you." Draculaura spoke up.

Frankie relaxed a little. "Yeah... you're right. Graduation is still a long time away. Who knows what might happen before then."

She turned to Draculaura. "So, do you have anything planned?"

Draculaura blinked. "Oh... nothing at the moment."

The ghouls looked surprised.

"Really? Nothing?" Cleo raised her eyebrows.

"Well, you know, its not like I'm in a rush or anything." Draculaura shrugged. " There's plenty of time to figure something out, and even after graduation, I don't have to worry about college or a job for a while. I've got... well, forever."

Clawdeen narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me you're going to just mooch off your dad for the rest of your unlife?"

"No!... Well, maybe for a little until I know what I'm going to do." Her eyes took on a dreamy look. "I definitely know I don't want to be too far apart from Clawd... maybe we'll move into our own place together."

"Without even knowing what you're going to do for a career?" Frankie looked astonished. "That sounds... really unwise."

"It'll be okay. When the time comes, I'll figure it out." Dracuaura assured, waving a hand dismissively.

Her iCoffin rung, and she whipped it out. "Ooh, its Ramoanah. Hold on, let me take this."

She moved behind some bookcases to take the call, her friends watching her as she left.

"Suddenly I feel a lot more confident about my plans. At least I want to make some." Frankie sighed. "I can't believe Laura would be so blase about something as important as college."

"Oh, like this is a new thing?" Cleo sniffed, checking her nails. "That ghoul is even flightier than a harpy."

"Yeah... I love her like a sister, but I gotta admit, she can be really immature at times." Clawdeen sighed.

Frankie tapped her chin in thought. "You know.. I've always wondered about that."

"About what?" Lagoona asked.

"Well... why does Draculaura go to high school anyway? I mean, she's older than me and my parents put together. Surely she should know... well, everything by now. She shouldn't need a high school education."

"Trust me Frankie, immortality does not automatically make you a genius." Cleo spoke. "Look at my sister for example."

"Quite a few students at Monster High are centuries old." Ghoulia pointed out in Zombish. "But the majority of them have little knowledge about the modern world. They're either been hibernating in crypts, coffins or tombs for centuries, or have lived in isolation for years, away from modern life. Places like Monster High are the first chances those monsters have had to earn a proper modern education."

"Oh yeah, like Andy." Frankie realised.

Clawdeen nodded. "True... lots of the older monsters need a lot of time to get used to the stuff we take for granted today. I remember when I first met Draculaura. I showed her my iCoffin, and it blew her mind."

"I know how confusing it can be to end up in a different time than you're used to." Cleo said. "I recall being so overwhelmed when my family first came to America. If it hadn't been for the tutors my father hired, I don't know how I would have coped."

Ghoulia smirked. "You coped really well, though I do recall passing by your house the first time you experienced winter. You and Nefera were kneeling on your front lawn, begging for Ra to take the snow away."

The ghouls chuckled, while Cleo crossed her arms and glared at them. "I lived in a desert for most of my life. Excuse me for not knowing what snow was at the time."

Frankie glanced over at Draculaura. "So I guess Draculaura is still new to modern life, huh?"

"More or less. I don't know the full story, but she and her dad had to leave Transylvania in a hurry, and they were entombed in coffins for a few decades before they moved to America." Clawdeen replied.

"Oh my ghoul, really?!" Draculaura suddenly exclaimed. "Sure, I'll let them know. Thank you so much!"

She returned to the group. "I just got fangtastic news! You know how my stepmother works in antiquities?"

They nodded. During her father's wedding, Draculaura's stepmother Ramoanah had regaled them with a few tales of her career in finding and restoring antiques.

"Well, for the last few weeks she's been working at that new museum that opening in Salem tomorrow, collecting some items for their exhibits and such. Anyway, they're holding a special gala opening for some of the supporters, sponsors and some other important guests.. and Ramoanah wants to invite us!"

The ghouls all gasped in delight. They had heard much about the Salem Museum while it was being built, mainly from their parents who were excited about the added tourism it would bring to their town.

"Sounds fabulous. As long as it's not a repeat of Boo York, count me in!" Cleo smiled.

"Have been meaning to get a little more culture. I am in too." Abbey added.

"Great! Ooh, and you all have a plus one, so you could bring your boos, or someone else." Draculaura said.

"Really?" Frankie hopped in her seat. "Ooh, I should totally bring Andy. He'd love to see the sculptures."

Draculaura couldn't help but smirk a little. While Frankie and Andy weren't officially dating, they'd been spending a lot of time together lately. Maybe the gala could finally push the two towards being a couple.

"Ooh, we need to figure out what we're gonna wear tomorrow. Ramoanah says it's going to be really fancy, and I want Clawd and I to match. We should totally head for the maul after school.."

The quiet room of the study howl was soon filled with excited discussion from the group of friends.

"...And there'll be a live band to perform after the presentation is over, so we might be able to do a little dancing." Draculaura cuddled up against Clawd, the two of them sitting under a tree near the outdoor pool.

"Sounds great, but you know I'm not the best at dancing." Clawd admitted.

"Oh, it'll be fine. It'll probably be a few waltzes like at Ramoanah's wedding."

He raised an eyebrow. "Need I remind you, I almost crashed into your dad doing one of those waltzes. I don't want to look a fool in front of him again."

Draculaura smiled. "Don't worry. If you have trouble, I'll show you the steps. And you don't have to worry about Daddy. He won't be able to attend."

"Really?"

She sighed. "Yeah, he wanted to. But he had to fly to Antartica last night to sort out some problems with that renewable energy project of his. It's a shame really, he was really looking forward to seeing what old stuff Ramoanah had found for the exhibit. She's been keeping it a secret."

"Yeah, shame." Clawd smirked at her. "Still, if he's away, I guess he can't object to us maybe taking a little trip to Dead Manster's Bluff afterwards."

"Ooh, sounds great." Draculaura grinned impishly. Dead Manster's Bluff was becoming a notorious make out spot as of late.

Clawd blinked as he remembered something. "Oh hey, I got some good news. I got letters from a few colleges inviting me to check them out."

Draculaura froze. "You.. did?"

"Yeah, one from Scarvard, one from Screeattle.. I was thinking about visiting them over the next few weeks, see which one looks best. Hey, maybe you could come with me..."

Clawd noticed his ghoulfriend suddenly looked nervous, even as she smiled at him.

"Oh that sounds boring. Why don't we go see a movie instead?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Afterwards maybe, yeah. But I can't put this off. I have to start thinking about where I'm going once I leave school after summer."

"Well.. you don't have to rush... I mean.." She squirmed uncomfortably. "Hey! What time is it?

Clawd checked his watch. "Umm, it's just gone 3:30.. Hey, did Cleo cancel your fearleading practice today? I thought you were supposed to be there."

"Oh my god!" Draculaura leaped off his lap. "I totally forgot! Gotta go! Kiss you later!"

"Oh, I gotta fill in a couple of hours at my part time job after school." Clawd said as Draculaura grabbed her bag. "But I'll pick you up at your place."

"Great!" Draculaura called as she rushed off.

As she headed towards the gym, one thought kept running through her head.

"Don't think about it.. don't think about how he's leaving after the summer.. just don't think about it!"

One very hurried change later, she rushed into the gym, where the rest of the Fear Squad were waiting.

Cleo stood with her arms crossed, glaring at her. "You're late."

"Sorry, sorry!" Draculaura took her place next to the others, readying her pompoms. "I got a little distracted."

"By Clawd?" Cleo growled. "Even I can tear myself away from Deuce to attend other important matters.

Draculaura rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Let's just get on with it."

"Alright.." Cleo pointed to a diagram of a cheer formation, being held up by Ghoulia. "This is the Dark de Triumph, one of the most difficult formations out there. I intend for us to have it down perfectly by the time the regional competition starts." She snapped her fingers. "So lets get to it!"

Several minutes of practice and organisation later, and with Ghoulia directing from a distance, the Fear Squad performed the Dark de Triumph - Several backflips and a jump onto each other's shoulders, forming a arc like shape not unlike the Arc de Triumph. Cleo, naturally, got to stand up top and center.

"Wonderful ghouls, wonderful!" Cleo praised from the top of the formation. She looked down at Ghoulia. "Quick Ghoulia, get a picture of this!"

Ghoulia slowly shambled over to a table to pick up her diePad.

Draculaura, who was holding Cleo on her shoulders, winced. "Please hurry up Ghoulia. I'm not sure I can hold this for long."

"Speak for yourself, we're taking all the weight down here!" The goblin ghoul Draculaura was standing on complained.

As Ghoulia shuffled back to take a picture, Gory Fangtell entered the gym, followed by a small group of female vampires. She led them toward the fearleaders, pointing to them as if she was a tour guide.

"..and here is our fearleading squad. They're pretty good, won the Mashional Championships twice in a row. If you plan on joining, just watch out for Cleo, the captain. She can be a real slavedriver."

"Gory." Cleo called in a displeased tone. "What are you doing here? We're trying to practice."

"Relax, your majesty." Gory replied, indicating the other vampires. "These are some old friends of mine from the Old World. They've just come out of their tombs and need some schooling, so I thought I'd show them around."

One rather twinky looking vampire stared up at the formation. "Wow, that is clawsome."

"Thank you." Draculaura called back. "If you're interested in joining the team, we have a few...

She stopped when she noticed the vampire had pulled out a packet of blood from her purse and began sipping it from a straw.

A wave of nausea washed over her as she caught the scent of the blood, and she began to feel faint. She began swaying as she tried to stay awake, causing the entire top of the formation to wobble unsteadily.

"What are you doing?!" Cleo shrieked.

Clawdeen tightened her grip. "Keep it together, we're gonna fall..."

Too late, Draculaura fainted and fell forward, causing the entire formation to collapse on itself. The entire Fear Squad tumbled to the ground, landing on the mats, and each other.

Gory hid a smile behind her hand as she watched the groaning pile of fearleaders try to get up. "Oh dear.. of course, nobody's perfect."

"Whoa, are you okay?!" The visiting vampires rushed to help up the fearleaders. One helped up Draculaura, who was busy extracting one of Frankie's severed hands from her top.

"Ooh, I'm fine, thank you. I just felt..." She noticed the vampire was still holding the pack of blood, and suddenly jolted backwards. "Ahh! Keep it away!"

The vampire looked at her, then at the blood pack. "Did she just freak out at blood?"

Grinning evilly, Gory stepped closer. "Oh yes, this is Draculaura, the only vampire in this school with a phobia of blood."

"She's scared of blood? How does that work?"

"I've been trying to figure that out for years." Gory led the vampires away. "Lets leave them to it, I want to show you the vampire common room..."

Draculaura glared at them as they walked away, feeling incredibly humiliated. Cleo glaring at her with a death stare wasn't helping things.

"Well, thank you for making us look like a complete laughing stock! She's probably telling all the Belfry Prep gang about this!"

"What happened up there?" Frankie asked as she reattached her legs.

Draculaura shook her head. "I'm sorry... I saw that blood pack and... I couldn't help myself."

"Couldn't help yourself.." Cleo threw up her hands. "For the love of Ra, Draculaura! I know you don't like blood, but surely you could control yourself and not act a complete fool when you're near the stuff!"

"Well excuse me! Like you guys don't have phobias." Draculaura retorted. "I didn't complain about your fear of the dark, or Lagoona's stage fright."

"At least we've tried to get over our fears and learned to cope with them." Cleo glared back. "Maybe you should try doing the same."

She sighed as she gazed over the fallen fearleaders. "Alright, this practice is a bust. Let's call it a day and pick this up tomorrow. And lets all try to be a little more professional next time." She eyed Draculaura as she uttered those last words.

The fearleaders picked themselves up, some still groaning and rubbing sore spots. Draculaura sighed, wondering how she could make it up to Cleo.

"Ugh... I'm still sore from that tumble.." Draculaura rubbed her hip as she and the other ghouls sat down in Ancient History class. "Not to mention embarrassed."

"Hey, it happens." Frankie shrugged as she sat next to her. "At least the day can only get better from here."

As the class settled in, Mr Rotter stepped up from his desk. "Now then students, today is the day for your joint history presentations. Remember, both members of each team must deliver a concise, cohesive half of the report for both to recieve the full grade." He checked his roster. "Lets start with... Lagoona Blue and Rochelle Goyle."

As Lagoona and Rochelle took to the stage and began talking about Atlantian architecture, Frankie murmured to Draculaura, her own partner. "So, do you want to open our report, or will I?"

Draculaura's eyes widened. "Oh no... I forgot."

Frankie looked at her with disbelief. "You forgot? I told you just the other night that it was due today."

"I'm sorry!" Draculaura pleaded. "I just got caught up with some other things and it slipped my mind."

"Other things? What other things?"

"Well, I was chatting with Clawd... then I was long distance chatting with Elissabat, then I went to look up something on Frightube and ended up watching cute bat videos for a hour or so..." With each statement, Frankie looked even more mortified.

Draculaura cringed guiltily. "Sorry."

"What are we going to do? I can't present this thing on my own." Frankie glanced nervously at Mr Rotter. "Maybe we should take our lumps and ask for an extra day.."

"No, I can fix this." Draculaura pulled out a notebook and carefully hid her iCoffin behind a textbook. "I'll look up the main facts on Spookipedia, I can make a report right now. No problem."

She started writing, then stopped and glanced at Frankie. "Um... what's the report about again?"

"The history of Boo York!" Frankie slapped her forehead in exasperation.

For the next few minutes, as more students gave their reports, Draculaura frantically checked her phone and scribbled down notes. It wasn't too long though, before Mr Rotter called them to the front.

"Don't worry, I can pull this off. We'll get a good grade for sure." Draculaura assured under her breath to Frankie.

Nervously, Frankie held up her notes and began.

"...and so, that's how Boo York rose from being a tiny fishing village to one of the biggest cities in the Monster Federation."

Draculaura finished her essay, and looked out at the watching students. All of them were staring at her and Frankie with confused looks, some chuckling under their breath. She could hear some students talking under their breath.

"What kind of essay was that? She got all the facts wrong."

"I didn't understand half the stuff she said."

"Did she even study for this?"

"Dude, I'm flunking this class and even I know most of those things she said are bogus."

Mr Rotter let out a long sigh.

"Miss Dracul, what you have just read is one of the most insanely idiotic essays I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you and Miss Stein no grade, and may God, Baphomet, and whatever other gods you follow have mercy on your soul."

Several students let out laughs or cries of "Sick burn!". Frankie glared at her angrily.

Draculaura looked down at her feet, tears in her eyes. "A simple 'F' would have sufficed."

"Thanks a lot Draculaura." Frankie ground out as the two exited the class. "Were you seriously just making stuff up in that essay?"

"I said I'm sorry. I wasn't able to finish before Mr Rotter called us up" Draculaura sighed. "At least we were able to convince Mr Rotter to give us some extra credit work to make up the grade. We can do that over the weekend no problem."

"That's not the point!" Frankie snapped at her. "I was planning to spend time with Andy over the weekend. Now I've got to cancel our plans so I can get this extra homework done."

Draculaura winced. "I didn't know... I'm so sorry. But at least you two can still be together at the gala tonight."

Frankie smiled. "Yeah, that's something to look forward to... Ooh! I need to pick out one of my best dresses for tonight."

Clawdeen joined the two. "Good call ghoul. You don't want to end up unprepared again." She glanced at Draculaura at that comment. Draculaura just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"So Clawdeen, who are you taking to the gala tonight?" Frankie asked the werewolf.

"Eh, I'm just gonna go solo." Clawdeen shrugged. "Maybe I'll give my plus one to someone else who wants to see the gala."

"Really?" Draculaura blinked. "You're going on your own?"

"Oh, I won't be alone. I'll be with you guys." Clawdeen smiled. She checked her iCoffin. "Ah, I gotta get to the Fashion club. Catch you later."

Draculaura watched her as she dashed off. "Poor Clawdeen. It doesn't feel right that she should the only one at the gala without a date..."

"Maybe she's fine being on her own." Frankie shrugged.

An idea hit Draculaura. "I know! I'll find her a date for the evening." She pulled out her phone.

"I wouldn't do that." Frankie warned. "She wasn't happy about that speed dating thing you pulled last year, remember?"

"Oh, you're right."

"You know how touchy Clawdeen gets about dating. Just let her do her own thing. And don't do something dumb like set her up with a blind date."

Draculaura sighed. "Alright, fine."

She stepped away, feeling disappointed that Clawdeen wouldn't have a date. All she wanted was for her friend to find romance with someone...

Suddenly, she hit an idea. Instead of a blind date, she could set her up with someone she already knew, someone she'd already had a brief romance with. There's no way Clawdeen would take issue with that.

She grabbed her phone and called a certain number.

"Hello, Thad? Oh, it's been so long... So I heard you're in town..."

School came to an end, and Draculaura rushed home. She entered the Dracul mansion, happy and a little disappointed that only Count Fabulous was there to meet her. Her father was away on his business trip in Antartica, and Renfield the butler was on his regular vacation to Transylvania. Ramoanah was no doubt busy at the museum.

She checked her watch. The Gala was at seven , plenty of time to find the perfect dress. And she could call Clawd to make sure his outfit looked good and complemented hers. He could be such a scruff sometimes...

Her phone rang. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hello darling." Ramoanah spoke. "Sorry to bother you. Are you getting ready for the gala?"

"I'm about to, yes. Is something wrong?"

"No no, I was just wondering if you could run a small errand for me. I've been so busy setting everything up at the museum, it completely slipped my mind."

"Sure, what do you need?" Draculaura smiled, happy to help her stepmother.

"Well, I was meant to pick up some snacks for the gala, but I just wasn't able to get away. Could you pick them up for me on your way to the gala?"

"Oh sure. I'm totes on it."

"Oh thank you darling. I really appreciate it. I'll send the order for the food and where to pick it up to your email. I'll see you tonight."

Draculaura hung up, then headed to her room. Her phone beeped as it recieved the email, but she paid it no heed. For now, she had to concentrate on finding the ideal outfit. But that wouldn't take too long..

Frankie hummed a tune as she applied make-up to her face... which she had removed from her head and placed on a mannequin's head on her vanity. Make-up was so much easier when you could actually reach out and apply it to your face in front of you.

As she finished applying eyeshadow, her iCoffin buzzed. She picked it up, thinking Andy had texted her. They had agreed to walk to the museum gala, to spend a bit of time together before attending the event. It might be one of the few chances they would have to spend time together, just the two of them, before she was stuck with that extra credit work over the weekend.

To her slight disappointment, it was a text from Draculaura.

"Please come over to my place! I need major help! It's an emergency!"

Frankie quickly reattached her face, grabbed her handbag and phone, and started on her way out. From the tone of the text, Draculaura sounded pretty upset. This had to be something really dire for her to call for help.

Draculaura stepped out of her closet, clad in a black and pink striped skirt and jacket. "How about this? Do you think it looks too showy?"

From their seat on Draculaura's bed, Frankie, Clawdeen and Lagoona let out tired sighs.

"Yes, its too showy. Like I said about the last striped thing you showed us." Clawdeen sighed.

"Oh bats!" Draculaura rushed back into the closet. "Hold on, I'm gonna pair the skirt with that top I showed you earlier."

Frankie rubbed her arms, trying to get some feeling back into them. "You know, when you said you had an emergency, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"You don't think this is an emergency! There's a big important gala, and I have nothing to wear!"

"You have like, 1600 years worth of outfits in there." Lagoona replied.

"And I've worn every single one at one point!" Draculaura returned, dressed in a pink evening dress and holding the skirt and another top in her hands. "I can't go there in something old."

"Hasn't most of that stuff been in there for years anyway?" Lagoona pointed. "No one will even know if it's new or not."

"And no one's going to care anyway. "Frankie huffed. "They'll be too busy looking at the exhibits"

"That's no excuse to not look my best." Draculaura retorted as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Oh this won't do. I wore this at Cleo's last birthday." She retreated into the closet.

"Auugh!" Clawdeen threw up her hands. "This is taking forever! We've got like, 40 minutes or so before the gala starts. Just pick something already!"

"Okay, okay." Draculaura called. "There's no need to be so testy. We've still got plenty of time."

"Yeah, but did it occur to you we might have wanted to do other things before the gala?" Frankie frowned as she texted Andy, asking him to meet her at the museum instead.

"Too right, I was gonna do some homework before I left." Lagoona stated. "You didn't really need us to help you pick out an outfit."

"But I do. You guys have always had a much sharper sense of fashion than me."

Clawdeen rolled her eyes. "And yet whenever I suggest you give up the pink for once and try a different colour, you always ignore me."

Draculaura returned, wearing a different pink dress. "I think we finally have a winner. What do you think?"

"It looks great, can we go now?" Frankie begged.

Draculaura sat at her vanity and grabbed her phone. "Sure, just let me call Clawd, he's picking me up."

She spun her seat around as she talked. "Hey sweetie, I'm just about ready to go. Ooh, could you wear that purple waistjacket I gave you? ...Thanks, see you soon."

"Um, why are you telling him what to wear?" Clawdeen raised an eyebrow. "I know my brother ain't the most fashion savvy, but he can still dress himself."

"But I want to make sure our outfits don't clash." Draculaura said.

"But you've been deciding on different looks all night." Frankie blinked in realization. "Don't tell me you've asked him to change outfits every time."

Draculaura shrugged as she held up her phone. "Maybe... once or twice."

On the phone, the ghouls could see a long exchange of texts between her and Clawd, mostly consisting of several selfies of her in her various outfits and Clawd asking what would go best with them.

Draculaura cringed under her friend's gazes. "Okay... maybe more than that."

Ten minutes later, with Draculaura finally dressed, they headed outside just in time to see Clawd pull up in his old Grimaro. He stepped out to greet them, clad in a purple trimmed suit and looking rather tired.

Draculaura rushed over and hugged him. She looked him over. "Wow, you look great."

Clawd smiled weakly. "Considering all the changes you suggested, I hope so."

"You look beat, bro." Clawdeen commented. "Are you alright?"

"Just a really busy shift at work." Clawd waved a hand. "I would have gotten some rest at home, but Draculaura called so we could coordinate our outfits, and I've been running in and out of my closet since then."

"Really?" Clawdeen shot Draculaura a dirty look.

"Well, it was totally worth it. You look fangtastic, and we totally match." Draculaura held his arm.

Clawd checked his watch. "Oh man, it's almost time. I can give you ghouls a lift if you need one." He addressed Clawdeen, Frankie and Lagoona.

"That would be great, thanks Clawd." Frankie thanked.

The ghouls piled into the car, and Clawd started it up. They had only driven a couple of blocks when Draculaura, who was checking her phone, suddenly gasped in surprise.

"Oh my ghoul! I almost forgot. I need to pick up some buffet food for Ramoanah. Clawd, can we stop to pick it up?"

"Yeah, sure." Clawd turned the car toward the town center. "It's not going to take long, is it? We're cutting it close for time as it is."

"Oh, it shouldn't take long. We just need to pick it up from..." Draculaura read the email Ramoanah had sent her. "Oh no."

"Where is it?"

"...Mortavitch's Deli."

Clawdeen let out a moan at the significance of that fact. The deli, owned by Slo-Moe's parents, was one of the most popular eateries in Salem, famed for it's superb meat dishes such as pulled brain sandwiches and raw steak subs. She and her family ate there regularly. Draculaura, with her aversion of meat, had never set foot in the place.

"Could one of you guys go in and pick it up for me?" Draculaura pleaded. "You know I can't stand going in there."

"I'll go." Clawdeen couldn't quite hide the annoyance in her voice.

The car pulled up outside the brightly lit deli. Clawdeen dashed inside.

"You know, they do vegan sandwiches in there." Clawd turned to Draculaura. "And honestly, the smell of the meat isn't that bad. With all the air conditioning in there, even we wolves can barely smell it."

"It's not just the smell, just the sight of meat freaks me out." Draculaura shivered.

"You ever consider taking therapy or something to get over it?" Lagoona asked. "I've been visiting Twyla and her mother lately to talk about my stage fright. No one knows about fears better than a boogeyman."

"I thought you'd accepted your stage fright."

"Yeah, doesn't mean I should stop trying to overcome it. I mean, I might need to stand before an audience for work or school in the future. It would be nice to get through a speech without going belly up."

Draculaura stared at her feet. "I don't know... I don't think it's that big a deal..."

"I would go for it." Clawd spoke up. "I wouldn't want to live my unlife letting my fears hold me back."

He shifted a little closer to her. "Speaking for fears, I found out Screeattle University is holding an open day in a couple of weeks. I'm a little nervous about going, so maybe we could go together..."

"Music!" Draculaura suddenly jolted and switched on the radio. "It's a little quiet, lets play some tunes.

She sat back and hummed along with the latest Rita Gora song. Clawd stared at her, confused as to why she didn't want to hear him out.

Clawdeen returned and poked her head through the window. "Laura, you gotta come in here. Mr Mortavich won't give me the food."

"What? Why not?"

"He says people have been swiping big orders without paying, so he needs an ID from the person who ordered it. Ramoanah called him, he said he was expecting you."

"I... I can't" Draculaura inched away from Clawdeen. "All that meat... I'll faint right away!"

"I know, but if you don't come in, we're not getting that food."

Lagoona patted her shoulder. "You gotta face your fears sometime, love. Now's a good place to start."

Draculaura looked back and forth between her friends and the deli. Finally, she came to a decision.

"Clawd, do you still have those sunglasses in your glove compartment? And Frankie, can I borrow your scarf?

Mr Mortavitch blinked as he watched the strangely dressed figure approach the counter. It appeared to be a young ghoul in a pink evening dress, but she wore dark sunglasses which seemed too big for her head, and a silk scarf wrapped around her mouth and nose. She shuffled up to the counter, turning her head away from the meat display and looking very unsteady on her feet.

She pulled the scarf away from her mouth with one hand, and held up a driving license with the other. "Hello Mr Mortavitch. It's me, Draculaura. I'm here to pick up my order."

She covered her face again. Mr Mortavitch looked at her license, then at her, with a puzzled expression. Eventually, he shrugged and went to get the order. Ghouls wore such weird fashions these days...

Draculaura took small breaths under the scarf, keeping her gaze away from the meat. One look and she'd be out for the count.

Mr Mortavitch lurched back, carrying several trays full of food. Draculaura quickly picked them up, but paused when she noticed the order form taped to the top of the stack, which listed all the food purchased. She read the list, her eyebrows raising.

"Oh my... there's hardly any vegan food in this at all." Indeed, there were more meat dishes than vegan. It didn't seem right for there not to be a little more choice. She knew Ramoanah was still new to vegan meals, having lived on blood and such for centuries in Transylvania before moving in with her and her father. Maybe she hadn't realized the choice of vegan foods available when she made the order.

Well, maybe she could help improve this order.

She pulled out her credit card. "Sorry to bother you Mr Mortavitch, but could you add a few more things to this order?"

The neo-gothic architechture of the Salem Museum was lit up with large spotlights, illuminating the banners which decorated the entrance, and a red carpet leading inside. Ramoanah anxiously stood outside, watching for any sign of her stepdaughter.

An old Grimaro pulled into the parking area, and Draculaura, Clawd and her friends piled out. Draculaura and Clawd pulled out several buffet trays before approaching her.

"Laura, thank goodness. You're ten minutes late, I thought something had happened."

"Sorry, we got held up." Draculaura apologized. "Where can we put this food?"

"The buffet table's over here." Ramoanah led them inside. They entered a large round room, with several paintings, sculptures and display cases set against the walls and displayed on the floor, and corridors leading to more exhibits. A stage was set up at the far end, with some large items covered in tarps placed on it. Several well dressed monsters stood around, admiring the displays.

As they walked in, they spotted Cleo and Deuce standing in the middle, Cleo looking rather impatient. Andy, Gil, Ghoulia and Moe, Spectra, Abbey and Heath were also present.

"Well, you finally got here." Cleo sniffed. "I thought I would be the one to come fashionably late."

"Are those snacks?" Heath looked at the trays. "I'm famished."

"I hear that, bro. I haven't eaten since I got off work." Clawd agreed. "Let's get this stuff ready."

He, Draculaura and Ramoanah approached a large table, and began opening the trays and arranging the plates of food. As they did so, Ramoanah noticed something odd.

"Strange... I don't recall ordering this many plates. And I certainly didn't order hummus crackers."

"Oh, that was me!" Draculaura smiled proudly. "I noticed you didn't have a lot of vegan snacks on your list, so I got some for you."

"What?" Ramoanah stared at her, aghast. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"I just wanted to help and give the guests a bigger vegan choice" Draculaura pouted.

Ramoanah's lips were in a tight line. "Laura, I appreciate the thought, but this isn't what I asked for. This is way too much food. Not to mention I had asked the guests beforehand what their preference was."

Draculaura blinked. "I.. I didn't know."

"Well, you really should have asked beforehand. I could have told you what we needed.. Now we're going to have a lot of food wasted." Ramoanah spoke firmly.

"I'm sorry... I could take some of it home." Draculaura offered weakly.

A vampire assistant sidled up to Ramoanah and whispered something in her ear.

"We'll discuss this later.. I need to get ready for the presentation. Excuse me."

She moved away, leaving Draculaura staring at the platter disappointingly.

"I thought she'd be happy." She sighed.

Clawd patted her shoulder. "Hey, you made a mistake, it happens. Besides, you never know, these folks might just like the vegan stuff."

They looked out at the room, expecting the attending monsters to grab a snack. Only one vampire approached the table, only to hiss in fright and move away quickly once he saw the vegan food.

Draculaura just groaned.

"I gotta admit, some of this stuff is pretty hot." Heath spoke as he admired a display of ancient Aztec tools and clothing. He and the other students were checking out the exhibits, with Andy and Frankie admiring statues of famous monster figures, Cleo and Deuce looking at cases full of old jewellery, (which Deuce had to keep pointing out were not for sale) and Lagoona and Ghoulia dragging their boyfriends off to look at some science exhibits.

"For a bunch of monsters who lived in the jungle, they made some pretty snazzy outfits."

Abbey looked at Heath. "Am impressed Heath. I did not think you would be so interested in all this."

"Hey, I can appreciate something with a nice form." Heath's gaze turned to a statue of a rather voluptulous harpy warrior. "Especially a form like that. Yowza!" Flames shot out from his hair.

Abbey wafted the flames away. "Calm yourself Heath. Don't want to set any of this stuff on fire. Museum would charge us."

Heath smoothed back his hair and grinned at her. "Don't worry babe, you know I only hold a flame for you."

"Do not call me babe." Abbey intoned, but with a smile on her face.

Clawdeen watched the two, fascinated and somewhat charmed by how they interacted. Abbey and Heath had developed a strange relationship even since the two had met, but she had to admit, it somehow worked.

"Clawdeen?" A french accented voice spoke. She turned around to see Catrine approach.

"Hey, you made it!"

"I would not miss this for the world. Thank you for inviting me." Catrine gazed at some portraits on a far wall. "Ooh, this art is magnifique! I love Moanet art."

"I thought you might." Clawdeen grinned, pleased to see her friend enjoying herself.

"Clawdeen?" A voice with a slight Romanian accent spoke up behind her. She turned around to see a tall, pale vampire with platinum blonde hair.

"Thad?" She blinked at the sight of the boy she had dated briefly after the Halloween adventure last year. "What are you doing here?"

"I got an invite, and I was in the area." Thad looked her over. "Wow, you look stunning."

"Umm, thanks. Nice seeing you again." Clawdeen turned to join Catrine at the portraits. To her annoyance however, Thad sidled up next to her.

"These are some wonderful pieces of art." He said, staring hopefully at her the whole time. "You know, I have an uncle who owns a gallery in Portland. I would be happy to take you there if you're interested.

"Nah, I'm not really into all these fancy portraits. Fashion designs are more my thing." Clawdeen shrugged. "But I'm sure Catrine here would love to visit."

Catrine clasped her hands together. "Oh yes, I've heard much about the Portland art scene."

"Yeah... sure." Thad replied somewhat half-heartedly

Clawdeen followed Catrine as she moved further down the wall to look at more artworks, and Thad still stuck to her side.

"So um.." He began nervously. "I've been out of the country for a while... visiting relatives in Romania and all. But I'd love to catch up on what's been happening around here. I heard some gossip about ghosts from another dimension attacking the school..."

Clawdeen faced him and raised her hand in front of his face. "Lemme just stop you there Thad. I know you're just trying to be nice, but I'm not interested in dating you, or anyone else right now."

Thad looked surprised. "R-really?... I thought we had really hit it off last year."

"Yeah, the first date was nice." Clawdeen frowned. "But after that we were a disaster. You were bored when I talked about my interests, I didn't like the plays you took me to.. plus I'm still pissed off that you lied to me about your 'condition'. Putting glitter on your skin to make you sparkle, really?"

"Okay, I admit that was stupid." Thad sighed. "I thought the 'Twilight' look would make me irresistible. But it wasn't all bad, right?"

Clawdeen shook her head. "I'm sorry Thad. It's not gonna happen."

Thad looked confused. "If that's how you feel, I understand... but I thought you needed a date for this evening."

"A date? Where did you get that idea?"

"From Draculaura. She said you didn't have a companion for the gala, and asked if I was available.."

"She did WHAT?!" Clawdeen near shrieked.

Draculaura gazed up at set of 18th Century Dresses, stored in a glass display case. They were really beautiful designs, and she was certain she had a few similar outfits way in the back of her closet. Maybe she could pull them out and donate them to the museum.

Clawd approached her, holding two plates full of food from the buffet.

"Here you go, nabbed most of the cruelslaw sandwiches." He handed one to her.

"Thanks sweetie." She took a bite of a sandwich and returned to the display. "Look at these, they're all outfits and items from nobles that attended the Vampire Court back in the day. I'd forgotten just how intricate this stuff was."

"Yeah, it's pretty nice." Clawd agreed. He then spotted a pair of unusual outfits, consisting of old fashioned shorts and jerseys with numbers on them. "Are those athletic outfits?"

"I think so.." Draculaura checked a label next to them. "These are outfits from America's first Monsterolympic team, back in 1908."

"They had athletes even back then, huh?" Clawd spoke softly, thinking of something else. He looked at his ghoulfriend. "Hey listen, could we talk? I really want to go to Screeattle sometime this month."

"Go to Screeattle? It's kind of a long drive, unless we take a plane. But sure, that sounds like a fun day out." Draculaura replied happily.

"It wouldn't really be a day out, mostly." Clawd rubbed the back of his head. "I've been reading up on Screeattle University's classes. They have a great sports program, plus courses in business and sports medicine. I think it's where I want to go to college."

R..really?" Draculaura squeaked. Why was he bringing this up again?

"I really want to check it out before I make a definite choice, so I thought maybe we could take a trip out there with my family."

Anxiety rose within her. She didn't want to think about him leaving for college, not now.

She looked around for a distraction, and zeroed in on the raw steak sandwich Clawd was holding.

"It's only about two hours or so by plane, so we could grab a flight from the scareport, get there and still have time for a little frightseeing..." He rose the sandwich toward his mouth.

"Clawd!" She snatched the sandwich from his hand and slammed it down on his plate. "What have I told you? Don't put the 'eat' in meat! You know that stuff is bad for you."

Clawd stared at her for several moments, his look of astonishment turning into one of anger. "Wha.. are you serious?!"

"I was just trying to.."

"I know what you were trying to do. But I'm not a vegan, Laura. I like eating meat, I need to eat it. I don't know why you can't accept that."

"I do!" Draculaura protested. "I'm just trying to help you eat healthier."

"I already eat pretty healthily. I'm a carnivore, I need meat in my diet." Clawd frowned, crossing his arms. "I don't get on your case to drink blood when you don't want to, why can't you do the same with me and veggies?"

"That's.. that's different! I have reasons for not drinking blood, you know that." Draculaura glared at him, trying to hold down the anxious feeling in her belly. "Look, I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have taken your food." She took his hand and tried to pull him toward her. "Come on, lets go see the other exhibits."

"You're doing it again." He pulled his hand away.

"Doing what?"

"Changing the subject. You do it every time I bring up something important."

"Oh, when have I done that?" Laura scowled, hands on her hips.

"Lots of times! You've distracted me with tennis balls whenever I've tried to talk to you about our relationship, and now you won't discuss visiting the University with me. If you don't want to go with me, fine, but can we at least discuss what we're going to do once the school year ends?"

"Why do we have to?" Draculaura retorted. "We've got months before we have to think about stuff like that, why can't we just enjoy the rest of our time at school? I don't want to think about us being apart."

"Me neither, but we can't just put it off! I'm graduating at the end of term, and you're graduating in little over a year. We have to start thinking about what we're gonna do with the rest of our unlives." Clawd replied. "I want to try to make it as a pro athlete. What do you want to do?"

"I... I..." She couldn't think of anything to say. She really didn't know what to do, didn't want to consider what life would be like after graduation, not being able to see her friends or Clawd everyday...

"Why... why do we have to leave Salem at all?" It was the only answer she could think to say. "I mean, we could just stay here after graduation. We could find jobs we like here. Heck, we wouldn't even need to find jobs. I could buy us a place to live together."

She took his hand, hoping she was convincing him. "We wouldn't need to worry about anything at all. We could stay together as long as we want."

He looked at her, astonished at her words. He pulled his hand out of her grasp.

"And do what? Mooch about on your dad's dime? Work for my dad's construction firm or my mom's inn, both jobs I am totally not interested in?!" He threw up his hands. "I love Salem, but I don't want to stay here all my life. I want to make something of myself, go out in the world and see what I can do. . And after all the time we've been together, you think I would just want to never change?"

He looked at her with disappointment. "I love you Laura, but... damn, you're so selfish sometimes."

She gasped. He had never said anything so hurtful to her before. "Clawd.. I..."

He raised his hands. "I.. can't talk to you right now." He stepped away, walking back into the crowds.

"Clawd! I didn't mean.." She stood, stunned by his words. She couldn't believe he would say that to her.

"Draculaura.." She turned around to see Frankie, Cleo, Lagoona and Abbey standing nearby.

"Oh my ghoul, did you see that?!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, we heard it as well." Frankie frowned at her. "And I can't say I blame him. You were way out of line there."

"What? No I wasn't!"

"He's trying to talk to you about his future plans, and you won't hear him out." Frankie crossed her arms. "All you seem to care about is making him stay in Salem with you."

"Well... I just... I wasn't sure.." Draculaura stammered.

"And it's not the first time you've been selfish toward him either." Cleo spoke up.

"Oh, when have I been selfish?"

"Oh I dunno, how about before your 1600th birthday when he gave you that homemade stepladder?" Lagoona pointed at her. "I know if was a naff gift, but you didn't have to act like he was insulting you."

"I.. I know I overreacted a bit. But I thought he was insinuating I was short."

Abbey glared at her. "You ARE short, dummy! Sorry to point that out, but is true. Does not give you right to yell at people trying to help."

"And what about when Elissabat was posing as a student here? You made Clawd dress up as her and he got mobbed by her fans." Frankie said.

"Hey, that was his fault! He's the one that blabbed that Elissabat was attending the school."

"Only after YOU blabbed to him first. Shouldn't you have posed as Elissabat, especially since you kinda look right her?"

"Speaking of Elissabat... how come you never called Clawd once during that whole adventure to find the Vampire Queen?" Cleo asked.

"I was worried about him. I thought calling him might put him in danger."

"In danger? From who? That idiot Lord Stoker and his pea-brained sidekick?" Cleo sneered. "I was texting Deuce daily the whole time. He was worried, but I assured him we would be alright. You couldn't extend the same courtesy to Clawd?"

"Alright, maybe I do take him for granted sometimes." Draculaura retorted, narrowing her eyes in anger. She wasn't going to just stand there and take this. "But it's not like you ghouls haven't done it with your guys sometimes."

She pointed at Cleo, Lagoona and Frankie in turn. "You're always bossing Deuce around, you act like a lunatic whenever Gil breaths near another ghoul, and don't get me started on you and your fan club."

The ghouls all gasped, surprised to hear Draculaura speaking so harshly for once.

"Hey! I'm not gonna deny we've treated our fellas poorly in the past, but at least we realise when we've done wrong and try to do better by them." Lagoona frowned. "But you always seem to take Clawd for granted. When was the last time you two really talked about your relationship?

Draculaura hesitated for a long time before she answered. "Well.. not all that often.. but that's a good thing, right? If we're not arguing all the time, we must be doing okay."

She crossed her arms and smiled proudly. "Trust me, when it comes to relationships, I know what I'm doing."

"DRACULAURA!" Several guests turned to see Clawdeen storming toward the group, Ghoulia and Catrine trailing behind her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She marched right toward Draculaura and got in her face. "You set me up on a date with Thad?!"

"Umm... yeah. I thought you'd like to meet him again.."

"Not as a date! Where did you even get the idea I even wanted a date?! I just wanted to enjoy the museum!"

"I... I'm sorry." Draculaura whimpered. "I didn't want you to be without someone for the event..."

"Exactly! YOU wanted this, not me!" Clawdeen snarled. "You didn't even consider talking to me about it, did you?. No, you just decided on your own! I don't care if you are my friend, you have no right to dictate my social life!"

Draculaura reeled back. "I.. I'm sorry.."

"Are you really? Because I wonder sometimes!" Clawdeen seethed. "You are always acting so immature, and then when we call you on it, you just burst into tears and expect everyone to feel sorry for you. We're not kids anymore, we're almost seniors! Hell, you're a senior several times over. It is way past time for you to grow the hell up and stop pulling crap like this!"

"Clawdeen... I... I.." Draculaura stammered, tears in her eyes.

"Save it, I don't want to hear it!" Clawdeen turned and stomped away.

Draculaura stood shock still, unable to believe her best friend had just yelled at her.

She slowly turned to the rest of the ghouls, who were all glaring at her with disappointment.

"Ghouls... I was just trying to help. You know that, right?"

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "She's right, you really can be too immature sometimes. What were you thinking with that little stunt?"

"And after I told you not to set Clawdeen up with someone." Frankie frowned. "That was really inconsiderate."

"Well excuse me for trying to help my friend!" Draculaura spat back, trying to hold back her tears. "I know I mess up sometimes, but it's not like I'm trying to annoy people on purpose."

"We know, but you do sometimes. And it feels like you never try to learn from your mistakes." Frankie pointed out.

Draculaura snarled at her. "So I screwed up once or twice! I would think the least my friends could do is understand that I don't mean it. I thought being at Monster High meant accepting people's flaws."

"Having a flaw and having an attitude are completely different things." Cleo shot back. "And you have the attitude of a spoilt child who refuses to mature and take responsibility."

That was the last straw.

"I don't have to take this! I don't have an attitude! You lot have the the attitude! Of a bunch of jerks!" She nearly yelled. "If you can't stand me so much, then I'll just go away!"

She turned and walked away, shaking with anger.

"Draculaura, wait." Frankie reached out, but Cleo stopped her.

"Don't. Let her have her little hissy fit. We'll talk to her once she's calmed down."

Just then, a voice called out. "Ladies and gentlemonsters, our main presentation is about to begin. Please turn your attention to the stage."

The group started walking to the stage, Frankie keeping a concerned eye on Draculaura as she joined the crowd at the far end. She hoped that at the end of this night, they might be able to rekindle their friendship.

The stage in the central room now had several large objects covered in tarpaulins. Everyone turned their attention toward it as the museum curator, a goblin, stood at a podium.

"Hello ladies and gentlemonsters, and welcome to the opening of the Salem Museum. It's wonderful to see so many of you here tonight..."

Draculaura drowned out his voice, too focused on feeling angry. How could her friends be so mean over a little bit of poor judgement? Sure, she'd made some wrong assumptions, and gotten a little emotional, but she had genuinely been trying to help. There was no need for them to call her immature.

She glanced over to where the group was watching the speech. Frankie, Ghoulia and Abbey had their full attention on the stage. Cleo, Clawdeen and Lagoona only glanced at her and gave her dirty looks. Nearby, Clawd watched the stage with a sullen expression.

Draculaura huffed. Well, if they were going to give her the cold shoulder for a while, she might as well respond in kind.

She looked back to the stage, just in time to see Ramoanah step forward.

"... and to talk about some of the artefacts on display, I'd like to introduce one of our contributors and researchers, Ramoanah Vasile Dracula."

The curator stepped aside to let Ramoanah take the podium. Draculaura enthusiastically waved at her stepmother, who gave her a quick smile before continuing.

"Thank you so much. It's truly heartwarming to see so many of you here tonight, both residents of Salem and from all across the country. We've worked very hard to create the exhibitions, and we hope that everyone who visits here will leave a little more enlightened about the vast history about our many races."

"And one aspect of that history is our time in war and combat. While monster kind has generally tried to avoid conflict for the most part, it's a sad fact that war is sometimes unavoidable. From wars between races such as the great Night War between vampires and werewolves centuries ago, to conflicts between humans which have affected and sometimes threatened our kind. Yet in those times, many warriors and soldiers have stepped forward to help protect our way of life, often serving the armies of their time, sometimes discreetly assisting humans. With our War Memorial exhibit, we hope to honour those who have fought on our behalf, and teach a new generation about those turbulent times."

The crowd applauded. Ramoanah then stepped over to a large rectangular shape, hidden under a cloth.

"As part of the exhibit, we are honoured to reveal a couple of pieces from the Ottoman War, one of the somewhat lesser known of monster conflicts. While primarily a conflict between the humans of Romania and the Ottoman empire, the conflict also saw the monster nations of Turkey, led by then King Kallikantzaros , attempt to use the fighting among the humans to secretly invade Europe. With two armies vying for control of the country, many of the country's monster leaders, including our own Lord Dracula, decided to make a temporary alliance to the human armies to bolster their forces and protect all the people of Romania, living and undead. Although the alliance was not a permanent one, it did play a crucial part of repelling the Turkish invaders."

"There are plenty of written accounts and old stories about this war... as anyone who's sat through a dinner with my husband and the Vampire Court can attest.." There were a few laughs in the audience. "But actual artefacts from that time have been lost for centuries due to upheaval, crypt thieves, and other elements. But I am very happy to announce that our exhibit will contain several historical items from the Ottoman War, graciously donated to us by collectors, or recently discovered and restored by the Monster Scaritage Society."

She gestured toward the hidden object. "And we are delighted to show you a few pieces of this collection before they go on public display at the weekend. To begin, we have this stunning portrait, painted by the late master painter Bludwick von Clotter. This picture is a dramatic depiction of a turning point in the war, where the Romanian Vampire army made a daring attack on the Ottoman forces in the dead of night, just as they were making a push into Romania."

With a flourish, she pulled off the cover, revealing an huge oil painting. It showed an army of vampires, clad in red and black armour and bearing the coat of arms of Romania, boldly fighting their way through vampires and other monsters in brightly coloured armour. Some battled other opponents with swords, others aimed bows at distant foes. Fallen soldiers from both sides lay defeated and bleeding on the ground. The crowd gasped in awe.

Draculaura had to admit, it really was a stunning picture. The brushstrokes, the details... it looked so lifelike. Maybe a little too lifelike, she felt a bit squeamish at the sight of the blood from the soldier's wounds. She scanned the picture, taking in all the details...

Then she stopped as she noticed one of the soldiers in the foreground. It was a female vampire, clad in armour which seemed custom made to fit her short stature. She wore no helmet, allowing her long dark hair to stream dramatically down her back in a long ponytail. She held a flag bearing the coat of arms in one hand, while the other swung a sword to knock down an advancing foe. Her face was etched in a yell of triumph. She looked very familiar to her...

She froze, her eyes locked on the female soldier's face. On her left cheek was a small heart-shaped birthmark.

Just like hers.

Suddenly, it flashed in her head. A memory she thought long forgotten.

She swung her sword, expertly aiming the edge toward the necks of the two Turkish soldiers attempting to run her through. They never got the chance before she sliced open their necks. They fell to the ground, blood splattering her armour.

She paid them no heed, instead taking a moment to survey the battle around her. Soldiers clashed with each other, the screams of combat and the scent of blood and sweat in the air. The Turks were putting up a strong defense, but they were still woefully outmatched by the armies of Romania. One last push, and the battle would be theirs.

She spotted a flag on the ground, dropped by a fallen flagbearer. and picked it up with her free hand.

"Come on men!" She screamed as loud as she could to her fellow soldiers, holding the flag aloft. "Let's drive these bastards out of our land once and for all!"

She heard cheers in response. As the soldiers resumed their advance, she charged forward toward another group of Turks...

Draculaura's hands covered her mouth as she fought against the urge to vomit.

Why... why was she remembering that battle so vividly? She hadn't thought about that time for centuries.

"Draculaura?" She turned around to see Frankie standing by her, her other friends nearby. Frankie was looking back and forth at her and the painting.

"Why... does that ghoul in the picture look so much like you?"

"What?" Draculaura responded defensively. "What do you mean? She looks nothing like me!"

Clawdeen raised an eyebrow. "You can't see it? She's got the same birthmark and everything."

"Why are you in a painting of a battle?" Lagoona asked.

"I... I don't know!" Draculaura hissed. "Maybe it's a coincidence! Maybe the artist was playing some kind of joke!"

"Are you okay?" Clawdeen asked. "You're shaking."

Draculaura tried to remain steady, fear rising withing her. "I'm fine, really."

"Then why are you acting like this? Is it the painting?" Cleo asked.

"Just... just leave me alone.." Draculaura stammered. She wanted to run away, escape her friend's questioning gazes. But she didn't want to cause a scene...

"And finally.." Ramoanah continued, not noticing her stepdaughter's behaviour. "We have this unique relic dating back to 1458, found buried in a ditch in Romania, and painstakingly cleaned and restored by our historians."

The crowd watched the stage to see another cloth covered object wheeled onto the stage by an assistant. Draculaura followed their gaze, grateful for a distraction from the painting.

The cloth was removed, revealing a gleaming sword, held upright on a plinth. Its blade was spotless silver, while the hilt was rose-gold coloured and shaped like a pair of bat's wings. A heart shaped ruby was set in the middle of the hilt.

"We have little to no information on this sword, other than it is clearly a one of a kind weapon, no doubt handcrafted and commissioned by its original owner. It has the name 'Regina Inima' engraved on it, which means 'Queen's Heart'..."

Draculaura heard nothing. The world around her was gone as she focused on the sword. The face turned paler than usual.

"No.. it can't be..."

It wasn't just any sword. It was THE sword. HER sword.

Unbidden memories began to flash before her eyes.

Sparring against her father, trying desperately to get a hit in and prove herself..

Cutting down an enemy, and taking a quick lick of the blood on her sword before moving on to the next kill...

Standing over a map of Romania with her father and his knights in the castle war room..

Running a soldier through his chest with her sword..

Spending time discussing plans for her father's birthday with one of the castle's few human servants..

Marching along with her fellow soldiers across a sea of fallen enemies, occasionally pausing to drink the blood of a still living soldier..

Arguing with Elissabat about something..

Standing in the middle of a battleground, the bodies of her slain comrades all around her..

Stumbling around, dying of thirst, desperately trying to find someone to drink from...

The terrified gaze of a young woman, staring at her as she took her last gasps of breath..

"Laura... wh.. why?"

"Draculaura?" Frankie was alarmed by how pale her friend had suddenly become. "What's the matter?"

"No.." Draculaura clutched her head. The memories... they wouldn't stop coming. " No... NOOOOOOO!"

She stumbled backwards, trying to get away. But then, something within her snapped.

She fell to the ground.

Ramoanah froze in horror. "Oh my God! Laura!" She ran off the stage toward her stepdaughter, where her friends were already gathered around her, trying to revive her.

"Draculaura! Come on ghoul, wake up!" Clawdeen pleaded, shaking Draculaura's shoulders gently while Abbey supported her.

But Draculaura made no attempt to awaken. It seemed the small vampire was dead to the world.

END OF CHAPTER 1

Notes

For those wondering who Ramoanah is, she is Draculaura's stepmother, who married her father in the Monster High Diaries book, Draculaura and the New Stepmomster.