"Claytin, I love you but seriously, give it a rest," Clara laughed. "You stole three beers!" Claytin said crossing his arms. "And drank half of one!" "You would have continued if I hadn't found you!" "I expected you to stay with Adrianna and your dad longer," Clara said kissing her Claytin. "I had a feeling you being alone was a bad idea." "Never is." Shane, Doreen, and Iven appear just outside of the cabin. "You two stay here. I'll go speak to Clara," says Shane. "Will you put back the beer?!" Claytin said raising his voice! "Nope!" Clara laughed taking a sip. The window was open so they could clearly be heard from outside. "And thus, the truth comes out," says Shane, entering through the window. The couple looked over to Shane. "Can you take the beer away from her?" Claytin asked sighing. "I am already on edge with him with what's going on with Adrianna's mom and going into a cave he shouldn't have been in. Don't take the beer!" Clara said rolling her eyes. "Just put the beer down!" Claytin groaned. "You both make valid arguments," says Shane. "Once Clara starts drinking, she can't stop. However, I was there when the encounter happened, and I was just as stressed. So here's what's gonna happen. Clara's gonna finish that beer, then we're gonna talk." He sits on the bed and sets his cane against the wall. Clara gave a smile and finished the drink, Claytin rolling his eyes. "I am surprised you came over, I didn't expect you to come so soon," Clara said. Claytin gently slapped her arm. "Be at least a little nice." Clara shrugged. "Whatever. There's some really serious stuff going on, and I need your help," says Shane. "If it has anything to do with Adrianna's mom then not happening," Clara said. Shane grabs Clara's beer and throws it on the ground. He also heals Clara, sobering her up. "Thanks, now I've got things to clean up. Also, I don't get drunk till after seven, I had one," Clara groaned rolling her eyes. "I got it," Claytin said starting to clean it up. "But I am still not helping anything to do with Adrianna's mom thanks," Clara said crossing her arms. "And why is that?" Shane asks. "Because I much rather keep my daughter than lose her!" Clara said sternly. "I agree with her on that one for obvious reasons," Claytin said after he finished cleaning up. "Well, if it helps, she won't be able to keep Adrianna. She'll have to go back into the Soul Realm to be with Iven," says Shane. "Well good for her, but I have no reason to help her," Clara said rolling her eyes. "Long story short, this should end up freeing you from Markus's control," says Shane. "It'll give us the upper hand we need!" Clara looked to Claytin and back to Shane, "Will you shut up about them?! Especially when he is here?!" she growled. "We will talk about that later," Claytin said kissing her cheek. Clara paced some before sighing, "Markus is my problem, not yours!" Clara said frustrated. Shane gets up. "No! I won't 'shut up about them', Clara! There's too much on the line for me to just dismiss this! Too much for anyone to dismiss this! This is more than you and me, more than France! This is the fate of the entire world we're talking about! The day I 'shut up about them' is the day that they fall!" His eyes convey an emotion much stronger than rage: passion. He refuses to let Clara handle things on her own. He knows what's at stake, and can't afford any inconveniences to occur. Claytin whispered something to Clara before going to the bathroom. "I can handle this Shane! I told you what you can do to help me, and that still stands." Clara sighed. "What do you need me to do for Adrianna's mom?" Shane grabs his cane and adjusts his cap. "Take me to her corpse," he says, assertively. Clara gave him a look. "How am I supposed to know where her corpse is? Adrianna doesn't even know. I would expect Iven to know." Shane looks out the window. "Alright, you two. Come on in," he says to Doreen and Iven.
Doreen and Iven came in. Clara immediately grabbed her dagger and slapped Shane. "You brought HIM here?! What if Adrianna was here and not with Clopin?! Are you STUPID?!" Shane glares at Clara. "Don't worry. If he does try anything, I'll have some shadow projections hold him down," he reassures. "Hello Clara," Iven said. "Shut up!" Clara growled, "I still don't get it, why would I know where her body is?!" she motioned to Doreen. Shane looks at Iven. "That's what Iven told us. That either you or Frollo would know where her body is," he says. "You didn't lie to us, did you, trash bucket?" Shane summons a shadow orb and holds it up to Iven's face. "I said I had help burying it. I didn't say she helped. I said she would know where the body is. You have to tell her where we need to look," Iven said rolling her eyes. "Or in other words, my father buried her and I wasn't around. That was what, three years ago now? I was fifteen." Clara said rolling her eyes. "So, where do you want to go?" Shane rubs his temples. "How the heck am I supposed to know where to go?" he snarls. "Uh, I dunno. The graveyard, maybe? Or wherever any dead bodies are kept." "I said I didn't bury her in a graveyard," Iven said rolling his eyes. "He buried me at the mansion, I said that before," Doreen said crossing her arms. Clara looked to Shane, "No!" "We have to!" says Shane. "Adrianna's gotta get her magic back somehow." "Magic? What are you even talking about Shane?" Clara asked. "Adrianna is half-witch, she had magic which, my husband over here took her and my magic. I need mine to get Adrianna's and to get mine I need a physical form." Doreen explained, "Without her magic is what is giving her disease. Give her, her magic back, she will mature." Clara knocked on the bathroom door and explained everything, in french. "You're not going!" he said quickly. "She has to, Claytin. She knows the mansion better than any of us," says Shane."He is right Shane! Guards cover that mansion! Not to mention my father! Going there will be a death trap! Sure, I can probably find her body, maybe even my ring, but the chances that I get back out? Forget it!" Clara sighed. "It is too dangerous Shane, she is a mom now too..." Claytin said, grabbing Clara's hand. "Only because she had her friend banish me," Iven said rolling his eyes. "Shut up!" Clara yelled at him. Shane growls. "Fine! I'll do it myself!" He walks over to Clara and says, "I'm gonna need to borrow some information from you for a bit. This isn't a probing, so it's not gonna hurt. I can sneak through the shadows. Once I find Doreen's body. I'll summon a portal to bring her to me. And I can cast an illusion spell so it looks like nothing suspicious is going on." "Yeah, not happening. You're not going in there if I am not there. Just... give me a second." Clara went over and started talking to Claytin in french. There was a small argument before Claytin finally nodded. Clara grabbed her cloak and dagger. Putting the hood up she looked to Shane. "Let's get this over with shall we?" Shane takes Clara's hand. "Once we find your body, I'll summon a portal," Shane says to Doreen. "Claytin, you're in charge until then, okay?" Claytin nodded, "I'll make sure Adrianna doesn't come back." he said. "Alright," says Shane as he and Clara sink into the shadows.
They ended up in her old room. She looked around, "Just as I left it. It feels weird to be back." She went over to her closet and grabbed something from it, a piece of paper. She unfolded it from her bed and looked at it. A map on the mansion. "Well, finding her body won't be easy but I've got some guesses of where it could be. I really wish Iven would have just said where it was!" She was about to say something when she stopped and looked at the bedroom door. There were footsteps walking past. Once they were out of earshot she sighed. "Yeah, Iven was so unnecessarily cryptic. It's like, 'Dude, we don't have all day! Stop with the mumbo-jumbo and just tell us!' I swear, I can't wait to send him back to the Soul Realm," says Shane. "Yeah, well it would be too stupid to assume he would just hand over his hard work. And I think that was the first time I saw him sober." Clara said picking up the map. "Yeah," says Shane. "So where to next?" "Follow me," Clara said. They snuck around until they got downstairs. Clara went into the library and closed the door before a guard saw them. She closed all the curtains and took a breath. "I doubt that Doreen buried in here," says Shane. "Looking for your ring?" "Nope, still looking for her," Clara said going over to one of the bookshelves, scanning the books. Shane nods. "Ah. Just making a pit stop, then?" "Nope," Clara laughed, grabbing a random book and going over to another bookshelf. Shane chuckles. "Then what are we here for?" She grabbed another book. "Bookshelf behind you, grab the book, red spine, blue and white front and back." Clara went over and looked at another bookshelf. Shane grabs the book that Clara described and hands it to her. "What is this for?" She smiles, and grabs another book but doesn't pull it out. "Uh, might want to get up against a wall or bookshelf." Shane phases into a nearby wall.
Clara pulls out the book, and immediately, part of the floor lowered and spiral stairs formed. "Ooh! Secrets!" Shane exclaims as he phases out of the wall. "The amount of secrets I kept from you was astonishing. I can say that," Clara said. She turned on her phone and used the flashlight walking down the stairs. Shane follows not far behind. "So what exactly is at the bottom of these stairs? Nothing dangerous, is it?" Shane says, jokingly. "Dangerous? Depends," She shrugs. She stopped for a second, knocked on the wall four times and a small compartment opened. She took out a beer. "Want one?" Shane raises an eyebrow. "No," he answers. "Don't give me that look. I've got beers hidden all over this mansion. How do you think I was able to drink when I got grounded or couldn't get out? I didn't always go to bars." Clara closed the compartment and started down the stairs again. "Clara Romana Frollo, you are full of surprises," says Shane. "That's me, surprise after surprise," Clara said. After ten minutes they finally made it to the bottom. It was a small circular room with metal doors all around it. "Now, the question is, which one to go through," Clara said, mostly talking to herself. "I will never understand why people design rooms like these," says Shane. "I mean, at least label them! Geez." "Yeah, label them so intruders can find exactly what they want before guards can come and stop them, very smart Shane," Clara said rolling her eyes, examining one of the doors. "As if an intruder will even be able to find this place," says Shane. "You'd be surprised, I've stabbed some people down here. There are such things as spies and traitors. Some maids or butlers find out about this place, or guards. You know, I never killed any of them. Just injured them. Never knew what happened to them," Clara said. She went over and started examining another door. She looked up to a dark corner of the wall and gave a small wave. "Hello, father by the way." Shane jolts. "Frollo's here?!" "Most likely watching the security footage. There are security cameras all around. If he isn't watching now, he will be soon. And it's recorded so he can look back whenever," Clara said. She went over to another door. Shane huffs. "Guess there's no point in me phasing into the wall now," he says. "Haha! Gotcha!" Clara said smiling. She opened the door, with a bit of struggle and started going down a hallway lit by torches. Shane goes wide-eyed. "Wait, did you just-? Oh! I'm so gonna get you back for that!" Clara laughed.
After a bit, they came to another door. Clara forced it opened. "Welp, I found out what happened to the intruders, and I think I went down the wrong door. These aren't corpses..." There were a bunch of cells, people stared at them. They were unhealthy looking, half-starved and pale, almost white. Shane winces. "They look like death. I wonder how many of them are actually bad people," he says. "Shane... there are children in here..." Clara said motioning to a cell filled with children, who looked to weak to stand. Most people looked like they were too weak to stand. Shane looks at the children. "My goodness. Frollo doesn't care. He just captures whoever invades and throws them in the slammer. "I mean, I knew my father was cruel but he is slowing killing everyone here..." "You waste your intelligence for heroes side." a cold voice said behind them. Clara turned around quickly. "Hello father..." she said stiffly. Shane puts on his mask before turning to face Frollo. "Well, well, well. Didn't think I'd see you again," he says. Clara said something in french, stiff and frustrated. "Enough Clara," Frollo said putting his hand up. Clara bit her lip. Shane squints at Frollo. "You look different since I last saw you. Did you get work done?" He asks. "Oh, no. No, I think you did something to your hair. No, wait! Don't tell me! Yeah! You got fifteen more wrinkles on your face! See, I knew something was different about him." Clara hit Shane's side with her elbow, "Shut your mouth!" she growled. Shane shrugs and folds his arms. "We need to talk Clara," Frollo said. "No, no we really don't!" Clara responded not looking him in the eye. "Look where you are Clara!" "I didn't have much choice! I wasn't sending my best friend in here without me!" Shane holds his cane tightly, preparing to protect Clara. Frollo grabbed her wrist pulled her close and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened and pushed him back. "You b..." "Language Clara!" Clara grabbed Shane's wrist, "We are going, NOW!" "You ain't gotta tell me twice," says Shane. He and Clara sink into the shadows instantly.
They were back in the small circular room. Clara went to another room and swung it open angrily. She was muttering angrily in french. She speed-walked down the hallway. Shane looks around to make sure that they weren't followed, then follows Clara. "So that just happened," he says. "And I'm guessing that whatever he told you really struck a nerve." Clara continued muttering in french, now a little faster. Once at the end, she forced the last door open and they were in a room with coffins. She opened one and a body laid there. She opened and closed ones until she found Dorleen's. It was the only one where a name was in the coffin. Probably because Iven had done it and she was his wife. "There it is. Doreen's body," says Shane, summoning a portal for Doreen and Iven to walk through. Clara backed up some when they came in. She was muttering in english now. "...he was going to... he was going to..." Iven looked to her and laughed, "Ah, so he told you." "SHUT UP!" Clara screamed. Shane's mood shifts. He grabs Iven. "Tell us what you know. And before you say anything, check this out," he says. Shane snaps his fingers. "Now whenever you're asked a question, you have to answer truthfully. No dodging questions, either." "Shane... it's part of the past... Iven wasn't even part of it, he would have just known about it..." Clara muttered. She looked at Shane, crying. "My father... he was going to do that to you. He had a way to take away your voodoo powers. He was going to slowly kill you and I wouldn't have even known. I wasn't allowed down three of the hallways. This one, the one we were just in, and one other, probably where empty coffins were. The others are just artifacts, and stuff like that... I wouldn't have known you were dead..." Shane undoes the spell on Iven. "No. No, no, he can't take away my voodoo! It's a part of who I am!" he says. "Besides, he's a mere mortal with borrowed powers that he can't even begin to understand! But if that's his plan, then things just got personal!" "I said it was part of the past. I think you took away what, or rather say who, was going to help him with it. Not saying he won't look for another way. He hates you more the Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus." Clara said. "Can I get my body back please?" Doreen asked crossing her arms. Shane sits on the floor, touches Doreen's body and uses a bit of his own soul to grab Doreen's hand. "Now, focus," Shane says to himself. Shane starts to glow as Doreen's soul passes through Shane and into her body. "Okay, now for phase two." Shane places his other hand on Doreen's body, chanting a healing spell. After a couple of minutes, Shane falls back. Doreen is nowhere to be found. Or so it seems. Shane looks at Doreen's body and gasps with excitement. "It worked!" he exclaims. Doreen's body is back to it's former, living state, all signs of decay reversed. Doreen sat up. "Who would have thought that after I shot you, I'd watch you rise from a coffin," Iven laughed. Shane rises, putting his hands on his head in shock. "Usually, I'd tell you to shut up, but yeah. That's pretty dang incredible!" he says. Doreen looked at Clara. "Still don't trust her." "Yeah, I get that a lot," Clara muttered. Shane chuckles and puts his hand on Doreen's shoulder. "Oh, Doreen. Your opinion doesn't matter anymore. Once this is all over, you're going back to the Soul Realm with Iven," he says. Iven chuckled. "We should get out of here, if we don't I think I might kill my father..." Clara said. "While I don't object to such an act, we do have more pressing matters to attend to," says Shane. "Yeah well killing my father most likely ends up sacrificing my mom or Claytin so I'm good," Clara said. Iven let out a laugh. "What?!" He shrugged, smiling coldly. "So where to next?" Shane asks, preparing to summon a portal. "I need the amulet, and Adrianna has it," Doreen says. "As long as HE is around, she isn't going to be anywhere you are," Clara said crossing her arms. "I am alive again, I never gave her up for adoption!" Doreen spat. "You died! I took her in!" Clara said angrily. "Okay, okay, okay. Look, I don't know if this is just a thing in this country, but you all need to learn how to set aside your differences for the greater good of humanity," says Shane.
He takes out his phone and calls Claytin. "Hopefully, he knows where Adrianna is." "Is Clara okay?! Is she hurt?! I told you she shouldn't have gone!" Claytin said worriedly when he picked up the phone. Shane scrunches his face. "Well, hello to you, too, Claytin," says Shane. "Everyone's fine, the mission was a success. Just had a little bump in the road. Where's Adrianna?" "She's..." Claytin trailed off. "Dad! She is ten! She doesn't need a literal whole bucket of ice cream!" he shouted. "She's here at the Court with me. We are about to head back to the cabin why?" Shane looks at Doreen and Iven. "We're gonna need her amulet," he says. "I really need to remember that you're often out of the know, Claytin. Adrianna kept it from you and Clara," says Shane. "Yeah, I get that with both my wife and daughter. I can meet you guys at the cabin, I have something to tell Clara. But keep him away from Adrianna. I don't want him even in eyesight. I am assuming Clara agrees," Claytin responded sighing. "Oh, trust me. Trash Bucket Bisset won't even be allowed near the cabin. I'll make sure of that," says Shane. "Alright, well we just got here so you can come on over," Claytin said. "Adrianna you don't need more ice cream! Away from the freezer!"
Shane summons a portal to the cabin, while simultaneously casting a spell to keep Iven away from the cabin. "Alright, everyone. Let's go," he says. Once in the cabin, Clara took her cloak off. Adrianna noticed Doreen and immediately went behind Clara. "Adri, I need my amulet," Doreen said. Adrianna took the amulet out of her pocket and held it close to her chest shaking her head. Shane takes off his mask and puts his hands on his hips. "Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention. She's really possessive when it comes to that amulet," he says. "You gave it to me to remember you by. I don't want to lose it when you go away again!" Adrianna said. "Adri, I need to amulet." "Use one of your others then!" Adri said. Shane walks over to Adrianna. "There's no easy way to say this. If you don't give your mother that amulet, then the entire world could be at stake. I'm pretty sure that if she were to explain things a bit further, you'd be able to understand," he says. "She has other things that are much more powerful than this amulet! She can use that!" Adrianna spat. "Adri..." "Don't call me that! You don't get to call me that anymore!" Adrianna said hiding more behind Clara who now was holding her hand. "Adrianna, you have magic. But you won't be able to get it unless you give Doreen the amulet," says Shane. "And why would I want magic? That's what got her killed, it's what got us into this mess! And what does the amulet have anything to do with magic?!" Adrianna asked. "Adrianna, listen to what they have to say at least, please," Claytin said coming up and kneeling beside her. "I can't really explain it any further, Adri. But I'll be able to teach you how to harness your magic," says Shane. "But I don't want it!" Adrianna said starting to cry. Clara turned to her and ugged her close. "Give them the amulet and think about it okay? You don't want to change your mind but it be too late," she said gently. Adrianna looked to the amulet and handed it to Clara who gave it to Shane, not wanting to get close to Doreen. Shane gives the amulet to Doreen. "What next?" "You and I go back to my collection," Doreen said. "Before you go, you're going to need this Shane," Claytin said handing him a piece of folded up paper. "What is that Claytin?" "Our new address." "What?!" Adrianna and Clara said at the same time. "Roma decided she wanted to live in the Court full time and her old house, your old home, is the perfect size for our family and it's right in between the cabin and the Court. She gave us the keys. What do you say?" Clara didn't even hesitate. "Uh, hell yes!" "That's good, the Court will help us redecorate and stuff this week," Claytin explained. "Wait, I get my own room?" Adrianna asked. "Yep!" "Yay!" Shane smiles. "Good for you! Guess that means the Court is perfectly fine Clara, then?" "Most of them, Frollo's top enemies are still convinced she is a villain. Apparently Adrianna only snuck out a few days ago because my dad and Roma were arguing with them and she got tired of hearing her mother's name gets tossed in the dirt. This is why she isn't grounded anymore because we know Clara would have done much worse if it was her overhearing," Claytin explained. "Yes, I know if I would have let her explain, none of the running away business would have happened..." Clara groaned. Shane gives Clara a smug "I told you so" look. "Oh get out and do your business! Call me and tell me how it goes and if you see Char and Tina before then, tell them we said hi. Have you talked to Charlene about the double wedding?" Clara asked. "Not yet," says Shane. "But I will, once I get the chance!" Shane summons a portal to Doreen's collection. "Onto the next objective."