As the twins rode to school with their pseudo-brother, they were wondering which of them would be chosen as the heir. Well, Medb was wondering that, Mal, by virtue of a misunderstanding, was wondering how one of them would turn into air. Apollo, meanwhile, was feeling confident that he had set thing up nicely for his mistress.
Pippin: Then, of course, they all got distracted as the twins started a rousing chorus of, "Wheels on the Bus."
Todd: Hmm, Arienne said to meet her out here and she'd have a surprise for me. I wonder what's keeping her? I don't want to ruin the surprise, but this is too much direct sunlight for my vampire skin.
Todd: The door's locked!
Ben: Surprise! I'm to keep an eye on you and let the empress know when you've withered away into nothingness!
Todd: I don't suppose anyone around is willing to help me?
Ben: Well, let's see: your grandpa is the emperor of evil and your wife is the aspiring empress of evil. Not a lot of good connections there. The girls would probably help. That's why Arienne arranged for them to have a sleepover with some of their cousins. Probably some kids of Berucca's. She's had about thirty or so...
Todd: That Arienne! First she ruins my marriage, then she marries me only to get my grandfather's blessing to become the empress of evil, and now she's trying to do away with me. How does she sleep at night?
Ben: Peacefully and dreaming of riches.
Medb: Hooray!! Another fun day of school!
Mal: And a sleepover tonight, too! Too bad you can't come along for the sleepover, Apples.
Apollo: It's Apollo, and it's fine that I'm not having a sleepover. I have important things to help your mother with.
Mal: Like washing the dishes?!?!?
Apollo: Something like that.
Medb: Lucky.
And as the sun was bright in the sky the next day, Todd was not feeling so lucky.
Arienne: Well, hello there, handsome.
Grim: Hello yourself. I've heard some great things about you. Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime?
Arienne: Aren't you supposed to be working?
Grim: What? Oh...yeah...the dead guy.
Todd: Thank you, sir, for freeing me forever from the clutches of that horrible woman.
Grim: What? Arienne? No, she's lovely!
Arienne: Hmm, Todd's ghost coloring will match my evil glow. Maybe I should keep him around as a ghost slave? Or maybe I need a ghost baby?
Pippin: You're pondering babies and ghost slaves when you've just murdered your new husband?!?! What will happen when the police come to investigate?
Arienne: Actually, Appstore already took care of that by making a nice contribution to the officer who busted him for pranking houses.
Pippin: But...surely the coroner will...
Arienne: Also not be a problem since Apples has dealt with her as well.
Pippin: But won't Vlad be mortified when he learns his grandson has been disposed of?
Arienne: Actually, he already gave me his blessing to become empress of evil,
Arienne: and I invited him to come check out the tower...
And thus, as we prepare to name a new heir, things seem to have fallen nicely (or extremely unkindly) into place for the previous heir.
