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Description
Ms. Featherstone walked to a shelf with what looked like an ancient wooden box sitting on it. She carefully opened the lid and lifted out a silver hairbrush. It was well-kept, and shone iridescently as she turned it into the girls' view.

"I use this to first draw magic out of my own hair, which I use as my personal magic vessel," she explained. She decided a demonstration was in order. She lifted the end of her enormous braid with one hand. About a foot of loose hair dangled from the tip. She muttered a brief incantation, and began to run the brush through the loose strands of her thick black hair. The brush began to glimmer. The girls noticed that with each brushstroke, the brush began to glow brighter and brighter.

"The brush draws magic out," Ms. Featherstone continued, then took a step toward Megan. Megan looked a bit uneasy, but made no protest as her principal gathered a section of her blonde hair and quietly muttered another incantation. The glow from the brush suddenly made a subtle change in the hue of its glow, and Ms. Featherstone began to brush Megan's long hair.

Megan felt a tingling, almost electric sensation on her scalp. She could feel energy flowing with each brushstroke. The glow from the brush gradually subsided, and Ms. Featherstone confirmed their understanding. "As I brush Megan's hair, the magic flows out of the brush into it. I usually give you each about a hundred strokes at a time on a monthly basis. The combined magic in all of your hair sustains my spell keeping the dimensional breaches in this town sealed up. The spell constantly draws magic out of your hair to sustain itself, so I replenish it at each of our monthly visits."

Dawn looked perplexed. "I think I would remember you brushing my hair every month," she interjected. She looked at Megan and Mary. Neither of them seemed to recognize any of what Ms. Featherstone was talking about, either.

"Yes, well, I have to admit to something now that the cat's out of the bag, anyway," she humbly confessed. "I have summoned each of you here on a monthly basis and subjected you to a hypnotism session so that you wouldn't remember what had happened."

"Hypnotism?!" Dawn was taken aback, looking suspicious. "You mean you've been doing this for years and then making us forget?"

Ms. Featherstone sighed. "I admit it. I wanted to tell you, but honestly, if I had asked each of you to come to my office once a month so that I could brush your hair, what would you have thought of me?"

Mary almost chuckled. "For sure we wouldn't have believed you were brushing our hair to keep monsters in another dimension." She gave her principal a pitying look. "I would have just thought you were super creepy or something."

"Indeed." Ms. Featherstone grimaced. "Although, it is much nicer to be able to explain things and confide in you now, even under these circumstances." The reference to Mary's newly chopped locks did not go unnoticed.

"It was quite a risk either way," Dawn surmised. "Mary's hair was cut by somebody, but she could just as easily have decided she was sick of dealing with all that hair and chopped it off herself or at a salon. Then you'd be in the same boat."

Mary disagreed, but said nothing. She had loved her long hair too much to cut it, and would give anything to have it back now. As if sensing her thoughts, Ms. Featherstone replied.

"Ah, I do not choose my vessels lightly. I've had my eye on you three since before you came to this school. It takes a certain kind of special girl to value your long hair enough that you wouldn't cut it on a whim. I can seek out those who are dedicated to maintaining it pretty well. It's a risk, but what else could I have done? Locked you in a tower and kept you prisoner so I could ensure nobody else got their hands on your hair? That sure backfired on the witch Gothel."

Mary recognized the reference. "Wait, you mean Rapunzel was a real person? Her hair was full of magic?"

"Absolutely," Ms. Featherstone answered. "Gothel was a selfish woman who wanted as much power as she could get. She used Rapunzel as a vessel. I didn't make up the idea myself, you know. Many witches have used the same method in the past. I preferred to risk giving you your freedom and keeping you in ignorance than burdening you with knowledge that you either wouldn't believe or would make you aware of dangers that may never have come. Maybe I made the right decision, and maybe I didn't. But what matters is what's happening now."

"Speaking of which," Megan interrupted, "Mary just got the makeover from hell. Possibly quite literally! What happens now?"

Ms. Featherstone moved closer. "You really won't like this next part..."

Description
Ms. Featherstone walked to a shelf with what looked like an ancient wooden box sitting on it. She carefully opened the lid and lifted out a silver hairbrush. It was well-kept, and shone iridescently as she turned it into the girls' view.

"I use this to first draw magic out of my own hair, which I use as my personal magic vessel," she explained. She decided a demonstration was in order. She lifted the end of her enormous braid with one hand. About a foot of loose hair dangled from the tip. She muttered a brief incantation, and began to run the brush through the loose strands of her thick black hair. The brush began to glimmer. The girls noticed that with each brushstroke, the brush began to glow brighter and brighter.

"The brush draws magic out," Ms. Featherstone continued, then took a step toward Megan. Megan looked a bit uneasy, but made no protest as her principal gathered a section of her blonde hair and quietly muttered another incantation. The glow from the brush suddenly made a subtle change in the hue of its glow, and Ms. Featherstone began to brush Megan's long hair.

Megan felt a tingling, almost electric sensation on her scalp. She could feel energy flowing with each brushstroke. The glow from the brush gradually subsided, and Ms. Featherstone confirmed their understanding. "As I brush Megan's hair, the magic flows out of the brush into it. I usually give you each about a hundred strokes at a time on a monthly basis. The combined magic in all of your hair sustains my spell keeping the dimensional breaches in this town sealed up. The spell constantly draws magic out of your hair to sustain itself, so I replenish it at each of our monthly visits."

Dawn looked perplexed. "I think I would remember you brushing my hair every month," she interjected. She looked at Megan and Mary. Neither of them seemed to recognize any of what Ms. Featherstone was talking about, either.

"Yes, well, I have to admit to something now that the cat's out of the bag, anyway," she humbly confessed. "I have summoned each of you here on a monthly basis and subjected you to a hypnotism session so that you wouldn't remember what had happened."

"Hypnotism?!" Dawn was taken aback, looking suspicious. "You mean you've been doing this for years and then making us forget?"

Ms. Featherstone sighed. "I admit it. I wanted to tell you, but honestly, if I had asked each of you to come to my office once a month so that I could brush your hair, what would you have thought of me?"

Mary almost chuckled. "For sure we wouldn't have believed you were brushing our hair to keep monsters in another dimension." She gave her principal a pitying look. "I would have just thought you were super creepy or something."

"Indeed." Ms. Featherstone grimaced. "Although, it is much nicer to be able to explain things and confide in you now, even under these circumstances." The reference to Mary's newly chopped locks did not go unnoticed.

"It was quite a risk either way," Dawn surmised. "Mary's hair was cut by somebody, but she could just as easily have decided she was sick of dealing with all that hair and chopped it off herself or at a salon. Then you'd be in the same boat."

Mary disagreed, but said nothing. She had loved her long hair too much to cut it, and would give anything to have it back now. As if sensing her thoughts, Ms. Featherstone replied.

"Ah, I do not choose my vessels lightly. I've had my eye on you three since before you came to this school. It takes a certain kind of special girl to value your long hair enough that you wouldn't cut it on a whim. I can seek out those who are dedicated to maintaining it pretty well. It's a risk, but what else could I have done? Locked you in a tower and kept you prisoner so I could ensure nobody else got their hands on your hair? That sure backfired on the witch Gothel."

Mary recognized the reference. "Wait, you mean Rapunzel was a real person? Her hair was full of magic?"

"Absolutely," Ms. Featherstone answered. "Gothel was a selfish woman who wanted as much power as she could get. She used Rapunzel as a vessel. I didn't make up the idea myself, you know. Many witches have used the same method in the past. I preferred to risk giving you your freedom and keeping you in ignorance than burdening you with knowledge that you either wouldn't believe or would make you aware of dangers that may never have come. Maybe I made the right decision, and maybe I didn't. But what matters is what's happening now."

"Speaking of which," Megan interrupted, "Mary just got the makeover from hell. Possibly quite literally! What happens now?"

Ms. Featherstone moved closer. "You really won't like this next part..."