Author's Note: I stressed over this chapter like you wouldn't even believe, you guys. I was super excited to write it and I'm proud of how it turned out, but I hope I didn't get anyone's expectations up too high.
TRIGGER WARNING: Body horror (part of an illusion, so nothing back is actually happening to anyone), possession, and mentions of an emaciated animal Again, it's all an illusion but I just want to have my bases covered.
"Uuuughhh! This is so boring!" Grim whined as he and Devon walked around campus to avoid looking conspicuous as they waited for word of any troublemakers near the statues. The teachers had managed to get all seven of the statues repaired and back on their pedestals by mid-afternoon and so far there hadn't been any real trouble. Even people who seemed tempted to mess with the statues were deterred by either the 'Do Not Touch The Statues' signs that Ramshackle had put up or were warded off by Devon's ghost story (the final warning before the Wisps got involved). That was a good thing, but it also meant the Ramshackle crew hadn't had much to do so far.
"I'm sure we'll get to see some action soon, Grim. Try to be patient, okay?" Devon assured him as she adjusted the hat of her witch costume. "The Magicam Monsters that knocked over the statues snuck into the school late last night to do it, probably because they didn't want any of the students or staff to catch 'em or any non-rulebreaking witnesses to report 'em. The crowds have been huge all day today, but they're starting to thin out now that it's nighttime. I'm willing to bet trouble will come knockin' on our door any minute."
As if on cue, Devon suddenly found herself rooted in place, unable to lift her leg to step forward. Glancing down at the ground, she saw one of Sam's shadowy "friends from the other side" grabbing onto her own shadow and preventing her from moving. A few of the shadow creatures that frequented Sam's shop had stopped by earlier that afternoon and offered to watch over the statues. They reasoned that Devon and Grim would be too obvious if the hung around the area without actually doing anything and urged them to blend in with the other guests until they were needed. How exactly these creatures knew to offer help to the Ramshackle duo was a mystery, especially since they never seemed to leave the shop, but Devon suspected Sam had sent them himself.
"So," Devon said quietly as she smiled at the shadow creature, "I'm guessin' we've got a live one?"
The creature winked before fading away as Devon readied her staff. "Alright, Grim. Duty calls."
"Let's hope the rest of us actually get to do somethin' this time," Grim grumbled as he hopped onto Devon's shoulder so Flapjack could warp them away.
Back on Main Street, a group of people tentatively approached the statues, looking around to make sure there wasn't a guard or any other obvious security measure in place.
"Looks like the coat is clear!" one of the women chirped as she rushed up to the statue of the Fairest Queen. "Let's hurry and get these statues out of the way!"
"I dunno, guys," one of the men replied hesitantly. "Is this really such a good idea? We could get into big trouble if we get caught, not to mention the lawsuits we'd get slapped with if one of these things gets damaged."
"C'mon, don't be such a coward," another male admonished. "We didn't come all the way out here to not get our chance to go viral! All we have to do is move these statues of their bases, climb up, and get a few quick pics. We'll be gone before anyone even notices."
"Yeah," a second woman agreed. "If you're that worried about it, you can be the one to take the pics. No one will even know you were involved." She stopped beside the statue of the Sea Witch and reached out to start pushing. "Now help us move these things!"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you…"
The group whipped around to see Devon approaching them, glancing almost nervously at the seven statues. They all shared a look; none of them had heard her approach (which made sense, seeing as Flapjack had used the portal trick to get her behind them) and they were worried she might have come to rat them out.
"Geez, where'd you come from, kid?" a third man asked. "You about scared us to death!"
The two women near the statues took a couple hasty steps back. "W-We were just joking about all that statue stuff."
"Y-Yeah, totally!" agreed another as she offered Devon a shaky smile.
"Well, that's a relief," Devon replied as she inwardly rolled her eyes. "These statues are the only things standing between us and what would probably be the end of Twisted Wonderland as we know it."
The group exchanged another look, this time one of cautious skepticism, before the hesitant man spoke up. "What do you mean by that?"
Devon blinked, a look of surprise on her face. "You don't know? I figured it was just one of those things everyone knew but nobody talked about…" She shook her head. "Then again, I guess this is the kind of thing the resident of Sage's Isle wouldn't want getting out…"
"Well don't keep us in suspense," the first woman said, excited for a chance to announce some sort of scandal to the public.
"Yeah, tell us the big secret," the second woman added eagerly. "And what do these statues have to do with it?"
Devon looked around as if trying to make sure nobody was around to overhear. "You didn't hear it from me but…a long time ago, way before Night Raven College was even a thing, a powerful witch was sealed away underground, right below where we're standing. I don't know all the details, but apparently she'd been experimenting with forbidden magic, including resurrecting the dead…and eternal life. They say she was quite a beauty too so she didn't have any trouble luring people to her, even though nobody who was seen leaving with her was ever seen again."
"And she was never caught?" one of the men asked skeptically.
Devon tapped the ground with the heel of her shoe. "Obviously she was eventually. She covered her tracks like an absolute boss for years, but she got overconfident and slipped up. Once she was caught and found guilty, she was deemed far too dangerous to be confined to a run-of-the-mill dungeon and too powerful to be executed, so they shipped her and her familiar-a grey cat with blue eyes and blue flames in its ears-out here to Sage's Isle and trapped them both underground. Then she was erased from all recorded history to keep anyone else from getting any ideas. Throughout the millennia that have followed, a handful of people have dug deep enough to find out about her and tried to follow in her footsteps. They never reached the level of power she did so they were never locked away, but they've all been summarily executed and erased from history as well."
"So this witch, if she even exists, and her familiar are just…hanging out underground?" a woman asked.
Devon shrugged. "Who can say? People have tried to find them before, but there's an intricate system of underground tunnels running all over the island. Besides, even some unlucky soul did manage to find where she's being held, the witch's physical body is long gone by now. Her ghost remains, though, and she's none too pleased at being locked away. Even now, her power grows stronger as waits for her chance to break free."
"Okay, but you still haven't explained how the statues come into this," one of the men pointed out.
"I was just getting to that, actually. The statues of the Great Seven aren't just decorations; they're what have been keeping the witch sealed away," Devon continued. "They've been enchanted by a very powerful mage and not only do they keep her prison locked, they also help syphon away the magical energy she's been storing up and redistributing it to the area. If even one of them is moved at all, that could be all the opening she needs to bust out. Granted, she'd need a physical form before she could do any real damage, but any ghost worth their salt knows how to possess someone."
Another one of the men rolled his eyes. "Pfft. C'mon, that's just an old urban legend. There's no way any of it's true. Besides, everyone knows Sage's Isle has a higher concentration of magical energy than most other places."
The woman who had approached the statue of the Fairest Queen took another few steps back. "Yeah, but…Night Raven College is just about the only place in the world where ghosts are visible year-round."
"So? It's an elite school with tons of powerful magic users attending it. That shouldn't be a surprise," the second woman argued.
"Royal Sword Academy's an elite school with plenty of powerful magic users studying there too and it's also located on Sage's Isle," countered the first woman. "Not even their campus has permanently visible ghosts."
"Maybe so, but the statues were pushed over before so people could snap some pics," the first man reminded them. "Last I checked, Twisted Wonderland's still standing."
"Given how long she's had her powers syphoned away, it's likely she didn't have enough strength to get out right away the first time the statues were toppled. I wouldn't count on being so lucky if they were knocked over again in such a short period of time," Devon warned. "You guys can believe whatever you want but I-" She cut herself off upon noticing that an ominous fog was beginning to spread over the area, painting an apprehensive expression on her face as a couple of Sam's shadowy friends flitting just along the edges of the trees. She glanced at the Magicam Monsters and saw that all of them looked nervous as well. 'Looks like this oughta be enough to get 'em to back off.' "I'm getting out of here. You'd be smart to do the same."
"I gotta say, having Fuego, Marina, and Zephyr use their powers to create that fog was a nice idea," Grim whispered as he and the Ramshackle ghosts watched from the cover of the trees.
The skinny ghost nodded. "Mmhmm. Not only does it set the mood, but it'll serve as a nice catalyst for Mirage's illusions to take effect. The question is: will it be enough or will we have to intervene?"
They looked on as Devon finished her warning and began to walk away. The Magicam Monsters began to talk amongst themselves. Given the distance, it was difficult for Grim and the rest to make out exactly what they were say, but it seemed the hesitant-looking man had redoubled his efforts to urge his companions to leave. Unfortunately, it seemed his pleas fell on deaf ears as the more insistent members of the group marched right back to the statues and began trying to push them aside.
"Heeheeheehee!" the chubby ghost chuckled quietly. "Looks like we've got some Magicam Monsters on our hands!"
As he spoke, Mirage floated up into the air above the group, the translucent orb practically invisible to everyone but those in on the plan. Their aura dimmed slightly as if they were drawing in a breath before a large shockwave of magical energy erupted from them, casting an illusion over the oblivious Magicam Monsters.
"Grim, Zephyr, I think that's your cue," the short ghost whispered.
Grim nodded eagerly as Zephyr pulsed with excitement. "Alright, Zephyr. It's showtime!"
"Is it just me or does something seem off about that fog on Main Street?" Silver asked as he, Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek made their way toward Main Street, eager to see what Ramshackle was planning.
"Indeed. I can detect trace amounts of fire, water, and wind magic…," Malleus agreed. "Notice too that it's contained to one specific area and not spread out over the campus. It certainly isn't a naturally occurring fog. I can only imagine the Wisps are behind it."
They had passed by the Mystery Shop and were just about to walk up the steps that led to Main Street when something darted out in front of them, causing Silver and Sebek to ready their batons on instinct.
"Please wait a moment!" Ortho whispered, holding his hands up to stop them. "Don't go any closer!"
"You dare presume to order Lord-" Sebek began, only for Malleus to raise a hand and cut him off.
"Why don't you want us getting closer, younger Shroud?" Malleus asked.
Ortho waved them over toward the Mystery Shop, where several other students had gathered. "My scanners say that powerful illusion magic is being cast within that fog as we speak. I'm not sure what Devon Lopez's plan is, but if anyone gets too close, they risk disrupting the illusion altogether."
"That's why we've all gathered here," Trey elaborated. "So we can watch what's going on without ruining Devon and Grim's plan."
"But how are we meant to watch anything from this distance?" Lilia asked. "I doubt that even those with the keenest eyesight would be able to see through fog that thick."
"We're using one of Idia's drones," Vil supplied, gesturing toward the Ignihyde dorm leader who was hunched over his tablet in a nearby corner and looking as if he was regretting the decision to hang around in person as opposed to piloting the drone from his room.
Ortho nodded happily. "Mmhmm~! It doesn't make any noise and it has a cloaking device installed that makes it invisible. And best of all," Ortho motioned toward a white carpet hanging on the outside wall of the shop, courtesy of Scarabia, "my brother stream the drone feed directly to my built-in projector which I can then display on that carpet so everyone can see! We get to watch what's happening while maintaining a safe distance."
"I see! Very clever," Lilia praised.
"S-Sorry to interrupt, Ortho, but we've got m-movement," Idia interjected. "I'm going to start streaming the drone feed to you now."
"Right!" Ortho chirped, rushing over to start projecting as everyone else gathered around to watch.
"Mrrrrooow…"
A low, mournful meow coming from the direction Devon had just walked away in drew the Magicam Monsters' attention away from the statues they were trying to topple. They all turned toward the sound to see Devon frozen rigidly in place as a something padded toward her. The ones that were brave enough took a cautious step closer and saw a grey cat walking in Devon's direction. The creature was little more than skin and bones, its ribs clearly visible beneath its coat, and there were blue flames coming from its ears. Its blue eyes lacked pupils, making it difficult to tell exactly where it was looking, but its gaze seemed to remain fixed on Devon as it stalked closer.
"Hey…," one of the women began nervously, "is it just me or is that cat thing a dead ringer for that witch's familiar that girl told us about?"
"Uh-huh," replied one of the men as they watched Devon try to skirt around the cat, only for it swat at her with its claw each time she tried to pass it. "Grey fur, blue eyes, blue fire in the ears…"
Another man shook his head. "There's no way. This has to be some kinda prank! Even if the witch and her familiar do exist, they've been sealed away underground, right? As long as the statues are still up on their pedestals, it'll be-"
"Mrrrrrroooow!"
Everyone's head jerked in the direction of the cat. It seemed to be staring at the group now…or more specifically, at something behind them. They saw Devon hesitantly turn to look in the direction the cat was staring in-she didn't seem to want to take her eyes off the creature-and her eyes widened in fear, prompting the others to turn and look as well. They could only watch in horror as a sickly green orb about the size of a fist rose up out of the ground and hovered in the air.
"Y-Y-You don't think that's…," the first man began.
"Oh shit…," Devon muttered before leveling a glare at the group. "This is why I told you not to mess around with those statues! You've gone and set the witch's spirit free now! It's only a matter of time before-"
The cat meowed again and flicked its tail toward Devon, though it never took its eyes off the orb. In an instant, the orb rocketed toward her and Devon barely had time to turn and try to run before it slammed into her back and disappeared. Her head immediately began to twitch in short, jerking motions and she sank to her knees, placing her hands on either side of her head in a futile attempt to get it to stop. After a few tense seconds, her head stopped moving and she finally climbed back to her feet, her shoulders heaving unsteadily as if she was trying to remember how to breathe. Then she stood completely still and stared out into the fog, her back to the Magicam Monsters and her arms hanging limply at her sides.
The group of troublemakers exchanged looks as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. The orb wasn't anywhere in sight, but the grey cat was now winding itself around Devon's legs , friendly as could be despite its earlier aggression. None of them wanted to be the one to approach her, but finally, the man closest to her took a cautious step toward her. The cat familiar hissed as he approached, but made no move to strike at him.
"Uh… You okay, kid?" he asked as he nervously reached out to touch her shoulder.
Just before the man's hand could make contact, Devon's head whipped around 180 degrees with a sickening crack, though the rest of her body didn't move an inch. Her eyes were now nothing but black voids with a sort of wispy black smoke pouring out of them and her lips were pulled back into a smile that looked too wide for her face, revealing elongated and serrated teeth. The man immediately recoiled in shock as his friends just stared wide-eyed.
"Heheheheheh," Devon chuckled, her voice now echoing as though multiple people were speaking in unison and her head resuming its jerky, twitching motions. "What's the matter, mortal? Never seen a real possession before?" She glanced down at herself, the crazed smile never leaving her face, before her body swiveled unnaturally so that she was fully facing the man and his friends. "Still, I suppose I should thank you for releasing me. It's been so long since I've had a physical form…"
"W-W-What is happening?!" one of the women exclaimed.
"We only barely moved one of the statues…," the second woman said. "Don't tell me that was enough to give her an opening."
"Nevermind that!" one of the men whisper harshly. "We've gotta get outta here before-"
The cat jumped up onto Devon's shoulder and butted its head against hers. Her smile became just a sbit softer as she regarded her familiar. "You picked out a good one, pet. However," Her smile dropped as she took in the creature's emaciated frame, "confinement has been even harder for you than it has for me. Seems you could do with a good meal." The menacing smile returned as she eyed the Magicam Monsters. "Luckily, we've got plenty of volunteers right here."
"Urgh, did you guys hear that neck crack?" Ace asked as he reflexively rubbed his own neck. "I know it's all an illusion, but that sounded a little too real for me."
"Seriously," Deuce agreed. "It's the way her head keeps acting like it's glitching that's getting to me, though."
"Yeah, I can definitely see why her brother vetoed this plan," Cater commented. "This is…a lot."
Rook looked over at Vil. "What do you think, Roi du Poison? As our resident professional actor, I'm sure we would all appreciate your insight."
"Speak for yourself," Leona muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"She's clearly a novice. There's plenty of room for improvement," Vil critiqued. He watched as Devon stalked toward the Magicam Monsters with Grim still perched on her shoulder. The group tried to back away from her only to find that they were unable to move their feet, courtesy, unbeknownst to them, of one of Sam's shadowy friends. "I'll concede that she was able to set the stage rather well, but there are certain aspects about the performance that are clearly overacted. Still…I suppose in this situation, the theatrics are more helpful than harmful and the fact that everyone involved in this little show has been able to take cues from one another seamlessly should be praised as well."
Epel rolled his eyes, but opted to remain silent as he kept his attention on Ortho's projection. 'Don't listen to him, guys. You're doin' great.'
"What's going on here?!" one of the men demanded as he struggled to get his legs working again. "Why can't we move? What did you do, witch?!"
Devon chuckled as she stalked closer. "More to the point, mortal: what did you do? In case you forgot, you were the ones who broke the seal on my container. You and those dolts from last night."
"Y-You don't think we're actually gonna…die here, do you?" one of the women asked hesitantly.
"Of course we won't," the man tried to assure her before turning back to Devon. "Let us go!" he ordered, trying to sound authoritative despite his obvious shaking. "I'll have you know that my dad's the chief of police in-eep!"
He cut himself with a yelp as Devon suddenly warped in front of him.
"Do you really think it makes a difference to me who your father is, boy?" Devon growled. "I'm not sure what about this situation makes you think you have any power here, but it seems you need a reminder of who's actually in control." The cat meowed and rubbed its face against Devon's again. She smirked in response. "A wonderful idea, my pet! Let's give this one the honor of being your first meal in over a millennia."
The cat let out a hiss from its perch on Devon's shoulder, opening its mouth to reveal sharp, yellow teeth. As the hissing sound continued, wisps of what looked like white smoke were pulled from the man's mouth and nose, swirling around the cat and causing its blue eyes to glow even brighter.
The man gasped and choked as he clutched at his throat. "Wh-Why… Why can't I…breathe?"
"Okay, this is getting legitimately terrifying," Jack commented. "Wisps can't really suck out a person's life force, can they?"
"Of course not," Lilia replied. "Wisps are usually gentle so long as they aren't provoked and they prefer fleeing to fighting. However, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for a Wind Wisp like Zephyr to forcibly remove the air from someone's lungs. I imagine that's what's happening now."
Several of the gathered students stared at him, dumbfounded.
"I'm not sure why you all look so surprised," Lilia continued. "Wisps aren't organic beings, but they're still sentient, are they not? They're perfectly capable of feeling anger and acting out of spite. Those of us in Diasomnia have witnessed the Wisp enchanting Ramshackle throwing knives and other cutlery at unwanted visitors."
Silver nodded. "It's true. Though the "unwanted visitor" in question is usually the headmaster and nothing that's been thrown has ever actually made contact, as far as we've seen. Given how precise Regina's aim usually is, I can only assume that missing wasn't an accident."
"My understanding is that there is a Water Wisp and a Void Wisp residing at Ramshackle as well," Jade added, his lips curling upward in an unsettling smile. "Who's to say they couldn't manipulate the water in a person's body to effectively drown them or, say, trap them in an unending void for eternity?"
"Ahaaaa~!" Floyd laughed. "Now I really want a lil' Wispy of my own~!"
"So the moral of the story is 'Don't piss off the Wisps'. Got it," Ace replied.
"Or just try to get yourself in Dev's good books," Ruggie chimed in. "The Wisps don't really seem to care what someone does as long as they aren't threatening her in some way."
"Mmhmmhmmhmmhmm," Azul chuckled under his breath. "Just imagining true power contained in those little orbs is enough to send shivers down a person's spine… I must have them. All of them."
A shout coming from Ortho's projection caused everyone to refocus their attention on the makeshift screen.
"W-Wait!" one of the women shouted as she watched her friend continue to be drained by the resurrected witch's familiar. He was clearly unsteady and likely would've collapsed a long time ago if not for the magic (or shadow creature) holding him upright. "Y-You said yourself that you should be thanking us for setting you free, right? What you made us your servants instead of draining us? W-We could bring people back to you, if you want."
Devon quirked an unamused brow at the offer and her familiar closed its mouth, thereby causing the 'draining spell' to cease. The man sputtered and gasped as he pulled in deep breaths of air. Devon exchanged a look with the cat on her shoulder before beginning to laugh, quietly at first but soon evolving into a wicked-sounding cackle. "Don't be absurd! As I recall, the girl whose body I possessed warned you what would happen if even one of the seals on my container was disturbed. In looking around, I can also see that signs were put up to warn people away as well. You lot are too stupid to follow a simple instruction yet you hope to become my acolytes to save your own skins?!" She raised her arms out to the sides and, thanks to some well-placed wind magic from Zephyr, rose up into the air. "I have no use for incompetent followers like you! Even so, I do owe you a reward." Another menacing smile appeared in her lips. "And I have just the thing."
She made a beckoning gesture with one hand and a staff appeared out of thin air, the glass orb at the top glowing with a bright red light. She held the staff aloft and began to move it in circles. A low, mournful wail could be heard a moment later and soon a bunch of misty white shapes began circling them. More and more shapes joined the mass with each passing moment and the wailing sound grew louder.
"What are these things?" the second woman asked fearfully before looking up at Devon. "What are you going to do?"
"Why, I'm about to grate you eternal life, of course!" Devon replied with a giggle. "It won't be in the conventional sense, exactly, given that I'll be doing away with your physical bodies, but your ghosts will remain bound to me for eternity. I'll be putting all your everlasting regret and despair to use fueling my own lifeforce and keeping this mortal body alive well past its natural expiration date. Isn't that fun~?"
The woman took another look at the swirling mass, this time making out a number of anguished faces. "Then…these things are all…"
"Ghosts of those I sacrificed in the pursuit of knowledge," Devon finished for her.
"What have you done?" one of ghosts-a short one- called out to the Magicam Monsters from the mass.
"By releasing the witch's ghost and allowing her to possess a new body, you've singlehandedly doomed us all!" a skinny ghosted cried.
"N-No! W-We didn't mean to!" the hesitant man stammered as he and the rest of the group struggled to break free of their paralysis. "If we could just get away, we could warn-"
"There's no point in fighting now," a chubby ghost told them with a resigned expression. "Even if you did get loose somehow, your physical forms wouldn't hold out." He pointed toward them. "Just look."
Everyone looked down at themselves hesitantly, only to scream in terror at the sight that greeted them. Their flesh was beginning to rot, falling off of their hands in chunks to reveal the muscle and bone underneath, which quickly began rotting away as well as the decay worked its way up their arms. The group redoubled their efforts to get away, but they were still stuck fast.
Devon cackled gleefully. "Don't worry, everyone! I'll leave your heads for last. I want you to witness it when I harvest your souls!" She pointed the end of her staff at the people on the ground, a subtle cue for Sam's associate to release its hold on them. The Magicam Monsters, still struggling to the end, stumbled forward once they were freed. They quickly righted themselves before rushing toward the main gate of the school, screaming frantically and trying keep any more of their bodies from disintegrating.
'Man, it'd be awesome if I could get my staff a blade to manifest a blade or somethin'. I'd look like the most kickass reaper/witch ever!' Devon couldn't help but think as she pictured it in her mind.
Grim, though at first disappointed that he been given a sidekick role as opposed to a starring one, found himself greatly enjoying the performance he, Devon, and the ghosts had put together. His job was simple enough: just meow when he needed to let Mirage's illusion and Devon's theatrics do the rest. He'd remained on Devon's shoulder even as Zephyr lifted her into the air and he couldn't help but be amused at how much his henchman seemed to be enjoying herself. He watched as Devon pointed the Ramshackle staff at the Magicam Monsters, fighting not to laugh as they began tripping over themselves to get away.
When glanced over at Devon again to gauge her reaction, he saw a telltale blue glow in her eyes just barely visible behind the empty smoking voids Mirage had conjured up as she stared at her staff. The staff began to glow with a matching blue aura and a crescent-shaped blade emerged from the side, effectively turning it into a scythe. Grim could only fight not to show his surprise on his face and quick look at Devon told him she was doing the same. Luckily for both of them, the Magicam Monsters brought their attention back where it belonged.
"Oh, sweet merciful Seven! Is that a scythe?!" one of them shouted.
"S-She really is going to harvest our souls!" wailed another.
"Not if we get outta here first! We can move again, so book it!" a third ordered.
"This place is cursed! We are never coming back to Night Raven College!" declared a fourth as they all scrambled through the gate and out of the school.
Once all of the Magicam Monsters were out of the gate and well on their way down the mountain road that led to the campus, the Wisp-made fog dissipated and Mirage's illusion was broken, returning Devon and Grim's appearances to normal. As Zephyr gently floated Devon back down to the ground, Devon stared at the blade on her staff, reaching out to touch it carefully as all the Wisps aside from Zephyr took shelter within it. The blade was solid metal, though it still radiated with Devon's signature blue aura. 'Okay, but how do I turn this off now?' Devon wondered, picturing the staff's default form, small enough to fit in her pocket. Instantly, the blade disappeared and the staff reverted to its smaller form.
"You did it, kiddos!" the short ghost called as he and the other Ramshackle ghosts rushed over to Devon and Grim. "You both were great!"
"The scythe at the end there was a nice touch!" the chubby ghost commented. "It wasn't something we rehearsed, but it was just the thing we needed to ramp up the scare factor! Mirage really knows what they're doin', huh?"
"That wasn't Mirage; it was all Devon!" Grim corrected them. "It had her power aura around it and I saw Dev's eyes glow even behind the illusion! Not everyone could've picked that out, but this future Archsage has the sharpest eyes on the Isle!"
"Is that true, Dev?" the skinny ghost asked. "I had no idea you could do that!"
"Neither did I," Devon replied. "I just remember thinkin' about how cool it would be if I had one while I was all, "I'm gonna steal your soul!" and then the next thing I know, one appears! Crowley said before the imagination is the key to effective spellcasting, but it I didn't think it was that effective!"
"Eh, we can worry about that later!" Grim told them excitedly. "Y'all are missin' the big picture here! We've driven out all the Magicam Monsters!" He cheered, hopping off of Devon's shoulder and pumping his fist in the air. "Myahahahahaha!"
The group turned at the sound of approaching footsteps, blinking in confusion as a large group of their friends ('And not-so-friendly associates,' Devon thought as she side-eyed the OctaTrio) approached them.
"I have no idea what you're referring to, Grim," Vil said with a sly smirk on his face.
"We were merely practicing our acts for Halloween," Jade added with an equally sinister expression.
"We'd never dream of driving off our honored guests," Cater agreed with a wink.
"Day Six of Night Raven College's Halloween Week is now over," announced a voice over the school's PA system. "Thank you for taking the time to pay us a visit today. Please make sure you have all personal belongings with you when you leave."
"10pm already, huh? Guess that's six days over and done with now," Devon mused.
Jade nodded. "And tomorrow will be Halloween itself."
"Now we've just gotta wait and see what the teachers decide," Cater said. "They said they were planning to wait and see how things looked in the morning before making an official call on the party."
"We've done all we can," Vil replied, putting his hands on his hips. "The only thing left to do is await the final outcome."
"Devon, my dear, I must say that performance you put on was incredible!" Lilia chirped as he pulled Devon into a hug. "You said you drew inspiration from various horror movies in your world, correct? If the chance ever arises, you must show them to me!"
Devon laughed and was about to answer in the affirmative when she noticed Sebek and Silver gesturing frantically and shaking their heads behind Lilia's back. "Umm…well, we can talk more about that if I ever figure out a way to bring stuff from my world to this one." She thought for a moment. "Wait a second…all of you saw our prank? I mean, I knew Idia was gonna be flying one of his drones in, but I thought that was just because Ortho wanted to see it."
"That was the plan at first, but then Kalim happened to overhear us talking about it and rounded up as many people as he could find," Idia grumbled.
"Yep, yep!" Ace said, slinging an arm around Devon's shoulders as she pulled back from her hug with Lilia. "We were all pretty pissed about what happened to the statues. I don't think it's that surprising that we'd wanna see how you guys handled anyone else who tried to mess with 'em."
"And you didn't disappoint!" Deuce added. "Not that I thought you would, but that was next-level terror!"
"I actually had a question, Dev," Jack began. "Your plan relied pretty heavily on magic, didn't it? How did you plan to pull something like that off in your world if magic doesn't exist there?"
"What we did tonight was basically an amped up version of my original plan," Devon explained. "My original idea was pretty much just the 180-degree head spin and using stage makeup so that I was the one that looked like my skin was rotting off once I got 'possessed' since my mortal body couldn't handle the witch's power or something. There's also tech in my world that can replicate the swirling sea of ghosts too. We decided to change things up because, well, I live with a bunch of magical beings that were more than eager to lend their powers to our performance. And it's Halloween. Go big or go home, right?"
The group talked for a little longer before Riddle reminded all of them that it was nearly curfew and to get back to their dorms on the double. Devon watched as her friends made their way toward the Hall of Mirrors, Grim sleeping in her arms as the ghosts went about their nightly patrols, before she was startled by a nearby voice.
"Child of man, may I have a moment?"
Devon turned to see that Malleus was standing nearby. "Are you not heading back with the others?"
"In a moment," Malleus replied as he stepped closer to her. He seemed to be looking over her carefully, as if assessing her for any injuries. "That really was quite the show you put on earlier. I could sense the illusion magic, but even I was startled when your head snapped clear around."
"Heh. Is that why you're checkin' to see if I'm hurt?" Devon asked with a grin.
Malleus smirked playfully. "Could be. Would you believe me if I told you that I happen to enjoy looking at you?"
Devon blinked, caught off-guard by the sincerity of her friend's words. "I…umm…wow." She giggled nervously as she adjusted her hold on Grim. "I don't think I've ever had anyone say something like that to me and, like, mean it, y'know."
"Well then allow me to take great pleasure in being the first to do so," Malleus replied, relishing her flustered expression. He stepped even closer and offered her his arm. "I hope you'll make me even more pleased by allowing me to escort you home tonight."
Devon smiled, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks as Flapjack emerged from her staff to helpfully warp the still-sleeping Grim back to Ramshackle, retreating back into the staff as she took Malleus' arm. "I would like that very much."
Ending Notes: There you have it! Ramshackle's Halloween prank with a little MalDev at the end! I love Devon's potential with all her LIs, but I'm really happy I decided to spotlight Devon and Malleus for this event! They're both so soft with each other!
Thank you all so much for reading and for being patient while I got this out since I know a lot of you were looking forward to it! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!