Kat's careful footsteps echoed faintly through the empty stone corridors of the castle. Letting out a shivering breath, she walked a little slower. Her eyes flicked from here to there, darting around through the shadows for any sign of movement.

The flickering candle stub, in the chipped mug she held gingerly by the handle, wasn't really doing much to pierce the darkness... But it was better than nothing.

Only slightly, though.

This-- wasn't a good idea... Like, she KNEW that. She'd always SWORN she'd never be caught DEAD doing something like this. Doing stuff like this was always where the problems arose... In books and movies, that is.

Don't open the sarcophagus, don't read the book bound in human skin...

Don't sneak into the castle alone in the middle of the night to go and bother the magical talking mirror.

...But what other choice did she have?

She needed... Something. ANYTHING.

A hint, a clue... Literally anything that could help her, or even point her in the right direction. Hell, even the DIRECTION of a direction.

...She was also trying not to think about it, but...

...God, this was so Harry Potter. Like, literally. This was the most Harry Potter-ass thing she'd ever done... And she'd been to the Wizarding World in Universal Studios twice. Sneaking around in a stone castle late at night, walls lined by sleeping portraits...

Shaking her head a little, Kat shooed the thought away. Stop it, she scolded herself. Concentrate. You're almost to the Chamber.

Pausing at the intersection between corridors, she peered out cautiously.

There they were-- the huge double doors to the Mirror Chamber, looming out at her in the darkness. She couldn't help but feel a slight shiver of dread down her spine at the sight of them.

Glancing from side to side, she darted diagonally across the stone floor with the lightest steps she could muster. Coming to a stop in front of the doors, she paused, waiting for another nervous shiver to pass.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself as best she could. Then, she reached out, placing her fingertips on the ancient wood of the door.

And she pushed.

Despite her best efforts, she still jumped when it swung inwards. She'd half-expected it-- or maybe half-hoped it?-- to be locked or barred or something... Of course she wouldn't be that lucky, though.

And, a small part of her mind that wasn't thrumming with anxiety wondered, did these doors open backwards AND forwards? Like the doors to the kitchen in a restaurant? When she was running from Grim the first night, they'd definitely opened outwards, since she literally ran straight into them...

Gritting her teeth, she straightened her back, whole body buzzing with nerves as she stepped into the darkened Mirror Chamber. The door swung shut behind her, and she grimaced at the long, painful creak of the hinges. Ugh-- dammit, doesn't anybody OIL these things?! Or do they keep 'em creaky to add to the drama?! Is it part of the aesthetic????

Kat waited for a second, certain that at any moment she would hear approaching footsteps and the shout of a raised voice.

Instead, all she heard was the thudding of her heart in her ears.

She relaxed a little... But not by much.

Because now, she had to actually approach the mirror again. With another shaky breath, she stepped forward reluctantly.

The wall sconces were dark and cold, but the flickering of her makeshift candle holder wasn't the only light in the cathedral-like room. The panes of glass in the lids of the coffins gleamed at her as she passed, like dying fireflies, and faint sparkles drifted through the air. The crystals on the ceiling tinkled quietly, glinting in the darkness, and...

She couldn't help but feel a pit of dread open up in her stomach when she noticed this last part. With every hesitating step she took, the faintly luminous waters of the fountain glowed brighter, silhouetting the oval shape hovering above it.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Kat stood in front of the mirror. Taking another breath, she squared her shoulders, taking one final half-step forward.

"...Hello?" She ventured.

For a second, nothing seemed to have happened. Then, the surface of the mirror flickered with reflections of green fire, and the angular white face emerged.

Opening its blank, empty eyes, it looked at her again, with the same severe expression. It honestly kind of reminded her of Trein, now that she was looking at it again...

"...It is thee," it said, less a question than a flat statement of fact. "The magicless child... Kat."

"Yeah," Kat confirmed, nodding. "H-Hi again."

She tried a nervous smile, which the mirror didn't return.

"State thy purpose," it commanded in its echoing voice.

"W-Well-- um..." Kat fidgeted a little, biting her lip. "I... Was just wondering... I had a few questions? I-If you don't mind?"

The mirror looked back at her blankly.

She waited to see if it would say anything else.

It didn't.

"Um-- o-okay..." Taking another deep breath, she shook her head. "Well-- first-- um... A-About what you said during the ceremony, about me not belonging anywhere in this world... What did you mean by that? Exactly?"

The mirror kept looking at her with that stern, emotionless expression. "It is exactly as I said," it declared. "The place in which thy soul resides... It is nowhere in this world."

"O-Oh... Okay." She nodded awkwardly, fidgeting a little. "Well-- I mean, it's just... I got here from SOMEWHERE, right? How'd I get here, if I didn't come from anywhere?"

The mirror paused.

"I do not know," it said after a second.

"But-- I mean, weren't YOU the one who summoned me or whatever?!" Kat protested, stepping a little closer. "If you summoned me, then-- then... Why can't you send me back?! Or-- at least remember where I came from?!"

The mirror gave her another long, blank look.

"...I do not know," it said after another second. "Indeed, it was my power which summoned thee... And yet, the ability to return thee to whence ye came remains outside my reach. It is..."

It paused again. Its face contorted slightly, like it was trying to think.

"...Perplexing."

Kat huffed a little, brushing her bangs back out of her face with her free hand. "Rrr-- I- I mean-- but... Why?! WHY, though?! Why'd you summon me in the FIRST place?! I don't have any magic, like you said, so... Why am I even here?!"

Once again, the mirror fell silent, giving her another long look. Then it spoke again. "Thou wert deemed... Necessary."

Kat blinked. "...Huh?" She said after a second.

"Thou wert deemed necessary," the mirror repeated. "Thus, thou wert summoned... For what purpose, I do not know."

Now it was Kat's turn to fall silent, staring blankly at the white face for what felt like forever.

"...I--" she began. Then she fell silent again. "Uh... D-Deemed necessary?" She repeated eventually. "By-- by WHO? Or what? Wasn't it YOU?"

"...I do not know," the mirror said after another second. "That answer is beyond my reach."

It gave her another long, severe look... But this time, somehow, it seemed almost... Thoughtful.

"...I know many things. Yet thee, child... I know naught but little of thee. The circumstances of thy summoning, the world from whence ye came... These are all mysteries to me. I, who come from the farthest space, who has seen kingdoms and dynasties rise and fall... Who has aided those called to the darkness since before thy most distant forefathers were born."

Kat felt a shiver run down her spine, and she took a few steps back. The look the mirror was giving her now... It was making goosebumps rise on her skin again, washing over her and colliding in crisscrossing waves.

"...Thou art a simple child. Fair-- but far from fairest. Clever-- but far from wisest. A tender heart, yet a mind plagued with bitterness... A soul utterly devoid of magic. And yet-- it was my power which summoned thee here, amongst those blessed and burdened by powers thou shalt never understand..."

It kept looking at her for a few more seconds, unblinking.

"...And I do not know," it finished finally. "For what purpose, or from whence... Nor even how. Thou seekest answers that are beyond even my reach, child."

It fell silent again, closing its eyes. The green flames rushed up around it again, and when they faded away next, it was gone. The greenish light started to fade from the fountain's waters, and Kat shook her head, rattling herself back into reality.

Okay-- well, it looked like this audience was over... And she really, really, REALLY wanted to get out of here now. The way it was talking... That sounded like some seriously eldritch, possibly even Lovecraftian shit, and she didn't want ANYTHING to do with that, thank you very much.

She backed up, holding her breath until she felt her back brush up against the double doors.

Eyes still fixed on the darkened mirror, she stepped back and out through them, not even blinking until they'd swung shut again, closing the darkened Mirror Chamber off from view.

The journey back to Ramshackle wasn't any less nerve-wracking than the one up to the Mirror Chamber...

Especially since Kat was trying to go as fast as humanly possible, while still trying to avoid getting caught by any theoretical caretakers or security patrols.

Shutting the front door, she locked and chained it, then leaned against it with a long, shaky sigh.

Well, THAT hadn't been very helpful...

Shaking her head, she straightened up, pulling her hoodie a little tighter as she wandered back up the stairs. Pushing open the door to the bedroom, she paused to kick her sneakers off, then wriggled out of her jeans. The white leggings she'd gotten from Crewel were already on underneath, and she padded over to the bed.

It took a little bit of maneuvering to get herself back under the covers without disturbing Grim, but eventually she managed it. Taking her glasses off, she placed them carefully on the bedpost, head finally dropping against the pillow.

Then, she just lay there, gazing up at the dark, blurry ceiling.

...Necessary.

What the hell did that even mean? And by who? Was it the Mirror? How did it not even know if it had decided to summon her itself or not?

And if it didn't, then... Then who did? Or what did?

...She wanted to go home.

She really, really, REALLY wanted to go home.

She missed her room, her bed, her weighted blankets, her piles and piles of stuffed animals. Her books, her sketchbooks, her craft supplies... All her random, useless knickknacks, her anime figures, her magical-girl collectibles...

Her clothes, too. Both her normal, everyday clothes and her small lolita wardrobe. All her accessories, her coats and jackets, her shoes... Her cosplays.

God, her cosplays...

She'd expended so much effort and time on them... And she still had so many plans and ideas to improve the ones she had, and make new ones.

And her-- her family...

Her big, boisterous dad, her sardonic, cheerful mom. Even her brother... Even if he drove her up the fucking wall when he ate her food... Which was a lot of the time. But they could just-- vibe... They kind of 'got' each other on a level that she'd never really had with anyone else.

...What were they thinking, right now? Did they think she'd run away? Or been abducted?

Well-- she kind of HAD been, in a way... But-- but obviously, they'd have no idea about what ACTUALLY happened. They'd probably be imagining all sorts of horrible things-- every worst-case scenario possible.

...What if they thought she'd-- she'd... Gotten worse? That she'd-- done something... Stupid?

...And that was if they even knew she was gone at all. What if this was one of those time disparity things, like Narnia?

Honestly, she couldn't decide if that was better or worse... Her, tearing herself up inside as the days passed, while they were still stuck in the same moment she'd disappeared.

What if it was like that, but she never got back? They'd HAVE to notice eventually, right? But-- by that point... How much time would have passed for HER? Months? Years? Decades?

...Centuries?

...Oh, god, she was crying again. Not loud... Not really sobbing, either, or gasping or even breathing very hard. But there were tears spilling out of her eyes and down her temples into her hair.

Sniffling, Kat threw her forearm over her eyes, biting her lip.

She felt Grim shift, uncurling and sitting up. "...Mmrr?" He yawned, and she felt him 'vibrate' a little as he stretched. "H-Hey-- Kat... Whassa'matter? Can't sleep?"

"Oh-- Grim," she muttered, still with her arm over her eyes. "S-Sorry... Did I wake you up?"

He yawned again, and she felt him stand up, shaking his head. "Ehh-- k-kinda... I had a--" One more yawn. "Weird dream that you... You left? Or-- maybe that wasn't a dream... Didja' go to the bathroom or somethin'?"

She gave a quiet, sniffling laugh, nodding. "Y-Yeah... Something like that."

"Mmm... Okay."

.Another yawn. Then he padded over to her on all fours, and she felt a paw tap at her chest.

Pulling her arm aside, she looked over. Even though it was dark, and he was pretty out-of-focus, she could still see that he was looking at her with concern. "Hey... Y-You're not... CRYIN' again, are ya?"

Kat looked back at him for a second, then sighed. "Yeah," she admitted, draping her arm back over her eyes again. "Yeah, I-- I am... Sorry, I'll-- try to keep it down, okay?"

A brief pause. Then Grim clambered up onto her chest. Moving her arm again, she watched as he tucked in his paws, settling down into a loaf. "...Whatcha' cryin' about?"

She sighed, dropping her head back onto the pillow and looking at the ceiling. "Just-- everything, I guess. It's not-- r-really anything in particular..."

There was another pause.

"...Is it 'cause you're lonely?"

Kat actually lifted her head back up, giving Grim a surprised look. "...Huh?"

"Well?" He asked, shuffling a little closer to her face. "Are ya?"

She blinked, looking back at him silently for a moment. For some reason, she remembered something... That expression on his face, that first night in Ramshackle.

'I kept waitin' and waitin', but still-- but still...'

"...Yeah," she admitted after another second. "I-- I... Yeah. I guess I am..." She sniffed quietly, rubbing her cheek with a fist.

"I mean-- I- I don't... I just... N-Nevermind. It-- doesn't really matter..." Resting her head against the pillow again, she closed her eyes.

She opened them again in surprise as Grim flopped onto his side on her chest. "Uh-- G-Grim?"

"...Y'don't gotta be lonely," Grim muttered, snuggling in a little closer. " 'Cause-- well... I- I mean, you got ME. Right? A-An' Deuce, and Ace... And the ghosts, too. But-- mostly me."

He picked his head up a little, grinning. " 'Cause we're in this together, right? You an' me-- we're gonna be the greatest student this school has ever seen!"

Kat looked back at him for a second. Then she laughed quietly. Pulling him up a little closer, she rolled over, lying on her side and tucking his head under her chin.

"...Thanks, Grim," she murmured, closing her eyes. "I'm-- I'm... Really glad you're here."

He hummed quietly in response, nuzzling the top of his head against the underside of her chin. The warmth of his ears seemed to radiate through her whole body, and she closed her eyes, the last of the tears seeping into the bedding as she smiled.

Author's Notes:

*Clutching my life-size, proportionally-accurate Grim plushie writing the second half of this, sobbing*

...I think this was just an excuse for a headcanon/lore/theory dump, TBH. I don't think it was an 'accident' that MC was summoned, for one.

Also, trying to figure out what I'd actually do in these scenarios. And the first thing I came up with was 'I'd go ask the Mirror'.

No shade to game!MC, but... It seems like they're part of the Braincell Squad for a reason, lol.

I feel like the Mirror is.. Like, halfway between an actual 'entity' and basically a big, spooky Alexa. It speaks in rhyme in the Snow White movie, but... Eh. I couldn't figure out how to do that, so... It just speaks ye olde-y times, instead.

(...I saw somebody point out that the pattern around its eyes looks like the overblot overlays, but I HAVEN'T seen anybody point out that the pattern itself looks a whole lot like Maleficent. Like-- compare it to the patterns on the teacup and teapot in Sebek's Ceremonial Robes groovy illustration, which also look like Maleficent, and even though they're different, you can see the resemblance. HELLO?!?!)

(Idk, maybe after the Queen committed the first ever Disney Villain Unaliving, Maleficent laid claim to the Mirror and augmented/reprogrammed it with her magic, since it was such a powerful artifact and she didn't want it to go to waste?)

(...Semi-unrelated, but... I also lowkey ship the Queen and Maleficent, lol. At least, animated Maleficent. Angelina Jolie Maleficent is deffo married to her crow malewife Diaval.)