Chapter 24
Thursday evening, I had a strange dream. The air felt dry. Was I in a desert? A man and a parrot stood in front of a cave. They were looking for some sort of lamp. I had never seen that place before. I was still thinking about it when I woke up.
"Hey, Ona," said one of the resident ghosts. "Why so bleary-eyed?"
"You look like you've seen a ghost," said another ghost, laughing. I ignored the ghosts while I got up and started to get ready for the day.
"Today's the last day of the fall term," said the third ghost. "Look sharp and don't bungle the landing."
"Oh yeah, tomorrow's the first day of the winter holiday," said the first ghost. "Have you two decided what you'll be doing?"
"Huh?" said Grim. "What's a win-ter holly-day?" I held back a chuckle.
"It's when school lets out for the season. Most students go home to celebrate the new year with their family. They have fancy dinners, too."
"Wait, there's FOOD?!"
"And plenty of it," said the third ghost. "Roast turkey, pie, a ham as big as your head, you name it... Not that us ghosts can eat, of course."
"Some ghosts head home to the netherworld to spend holidays with the family too, y'know," said the first ghost.
"Yeah, and some of 'em never come back!" said the second ghost. "Heh heh heh!"
"Spendin' time with the family while gettin' your grub on sounds nice..." Grim said thoughtfully.
My heart gripped with pain when I thought about my family. "I wonder if the headmage's actually looking into a way for me to go home." Not that I wanted to stop going to school here. It would just be nice if I could let my family know I was safe and visit them during breaks like every other student.
"If I know Crowley, he's totally forgotten about it by now. You better stay on his case about it, Ona."
"Say, what's your family do, Grimmy?" said the second ghost.
"My family? Hmm... I don't remember 'em. I remember wakin' up hungry and alone. It was real cold. I was waitin' out there for someone to come get me for ages. What happened after that again? It's all so foggy... But hey, I'm a forward-facin' kinda guy anyway! The future's way cooler than the past! Especially 'cause I'm gonna be a rich and powerful sorcerer! Gah ha ha!"
I looked at him in concern. "I guess so..." I found his story quite strange. He had to have come from somewhere, right? He had to have parents. Did he have amnesia or something?
Te first ghost sniffled. "Awww, poor little Grimmy had it rough!"
"How'd you like to spend the holidays sitting around the fireplace with us?" said the third ghost.
"Myah ha ha! If there's good food to be had, consider me ready for some holiday cheer!" said Grim.
We left for school in relatively good moods. I tried not to think about the fact that my friends would be leaving for two whole weeks. I would still have Grim and the ghosts. I would not be alone. Classes were painfully slow. Eventually, though, they were over.
"Ugh, finally!" Ace said as we headed out of the room. "A break from this cramped dorm life!"
"Good grief," said Deuce. "Night Raven College doesn't kid around with holiday homework. Look at all this."
"Speaking of going home, I guess you haven't found a way back yet, Ona?"
"Unfortunately not," I said, hiding my sadness behind a smile. "It would be nice to see my family for the holidays, but I guess that will have to wait."
"Will you two be spending the holidays in your dorm?" Deuce asked.
"Yup," said Grim. "We've made plans to have ourselves a feast with the ghosts!"
"Oh, right," said Ace. "There're plenty of ghosts on campus to keep you company, so it won't be just the two of you."
"But when school lets out, don't the cafeteria and school store shut down too?" said Deuce.
Grim and I exchanged looks of horror. "Mrow!" Grim exclaimed. "I didn't even think about that. Where'm I supposed to get the food for my feast?!"
"I'd really rather not go hungry over winter break," I said.
"Sounds like you'd better check in with the headmage soon," said Deuce.
"You need Crowley's permission to use the Dark Mirror, so my guess is he's probably there right now," said Ace. "Let's find out."
"Right," I said. We hurried along to the Mirror Chamber.
"Wow," Deuce said as we entered, "it's already packed with students going home."
"Hah, they all look so antsy," said Ace. "Now then, where's that headmage?"
"All right, everyone," said Crowley, who stood at the head of the crowd. "Announce your destination to the Dark Mirror and keep a tight hold on your belongings. If you let go for any reason while in transit, your luggage will get spirited away elsewhere. If you have any possessions you absolutely cannot afford to risk losing, send them by post from the school store."
"He's in total party mode!" my friends and I exclaimed. He even wore attire that was reminiscent of my home island.
"Wearing that shirt in the middle of winter?!" said Ace. "He's obviously ready to go on a tropical vacation!"
"He's not even trying to hide it," said Deuce.
"Hey, Headmage!" Grim shouted, leading the way through the students to Crowley. "We gotta talk!"
"Why, hello," said Crowley. "What brings your merry little band here?"
"Have you planned for our food situation over the break?" I asked.
"Ah... Ahhh! Ahhh, yes! Of course I've planned for it! What kind of headmage would I be otherwise? Why, I was just about to make arrangements online to have food delivered to you!"
Grim crossed his arms and frowned. "In other words, you were gonna leave us to starve. I'm guessin' you ain't even tryin' to find a way home for Ona, either."
"How rude. I most certainly am. In fact, I'll be spending the winter break expanding my investigation area to a tropical land I've never visited before. You said you hail from a tropical island yourself, right, Ona? I figured it might provide some clues. That's how deeply my diligent streak runs."
He wasn't exactly wrong. From what I could tell so far, the countries in this world closely resembled countries in my own world. It was completely plausible there was a place like Hawaii in Twisted Wonderland. Still, I bet this was the first time Crowley thought of it. "If that's the case, why don't I join you? I know my home better than you."
"Oh no! That would never do! What kind of person would I be if I put a student in harm's way? You must let me investigate this."
"You don't look dressed for an investigation to me," said Ace.
"What he said!" said Grim. "You look ready to go soak up the sun!"
"How could you suggest that?" said Crowley. "I've only clad myself in appropriate attire for my venture. When in a foreign land, do as the locals do. Escaping winter's frigid bite to kick back in a hammock and sip coconut juice while gazing at the tranquil ocean waves... I have NO such refined and indulgent vacation plans whatsoever, I assure you."
"What an incredibly specific denial..." said Deuce.
"It ain't fair for you to have all the fun!" said Grim. "I wanna go on a tropical vacation too. Ona is right. Take us with you!"
"What?" said Crowley. "But that would spoil my delightful getaway from—ah, ahem! This investigation will be dangerous. Yes, very dangerous. As I said, best that I handle it alone. Besides, I'd much prefer if you stayed on campus. I have a critical job for you, as a matter of fact. It's so critical, the very survival of Night Raven College hinges upon it."
"Oh boy, here we go," I grumbled.
"Should you take on this job, your holiday provisions will be provided in full. I'll even arrange for a holiday feast. Roast turkey, pie, a ham as big as your head... In fact, I'll throw in some piping hot spare ribs and mashed potatoes to sweeten—er, salt?—the deal. What do you say?"
"Mrah! Sounds like a one-way ticket to a food coma!" said Grim. "H-hmph. I guess I'll hear you out, at least."
"Dude, you are a born sucker," said Ace, shaking his head.
Crowley cleared his throat. "The fires in our campus cafeteria and fireplaces are all furnished via fire fairy magic. They've lived in the cafeteria fireplace for many years... But if we don't supply them with dry firewood every day, they will fade away. Should the fire fairies disappear, our whole campus would be gripped with cold every winter."
"You know, I've wondered how the school stays so warm without central air," said Deuce.
"So it was magic," said Ace. "Kinda obvious in hindsight."
"Normally, our kitchen ghost takes over fire duty during extended school breaks..." said Crowley. "But this year, his daughter had a baby, so he's visiting the netherworld to see his first grandchild. Thus, I would like you two to handle things in his absence."
"Ghosts can have grandchildren?" I said dubiously.
"Look, it was a miracle of love, okay? Don't sweat the details. More to the point, someone needs to handle fire duty if you want to stay warm over the holidays. Just by throwing firewood into the fireplace every day, you'll stay both warm AND well-fed. That is, as we say, two birds with one stone. Oh, what a generous deal!"
"Y'know, this does sound like kind of a gimme compared to the usual messes you dump in our laps," said Grim.
"Doesn't it, though? You would be surprised at just how kind I can be. Oh yes, and since I'll be out for a while, I'd like to give this to you." I gasped when he handed me a phone.
"Ooh, a smartphone?" said Ace.
"You can use this to call me in the event of any emergency. It is to be used ONLY for emergencies, mind you. Do try not to burn through its data cap browsing Magicam or the like."
"Thank you," I said, clutching the phone.
"Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have many students to transport home to their families. I'll leave the rest in your capable hands." Crowley turned away. "Ah, I'd better make certain to peruse some tourist pamphlets before I set out. Goodness gracious, I'm so very busy..."
"Myah ha ha! Now I get to chow down on a fancy feast over the holidays!" said Grim.
"I still get the feeling you just took a sucker's deal, but hey, whatever floats your boat," said Ace.
"Hey, guys!" Ruggie said from behind us. "You can stop standing in the middle of the hall and blocking traffic now!"
"Ruggie?" said Deuce. "Wait, what's with all that luggage?! A backpack, three duffel bags, and a giant cooler..."
"Oh, this? Shyeheehee. I took all the food that was about to hit its sell-by date at the cafeteria and the school store. Since we're about to go on break, they gave 'em to me basically for free."
"For real?" said Ace. "There's no way you can eat all that."
"You'd be surprised. The neighborhood kids devour this stuff like, well... a pack of hyenas. Besides, gotta make sure my grandma eats well over the holidays. Speakin' of which, this frozen food ain't stayin' frozen for long. Gotta run! Smell ya next year!"
"Later, Ruggie," I said with a smile.
"There he goes..." said Deuce. "What was that about 'neighborhood kids,' though?"
"Ruggie comes from a place where food is a bit scarce," said Jack, who had entered behind Ruggie. "So whenever school lets out for a long break, he stocks up on all the food he can get and shares it with the local kids."
"That's actually kind of sweet," I said.
"What about you, Jack?" said Ace. "What's with that planter you're hauling? You taking up gardening or something?"
"It's a cactus I've been growin' in my free time," said Jack. "It'd wither up if I didn't keep it watered over break."
"Oh, cool," I said, peering at the cactus.
"A-anyway, enough about me!"
"Ruggie's sharin' his food with a bunch of kids who ain't even family, huh?" said Grim. "Never knew he had it in him."
"Hyenas believe in sharing spoils equally. I'm sure that's how Ruggie was raised."
"Hmph. The mere thought of a feeding frenzy like that gives me the willies," said Leona. "I can barely stand the noise one kid makes as it is."
"Does that mean you're skipping out on visiting your family, Leona?"
Leona placed a hand on his head. "Man, I wish. Nah, they'd give me no end of grief if I did. I'm goin'. Ugh, talk about a holiday chore."
"But you're not bringing anything?"
"So? I got my wallet and smartphone. What else do I need? I've got clothes at home anyway."
"This's a whole different kind of extreme," said Grim.
"You're not even bringing your homework, are you?" Ace said.
"Homework can wait until after break," said Leona. "Holidays are for resting. Later, herbivores." He waved us off and walked away.
"He's good enough to do anything when he applies himself, so why doesn't he?" Jack said, shaking his head. "Well, I know I'll be getting mine done. You guys had better do the same. Later."
"Bye, Jack," I said.
"Whatever you say, tryhard," said Ace. "See you next year, huh?"
"Jack's commitment to his principles is actually impressive," said Deuce.
"Okay, froshes!" Cater said loudly, coming up behind Ace and me and placing his arms around out shoulders. "Don't let those bad boy upperclassmen give you any bad ideas, you hear?" Ace pushed him away while I ducked under his arm.
"In our dorm, if you don't turn in your homework, Riddle makes sure it's off with your head," said Trey.
"Hey, Trey. Hey, Cater," said Ace.
"Ugh. Going home is kind of a drag for me, too," said Cater. I just know my sisters are both coming home. They don't care if it's the holidays—they'll run me ragged anyway. I wish I could stay over at your house instead, Trey!"
"You'd be welcome to, but we'd be running you just as ragged," said Trey. "Winter is the patisserie's busiest time of the year."
"Oh yeah, your family runs one of those, huh? So much for any escape."
"Erk! Housewarden Rosehearts!" Deuce jumped back after noticing Riddle staring at him with a frown. "Sorry for blocking the way!"
"Hm? Oh, it's you boys and Ona," said Riddle. "If you're going to stand around and congregate, at least stay near a wall."
"Huh, he's soundin' kinda defeated," Grim said in a low voice.
"Oh, right," Ace said just as quietly. "The housewarden's got an extreme case of helicopter parenting waiting for him at home. No wonder he's not enthused about heading back."
"Riddle, I'm not allowed in your house, so I won't be able to bring by any cakes..." said Trey. "But you're always welcome to visit me at the store. I'm sure Chenya will drop by to hang out, too."
"Yes, you're right," Riddle said in the same sad tone. "I think...I'm going to try talking with Mother some. I don't know if she'll listen, but even so."
"It's a start," I said, giving him a small smile. "You can do it."
"...All right," said Trey. "Good luck."
"What'sa matter, Goldfishie?" said a voice that made me brighten. I could not help the grin on my face as I looked at Floyd and Jade. "Don't wanna go home? Then here's an idea: don't. We're not. C'mon, you can join us in the stay-at-school club. Heh heh!"
Riddle's eyes narrowed. "Where did you come from, Floyd? And would you kindly refrain from sticking your nose in business you know nothing about? It's quite irksome."
"He's right, you know," said Jade. "It's never a good idea to blindly pry into others' family affairs."
"Aw, c'mon, Jade," said Floyd. "It's boring spending every new year with the same old suspects. Besides, Goldfishie's so teeny, I'm sure Azul would love to keep him as a pet!" For Riddle's sake, I managed to hold in a laugh.
"I'm sorry?" Riddle said indignantly. "Would you like to say that again? You're awfully brazen to take that tone with the head of Heartslabyul. And speaking of heads, I'll have yours for this!" He glared at Floyd, his face turning red.
"R-Riddle, no!" said Cater. "This is NOT the place, my guy!"
"Hey, it's alright," I said. "He's just playing around."
"You stay out of this!"
"Settle down, Riddle," Trey said calmly. "You're letting him goad you again."
"Yeeaargh...!" Riddle raged.
"Sooo, Floyd and Jade!" said Cater. "Your family's in the Coral Sea, right? Why aren't you visiting them?"
"We and Azul live in the far northern reaches of the Coral Sea," said Jade. "At this time of year, the whole surface is covered in ice floes."
"What he said!" Floyd said. "It's hard gettin' home with all the freezy-freeze, and it's boring there anyway. So, the three of us prefer to go home on spring break instead, when the ice has melted."
"Wow. Living under the sea has all kinds of challenges, huh?"
"That's too bad," I said.
"You don't look disappointed," said Ace, and I shrugged.
"Hmph! The last thing I need is to spend the new year with you Octavinelle boys," said Riddle. "I'll be going now. I bid you all a pleasant holiday." And then he walked off.
"Good grief," Trey said, shaking his head. "Well, at least he's got his moxie back. As for you guys, don't cut TOO loose over the holidays, okay? See you around." He followed Riddle.
"I should be getting home, too..." said Cater. "Ah, but first, a commemorative photo!" He quickly snapped a selfie of me, my friends, and him. "Hashtag #FallSemesterLastDay #WithTheFroshes #HappyNewYear #JumpingTheGunLOL. Okay, bye now! Happy holidays, folks!"
"See you later, Cater," I said.
"So, Little Shrimpy," said Floyd, "are you and the Seal stayin' on campus?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. I don't have anywhere to go yet. Crowley still hasn't found a way for me to visit my family."
"Aww, poor Shrimpy. You can always drop by Octavinelle, y'know. We'd be happy to keep you company."
"A fine idea, brother," said Jade. "Ah, what a delightful holiday this is shaping up to be. You're welcome anytime. In fact, I'm sure Azul will not find if you would like to spend the break in one of our spare rooms."
"No thanks," Grim said flatly.
"We already have plans at Ramshackle," I said, "but I'll stop by a few times."
Floyd grinned. "You better. We'll have a lot of fun!"
"I look forward to it as well," said Jade. "Now then, if you'll excuse us..." The twins walked back out into the hallway.
I smiled as I waved to them. Grim gave me a look. I blinked at him. "What?"
"Well, the crowds are thinning out," said Deuce. "We should probably head out, ourselves."
"Good call," said Ace. "Oh yeah, Ona... We should trade Magicam IDs now that you've got a smartphone. Y'know, in case something comes up."
"Oh, good idea. I'll share mine, too."
I handed Ace my phone. "Just put it in."
Ace took my phone and punched in some numbers. "There we go. Registered." He handed the phone off to Deuce. "Feel free to hit me up if you get bored over winter break!" He smirked.
"Only if there's an emergency," I said.
"Man, you take everything I say so seriously, Ona! I was joking."
"Then it was a lame one," said Deuce. "Anyway, feel free to reach out if you need anything at all. My mom's probably waiting on me, so I'd better go. Ona, Grim, happy holidays."
"Yeah, I'll do the same. Ona, Grim, see you next year!"
"Bye, guys," I said. "Have fun!" I watched them until they were covered by other students, feeling a little sad.
"I've always thought of those guys as a couple of loudmouths," said Grim, "but now that they're gone... It's clear as crystal just HOW loud they've been! Buncha meddling so-and-sos..." He started grumbling while I chuckled.
"Ooh, check it out, Ona!" Grim exclaimed when we stepped outside Saturday morning. "We got a whole blanket of snow out here! No wonder it seemed chilly."
"Snow?" I said. Eyes widened, I looked around at the white stuff. Then I bent down and picked some of it up. It felt cold and melted in my hand. I grinned. "Wow."
"You act like you've never seen snow before."
"I haven't. I come from a tropical island, remember? The snow it on the top of three mountains, which I've never visited. I've heard about it though." I placed my hand in the snow, leaving a hand print.
"You can play in it later. We'd better check on the fireplace."
"You're right. We have a job to do."
"Yeah, maybe the fire fairies are feelin' the chill, too. Better bring 'em some firewood. Ooh, and I can check out the kitchen an' see if they got any leftovers while I'm there! La-la-laaa!"
I smiled. At least he was enjoying himself. We hurried to the school. While the snow looked fun, I could do without the cold. Once we reached the cafeteria, I placed the firewood in the fireplace. I gasped when I saw tiny humans dancing around the fire. No, those were fire fairies! This place was so cool.
"Hm?" said Grim. "What's that I hear over the crackling fire? Chopping? And... sizzling meat?! And now my nose is tinglin' with the spicy aroma of foreign cuisine! It's coming from the kitchen. Let's see what's up, Ona!"
I chuckled lightly. "Do you always have to follow your stomach?" We walked into the kitchen and were met with a strange sight. A bunch of students were cooking a meal. It looked like they were from Scarabia.
"What's goin' on in here? It's winter break, but the kitchen's full of students!"
One of the students turned to us. He looked very familiar. "Hm?" he said. "You're..."
"Ona and Grim," I said. "We met the Spelldrive tournament, and we saw you at Camp Vargas. You're in the basketball club with Ace and Floyd."
"Right, you're friends of their's."
"Uhhh... What was your name again?" said Grim.
"It's Jamil. Jamil Viper, vice housewarden of Scarabia Dorm. At any rate... Why are you here on campus when it's winter break?"
"We ain't got anywhere to go home to for the holidays. Not to mention, the headmage personally gave us a super-special job. We're tendin' the fireplace." Grim crossed his arms and gave Jamil a satisfied smirk. "I'm as diligent and competent as they come! Only makes sense that the headmage would turn to me when he needs help!"
"Oh, is that a fact? The headmage personally asked you, you say..." Jamil then muttered something under his breath.
"Hm? Didn't catch that."
"I said that, if the headmage is relying on you, you must be a tremendous talent indeed."
"Sorry to interrupt, Vice Housewarden," said a Scarabia student, "but I'm done prepping the vegetables."
"Okay, I'll be right over."
"That soup you're makin' looks pretty good," said Grim. "I ain't ever smelled anything like it before."
"It's a traditional Scalding Sands recipe, you see-" Jamil paused. "Wait. An idea occurs to me. I'm sure something brought us together. Would you care to join us for our meal?" I stared at him. Something felt a little off, but I could not place it.
Grim's eyes lit up. "Really?! You mean it?"
"Absolutely. It won't take much longer to finish. Why don't you two lend a hand?"
I hesitated. Something still did not feel right, but I knew there was no getting Grim away from free food. "We would be happy too." And so we got to work. The food was not that difficult to prepare, and soon it was complete.
"That should do it," said Jamil. "All right, boys, get this to the dorm!"
"Yes, sir!" said the students.
"So, why're you guys stayin' on campus over winter break?" Grim asked.
"Well..." said Jamil while the students exchanged looks. "It's a bit of a long story."
"I don't like where this is going..." I said.
"It was the housewarden's orders," said a Scarabian student. "Everybody in Scarabia has to stay..."
"We can't go home even if we want to," said another.
"The housewarden has that kind of power?" I said.
"Yes," said Jamil, "but let's not go into it. We brought this on ourselves as it is. Now, let's get this food back to the dorm before it gets cold. Scarabia's got the warmth of summer year-round. I think you'll enjoy a taste of the tropics there."
"Woo-hoo!" Grim cheered. "Now that's what I call paradise! Just like your home, right, Ona? C'mon!"
"Whoa, Grim, slow down!" I said, my heart beating quickly. I could not ignore the feeling that following these guys to their dorm would result in a heap of trouble.
Jamil stepped in front of me. "I'm sure the housewarden will be delighted to have you as visitors. Would you care to come over?"
Suddenly, my fear vanished, and my heart rate returned to normal. I could not remember why I had been about to decline. "Certainly," I said.
Jamil gave me a smile that reminded me of someone else (though, at the moment, my brain refused to fully make the connection). "What a pleasure it is to know you'll be coming to see us, Ona. Now then, Scarabia awaits."