Author's Notes: Here is our next chapter. We get some Crowley and Yuri talk here. To cover the Head Mage's reasons for his decision. And a few other things like what his plans are for Yuri. Enjoy!

Discussion and Lodging

Yuri looked around the office the Head Mage, Dire Crowley, had shown him to. It's a bit dim, but it works for him, considering his previous existence alongside nocturnal fey. He notes the two windows in the room and the purple velvet drapes. While on their way to the man's office, the torches were all green fire. In his office though, the flames were a soft purple pink. There was a large dark wood desk, a dark, tall, backed chair, and a golden raven topped coat rack. The most interesting things in this office, however, are the seven floating portraits of the Great Seven.

He turns amber eyes onto the man, meeting his glowing gold behind his raven beak mask. "Why am I not allowed to stay in residence to the dorm chosen for me by the Dark Mirror?" He decides to get straight to the point.

"For your own safety, as I informed Mr. Vanrouge." A thin, manicured dark brow raised in question. Silently suggesting the man elaborate further. "As we both know, you have come from 400 years in the past." Seeing the boy open his mouth, Crowley held up a golden clawed hand. "I can sense the magic that is still woven into your existence, even if it seems to be dispelling. I am unsure if it is a curse or a blessing, but I will leave it up to you to tell that tale when you are ready." Yuri blinks in bemused appreciation.

"As for your safety. I know you were one of Mr. Vanrouge's soldiers then- I will not answer the 'how' of that quite yet- and this means you were a part of the war. Diasomnia is mostly made up of fey and humans. And while none of these save for yourself and Vanrouge were physically present for this war, they were all raised on the tales of the aftermath of that particularly grueling war that ended with the death of their beloved princess and her consort. The parents of the fey students respect that these human students- and quite a few of their ancestorial generations- were not alive during that war which wrought untold destruction on their home and land. They have been given leeway and grace for their ignorance and lack of presence."

Yuri nodded as he began to understand the reason for the man's decision, as unhappy as he is about it. "You may not know this, but your name is in the history books. Though only the ones accessible by the noble fey and human courts back in Briar Valley. For the moment. Now, imagine the fey and humans within Diasomnia return home for break and what not, only to tell their families of the human student named 'Yuri' who appeared from 400 years in the past and is in high regard with none other than the Phantom General, Lilia Vanrouge."

"It wouldn't be difficult to make the connection." Yuri acquiesced.

"Now, I have no doubts that most would be ecstatic to meet this human whose sacrifice ensured the general and heir's survival. But how many humans or fey out there do you think may place the blame on you no matter how long ago it was? Whether it be for the loss of the humans, the death of their princess- as much as that is not your fault- or even both? Despite how irrational it truly is?"

"Then take into consideration the closeness or power these fey and humans have over their children who are now in reaching distance of you. Now say you're in Diasomnia, the dorm with a large number of students whose specialties lie in great magical prowess and curses. In your own room. And think just how easy it would be for a single, determined, brainwashed student to sneak into the room of the only single being in the entirety of this school with no innate magic despite his abilities."

Yuri understands now, why Crowley doesn't want him in Diasomnia and he hates to agree with him, knowing it means he can't be closer to the one face he is most familiar with. "And General Vanrouge has his hands full with the Briar Valley Prince, his son, and his protégé. He can't keep an eye on me or those around all the time. In addition, he has his own things to do and worry about while on campus. It wouldn't be fair to keep him from his life."

"Exactly. I know you are skilled. You have to be to have been able to keep up with the Phantom General for ten years." Crowley says softly, with some undertone of impressed in his voice. "But even with those skills and your beast master abilities, all it takes is for one student to slip through the defenses, and then what? You think it won't hurt those who care for you, like Mr. Vanrouge? You think it won't be taken as an offense by those who have praised your efforts and treat you as the hero you rightfully are?" The silence was enough of an answer.

"This is why I would like to have you placed in a separate dorm on campus, which will have some safety measures in place. Nothing too obvious, but still enough to give you a fighting chance. You will still be a Diasomnia student, which will reflect in what you wear. As for your class placements, we will need to discuss your schedule tomorrow- along with a few other things- as there are just some classes you cannot take without magic. It's as simple as that. You will hopefully be informed of any dorm meetings by some trusted students within the dorm and dorm activities. Though with Mr. Vanrouge invested into your wellbeing as he is, that should not be a problem."

"I understand, Head Mage sir. I will accept your suggestion and proposal." Yuri said. Crowley nodded, genuine relief coming off him in waves as his shoulders relaxed. The last thing he wanted was to cause a diplomatic issue due to a literal war hero's attempted assassination by some overzealous and brainwashed student.

"I will take you to the dorm, as it is late, and I am sure most students are in bed where they belong. Tomorrow is a free day given so the freshmen can learn their way around campus. Once we are there, I will put the safety measures into place. Mostly, it will be a type of alarm array keyed into something you will hopefully always have on you, like a pendant, bracelet, or ring. There are a few ghosts living in this dorm, but I am sure you will figure things out among yourselves. I will stop by later with some dinner for you and your uniforms and a spare P.E uniform as you have come here rather... empty handed."

"This means you will need a way to buy necessities- perhaps working part time at Sam's? - but I will discuss that with you tomorrow when I bring you your breakfast." Crowley finished. "After our talk tomorrow, you are free to do as you please. Though I believe Mr. Vanrouge has ordered you to report to Diasomnia as your Vice Dorm Head."

Yuri nodded. He knows one did not ignore an order from your leader. He followed the man from the main building, listening intently to the tour being given to him as the different facilities on campus are pointed out to him.

He was quite curious about Night Raven College. He had heard that Lilia had received an invitation all those centuries ago. He wonders what led to him actually attending now of all times.

Ramshackle House

The building that he was taken too didn't look too bad, he was used to sleeping in the wilderness after all.

It's a three-story building that looks worn down and is boarded up in various places including the windows. The garden was dead and even at a distance Yuri could see a hole in the wall. He raised a brow at that.

"Yes. I'll be taking care of some of that as well." Crowley mused before leading the other down the still whole pathway. "I'll be back. Make yourself at home and introduce yourself to the ghosts when they show up." Crowley said, fixing the hole before heading up the steps.

Yuri stepped further into the lounge, looking around. It was only when he felt the buildup that he turned and shouted "Boo!" At the forming ghosts.

"Eep!" The three ghosts partially faded in shock.

"How did you do that?" The first one said in awe. Yuri chuckled.

"I just sensed you. My name is Yuri. I guess I'll be staying here according to the Head Mage. I hope we can get along." Yuri introduced himself to them.

"Nice to meet you. Just so you know, we enjoy pranks. And this is officially a challenge." The second added.

"I look forward to it." Yuri smiled sharply. It was a relief it didn't come to a brawl of some kind since he was weaponless. Not that it would have stopped him, since he had plenty of practice using makeshift weapons. Though he wonders if the General has any of his weapons from before.

Their meeting had become an enjoyable conversation as they discussed some ground rules they could agree on.

The tower room was the private room of the ghosts and Yuri respected that and promised not to enter without permission. They agreed to help out on the restoration of the building to give Yuri something a little more hospitable than it currently was. There wouldn't be any pranks on school nights to ensure Yuri got as much rest as possible.

They had just settled those rules when Crowley returned. "I've repaired the worst damage. You'll be safe from the elements and any nasty drafts that come through. I fixed the holes in the roof. This dorm has several rooms to choose from to make your own." Crowley glanced at his watch.

"I believe you haven't eaten yet. So, I will fetch some food and some extra clothing for you to change into. I'll also get your school and dorm uniforms ready. If you three will stay with him, as he is currently defenseless, I will also grab what we need for the protections." He added. The four shared a look before nodding.

"Splendid. I shall return shortly." He assured before disappearing from the building. The ghosts- whose names were Bo, Joe, and Moe- showed Yuri where the cleaning supplies was and together, they helped Yuri pick out a room for himself, which ended up being the Dorm Head Room on the second floor, right next to the door to the ghosts' tower.

The bed would need to be repaired at some point along with the fraying wallpaper. The rest was pretty decent though. Yuri listened to the three of them as they recounted many stories from what they could remember when this dorm was still a main part of campus. They didn't remember who the dorm was based off, but they knew that the students were pretty unique. The trio told the other about the pranks that were pulled on other dorms- never anything harmful- or the different rivalries that could be found within the school.

They also told him all about the dorms, including Yuri's Diasomnia.

Heartslabyul was based off the spirit of Strictness that the Queen of Hearts embodied. Dorm Head Rosehearts was a strict but talented mage who was a sophomore. He had claimed the title of Dorm Head at the end of his first week as a freshman.

Savanaclaw represented the King of Beasts' Persistence. Dorm Head Kingscholar was the second prince of the Sunset Savanna. He was a talented athlete, but when it came to schoolwork, he didn't put in nearly as much effort as he did into spell drive.

Octavinelle embodied the same spirit of Benevolence that the Great Sea Witch was known for. Dorm Head Ashengrotto was a sophomore, and not only did he have some of the topmost marks throughout the entirety of the school, but he also ran a cafe out of his dorm, the Mostro Lounge.

Scarabia was a representation of the Sorcerer of the Sands mindfulness. Dorm Head Al-Asim was a carefree kid, probably due to him being the heir of the Al-Asim family from the Scalding Sands. He was also a sophomore, and he cared more about having fun and getting others around him to have a good time than he did about schoolwork or even spell drive. According to Bo, the academical standing of Scarabia had dropped by 30 percent since the boy had become Dorm Head the year before.

Pomefiore represented the spirit of Tenacity that the Fairest Queen embodied. Dorm Head Schoenheit was a talented junior, with a specialty for curses and poisons. He was also a famous actor and model. He cared deeply about appearance and bringing out the beauty of others. He was an impressive student with the tenacity of the Fairest Queen.

Ignihyde embraced the spirit of Diligence that the King of Underworld was so known for. Dorm Head Shroud was a junior, he was intelligent and terrifyingly adept with technomancy. The term was new to Yuri, though they swore he'd get it figured out sooner rather than later. He was a severe introvert though and was hardly ever actually seen by anyone around campus as the boy preferred to attend classes and meetings through his tablet.

And Diasomnia, a dorm that represented the Nobility of the Thorn Fairy. Dorm Head Draconia was a junior and was probably just as bad as Shroud. He was rarely seen around campus and hardly ever showed up to meetings, through no fault of his own, though. He was among the top five most powerful mages in all of Twisted Wonderland and that alone gave him a bit of a reputation that made the boy difficult for most people to approach him. Yuri's heart ached at that. The poor kid. He hopes Lilia has been able to help him somehow with that.

Yuri in turn told them some about his life. He had been alone most of his life and had been a bounty hunter to make ends meet before he joined General Vanrouge's squad. So, he was rather adept at tracking and hunting.

"You must be good at sneaking around." Moe mused. Yuri nodded.

"I was heavily trained in ambush tactics due to how quiet I could be." Yuri confirmed. "I was also in charge of cooking alongside Baur due to Lilia's inability to cook." Yuri added.

"I see. It's good to know you're so trained. I don't have to worry too much it seems." Crowley's voice sounded behind Yuri.

"Of course." Yuri replied with a snort.

"Right. It looks like you all are getting along well, and you've made some pretty good progress on your room. I've brought some food for you as well as your uniforms- school, athletics, and dorm- some spare clothes and some sleeping clothes. I also have what we'll need for the defenses." Crowley said and Yuri took in the bags the other held.

"Thank you, sir." Crowley nodded and deposited the clothes on the dresser that had been cleaned.

"Eat first while I go over what the protections are going to be." He told the other who nodded. The ghost trio decided to join if only so they knew how they could help.

"So, the medium for this spell is going to be this ring." Crowley held up a simple silver band with a key, a mirror, and a raven etched onto its surface. "The band will freeze if someone with ill intent directed at you goes past the gate. Otherwise, it will warm up if someone enters past the gate. These will be sharp enough to wake you from any slumber save cursed slumber. Which, if a curse or something is placed on the building, the silver band will become tarnished."

"It's an easy enough spell to activate and maintain. Just put your blood on the silver and some on the gate. Then I will channel magic into both and if we connect the mirror in your room, we can even use it as a seeing glass to see who the visitors are." Crowley told the one before him.

Yuri nodded as he took all of that information in. "Alright. Thank you, sir. Really." Yuri said.

"But of course. I am nothing if not magnanimous." He said pridefully. Yuri chuckled lightly. He thinks he can get to like the head mage. "Now, we will take care of the ritual as soon as you're done eating. Then I will leave you to get some rest, and I will come over in the morning for our meeting and with your breakfast." Crowley said.

Yuri nodded and as soon as he was done, he smeared blood on the mirror in his room before following the head mage to the front gate where blood was smeared on both the ring and gate before Crowley changed the spell in an ancient language Yuri only barely understood some of. "There we go." He said with a pleased smile as both felt the magic wrap around Yuri like a warm blanket.

"Thanks." Yuri has lost track of the times he thanked the man. But he can't help it. He's a bit lost. Still a little confused about how any of this has happened. Just a few hours ago, he had thought he was embracing death. Only to be 400 years in the future and seeing a face he hadn't thought he'd see again. Attending a school for mages when he himself had no magic.

It was... A lot right now. "Get some sleep Yuri." Crowley said with a soft smile at the boy. "It's quite late." Yuri nodded thankfully before returning to the dorm and after saying good night to the ghostly trio. Then he turned in for a much-needed rest.

Author's Notes: The next chapter will have our Diasomnia boys and a brief story of how Lilia and Yuri first met.