Author's Note: Still rather similar to the last chapter of the other story. Thought it does have changes made to it to work with the different narrative I have going on for the story. I hope you enjoy.
0 6: Another Incident
The bell had rung some minutes before, signaling the end of the school day, and Henley and Grim were waiting for Ace to show up in the cafeteria so they could start their task. Henley read his book- having picked it up closer towards the end of the day- while listening as the gray feline beast paced over the long length of one of the tables, complaining about not wanting to wash windows. No one was in the cafeteria currently.
According to one of the kitchen ghosts- they were the ones who made the food for breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria- while they stopped serving food around lunch, the cafeteria stayed open. However, students didn't normally hang out in the cafeteria due to clubs and dorm events.
Sometimes students would use the kitchens after school hours, though the kitchen was off limits whenever the Culinary Crucible was held. This was a mandatory event that took place throughout the year, each one based on a different specialty such as desserts, seafood, pasta, etc. The judges were selected through random drawing for each set.
Henley was brought from his reading by Grim speaking. "I'm already tired from a full day of cleaning. I can't believe we still gotta wash a hundred windows!" Grim whined. Henley sighed. He was with Grim on that one. He understood the situation well enough, but he was still miffed at how long Trappola was making them wait.
"We'll give it a few more minutes, then we'll go and hunt him down." Henley promised, returning to his book. He had reached chapter four. Chapter two had focused on the kingdoms and countries found throughout Twisted wonderland while chapter three focused solely on Sages' Island and it's two rival schools and the towns located on it. Chapter four was covering places like the Dwarfs' Mine and the Silent Woods located on Sages' Island.
The other continued to pace and growl like a caged animal... Which he technically was one but oh well. Henley glanced up at a clock on the wall sometime later, which showed it was now 3:30 PM. Half an hour after classes had ended, and Ace was still not there.
Grim and Henley shared a look before Grim growled, and Henley sighed, closing the book and setting it aside. "He bailed." They said together, both standing and making their way out of the cafeteria after the head chef ghost promised to watch the book for Henley, understanding they would be back. They had gotten a basic understanding of the classrooms during their cleaning and wasted no time heading to the freshmen's classroom on the first floor.
Henley was a few steps behind Grim as he burst into the classroom shouting "Hey! Ace! Get over here!" They both stopped as they took in the empty room. There were multiple desks in two rows- about four to five seats each- and on either side of the room. The back row was about a foot or so higher than the front row. And in the middle at the front of the room was a couple of bookshelves, a blackboard, and a podium for the teacher to stand at during lectures.
"Maybe there's really no one here?" Grim wondered out loud.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'm here." A voice said. The duo looked up and saw the portrait in the room for the first time.
"Hello. Good after noon." Henley said with a polite nod.
"Good after noon indeed. Now, you seem to be searching for someone?" the painting asked.
"We're looking for this guy called Ace. He's got messy hair and a heart on his face." Grim said.
"He's from Heartslabyul... Did I say that right?" Henley asked.
"Yes, you did. He's a new student. A first year, I believe. He went back to his dorm when classes were over." The painting informed them.
"So, it's true! He's trying to ditch us!" Grim cried angrily.
"Do you know which way he went?" Henley asked.
"The Hall of Mirrors- the doors to the dorms- is in the eastern building."
"Let's chase after him, Hen!" Grim cried, running from the room.
Henley sighed before bowing to the painting. "Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome. Good luck catching the rascal."
Night Raven College: Hall of Mirrors
The duo rushed into the Hall of Mirrors, which had been on the other side of campus. Henley remembers seeing it during their long trek to the school. They entered the round building that possessed seven large mirrors, each uniquely decorated and large enough for even an unusually tall person to slip through. And sure enough, there was the ginger just ahead of them.
"Yeah right, like I'm gonna wash a hundred windows." The boy scoffed, not realizing that the ones he was talking about were just a bit behind him. "I'm just gonna go back and-"
"Gotcha, punk!" Grim cried running at Ace with a burst of speed. Ace spun around and saw the speeding beast and the human that were getting closer with every step.
"Crap!" Ace spun on his heel and ran towards the other exit of the building.
"Stop right there, pal!" Grim cried, scowling at the other. "No fair getting a head start! Wait!" Grim whined.
"Who in their right mind would ever wait!?" Ace cried. "Seeya!"
"No way are you getting out of this! You think I wanna wash windows for your mess?" Grim yowled. As the trio ran, they all noticed the navy blue haired, fair skinned boy that had walked in. He looked up, revealing bright cyan eyes and a black spade marking over his right eye. Henley just knew he was a Heartslabyul student like Ace.
"Outta my way!" Ace growled, shoulder checking the boy as he rushed past.
"Hey! What gives?!" the boy cried.
"Stop him! He's shirking his punishment!" Henley cried. The other's eyes widened.
"That's not right! Do you want me to freeze his legs or..." the boy trailed off and Henley realized that this kid was probably a freshman like the rest of them. But he still ran with them to catch up with Ace who was still ahead of them by a bit.
"I don't care how! Just do something! Anything!" Grim cried.
"Anything?" he looked unsure before he seemed to think of something. "All right! Here goes anything! I summon thee... Something heavy!" he cried, seeing Ace starting to pull ahead of them. To the shock of all four of them, a large black cauldron appeared out of nowhere.
"A pot?!" Ace cried, before tripping and landing face first on the stone ground before them. Before he could try to stand and run off again, the cauldron landed on top of him, trapping him under the pewter thing. The group just looked on in shock for a moment before the silence was broken by Grim laughing.
"Look, Henley, look!" Grim crowed. "That Ace guy got crushed by a giant cauldron! It squashed him flat! It serves him right for what he did!" Grim began to roll around on the ground in hysterics. That got the two humans to snap out of their surprise as they ran to the trapped boy's side.
"A cauldron? I wasn't expecting that. I may have over done it." The boy said with a grimace as he and Henley worked to lift the cauldron off of Ace and pushing it off to the side with a loud clang.
"Ow." Ace groaned, sitting up. A quick check over the boy showed that nothing was broken, thankfully. He was just bruised and sore. "What are you bothering me for?" Ace sent Henley a pout. "You guys could have just banged out the work yourself!" Ace cried petulantly.
Henley snorted in disdain. "There's no 'banging out' a hundred windows." he said with an unimpressed look sent the ginger's way.
"You have to wash a hundred windows as a punishment? What the heck did you do?!" The navy haired boy asked in disbelief. Which fair, it was only day one of the school year after all.
"I was just teasing the furball a little-" Ace began, only for Henley to cut him off.
"He was antagonizing and bullying Grim and myself and making a fool of himself while he was at it. With no provocation. Grim is my familiar and he is fiercely protective and took offense on my behalf at how this one had treated me. They both began to fight, and I was nearly burned alive." Henley corrected. Ace winced before continuing.
"Anyway, the statue of the Queen of Hearts got a teeny bit charred. Sue me." Ace grumbled.
"It took us two hours to scrub the soot off!" Henley said matter of factly. "In addition, he couldn't be bothered to apologize for the bullying. The almost killing me thing I can forgive since it wasn't intentional, and he was panicking at the fire coming his way." Henley added for the navy haired boy's benefit.
"You not only almost killed another person, bullied people who gave you no reason too, but you also damaged a statue of the Great Seven?!" The boy cried. "No wonder the Head Mage was so upset with you! And after you managed to get into this school!" the boy cried in shock and some judgement. "If anything, you got off lightly!"
"Oh, shut up. And who are you, anyway?" Ace demanded.
"My name is Deuce. Deuce Spade. Don't you remember your own classmate? Uh..." the boy, Deuce, trailed off as he looked at the ginger, realizing he had no idea who this guy was.
"You don't remember my name either, do you?" Ace accused, sounding way too offended for someone who didn't remember the other's name either. Henley snorted quietly at them.
"That's not the point!" Deuce cried embarrassed. "You shouldn't try to shirk an order from the Head Mage!" Deuce scolded, pointing an accusing finger at the ginger.
"Yeah, yeah, message received..." Ace grumbled in acceptance. "Fine, let's bang out the windows already. Huh...?" the trio paused, as they realized just how quiet it was.
Henley sighed, suddenly tired. "I thought it was quiet." He rubbed his temples, being careful of the injured one, when the headache began to build. He hadn't brought his pain-relieving potion either, thinking he would be fine.
"The furball's gone!" Ace cried.
They glanced around when they heard Grim laughing. And sure enough, he was on his way back to the entrance. "Come on Hen! Leave it to explodey head!" Grim called back to his human. "He's the one at fault anyways."
"We still have our part to make up for Grim!" Henley called, but the beast apparently had selective hearing.
"You caught me so you could run away yourself?!" Ace shouted at the cat who just laughed at Ace's offense. Served the ginger right. Ace growled. "Hey! You there! Uh... Juice?" Ace asked, looking to Deuce.
"My name isn't 'Juice'. It's Deuce, with a 'D'." he growled back.
Ace rolled his head. "Yeah, whatever! This is partially your responsibility, you know! So, help me catch that little furball!" Ace demanded.
"How is this my responsibility?" Deuce asked in confusion.
"Grim's useless janitor friend can't use magic." Ace said, only to let out a pain filled yelp when his ear was grabbed and he was pulled down, forcing him to look into Henley's coldly infuriated face.
"Listen here you wastrel." Henley said, voice soft and carrying his anger clearly through the chamber where a few students had started to enter and stopped to listen as well. "First, let's make it clear that my lack of magic doesn't mean I'm useless. Or did you forget I put you on the ground with a single hit?" Ace whimpered a bit in fear. Henley didn't notice the pale, scared look on Deuce's face or that Grim had stopped at the door to watch the show his human was providing with amusement just as the students passing through were.
"Second, none of this would have happened if you hadn't decided to bully two people who hadn't done anything to you just because you think having magic gives you a pass to be an ass. I'll admit, I wish Grim hadn't fallen for the bait as easily as he did, but he did it for me, so I have to take that responsibility. On top of all of that, you were the simpleton who hadn't considered the consequences of incensing a bestial familiar! Then, like an imbecile, you decided to try and run from the Head Mage." Henley said scornfully. "That is what happened. That is why we're in this mess. Do we understand each other?" He asked, voice frigid.
Ace nodded as rapidly as he could with his ear being held in a harsh pinch. "Yes!" He yelped. He ducked away and slightly behind Deuce as soon as his- now painfully red- ear was free. He looked like a dog licking his wounds. Henley then turned to a very pale Deuce.
"Deuce, I'm really sorry for getting you dragged into this, but I would really appreciate it if you would be willing to help us catch Grim." Henley told the navy haired boy who nodded.
"I would love to be of help." Deuce squeaked. And with that settled, the trio turned towards Grim, who realized he had been still too long and took off to escape his three pursuers.
It was a surprisingly long chase. It didn't help that Deuce and Ace were constantly arguing if they weren't listening to Henley's orders. And Grim enjoyed taunting the duo. He would never really taunt his human. Henley, however, was realizing that Grim did still have his bestial side that enjoyed the mischievousness he was enacting. It was truly a behavioral or instinctive thing it seemed.
At some point, the group had ended up back in the cafeteria. Grim had also somehow gotten onto a chandelier which Henley was admittedly impressed with as he looked around for anything they could use to reach the little beast.
"Coward! No fair climbing up there!" Deuce called to the beast who just laughed in response. None of them noticed the kitchen ghosts watching them in amusement or how one left the cafeteria to go fetch the Head Mage. As a precaution.
"And I haven't learned flight magic yet." Deuce muttered.
"It's day one. I doubt that's something you're going to learn so early on." Henley pointed out, before returning his attention to the cat. "If you come down, I'll go easy on you Grim!" Henley called up sweetly to the cat who clearly was enjoying the little game they were playing.
"No!" He called down defiantly, before giggling.
"Oh! That's it!" Deuce suddenly cried, sounding extremely proud of himself and getting Ace and Henley's attention.
"Did you come up with some- Oh, hey. Stop. What are you doing?!" Ace cried in alarm at seeing Deuce pointing his magic pen at him. He began to back away slowly. "Why are you pointing your pen at me?"
"Because I'm going to launch you." Deuce said matter-of-factly, and silence fell over everyone- ghosts, kids, and beast alike.
"I'm sorry, you're what?" Henley asked in a strangled voice, hoping he had misheard that.
"Are you kidding me?!" Ace asked, trying to sound calm. But really, his panic and disbelief were rather obvious. Then he began to rise off the ground, causing him to cry out in full panic. "Seriously, no! Do not launch me!" Ace cried. "Abort! Abort!" He cried, flailing slightly trying to get some semblance of balance.
"Just make sure to grab him tight." Deuce replied calmly, focused on the now panicking Grim. "I've got him in my sights, and... Go!" Deuce cried, and Ace went shooting towards Grim and the chandelier. Both Ace and Grim screaming in fear and shock.
Ace did manage to grab Grim, but his uniform jacket got caught on the chandelier and the duo began to spin wildly as Deuce lost control of his magic. Then Ace and Grim came loose and went flying. They crashed into Deuce, sending the three of them crashing back and sliding along the stone ground of the cafeteria. Seeing the chandelier falling towards him, Henley was quick to throw himself out of the way. He came to a stop just a foot or so from the other three after crashing into one of the benches. He groaned.
The chandelier fell to the ground with a loud crash. Sending up some smoke and causing some stone and mortar to fly. It was silent as they slowly sat up from their places on the floor, looking at the mess with wide eyes as all of them were pale. The kitchen ghosts were quick to fly over so they could check on the children.
"Are you kids alright?" The head ghost asked fretfully. They nodded numbly. Surprisingly, none of them were injured, but they might be in a bit of shock. "Thank the Seven."
"Ugh. I probably should have come up with something to soften your landing." Deuce grunted.
"You complete and total moron!" Ace cried, turning from the ghost checking him over to shout at Deuce. "We got Grim, but we broke the chandelier! If the head mage finds out about this-" Ace began to rant.
"If I find out about... what, dear Trappola?" Crowley's voice asked from next to the three boys and beast.
"Head Mage Crowely!" The two Heartslabyul boys cried in alarm. The three students were looking up at the tall man from their places on the ground. Seeing the Head Mage had arrived, the kitchen ghosts floated away, content in knowing he was there to take care of the boys.
Crowley looked over the scene before him. Broken chandelier? Check. Dizzy Grim? Check. Three guilty looking children? Check. Why wasn't he surprised that they had gotten into more trouble, with a new one in the mix at that. He looked them over and while they were pale from almost being crushed by the chandelier, they were otherwise unharmed. He'd have to talk to the ghosts after he dealt with the four of them.
"With the amount of damage that you've caused, and the number of rules you've broken, you should be expelled." Crowley stated with a frustrated growl.
"What?!" Ace and Deuce cried. Henley winced, wondering what that meant for him exactly. Would he just wander the streets, hoping someone recognized him? He gently took up Grim who was still out of it. He did a quick check over the beast to distract himself from his own worries.
"Head Mage, please! Give me a second chance! I can't get expelled! I need to be here!" Deuce cried, sounding desperate and nearly tearful.
'Did they not hear me say 'should'?' Crowley wondered. 'I suppose I'll go along with it for now. Maybe they'll learn not to be so reckless.' he hoped for that, even if he wasn't sure that would happen. "Then blame yourself for your own foolish behavior." he told the trio.
"I'll pay for the damages!" Deuce cried, desperate. "However much it costs!"
Crowley raised a disbelieving brow. 'I suppose I can give them an educational lecture.'
"That chandelier is no mere light fixture. It's a magical chandelier. Its candles are powered by a magical energy source, enchanted to last eternity." He informed the three who seemed invested in the lecture, even with the panic they were feeling. "It was created for us by a legendary artificer. Possibly their finest creation. It's been here since the school was established. And I had thought it'd be here forevermore."
The trio looked at the destroyed remains of the admittedly beautiful light. They winced guiltily. "Considering its historical value, I would estimate its worth to be no less than a billion thaumarks." Crowley informed, getting a slight bit of amusement from their widening and horrified eyes. "And you intend to repay that sum?" he asked.
"A... A billion marks?" Deuce squeaked.
"But I'm sure with your magical talent, sir, you could snap your fingers and fix it right up!" Ace cried.
'Nice attempt at flattery, I give it six points. However,' Crowley sighed. "Even magic has its limits." He told them. "Furthermore," he reached into the mess and brought up a piece of pale stone. It had a myriad of colors- similar to Henley's eyes- and had several fractures and cracks running through it. That wasn't including the pieces just straight up missing. They watched as the light that seemed to be coming from inside the stone flickered a few times before fading completely. And while it was still a beautiful stone, Henley could no longer sense any magic coming from it.
"Its mage stone- the figurative heart of any magical artifact- is broken." he informed them. "A mage stone cannot easily be replaced." Crowley tutted. "I fear the candles of this majestic chandelier will never burn again." he mourned. He hoped that the lesson sunk in for them.
"This is bad..." Ace trailed off, worriedly.
"What am I going to do?" Deuce whispered. "How am I going to tell my mother...?" Deuce's voice clearly showed he was on the verge of tears. Henley gripped his shoulder, not knowing what to say.
'Curse my soft heart.' Crowley thought, frowning at the dejected sight in front of him. He sighed. "There is a small chance..." he trailed off, thinking of the most recent reports he had on the Dwarfs' Mine. "A small sliver of a chance to repair this chandelier." He told his three students.
"There is?" They asked hopefully.
"The mage stone that powered this chandelier was mined from the Dwarfs' Mine. If you can acquire a mage stone with the same properties, it may be possible to repair it." He informed them.
"Then I'll go find a Mage Stone!" Deuce cried with determination. Crowley sighed as the other two shared in the determination.
"I should caution you that I cannot promise there yet remain mage stones to find. The mines were closed quite some time ago. It is quite likely that all of the mage stones have already been mined." he warned them.
"I'll do anything to avoid expulsion, sir!" Deuce informed the man.
"Very well, then. I will suspend your expulsion for a single night." He said, looking at his watch. It was nearing five now. The trip wouldn't take them long. It wasn't like there were any monsters or anything in the mines. Just some mischievous ghosts that knew better than to harm anyone if they desired their continued existence in the world of the living.
And the mines were structurally sound. So, it should be nothing for them to get in, look around, then return without any issues. They should be safe. And with Henley going with them, at least one of them would have some common sense. "I expect you all back by ten, with or without a mage stone." he finally decided on, wanting to give them a decent chance at succeeding. "If not, you'll be expelled." He told them. In actuality though, he would give them detention and have them work in the school store for a while if they didn't retrieve a mage stone. He was hoping this would be a good lesson to them about being careful and less reckless.
"I understand sir! Thank you very much." Deuce cried.
"Fine then. Let's hurry down there, find a mage stone, and get this whole thing done with." Ace sighed.
"You should be able to reach the Dwarfs' Mine instantly by using one of the gates in the Mirror Chamber." Crowley informed them.
"Yes sir!" Henley and Deuce said before the group made their way out of the cafeteria. As they were exiting the room, Crowley heard Grim finally coming too.
"Where am I?" Grim asked dizzily.
"You may end up wishing you had stayed unconscious." Henley informed the beast, his tone ominous. Crowely chuckled at the fearful sound the beast let out before it was muffled by the door shutting. He looked over as the kitchen ghosts came over to him, one holding Henley's book. He'd need to get the full story from them before he began to salvage what he could of the chandelier. And if the children weren't back by ten, he'd go fetch them.
Night Raven College: Mirror Chamber
The group entered the Mirror Chamber where the Dark Mirror rested in its place above the green fountain. "Man. How did I end up in this mess?" Ace bemoaned. "I swear, I have the worst luck."
"We don't have time to complain. Let's go." Deuce said before turning to the mirror. "Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarfs' Mine." Deuce said. There was a bright flash of light as the gate activated.
None of them could have guessed what was going to happen.