Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hey guys, this is going to be my first fanfic on AO3. This is an idea that had been stewing in my brain for a while and I thought why not put it here? Please don't hate guys. I hope to see where this goes and for the sake of this fic, I will be using translations from Ami Yoshiko's channel as the official English version seems to be lacking in my opinion. If you'd like, please refer to Ami Yoshiko's game walkthrough on YouTube. Anyways, I will get the first chapter up and ready as soon as possible. Thank you. Senorita Torres

Chapter Text

‘Is it too late for a Miracle~?’
Mirabel was left alone in Casita’s courtyard as the party continued inside Antonio’s new room. Mirabel, without a shadow of a doubt, was so happy that he had received a door of his own. Not only did he finally get a gift of his own, but he wouldn’t have to endure what she had felt for the past 10 years.

Loneliness.

Rejection.

Inferiority.

Uselessness.

That last word struck Mirabel the hardest as it’s a word she often used for herself. After her failed gift ceremony, she was often given the name “The Madrigal with No Gift” or “The Useless Madrigal”, whenever the family had done their errands in town. It was always a constant reminder that she was not special like everyone else in her family. It was bad enough that the whole town thought that she was useless but coming from her family also was a hard pill to swallow.
Sure, her mama, papa, and Antonio treated her well and she loved them to bits, but it was the rest of her family who didn’t seem to care or notice her at all. Abuela and Isabela were the worst as they didn’t seem to hide their disgust for her existence and their constant advice of staying out of everyone’s way. Sometimes Mirabel wondered what she did to deserve this. She always tried to make up for not having a gift to help wherever she could, but it was never good enough for anyone, especially her Abuela.

‘Maybe a little walk outside into the village will help clear my mind a bit’

Since everyone would be at the party, no one would be left in the town below to bother her. This made Mirabel feel a bit better as she needed to be alone for the time being. The town was vastly different than it would be during the day. The streets were empty and dark, which didn’t bother Mirabel one bit. The sky was beautiful with the stars shining bright as she strolled down the streets of the Encanto. Although she often disliked the darkness (often thinking of her being in the constant shadow of her perfect family), it was somehow comforting as it didn’t scrutinize her or point out any of her flaws.

She soon passed Señora Hernandez’s mirror emporium. Señora Hernandez was an older woman (who was probably the same age as her Abuela), who had traveled to the Encanto years ago to sell her mirrors to the community. Her black hair with streaks of gray, brown eyes that seemed to shine at times. Her stature was somewhat similar to her Abuela, but she was vastly different in personality. Señora Hernandez, unlike everyone else in the Encanto, seemed to enjoy Mirabel´s presence as she smiled and greeted Mirabel when she passed by. She would often invite Mirabel over for cookies and café if she had time. She was often known for her various beautiful mirrors. Many looked very ornate and had fine detailing, and many of the villagers wondered how she crafted so many mirrors with so much detailing in her old age.
“A real craftswoman never reveals her process”, she always told Mirabel.

‘I wonder if she’s still home, maybe I could pop by and visit with her for a while. It’s not like my family would notice me gone anyway’.

The building of the emporium was two stories with an overlooking balcony to the street below. The first floor was the emporium, and the upstairs was Señora Hernandez’s living quarters along with her workshop. Mirabel had gone to open the door to the emporium and as always it was unlocked. The people in the Encanto had never felt the need to lock their doors as this was an extremely safe place to live. The same ideology was also shared with Señora Hernandez, especially when it came to Mirabel. Señora Hernandez had always allowed Mirabel to come during or after the emporium’s hours if she wanted. Her door was always open for Mirabel as she often came to visit if she was extremely sad. Señora Hernandez had also given Mirabel free reign of her emporium and the upstairs workshop whenever she had gone down for an afternoon nap and couldn’t watch over her emporium. When Mirabel walked through the threshold of the emporium, she was greeted by the shining panes of the mirrors that were on display. Even in the darkness, they shone beautifully as during the day. After gazing at the mirrors, Mirabel eventually made her way to the stairway that led to the upper floor. Seeing the light within Señora Hernandez’s room, she gave a light knock.

“Oh, Mirabel dear, is that you?”, she heard the light-spoken voice of Señora Hernandez on the other side of the door.
“Please do come in.” she heard again from behind the door. Mirabel took this as an invitation to open the door. The room was quite homey as Mirabel walked in. With a quick glance, she could see Señora Hernandez sitting in a nice plush recliner on the other side of the room with a book in hand. The candle on the mini table had given off a soft glow that gave more warmth to Señora Hernandez’s fair complexion. Looking up from her book, Señora Hernandez gave the young woman a smile.

“I’m surprised to see you here this late in the evening, my dear Mirabel. Is something bothering you, my dear? Would you like to talk about it?” she asked.
Mirabel had not expected this question and began to stare down at her feet to avoid her gaze. Señora Hernandez had taken the hint to avoid that topic and decided to ask something else.
“I’m always happy to see you dear. I was about to turn in for the night but if you want, you’re more than willing to relax in the lounge downstairs for as long as you want until you head back home”.

Mirabel’s gaze changed from the floor to the older woman across the room.
“No! I mean I don’t mean to intrude on your home….” but the older woman had cut her off.
“It’s fine my dear. Just let me know when you head home so that I can see you off.”
Mirabel, not wanting to impose, had to ask again for certainty.
“Are you sure?” Mirabel asked.
“Of course, my dear Mirabel. Oh, and there’s also some cookies that I had made earlier if you’d like to snack on those.” Señora Hernandez said with a smile on her face. She had always known how much Mirabel loved her cookies.

“Ooh, which kind did you make, Señora?” Mirabel asked in glee, with previous thoughts before slightly vanishing from her mind to the thought of delicious cookies. “It’s a surprise for you to find out Mirabel, go on and have some” Señora Hernandez told her before gesturing Mirabel downstairs where the kitchen was. Without needing any more persuasion, Mirabel swiftly left the room to the stairs, happily thinking of what kind of cookies Señora Hernandez had made. But as soon as Mirabel made her way to the kitchen, which was behind the stairs and the emporium, she heard something that was definitely out of place.

Ah..my beloved, beautiful flower of evil

It was a voice that Mirabel was not familiar with, even though she knew everyone in the Encanto. Mirabel froze in place, not sure if she was hearing things. But before Mirabel could continue in her thoughts, the voice spoke again.

You are the most beautiful in the world

Mirabel had come out of her thoughts and turned to where the voice was most likely coming from. It was coming from a mirror that was in the farthest corner of the room. It was a simple yet beautiful mirror, with gold detailing. With much curiosity and lack of better judgment, Mirabel turned to walk toward this mysterious mirror. As she was walking closer to it, the voice continued.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best?

By this time, Mirabel had eventually made her way in front of the talking mirror.

Guided by the Mirror of Darkness.
If you ever so desire, take thy hand that lies within the mirror.

With that, a hand appeared in the mirror. Everything inside Mirabel was screaming at her to run away and not look back. But at the same time, she was wondering.

'Is this the miracle I’ve been waiting for? A way to finally prove that I’m not useless as everyone says. Maybe I’m not meant to stay in the Encanto forever. Maybe I was destined to be elsewhere, away from my family. My family will never change their ways. They may probably be happy that I’m gone. When does an opportunity like this come? Never. What do I have left to lose?”

With that final thought in mind, Mirabel raised her hand to graze the smooth surface of the mirror, only for her hand to go through the mirror like putting your hand through water. She took full grasp of the hand within the mirror and then her vision faded to black.

With a flash of green light, Mirabel Madrigal was no longer in the Encanto anymore. Unbeknownst to everyone else, who were still partying away in the Casa Madrigal.
She was in a world, a world beyond the mirror.

Chapter Text

Rattle…. Rattle…Rattle…

It was this noise that stirred the Madrigal, blissfully unaware of her surroundings.

‘Is it morning already? Ugh it was just a dream, and when I open my eyes, I will be in Señora Hernandez’s mirror emporium, and that must be Abuela knocking on the door. No doubt Dolores told her where I went and now, I’ll get a scolding that may go on for an hour.’

“Darn it! People are coming soon! I have to get this uniform on fast!”

Although Mirabel was in and out of sleepy drowsiness, she could tell that this voice was too high-pitched to be a normal person’s voice. She also knew that this voice didn’t belong to anyone she knew in the Encanto.

“Unn!! This lid is so heavy!”, Mirabel heard the voice again, seeming to struggle with something.

“If this happens… it might come down to. Ngggghh… that’s it!”

BOOM

Blue flames erupted right in front of Mirabel, finally jolting her awake from her drowsiness. She gave a small shriek while she was covering her face from the flames.

‘Fire?!?!’

“Alrighty! Here’s what we’re looking for… Gyaaa! You! Why are you awake?”

 As she had uncovered her face to look at who was talking, Mirabel questioned whether she was still dreaming or not. Because the voice in question belonged to what looked like a gray cat with flaming blue ears and matching blue eyes. Although the talking cat seemed to be too far-fetched, the room around her wasn’t helping either. The room had lanterns that glowed a bright green hue, and large floating coffins surrounded the room she was in. She then looked back at the cat again with a puzzled look on her face.

“A talking cat?” Mirabel questioned, not realizing she asked aloud rather than in her head. And this made said ‘cat’ incredibly angry.

“Who are you calling a cat?!? I’m the Great Grim, ya know?”, the ‘cat’ now named Grim told the bespeckled girl. But this didn’t seem to detour Grim from his original plan though.

“Oh well. You! Human! Gimme those clothes! If not, I’ll roast you!” Grim commanded, pointing to Mirabel. Grim was making more blue flames to emphasize his point.  

It was only then that Mirabel realized that she wasn’t wearing the usual brightly colored clothes that she was wearing yesterday. Now she was adorned in a long, black robe with beautiful gold embroidery. She could also see that where the robe had folded, there was purple lining with gold embroidering to what looked like keys, making a coat of arms. It was simple but the most beautiful thing that Mirabel had ever worn in her whole life. But… she would have to gush about it later as there were more pressing matters in her current situation.

“Um ok, a dream where I’m going to be burned alive by a talking cat? How creative, Mirabel” she said to herself, again saying so aloud.

“I said I’m not a cat!” Grim said again, clearly irritated that the girl hadn’t handed over her uniform.

Oh great, I’ve made him madder. I seriously need to find a way out of this. I don’t want to get burned today, no thank you.

 “Well, uh it was nice to meet you, Mr. Cat, I mean Grim, but I need to get going now so adiós!” Mirabel said, quickly turning and sprinting out of the room, trying to get distance between herself and the talking cat.

“Oi, come back here human!” Grim called out to the girl as she was escaping.

But Mirabel wasn’t stopping for him. As she was sprinting down the halls, she could see that she wasn’t in the Encanto anymore. The pathways and rooms were dark as if they were deserted. Although Mirabel wished to explore, she couldn’t stop knowing that there was a fire cat not far behind her. She soon made her way past a courtyard and eventually turning into a room. She stopped to take a breath and realized that the room was vastly different than the one she was in earlier. This room had multiple lanterns that were filled with green light and rows upon rows of books. Some were floating in mid-air right in front of her very eyes.

This must be a library. I’ve never seen so many books in my entire life. I wonder what they’re about… NO Mirabel! Now’s not the time to be wondering about books, I still have a cat on my tail. OK Mirabel, if this is a dream, PLEASE wake UP!

As Mirabel was mentally at war with herself, she didn’t realize that the cat had finally caught up with her. It was only when more blue flames had appeared before her that Mirabel saw the cat she was running from.

“Did you really think that you could run away from me, Human?” Grim said, smirking at Mirabel.

“Now, if you don’t wanna be burned, gimme those clothes” Grim demanded again.

Abuelo Pedro, I think I may be joining you sooner than I thought

But before Grim could continue to threaten Mirabel again, a long black whip had come from the darkness to tie Grim up.

“Fugnya?! That hurts! What’s with this string?!” Grim exclaimed as he was tied up.

“That is not a string. It’s the whip of love” a voice had corrected Grim.

The figure had soon come into view from the darkness of the library. A tall figure, easily towering over Mirabel. Mirabel could see that he was dressed in a similar fashion as seen by her father. The difference being was that the stranger was adorned in a white shirt covered by a black vest and tie, black gloves with golden talons at the end, black dress pants, and blue dress shoes. He was also wearing a dark coat, which had both shades of blue and purple, and a matching top hat that covered his black hair. On the hat and coat, there were long black feathers. What caught Mirabel off guard was that the figure had a mask, with a long beak that obstructed the man’s face. His gaze shifted from Grim to Mirabel and then continued.

“Oh, I have found you. You are a new student, correct?” the stranger asked.

But before Mirabel could reply, the stranger continued.

“Well, this isn’t good, you have left the gate without waiting for a faculty member. On top of that, you brought a wild familiar with you, which is against school rules” the stranger said, crossing his arms and glaring at Mirabel. Before Mirabel could explain, Grim spoke up.

“Let me go! I’m not their familiar!” Grim argued, not liking the fact that he was tied up and being called a familiar.

However, the stranger wasn’t having any of this.

“Yes, yes well that’s what they all say. Let’s try to be silent now, right?” the stranger continued, covering Grim’s mouth with a ribbon that appeared out of nowhere. This caused Grim to make muffled protests as the stranger then returned his gaze to Mirabel again.

“Honestly, it’s unheard of that a new student to go through the halls by themselves. Are you this impatient?”, the man continued, crossing his arms and sighing.

Mirabel was unsure of how to feel at this moment. Her fear of being burned alive by a talking cat was replaced by feeling guilty that she had broken rules without realizing that she had done so. It was like being scolded by her Abuela, whenever she had tried to help the family with their tasks in the Encanto. Sure, she could have said that the cat wasn’t hers, but she felt as if it wasn’t time to say anything. If there was anything that had stuck with Mirabel throughout her life it was that she never speak out of turn. Not with anyone, Abuela, Señorita Perfecta Isabela, those kids who called her useless…

“Well, come along then. The opening ceremony has already begun. Let’s head to the Mirror Chamber.” the stranger finally finished, ushering the girl towards the doors that she had entered earlier. It was at this moment that Mirabel had finally found her voice once more.  There were so many questions going through her mind that she felt like they needed to be answered.

“Umm, Señor, I apologize for asking but what do you mean by new student?” Mirabel asked, turning back to the man.

“In the room where you first awoke, the room with a lot of doors aligns. Every student before you went through that door to come here. Usually, students don’t awaken until we open the door with a special key but...”, explained the man. Although it had made sense for him, Mirabel had even more questions about everything, but she knew she could ask later.

“ I think the reason that mine probably opened was that the fire had opened the lid,” Mirabel said, thinking back to the creature... no Grim opening it with the burst of fire. The thought gave Mirabel a chill down her spine, at the thought of being burned.

“So, it seems the main culprit was that familiar huh?” the man said, putting his hands to his sides and scowling at the girl and the struggling cat. Mirabel froze, again thinking that she had once again done something wrong.

“If you were the one that brought him here, then you must take responsibility for him.” He said before pausing.

“Oh, now is not the time for long talk. If we don’t hurry, we will miss the opening ceremony. Come on, let’s be on our way.” the man swiftly said before continuing to usher the girl out of the library again.

“Señor, before that, who are you?” Mirabel asked as she was still trying to wrap her brain around everything that happened so far. She also wanted to know who this man was before asking him any more questions.

“Oh, are you not fully awake yet? Maybe your memory was distorted from magic transportation. Well, it does happen very often. I will explain as we go. I’m kind after all” The man said, puzzled at the child before him, but put no further thought into it as they had important things to do. Both the girl and man, followed by a tied-up cat, walked out of the library.

Now that Mirabel wasn’t running for her life from a cat, Mirabel was now able to view the surroundings around her. They had gone down the hallway and eventually made it to the courtyard. There in the courtyard was a single apple tree, which was full of ripened apples. The courtyard had other trees in it, but Mirabel didn’t exactly know what they were as they were long and bushy, which was something that she hadn’t seen in the Encanto. Near the apple tree was a well. Why there was a well in the middle of the courtyard puzzled Mirabel, but she figured that she would ask the man later. She shifted her gaze upwards and was in awe.

Before her was a tall, beautiful castle. The main structure, although being nighttime, Mirabel could see many different columns with many windows. Mirabel could only wonder what else this castle had in store within its stone walls.

“This is Night Raven College. A place where magicians with talent come together. It is Twisted Wonderland’s most prestigious magician training academy. And I am the headmaster and board director, Dire Crowley” the man now named Crowley had introduced himself.

Mirabel had turned around to face the headmaster, looking at him like he was crazy. Although Mirabel’s family had magic, she knew that most people didn’t have magic in them. Mirabel had also concluded that people outside the Encanto didn’t have magic either.

“Magician?” Mirabel asked, making sure that she wasn’t hearing things.

“The ones who enroll in this school are those with exceptional abilities of a magician. And those who are ‘accepted’ by the ‘Mirror of Darkness’. And those chosen are called to the academy through the ‘door’ from all over the world. But for you, I believe a dark carriage with a ‘door’ came to pick you up as well.” informed Crowley.

His speech, although meant to explain Night Raven College as a whole, left Mirabel with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Surely, there must have been a mistake. She didn’t have a gift, unlike others in her family, nor was she special like them in any way, so why was she here? If they were choosing kids from all over this world, why would they want someone like her to attend here?

Miércoles, it´s going to be like my gift ceremony all over again. I can´t go through this kind of torment, not again. Why, is this punishment for not being like my family? Abuelo, if you can hear me, please take me to heaven now, I don’t think I can do this.

Not realizing that the girl was about a step away from passing out due to nervousness, the headmaster continued to say,

“Now then, on our way to the opening ceremony”.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Chapter Text

       *Mirror Chamber*

Muttering could be heard throughout the chamber. Clusters of individuals huddled together, waiting for the ceremony to finish.

“Well then, I believe that the dormitory divisions are done?” questioned a boy with red hair, light skin, and blue eyes before continuing to address a cluster of people.

“Listen new students. In Heartslabyul dorm, I am the rule. If you disobey… it will be off with your head! Remember that” the red-headed boy concluded.

“(Yawn) Finally this tiring ceremony is over”, this statement came from a different individual. He was taller than the red-headed boy. He had a dark tan, long brown hair, with green eyes half-open showing his sleepiness.

“We are going back to the down. Savanaclaw, follow me” he said not wanting to dally any more.

“All new students, congratulations on your enrollment” another voice chimed in. This time the voice belonged to a boy, pale with silvery-like hair with blue eyes.

“So you can all experience a fulfilling school life. I’m Octavinelle’s dorm leader. I will support you as much as possible” the silver-haired boy finished with a charming smile.

“I wonder where the headmaster went? He suddenly left in the middle of the ceremony?” questioned another boy. He was tall, with porcelain skin, violet eyes, and fair blond hair which was violet at the tips.

“Abandoning his duties” replied a floating tablet, in a very bored tone.

“Maybe he had a stomachache?” questioned a different boy. He had white hair, dark honey skin, with red eyes.

But before anyone could answer him, the doors had flung open.

“No, that is not the case!” yelled Crowley as he entered the room with Mirabel and Grim in tow.

“Oh, he’s here,” said the red-headed boy briefly.

“Honestly, there was a new student missing so I had to go look for them” replied Crowley.

With that, he had turned around once again to face Mirabel.

“Now then, you’re the only one who hasn’t been sorted into a dorm. I will take care of the cat, for now, so please quickly go to the mirror” Crowley told Mirabel, pointing to the mirror in the middle of the chamber.

There were a lot of emotions going through Mirabel. Apprehension, Doubt, Melancholy, and everything in between. As she was heading towards the mirror Crowley had pointed to, she began to have flashbacks of the night of her gift ceremony. All eyes were on her, as she walked past the clusters of hooded individuals, similar to when she was a child. The memory of walking past the members of the community as she headed towards her Abuela, nervous and anxiously holding her hands together. The veil between the past and present blurred together and she couldn’t tell what was happening now and what had already happened. The feeling of rejection and humiliation came up once again as Mirabel had gotten closer to the mirror.

Now everyone will know the truth. The truth is that I don’t have magic, and all of this was a mistake. They’re all going to laugh at me. Abuelo, it’s me again. Just letting you know that now is the perfect time for me to keel over, so if you please help me pass over that would be great.

But before Mirabel could finish venting to her late Abuelo, she had finally made her way so that she was a couple of feet away from the mirror. Looking into the mirror, she could see a mask-like face appear inside the mirror.

“Recite your name” the mirror commanded.

A chill went down Mirabel’s spine as her thoughts and memories came to a standstill. It took every ounce of her will to keep herself together and not collapse into herself.

“Mirabel Madrigal” she said, trying her best to not let her voice crack.

Might as well get this over with.

“The shape of your soul is...” the mirror started to say, then paused.

“Difficult” the mirror said, finishing his sentence.

“What did you say?” Crowley asked the mirror, in shock about the mirror’s statement.

“There is magic deep inside this girl. A magic that I have never seen roam these halls before. However, there seems to be a force holding the magic inside, a self-made prison. Her magic hasn’t been given the opportunity to flourish and thrive as others that I have seen so far. It’s almost as if the magic is waiting for the right moment to release itself. If her magic is given the chance to expand and release itself gradually, she would be capable of doing many things. As far as traits of this girl’s soul are concerned, there are many traits that could be useful. She’s bright, more than willing to extend assistance when needed, and having a thirst to prove herself, along with other traits. Therefore, she could be suited for all the dorms, yet none at the same time. I’m truly stumped” the mirror concluded.

Whispers filled the hall, as many looked at the girl in amazement.

Mirabel being shocked was an understatement. She was now relieved that she had magic like her other family members. She now could finally prove to her Abuela, her family, and the Encanto that she was special all along. But questions had drifted into her mind after the shock had passed.

If I had magic all along, why did my door disappear all those years ago? If so, was the miracle testing me or is it something else entirely? Something I’m not seeing?

“In all my years, I’ve never seen an individual stump the Dark Mirror before. More importantly, you’re a girl?” Crowley questioned Mirabel

“Um, yes” Mirabel said, apprehensively.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Crowley asked again

“Señor, you didn’t give me any room for me to say anything” Mirabel replied. After saying this she pulled back her hood and showed her face to all in attendance.

To say that everyone was shocked was a total complete understatement. They were shocked to see that the person who had stumped the Dark Mirror was a cute girl with short curly brown hair, tanned skin, and the brightest green glasses to complement her bright brown eyes.

“Never in 100 years has there ever been a situation of this magnitude before. Why now?” Crowley continued, shocked that a girl was chosen to attend at Night Raven College.

However, the chaos had just barely begun, starting with Grim finally breaking out of his restraints.

“I’ll be happy to take her place” Grim stated, not hesitating one bit.

“Wait! You little-!” Crowley yelled.

“Unlike this human, I can use my magic! You should put me in the academy instead! If you want to see magic, Then I will show you!” Grim continued, with a grin on his face.

Realizing what the cat monster was prepared to do, the red-headed boy shouted to all present.

“Everyone, take cover!”

And this folks was the kickstarter for the chaos to follow.

With a loud yell, Grim once again ignited more blue flames throughout the entire hall.

“Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot! My butt is on fire!” screamed the white-haired boy.

Without a moment to spare, Mirabel ran towards the boy, taking off her robe as she went. When she made it to him, she began furiously patting him down with her robe, hoping to smother the fire. After a couple of minutes, possibly due to the adrenaline, the fire had been fully extinguished. As the boy looked back to see who helped him, only to realize that it was the mysterious girl. With the biggest smile, he grasped her hands.

“Thanks for saving me back there! I thought I was a goner for sure! My name is Kalim Al-Asim, what’s your name?” the boy, now addressed as Kalim asked.

Mirabel was stumped for words. No one had truly thanked her for anything that she did, so this was a completely new experience. Sure, it could’ve been under better circumstances, but it made her feel a bit elated.

This feeling... I don’t know what it is but it feels really good.

“My name is Mirabel Madrigal. It's nice to meet you. Are you ok? You’re not hurt anywhere?” Mirabel asked, deeply wishing she had her mother’s arepas with her to help him.

“Don’t worry about it! I’m fine now thanks to you Mirabel.” Kalim said smiling back at the girl.

By this time, Mirabel was blushing a dark red as she wasn’t used to this kind of attention.

As Mirabel tried to reign in her thoughts, the chaos around her had not stopped.

“If this continues, the entire academy will go up in flames! Someone! Seize that cat!” Crowley yelled.

“Tch. How troublesome”, Mirabel heard not far away from herself and Kalim. It was an individual much taller than herself and Kalim. He had long brown hair, which was braided in some areas, with a tan similar to hers.

This guy gives me “Don’t Mess with Me” vibes

“Oh? Isn’t one of your specialties hunting? Isn’t it plump enough for you?” replied another individual who stood right beside the person Mirabel was looking at.

If Mirabel hadn’t heard his voice, she would’ve thought that this person was a woman. He was beautiful, with violet eyes that matched the tips of his hair.

This guy definitely gives me Señorita Perfecta Isabella vibes, ugh

“Why do I have to do it? You do it” the brunette snapped back.

“Crowley- sensei. Please leave it to me!” replied the silver haired boy.

One thing that Mirabel noticed about him was that he was surprisingly calm about the whole hall being on fire and such.

“To capture this small, cute creature. Everyone else doesn’t want to do it, so I will take over this task.” He finished with a small smirk on his face.

Is this guy really brave because it’s the right thing to do or is he expecting something out of this?

“As expected of Azul. Here’s 1 point for you” replied a floating rectangle

Out of all the things I’ve seen today, why am I not surprised there’s a floating rectangle? So, I’m guessing that the silver haired boy is Azul. I’ve never heard someone named ‘blue’ before.

“Are any of you listening to me?!” Crowley yelled, trying to de-escalate the situation.

“If you want the cat captured, why don’t you do it sensei?” the brunette shot back at the headmaster.

“I said I’m not a cat! How many times do I have to say it?” Grim said, tired of being called a cat.

“I am Grim, the one who will become a magician” Grim finished with a small smirk on his face.

“A small animal with such a strong will. Riddle, if you please?” Azul asked the red-haired boy beside him.

“I can not let an enemy pass. Let’s get this over with” replied the red-haired boy

So I’m guessing the redhead is Riddle. That’s also a very interesting name too.

Both Riddle and Azul chased Grim throughout the hall. Grim, despite being smaller than both Azul and Riddle, was outmaneuvering the spells that were being cast in his direction. Mirabel could see that both boys were getting tired of chasing the small cat monster and thought Grim may possibly be thinking the same thing.

‘Off with your head” yelled Riddle.

 Mirabel was caught off guard as to why he would possibly say that. But before she could ponder on it, a heart-shaped collar had appeared around Grim’s neck.

“Queen of Hearts Law #23 states “We mustn’t bring cats to ceremonies”. You cat are trespassing and violating that rule. Leave this place immediately” Riddle commanded.

“I am not a cat! I will burn this collar!” Grim yelled back, still not liking the fact that he was being called a cat and being collared.

However, nothing happened as the collar was still intact, much to Mirabel’s surprise.

“Huh? My flames aren’t working!” Grim said, confused as to why the collar was still there.

“You can’t use magic with that collar. You are no different than a normal cat” Riddle said, a grin forming on his face.

“What?! I’m not a pet!” Grim yelled, trying to paw at the collar.

“Don’t worry. I don’t want a pet like you anyway” Riddle cut in again, a frown replacing the grin from earlier. He composed himself and continued to talk to the cat.

“When you leave the school, I will remove the collar” Riddle finished.

Ok, so there’s magic that can cancel out other magic? There’s so much I wanna ask but now isn’t exactly the right time. But hopefully, I can ask.

“How amazing of you, Riddle. Your unique magic can also seal magic.” Azul said, praising Riddle’s magic.

“I want it... I mean I don’t want it used on me” Azul corrected himself.

So, I was right about the whole magic sealing magic thing but when Azul said ‘unique magic’ does that mean that it’s only special for every single person. Like how the Madrigals’ gifts are vastly different from each other because it caters to their personality or something along those lines? Also, I don’t like the way Azul started that sentence.

“Do something, Miss Madrigal! This cat is your familiar right?” Crowley yelled, snapping Mirabel out of her thoughts.

“Señor, he’s not mine,” Mirabel said in a small voice, hoping to not make the headmaster any madder at her than what he already was.

“Take responsibility… what? He isn’t yours?” Crowley asked, pausing his tirade at the frightened girl.

“I have been trying to tell you that the entire time” Mirabel replied, once again in a small voice.

“You did? Well then, let us get this cat immediately out of school. I will not turn him into soup since I’m so kind after all. Please someone” Crowley instructed.

“Hey! Let me go! I will... I will become a great magician!” Grim yelled in protest as he was being dragged away.

As soon as they left with Grim, the doors let out a deafening slam, signaling the end of the mayhem.

I feel so sorry for him. Abuelo, I pray that the cat will return safely to wherever he came from.

“Despite some trouble, the opening ceremony is now complete. Dorm Leaders, please take your students and go back to your dorms.” Crowley said, addressing the students.

“Hm? I haven’t seen Diasomnia’s dorm leader, Draconia-kun.” Crowley states, looking around the cluster of students.

“Isn’t him not being here normal” the brunette replied, not fully invested in the conversation.

“Huh? Don’t tell me no one told him about the ceremony.” Kalim added, surprising Mirabel as someone so friendly like Kalim wouldn’t have invited someone.

“Well then why didn’t you tell him?” the violet boy argued back at Kalim.

Yeah, this guy can definitely pass off as Isabella’s sibling rather than me.

“Hmm but I’m not really close to that guy” Kalim admitted, adding more to Mirabel’s surprise.

“Draconia… Don’t tell me you mean Malleus Draconia?” someone added, shocked by the name.

“So it’s true. He’s enrolled in this school” another person added in.

“SCARY!” said another person.

I’m confused who is this Malleus person? And why are these people so scared of him?

“Oh, just as I suspected, I came here thinking he might show up,” said a different person.

Mirabel shifted her gaze to a boy, who looked really young compared to the other people she’s seen so far. What she saw that was unique to this boy was that his hair was black with streaks of magenta.

“But, it seems he didn’t get to the ceremony again” the magenta-haired boy continued, sounding disheartened.

“Ah! I am sorry, we didn´t mean to leave him out¨ Azul said, sounding somewhat apologetic.

“He just has an unapproachable aura to him” Riddle added, sounding a bit uncomfortable talking about it.

Mirabel then returned her gaze to the magenta-haired boy, wondering what he will say.

“It’s fine. Diasomnia students, please follow me. I am hoping he isn’t sulking” he stated, walking towards a group of students to leave the hall.

I may not know this person, but I know how it feels to be left out. Especially by people who are supposed to love you.

Slowly but surely, all of the students proceeded to leave the hall. After all the students have left, only Mirabel and Crowley remained in the hall.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Crowley spoke up.

“Well then, I’m sorry to say this but... I must ask you to leave the academy. Although you do have magical power, Night Raven College is an all-boys academy so to have a girl in our roster isn’t acceptable. I hope that you understand. Don’t worry, The Mirror of Darkness will send you back home.” Crowley said, turning towards the mirror.

Mirabel didn’t say anything as she was disappointed that she couldn’t stay.

I guess all good things must come to an end right Abuelo?

“Come to the mirror, and pray to return home” Crowley instructed Mirabel.

This is a long dream.. but it was good while it lasted

She then closed her eyes, envisioning Casita and the Encanto and all who lived within it.

“Mirror of Darkness! Guide this one back to where they came from.” Crowley commanded the mirror.

Nothing happened.

Crowley was caught off guard for a second but not detoured to return this girl home.

“Let me say that again. Mirror of Darkness! Guide this one…” Crowley began again but was cut off by the mirror.

“Nowhere. This place where this one belongs.. is nowhere in this world. Nothing.” The mirror stated, certain with its answer.

“What did you say? That’s impossible. Today is a true festival of miracles” Crowley said, equally as confused as Mirabel.

“This is the first time something like this happened since I became headmaster. What to do... Where are you from?” Crowley asked turning to the girl who seemed to be a complete mystery.

“Actually, I’m from a small village called Encanto” Mirabel stated, confused, and worried at the same time.

“I have never heard of such a birthplace. I know the birthplaces of all my students, but I have never heard of yours. Let’s investigate in the library.” Crowley said turning and walking towards the door, gesturing Mirabel to follow.

Well tonight’s gonna be a really long night

Chapter Text

*Library*

Much to Crowley’s dismay, after long hours going through various maps of Twisted Wonderland, couldn’t locate where the mysterious girl had come from. 

“There isn’t really anything. Not only is the place you described isn’t on any world map, but it isn’t written in any history books either. Are you truly from where you said you’re from? You wouldn’t be lying to me by any chance?” Crowley questioned the girl in front of him. 

“Señor, what reason would I have to lie in the first place? And if I’m being honest, I’ve never really known anywhere else outside of the Encanto so I don’t think that I would lie about a place I’ve lived my whole life.” Mirabel answered to the best of her ability.

“You’ve never left that place ever? Not on vacation, business, or anything?” Crowley continued further.

“No. It’s not often we see people come from outside the Encanto and no one has ever felt the need to leave before” Mirabel pondered, trying to remember if there was anyone who ever left the Encanto in her life. 

“Judging by that statement alone, it could be that you were brought here from another planet… and there’s the possibility that you’re from another world,” Crowley concluded, still pondering on Mirabel’s statements.

“Another World?” Mirabel gasped, facing the reality that she was farther away from ‘home’ than she originally thought.

“What did you have on you when you came here? Do you have any form of identification, a driver's license perhaps, or a brand on your shoes? I’m asking because you appear to be empty-handed.” Crowley continued.

 “I don’t know what a driver’s license is, and I don’t remember bringing anything with me,” Mirabel answered. 

“This is concerning. I can’t just let a girl, whose magic is blocked for some unknown reason, stay at this school. However, as an educator, I can’t just let a penniless teenager on the street with no communication or identification. As I’m so kind” Crowley trailed off, thinking of what to do with Mirabel. 

Mirabel, on the other hand, had a sinking feeling that this will not end well. 

“Hmmm. That’s right” Crowley exclaimed, an idea popping into his head. 

“There’s an unused building on campus. It was once used as a dormitory in the past so if you can clean it up, you should be able to sleep there. For the time being, I shall allow you to stay there. Then I will continue to find a way for you to return home. My graciousness is limitless. I’m a good role model for all educators”. Crowley smiled, probably patting himself on the back for his smart idea. 

Crowley then began to head out of the library once more, motioning Mirabel to follow him.

“We better be on our way. Let’s head to the dormitory. It may be a bit old, but it has a certain charm to it” Crowley said, walking out of the library with Mirabel in tow.

At least I have a place to sleep tonight. Who cares if it’s a little bit old and dusty, how bad can it be? I’m sure I’ll have it clean in no time!

*Outside the Ramshackle Dorm*

OR not. Maybe it’ll be harder than I thought.

This was the only thought on Mirabel’s mind when setting her gaze on the Ramshackle dorm. When Crowley said that it had a certain charm, Mirabel assumed something different than what was in front of her. The dorm in question was very old, with its windows boarded up, looking as if it was going to collapse at any moment. She was speechless.

“This is…” Mirabel started to say, unsure as to finish her sentence.

“Right, right. Please come inside” Crowley said, guiding Mirabel to the dilapidated dorm, oblivious of her reaction.

Who knows, maybe the inside will be better? Right, Abuelo?

Wrong! The inside of the dorm wasn’t that much better. Items of furniture were flipped over and caked with dust. Various cobwebs are strewn around the room. Many of the pictures and paintings on the walls were faded and unrecognizable. The curtains on the widows were brown with dust. 

“Staying here will at least keep you out of the rain. I’m going back to do more research. Make yourself at home, Miss Madrigal. Don’t go wandering around the school! Goodbye now.” And with that Crowley left.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Mirabel looked around the empty room. 

“I’d have to clean to just sit down”, Mirabel said with a heavy sigh.

“Alright, Mirabel, you can do this. Let’s start cleaning” she said, trying to keep her hopes up despite her current condition.

“Welcome to the Family Madrigal”

“There’s so much dust in this... achoo!”

“You’d think that there’d be another way to clean this place cause I now have magic but NO”

“Magical, how many cobwebs are in here! Crowley! This place is the WORST!”

*A Couple of Hours Later*

Mirabel was beyond exhausted. It took her what seemed like forever to clean what she thought was the living room. But it was only then that she realized that there had to be bedrooms that also needed to be cleaned to get some sleep. She was lost in thought and in cleaning that she didn’t realize that it had started to rain outside.

“Oh dear, it’s raining cats and dogs outside” Mirabel said, gazing at the fast downpour outside.

As she turned to clean another part of the dorm, she heard a familiar voice coming from the front door. And no, it wasn’t Crowley.

“Ah, it’s really coming down!”, a rather familiar high-pitched voice shouted.

Mirabel had turned back around and saw that it was Grim stranding in the doorway, drenched in rain. 

“Hahaha! You have a stupid look on your face like you’ve seen a ghost or something” Grim laughed at Mirabel. But he didn’t wait for her to say anything before continuing again.

“I’ll have no problem sneaking back into this school. If you think that me getting thrown out is going to detour me, you got another thing coming!” Grim said, proud of himself for his determination.

Mirabel was impressed as she thought that after being thrown out by the red-haired boy Riddle and by extension Crowley that Grim would give up. As Mirabel hadn’t been in a real school before, she even thought that Grim coming back was not going to go well with anyone. But oh well, not much she could do about that.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you want to get into this school anyway?” Mirabel asked, even more curious about the small creature called Grim.

“Oh, that’s simple! I’m a genius who should be a great magician. The Dark Mirror doesn’t have an eye for these kinds of things. So I decided to come here on my own. Not letting me in would be a loss to the world. Those humans earlier just won’t get it.” Grim said with a small smirk. 

He’s just like me

But before he could continue, a small drop of water had fallen from the roof onto Grim’s flame ears.

“Hyaa! So Cold! The roof is leaking!” Grim cried.

Mirabel looked up and saw water leaking from the roof and slowly dripping into the living room. 

We’ve never had to worry about leaks with Casita. How am I going to fix that?

As she was reeling on ideas on how to even begin patching the leak, more droplets started coming down on Grim.

“Fgnaa! It keeps coming! If this keeps up, my adorable ear fire will go out at this rate!” cried Grim, attempting to cover his ears but failing.

“We’ll need to find a bucket, it’s not a fix to the leak but it will buy us time until morning,” Mirabel said, adding this to a to-do list on making this dorm livable.

“Magic should fix this leak really quickly. Oh no wait never mind, your magic isn’t working. Hahaha! You’re useless” Grim said, chuckling at the girl’s misfortune.

“Well then, since I can’t use mine, then you’ll help me,” Mirabel said, not exactly happy about Grim poking fun at her magic not working.

“ Huh. Help you? No way. I’m just a normal monster trying to stay out of the rain. You better get me a can of tuna before I start any work.” Grim stated, not liking the concept of working.

Before Mirabel could retort, more water started dripping from the ceiling. 

There are more leaks than I thought. I gotta find some buckets before the room is completely drenched.

With that, Mirabel turned her heel and went into the hallway going deeper into the dorm, in search of buckets.

Although it was very late at night, the hallway seemed even darker. Various items were strewn around the floor, and more cobwebs and dust caked the walls and floor. As Mirabel made her way further, she could hear a loud creak coming from the hallway.

Oh, Abuelo. I don’t like this feeling. Something doesn’t feel right.

And right on cue, three transparent figures appeared before Mirabel. She knew they weren’t people as they were floating above the ground. Their forms were white like flour, bright blue eyes, and wore dark blue capes and top hats. However, they were different from each other. One was long and lanky with arms as long as its body. Another had a chubby pillowy body with a very round face. And the other was smaller compared to the other two. Mirabel could only gaze in shock and horror. And the transparent figures looked at her with amusement and were grinning ear to ear

I HATE BEING RIGHT!

“HEHHEHEE!” One of the transparent figures chuckled.

“We haven’t had any guests in a very long time” The other figure spoke, its voice very raspy.

“I’m itching for some action. HEHEHEHE” another one chuckled, its voice very deep and heavy sounding.

If Mirabel wasn’t nervous before, she sure was now. She was sweating bullets through her robe and on her hands. 

“GHOSTS!” Mirabel cried out, in the horror at her situation.

She was in a state of panic that she didn’t realize that Grim was making his way toward her.

“What are you freaking out…. GHAA! G-G-GHOSTS!” Grim cried out, stopping in his tracks.

“The people who lived here got scared of us and left,” said the smaller ghost.

“We’ve been looking for more ghost pals. How about you guys?” The chubby ghost asked the frightened girl and cat monster.

Mirabel was scared out of her mind and blurted without thinking.

“Um, how about no?” she said nervously wringing her hands.

Immediately she turned to Grim.

“Help me please” Mirabel begged Grim.

Mirabel could see that Grim was just as shaken up as she was. She only could hope that he wouldn’t run away, leaving her to deal with the ghosts herself.

“The Great Grim isn’t scared of some ghosts,” Grim said, his voice shaking a bit.

And with a small grunt. Grim had summoned fire into the hallway. 

“Where exactly were you aiming?” the lanky ghost said, taunting the cat monster.

“Over here. Here. HEHEHE!” the chubby ghost added, taunting Grim even more.

“Shoot! STOP DISAPPEARING” Grim yelled, getting frustrated at the ghosts.

With that more fire erupted in the hallway and Mirabel was now getting even more nervous about the dorm catching on fire.

“Grim, you’ll burn down the dorm at this rate” Mirabel cried out to Grim, who was still trying to hit the ghosts but missed.

“Shut up! Don’t try and give me orders” Grim snapped back at Mirabel, not wanting to take his attention away from the ghosts.

“I’ll give you a can of tuna if you win,” Mirabel said desperately, hoping that it would win the cat over.

As Mirabel guessed, Grim was mulling over what she said.

“ Wha? Umm- I’m a genius. I won’t let one-“ Grim started before the ghosts cut him off, laughing at them from all sides.

“ You’re a bunch of cowards ganging up on us” Grim yelled, certainly not enjoying being laughed at by a bunch of ghosts.

“I throw another extra can just for you” Mirabel exclaimed, trying one last time to get Grim on her side.

This finally got Grim to look at Mirabel, his face determined (whether by tuna or to defeat the ghosts, who knows).

“Hey you! Tell me where the ghosts are” Grim said to Mirabel, looking where the ghosts could appear again.

“Leave it to me,” Mirabel said, not as confident in her ability to direct someone.

But an idea struck her, she always like to sing to get the attention of the smaller kids that flocked to her when her family went into the village. So maybe it could work in the situation too. So without a moment to spare, she decided to come up with something that was fast and could easily get Grim’s attention.

Ok Ok Ok

So many ghosts in our dorm, so let’s turn the sound up.

You know why? I think it’s time for bad ghost round-up!

Bad Ghost Round Up!

You’ve got a ghost coming from the left

But don’t stay there, you’ve got one on the right

Then there are two coming from both sides, hit them both at the same time

This pattern seemed to go on for a while as the ghosts were beyond relentless. But with the help of Mirabel’s song, Grim had no trouble keeping up with the ghosts and hitting them with his fire blasts.

“Hot!” cried the lanky ghost, being hit by Grim’s fire blast.

“I hit it. Alright, let's chase them outta here!” Grim yelled

This continued on for what seemed like an eternity as the ghosts kept coming back for more. And with one final blast, it hit all the ghosts at once.

“Agh! We’re goners! Let’s run away” cried the chubby ghost in dismay.

And with that, the ghosts faded into the darkness of the hallway. 

“Eh, we- we won?” Grim said in disbelief that the ghosts had left.

“That was amazing! Thank you Grim!” Mirabel said, picking up the cat monster and giving him a hug.

“AUGH HEY! Put me down human” Grim protested, trying to squirm from Mirabel’s grasp.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I got carried away there” Mirabel said bashfully, putting Grim back down on the ground again.

“Ehh. That was sc- NO I wasn't scared at all!” Grim said, catching himself midsentence.

“Uh-huh. Sure Grim” Mirabel said, shaking her head, obviously not believing Grim at all.

“This is nothing for the Great Grim! How about you ghosts? You done?” Grim said confidently, yelling in the general direction that the ghosts disappeared. 

But before Mirabel could say anything more, she could hear footsteps coming from right behind her. She turned around fast and saw that it was Crowley with a bunch of bags with food in them.

“ Good evening Miss Madrigal. I have graciously brought you supper.” Crowley started before pausing when he saw Grim behind Mirabel.

“ You’re the monster that ran amuck during the entrance ceremony. I threw you out of the school, what are you doing here?” Crowley demanded, confirming Mirabel’s thoughts about Grim being spotted. Grim however didn’t share Mirabel’s concern.

“Hmph. I exterminated the ghost problem! Be grateful!” Grim said, crossing his little arms and smirking at Crowley.

This seemed to pause Crowley for a second to process what Grim had said.

“Hm? What do you mean by that?” Crowley asked

“Well….. I was uh cleaning this place so that I could spend the night and Grim came into the dorm to get out of the rain. Then the roof started leaking and then I went to find a bucket and out of NOWHERE these ghosts show up and Grim and I were fighting them and we beat them so they left” Mirabel said, trying to explain the situation as best she could and was speaking very fast.

“ Now that you mention it, there were some prankster ghosts living here so that students would stay away from this dorm, which is why this dorm is empty. I had forgotten that. However,...” Crowley said, trailing off. Mirabel on the other hand wasn’t too happy about this revelation.

HOLD ON! This guy knew and he told me to spend the night here. Abuelo, give me strength, please.

“For you two to work together to get rid of them.” Crowley began to say before Grim interrupted.

“ I’m not going to overlook that “together” part. They were just standing there watching and I did this for a can of tuna. Ah! Hey Human! I still haven’t gotten that can of tuna yet!”

“ I’m really sorry Grim but…” Mirabel started to say but was cut off by Crowley. 

“I’d like you two to show me how you had exterminated those ghosts,” Crowley said, not taking no for an answer.

“ But we had already gotten rid of those ghosts. Before that, GIVE ME TUNA!” Grim said, not in the mood for what the headmaster was planning.

“ I shall be the ghosts. If you beat me, I will give you tuna cans. For I am so kind.” Crowley said, leaving no room for argument. But before either Grim or Mirabel could say anything, Crowley had pulled a small vial from his pocket.

Where exactly did that come from?

“ Transformation potion” Crowley stated before drinking the contents of the vial. And in a flash of light, Crowley was transformed into a ghost. His appearance was vaguely similar to the ghosts that Mirabel had seen earlier minus the hat and mask.

“Ehh. I don’t wanna. This is a pain and I have to team up with her again” Grim said, not really wanting to do this again.

“ This might be your chance to get into the school Grim,” Mirabel said, hoping to motivate the cat monster once again. After hearing what she said, Grim changed his attitude very quickly.

“ Ugh! This is the last time, human! You absolutely ABSOLUTELY must give me my tuna afterward, ya got it?!” Grim said, turning back to Mirabel with a determined look on his face.

“You have my word Grim,” Mirabel said, getting ready for another round of fighting ghosts.

Here we go again. Wish me luck, Abuelo.

Just as she did before, she instructed (sang) Grim on where the headmaster ghost was coming from. She didn’t even notice that she was moving her feet as well, which made it look like she was dancing along with her directions. Crowley was mildly impressed by how Mirabel was so quick to point him out and had gotten the cat monster to follow her commands. Maybe the Dark Mirror has something in store for her here at Night Raven College. After what seemed like an hour had passed, Crowley shifted back into his original form. By this time, Mirabel and Grim were very tired.

“ *huff* *huff* How about that!” Grim yelled to the now transformed headmaster.

Crowley stood there quiet for a moment, then spoke.

“ I can’t believe… there is a person who can command monsters” Crowley said, looking at Mirabel in amazement.

“ Well, um, I can’t say that I command him” Mirabel started to say, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. 

“Hmmm. My teacher senses were telling me since the uproar at the entrance ceremony that you have a talent as an animal or wild beast trainer” Crowley said, looking between her and Grim.

Teacher senses? Abuelo, is that really a thing? But more importantly, what is a beast trainer?

“ But no matter..” Crowley started to say, muttering under his breath about something Mirabel couldn’t make out. 

I gotta ask him about Grim. I guess now is a good time as any. Right Abuelo?

“Um, excuse me, headmaster. I know that this may not be the best time but um could you let Grim stay here with me? Grim really wants to go to this school.” Mirabel said slowly, not wanting to upset the headmaster. If she learned anything from her past, she was always asking things cautiously.

“What now? A monster?” Crowley said, not expecting her to ask such a question.

“You..” Grim said, equally as surprised that this human had asked such favor on his behalf.

“Pretty please Señor” Mirabel pleaded, giving the biggest puppy dog look she could muster. 

Let's just say, Crowley all but caved into her puppy dog look. 

“ It can’t be helped. Alright,” Crowley said begrudgingly.

“ Huh? Really?” Grim said, surprised that all it took for him to stay was a pretty please and a puppy dog look, and happy at the same time.

“However, I can’t simply allow someone let alone a monster, into school who wasn’t selected by the Dark Mirror,” Crowley said, looking at Grim and then turning to Mirabel.

“ Also, since you don’t have access to your magic Miss Madrigal, we don’t know where you would fit in here. Furthermore, I can’t let you be a freeloader here until you return to your world.” Crowley said, bringing Mirabel back to the fact that her magic wasn’t working for whatever reason.

“ Well.. talk about joy being short-lived,” Grim said, his face turning sad.

Mirabel’s heart started to break for him. Knowing what it was like to not be accepted by anybody and purposefully excluded.

“ Listen until the end please,” Crowley said, giving a small ray of hope for the girl and monster.

“ Concerning the fact that your soul was called here, the school has to take responsibility as the owners of the Dark Mirror. For the time being, you’ll be permitted to stay in this dorm for free. But, other necessities you will have to provide for yourself” Crowley said which gave Mirabel a small sigh of relief.

At least I have a roof over my head. It may not be Casita but it will do. But how will I get the other necessities I may need? 

Before Mirabel could ask Crowley about this small detail, Crowley continued on.

“ Seeing as you have nothing but your name… I have a proposition for you” Crowley started off, chuckling in the middle of his sentence.

I don’t like the way he laughed like that

“ Um... What exactly are you gonna make me do?” Mirabel said nervously

“ No need to fret Miss Madrigal. I’ll have you do maintenance and other odd jobs around campus” Crowley said, looking around at where Mirabel had been cleaning earlier. 

“ From what I can see, you’re good at cleaning. Would you like to become the ‘handyman’ of the school? This way you can have special permission to remain on school grounds. You will also be able to research going home or study whatever you desire in the library. For I am so kind. ONLY after your work is done” Crowley said, his gaze focused on Mirabel.

Before Mirabel could respond, Grim had beaten her to it.

“Eh? I’m not ok with that! I wanna wear a fancy uniform and be a student” Grim said, not liking anything the headmaster had to say.

However, Crowley had other ideas.

“It’s fine. If you’re unsatisfied, I’ll simply toss you out again” Crowley said, leaving no room for the monster to say anything else.

Grim, knowing there was no other way around this, made his answer clear to the headmaster.

“ Ok. OK. I get it. I’ll do it. I’ll do it.” Grim said, not wanting to be kicked out again.

“ I understand headmaster” Mirabel said, not wanting to pass this opportunity up and still stay where she started to want to know more about.

“ Wonderful. Then starting tomorrow, you two, will become the best handyman in Night Raven College. With that settled, you will need to get some rest before starting work. I wish you both a good night” Crowley said as he made his way past both the girl and monster to the front door.

Hearing the front door shut again that night, Mirabel then turned to Grim and smiled. 

“Well, looks like it's you and me. I think we may have started off on the wrong foot earlier, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mirabel Madrigal. It's very nice to meet you.” Mirabel said, extending her hand to the cat monster. Grim was confused as to why she was being nice to him despite trying to torch her earlier for her robes. But after she had stood up for him, it made the cat monster look at her hand and then back at her. With no hesitation, he placed his paw in her hand.

“ Well Mirabel, I’m the Great Grim. From now on you’ll be my henchmen” Grim said, grinning at the girl.

“ I don’t know about henchmen but ok,” Mirabel said, shaking his paw before letting go and turning back and walking to the lounge with Grim in tow.

“ Well, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this tonight but let's find a room and head off to bed. We’ll figure it out later” Mirabel said, feeling herself getting very sleepy.

Grim nodded in agreement as he was starting to feel sleepy too. Mirabel, seeing that Grim was tired as well, picked him up and carried him up the stairs. Grim was too tired at this point to argue with her to put him down, so he figured he’d let it slide for today.

Mirabel walking up the stairwell saw that there were a bunch of doors and quickly picked a door that was the furthest down the hall on the left. When she opened the door, she saw that there was a lone bed alongside the wall. There was also a small recliner with a matching ottoman, wardrobe, and a nightstand. On the walls, there was a clock along with various pictures that have long faded to make any details. The room had a small fireplace with a mantle, and above that mantle was a very long mirror. 

Without much more thought, Mirabel strode into the room, closed the door behind her, and made her way to the bed. She lightly placed Grim on one of the pillows, which he snuggled into immediately. With a small smile, she made her way to the other side of the bed and gently laid herself on the bed, not wanting to wake up Grim. Mirabel’s mind was swimming with everything that had happened in the previous hours and had a long list of things that she wanted to think about before finally drifting to sleep. 

I wonder has anyone from back home noticed that I’m gone? Who knows, maybe by the time I get back they might not have noticed that I’m gone. What’s the worst thing that could happen while I’m here?

Mirabel Madrigal, 15 years old, had no idea that whilst in her sleep, her magic had done a remarkable thing.

However, back in the Encanto, things were going to take a turn for the worst.

Chapter Text

*Casita*

Tonight was a complete success in the eyes of Abuela Alma. Antonio finally received a gift worthy of the Madrigal name. This was further proof for her that the miracle, their magic candle, wasn’t fading away.  The hours leading up to this moment were very stressful, with Mirabel inserting herself into where she wasn’t needed, as well as the other members of the family worrying about tonight's outcome. But thankfully, she would be able to rest easy knowing that the magic wasn’t dying and everything was back on schedule. Alma was approached by the Guzmans, sometime during the party, and had said that Mariano had taken a shining to Isabela and would like to propose to her. Alma had lept for the opportunity as a new generation of magical blessings would strengthen their miracle and make both of their families stronger. Their marriage would be a match made in heaven. But Alma thought it would be best to make the announcement tomorrow as tonight will be about Anotnio receiving his gift. 

The party continued until the clock showed that it was close to midnight, in which many of the young children that attended the ceremony were starting to feel tired and that there will be work that needed to be done tomorrow. But for right now, everyone needed to go home and rest. But first, Alma wished to address the village before their departure home. With a deep breath, Alma turned to face the villagers who by this time were in the foyer with the family at the base of the stairs. 

“ I would like to end this wonderful night by thanking our community for joining us for this momentous occasion. Tonight is a testament that our miracle has persevered during these 50 years, and is continuing to stay strong for years to come with a new generation of Madrigals” Alma said, with bravado which was met with a standing ovation from all present. 

*SHATTER*

They all stopped in shock and turned to where they had heard that noise. A lone tile had fallen from the roof, which lay broken on the foyer floor. Everyone stared down at the broken tile, unsure of what just happened. Julieta, coming out of her shock, walked slowly towards the tile. The room was still, so still that the rattling of roof tiles could be heard. Julieta kneeled on the ground next to the tile. She slowly picked up the tile, and slowly picked up the tile. She inspected the tile closely, not realizing how close the sharpest side was to her palm. With an accidental twist of her wrist, the sharp part of the tile accidentally cut her hand. With a yelp, Julieta held her hand close to her chest and dropped the tile onto the floor. 

Pulling her hand away from her chest to see the blood pool from the cut on her hand. She gazed at her hand and immediately turned her attention to the floor. The floor started to shake very violently, the sound echoing off the halls. Julieta, coming out of her shock, moved her hand towards the floor.

“Casita?” said Julieta, worried and nervous as to what was going on around her. 

As soon as her hand had gotten an inch away from the floor, like a flash of lightning, a crack appeared on the floor. Gasps of horror can be heard from everyone present, but it didn’t stop there. The crack became longer and its path headed towards the frightened villagers. All of their gazes moved to the floor, seeing the cracks forming from underneath their very feet. The cracks continue up the stairs, spreading to the walls behind the lone portrait of the late Pedro Madrigal.

All of the Madrigals stood in fear and confusion as to what was happening right in front of them. They hoped that this was just a dream and that their home wasn’t cracking around them. But to their dismay, what they saw next made their blood run cold. The cracks from the walls began to creep behind all of the doors, which started to flicker uncontrollably. Each of the Madrigals could feel their gifts fade on and off each time their doors flicker. Their horror was mounting as the cracks had conjoined together reaching to where the candle was placed and watching the flame slowly quiver along with the doors themselves. 

Not a soul in the entire house could utter a single word. Not one could anticipate what had transpired before their very eyes. But what they had not expected was for a small portion of the cracks to make an outline of a door. Whose name that the cracks had engraved above the outline added on top of their shock. 

It was Mirabel’s.

The image within the outline had them puzzled, trying to interpret its meaning. It was Mirabel standing in front of what looked to be a castle. Besides her was a small cat with flaming ears and pitchforked tail. Surrounding her image was seven crests that they’d never seen before. One was of a heart, which had card suits within, and had a crown placed on top of it. Another had a lion with a scar along one of its eyes. Another was of a seashell with tentacles. Another was of a large snake coiling itself around what was a castle of some kind. Another had an apple ( which more or less resembled a skull) that was stabbed by a dagger. This crest also had a crown upon it also. Another crest had something that Luisa had recognized from one of her father’s stories. It was Cerberus with a single flame. The last and final crest had a pair of horns and within was the image of a dragon. 

This in itself had made Julieta freeze. Taking a glance at all of the Madrigal children, she couldn’t see her youngest daughter amongst them. Without a second to spare, Julieta started to sprint towards the stairs, where they then started to rattle violently.

“Julieta!” cried Agustín, trying to stop his wife from hurting herself.

 Julieta, desperate to find her daughter, held onto the banister for dear life as she ascended the stairs. After a few minutes of her almost missing her footing multiple times, she finally made her way to the top of the stairs. When she regained her balance, she automatically resumed her journey to find her daughter. She flung the door of the nursery with such force, that she could’ve torn the door off its hinges. 

“Mirabel!” cried Julieta, seeing the empty bed with no indication that her daughter had previously been there. 

She then went to the balcony facing where she originally was, her heart sinking even further when she didn’t see her daughter amongst the crowd. 

“Where’s Mirabel? Where is she?” Julieta asked again, tears threatening to spill down her face.

Agustín, now understanding his wife’s distress, is now pushing through the villagers trying to find their youngest daughter. 

“Mirabel!” Agustín cried out for his daughter. His distress equals that of his wife.

Alma’s worst fears had come to fruition. The cracks, that she had been trying to keep secret for a very long time, had made themselves known to everyone including her family. The real question was how was she going to extinguish the fears of not only the community but also the fears of her own family. She noticed all eyes were on her, looking at her for answers. Answers about the candle, about HER, and what would be their next move to keep their lives and home from falling apart. She could feel the intense distress coming from her daughter and son-in-law about HER being missing and them not being able to find HER. They can’t be thinking about HER right now. They must protect their family, their Encanto. They could not, SHE COULD NOT lose her home again. 

“Everyone remain calm. Nothing is wrong. The magic is STRONG! WE are the MADRIGALS!” Alma said, promptly shutting the door in front of the villagers, who by this time were out the front door on the little pathway to the village. 

“MIRABEL!” Alma yelled, her voice not matching the concern that her daughter and son-in-law. Her voice was pure unadulterated rage. A loud clap of thunder could be heard courtesy of Pepa. Alma walked back furiously towards the family. She needed to find HER and undo what SHE did.

“Dolores! Can you hear where she is?” Alma demanded from her granddaughter.

Dolores, scared by her grandmother’s angry face, tried her best to hear despite all of the murmurs of the villagers about what happened. The harder she tried, Dolores couldn’t hear Mirabel at all, which made her nervous. But Alma wasn’t in the mood for waiting, unfortunately.

“Well?!?” Alma said, annoyed at Dolores for making her wait to find HER.

Dolores let out a small squeak in fear, as she didn’t know how she would react to her revelation. However, Pepa didn’t take this lightly at all.

“Mama! You shouldn’t speak to my daughter like that!” Pepa said angrily, another bolt of lightning flashing.

Alma barely registered that Pepa had said anything and continued to look at Dolores. Dolores started to sweat profusely, knowing that she couldn’t get out of this.

“About that Abuela…. Um, I can’t hear her” Dolores said timidly, not knowing how she was going to react. 

Needless to say, Abuela was not happy with this answer.

“What do you mean you can’t hear HER!?!” Abuela yelled at Dolores.

“I tried to, but I can’t hear her anywhere,” Dolores said softly, dreading what her Abuela is going to do afterward.

At this point, Agustín spoke up, not liking his mother-in-law’s tone when talking about his daughter.

“Excuse me, Alma, instead of yelling at Dolores, shouldn’t we be looking for Mirabel? We need to find her, she could be hurt” Agustín said harshly, not wanting to waste anymore time that could be spent searching for his daughter.

Alma shifted her gaze from Dolores to her son-in-law, a scowl marring her face.

“ We can’t worry about her right now. We must protect our family, our Encanto. We cannot lose our home” Alma said, not backing down.

“ In case you have forgotten, Mirabel is a part of this family. Just because you don’t see her as someone important, doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be searching for my daughter” Agustín snapped, not understanding his mother-in-law’s refusal into helping find her youngest granddaughter.

Julieta, after making her way down the stairs (that were no longer shaking), stood beside her husband. She also didn’t like the way her mother was reacting.

“Mama, we shouldn’t be wasting our time arguing, Our main priority right now is to find Mirabel and bring her home safely,” Julieta said urgently. 

Before Alma could speak in protest, Pepa had spoken up as well.

“ I agree. We need to find her. I would move heaven and hell to find my children if they were lost or hurt. We're losing time.” Pepa said with Felix grasping her hands, trying to get her to calm down.

Alma couldn’t believe what was happening. Her own children, her daughters, were speaking against their mother. Couldn’t they see the real issue at hand? Their home was falling apart, everyone’s doors were flickering, the community was stirring, and her son left all those years ago because of HER. The evidence on the wall was proof enough. SHE was hurting this family and her disappearance shows her guilt. What more did they need to realize that SHE was the problem not her? 

How could’ve everything gone so terribly wrong? Everything was perfect. Antonio had finally received a gift to help the community, Isabela was going to have such a fine young man propose to her. And SHE had to go and ruin everything. 

Despite her own objections, Alma knew that the rest of the family would want to look for HER. She was outmatched.

Alma sighed, somewhat admitting to defeat. This time.

“Mirabel was on that horrid image for a reason. The sooner we find her, the sooner this mishap can easily be forgotten. However, there’s not much of a search during this time of night. We will wait until the morning and then search for her. Right now, everyone must return to their rooms and get some sleep. Tomorrow will not be an easy day, and we can’t let the community know any more than what they’ve already seen” Alma said, turning to go up the stairs and to her room.

The rest of the family was still in shock and confused. Julieta, again bursting into tears, not knowing where her daughter was. Agustín, seeing his wife’s despair, held her close to his chest. Feeling the tears on his shirt and vest, and allowed himself to shed tears along with his wife.

Pepa and Felíx, looking at Julieta and Agustín with sadness in their eyes, and Pepa’s cloud started to drizzle. They couldn’t imagine the pain that they were going through at that moment. Not even wanting to imagine their own children going missing, with not even a hint as to where they were. Pepa knew that if that were to happen, there would be no stopping her from creating a hurricane in her sadness. 

While the adults were in their own turmoil, the grandchildren were having their own as well. Camilo was further away, hugging Antonio. Antonio was unconsolable as he was frightened that his favorite cousin, and someone he saw as a big sister, was gone. Where did she go? Was it something that he did when he received his gift? He didn’t know.  Camilo didn’t have any words he could say to his younger brother as he didn’t understand why Mirabel would leave. 

The 3 oldest Madrigal grandchildren were huddled together and were voicing different opinions about the situation.

“ We all know she’s doing this for attention. By morning, she’ll be back. And HOPEFULLY, by then she’ll get what's coming to her and not pull a stunt like this again” Isabela scoffed, not surprised that her sister once again ruined another good thing. 

“But that’s the thing, Isa. I don’t believe that this is a stunt. Something is wrong. I feel it” Dolores said, obviously not taking what Isabela said to heart. 

“I agree with Lola, Isa. Mirabel wouldn’t just leave on her own. She wouldn’t do this if she knew how much it would hurt mama and papa. The fact that you don’t care worries me Isa” Luisa said, shocked at how callous her sister was to their little sister going missing.

Despite what she had just said, Isa was internally panicking. Sure, she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Mirabel, but that didn’t mean that she wanted her to disappear completely. But for now, she kept that to herself.

After what seemed like forever, everyone slowly went to their rooms to get just even the tiniest wink of sleep. Unbeknownst to them, within the cracking walls of Casita, Bruno Madrigal had seen the chaos unfold before his eyes, and wondered if his vision was finally coming true. 10 years of self-isolation to protect the very person who was now missing was an unnerving thought in itself. Bruno couldn’t understand what Mirabel’s “door” was supposed to mean. It wasn’t in his original vision so that left him wondering why the sudden change. As much as it pained him to think about it, his sobrina’s future and the family’s future were at stake, he realized that he must have another vision. To not only know about Casita’s impending doom but to also know what kind of problem his sobrina had found herself into. But the task of finding a way to get into his tower was not going to be easy but he knows just who to ask. 

Chapter Text

*The Next Morning ~ Night Raven College Campus*

The sun had risen over the campus of Night Raven College. This meant the start of a new term with a bunch of brand-new faces. To some, it was just a day like any other semester. However, this semester had started off with a ceremony that was interrupted by a small cat monster and a mysterious but cute girl. And with the Mirror of Darkness giving an uncertain answer about said girl, it made all those present wonders whatever happened to that girl after the ceremony was over. On this particular morning, they were prepared to find out.

Crowley, despite going to bed at his usual time, didn’t get a lick of sleep. He kept tossing and turning, thinking about the Madrigal girl and the cat monster. How was this semester going to go with those two around? Madrigal seems like the quiet type, one who will probably keep herself out of trouble, but Grim on the other hand is a different story. That cat monster, Crowley thought, will definitely need a closer look on. As he was finishing his routine and leaving his private chambers, he couldn’t imagine what was in store for him at Ramshackle Dorm.

As he was walking down the corridors towards the main entrance, which was his route to getting to Ramshackle, he came across one of his professors with a bunch of bags in his hands. This wasn’t odd at first glance as he was someone who kept on track with fashion trends, much like Mr. Schoenheit, but seeing as he was making his way towards him at a very fast speed was alarming. 

“Good Morning Dire,” said the man, almost out of breath with at least 8-9 bags total in his hands.

“Good Morning Divus, may I inquire what fashion trend did you get your hands on this time?” Crowley said, trying to make small talk with the alchemy professor.

“If you must know, the stuff in my hands is not for me,” Divus said, with a look of determination and a hint of smug in there.

Crowley was confused, it was not every day that Divus Crewel buys something that is not intended for him. 

“Then whom may I ask is it for?” Crowley asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

“Well, it’s for the bright-eyed puppy that was at the entrance ceremony. What was her name again?” Divus asked, curious about the newest puppy to campus.

Dire knew that he couldn’t wiggle his way out of this. There was absolutely no way to lie to Divus Crewel and get away with it.

“ Her name is Mirabel Madrigal. She is definitely an interesting little thing” Crowley said, hoping that this would appease the professor.

“Mirabel Madrigal. Such a cute and unique sounding name. Anyway, these bags are some clothes and other things that I had bought as I heard through the grapevine that this poor puppy had nothing except for the robes she arrived in. As a professor and a ‘responsible’ adult, I took it upon myself to provide these clothes and other essentials for her. Maybe upon meeting this new puppy, I could probably get inspired and make clothes fitting for a young lady such as herself. So, where is she, Dire?” Divus said, getting straight to the point as well as making a quick jab at his ridiculous boss. 

Crowley now was unsure whether or not to even tell him or not that he placed the Madrigal girl at Ramshackle dorm. Divus didn’t exactly see eye to eye with him on a bunch of things, so naturally, he decided he’d choose life rather than lying. Because the last time he did that he was so battered from Divus hitting him that he couldn’t feel anything.

“About that, I had decided to place the Madrigal girl in Ramshackle dorm, as it would be inconvenient to place her in any other dorm since she wasn’t able to be sorted. So I figured that by placing her there, there wouldn’t be any problems” Crowley said, trying to get this over with, and had started to continue walking to Ramsahckle Dorm. To be truthful, he didn’t want to see the look on Divus’ face. 

Divus’ reaction to this news was somewhat explosive, to say the least.

“EXCUSE ME?!? Ramshackle Dorm? Why there, Dire? That dorm has been out of commission for some time due to the ghosts that reside in that dorm! Did you even tell the pup about the ghosts before you put her there? And you expect a poor helpless little puppy to live in that death trap?!? NOT ON MY WATCH DIRE CROWLEY!” Divus yelled, running to catch up with Crowley with all the shopping bags in tow.

Throughout their walk towards Ramshackle Dorm, Crowley was getting an earful from the irate professor. He went on about how the girl should be sent to stay with a professor until the dorm could be made liveable for her. Crowley tuned out of what the professor was saying as they were slowly reaching their destination. But what he had seen had stopped him in his tracks. 

There were a bunch of students, the track team to be exact, who were gazing in the general direction of Ramshackle Dorm in amazement. Some of them even had their phones out taking pictures. Besides this group was Coach Aston Vargas, who was also shocked by what they were supposedly looking at. 

“Aston, what’s going on? Is something wrong?” Crowley asked, wondering if the cat monster had burned down the dorm during the night.

“ Oh Dire, Divus good morning. Are you both seeing what I’m seeing? I’m trying to check if I’m dreaming or not.” Ashton replied, not taking his eyes on what was in front of him.

Curiosity got the better of both of them as they pushed their way through the small group of students and were in awe of the sight before them.

What stood before them wasn’t Ramshackle dorm. Instead, what stood before them was a beautiful two-story house. The walls outside ranged from the most subtle of yellow, with very calming greens, as well as very light blues along with teal. The roof tiles were a dark amber color. The window shutters were a nice champagne color which didn’t stand out against the colors of the walls. That wasn’t the only thing that changed. The grounds surrounding Ramshackle had long been dead. Now the grass was a very healthy green in color with large palm trees scattered across the courtyard. There were at least a couple of palm trees which was in front or beside this new structure. There were bright reddish yellow flowers handing off the side of the dorm making it look like a waterfall of embers. Another plant next to the entrance had white flowers which made a small archway. 

Everyone present couldn’t believe their eyes, especially Crowley. What he had seen the night before and now were drastically different. Was this what the Mirror of Darkness meant? That this girl had so much potential. It made him wonder if Miss Madrigal had known what she was capable of.

“Dire, did you do this?” Divus asked, not shifting his gaze from the magnificent house.

“No I didn’t” Crowley replied back, also not shifting his gaze.

“Then who did this?” Ashton asked, wondering who had enough magical power to have created a beautiful vista.

“The only one I can think of in this situation is Miss Madrigal herself,” Crowley said, trying to imagine what else could Miss Madrigal do with this strong type of magic. 

“Miss Madrigal?” Divus and Ashton said, finally turning their gazes to Crowley, not believing that a child, let alone someone from another world could be capable of such a feat of strong magic. 

“The Mirror of Darkness stated that Miss Madrigal has some type of magic that is very foreign here. It also stated that her magic, for whatever reason, hasn’t had the opportunity to flourish. Maybe all of this was a way for her magic to release itself, as she doesn’t have any idea as to control it or even use it compared to the other students here” Crowley said, trying to think of a way to handle this situation. 

“Maybe this is a sign saying that we should give Miss Madrigal a chance to go to school here. If we were to send her back with little to no understanding about magic and how to use it, it could not only be bad for others around her but more importantly to herself.” Divus said, not wanting a puppy to be left out of proper training.

“ Divus you must understand, having her going around the school is a bigger problem in itself. First of all, she’s a girl and this school is an all-boys school. Why should we bend the rules for one person? Second of all, she can’t use magic properly so in classes where using magic is a requirement, she would need extra help on top of everything else. And since she can’t use her magic, she would be further behind all of the other students, which will end badly for her. Another factor is that she is from another world and has no financial assistance to pay for tuition as well as supplies.” Crowley said, not wanting to say any more about this topic.

However, Divus Crewel wasn’t prepared to go down without a fight.

“Are you serious right now, Dire? That first part of your argument is absolutely repulsive. She has every right to be taught as any other puppy that walks through those gates every morning. The Mirror brought her here for a reason. That should be given probable cause to bend the rules for her. Also, isn’t it our job to help educate students so that can use their magic? If she needs extra help than other students, it is our job to ensure that she reaches the same level or better yet excels even higher. And who cares if the other students don’t respect her, it is again our job to ensure to squash thoughts that those puppies may have to pick on her. And don’t worry your head about the cost, I’ll personally cover her expenses myself. ” Divus argued, having not met this girl yet, and was more than willing to help her any way he could. 

Dire Crowley was stumped. Sure he and Divus didn’t exactly see eye to eye on things, but he felt like this was going to be an ongoing discussion that would only escalate as time progressed. But before he could get another word out, Ashton had finally decided that this conversation needed to be capped off right now.

“Hey fellas, there’s no need for fighting so early in the morning. Maybe it would be better if we put a pin in this right now. Orientation begins in a couple of hours, and we need to be prepared for the new semester. However, Divus, this discussion will not be forgotten or swept under the rug. We’ll have a meeting to discuss this with other members of staff and get their opinions about this situation and go from there.” Ashton said, putting this argument to bed.

Divus and Dire weren’t expecting Ashton to be the responsible one in this situation, but weirder things have happened. Divus let out a sigh and then looked at Crowley with the harshest glare he could muster.

“You listen and you listen well, Dire. I don’t care what it takes, I will do everything in my power to help that girl, with or without your help” Divus snapped, fixing his composure and heading towards the magically renovated dorm. 

Dire was soon after Divus, sweating as the conversation wasn’t going to be dropped as he had hoped. But it was at least something that was pushed later. 

They both slowly made their way up the newly made cobble pathway up to the transformed dorm. Both were filled with apprehension as they didn’t know what to expect on the inside or what happened to Mirabel or the cat monster. 

Both men had reached the doorstep and when Crowley had reached for the door, the door immediately opened itself. Both men glanced at each other, they knew that this dorm was haunted but they didn’t know if this was carried over to this new dorm. But before they could step through the threshold, a force beneath their feet had propelled them back onto their backs. Vargas and the track team look on in disbelief that the dorm had thrown out the headmaster and the alchemy professor. The said individuals looked from where they stepped and saw that the tiles on the floor were moving like a treadmill. 

Both men looked from the floor and then at each other and wondered how were they going to get into this dorm without being thrown out. With a grunt, Crewel picked himself up from the ground and started dusting himself off. He could feel that this dorm had a strong type of energy, something that he couldn´t put his finger on. But he decided to give something a shot, despite how silly it would look.

¨I don´t know if you understand me, but we mean no harm. We are here to check up on the one who currently resides here. If you do not mind we would like to pass.¨ Crewel proceeded to negotiate with the building. 

All who were present looked at the man like he had officially lost his mind. But to their shock, the tiles had stopped moving and one of the window shutters had made a motion similar to waving at the visitors to come in. Hesitantly, Crewel waved back, not expecting his plan to work. 

This was beyond belief. Not only was this dorm completely rejuvenated by magic, but the magic had also created a dorm that had a consciousness of its own and that could understand what was being asked of it.

Turning to Crowley, Crewel had given him a hand to get him off of the ground. They once again decided to try entering again with somewhat success. Crewel was the only one who the dorm had ‘accepted’ to enter while Crowley was once again ‘treadmilled’ out and was on his back again. Crowley knew he was gonna have a bruise later. Crewel, not wanting to waste any more time, decided to appeal to the dorm again.

“Um, I don’t know what to call you, but I’m asking you to let in the headmaster as he wishes to speak to her as well,” Crewel said, trying not to upset the dorm to where it would throw him out as well.

The dorm fluttered its window shutters in what Crewel could possibly be in protest. Crewel figured out that the dorm had caved in as the moving tiles stopped once again. Crewel then turned to Crowley to motion him to follow. Crowley was hesitant, not wanting to injure himself further. After picking himself up from the ground again, he slowly made his way to the doorway. Making a very timid step, he could feel the tile being still and made another step inside. 

If they thought that the exterior was beautiful, the inside was even more spectacular. The men were both met with a courtyard that took up most of the foyer. The tiles made a star-like design from orange and brownish yellow, which was surrounded by darker brown tiles.  They looked up and saw that the dorm was restructured to that the courtyard wasn’t covered, giving them a nice view of the morning sky. There were multiple different archways, which the men could deduce were different rooms. These archways were covered with the same yellowish red and white flowers from outside which gave the archway a whimsical look. All of the walls were painted to be a nice pale yellow, with support beams and the railing for the upstairs being a teal color. They realized that there were no stairs leading up to the second floor, which they could see that there were multiple doors, and figured that Miss Madrigal was behind one of those doors. 

“Divus, how do you expect us to get up there? Maybe we should have brought Ashton-” Crowley started to say but was interrupted.

The dorm, hearing what Crowley said, had created a staircase complete with planks of wood and matching teal banisters out from nowhere. Crewel looked at Crowley with a small smirk.

“Does that answer your question, Dire?” Crewel smugly said.

Crowley decided not to remark on the comment and proceeded to go up the stairs, cautious that the dorm will try something again. Crewel was soon to follow behind the apprehensive headmaster, the smirk not leaving his face. They made it to the second floor without any hassle and were met with a bunch of doors that basically surrounded the courtyard. There were at least 12 doors in total. Each door was a dark reddish brown. Crowley then looked to Crewel, wondering how they were going to find Miss Madrigal with a bunch of unmarked doors. 

Then suddenly one of the doors began to shine a golden light, this door was located on the opposite side of them,  across the courtyard. When the light dimmed, they could see her name in cursive handwriting with an image of her on it. The image on the door was indeed puzzling. It was of her holding a candle, with the cat monster Grim beside her with all of the dorm crests surrounding her. The outline behind her was of Night Raven College. Both men looked at each other and were wondering what this would mean. But nevertheless, they traveled to the door, not knowing that the girl residing behind the door was wide awake and very confused. 

Chapter Text

*The Same Morning at Ramshackle Dorm (Casita 2.0)*

Mirabel, not noticing the changes around her, woke up in a very comfy bed. She woke up, slowly blinking the sleep out of her eyes. But what she saw was different from when she went to bed last night. She looked around her and saw that the room was clean and had different articles of furniture that weren’t there the night before. Beside her was a nightstand that had her glasses laying there. The wardrobe was white with intricate designs on it that somewhat resembled the skirt that she embroidered. There was a desk next to the wardrobe with a sewing machine that looked similar to the one that she had back in the nursery in Encanto. On her right-hand side was the window, which she could see had champagne-colored window shutters. Beneath the window was a very plush window seat. The padding was teal with pale yellow stripes. The window seat came with white pillows. The pillows were designed with teal tassels on the corners and were embroidered with golden butterflies. The tiles, when she shifted her gaze downwards, were dark brown. 

She looked above her and saw that the bed had created a canopy for her which were thin trees. Its branches, created an archway on all sides, with golden butterflies nestling inside the foliage of the trees. Also within the foliage were light blue hydrangeas which were attached to the curtains. There were cream-colored curtains, which looked like they were made from thin material, tied around all of the bed posts, which Mirabel had taken note of. The bed frame and posts were black, which looked very shiny as if they had been polished thoroughly. When Mirabel had gazed down at her fingers she could see that the sheets were now white (with no sign of it being dirty) with cream and light blue comforter. 

Mirabel, once again, questioned whether or not she was dreaming. All of this was not the same as the dust-encased, ghost-infested dorm that Crowley had ‘been so kind as to let her stay. 

Abuelo, if you can hear me, please pinch me or something to tell me I’m not dreaming again.

As if to answer her prayer, she heard a soft snore come from beside her. She shifted her gaze and saw that Grim was sleeping soundly beside her on a very plush pillow.

So everything that happened up until that point wasn’t a dream after all. This was real. That she was in a foreign world and found out that she had magic after so long of believing that she didn’t have any magic like the rest of her family. 

Ok so if he’s here, that means I’m still in Ramshackle Dorm. But I’m sure that it didn’t look like this when I went to bed. So does this mean that I did this? And if I did do this, then what else can I do?

But before she could think more about that, the lanky ghost from the night before had appeared in front of her bed.

Dios Mío. Not this again. I seriously DON’T wanna do this right now.

The ghost was very confused, probably just as much as she was. 

“What happened to our dorm?” The ghost asked, looking towards the now fully awake girl.

“I truly don’t know. I went to bed last night and it was caked in dust and unorganized, and I woke up and it was like this” Mirabel said, not wanting to deal with the ghosts so early in the morning. After their battle last night to now, she really didn’t have enough energy to do that again.

The ghost didn’t say much and this was putting Mirabel on edge as she didn’t know how he was going to react.

But much to Mirabel’s confusion, the ghost had started to laugh.

“Hehehehe. I’ve never thought that this dorm would turn into something even better than it was back when we were alive.” The ghost said, laughing with a large smile on his face.

Due to how it was seen yesterday, Mirabel couldn’t imagine what it looked like in the past as the ghost had reminisced. 

Then as soon as the ghost stopped laughing, the ghost must have come to some other realization to start laughing again.

“Oh that’s right I forgot. Don’t you two have to clean up the school?” The ghost said, chuckling under his breath.

But before Mirabel could answer, she could hear Grim stirring beside her on the pillow.

“*sleepy groan*... 5 more minutes,” Grim said sleepily, not wanting to get out of bed.

And then out of nowhere, the other two ghosts appeared beside Mirabel’s bed.

“Laze about too long and you’ll never wake up again,” said the littlest ghost merrily

“Just like us, Hehehehe,” said the chubby ghost, laughing at the two occupants.

This seemed to have broken Grim out of his sleepy stupor and now was fully awake.

“Ffgya? It’s those ghosts again!” Grim said, fully prepared to take down the ghosts once again.

“Hey hold it guys, it’s too early for us to be fighting in my room! Can we deal with this later please?” Mirabel said, her mind groggy after just waking up.

“Are you going to be living here? Well since you have somehow redone the dorm, we won’t prank you so hard. But don’t expect us to go easy on you two.Hehehehe.” the lanky ghost said, laughing as they faded from view.

Mirabel sighed in relief. Grim, on the other hand, wasn’t pleased.

“Shoot. We’ll get rid of you eventually!” Grim yelled, not liking the fact that the ghosts had ruined his sleep.

Mirabel then heard a couple of sets of footsteps coming toward her room. She was wondering who would be here this early in the morning. She then realized that one set could’ve belonged to the headmaster Crowley, but she couldn’t think of who the other set of footsteps belonged to. The door then opened and as Mirabel had suspected, one individual was Crowley. The man beside him was someone that Mirabel hadn’t met yet.

This man was at least a few inches shorter than Crowley and had a very unique style about him. This man’s hair was parted down the middle, one side being jet black and the other being bright white. This man’s outfit, in Mirabel’s opinion, was very busy. The man wore a long sleeve black shirt with a red tie. His vest was similar to his hair with one side being white and the other black, He had long black pants that went down to his ankles, and Mirabel could see that the man was wearing matching red socks and black and white lace-up shoes. What threw Mirabel for a loop was the heavy coat that the man was wearing. Just like everything the man was already wearing, the coat was white with black stripes. The coat appeared to be the fur of some kind but didn’t know what. One thing she didn’t notice before was that there were 3 tails at the backend of the coat which Mirabel could vaguely see.

“Good Morning you two. Did you sleep well?” Crowley asked with a smile.

“I slept great thanks, but the last time I checked we didn’t sleep in a cleaned-up dorm. Plus this place looks extremely luxurious” Grim said, looking around the room confused. 

“Plus we’d also want to know why the dorm had us tossed to the curb, Miss Madrigal,” Crowley said, turning to Mirabel.

Thrown out? How would that be...Wait, could it be?

“Casita?” Mirabel asked, not sure if she would get a response.

Much to the surprise of everyone, the window shutters had flapped as if acknowledging itself.

“Does it have a name?” Crowley asked in disbelief.

“It’s kinda a long story actually..” Mirabel trailed off.

Mirabel didn’t know how to explain how her family had a magic house and that she couldn’t explain how Casita had manifested here. It was so far from the Encanto and the candle.

But before Crowley could question her more, the man beside him spoke up.

“Let’s not worry about that right now pup. But before we do anything else, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Divus Crewel, I’m one of the main faculty at Night Raven College. May I ask what your name is pup?” the man, now named Divus Crewel asked.

I guess pup means me

“Um, my name is Mirabel. Mirabel Madrigal,” she said, not sure if she could trust this man.

But much to her surprise, the man smiled and made a nod of approval.

“That’s such a cute name for an adorable pup like you,” Crewel said, looking over Mirabel’s features.

“ Your hair looks very nourished and healthy. Somehow it's borderline very curly to frizzy, what kinds of products do you use?  The glasses are definitely unique, they frame your eyes the right way.” Crewel said rapidly.

Mirabel didn’t know what to say to this.

Is this what it means to be complimented? It feels nice like there are no flaws about me-

Mirabel stopped in thought and turned to look at the bags in Mr. Crewel’s hands. They had different lettering on the bags and came in different colors. She was very curious.

“Um Señor Crewel, what’s in those bags you got?” Mirabel asked, pointing to the bags.

When she asked this, Crewel then looked down at the bags and then handed them to Mirabel. She looked at the bags and then back at him in confusion as to why he was handing them to her. He smiled and gestured to the bags.

“These are for you. I certainly can’t let a puppy stay in an unfamiliar world with nothing but the robes on your back.  So I have taken the liberty of getting an array of items for you to make your stay here enjoyable. An adorable puppy like yourself should be taken care of.” Crewel said with so much pride in his voice.

Mirabel was shocked, to say the least.

Why? Why would he do this for me? A complete stranger? What’s the benefit for him? He didn’t need to do this for me. What could I do for him in exchange to pay for this-

“And don’t worry your pretty little head about the cost for any of these things. I’m more than happy to pay for these things. Plus I have more than enough money to splurge on anything I wish.”

Mirabel perked up. This man had done so much for her without even knowing her, for nothing in return. 

“Thank you, Señor. I don’t know what to say” Mirabel said, still not recovering from her shock.

Before Mr. Crewel could say more, Crowley interrupted with a subtle cough.

“Well.. that’s enough of that. The main reason we’re here is to discuss the work you’re going to be doing today” Crowley said, not realizing that Mr. Crewel was still in the room.

“Sorry, what was that? Work? You’re seriously putting this small puppy to work when she doesn’t know her way around? How careless of you, Dire. Let me inquire, what tasks are you going to give her and how much are you going to pay her?” Crewel asked, perking an eyebrow at the headmaster.

Crowley opened and then shut his mouth, not wanting to answer the alchemy professor. This, once again, got the man seething.

“ You mean to tell me you expect her, a child, to work for you, not knowing what she’s going to be doing FOR FREE?!??” Crewel said, suspiciously calm one moment and yelling at the last part.

Crowley, Mirabel, and Grim tensed up, not expecting the professor to react like that.

“ Divus, please calm yourself. I didn’t give her anything too hard. Besides, we know that she’s not an official student, we can’t have her staying here for free…” Crowley said, trembling before the irate man.

“ Excuse me, don’t ‘calm yourself’ me Dire! This is breaking so many labor laws. But that’s beside the point. You’re taking advantage of this girl! And you don’t intend to pay her?!? How is she going to survive here, alone, and practically penniless with nothing to support herself?!” Crewel said, going full-on rant at the trembling headmaster.

But after a quick second, Mr. Crewel regained his composure and took a long deep breath.

“ Ok then. I will allow you to explain yourself and we’ll negotiate terms as to Miss Madrigal’s residency among other things we NEED to discuss DIRE” Crewel said slowly. His brow twitched nonstop.

Crowley gulped but before he could retort, he was dragged by the collar by the professor out of the room. But before he passed the doorway, Crewel turned back to Mirabel.

“ Miss Madrigal, please change into the clothes that I brought for you. We will be waiting for you downstairs. Come along, monster.” Crewel gestured for Grim to follow. 

Grim, not wanting to anger the man any further, followed silently. Leaving Mirabel to change into the clothes in the bags which lay on her bed. Mirabel grabbed the bags and wondered where she was going to change. She saw another door attached to her room so she went to open it.

Behind the door was a beautiful bathroom. The walls were a dark teal color. The cabinets were black with pale gold handles. The countertop was white marble which contrasted with the cabinets. The sink was on one side of the countertop with a pale gold facet. On the other side of the cabinet, there was a toilet. In the corner of the bathroom, there was a large white porcelain tub with legs of the tub being black. The faucet was the same pale gold as the sink faucet.  The tiles on the floor were white which felt cold on her feet as she walked in. Mirabel continued to look around, surprised at how beautiful it was. 

She quickly put those thoughts aside and looked into the bags to see what Mr. Crewel had gotten for her. When she looked inside, she was curious and pulled everything out and put it on top of the counter. When everything was finally out of the bags, Mirabel was intrigued by what was laid out before her. 

The clothes consisted of a long sleeve button-up white shirt which came with a black and white tie, a black skirt that went to her knees, long black stockings, and black flats. Mirabel started putting everything on with a lot of precision and care, not wanting to tear anything. After putting everything on and looking at herself in the mirror, it was vastly different from what she was used to. She was used to brightly colored clothes but they looked nice nonetheless.

She quickly put on her shoes and before she left her ‘new room’ she grasped the doorknob and took a deep breath.

Make the family proud

She opened the door, and she saw everything around her look exactly similar to how Casita looked back home other than the color scheme and there are more doors than before. She figured she’d look in them later as she didn’t want to keep both men and Grim waiting on her. She effortlessly glided down the stairs and into the kitchen area. They were waiting in the dining room area with some food made and fresh coffee and tea as well. Grim was sitting on the table as he was too short to reach the table from the chair and was happily munching on something. Both men were sitting across from each other and were drinking what looked to be coffee. Crewel looked at Crowley with a hard look while slowly sipping his coffee. Meanwhile, Crowley was looking at his cup nervously. 

As if he had heard her coming, Crewel looked past Crowley and his eyes lightened up. He got up and made his way toward Mirabel.

“I must say that I did a fantastic job if I do say so myself. I would have made some clothes myself but due to such short notice, I decided that I would buy a few things and see how they looked. And you, dear puppy, are absolutely adorable” Crewel said., very pleased about his fashion choices. 

This caught Mirabel off guard. She never knew a man who loved to make clothes. The only person she knew that made clothes was the seamstress in town and that was it. 

But before she could ask him about that, he quickly gestured to another chair that had a plate of food right in front of it. 

“Have something to eat first and while you’re doing that, the headmaster has something to tell you.” Mr. Crewel said, giving a side eye to Crowley as he guided Mirabel to the chair and then situated himself in his chair again. 

It was tense. Even possibly tenser when Abuela was upset about what Mirabel had ‘supposedly’ done and had given her an unapproving glance from her spot at the table. Mirabel slowly ate her food, which was very delicious, and washed it down with a cup of juice. After she was finished, Crowley made a coughing noise which got her attention.

“As Mr. Crewel so kindly spoke to me about your residency here, there will be new guidelines for you. Since this dorm was revamped by your magic and apparently listens to only you, you will responsible for this dorm and will not have any interference from anyone unless necessary. As for food, Mr. Crewel and I decided that you will be given an allowance each week so you can buy what you would like in the cafeteria. As for the dorm supply of food, you will write down a list of things that you will need and Mr. Crewel or myself will approve of this list and will direct you to Sam’s Mystery Shop where you can purchase said items. Just tell Sam that Mr. Crewel and myself sent you, and he won’t give you any problems. And please tell him to send an invoice to us about the purchase.” Crowley said, looking at both Mirabel and Crewel. 

Mirabel hadn’t been given much responsibility before, so she was determined to make this right.

Crowley then continued to list other guidelines.

“ As for your current situation, the faculty will later convene and decide whether or not you should be enrolled as a student at Night Raven College-” Crowley started before Mirabel interrupted.

“But I thought you said I couldn’t because I was a girl-” Mirabel spoke before Crewel cut in.

“That is true however that is not an excuse to exclude you. The Mirror of Darkness is never wrong about the students it picks to enroll here. If it was the Mirror’s intent to bring you here then we shouldn’t contest its decision. Not only that but since you don’t fully have a grasp of your magic just yet, it would be in your best interest to learn how to control it. It would look very bad if a prestigious magic school such as Night Raven College to not teach magic to someone who needs learning about what magic could be used for” Crewel said, not leaving anything out.

Mirabel understood from his point of view but didn’t understand why the Mirror chose her to begin with when it could’ve been anyone. Like Camilo, Dolores, Luisa or Señorita Perfecta Isabela. But Crowley´s voice broke her out of her thoughts.

“And as for your work for today, you will be paid 1500 madols an hour so that you can have a little bit of money coming in until we can make our decision about your enrollment,” Crowley said.

“But Señor you don’t need to pay me-” Mirabel started to say before being cut off by Crewel once again.

“Of course, he needs to pay you puppy. He needs to understand that he can’t be working his employees to the bone with little to no pay at all” Crewel said making invisible jabs at the headmaster.

Crowley cleared his throat and continued on again.

“Today you will be responsible for cleaning the campus today. And since you can’t fully use your magic, it would be next to impossible to clean that much since the campus is quite large. So today you will be responsible for cleaning Main Street from the gate to the library. Understood?” Crowley said, looking at Mirabel.

She quickly nodded in agreement.

“Please watch Grim so that he doesn’t make a scene like yesterday,” Crowley said, looking to Grim and then back to Mirabel. 

“I understand” Mirabel quickly said.

“Perfect. I’m counting on you, Miss Madrigal. Take care of your work enthusiastically” Crowley said getting up from the table and walking out.

This was when Grim decided to speak up.  

“Hmph. No way am I doing any cleaning. I wanna go to class and go BANG! BOOM BOOM BOOM! And use a bunch of spells” Grim said in enthusiasm.

Mirabel didn’t share the same enthusiasm and the look on Mr. Crewel’s face didn’t look excited either.

I need to act quick

“Tell you what buddy, how about after work today we can go to the library and read up on some spells? How does that sound?” Mirabel said, hoping that would appease the cat monster.

Grim didn’t sound all that please and crossed his paws together.

Before Mirabel could reason with him more, Crewel got up from his chair and gestured for Mirabel to do the same.

“Seeing as Crowley was in such a hurry to go, he didn’t explain how to get to Main Street from here. So do so kindly follow me and don’t doddle. Puppies that get lost get into a pickle without supervision.” Crewel said, getting ready to walk out the door. Mirabel scooped Grim into her arms much to his dismay. The doors opened themselves up for the both of them. But before they made it out the gate, Mirabel gave a quick wave to her new home away from home before following closely behind Mr. Crewel.

Today is going to be a fantastic day. What can go wrong?

Oh boy, she doesn’t even know what’s coming. 

Chapter Text

Hello my dear readers,

I apologize for the next chapter being on the wings for so long. Rest assured, it is still under revisions and is still being worked on. I wanted you all to know that I appreciate you guys liking my story.
I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.

Chapter Text

*Meanwhile back in Encanto*

“MIRABEL!”

“Mirabel!”

“Mirabel!”

This was heard throughout the morning after the gift ceremony which ended with Casita cracking at the seams. All the Madrigals were out searching for the only Madrigal not present when the night was over. The townspeople were still in shock at what had transpired. There wasn’t an explanation from Alma or anyone else from the family about the matter, which didn’t soothe anyone’s worries.

They began their search at first light and had been searching since. Each family member taking a different direction, hoping to cover more ground. As the minutes ticked by, their hopes of finding her started getting smaller and smaller. 

However, during this time, no one had noticed that the second oldest grandchild had stopped searching and had gone back to Casita in silence. Dolores, being graced with quiet footsteps, made her way back to the front door without being followed. She quickly let herself in and closed the front door behind her so that no one could see her.

She hurried up the stairs and went to where her room was, stopping by the painting beside her room. She slowly placed her hands to the side of the painting and moved it, revealing a hole within the wall of Casita. She knew just where the hole was as the rats would scurry at all times day and night. She stepped in and pulled the painting behind her, covering the hole once again. There was a narrow tunnel, which made Dolores shutter at how cramped it felt. 

She could hear muttering further down the tunnel. Without a moment to spare, Dolores had begun to make her way toward the muttering. Dolores was sure to be mindful as to where she stepped as she could hear the floorboards creaking from underneath her footsteps. Slowly but surely, Dolores had made her way toward the sound. Before reaching the sound, she could see a dimmed light at the end of the tunnel, which made a small archway into what looked like a small study area. 

She peeked her head around the archway to see the man who she had been keeping secret for a very long time. She could see him pacing back and forth in the small room, muttering something under his breath as Dolores was trying to listen in. He eventually stopped and took in a deep breath before exhaling.

“Dolores, I know you’re there and I can guess you have a good guess as to why you’re here,” said the man turning towards Dolores with a look that she couldn’t tell was apprehension or a whole different emotion entirely.

The man before her was none other than Bruno Madrigal. The Madrigal who had long ‘disappeared’ after Mirabel’s disastrous gift ceremony. 

Dolores, knowing that she couldn’t fool her tío, came out from where she was and made her way toward him. She didn’t say anything but hugged him. Bruno didn’t know what to feel at that moment but embraced his sobrina as she was a little girl when he left and hid within the walls. They stayed like that for a while hugging in silence. 

After a few minutes of hugging, they pulled apart and looked at each other. Before Dolores could speak, Bruno stopped her. 

“Although it’s been nice to see you, Dolores, the answer is no by the way,” Bruno said, turning Dolores around and lightly gesturing her toward where she came through.

Dolores, however, wasn’t going to give in without saying something. She dug in her heels to slow him down as he tried lightly pushing her towards the door. 

“Please, tío Bruno. I know I’m asking a lot but please just try and hear me out.” Dolores said, pleading to the man trying to push her out of his living space.

“NO. NO. and a third time is the charm NO!” Bruno said, who had resorted to using more force to try to get her out.

“Bruno, please, we-” Dolores said before she was cut off again by her tío.

“No. Don’t say WE. I’m not doing any visions, not for anyone or anything. Especially for this family” Bruno said, undeterred by Dolores’ appeal.

“Besides, even if I wanted to, which I DON’T, if I see something you won’t like you’ll go screaming into town about how ‘horrible’ I am and that I MAKE bad things happen. I know you still hold a grudge against me for the vision I gave you years ago” Bruno said, not wanting to continue this conversation anymore. 

“But you told me that the man of-” Dolores began, but Bruno snapped

“I only told you that so that you wouldn’t get hurt, to soften the blow a little bit. I didn’t do this on purpose or to spite you. To think that you thought like that, that gives me even more of a reason NOT to do any vision” Bruno said, eventually forcing Dolores out.

Bruno then turned away from Dolores, not wanting to look his sobrina in the face. He didn’t want her to see how much her assumption had hurt him.

Dolores knew how much she had messed up, Not wanting to upset her tío any further,  she started to walk back the way she came, not sparing a glance behind her. She made her way back to where the painting opened up back into Casita. Dolores then closed the painting very softly so that no one could tell what was behind it. 

“Dolores!” someone shouted behind her.

Dolores turned around fast to see Abuela standing near the main door, looking very unhappy.

“Dolores, what are you doing here? Everyone stopped looking for Mirabel and is starting on their tasks for today. Why are you here and not down in the Encanto helping?” Abuela said, putting her hands on her hips with a disapproving look.

Dolores, not wanting to tell her about Bruno to avoid any drama, was quick to come up with a lie.

“I’m sorry Abuela. I have a really bad headache and I need to go lay down for a bit.” Dolores said, hoping to not sound suspicious.

Abuela was silent for a little bit, processing her nieta’s answer. The frown on her face not leaving.

After a few minutes, Alma took a deep breath in and exhaled. 

“Fine. But you must be back in town as soon as you feel better. The community is counting on us.” Alma said, turning around in a huff and nonchalantly slamming the door behind her.

When the door slammed shut, Dolores let out a sigh of relief. She needed a nap after how her heart dropped at the sight of Abuela. Dolores continued down the hall back to her room, slowly opened the door, and lightly closed it. She sat on her bed and sighed, not expecting today to be such a disaster. She lay down and stared at the ceiling for a while and eventually closed her eyes.

~The Same Day~

As the day progressed, there was still a bit of a somber mood throughout the entire family. Julieta took it the hardest as she would start crying as she was doing her duty to heal the townspeople. This happened multiple times and many were very nervous to be around the despairing mother. Alma did not like this one bit. She had pulled her daughter aside numerous times to tell her to ‘pull herself together’ and ‘ show some composure as a Madrigal’, which made Julieta cry even more thinking of her daughter. Agustín eventually had enough of Alma’s behavior and politely told her to back off as he could tell his wife was unconsolable at that time and his mother-in-law’s attitude wasn’t helping either. He was hurting on the inside about his daughter, but he wanted to show his wife that he could be her shoulder to cry on.

Other members of the family couldn’t bear to hear Julieta’s cries when they ultimately passed by her to fulfill their duties. They tried to tune them out but to no avail. They wished to give her some form of comfort but a stern look from Alma had dissuaded them from doing so. 

Eventually, it was time for everyone to head back to Casita. They were slow in their approach to the house. Agustín holding his wife, one hand on her back and another one holding her hand. Everyone else followed behind, keeping their distance from Julieta. From the path leading up to Casita, they were all horrified to see that the cracks were spreading. Slowly but surely, they were creeping along the walls. Opening the front door, Casita was silent which left an eerie feeling. 

Before Alma could say anything, Agustín began to lead Julieta to her room. 

“Julieta, could you please start on dinner?” Alma asked to their retreating backs.

Whatever resolve Agustín had before this moment immediately vanished. He spun around to give his mother-in-law a disgusted look.

“How could you say that right now? Can’t you see that she’s in no position to do that? How HEARTLESS are you?” Agustín yelled, his face contorted in anger. 

But before he could say any more, Julieta calmly walked up the stairs, her face covered by her hair but Agustin knew that she was close to crying again. 

He gave a glare towards Alma before hurrying up the stairs to join his wife.

Alma was at her breaking point with Julieta. Why couldn’t her daughter understand that being miserable all day wasn’t doing the community any good? Many of the villagers came up to her asking that Julieta took some time off to process the disappearance of her daughter. OF COURSE, Alma was quick to deny this request as too much to ask for Julieta’s gift to be out of use for the unforeseen future. 

 She glared at both her daughter and son-in-law as they went into Julieta’s room and could hear the door shut.

Alma quickly regained her composure and then turned to the rest of her family. Which now consisted of Pepa, Felix, and their children along with Luisa and Isabela. 

“Due to Julieta’s unmanageable behavior, it looks like we will be having leftovers for dinner tonight,” Alma said, nonchalantly towards her daughter's emotions.

And with that, Alma turned back to go up the stairs and headed to her room.

Once they could hear the door shut, everyone let out a sigh of relief. They didn’t realize that they were holding their breaths after Agustín’s outburst. Everyone then looked at each other before parting ways to rest up before dinner. 

Dinner that night was tense. Everyone ate in silence, Alma had a neutral expression on her face after Agustin had blown up at her. Julieta and Agustín weren’t present as Julieta once again started sobbing as her husband ushered her to her room after he berated her mother. They sat in the silence of her room as Julieta was sobbing into Agustín’s shoulder. With no luck finding her daughter, her emotions were running high. Julieta was grateful that she didn’t have Pepa’s gift as she was certain that there would be a hurricane over the Encanto with how she felt at the moment. 

Try as she could move on with her day, she couldn’t stop thinking about her daughter. Her sweet little mariposa, her sweet baby Mirabel. Julieta knew that Antonio’s gift ceremony was a huge occasion for the family and that the day was going to be hard on Mirabel. Despite her input, her mother brushed it off. The ceremony went as planned and succeeded.

But at what cost?

Now their house was breaking and her daughter was nowhere to be found. 

Where could she have gone? 

Mirabel’s door held clues to something but nothing seemed to make sense. 

What did those symbols mean? 

Was Mirabel just a late bloomer if her door had appeared amongst the cracks any indication?

“Julieta” she heard her husband say in a hushed tone. 

Julieta looked up at her husband, who pulled out his handkerchief to hand her. She smiled and took it from him, drying her eyes. 

“I’m going downstairs to grab some arepas for us. You just stay here while I do that” he said, getting up and heading towards the door.

“That’s ok, I can go make something-” Julieta said, about to get off the bed. 

She didn’t get the chance to stand up when Agustín whipped around to his wife. 

“No. No there’s no need for that. I’m perfectly fine going down to get some you made yesterday. You should get some more rest. I’m sure everyone is going to be fine with leftovers for today” Agustín said, thinking back to his spat with Alma earlier. 

He could tell that Mirabel’s disappearance didn’t phase Alma at all and wanted everyone to move on as if nothing had happened. And here Alma was, trying to get Julieta to forget that her daughter, her GRANDAUGHTER, was missing and demanding that she go on with her life not knowing what happened to her daughter. That was something that Agustin couldn’t forgive. But getting mad at Alma won’t fix Juileta’s pain, so he put his feelings aside so Julieta wouldn’t worry about a thing.

Julieta, seeing that her husband was trying to make her feel better, sat back down on the bed. She felt emotionally and physically exhausted. Today took a lot out of her. It felt horrible, it felt like she lost another person who meant so much to her. It felt like losing her brother all over again. It has been 10 years since Bruno left, it left a big hole in her heart, and now her daughter vanished into the night.

Seeing that his wife sat back down on the bed, Agustín turned and slowly opened the door. He was surprised to see Antonio standing outside. Agustín was stunned as Antonio peeked around Agustín’s legs to see Julieta.

“Tía, can I come in?” Antonio said, his voice in a whisper.

“Of course, mi sobrino. Have a seat right next to me” Julieta said, patting the bed. 

He hurries past Agustín’s legs and quickly made his way to Julieta. He quickly climbed onto the bed where Julieta had patted and adjusted himself. Before Julieta could ask him anything, he turned to her his eyes slightly watering.

“Tía, is this my fault?” Antonio asked, his voice trembling.

“ Antonio, why would you say that?” Agustín said, regaining his composure, closing the door, and then turning back around to both Julieta and Antonio.

“It’s my fault because I got a gift and she didn’t,” Antonio said, tears threatening to spill. 

“No Antonio, this isn’t your fault. We don’t know why Mirabel disappeared but I know for a fact that you were not to blame” Julieta said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

 “Then why do I feel like it is?” Antonio said, not fully believing what she was saying.

“Antonio, don’t worry. I’m sure Mirabel will return soon. We must not lose hope” Julieta said, pulling Antonio into a hug.

With this action, Antonio began to cry. His tears streamed down his cheeks, hiccuping as he cried into his tía’s arms. It hurt Julieta to see her sobrino despair. She couldn’t imagine what thoughts were going through his head. Never did she think that he would blame himself for what happened. Agustín went to hug Antonio as well, giving the boy small pats on his back.

After what seemed like a long while, they pulled apart and Agustín went to get some arepas from downstairs. Antonio continued to hug Julieta as he tried to keep his eyes open. Julieta combed her hand through his hair, letting him know it was ok for him to fall asleep. And with that, Antonio fell asleep, giving his puffy eyes a chance to rest.

A few moments later. Agustín had returned with a couple of arepas. Julieta could see the steaming, meaning that he had warmed them up for her. She peered behind him and saw Pepa and Felix with him. If the storm cloud was any indication, she could tell that Pepa was upset too.

“Juli, are you ok?” Pepa said in a hushed tone, seeing Antonio asleep in her hermana’s arms.

Julieta looked down at Antonio and then back up to Pepa.

“Honestly, no I’m not,” Julieta said, not wanting to downplay her feelings.

“If I had your gift, I would be wreaking havoc by now,” Julieta said, letting out a small laugh.

Felix moved past his wife and put a hand on Julieta’s shoulder.

“Hey cuñada, I can’t imagine how you must feel right now. But don’t let what Alma said bother you. I’m sure that Mirabel will turn up again in no time” Felix said, with a soft smile.

“I’m scared, Felix. What if she’s lost, cold, hungry-” Julieta rambled but Pepa took her hand and placed it on top of Julieta’s.

“If she’s anything like you Juli, she will be ok. But since she’s mostly like Agustín, his clumsiness may or may not get her into trouble” Pepa said, looking at her cuñado.

“I certainly hope so,” Julieta said, thinking of Mirabel again but this time as a small frail child that would hold onto her skirt when being around others.

Seeing Julieta’s pensive look, Pepa decided that it was their time to go. She slowly shifted her niño from her hermana’s arms into her own. 

“Don’t worry about mamá, I’ll deal with her myself tomorrow. You need to rest Juli please” Pepa said, looking into her hermana’s eyes.

“Don’t worry Pepa, I got this” Agustín said, slowly opening the door for Pepa and Felix.

“Good night,” Pepa said, exiting the room first with Felix right after her.

Agustín closes the door and made his way to his wife. 

He sat down beside her and hugged her.

“No matter what happens, just know that I will always be beside you no matter what,” Agustín said in a soothing voice.

“I know you will,” Julieta said, kissing her husband on the lips.

“Let’s head off to bed,” Agustín said, starting to see Julieta start to drift off.

Julieta nodded as she could feel herself getting sleepy.

A few moments later, they had tucked into bed, not knowing what tomorrow would bring.

But from within the walls, there were no signs of sleep in sight.

Bruno had heard everything that had transpired ever since the family had returned home. Bruno hated to hear his hermana cry. He hated that his sobrino, the one who he had never met, was blaming himself for something he had no part in. He was frustrated that his mamá would be unfeeling towards the entire situation like his sobrina never mattered at all.

His mind was in total turmoil. On one hand, he wanted to have a vision to try and give his hermana some closure about her daughter. But on the other hand, what if the vision was bad and his hermana will blame him for something happening to her? 

He kept pacing back and forth in his small quarters. Not sure what he should do. 

Hours had gone by when he stopped his pacing. With a deep sigh, he made up his mind.

He was going to have another vision. 

If he was going to be hated for giving closure, then it was something he would have to deal with at a later time.

He swiftly made his way through the walls, watching where he stepped to not wake any of the sleeping occupants in the house. He made his way to where the painting opened up and slowly pushed it enough to where he could squeeze through. He let his foot softly touch the floor, then the other one, and slowly closed the painting again.

He could see his room from across the way but trying to get there would be a struggle in itself. He tiptoed past the cracked door image of his missing sobrina, past the door to the nursery, and hoped that what he would see would have some hope for his sobrina’s safety. He then passed Isabela’s room and was making his way past Luisa’s where he could see the door flickering. He had his door in sight when he could see his hermana’s door also flicker. 

He had finally made it up the little steps to his door. But when he went to touch the doorknob, he hesitated. He knew there was no turning back after this. But he knew he was doing the right thing. He took a deep breath and touched the doorknob. He could feel the magic light up his door and turned the knob to open it. He had to force the door open a bit as it had been a decade since he had been in his room.

He could see the sand had accumulated over the years of dormancy. There was a large drop-off from the entrance of the doorway but he set aside his fear and took the plunge. It was like landing on a pillow. He didn’t miss the sand. He got up quickly and dusted himself off. Then he took a gaze at the long stairwell.

Dios mío, this is going to be a long night

He made his descent up the long set of stairs. He couldn’t tell how long it was before he was out of breath and was now on his hands and knees. 

Somehow someway he had finally made it up the stairs. His breath was labored and he was not afraid to admit that he had lost his touch on getting up these stairs. His thoughts stopped when he saw that the bridge connecting to his vision cave was gone. 

If he could pass out and forget it all, he would but he was a man on a mission. 

Seeing that there were no other options to cross it, he decided now he was going to take a leap of faith. He moved back and sent a quick prayer to his father as he started to gain speed. Then he could feel his feet leave the ground but couldn’t bring himself to look down. He could feel his body hit the hard stone. It hurt like hell so he gave himself a few moments to catch his breath and regain his composure. When he was ready, he stood up and began to dust himself from all the sand. 

He saw his vision cave in front of him. He thought that he would never see this place again. It was dark and unwelcoming but he couldn’t bring himself to look at it any more than he had to. He set off to the opening of his cave. He used all his strength to pull the door open but was struggling to do so. Sure the door was stone but why did it feel heavier than before? 

After a bit of struggle, he managed to pry the door open, just enough for him to squeeze through. After catching his breath, he made his way into the cave's center. It was cold and dark, making it more ominous than it was years ago. There was no turning back after this.

He immediately got to work. He set up what he needed. He took a deep breath in and out and allowed the sand to shift around him. He opened his eyes, they were as green as his ruana, and with that, the sands had also taken the same green color.

With the shifting of the sand, it began to show Bruno his sobrina’s future.

He saw a tall castle emerge from the sands. He could see a confrontation with his sobrina along with a cat-looking thing and a boy. Then it shifts to another boy entering the picture and both boys chase said cat with Mirabel in tow. What he saw next scared him, now he could see that Mirabel, the cat, and the two boys come face to face with a creature of unimaginable proportions. He could see the monster tower over them and see the looks of fear on all that were present. With this final scene, an emerald tablet began to take form. He grabbed the tablet with his hands and the sand began to settle back again.

The image of his sobrina in danger was a cause of concern for Bruno. His brows furrowed in despair.

Mirabel, what are you doing?

Chapter Text

 *Main Street~ Night Raven College campus*

Mirabel followed close behind Crewel as he was leading her to their destination. She could see much more of what was around her versus the night before. The lawn was well maintained and was a nice vibrant green. They were walking along a stone path, eventually leading them to seven statues. The statues were facing each other with four on one side and three on the other. Each statue, from what Mirabel could see, stood firm and with poise. 

All these statues look a bit intimidating

Mirabel thought of this as they stopped where the statues were. Mirabel could see that the entryway to Night Raven College was further down the path. 

“Alright, puppies. This is Main Street. From what the headmaster has instructed, your job is to mainly clean from here to the courtyard and then towards the library. When you get to the library that's when you’ll take your lunch break, however, that seems too much for a couple of puppies such as yourselves, so I’ll just ask you to clean from Main Street to the courtyard and then you’ll come and find me and see how we feel after that. Don’t want any of my puppies overworking themselves” Mr. Crewel said, giving Mirabel and Grim instructions on what to do. 

“I apologize for leaving so soon puppy, but I need to prepare some things for the new term. But I promise you that we will have that meeting about your acceptance into our school. And maybe afterward, I can try and answer any questions you may have. I must be on my way. Be good puppies” Mr. Crewel said, patting Mirabel on the head before continuing down the path, leaving Mirabel and Grim on Main Street. 

Mirabel gave a small sigh and made a small smile.

Alright. This shouldn’t be too bad. What’s the worst that could happen? Today’s going to be a breeze.

“Woah. Amazing. So this is Main Street.” Grim said, with his eyes sparkling in excitement.

Mirabel nodded her head in agreement. She was excited yet nervous about being somewhere far from home and seeing something new. 

“ I didn’t get a good look yesterday but what’s with these statues? All seven of them look pretty scary” Grim said, looking at the statues intensely.

At least we agree on something

Grim started walking and stopped in front of one of the statues. The statue was of a portly woman, wearing a poofy dress and crown. 

“This granny looks especially snobby,” Grim said, pointing to the statue.

Before Mirabel could say anything, she heard a voice from behind her.

“You don’t know the Queen of Hearts?” the voice asked.

Grim and Mirabel jumped up at the new voice. It wasn’t Headmaster Crowley or Mr. Crewel who she met earlier, it was a boy, who looked not that much older than her. Everything about this boy came off as odd to Mirabel.

The boy had fluffy hair, almost like it hadn’t been brushed. His hair was a darker shade of reddish-orange, which reminded Mirabel of Pepa. His outfit (which Mirabel concluded was a uniform of some sort) consisted of long black pants, strange red laced-up shoes, a black blazer, and a white dress shirt with a red vest. He had a red ribbon tied around his arm as well. Another thing Mirabel found odd was that he only wore one glove which was on his left hand, and had a heart painted under his left eye. 

“ The Queen of Hearts? Is she important?” Grim asked the stranger.

The stranger nodded.

“ In the past, she was the queen who lived in the Rose Maze. She was someone who valued rules and disciple above all. Strict in all things from the march of the Card Soldiers to the color of the rose bushes. It was a land of madness where all submit to her rule.” The stranger explained. 

“Why?” Grim asked.

“Why? Well if you don’t, it was off with your head!” The stranger said, adding more emphasis on the last few words.

Grim and Mirabel paled at the thought of being beheaded.

“ That sounds terrifying” Grim squeaked.

“It’s cool. I like it!” The stranger said with a smile.

What’s wrong with this guy Abuelo?

“Nobody would listen to a queen who’s nice all the time, right?” The stranger reasoned.

“ I suppose so. A strong leader is better.” Grim said, agreeing with the stranger. 

I don’t think that’s what a strong leader does

“By the way, who are you?” Grim asked the stranger.

“I’m Ace. A fresh-faced first year. Nice to meet you” The stranger, now named Ace, introduced himself with a smile.

Ace.. such a unique name.

“I’m Grim. A genius who’ll become the greatest magician. The dimwit over here is Mirabel. They’re my henchwoman” Grim introduced both himself and Mirabel.

Mirabel looked at Grim with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not your henchwoman. But anyway, Ace it’s nice to meet you” Mirabel said with a smile.

Grim didn’t take what Mirabel said seriously and asked Ace more questions.

“ Hey Ace, the lion over there with the scar, are they famous?” Grim asked, pointing to another statue.

The statue was of a lion. It was standing proudly on a large rock with a long scar on its left eye. 

“Of course. This is the King of Beasts who rules the savannah. However, he wasn’t born to be king, he took the throne through effort and elaborate planning. After becoming king, he even allowed the loathed hyenas to live in his kingdom without discrimination.”

Ok, now that doesn’t sound too bad, right Abuelo?

“Oooh. I guess he was a rock not held captive by his status!” Grim yelled happily.

Grim once again pointed to another statue.

“Who’s the lady with octopus legs?” Grim asked Ace.

What’s an ‘octopus’?

The statue was completely different than the ones Grim pointed out. The figure was of a person with the top part of her body looking human, but the bottom half, she couldn’t describe.  The statue was holding a piece of paper, with the lettering illegible. This confused Mirabel further but kept it to herself. 

“The Sea Witch who lives in a cavern in the deep. Her purpose was to help all unfortunate merfolk. As long as you could pay the price, she could transform you, help you find love, anything. If it was within her power there wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t do. They say her prices were high, though. That’s what it costs for ‘anything’.”

Sounds what the family does every day. Wait. If she was super kind, why would she even ask for payment? Come to think of it… Abuela never asked for any kind of payment from anyone if one of the family needed to do something for the community. But also, what are merfolk?

“So what you’re saying is I can get rich if I become a great magician?” Grim said excitedly.

Grim then gesture to another statue. It was a very tall man with a big hat and long robe that made it look like a nightdress. He had a very stern look on his face. He had his left hand on his hip with his right hand grasping a staff that had a snake's head. 

“What about that man in the big hat?” Grim asked.

“ The Sorcerer of the Sands. He was a cunning vizier, who was employed by a foolish sultan. He was vigilant and saw through a fake prince, who in reality was a street rat trying to deceive the princess. Then he got a magic lamp and became the most powerful sorcerer of all! With that power, they say he became sultan” Ace said.

Abuelo why is it that this story sounds off to me? I can’t put my finger on it but something doesn’t add up.

“Ho hoh! So it is important for a magician to be the center of attention!” Grim said.

Mirabel could feel Grim’s ego expand more as Ace progressed but didn’t comment.

Grim turned his attention to another statue. The statue was of a very elegant woman, whose dress sleeves were so long that they touched the ground. She, like the Queen of Hearts, had a crown placed upon her head. She was holding something in her hand but Mirabel couldn’t figure out what it is.

“Oooh. This lady sure is beautiful.” Grim praised the statue. 

“She is the Beautiful Queen. Every day she checked her ‘beauty ranking’ in her magic mirror. And when it looked like she might fall from the number one spot, she never hesitated to do anything to get it back. I guess she had a strong will to remain the most beautiful person in the world. So freaking amazing. They say she was adept at making poisons ” Ace said. 

Ugh, she sounds just like freaking ISABELA! Except for the poison thing, yikes. The thought of that selfish entitled princess makes my skin itch. THANK GOD, I don’t have to see her face anytime soon! Another thing I don’t regret coming here. 

“She’s pretty…. but no thanks…” Grim said, his face paling a bit.

“Agreed,” Mirabel said.

“You think? But it’s cool that she has something she’ll never give up” Ace said.

I’ve said this before and I’ll repeat it. What is wrong with this guy?

“Uh, sure, that single-minded drive is pretty cool,” Grim said, trying to look for a way to change the topic. 

“ Over there. What’s with the guy of fire? Just looking gives me goosebumps.” Grim said pointing to another state.

Mirabel looked to where Grim was pointing and she silently agreed with him. The statue looked human if it wasn’t for the flaming hair, and the small flame coming from his right pointer finger. Mirabel saw the statue wearing something that looked like a curtain. The statue also had a wicked grin that made her very uneasy.

“That’s the Lord of the Underworld. He rules a land crawling with evil spirits on his own. No doubt he is extremely skilled. Even though he’s got a scary face, he did that detestable job without ever taking a vacation and his sincerity won over Cerberus, the hydra, and even the Titans to fight for him” Ace said.

Cerberus... Why does that sound so familiar? I know I’ve heard of it somewhere before

“Hmm. So having talent doesn’t mean you get to be haughty.” Grim said.

Grim points to the last and final statue.

“ And the last one, with the horns?” Grim asked.

The statue was different in some way Mirabel couldn’t explain. 

Like a couple of the other statues, this statue was just as tall. They wore a long dress with long flowing sleeves, which had long jagged edges. The figure held their head high with great importance. The figure held a long scepter in their left hand, which was just as tall as them in comparison. Like some of the other statues that they’ve seen, they looked human except for the long horns protruding from their head.

“That is the Witch of Thorns from the Magic Mountains. Noble and Elegant, amongst the Great Seven, she is top class in magic and curses. She can summon lightning and storms, can cover an entire country in thorns, and her magic is on a whole other level. There was even a time when she transformed into a huge dragon!” Ace said.

“Ooh. A dragon! All monsters looked up to them!” Grim said excitedly. 

I may not know a lot about “magic” but I don’t think curses are a good thing 

“They’re all so cool,” Ace said, looking at all the statues with adoration.

But before Mirabel could thank him for his help explaining, he turned to both her and Grim with a smirk on his face.

“Unlike a certain cat,” Ace said, in a condescending tone, his smirk growing even bigger as he said this.

To say that this caught Mirabel and Grim off guard was an understatement. Mirabel was shocked, what happened to the helpful guy that was standing there five minutes ago? But it also reminded Mirabel of freaking Isabela when she would sneer at her whenever she tried helping or did anything for that matter. 

There was a moment of silence before Ace started to burst into laughter. 

“ HA HA HA. I can’t bear it anymore” Ace said, struggling for breath during his fits of laughter. 

“ Aren’t you the guys that created mayhem at the entrance ceremony?” Ace said with a sneer.

He shifted to Mirabel and pointed to her.

“You’re the GIRL who was summoned by the Dark Mirror. You have magic but can’t use it? LAME” Ace grinned.

He then moved to Grim.

“ And YOU, the monster who wasn’t summoned, yet you still trespassed. Also LAME” Ace said, still grinning.

“Yeah, it took everything I had not to die from laughter during the ceremony!” Ace said, sounding like he was going to start laughing again. 

Grim’s face went from shock to anger in less than five seconds.

“What?!?! You’re a rude one!” Grim yelled, not happy with what Ace was saying. 

“The icing on the cake is that you both aren’t allowed in and resorted to being janitors? How embarrassing” Ace continued.

Mirabel made a glance at Grim and she was sure she could see steam coming from Grim’s ears out of anger. 

If I had Tia Pepa’s gift, I think I would have a tornado/thunderstorm mixture with how I feel right now.

“On top of that, you don’t even know who the Great Seven are? How ignorant can you be?” Ace questioned both of them.

“ Um to be fair, I’m from a different world so I’ve never heard of the Great Seven until today,” Mirabel said, as she thought she was speaking in her head.

Ace was about to say something when the weight of what Mirabel said kicked in. He turned to face her. He had one eyebrow raised, like questioning if Mirabel was being serious. 

“ Wait what? You’re not from Twisted Wonderland?” Ace asked.

“No. I’ve never really left the village my family lived in forever. And even if there was something outside of the border of our village, I’ve not once ever heard of ‘Twisted Wonderland’ or the ‘Great Seven’ in my life. So I don’t think you have the right to judge me on that” Mirabel snapped, which surprised Mirabel as she never snapped at anyone who wasn’t Isabela.

Ace wasn’t expecting this reaction from Mirabel. His face began to flush with a pink tinge. It went from his cheeks to his ears. A couple of minutes passed by with Ace not uttering a peep. This caused him to try and backtrack a bit to cover for himself.

“Well, when you say it like that... I guess you get a pass. But being from a different world sounds interesting” Ace said, looking away from Mirabel.

“Hey wait a second. Are you blushing?” Grim said, pointing at Ace with his paw with a small smirk.

“Um NO! NO! Of course not. Don’t go making assumptions, you cat!” Ace yelled at Grim, the blush still present on his face. 

“ YOU, on the other hand, you should've gone back to kindergarten before coming to Night Raven College” Ace continued at Grim, trying to get rid of the blush on his face. 

“ Anyways I thought I’d mess with you guys, and now I’m bored. I enjoyed your reactions, they exceeded my expectations. Well unlike you two, I got class to attend. Keep the school squeaky clean, guys” Ace finished, turning his heel to walk away.

Abuelo, its official. I hate this guy!

“ This jerk! He’s just going to insult us like that and leave! The AUDACITY! I’m pissed now!!” Grim said, his anger reaching the boiling point.

Before Mirabel could intervene, Grim had enough. With a loud yell, Grim aimed a fireball at Ace. Ace barely dodged it and the fireball landed a few feet in front of him, creating a wall of fire and preventing Ace from going any further.

“What the hell? Watch out! What are you doing?!?” Ace yelled, turning back around to Grim.

“It’s what you get for making fun of me and my henchman! I’m gonna light up that stupid red hair of yours!” Grim said, grinning at Ace, proud of what he did.

“ Um, Grim. I appreciate you sticking up for me but-” Mirabel said, trying to de-escalate the situation.

“Stupid huh?” Ace said, his face contorting into a frown. 

“You got guts picking a fight with me,” Ace growled.

He then pointed to Mirabel.

“You too! I’ll turn you into a puffy toy poodle when I’m finished with this stupid cat over here!” Ace said, returning his anger to Grim.

What did I do? Also, what’s a poodle?

This set off Grim even more as he launched another fireball at Ace again. Ace once again dodged Grim’s attack with a smug look on his face. 

“ Is that the best you got? You missed! Take that!” Ace said, creating a gust of wind toward Grim. This caused the fire to be redirected somewhere else.

Mirabel tried her hardest to hold onto her skirt so that it didn’t flip up.

“ Grim, could you please stop? Can’t we just resolve this with some kind of apology or something?” Mirabel asked, hoping her suggestion would calm both of them down.

It didn’t work. Neither of them listened to her.

“This guy’s wind attacks are all over the place. My fire attacks are getting messed up!” Grim yelled, frustrated.

They kept going at it, each attack getting more intense than the last. Mirabel was stunned, how was she going to stop them? Both Ace and Grim were caught up in hitting each other that neither of them noticed other students approaching them.

“What's happening? A fight?” One student asked.

“Who cares? Let’s go!” Another student yelled.

Why are they egging them on? Abuelo are all boys like this?

“ Ha! A flimsy little fireball like that won’t hit me! Is that the best you can do?” Ace taunted Grim. 

Does this guy ever shut up?

“What?? Ok! No more messing around! This next one won’t miss!” Grim yelled. 

Grim summoned a much bigger fireball and launched it at Ace with all his might. Mirabel worried that Ace would get hurt with how fast it was going.

“ If I was to change the trajectory with the wind like that..” Ace said before using another gust of wind to propel it in a different direction. He smirked once more, thinking that he had outsmarted the cat monster. 

 However, this was a very absentminded mistake. The fireball had been redirected to the statue of the Queen of Hearts. The statue had been engulfed in flames, causing the statue to char at the extreme heat of the flames.

OH, DEAR. This can’t be good.

When both Grim and Ace saw what they did, they froze in terror at the sight of the statue.

“AH. CRAP! The Queen of Hearts statue is charred!” Ace said, his bravado long gone.

“It’s because you deflected my attack! Just let me fry you!” Grim replied, stating the obvious

Yeah there’s no way he would’ve just allowed you to ‘fry’ him

“Do you think someone would just allow you to fry them?” Ace retorted back sarcastically.

Exactly

Before any more could be said, Mirabel heard thunderous footsteps coming towards them.

“ENOUGH! What is going on here?!?” a familiar voice yelled.

Mirabel shifted her gaze and saw Headmaster Crowley with a very displeased look on his face.

Both Grim and Ace looked at the headmaster in a bit of fear. 

“Headmaster,” Ace said, his skin getting paler.

“He’s going to tie us up with that ‘lash of love’ thing. We gotta make a run for it!” Grim said in desperation.

However, it was too late. The ‘lash of love’ was quick to tie up Ace and Grim. They both yelped in pain on impact.

“It would be another hundred years before you can outrun me!” Crowley yelled. 

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday to ‘not cause trouble’ and now you went and char the statue of one of the Great Seven?!?” Crowley yelled, his fury exceeding expectations. 

“I would love nothing more than to expel you,” Crowley said, now looking at Ace.

“Wait, please anything but that,” Ace said, his face growing paler at the thought of being expelled

He then turned to Mirabel with an angry expression. 

“ And you Miss Madrigal, this isn’t how you-” he started but stopped, his eyes widening.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

He sounds like Abuela right now

“I’m not doing anything,” Mirabel said, not understanding why Crowley was asking her that.

“Miss Madrigal, what is going on with your hands?” Crowley said, pointing to her hands.

Mirabel then looked down and her eyes widened in shock. Her hands were GLOWING. A bright golden light was coming from her hands, creating smaller balls of light. These balls of light then shifted into small golden butterflies. 

Is this what my magic looks like?

She stared at her hands, trying to process years and years of being useless and now her magic has revealed itself. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. 

“Look! The statue!” someone yelled. 

Mirabel then turned to look at the damaged statue. The butterflies, she unknowingly made, had rested upon the statue. Before anyone could say more, the butterflies shifted back into golden light, the light was so bright that everyone covered their eyes. When the light had dimmed, everyone uncovered their eyes and look at the statue.

Some had gasped, and others had their mouths agape. To the amazement of all that were present, the statue was repaired to its original glory. The scorch marks that were previously on the statue had vanished. Mirabel looked at the statue and then at her hands. They were still glowing but not as bright as before. 

Did I do this?

Crowley was at a loss for words. He did not doubt in his mind that she unknowingly restored the Ramshackle dorm. Seeing her magic in person made Crowley believe that this was the tip of the iceberg. 

“ Wonderful job henchman! I didn’t know your magic could do that!” Grim said in astonishment.

“Woah. I thought the Mirror of Darkness was humoring you about having some type of foreign magic. But it was being serious?” Ace said, shifting his gaze from the statue to Mirabel and then back to the statue again.

Crowley broke out of his stupor and turned to the rest of the students gathered around.

“Alright! Alright! Please make your way to class or it will be detention for two weeks!” Crowley yelled.

This caused the crowd to dispel in different directions, not wanting detention so early into the year. 

Crowley sighed. This was one less problem he had to deal with. Crowley then turned to the two teens and the cat monster. His gaze shifted to Mirabel’s hands again, seeing that they were still glowing.

“Miss Madrigal, although I do appreciate that your magic miraculously saved the statue from further damage, you can stop using your magic now,” Crowley said, pointing to her hands.

Mirabel looked at her hands and began to sweat. She looks up at Crowley.

“Um, quick question. How do I do that?” she said in a wavering voice.

Crowley looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.

“WHAT?!? What do you mean by ‘HOW’? How do you not know how to successfully channel your magic?” Crowley demanded.

“I was deemed magicless since I was five years old. I don’t know how”  Mirabel said, her voice trembling and small tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. 

Crowley then froze. He didn’t expect that answer from her nor did he expect her to almost start crying. 

Before a word could be said to her, a loud cough behind him caught him off guard.

“Making children cry so early in the morning Dire? You have no shame” a familiar voice called out.

The teens and cat swore that they saw Crowley jump out of his skin. Crowley slowly turned his head with a smile that looked painful. 

“Divus, what a surprise. What are you doing here?” Crowley said slowly.

Divus Crewel stood there, arms crossed, with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I’ve been hearing up and down the halls about the ‘ girl that stumped the mirror’ had fixed the Queen of Hearts statue with ‘magic I’ve never seen ’  after it was torched by the ‘ idiot freshmen and cat creature’.”. Divus said, looking at said individuals.

“Yes well, as you can see, everything is now under control,” Crowley said, trying to usher Crewel away. 

Divus, seeing through his lies, slipped past him and walked towards Mirabel. Mirabel hung her head in shame as the tears threatened to spill from her eyes. 

He’s probably going to yell how it’s my fault. Like Abuela-

Mirabel was cut off from her thoughts when a gloved hand touched her cheek. 

“ Oh sweet puppy, it’s alright. There’s no need for tears. I know that being yelled at is very scary. You’re too nice to be yelled at like that. Don’t worry I’ll get onto him in a little bit. Come here, let’s dry those tears.” Mirabel heard Mr. Crewel say in a soothing soft voice.

She hadn’t realized that tears started falling from her eyes. She felt the gloved hand lift her chin so that she was looking at Mr. Crewel’s gray eyes. She could see his other hand digging into his pocket, pulling out a red handkerchief. The soft material lightly brushed her cheeks, drying her tears.

“A sweet puppy like you should never have tears in their eyes like that. It makes me look like a bad master if I allowed my puppies to be treated with such disrespect” Crewel added, turning to glare daggers at Crowley, who was shaking in his boots at that look.

His gaze softened when turning back to Mirabel.

“Do you feel better now puppy?” Crewel asked.

Mirabel could only nod her head.

“Ok. Now what’s wrong puppy?” Crewel asked, putting his handkerchief away.

“ I don’t know how to turn it off. I was told I don’t have magic and my hands-” Mirabel said, looking at her hands again. Her voice was still trembling.

Crewel followed her gaze and saw her glowing hands. 

“It’s ok puppy. Since you haven’t used your magic, it is allowing itself to flow freely. This is a simple solution. Repeat after me puppy. Deep breath in and deep breath out.” Crewel instructed.

Mirabel closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. After a few seconds, she let it out. 

“You’re doing good puppy. One more time” Crewel urged her.

Mirabel followed his instructions and took another breath in and let it out once more.

“See, there. It’s all good now” Crewel said.

Mirabel quickly opened her eyes to see that her hands weren’t glowing anymore. 

“Now that this is settled, why don’t I take you to the infirmary to get checked out quickly and see that there’s nothing wrong, ok?” Crewel said softly, putting a hand on her back.

“Now Divus, this isn’t that ser-” Crowley began to say before being cut off.

“I DARE you to finish that sentence, DIRE,” Crewel said, his voice turning cold.

Crewel’s eyes then shifted to Ace and Grim.

“Dire, instead of trying to make a young lady cry about not knowing how to use magic, maybe you should I don’t know, punish those responsible for the statue’s original condition,” Crewel said, his gaze hardening at the sight of them.

Ace and Grim were now also trembling at the sight of the professor.

“Divus, she’s also responsible for-” Crowley started but cut himself off again.

“I will handle her as you don’t know how to,” Divus said.

Crewel’s gaze then returned to Mirabel.

“Come puppy. We’ll leave the mutts to the headmaster to deal with” Divus said, softly ushering her in the direction of the castle.

Mirabel kept her head down as she walked beside the professor. Although Ace and Grim did burn the statue, she hoped that Crowley would go easy on them. 

Chapter Text

The infirmary was empty as the ghost ‘nurse’ was working on Mirabel. Mirabel was silent as the ‘nurse' worked diligently, taking notes and asking Crewel different questions. Mirabel looked around her, noting every item in the infirmary. The room had 8 beds, 4 on the left and the other 4 on the right. Alongside the wall, where the door is to the main hallway was a tall shelf with a bunch of vials with different liquid colors. 

Mirabel was sweating bullets. She knew she had overreacted to how Crowley yelled at her, but she couldn’t find the voice to oppose Crewel. She looked down at her hands, replaying the events that happened what seemed like an eternity ago. She couldn’t believe it. 

She broke out of her thoughts as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Crewel give her a small smile. She smiled back and tried not to dwell on it, but couldn’t. She felt his hand leave her shoulder, which caused her to look up and see Crewel moving to where the nurse was, talking with the nurse in hushed voices.

This made her stomach sink. She didn’t like when people would talk in hushed voices behind her back or where she could see them. It made her think back about her failed gift ceremony, and how it ran up the gossip mill for weeks and months. She then saw Crewel turn and walk back to her with a smile.

“Good news puppy” She heard Crewel start.

“There’s nothing wrong and you’re in perfect bill of health,” he said, giving her a small pat on the shoulder. 

The nurse floated right behind Crewel, turning up beside him.

“ Since you haven’t used your magic for an extended period, your magic is being released based on your emotions.” The nurse explained to Mirabel.

“So while you are staying here, we will issue a magic pen for you to acclimate yourself, it will also help keep your magic from going haywire.” The nurse explained. 

“Magic pen?” Mirabel asked confused.

“I will explain it to you when we get to that point,” Crewel said, before gesturing to the door.

“Come along now puppy. We will meet with Crowley and those other two puppies from earlier and discuss what will happen.  But before that, we will supervise them and you for your lunch break. To make sure no shenanigans pop up.” Crewel said, as Mirabel got up from the bed and walked beside him.

“Thank you,” Mirabel said to the nurse as she walked out.

“Anytime dear. Please don’t come back soon.” The nurse waved before floating back to their desk.

The hallways were silent as they were walking towards Crowley’s office. Mirabel looked up at Crewel, trying and failing to make conversation. So she just opted to keep her mouth shut and keep walking.

“If you wish to say something pup, you can go ahead and ask,” Crewel said, shifting his gaze down to Mirabel.

Mirabel blushed as she got caught.

“Well... I uh... I just wanted to say thank you and I’m sorry.” Mirabel said, shifting her gaze down to her feet.

Crewel looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Puppy why are you apologizing?” Crewel asked.

Mirabel didn’t attempt to look at him.

“I’m sorry. I screwed up and made a mess of everything-”  Mirabel started to say, but Crewel stopped and turned to face her.

“Puppy. As I said you did nothing wrong. You didn’t start that fight, and you were scared” Crewel said, putting a hand on her head.

“There, you’re not allowed to degrade yourself anymore today. Understood?” he said, giving her a small smile.

“Ok,” Mirabel nodded. 

And with that, they resumed their journey to the headmaster’s office. After what felt like a lifetime, they made it to the office. Mr. Crewel knocked on the door three times. 

“Headmaster. It’s Crewel and Miss Madrigal.”Mr. Crewel said, waiting for a reply from the other side of the door.

“Come in” Mirabel could hear Crowley reply.

Mr. Crewel had opened the door and gestured for Mirabel to enter. Mirabel took a deep breath and walked past the doorway, with Mr. Crewel following behind her. She could hear the door closing behind them and tried to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. 

Mirabel looked around as the office was huge. The office had a very high ceiling with equally long windows. There were long purple curtains that draped along the windows and down the walls. There was also a long pristine purple carpet that led to what was Crowley’s desk. As she looked in that direction, she could see that there were portraits of the statues she had seen earlier that morning. Only this time, the portraits were in color.

After looking around the office, she returned her gaze to Crowley as he sat at his desk. She could see that Grim and the boy from earlier Ace, were standing on the side. Crowley motioned for her to come closer. Mirabel looked at Mr. Crewel, who nodded, indicating that it would be ok. She walked closer until she was at least a foot from the desk. Crowley took a deep breath and sighed.

“You understand why you’re here, yes?” Crowley asked. 

“Yes I do,” Mirabel said, looking at the floor.

“You failed to control Grim and with that caused one of the Great Seven statues.” Crowley continued. 

“Yes. I'm sorry” Mirabel said.

“ However, seeing as Mr. Trappola is also at fault, you will be taking partial responsibility for what happened.”

“Yes sir.” Mirabel agreed.

“ Since the statue was restored and has no permanent damage, it won’t be penalized against either you, Grim, or Mr. Trappola. Which doesn’t mean you will not escape punishment. Since the day had gone by quickly, you may not be able to finish your original task. With Mr. Crewel’s input, we came up with a fitting punishment.” Crowley said, looking at the two teens and Grim. 

“ Since it is almost lunch, you will all break at lunch under supervision. After that, all of you will be tasked with cleaning 100 windows. No ifs, ands, or buts. You must complete it together or you will restart over again. Am I understood?” Crowley asked, very firmly.

“Yes sir” Mirabel, Ace, and Grim agreed.

“Good. Now Mr. Crewel will escort you to the cafeteria where you will have your lunch. Now off you go” Crowley said, waving them off.

Mr. Crewel opened the door again.

“Well, puppies. Off we go” Crewel said, pointing to the hallway. 

Mirabel didn’t argue as she did what was instructed. Ace and Grim begrudgingly followed behind her. As soon as they made their way to the hallway, Mr. Crewel closed the door behind them. They stopped to let Mr. Crewel pass by to lead them to the cafeteria. The walk to the cafeteria was silent. 

By the time they made it to the cafeteria, students were piling in. Mirabel was unsure of how to feel. There were people taller, much taller, than her. Some, Mirabel noticed, had animal ears and tails. Whether they were real or fake, Mirabel didn’t dare to ask. They were all wearing the same uniform but in different colors, which made Mirabel wonder if this was part of the ceremony yesterday.

Mirabel heard Mr. Crewel clear his throat and she turned back to him. 

“Puppies, you all have 30 minutes for lunch, then afterward you will wait here to start your punishment. Grim you will stay with me. Mirabel and Mr. Trappola, you two are free to go but if either of you starts trouble I will know” Mr. Crewel said, almost daring them to step a toe out of line. 

“Understood sir,” Mirabel said, nodding.

Ace didn’t want to say anything but the look that Mr. Crewel gave him made him think otherwise. 

“Yes sir,” Ace said, wasting no time heading to the lunch line.

Mirabel was still unsure of what to do, so she stood in place. Mr. Crewel raised an eyebrow at the girl.

“Puppy what are you still doing there? You’re free to grab your food.” Mr. Crewel said, confused at the girl's behavior.

Mirabel, getting the hint that she should go, began to slowly walk to where Ace was grabbing things and putting them on a tray .There was a long line of people and Mirabel was a bit apprehensive. The problem was that most of the food that they were serving didn’t look like what she was used to. Of course, some of it looked good but was unsure of what to grab.

“Hey! Mirabel!” she could hear from behind her. Her ears perked up and she turned to see the boy from yesterday walking to her. 

“Mirabel, Hi! I didn’t expect to see you at lunch today. Does that mean that you’re staying here?” Kalim asked, speaking a mile a minute while smiling at the same time.

Abuelo, his smile is so bright.

“Hey. Yeah, some circumstances allowed me to stay here for the time being.” Mirabel said, not used to someone her age being nice to her. 

“ Have you decided what you’re going to eat for lunch?” Kalim asked, pointing to the line.

“I’ve never seen food like this before. So I’m kinda hesitant to grab anything” Mirabel said, trusting Kalim even though they just met yesterday.

“Oh. Well, in that case, let’s go together.” Kalim said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the end of the line.

 Kalim grabbed a tray and grabbed another one which he handed to Mirabel. 

“If you get curious about what things are, I can explain them to you. Ok?” Kalim said, giving Mirabel an assuring smile. 

“Kalim! What have I told you for running off by yourself!” A voice chimed in from behind them. 

While Mirabel jumped, Kalim didn’t look bothered. 

“ Oh, Jamil. Sorry about that. I was excited to see Mirabel” Kalim said.

Mirabel looked to where Kalim was looking and saw another boy. He was tall and tan, just like Kalim. The boy had long black hair, with some of it being braided. He was wearing an expression that Kalim’s behavior didn’t amuse him. 

“Mirabel?” Jamil asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kalim then turned to Mirabel. 

“Mirabel, this is my friend Jamil. Jamil, this is Mirabel, the girl who put out the fire on me yesterday.” Kalim said, introducing them to each other. 

Jamil then turned to the person Kalim was referring to. Mirabel was unsure about Kalim’s friend but put on a smile anyway.

“Hi. My name is Mirabel Madrigal.” She said, extending a hand for Jamil to shake. 

Jamil looked at the extended hand and then shook it briefly.

“Jamil Viper. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Jamil said nicely.

“I was just about to show her the food they serve in the cafeteria. She’s unfamiliar with the food so I wanted to help her.” Kalim said happily.

Jamil then sighed.

“At least tell me things before you do them.” Jamil groaned, going behind Mirabel and grabbing his tray.

“Let’s go, Mirabel,” Kalim said, tilting his head down the line.

As the trio went on their way down the lunch line, Mirabel couldn’t help but feel like she could trust Kalim. Jamil, she was undecided with him. Kalim pointed to things and explained what they were to Mirabel. Mirabel liking some of the options happily put them on her tray. Kalim put some stuff on his plate with Jamil doing his own thing. 

As they all got one and had gotten out of the line, Kalim pointed to an empty table.

“We can sit over there,” Kalim said, walking over to the table with Mirabel and Jamil following suit.

They all sat down with Kalim and Jamil sitting together and Mirabel sitting on the other side of the table. Mirabel looked down at her tray and was very excited. She grabbed something called a ‘meat pie’, ‘ceaser salad’, a roll, some fruit, and some water. She couldn’t help but marvel at how wonderful it tasted as she ate her food. 

“So how are you enjoying your food?” Kalim asked.

“It’s very delicious,” Mirabel said, finishing her salad. 

“I’m glad,” Kalim said, smiling at her.

“ So Mirabel Madrigal, what brings you here to Night Raven College” Jamil asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Mirabel turned to Jamil, in which she could tell that he didn’t trust her. Not that she could blame him, she didn’t fit in with everyone else here.

“ I’m not sure. One moment, I’m home, the next moment I’m here. But for right now I’m taking things in stride.” Mirabel responded, taking another bite of her roll.

“ Oh ok. Well, at least you’re here now. Hopefully, we’ll see more of each other” Kalim said, finishing off his plate of something called ‘curry’.

This made Mirabel stop taking another bite of her roll. She never heard anyone say that to her before. Who would? The village wanted nothing to do with her and would rather have her fall off the face of the earth. Her family, minus her parents and Antonio, forgot she even existed to save themselves from the shame of being related to her.

“Are you serious?” Mirabel asked, indeed not believing everything Kalim was saying to her. 

“ Of course I’m serious. I have no reason to lie to you” Kalim said, hurt at the prospect of being called a liar. 

Seeing the hurt on Kalim’s face made Mirabel rethink her following words.

“ I’m sorry. It’s nothing against you. It’s just that no one has been nice to me before.” Mirabel said softly, feeling bad that she had unknowingly hurt someone’s feelings.

This made Kalim perk up. He looked at her with a puzzled look on her face. Why would anyone not be nice to someone like Mirabel?

“Why not?” Kalim asked.

Before Mirabel could answer his question, she could hear a throat cleared from behind her. She turned her head to see Mr. Crewel behind her along with Grim. 

“Miss Madrigal, we got about a small while before lunch ends. So be sure to not stray too far” Mr. Crewel said.

“ Oh hey, Mr. Crewel. Did you have a nice summer?” Kalim asked, smiling at the teacher.

“Mr. Al-Asim. You look cheerful as usual. Yes, I did enjoy my summer. My side business kept me busy.” Mr. Crewel said, making small talk with his 2nd-year student.

“ Oh really? That must be exciting” Kalim commented.

“ Kalim. We got Coach Vargas next. We need to start heading out to the field. We- no you can’t afford to be late” Jamil said, taking his and Kalim’s tray to where many other students were returning their plates. 

“Oh right. Thank you, Jamil. Mirabel, are you going to be joining us in the field? If so, we gotta hurry” Kalim said, gesturing to Mirabel’s tray.

“Unfortunately, Miss Madrigal needs to stay behind with me. But you and Mr. Viper must hurry.” Mr Crewel insisted, shooing the boys. 

“Let’s go Kalim,” Jamil ordered, trying to get Kalim to stand up and usher him out of the dining hall. 

“Hey, Mirabel. I’ll see you again soon. If you want, come by Scarabia soon and I’ll have a feast and a parade to welcome you” Kalim said, finally getting up and allowing Jamil to walk beside him.

He waved one last time at Mirabel and left. Mirabel made a small wave back, wondering if she would ever see him again. She felt empty as she could see Kalim and Jamil leave. It felt something similar to when she had everyone turn their backs on her.

“ Here puppy, let me take your tray for you. I’ll be right back.” Mr. Crewel said, grabbing her tray to hand them to the ghosts who have started collecting the trays. These ghosts wore little chef hats and coats. 

Mirabel tried to ignore the feeling in her heart. She could see Grim standing near her leg, and she went to pick him up.

“Hey release me, henchman!” Grim said, irritated that he was being picked up. 

Mirabel didn’t hear him as she proceeded to hold him close to her chest. A part of her knew it wouldn’t make the pain in her chest go away but it would for the time being. Grim, seeing the hurt in her eyes, stopped his struggle and allowed himself to be held.

“As much as this moment is heartwarming, it’s time for your punishment. Mr. Trappola, please move a bit closer” Mr. Crewel instructed, gesturing for him to move closer to the girl and monster.

Mirabel turned to see Ace move closer to them. He wore an annoyed look on his face. As soon as he was close enough, he folded his arms. He said nothing and avoided looking at her. Not that it mattered at all how he felt. It was his pestering that got them into this mess.

“Now that you are together, I’ll review what you will be doing as your punishment. You all will be in charge of cleaning 100 windows. You will be doing this together. There will be no back chatting or arguing during this entire punishment. Am I understood?” Mr. Crewel asked, his eyebrow raised.

“Yes sir” Everyone nodded, not wanting to anger the professor anymore than they had already.

“ Now Mr. Trappola. You will be going to the janitor’s closet and grabbing some supplies.” Mr. Crewel instructed Ace, pointing to the hallway.

“ I know where it is,” Ace said

“Good so you know where you’re going?” Mr Crewel asked, his eyebrow raised.

“ Yes sir,” Ace said quickly.

“Alright but if I hear that you pulled a fast one, there will be nothing to save you from me” Mr Crewel growled.

Ace gulped, nodded, and left the cafeteria.

“Mirabel, you are in charge of keeping Grim in place until Mr. Trappola comes back.” Mr. Crewel instructed Mirabel. 

“Ok,” Mirabel agreed, holding Grim close to her.

“ Now I have some business to attend to but I will be back in a couple of hours.” Mr. Crewel noted. 

“Ok,” Mirabel nodded.

“ Don’t fret puppy. I will be back before you know it. If the red-headed puppy gives you trouble, you can come straight to me” Mr. Crewel added.

Mirabel nodded her head as she could see Mr. Crewel turn and leave the cafeteria. Now it was Mirabel and Grim alone in the cafeteria. Now they waited for Ace to come back. 

Abuelo, I hope Ace comes back soon. I want this day to be over.

Oh dear sweet Mirabel, the day isn’t even over yet. 

Chapter Text

Abuelo, it’s me again.  Can I ask a question? Great, uh, how long does it take for a guy to get something done?

Mirabel wasn’t sure where the janitor’s closet was but indeed it shouldn’t have taken Ace a long time to get all the supplies and come back. The silence in the cafeteria was weighing on her and she was close to snapping.

“That Ace guy sure is taking his sweet time. Who does he think he is? Making ME wait? I’m not happy about this!” Grim complained, crossing his arms.

Mirabel couldn’t argue with Grim’s statement. Mirabel didn’t know what time it was, but she knew that so much time had passed since Ace left. 

He couldn’t have ditched us right?

~10 minutes later~

Still no Ace.

~Another 10 minutes later~

No Ace.  Mirabel could see that Grim is slowly losing his patience.

~Another 10 minutes later~

Grim had finally had enough.

“I don’t care what's going on, Ace is late!” Grim yelled.

“Wait, he wouldn’t just skip out right!” Grim asked, coming to the realization.

“Considering everything that’s happened today, I wouldn’t put it past him to pull something like this,” Mirabel said, annoyed that Ace would drop out of the punishment he caused.

“I’m not going to let him get away with putting all the punishment on us!” Grim yelled, pointing to the hallway.

“Let’s go, henchman! We’re going to catch Ace and make him do all the window washing!” Grim yelled, running out of the cafeteria.

Mirabel had thought about what Mr. Crewel told her. However, by the time she could find him, Grim would’ve gotten his paws on Ace. She did promise that she would keep an eye on Grim. So she would do that while dragging Ace back by the scruff of his neck thinking he’d be getting away with this.

Mirabel and Grim roamed the halls for a while until they came across what looked like a classroom. Grim wasted no time in flinging the door open.

“Hey! Ace! Where are you?!? We’re not letting you hide away from us!” Grim yelled but stopped when he realized no one was there.

“Wait. No one’s here?” Grim said, embarrassed that he yelled at nothing.

“No, I’m here” A voice could be heard.

Mirabel and Grim jumped. Their eyes drifted to where the voice came from and saw that it was coming from a portrait hung up on the wall. The portrait was of an older man. He had a large black top hat, and short gray hair with a large mustache. He wore a black coat with a tall white collar along with a red handkerchief.  

“Ah! The picture talked!”Grim cried out.

The portrait looked at them confused.

“ What now? It’s not uncommon for paintings to talk in this school. The Lady on the wall over there, then the Gentleman over here, everyone can speak.” The portrait states. 

“Portraits can speak because they have a mouth. That’s normal you know” The portrait said.

Abuelo how is any of this possible?

“ Um, no I didn’t. Normally paintings don’t speak.” Mirabel said, still in shock that the painting was talking. 

“Well, dearie. Your ‘normal’ and my  ‘normal’ differ regarding our quirks. This is true is it not?” The painting asked. 

I guess I can’t argue with that. 

“Putting that aside, who are you looking for dearie?” the painting asked.

“It’s a guy named Ace. He’s got a heart mark on his face and his hair sticks up” Grim answered.

“Oh, I saw him not that long ago. I overheard him saying he’s returning to his dorm” The painting replied.

Abuelo where does this guy get the audacity?!?

“What!!! So he did try to get away! Which way did he go?!?” Grim yelled at the painting.

“In the East building, there is a hall of mirrors. It connects to all the dorms. So he should be there” the painting explained. 

“Thank you, Mister,” Mirabel said, giving a slight wave to the painting.

“Hey, henchman! We’re gonna go after him!” Grim exclaimed, darting to the door and back out into the hallway. Mirabel, not wasting any time, followed Grim.

~Hall of Mirrors~

“No way am I cleaning 100 windows with those losers. I’m heading home” Ace sighed, hoping he could sleep off everything that happened that day.

But unbeknownst to him, Mirabel and Grim had found him. 

“HEY, YOU!” Grim yelled at Ace’s back.

This caused Ace to stop in his tracks to turn around. Mirabel looked like she was out of breath and Grim looked like he was prepared to rip Ace a new one.

“Wha? You found me?!?” Ace gasped, not expecting them to find him so soon. 

“Hey, Jerk! Hold up! I will not allow you to escape so easily!” Grim yelled, preparing in case Ace decided to bolt.

“In that case, I’m not gonna wait around for you. I’m out of here! Later losers!” Ace said, running away from them.

“Hey, that's not fair! You shouldn’t be the only one skipping out! I wanna skip out too!” Grim retorted back.

We should be taking our punishment equally and not skip out

Like appearing from thin air, another person came into view. He was about the same height as Ace. He wore somewhat of a similar uniform to Ace but he looked more professional and well-kept. He had neatly combed dark blue hair, with his eyes being a bright blue color. Under his right eye, a spade was painted.

He stopped to look at the other boy running from the monster and the girl from yesterday at a breakneck speed. 

“Huh?” the boy said, confused at the situation.

“OUT OF MY WAY! OUT OF MY WAY!” Ace yelled, hoping that he could successfully move past this person. Separating him from the girl and cat monster after him. 

This startled the other boy, definitely unsure of what was going on.

“Please stop him!” Mirabel commanded the other boy.

“Magic to capture someone?” the boy asked, not sure what she meant.

“ I could freeze his legs, no, maybe restraining them?” the boy suggested for clarification.

“ I could…um,” the boy said, unsure of what to do.

“ Any kind, I don’t care! Just hit him with something hard! Hurry!” Grim yelled, not wanting Ace to get away.

“ Any kind of way? Ok. Anything is fine so let’s go! Something heavy!” The other boy yelled.

Mirabel could see sparkles coming from the ‘magic pen’ that Mr. Crewel was mentioning earlier. Seeing it in action made Mirabel very excited to see what it looked like. And in a flash, a giant black pot landed on top of Ace. 

“OW! What the hell?!? A cauldron?” Ace yelled from his position on the floor. 

“Hahaha! Check it out, henchman! Ace got flattened like a pancake underneath that cauldron! So lame!” Grim laughed, amused at Ace’s misfortune. 

“I didn’t think a cauldron would appear. Did I go too far?” The boy asked as Mirabel made her way towards them.

“Ow man that hurts,” Ace said, moving the cauldron off of him, and getting up from the floor. 

He turned to glare at Mirabel. 

“Listen, girlie. You should be fine. Cleaning those 100 windows would have been done in a flash” Ace argued, already had enough of this girl.

“That’s not something you do ‘in a flash’” Mirabel argued back, equally unhappy at Ace’s unwillingness to help.

“Washing 100 windows as a punishment... What in the world did you all do?” The boy asked, looking from Ace to Mirabel and then to Grim. 

“ I got into it a bit with the furball and we might have charred the Queen of Hearts statue. But then her magic fixed the statue so I thought that would be the end of it but no.” Ace ranted.

“ You damaged one of the Great Sevens’ statues? That’s something that most people definitely would be angry with.” The boy said, shaking his head.

“But since her magic fixed the statue, all should be forgiven right? Not” Ace retorted back.

“You accessed your unique magic early?” The boy asked Mirabel.

This caused Mirabel to tilt her head in confusion.

“Unique magic?” Mirabel said confused.

“Wait you don’t know what unique magic is?” The other boy said puzzled at the girl’s lack of knowledge of magic.

The boy sighed and looked back at Ace.

“You get into a prestigious school then do something like that on the first day,” the boy said incredulously, shaking his head.

“Shut up! Who are you anyway?” Ace demanded.

“I’m Deuce. Deuce Spade. Would it hurt for you to remember your classmate’s face at least?” The boy, now named Deuce, introduced himself.

“Umm, and you are?” Deuce asked.

“ You haven’t memorized them either” Ace retorted. 

“Well… anyway! If you were ordered by the headmaster, then you must take it seriously” Deuce scolded.

“Yeah, yeah alright. Ugh fine then let’s get this over with” Ace finally caved. 

“Hm?” Ace paused, looking beside Mirabel, a missing presence.

Wait Grim is being relatively quiet.

Mirabel looked beside her only to discover Grim was gone. 

“AH! That furball’s gone!”Ace yelled.

~Elsewhere~

Grim was smiling as he walked past the Great Seven statues.

“Hehe. I leave it to you all” Grim said, skipping along without a care in the world.

~Back to the Hall of Mirrors~

“Dumb cat! He made me take his place!” Ace said angrily.

“Hey! Um… Juice!” Ace pointed at Deuce. 

“I’m not Juice! It’s Deuce!” Deuce argued back.

“Who cares? Anyway! You’re partially responsible to help us catch this furball!” Ace demanded.

“Hey, what? Why?” Deuce asked.

“ This deadweight can’t control her magic so she’s practically useless. Let’s go!” Ace said, grabbing Deuce’s arm and starting to pull him towards the hallway.

“Hey! Let me go!” Deuce protested.

“I’m not a deadweight!” Mirabel argued back as she followed Ace and Deuce.

The day’s not even over. Abuelo, please help me survive today. 

Chapter Text

“Hey, Girly! Where do you think the fuzzball went?” Ace demanded as he continued to drag a protesting Deuce down the hallway. Mirabel was a couple of paces behind them, trying to keep up. They went to the front entrance, seeing the Great Seven statues in the distance.

“First of all, my name is Mirabel as I had told you earlier. Second, I think Grim is going back to Casita” Mirabel deduced, as she couldn’t think of anywhere else that Grim would go.

“ Casita?” Deuce asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“It’s a long story-” Mirabel started to say but was cut off.

“ I don’t care for your story! We have a stupid cat monster to catch.” Ace remarked.

“Hey now, that's not nice to yell at a girl-” Deuce began before Ace exclaimed.

“There!” Ace said, pointing to the pathway in front of them.

Mirabel and Deuce looked at where Ace was pointing and saw Grim ahead of them. 

“HEY HAIRBALL!” Ace yelled, finally letting go of Deuce.

This caused Grim to jump and turn to face the teenagers. 

“Ah! They found me!” Grim yelped.

“You aren’t going to get away!” Ace continued to yell, pointing his magic pen at Grim.

“ I don’t necessarily want to help you, but if I must,” Deuce said, pointing his magic pen at Grim.

“ Well, good luck catching me!” Grim challenged, running away on all fours.

“Not so fast!” Ace replied, going after the cat monster.

“Wait. Oh, man.” Deuce groaned, running beside Ace. 

Mirabel, not wanting to be left behind, started to run. Although she had run so much already, for some reason she wasn’t low on energy. As she was running behind them, she could see Ace and Deuce casting spell after spell at Grim how Grim was able to avoid getting hit bewildered Mirabel. 

After running for so long, Mirabel could see that they were running back into the castle. Hallway after hallway passed like a blur. Grim wasn’t slowing down and neither were Ace and Deuce. Eventually, they made their way back into the cafeteria. 

“Crap! He’s darting everywhere!” Ace groaned, not sure if he had enough steam to keep running.

Grim must have overheard and smirked. Somehow, someway, Grim made his way onto a very expensive-looking chandelier. After getting settled, Grim looked at the teens and smiled.

“Hehehehe! Catch me if you can suckers!” Grim said, gleefully.

“Tch. Climbing onto a chandelier is an underhanded move” Deuce said, angrily.

“We need to find a way to get Grim down,” Mirabel said, trying to think of a way.

“We haven’t learned the magic to fly yet... We need something to get up there and also catch him.” Deuce started to say and began to mutter under his breath.

Maybe he has an idea

“ Ah! I got it!” Deuce exclaimed.

“ I’ve got an idea… Woah, woah, wait a second” Ace started to say, getting startled at Deuce’s enthusiasm.

“Why are you pointing your pen at me?” Ace asked, not liking where this was going.

“I’ll just throw you!” Deuce said, enthusiastically.

What?!?! There’s no way that this will end well.

“You’re joking??! WOAH! Don’t make me float!” Ace said as Deuce began to lift Ace with his magic.

“Are you going to throw me? Dude knock it off!” Ace pleaded as he could see his feet were no longer on the ground.

“Catch him. Got it?” Deuce commanded, his voice not wavering.

Deuce turned to where Grim was. His eyes focused with conviction and pointed his magic pen.

“Aim… Fire!” Deuce yelled.

“AH!” Ace yelled as he was flung through the air.

“Huh?” Grim yelped in confusion. 

Quick as a flash, Ace collided with the chandelier. Ace terrified to look down, was holding to the chandelier for dear life. However when Ace reached for Grim, a loud creaking noise could be heard. As Ace and Grim looked up, the fastening of the chandelier started to give way.

With a loud snap, the chandelier finally detached from the ceiling. Ace and Grim held on for dear life as they were plummeting to the ground below. Deuce, realizing how his plan backfired, grabbed Mirabel in an attempt to shield her from the shrapnel. He gripped her tight as he was preparing for the worst. 

A moment later, a loud boom could be heard as the chandelier along with Ace and Grim came crashing. A giant plume of debris enveloped the cafeteria. Mirabel tried her best not to inhale but started coughing. She could hear groaning, she turned to see Grim and Ace writhing on the floor.

“Ace! Grim! Are you two ok?!?” Mirabel called out to them, the plume of debris being so thick that she couldn’t see them.

“ *cough* *cough* I can’t believe it” Ace coughed out from his spot on the floor.

“Owww” Grim groaned.

Deuce realizing that he was still gripping Mirabel in a death-like grip, let her go in a hurry.

“I screwed up! I didn’t plan out the landing” Deuce exclaimed.

No kidding Deuce

“ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!??” Ace yelled at Deuce, picking himself off of the floor.

“We caught Grim but if the headmaster finds out that we busted the chandelier…” Ace stared but was caught off by an angry voice from behind them.

“If I… found out?” the voice shook in anger.

They all jumped and saw that it was Crowley standing there, arms crossed with a frown gracing his face.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear 

“Oh... Headmaster” Ace sighed, knowing that this would not go well.

“Just. What. Exactly. ARE YOU ALL DOING?!?!” Crowley demanded from every individual.

Oh, this will not go well, will it Abuelo?

“Ugh.. the world is spinning” Grim groaned on the floor.

“You weren’t satisfied with just damaging the statue so now you decided to destroy the chandelier?!?” Crowley growled.

“Well technically, Girly fixed the statue so that doesn’t count..”Ace counteracted.

“BE QUIET!” Crowley yelled, not wanting to be interrupted.

“Will do” Ace agreed.

“This is the final straw. I will have all of you expelled!” Crowley said, his patience running thin.

“What?!?!” Ace and Deuce cried out.

“Please! Anything but that! I have things to do at this school!” Deuce pleaded.

“You have nothing to blame but your idiocy,” Crowley said, unmoved.

“I will pay for the damages if I have to!” Deuce continued to plead.

“This is not a normal chandelier. This is a magical chandelier that uses candles that will burn for eternity. It is a masterpiece made by a legendary master of magical tools. It had been entrusted to the school since its foundation. Taking into consideration its historical value, it would cost no less than a billion madol” Crowley explained. 

“Can you pay for those damages?” Crowley asked, calling Deuce’s bluff.

“A b-billion madol?” Deuce asked, paling at the price tag.

“But, headmaster, can’t we just fix it with magic? Girly’s magic managed to fix the statue maybe she could fix this…” Ace suggested.

“Miss Madrigal’s magic is very unstable so what happened earlier was a stroke of dumb luck,” Crowley said, shooting Ace down. 

“Also. Magic isn’t all that powerful. More importantly, what we call the heart of any magic tool, the magic crystal was shattered. No two magic crystals are the same. The chandelier will never be lit again.” Crowley continued to explain.

“How can that be” Ace said, sounding defeated.

“Crap.. What am I doing? What am I going to tell my mom?” Deuce said in despair.

“Wait. Mr. Crowley. Surely there must be a way for us to fix this?” Mirabel asked, hoping for any kind of miracle.

Although Ace had caused her plenty of headaches throughout the day, he didn’t deserve to be expelled. Neither did Deuce, she just met him but she knew he was the most innocent out of all of them.

Crowley looked to Mirabel and then turned to think.

“Oh. That’s right. There’s one way. There is one way to fix the chandelier.” Crowley admitted.

This caused Mirabel, Ace, and Deuce to perk up.

“The magic crystal for this chandelier was mined in the Dwarf’s Mine. If we have a magical crystal of the same kind as the original, repairs might be possible” Crowley explained.

“I’ll go find that magic crystal. Please allow me to go” Deuce declared.

“However I have no guarantee that there are any left in the mine,” Crowley said doubtfully.

“The mine has been closed for a while and it may be exhausted of crystals” Crowley continued.

“I’ll do anything to get the expulsion rescinded,” Deuce said, convinced.

“Fine. I shall give you one night. Come to me with a magic crystal by tomorrow morning or face expulsion” Crowley caved in. 

“Yes! Thank you very much!” Deuce thanked the headmaster. 

“Ugh. I suppose. Let’s go get that magic crystal thing and be done with it.” Ace agreed.

“Use the gate in the Mirror Chamber to go directly to the Dwarf’s Mine” Crowley instructed.

“Yes sir!” Deuce said.

As Deuce went to drag Ace, Mirabel went to grab Grim. She scooped him up into her arms.

“Huh? What now? What exactly did I..” Grim began to ask, still not thinking clearly.

“You may have been happier unconscious,” Mirabel said honestly.

As she settled Grim into her arms, Mirabel followed Ace and Deuce.

After what seemed like forever, they finally made it to the Mirror Chamber.

“ Ah, man. Why did it have to come out like this? Today is not my day” Ace sighed.

“Now isn’t the time for mumbling! Let’s go!” Deuce snapped.

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall. Light our way to the Dwarf’s Mine.” Deuce instructed the mirror.

As Deuce finished, a mirror in the center of the room began to ripple, like water when splashing in it. From those ripples, a bright light emerged. With a quick flash of light, the teens were no longer at Night Raven College.

Abuelo, please let us succeed. 

Chapter Text

As the shining light began to fade, Mirabel knew instantly that they were no longer at Night Raven College. The scenery around her confirmed this thought. She could see that they were now in a forest with tall trees and full of leaves. Mirabel shifted her gaze to a small bridge going across a small stream, leading to a small cottage. The cottage was old and looked like it had been vacant for a long time. 

“So this is the Dwarf’s Mine. It used to be prosperous thanks to the magic crystal mining but..” Deuce said, trailing off at the sight of the area around them.

“Uhhh. Feels like something could jump out..” Grim said, trembling.

“Oh. There’s a house back there. Let’s go ask them about the mine” Ace suggested, pointing towards the house.

I highly doubt that anyone is currently living there

They all walk towards the house. As Deuce opened the door, it confirmed what Mirabel suspected. Much like Ramshackle was, before Mirabel ‘made it better’, there was lots of dust and cobwebs. There was a small table with chairs near the doorway, with one toppled over. A broom was resting against the fireplace, where a cauldron was hooked into it. By this point, Mirabel was tired of carrying Grim so she lightly placed him on the ground.

“Good evening…. I guess it’s abandoned. It’s a mess in here” Deuce said, surveying the area.

“Ew. I got a spider web in my face! Ew! Ew!” Grim yelped, disgusted and trying to wipe his face off with his paws.

“Aren’t the tables and chairs a bit on the small side? Are they for kids?” Ace questioned.

“One. Two… There are seven! So many!” Ace said, surprised at the amount.

“This was probably a lively home when the Dwarf’s Mine flourished” Deuce answered. 

“They did what they had to. After all, magic crystals are found inside coal” Ace added.

“For now, let’s go check it out” Ace suggested.

Deuce and Mirabel nodded and exited the house. They looked around to see where the entrance to the mine was. Since it was night, it was hard to see which Mirabel tripped onto something. She looked down and saw something on the ground. Whatever it was, it led to a large tree. Its long roots made an archway for what she thought was the entrance to the mine. The opening was massive and dark, which gave Mirabel an ominous feeling.

“W-We’re going to go in that massive black hole?” Grim said, startled at the implication.

“Are you scared? Lame” Ace chuckled at the cat monster’s despair.

“What? No! I’m not s-scared at all!” Grim retorted.

“I’m taking the lead! You guys follow me!” Grim ordered, gathering up his courage and walking towards the entrance.

Everyone looked at each other and followed Grim into the mine. The mine was dark but they could make out different colored stones along the walls of the mine. As they were maneuvering around the mine, Deuce paused for a moment.

“Wait!” Deuce called out to the others.

“What!?!” Ace barked, not in the mood for Deuce’s antics.

“Something…is here,” Deuce said, his voice unwavering...

Ace, Grim, and Mirabel jumped. From out of nowhere, two ghosts appeared before them.

Oh no not this again.

“Hehehe! Our first visitor in ten years” The ghost said, joyfully.

“Make yourselves at home. For eternity!” The other ghost chuckled.

This caused the teens and Grim to pale. 

“What do we do?” Ace questioned, slowly starting to back up.

“To be honest, running away sounds like a good idea.” Mirabel yelped, grabbing Grim and running.

Ace and Deuce took her advice and joined her running, with the ghosts on their tails. Ace and Deuce took turns to cast spells to help dispel the ghosts. But when one ghost disappears, the other reappears to continue the chase. After a while, the ghosts disappeared and didn’t reappear again. Realizing this, everyone stopped to catch their breath. 

“This place is haunted with ghosts, too!” Ace groaned, tired of running. 

“We don’t have time to deal with them one by one. Let’s go” Deuce persisted.

“Hey! Don’t think you can order me around” Ace glared at Deuce.

“We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for your stupidity” Ace barked. 

“You wanna talk about who started it? This is because you didn’t want to clean!” Deuce retorted back.

“It started with the fuzzball torching the Queen of Hearts statue” Ace argued, pointing at Grim.

“Huh? That only happened because you made fun of me!” Grim countered.

“All of you! Do you understand our situation right now? We’ll all be expelled if we don’t have the magic crystal by tomorrow morning!” Deuce emphasized.

“Stop patronizing me! You’re starting to bug me!” Ace yelled back. 

“ Guys, please stop” Mirabel pleaded but a voice coming from the darkness interrupted her.

“Not….give…no…” A low groaning voice filled the air.

This caused them to jump in terror.

“Um… what’s that…” Ace trembled, his bravado vanishing.

“The…stone…is…mine…” The groaning continued, only this time it was much closer.

“I think… it’s getting closer” Deuce added, shaking like a leaf.

A loud stomping noise echoed throughout the mine. It shook the ground beneath their feet as it got closer to them.

“THE….STONE…IS…MINE!” The voice roared as it came into view.

It was something of unimaginable terror. The creature was taller than any of them put together, that wore a red outfit. What made the creature even more terrifying was that it had no face, but its head was bottle-like with a black substance oozing from a crack in the bottle. Just the sight of this creature made them turn pale like sheets.

“IT’S HERE!!!” everyone yelled in fear. 

They were frozen in fear as they all gazed upon it.

“What the hell is that thing?!?!” Deuce spouted the look of fear on his face.

The only reply he got was a frightened yelp from Grim. 

“Nobody said that this would be here! Let’s get out of here!” Grim sputtered.

“This is bad! But wait, did it mention something about a stone?” Ace questioned.

Everyone perked up at the word ‘stone’.

“Stone…won’t…give….” the creature groaned louder.

“So there are magic crystals left!” Deuce cried in joy.

“Nope nope nope. I may be a genius but I don’t think any of us can beat that!” Grim stammered.

“But if we don’t get that stone, we’ll be expelled. I’m going” Deuce declared, turning back to face the monster. 

“Are you serious?” Ace gawked.

“Wait Deuce. It’s too dangerous! Please, you can’t do this by yourself” Mirabel cried out, tugging on Deuce’s arm.

Deuce in response jerked his arm away from her.

“I can’t, under any circumstances, be expelled!” Deuce protested, going towards the monster. 

Deuce proceeded to hurtle spell after spell at the monster. Unfortunately, none of Deuce’s spells hit the target and made the monster furious.

“GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!” The monster roared in frustration.

The monster hurled black ooze at Deuce. Although Deuce wasn’t hit, he took a couple of steps back. 

“Well, Mr Serious. Stand back if you can’t handle this yourself. I’ll handle this” Ace taunted, throwing his attack at the monster. 

The monster roared once more and hurled an attack on Ace. Ace was barely missed as the ooze hit the wall behind him causing Ace to fall to the ground. 

“Ah! Stay away!!” Grim cried out, throwing a fireball at the monster.

The fireball hit the monster. Blue flames enveloped the monster but it looked like it had no effect. The monster growled.

“It’s not working” Grim yelped.

Out of nowhere, a small light sparkled from the darkness. This caused Mirabel to try and figure out where the light was coming from. It was coming from a tunnel behind the monster.

“Guys! There!” Mirabel exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the monster.

Seeing where Mirabel was pointing, Ace and Deuce looked to see what she was looking at. They saw the light as well.

“Behind that thing! At the end of the tunnel, something is…” Ace started before Deuce cut him off.

“That light. Is that the magic crystal?” Deuce gasped.

“GO! WON’T GIVE!” The monster wailed.

“Let’s get out of here! At this rate, we’ll be done for” Grim squeaked, moving behind Mirabel’s legs.

“Guys! We need to escape!” Mirabel pleaded. 

The monster turned to Mirabel and growled at her. The boys took the hint and started to run. Deuce grabbed Mirabel’s hand and hurried their way back to the entrance. When they reached the entrance, their legs didn’t stop. It wasn’t until they had gone past the cottage that they finally stopped. 

Adrenaline was rushing through their veins. Hearts pounding in their ears. Breaths were ragged and quickened—the presence of the unknown.

“Is this far enough?” Grim quivered, his little body still shaking.

Ace, Deuce, and Mirabel nodded, still winded. It was only then did Deuce realized that he was still holding Mirabel’s hand. Mirabel’s face flushed red when she looked at him. He quickly let go and had a slight pink tinge flush on his face. 

“Sorry!” Deuce apologized hastily.

“Ow! What the hell was that thing? No one said anything about that!” Ace grunted, 

“It didn’t look like any old ghost,” Deuce said, puzzled.

“Let’s give up and go home. I’d rather be expelled than deal with that thing” Ace suggested, not wanting to go back into the mine. 

“WHAT! Don’t screw with me! I’d rather die than face expulsion!” Deuce countered back.

“There’s a magic crystal in front of us and you wanna go home?” Deuce argued.

“You talk big for someone worse at magic than me. Go alone for all I care. I’m going home” Ace sneered.

“Oh. Is that right? Well then stay right there cowering like a spineless coward!” Deuce growled, raising hands which was balled into a fist.

This caused Mirabel to tense up as this wasn’t the Deuce she started to know. Almost as if he became a whole other person.  

“COWARD? Who are you talking about?” Ace jeered at Deuce, not phased at all.

“Deuce. Did you switch personalities or something?” Grim squeaked, unsure of what was to come.

This broke Deuce's trance as he glanced at Mirabel’s expression and softened his look. 

“I’m sorry. I lost my composure” Deuce said, trying to calm down.

Abuelo what can we do?

“ Can magic help us in this situation?” Mirabel piped up, looking at everyone with uncertainty 

“Like the headmaster said earlier, magic isn’t all that powerful” Deuce said.

“If you can’t imagine it then it won’t materialize. Large-scale or complex magic requires a lot of training to use” Deuce continued.

“That's why we have magic schools. You have to practice a lot to use magic just as it comes to mind.” Ace added in before pausing.

“To put it bluntly, if you lose your cool you’ll screw up” Ace sighed.

“ Well. To be perfectly honest, everyone is using their magic willy-nilly.” Mirabel said slowly, unsure of their reactions.

“ For that kind of thing, if you’re good at it you can go off instinct.” Ace continued.

“At any rate, I’m going back in there. I’ll figure out how to beat that thing and come back with the crystal” Deuce said, heading towards the mine.

“Well. Judging by the chandelier incident, you’re a complete idiot” Ace mocked.

You seriously don’t know when to shut up!

“You couldn’t land a single hit earlier. How are you going to “figure it out”? It’s going to end the same” Ace criticized.

“Pardon me?” Deuce demanded, looking like he was going to hit Ace this time.

“There they go again” Grim groaned in annoyance.

“Will you two please just stop?!?” Mirabel yelled, having enough of the back-and-forth arguing.

This caused the boys and Grim to jump up at the sudden change in Mirabel’s tone. None of them expected that this cute girl would start yelling at them.

“Why are you shouting for all of a sudden?” Grim asked in shock.

“Let’s get one thing straight. Neither of you was able to defeat that monster. Individually, it would be next to impossible. Let’s try to work together” Mirabel professed to the group, hoping this would solve the issue.

She was met with a shocked Grim and an angry-looking Ace and Deuce. Deuce sighed as he shook his head in thought.

“Ugh.. well.. What should we do then?” Deuce said, caving in.

Mirabel in turn sighed, trying to calm herself down. 

“Let’s put our heads together and devise a strategy” Mirabel offered.

“Strategy? You mean getting along and working with each other?” Ace sneered at Mirabel’s suggestion.

His face fell when he saw that Mirabel wasn’t joking and sighed again.

“You’re so cold. You have no problem saying lame things with a serious face” Ace groaned.

“Agreed. There’s no way I’m working with this loser” Deuce snapped.

“ I feel like it’s way lamer to get expelled on the first day of school” Grim pitched in. 

This caused Ace and Deuce to look embarrassed at the thought. This gave Mirabel another idea.

“Yeah. That's not cool at all” Mirabel emphasized, nodding her head.

“Ugh. Fine! We just have to get this done, right?” Ace groaned, knowing that Mirabel wouldn’t let up.

“So what’s your plan” Ace grinned, excited to hear the plan.

Mirabel smiled.

It’s now or never.

Chapter Text

After going over the plan again, everyone nodded and returned to the entrance. The mine was still in silence but had an ominous aura. 

“You.. really think it’ll go as planned? I’m so- no just nervous” Grim faltered at the sight of the entrance. 

“ Don’t worry. I’m sure we will make it out just fine.” Mirabel said, trying to act optimistic.

“You sound too stiff. Just go with the flow. But let’s get this over with” Ace said.

Now it’s time to put the plan into motion.

“Alright, Grim. You know what to do” Mirabel said, giving Grim his cue.  

Grim nodded and faced the mine. 

“HEY, Beasty! O-Over here!” Grim yelled into the mine.

They heard a loud familiar groaning in response. Feeling a similar heavy stomp coming towards them. Barely squeezing through the small mine entrance, the monster approached them. Seeing Grim again, made the monster agitated once again. 

“LEAVEEEE!” The creature roared.

“It’s coming” Grim stammered.

That’s my cue

“Hey! Come over here!” Mirabel yelled.

The beast turned to her and got even more angry.

“Grr.. There… Thief… Too. Won’t give… Mine... Mine!” The monster stammered.

The monster raised its fist toward Mirabel. Mirabel kept her gaze on the monster, not showing fear. The monsters slowly started to move towards her.

“That punch looks like a knockout if it lands” Grim blanched at the sight of the fist.

“We must get it away from the mine,” Mirabel said, hoping they wouldn’t get scared.

“GO AWAY! GO AWAY!” The monster yelled.

Mirabel started to back up more with the monster on her heels. Mirabel looked behind the monster and saw that the monster was getting further away from the mine.

“It’s getting pretty far from the tunnel now” Grim yelled.

“NOW!” Mirabel yelled, finally putting the rest of the plan into action.

“Ok! I got this! Let’s go, Extra Large Tempest!” Ace said, pointing his wand at the monster.

A large gust of wind started to swirl around the monster. This caught the monster off guard.

“And the Great Grim’s Fire Special!” Grim added, throwing a fireball at the monster.

“AHH!” The monster cried in pain.

“How was that Mirabel? I can make Grim’s stupid flames into an inferno” Ace joked to Mirabel.

“My flames aren’t stupid! Every word that comes out of your mouth pisses me off!” Grim shouted at Ace.

“We got the monster in a fire tornado! Now’s our chance” Mirabel said, victory in sight.

She looked towards Deuce and nodded.

“Calm down… Aim... The biggest, heaviest thing I know….” Deuce said, concentrating on the monster.

“ Come forth, cauldron!” Deuce yelled, summoning a cauldron.

The cauldron landed on the monster hard, which caused the creature to collapse on the ground with a thud.

“We got it! Nice work everyone!” Grim cheered. 

“Hey look over there! The monster looks as flat as a pancake just like Ace earlier” Grim said, laughing at the state of the monster.

“ You didn’t need to bring that up again! Jeez, today is not my day” Ace groaned at the mention.

“Let’s go get the magic crystal while that thing can’t move” Deuce added.

And without haste, they all ran back into the mine, leaving the monster on the ground outside the cave.

“WAITT!” The monster yelled.

The group ran as fast as they could towards where they saw the crystal earlier. And sure enough, they found what they were looking for. Laying on the ground was a blue stone with red and green markings along the stone.

“There! The crystal!” Deuce cheered upon seeing it.

“HANDS OFF!” The group could hear behind them.

They needed to hustle. When they turned around they could see the monster attempt to break free of the weight of the cauldron. This was not good.

“Crap! That thing is almost free!” Ace gasped.

“Hey, Deuce! Throw some more stuff at it!” Grim blurted out.

“Huh, something heavy?” Deuce asked, looking back at them.

Is that a question or a suggestion???

“Come forth, cauldron!!” Deuce yelled, summoning another cauldron.

“And um, um, cauldron?!” Deuce said again.

“One more cauldron!: Deuce continued, launching another cauldron at the monster.

They saw the monster getting pelted by cauldron after cauldron. Although it looked very comical, now wasn’t the time for laughing. The monster roared again as each cauldron hit its target.

“Do you have nothing but cauldrons in your repertoire?” Ace gawked turning to Deuce.

“Shut up! I’m at my wit's end!” Deuce argued back.

Grim, in response, launched another fire attack at the monster. After that, he grabbed the stone off the ground and showed it to the teens.

“We got the crystal! Let’s go!” Grim said, holding the stone in between his little paws.

“Roger that!” Ace agreed.

Mirabel bent down to pick up Grim and held him firm in her arms. Once again, they ran out of the mine with the stone in tow. They passed the monster lying on the ground and wanted to create much distance between them and the monster. However, the monster had gotten up and was trudging after them. 

“THAT’S MINE!” The creature roared, not giving up its pursuit of the teens and cat monster.

The group had made their way towards the cottage. They paled as they turned around to see the monster hot on their tails. 

“You’ve got to be kidding! It knocked off all that stuff and is coming after us” Ace exclaimed.

“Give.. it.. back!” The monster said, continuing after them.

“It’s gonna catch up to us” Deuce paled.

“Wait. The monster looks weaker now. We might be able to finish it off if we try again” Mirabel said, hoping that this time the monster would stay down. 

“Ugh, fine. Let’s finish it! Don’t let me down, Mr. Serious!” Ace groaned as he looked at Deuce.

“You too” Deuce replied.

Grim squirmed in Mirabel’s arms and she put him back down on the ground. Grim turned to her and passed the stone to her.

“Henchman, hold this” Grim commanded.

Mirabel nodded as she held the stone close to her chest.

“I’ll show off my true power” Grim added.

Mirabel could only watch as Ace, Deuce, and Grim fired spells at the monster. As Mirabel thought, the monster took hit after hit without hurling anything back. With one last blast, the monster collapsed to the ground with a thud. The boys and Grim started huffing but paused when they saw the monster on the ground.

“We won?” Ace said, incredulously.

“We won! We did it!” Grim cheered, confirming their victory.

The group smiled as they knew the nightmare was over.

“Hurray!” Deuce added.

“We did it!” Ace beamed.

“Victory high five!” Grim asked, putting both paws up in the air.

“Yay!” They all cried out, high-fiving each other.

“ I guess this is what they mean by ‘adversity brings people together’ huh?” Mirabel chuckled, seeing all of them getting along.

This caused them to pause and turn to her in shock. They looked at each other and back at her.

“Uh.. no. This is nothing like that!” Deuce argued back.

“Yeah, yeah. Can you stop saying weird things, girly?” Ace agreed with Deuce.

“We won thanks to my genius! It’s not because we pooled our strength!” Grim barked at Mirabel.

Could’ve fooled me. Are all boys like this, Abuelo?

Ace looked away for a moment, blushed, and then looked back at Mirabel.

“I guess making excuses is pretty lame. I must admit it but we won thanks to your plan” Ace admitted, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.

“What he said is true. We got the magic crystal because you gave us level-headed instructions” Deuce added, smiling at Mirabel.

“We can prevent our expulsion this way. I’m so relieved” Deuce let out a sigh of relief as he saw the crystal in Mirabel’s hand.

“I’m so glad that everyone is ok” Mirabel sighed, happy that everything was solved.

“ Yeah. Yeah. We’re all relieved and seriously worn out and battered. Let’s go home” Ace said tiredly.

This caused Mirabel to pause.

Home. I know I should miss the Encanto by now. But I don’t. Was the Encanto my home? Sure my family is there but I wasn’t wanted by anyone.

Her thoughts were cut off by the growling of Grim’s stomach.

“I’m starving by using so much magic… Hmm. What’s this?” Grim questioned, pointing to the ground.

Ace, Deuce, and Mirabel looked to where Grim was pointing to. Where the monster once lay, there was a stone. Unlike the one in Mirabel’s hands, this stone was completely black. Looking at it made Mirabel feel uneasy somehow. 

“Remanents from the monster? A magic crystal? I’ve never seen one as pitch black like coal before” Deuce said, confused.

Grim slowly walked towards the crystal and sniffed it.

“ This thing smells good,” Grim said, picking it up.

“No way!” Ace spouted.

“ This has to be candy that the monster was hiding. Ooh, I can’t hold back. Time to dig in!” Grim said, excitedly putting the stone in his mouth.

“Wait! Grim! Spit that out!” Mirabel protested, but Grim wasn’t listening to her.

“Ugh,” Grim cried out, which caused Mirabel to panic.

“Hey, are you alright?” Deuce asked, seeing Mirabel’s panic.

“Aah. This is why you don't eat things off the ground” Ace sighed.

“D-d..D.. Delicious!” Grim cheered happily with a smile.

“Huh?” Ace, Deuce and Mirabel gasped.

“It’s full-bodied but also rich, with an aromatic sweetness that blooms in my mouth. It’s like a whole field of flowers in my mouth!” Grim proclaimed.

Ace made a noise of disgust.

“Monsters do have different taste buds than we do” Ace gawked.

“I guess so. But more than that... Most people wouldn’t put a mystery object in their mouth without a second thought.”Deuce agreed.

“Grim. Are you sure you’re ok?” Mirabel asked worried.

What Mirabel got in return was a laugh and a smile.

“Tasty! Tasty!” Grim cheered.

“Don’t worry. My stomach isn’t as weak as yours” Grim said, brushing off Mirabel’s worries.

“Don’t come crawling to me if you feel sick later” Ace chastised Grim.

“Switching gears, let’s get this crystal to the Headmaster” Deuce said with haste.

Everyone nodded and made their way back to where the Mirror dropped them off earlier.

The nightmare is truly over.

Chapter Text

With little trouble, the group made it back to the Mirror Chamber once again. Sighing in relief, they quickly made their way to the Headmaster’s office. Mirabel carried Grim for the umpteenth time today as she, Ace, and Deuce ran down the halls toward the office. As they approached the office, Mirabel went to knock on the door but was cut off by loud yelling.

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU THIS TIME, DIRE!” 

The teens and cat monster jumped at the sudden yelling. Ace moved past Mirabel and slightly pushed the door open so that they could see what was happening. They saw a large burly man completely in red, manhandling Mr. Crewel who had his hands wrapped around Crowley’s neck. 

“Divus, please don’t kill the man that writes our paychecks” the burly man pleaded, tugging on the other professor. 

“Let me go, Vargas! This old crow sent a little helpless girl out to who knows where with two boys and a cat monster!” Mr. Crewel argued, his hands still holding on tight to the headmaster’s throat.

“Divus. Please have mercy” Crowley pleaded, gasping for air as Divus wasn’t letting go. 

“Divus please calm down. There’s no point in killing Dire over this. Surely we can find them ourselves” another voice could be heard in the office. 

Mirabel’s eyes shifted and saw an older man with light and dark gray hair, sitting on a chair. He wore a black suit which was draped by a long maroon cloak, black dress shoes, and a handkerchief around his neck. Sitting on top of this man was a very fluffy black cat with white tufts on the cat’s neck and tail.

“ I can’t see” Grim whined in Mirabel’s arms.

Grim tried to push the door a little bit more. As his paws pushed the door a bit wider, the door made a small creaking noise. This caused the teachers to tense up and look towards the door.

“Who’s there? Go ahead and open that door, now please” the man known as Mozus said, standing up with the cat in his arms.

Ace, Deuce, and Mirabel looked at each other and Ace pushed the door open to reveal all of them to the faculty in the office. Upon seeing Mirabel, Divus threw Crowley to the ground and ran towards the girl. Grim, realizing that he was going to be smushed, lept from Mirabel’s arms as the professor approached.

 He embraced her tightly as if she would vanish into thin air. This caught Mirabel off guard. The feeling was strange but not unwelcome.

“Puppy! I was worried sick about you! Are you ok? You’re not hurt?” Mr. Crewel fired off so many questions all at once.

“I’m ok. I promise.” Mirabel said, trying to calm the worrying professor. 

Mr. Crewel sighed in relief as he embraced her again.

Mirabel could hear Crowley gasping for air as he got back on his feet again. Mirabel remembered the crystal in her hand. She held it up for Crowley to see it past Mr. Crewel’s shoulders.

“We got it. We got the crystal!” Mirabel proclaimed.

Mr. Crewel hearing what Mirabel said let go of her and looked at the crystal in her hand. Crowley also shifted his gaze toward the crystal in her hand. He looked completely shocked.

“You went to the Dwarf’s Mine to find a magic crystal?” Crowley questioned, in awe of the crystal in her hand.

This response caught the teens and Grim off guard.

“Huh?” they said, curious as to what Crowley meant.

“I didn’t think... Not only did you go to the mine but came back with a crystal in hand. I quietly completed the paperwork for your expulsion” Crowley admitted.

“What?!? The nerve of this guy! And here we had to fight off a monster to get this crystal!” Grim sassed the headmaster.

The word ‘monster’ caused all the teacher’s ears to perk up. 

“Monster?” Crowley asked.

“Yeah, there was a monster in the mine! It was super strong and super gross, it was awful!” Ace said angrily. 

Before Mirabel could stop them from saying any more, she turned and saw the Crewel had an inquisitive look on his face. He pointed to the Headmaster’s desk. 

“The three of you and Grim, come here. Recall the events from tonight. Start to finish, leave no details unsaid” Crewel commanded. 

As they all entered the office, Crewel closed the office door again. Crewel then took the crystal from Mirabel and handed it to Crowley. He then gave them a look that said ‘Start talking’ and they told the staff present of the events that night. As the story came to a close, Crewel looked at Crowley with a glare that could have someone drop dead. 

“Divus, please stop glaring at the headmaster. It’s not like he knew that there was a monster within the mine” Mozus said, rolling his eyes at the younger professor.

“It still doesn’t make the situation any better! They could’ve still been hurt! Or worse killed!” Crewel argued back.

Crowley, on the other hand, nodded as the story came to a close.

“A mysterious monster living in the coal mine. The four of you worked together to defeat it and bring back the magic crystal?” Crowley questioned the group. 

“We didn’t work together” Ace started but was cut off by Deuce.

“It was more like our goals were aligned” Deuce finished.

Out of nowhere, Crowley started to loudly sob. This caused Mirabel, Ace, Deuce, and Grim to look at him in utter confusion. The teachers however looked unamused by the theatrical sobbing of the headmaster.

“What’s with this guy? Why is this adult bursting into tears?” Grim said confused.

“In all my years of being the headmaster, I never thought I would see the day that students from Night Raven College would go hand and hand to face and defeat an enemy” Crowley continued to sob.

“What?? I did not hold his hand!” Deuce scoffed.

“ I would never do that! But headmaster how old are you to talk like that?” Ace chided.

“I’m overwhelmed with emotion. This incident confirms it. Miss Madrigal, without a doubt, you have talent as a beast tamer!” Crowley proclaimed in excitement.

“Beast Tamer?” Mirabel tilted her head in confusion. 

Mirabel remembered him mentioning this before but didn’t fully understand what he meant by that.

“Students at Night Raven College are budding magicians called here by the Dark Mirror. However, their superior class, makes them prideful and egotistical people who haven't the slightest idea to work with others. Making many of them selfish and self-centered.” Crowley explained.

“You’re not saying anything good” Grim retorted back.

“But, maybe, precisely because you don’t have use of your magic yet means that you could give instructions to wizards and get them to cooperate. Perhaps that mediocrity is exactly what this school needs right now.” Crowley continued.

“ He’s got nothing nice to say?” Ace exclaimed.

“I do not doubt that your existence is essential to the future of this academy. So says my educator senses” Crowley beamed at the girl.

“Really? This is all it took for you to get her to stay Dire?” Crewel questioned, quirking an eyebrow at him. 

Crowley chose to ignore this comment and turned to the two boys. 

“Trappola, Spade, I will rescind your expulsions. On top of that, Miss Madrigal, I shall give you the qualifications to attend Night Raven College as a student” Crowley said, congratulating the girl.

Abuelo is this happening? I did it! 

“Really?” Mirabel gasped, not sure if she heard him right.

“Yes, for I am exceedingly gracious,” Crowley said, before pausing.

“But there is one condition” Crowley quickly added. 

This caused Mirabel to pause.

And there’s a but. Why is there always a but?

“Since you can’t use your magic properly, we will need to give you supplementary classes to fill you in, on top of your regular lessons. On top of that, you are a girl and can’t enroll on your own. That is why Grim” Crowley said turning to Grim and then continuing.

“You have proven to me that you possess enough talent to become a wizard. Therefore I shall allow the two of you to enroll, as one student” Crowley smiled.

“I can go to this academy too..? Not as a janitor, but as a student?” Grim questioned, not sure if he was hearing things.

“Yes. Provided that you don’t ever let an incident like yesterday occur again! Do we have an agreement?” Crowley implored.

Grim quaked in fear at the prospect.

“We… We can” Grim stuttered.

“Did you hear that Grim? You did it” Mirabe cheered as she picked Grim up, hugging him tightly.

“Let’s do our best Grim,” Mirabel said, still hugging Grim.

Grim took a moment before hugging her arms.

“Haha. I did it!” Grim cheered.

“Well then, to symbolize your status as a student at Night Raven College, I shall give a magic crystal to Grim,” Crowley said, interrupting the hugging session.

In a quick flash of light, a tiny purple crystal appeared around Grim’s neck. Grim looked at the crystal in awe.

“Woah! A magic crystal?” Grim said, looking at it with stars in his eyes.

“It is the norm for students to have their magic crystals in the form of a ‘magical pen’ but you wouldn’t be able to grip it in your paws, right?” Crowley asked. 

Magic Pen? Didn’t Mr. Crewel say something before about magic pens?

“It’s a special custom. I pay attention to even the smallest details” Crowley added.

“ I did it! I’m so cool! I got my own special magic crystal collar!” Grim beamed in happiness. 

“He’s not listening,” Crowley said bluntly, being ignored.

“As you can see, Grim isn’t accustomed to human society. It’s up to you to reign him in and supervise him from causing any more trouble!” Crowley said with utmost importance.

“Speaking of magic pens, puppy, this also belongs to you” Crewel spoke up, pulling something out of his pocket.

Mirabel looked and saw it was a magic pen with a crystal attached to it. Mirabel looked at Crewel with a shocked expression.

“Can’t perform magic without this” Crewel said, handing the pen for Mirabel to take.

She put Grim down, who was busy admiring his collar. She reached for it and grasped it in her hand. Just like before, the golden light appeared from her hands, covering the pen in golden light. When the light disappeared, Mirabel looked and saw the crystal had changed. 

The crystal now was a teal color, but when tilted, it had other colors emitting from it. She saw light green, pink, and little bits of purple and yellow. The frame around the gem had changed to the shape of a butterfly. It was the most beautiful thing that Mirabel had ever seen. 

“Woah! How’d you do that?” Deuce gasped.

“That’s what happened at the statue earlier. Is that like your unique magic or something?” Ace asked, in awe of her pen.

Their comments broke Mirabel out of her stupor. She turned to them, unsure of what to say. She looked back down at her pen again.

“I’m not sure,” she said, trying to think of a better answer.

Ace decided to change the subject.

“Look at you. School’s just started and you’re already a dorm leader.” Ace marveled at Mirabel.

“You have a point. Since there are only two of you in the dorm. So if you’re tasked with supervising Grim, that makes you a dorm leader.” Deuce agreed with Ace.

“ That’s unheard of. A dorm leader to not have any experience at magic.” Ace laughed.

“Nice. It’s cool. A dorm leader who hasn’t learned magic!” Ace jested, trying to get Mirabel to smile.

Mirabel wasn’t sure if he was poking fun at her or was happy for her. She smiled in response.

“I’ll do my best,” She said with confidence.

“Good luck, Dorm Leader Mirabel” Ace congratulated her.

“Dorm leader?” Crowley said quietly, enough to where the teens looked at him again. 

“I do have a work request, and having a title makes it very convenient... This is wonderful!” Crowley beamed.

The teens looked at each other confused.

Does this man have any other things he wants me to do?

Crowley moved to his desk and pulled a square-like object from one of the drawers. Mirabel looked at it curiously. It was a camera. The ones she had seen were different from the ones Crowley held in his hand. 

“ I entrust you with this, Dorm Leader. This is nicknamed ‘the ghost camera’” Crowley said, giving the camera to Mirabel.

“Ghost camera?” Mirabel asked, tilting the camera side to side.

“Oh. I think my grandma told me about that. It’s a super old magic tool right?” Ace questioned, also looking at the camera.

“It’s not super old” Crowley argued but cleared his throat.

“It’s true that this may have been invented during your great-grandmother’s or your great-great-grandmother’s time. This has a very special spell cast on it. It not only captures the subject’s form but also a part of their soul.” Crowley explained.

“A part of their soul?” Deuce chimed in.

“We call this “Memory: A Fragment of Remembrance”. Furthermore, the most important thing about this magic camera is that the souls of the photographer and the photographed become deeply connected and the memory in the photo comes jumping out” Crowley continued to say.

Photos aren’t supposed to do that... Oh no wait, that’s right. In this world things are different.

“It comes jumping out?” Mirabel asked for clarification.

“Depending on how close the subject and the photographer are, the picture could move like a video. Or bring to life the situation in the photo. Fascinating isn’t it?” Crowley said, smiling.

“Bring a photo to life? It’s like a ghost photograph” Deuce said.

“Yes. That is why it is called a ‘ghost camera’” Crowley reiterated.

“They say it was made before the time of videos for when people wanted to leave behind vivid memories. Spade was correct about something. In the past people would scream ‘ghost!’ in surprise when the memory came jumping out. They were paralyzed in fear at the thought of having a photo taken with this camera.” Crowley further explained.

“A camera to freak people out…” Ace sighed, not knowing where this was going.

“Dorm Leader Mirabel Madrigal. Please take photos of Grim and the other students to leave behind memories of your lives at this academy” Crowley commanded.

Mirabel was unsure what to think of the task given to her. But she put that thought aside and would complete her task as best as she could.

“Take lots of good photos of me, Henchman” Grim boasted.

“Especially, always make sure to get ‘memories’ when someone steps out of line. It’s the most suitable way to inform me, right? Keep an eye on your surroundings and take memories as a dorm leader.” Crowley hinted, looking at Ace and Deuce.

“ To generously give you a rare item that can be used by non-magicians… Does my graciousness know no bounds?” Crowley said dramatically.

I seriously doubt that this was ‘generously’ given. I feel like you did this so you don’t have to do it.

“I think you’re overdoing it but that’s just my opinion” Crewel quipped at Crowley with the other two teachers nodding.

“Thank you very much” Mirabel thanked the headmaster.

As she said this, Crowley looked at his watch and saw the time.

“It’s already late. Let’s save the detailed conversation for tomorrow. Return to your dormitories, everyone.” Crowley said, waving them off. 

“Please excuse us,” Deuce said, before walking towards the door with Ace, Mirabel, and Grim.

“It’s best we be off as well. Tomorrow is the first day of the semester.” Mozus said, standing up again. The cat in his hands meowed in agreement.

“ I agree. Got to get these bean sprouts into shape” Vargas agreed with Mozus.

“ Miss Madrigal, I’ll escort you back to your dorm safely,” Crewel said, hurrying to catch up to her and the boys.

“Divus I need to discuss something with you” Crowley added quickly.

Crewel stopped midstep. 

“Can this wait?’ Crewel scoffed. 

“I” 'm sure Mr. Spade and Mr. Trappola wouldn’t mind dropping off Miss Madrigal at her dorm on their way out,” Crowley suggested.

“Yes headmaster” Deuce nodded.

Crewel sighed and stayed behind in the headmaster’s office. 

“ Haaaaah…. Expulsion…rescinded… I’m beat” Deuce groaned.

Ace groaned in agreement. 

“I start as a Night Raven College student tomorrow! I’m gonna leave all of you in the dust and take the top spot!” Grim said excitedly.

“You talk big for someone who is only a half student… but anyways it’s fine,” Ace remarked.

“We’re going to be classmates tomorrow, Mirabel and Grim,” Deuce said with a smile.

“ This is true. Well, in that case, it’s nice to meet you” Mirabel smiled.

“Saying that again is embarrassing, will you stop?” Ace sighed.

Mirabel let out a small laugh at his antics. Ace and Deuce never heard her laugh until now.

Cute

“Pff, that’s true. Even if we don’t want to, we’re going to see each other every day.” Deuce laughed alongside Mirabel.

“I’m even in Heartslabyul with this guy” Deuce continued, pointing to Ace. 

“Thinking about seeing your serious face every day, yeah I think I’ll pass” Ace retorted back.

“First off that’s my line, Ace” Deuce argues.

“Sure, sure. Almost Expelled Crybaby Deuce.” Ace jested.

Mirabel laughed again. They started some small talk on the way to Casita 2.0. When they reached Casita, the shutters and doors fluttered welcoming them. Deuce and Ace’s jaws hit the floor at the sight of the house. 

“Hold up! You live here?” Ace asked, pointing to the house.

“Yeah,” Mirabel confirmed.

“It’s beautiful,” Deuce said, completely in awe.

“You’re free to come tomorrow if you like” Mirabel offered.

“ I’ll be sure to take you up on your offer” Deuce thanked Mirabel, slightly blushing.

Ace rolled his eyes and grabbed Deuce’s collar again.

“Well, it’s time to go Juice. See you tomorrow, Dorm Leader” Ace waved, dragging Deuce back to the Hall of Mirrors.

“Let me go! And my name is Deuce!” Deuce protested.

They’d make a really great duo.

Mirabel waved them off and then entered Casita along with Grim. The events earlier had worn her out and was more than ready to head off to bed. Mirabel went back to her room and opened the door. Grim situated himself on the bed and had the biggest smile on his face.

“Those guys would make a really great duo. They’re the ‘fight because they’re so close’ stereotype” Grim commented on Ace and Deuce.

“I know right?” Mirabel agreed with Grim.

“Tomorrow we aren’t janitors. Finally… Finally… Our shiny bright academy life at Night Raven College begins!” Grim cheered.

Mirabel smiled and went to pat his head.

“I’m excited too. I’m going to take a quick bath and then it’s time for bed” Mirabel said, seeing the bags that Mr. Crewel left earlier.

Mirabel went to bags and found a simple nightgown for her to wear. She grabbed it and went to the bathroom. After taking a relaxing bath and drying off, she put the nightgown on. The nightgown was plain with small floral detailing. When she got out of the bathroom, she saw that Grim had dozed off into sleep. 

“Casita can you dim the lights?” Mirabel called out to Casita.

The lights soon dimmed until it was nearly dark. Mirabel sighed and got under the covers. Tomorrow was a new day and Mirabel hoped she was ready.

Abuelo I think I’m going to like it here.

I hope tomorrow goes smoothly.

And with that final thought, Mirabel drifted off to sleep. 

Chapter Text

Another day had passed in the Encanto. There were still no signs of Mirabel. As the town grows leary, rumors begin to fly. Depending on who was talking, the topic of the rumor varied. And none of what they said escaped the ears of the Madrigal family.

Abuela was irritated, trying to downplay the rumors as Mirabel doing this because of her jealousy towards Antonio. Although this convinced some of the villagers, it didn’t convince all of them. Many were worried that there was a kidnapper among them and kidnapped her for nefarious purposes.

“Señora Hernandez, I seriously can’t believe that you’re not worried,” a village woman said in a hushed tone.

Four ladies in the village square were drinking coffee. They were talking about their theories as to what happened to Mirabel Madrigal. When it came to Señora Hernandez and her thoughts, her answer stumped them all. 

“ Now don’t go twisting my words. I’m not as heartless as Alma, trying to forget that her granddaughter doesn’t exist anymore. When I said “I’m not worried”, I meant that Mirabel’s a smart girl. Surely she will find her way back home.” Señora Hernandez commented, sipping her coffee.

“But still..” One of the other ladies trailed off. 

“ I would bet any of you ladies that even if Mirabel was taken elsewhere, she’s probably in a better place there than here” Señora Hernandez added. 

“A better place?” Another lady questioned.

“Think about it. If you had your elder sister and abuela hate you with every fiber of their being, your aunt’s side of the family treat you like a stranger, and with your other sister and parents not making time for you, would you stay and put up with that for the rest of your life?” Señora Hernandez criticized.

“No. I guess I wouldn’t…” Another lady said but paused.

They all shifted their gazes and saw Julieta look at them, tears threatening to spill. 

“Julieta…” One of the ladies stammered. 

Julieta then briskly walked away, not sparing another glance at them. 

“What do we do?” Another said, wanting to go after Julieta.

“Nothing. She needed to hear the truth.” Señora Hernandez sniffed, drinking from her cup again.

“ And why would she care now? She had allowed her mother and her eldest daughter to treat her youngest poorly and have there not been any consequences to her actions?” Señora Hernandez argued.

None of the other ladies had commented on what was said and diverged the conversation to something else. After a couple of hours, all the ladies had gotten up from their chairs and headed back to their residences. Señora Hernandez took her time to go home, stopping by the bakery for some bread.

As she made it back to her emporium, she made her way inside and locked the door behind her. She went into her kitchen and placed the bread on the counter. As she was ready to go up the stairs to her room, she gazed at the mirror in the furthest corner.

After all this time, it opened again.

She smiled and thought of her old life, a life before coming to the Encanto. Sometimes she wondered if she made the right decision due to the selfishness and entitlement of the villagers regarding the Madrigal family. She shook her head and looked back at the mirror again. 

“I’m glad you’re in a better place Mirabel. I hope Twisted Wonderland treats you a lot better than this place treats you. You deserved better.” Señora Hernandez sighed, walking up the stairs to her room.

Dolores was too stunned to speak. Someone who knew where Mirabel was and didn’t come forward is a slap in the face. But it was somewhere outside the Encanto that made Dolores’ stomach and heart sink.

“Twisted Wonderland?” Dolores silently blurted out in confusion.

Dolores never heard of a place like that. It made her wonder if Hernandez was telling the truth. Due to her old age, anything she said would be taken with a grain of salt. But it was the tone of her voice that made Dolores believe that this was the truth. 

On the other hand, she felt anger towards Hernandez. Sure she had called out her Abuela and Isa’s behavior which was something no one had ever done. But the fact that Hernandez believed that Julieta didn’t care and allowed it to happen was completely different. Julieta loved Mirabel with all her heart. And for someone who wasn’t part of their family to make assumptions….

You didn’t step in to help Mirabel either

She paused. She thought about it long and hard. No, she didn’t step up to help Mirabel or to talk sense into her Abuela or Isabela. No, she didn’t reassure Mirabel that someone in the family besides her parents loved her. No, she didn’t go back to Casita to comfort Mirabel after the entire family skipped her birthday multiple times as the community needed them more. 

Especially her quinceañera. The most important birthday was also missed to prepare for Antonio’s gift ceremony.

“-res. Dolores!” a voice shouted, breaking Dolores out of her thoughts.

She turned in the direction of the voice and saw Isa. She looked agitated. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s going on, you usually don’t space out. You ok?” Isabela questioned Dolores.

“It’s nothing Isa. I didn’t realize I zoned out.” Dolores said calmly, squashing down the revelation of Mirabel’s location.

A part of her felt bad for lying but another part of her didn’t want to stir the pot. Isabela didn’t look convinced at first but had seemed to let it go.

“Well, it’s time to go,” Isa said, walking past Dolores toward the direction of Casita.

The family had gone back to Casita after a long tedious day in the Encanto. Julieta, despite overhearing the conversations, held herself together. The remaining members of the family were silent about it as they were unsure if Julieta would start crying about Mirabel. 

The rest of the evening went as normal as Julieta went to fix dinner. Dinner was silent as no one had anything to say other than Abuela. She stood up from her chair and cleared her voice. 

“I wish to make an announcement,” Abuela said, getting the attention of the rest of the family.

“From this day forward, we will not mention Mirabel’s name in Casita or the Encanto” Abuela explained.

“Mama! Of course, I won’t do that! That is my daughter!” Julieta snapped, standing up from her seat.

“Julieta! You can’t grieve forever! You must move on with your life! Think of the family!” Alma commanded.

“I am thinking of my daughter! How could you want me to forget about her? A baby I grew inside me for 9 months, gave birth to and watched grow for the past 15 years. I can’t forget all that and I don’t want to!” Julieta yelled, slamming her hands into the table.

“You can and must! For the community and this family!” Alma snapped back.

“I won’t follow this!” Agustín also protested. 

“Mama! This is going way too far!” Pepa responded, a cloud forming above her head. 

“Can’t you see I’m doing what’s best?” Alma argued

“Best for who? The family or for yourself!?!” Julieta accused her mother.

“My word is final, Julieta!” Alma boomed.

“Not this time! I will continue to talk about my daughter! With or without your blessing!” Julieta yelled back, walking out of the dining room. 

Agustín followed her and turned to Alma.

“Think about what you said long and hard. Because there are many things we can forgive, this isn’t one of those.” Agustín warned his mother-in-law before continuing after his wife. 

Alma, frustrated at her daughter’s outburst, also got up from her seat and left. This left the dining room in tense silence. Everyone looked at each other, in shock, at the argument that went down in front of them. Pepa calmed down, causing the cloud to disappear.

“Children. Don’t worry about what Abuela said. I know she’s just stressed right now but you can still talk about Mirabel if you want to” Pepa advised her children and nieces.

“I miss her,” Antonio whimpered.

“I know, Toñito. We miss her too. We will continue to pray that she will come home safely” Pepa assured her youngest son.

“What if she’s hurt or lost?” Antonio trembled at the mention of his favorite cousin getting hurt.

“Don’t worry Antonio. I’m sure Mirabel is safe and is trying her hardest to come home” Pepa continued, hugging her son.

Antonio held his mother tightly, trying not to cry. Pepa knew her son loved Mirabel and would do whatever she could to calm her son. Pepa sighed and looked at her other children and her sobrinas. 

“I know everything is tense right now. Just don’t lose faith. Mirabel will return home and we will be here to welcome her back.” Pepa assured them.

They nodded and Pepa scooped Antonio into her arms. She petted his hair and kissed his head. Her gaze then returned to the children again.

“Please finish your food. I’ll go ahead and take Antonio to bed. Good night” Pepa gestured to the plates of food. 

She then turned heel and made her way out of the dining room and out of sight. Felix got up and joined behind her with one hand on Antonio's head and one hand on Pepa’s back. This left Camilo, Dolores, Luisa, and Isabela at the dinner table. The tension in the air was thick which made them uneasy. 

As they finished their food, each of them went to their rooms and continued on their normal nightly routine. Dolores, however, had other plans in mind. When she could hear that her family members had finally drifted off to sleep, she got up quickly from her bed and tiptoed to her door. After cracking her door open, she peered her head out.

After looking both ways, ensuring that the coast was clear, Dolores quickly went to the painting next to her room. The painting of the coffee table has a coffee cup, coffee pot, and a basket of bread with a curtain draped in the background. This painting looked unassuming to anyone passing by but Dolores knew better than that. She knew that the painting concealed Casita’s deepest secret. 

A secret only Dolores knew and hopefully it would stay that way.

 She swung the painting aside, as quietly as she could, and passed through the hole in the wall. After swinging the painting closed, she continued on her journey to her uncle. She had questions that needed to be answered. 

Sure enough, Bruno had not fallen asleep yet. He was a flurry of emotions. He was angry towards his mama for her treatment of the situation and Mirabel. He felt undeniably sad for his hermana and cuñado. Julieta and Agustín didn’t deserve this. 

Most important of all, Bruno was afraid. His previous vision of Mirabel facing some horrific monster had not left his mind. Bruno didn’t want to imagine what was going through her mind. He wanted to know she was okay, but a small part of him was unsure. What if his vision caused something else to happen?

“Tío Bruno” a voice came from behind him.

Bruno jumped, and he turned to see Dolores. She had a worried look. Bruno knew she was anxious as well.

“I thought you’d be asleep by now” Bruno tried to diverge the conversation but Dolores shook her head.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Dolores said truthfully.

“Bruno, what can you tell me about Señora Hernandez?” Dolores asked her tío.

Bruno looked at his sobrina in confusion.

“Señora Hernandez?” Bruno wanted to clarify that Dolores had said that right.

“Yes,” Dolores nodded.

Bruno sat down on an old recliner. He mulled over his thoughts for a quick moment before looking back at Dolores.

“Well, there’s not much to know about her. She doesn’t talk about having a family. She kinda moved to the Encanto when me, your mama, and your tía were only babies. Dolores, what brought this up?” Bruno answers her following up with his question.

Dolores hesitated at first. But she knew if she didn’t tell someone the guilt of knowing would eat her alive. She sighed and looked at her tío.

“I was out doing my tasks when I heard Hernandez say ‘I’m glad you’re in a better place Mirabel. You deserved better. She also mentioned a place called Twisted Wonderland but that’s beside the point better.” Dolores told her tío

“I just don’t understand tío. Why would she not say anything?” Dolores asked.

Bruno sighed.

“Señora Hernandez and Abuela don’t exactly see eye to eye about things. She was against us for using our gifts to help out the community at a young age. ‘Slave labor’ she called it.” Bruno explained to his sobrina.

“ Señora Hernandez was the only one who didn’t think that I was an evil person. She was the only individual I could talk to about my problems without fear” Bruno admitted, slightly smiling at the memories he had with her.

Dolores looked at the floor in shame. Her mind pictured her tío, younger and completely alone with only one person to turn to. And that only person not being a part of the family. How lonely it must feel. 

“But I’m also curious. Where is Twisted Wonderland and why Mirabel would be there?” Bruno thought out loud.

“I thought the same thing too. I was hoping…” Dolores trailed off, not wanting to upset her tío.

“Don’t worry Dolores. I know what you’re about to say and I feel that we should” Bruno acknowledged her unasked request.

Dolores looked at her uncle in shock. 

“Wait but you…” Dolores was about to say but Bruno cut her off.

“I know what I said. I have my reservations about my visions. But that doesn’t matter right now. Mirabel is what matters. We need to check up on her as much as possible so that she’s safe” Bruno said with assurance. 

Dolores nodded in agreement.

“ We need to go back to your room and..” Dolores was about to suggest.

“My vision cave is on the verge of collapse. We need to find another place to do the vision” Bruno informed her and looked like he was trying to figure out another option. 

“Another place? Where?” Dolores asked, not sure where they wouldn’t be noticed.

Before either of them could suggest a place, the sound of humming could be heard as it echoed off the walls. This caused both Dolores and Bruno to freeze in place.

“Dolores. Is anyone else up?” Bruno asked in shock. 

“No. But that sounds like…” Dolores said before her eyes widened in realization.

“Mirabel” Dolores whispered, unsure if she was hearing her right. 

“That’s impossible, right? There’s no way she’s here” Bruno tried to reason, but the humming continued.

“Let’s go check it out,” Dolores said, grabbing her tíos hand and dragging him to the hole in the wall. 

When they approached the hole, they swung the painting quietly. As they looked around, they could see no one else had heard the humming and were still sleeping. They let out a sigh of relief. But as they looked around, they could see that Mirabel’s door was glowing. 

Not only was it glowing but the door was also ajar. The humming could be heard from beyond the door. Dolores and Bruno looked at each other and then back at the door. They couldn’t wait anymore.

It was now or never.

Dolores and Bruno made their way out of the hole, and quickly and quietly, made their way toward Mirabel’s door. When they approached her door, they could see that the glowing from her door was different. While theirs were golden, Mirabel’s was golden with other colors mixed in. They could see some pinks, greens, and a bit of blue and purple mixed in.

Dolores went to pull the door open but hesitated. She took a deep breath and opened the door quietly but swiftly. Her eyes were quickly blinded along with Bruno’s. When their eyes adjusted to the light, they looked around in shock and confusion.

This is Casita.

As they looked around, they could immediately tell that this wasn’t Casita. The color scheme was different and the doors didn’t have anyone of the family on them. It was as if they walked into a Casita lookalike.

As if right on cue, one door from the upper floor opened. The humming was coming from upstairs. A staircase immediately appeared as a figure was walking down the hallway towards the stairwell. 

As the figure approached the stairs and began their descent down, Bruno and Dolores’s eyes widened. A pristine dress shirt, a long black skirt, and dress shoes. Her curly hair and big green-rimmed glasses were a dead giveaway. 

It was Mirabel . She was humming an unfamiliar tune while descending the stairs. The cat-like creature perched on her shoulders. Its blue eyes matched the flames on its ears. The creature had the biggest grin on its face.

“Hey, henchman! Can you gimme a can of tuna for breakfast?” The creature asked Mirabel.

It talks?!? This caught Bruno and Dolores off guard.

Mirabel looked at the creature, chuckled, and shook her head. 

“Grim, it’s too early for tuna,” Mirabel said, amused.

“Let’s see what we have in the fridge and the pantry” Mirabel suggested, walking past Bruno and Dolores. 

“Mira-” Dolores went to touch Mirabel’s shoulder but her hand went through her shoulder as if Dolores was a ghost. Dolores recoiled, clutching her hand in shock. But Mirabel didn’t hear her and happily continued on her path. 

But before Dolores could call out again, Mirabel was gone. The humming finally stopped, leaving the other ‘Casita’ in silence. 

“I guess we do it here?” Bruno asked, uncertain.

“I mean we don’t have anywhere else open enough” Dolores agreed. 

“Well. Let’s get started” Bruno stated. 

The man shifted his ruana, the green woolen garment that draped over him with hourglasses where it draped over his shoulders, to reveal a bucket of sand. Dolores was surprised she didn’t notice the bucket beneath the ruana but didn’t comment on it. 

Bruno got to work in pulling out other things he needed out of his ruana. When he was finished, he began to pour out the sand around to make a circle. As he finished pouring the sand, he looked at Dolores. 

Dolores smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Tío. You can do this” Dolores comforted him.

Bruno took a deep breath. 

With a quick toss of salt over his shoulder for good measure, he lit the match to light the small leaves. The lights around the ‘Other Casita’ began to flicker uncontrollably. Dolores took her tío’s hands into hers, preparing for what was next.

There was a large draft that came sweeping around them. The wind picks up the sand, creating a vortex around them. The sand shifted from a warm brown to an emerald green.

It had been a while since Dolores ever saw her tío perform another vision. She was still in awe of the process. She looked at her tío. Much like the sand, his eyes changed to a vibrant green. 

Dolores could see shapes beginning to come together around them. As the sand began to pick up more speed, she co uld see the images more clearly.

Mirabel and the cat creature, along with two boys (about Mirabel’s age) walk down a long hallway. Both were taller than Mirabel. One of them wore a strange thing around his neck. Dolores was curious as to who they were and why Mirabel was hanging out with them. 

Then the sand shifted and it showed the group with two other boys in what looked like a kitchen. One had long hair while the other had glasses on. 

The sands shifted again. Dolores paled as she saw Mirabel being looked down upon by an older-looking boy. He had long hair and from what Dolores could see, animal ears and tail. The boy had an agitated look and Mirabel was shielding the cat monster from said boy.

But the vision was not over. Then appeared a different scene. From the looks of it, it was a party. An altercation between the boy with the weird thing in his neck and another boy with a crown on his head. The boy with the crown looked like Abuela when Mirabel would do something she wasn’t supposed to.

This couldn’t get worse

Oh, but it does.

The sands shifted once more. With the boy in the collar punching the boy with the crown with such force.  But then the tone changed as the boy in the crown began to morph. Black vines and dark red almost black roses grew around him. 

What stood before them was a boy who was ready to cause mayhem. His snarl shifted into a grin and erupted into laughter. Dolores turned and could see the boys, the cat monster, and Mirabel gazing upon him in horror.

Then the wind began to die down, the sand beginning to finally settle. An emerald tablet coming into existence. Dolores went to grab the tablet, grasping it in her right hand. Bruno shook his head, his eyes shifting back to normal. 

Bruno looked at the tablet in Dolores’ hands and looked at her in concern. Dolores handed him the tablet, allowing him to look it over. His face fell as he held the tablet. Dolores put a hand to his shoulder.

“It’s going to be ok. Mirabel will be ok” Dolores tried to assure him. 

Bruno looked at her in doubt but sighed.

“And here I thought the other monster was bad enough. Now this? What has Mirabel gotten herself into?” Bruno said, shaking his head.

“Other monster?” Dolores asked.

“Not important. We need to get out of here before anyone sees us” Bruno urged.

“I’m glad she’s ok. For now at least” Dolores said, a small smile appearing on her face. 

Bruno looked at her and hesitantly smiled too.

“Hopefully she can stay out of trouble until she comes home,” Bruno said, praying she won’t give him any more gray hairs.

“With Mirabel’s luck and tío Agustín’s clumsiness, probably not” Dolores let out a small laugh.

“ Don’t even say that” Bruno pleaded.

Dolores and Bruno turned to push the door open and saw the design on the door. However, it was different from the one in the hallway. This one was holding a candle. Dolores and Bruno looked at the door in shock.

“Dolores we can discuss this later. We need to go before anyone sees us” Bruno urged Dolores to go.

Dolores reluctantly nodded and they both left quietly. They silently pushed the door closed and they gave a nod to each other in acknowledgement and separated. Dolores went back to her room while Bruno made his way back to the hole behind the painting. 

With a final shot from the door and the painting, Casita once again became silent. Minus for a couple of cracks that elongated along the tiled floors of Casita. 

As Bruno finally made himself somewhat comfortable in his ‘room’, he couldn’t help but wonder about his youngest sobrina. 

Mirabel. I don’t know where you are now but please be ok. Please come back in one piece.

Chapter Text

The only two residents in Ramshackle Dorm were sleeping soundly in Mirabel’s room. Grim was nestled in Mirabel’s arms, his small chest rising and falling while snoring. Mirabel herself was sound asleep after the long day she had. Both were comfortable as they nestled in the covers of Mirabel’s bed. Both were blissfully unaware that a mirror, which hung near Mirabel’s window seat, began to shimmer in a dull white light. Mirabel shifted in her sleep as she was confused. Her dream went from showing off her magic to her family to herself gazing upon the mirror on her wall that she hadn’t paid any mind to. 

Ok, this is odd.

But before Mirabel could ponder it, the mirror began to ripple like water and a bright white light emerged. Mirabel was blinded by the light as she made an effort to cover her eyes with one hand. As the light faded, she removed her hand and saw that she was not in her room anymore.

 Everything around her was shades of black, white, and gray. It was a shock as she couldn’t imagine a world without color, She looked around and saw that she was in a maze. A heart-shaped tree standing near a leafy wall. As if like magic, a person card appeared out of nowhere. The person-card was holding a paintbrush, which was drenched in vibrant red paint. 

Before Mirabel could comprehend what was going on, the person card began to sing.

Hurry and paint the roses red

Mirabel tilted her head in confusion. She realized that more person cards appeared with more paint brushes and continued to paint the roses. They also joined in with the singing.

Hurry before the flowers wither

Hurry, hurry! We have to paint them all red

Paint the roses?

Another figure appeared before Mirabel. And it wasn’t another card person, it was a young girl. She wore a simple dress with an apron and wore simple dress shoes. Her hair was tied with a ribbon, and the bow was atop her head. The girl looked confused as Mirabel, watched the person-cards continue.

Why do you have to paint the roses red?  

Mirabel could hear the young girl ask. Mirabel wanted to know as well, imagining if she had painted Isabela’s roses a different color. She’d be SO FURIOUS. One person-card stopped and looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

Huh?

Another person-card stopped to chime in.

Why do you ask? The truth is we made a mistake and grew a white one

Another person-card decided to speak up as well

The queen loves red. If she sees white she’ll have our heads!

Mirabel did a double-take while trying to compute what they just said. The girl also looked at them in bewilderment as well.

Really?

That’s right. Therefore we’re painting the roses

Another person card answered the young girl’s question. Suddenly the world around Mirabel faded to black, no longer seeing anything around her. She could feel her body being pulled back by some kind of force. As she was being pulled back, the mirror came back into view. The room darkened around Mirabel as the mirror seemed further away from her. This caused Mirabel to have more questions than answers.

Ok… But where was that place? 

The sound of loud knocking can be heard in the distance. Mirabel could feel her eyelids shift and opened her eyes to reveal that she was still in her room. She heard a small groan coming from beside her and saw Grim tossing and turning. Grim eventually sat up and rubbed his eyes with one of his paws.

“Ughhh. Hey, henchman. Sounds like we have a late-night visitor” Grim muttered unhappily, not liking the fact that he was woken up.

“What? Is it those ghosts again? They don’t know when to quit” Grim sighed, holding out his arms, gesturing for Mirabel to carry him. 

Both occupants could still hear the knocking persist from downstairs. Mirabel could see Casita flutter the window shutters in annoyance. 

“OW!” a voice could be heard echoing through the halls.

Mirabel sighed as she knew she needed to see what was happening. She rose slowly out of bed. Casita shifted the floor so that her feet were placed within the pair of shoes Mr. Crewel gave her. She lifted herself off the edge of the bed and stretched her arms. 

After that, she turned and scooped Grim into her arms. Grim got himself comfortable as Mirabel made her way out of her room. Casita came to life as she walked down the hallway towards the stairs. The lights flickered to life as she descended the stairs. Mirabel was quite curious as she slowly approached the front door. 

Who would come over this late?

“Hello, who is it?” Mirabel called out.

There was a brief moment of silence before Mirabel got a response.

“It’s me, Ace. Let me in” She heard Ace from behind the door.

Why is Ace here so late?

“Casita, you can let him in” Mirabel nodded to Casita.

She could see Casita shake the tiles in refusal.

“I know. I know. He banged on the door hard and it hurt. I will handle that. Open the door please.” Mirabel said, negotiating with Casita.

The front door opened a small crack, and Mirabel could see Ace’s hand go to open the door.

“Ace? What are you doing here this late……” Grim tiredly said, before letting out a yell of surprise. This caused Mirabel to jump in place, waking her up more.

“You have a collar!” Grim pointed out.

Sure enough, Ace stood before them with a scowl on his face and with a black and red, heart-shaped collar around his neck.

“ I’m never going back to Heartslabyul! Starting today I’m joining your dorm!” Ace yelled, clearly agitated.

“What?” Grim gaped.

Abuelo, am I dreaming?

She wasn’t. Mirabel looked at the clock and sighed.

It’s too early for this.

“Hey Ace, why don’t you sit over there and we can talk about it?” Mirabel suggested, pointing to another part of the dorm.

Ace looked at where she was pointing and saw a large tan couch with a simple coffee table. 

“Fine,” Ace said, going to the couch and plopping himself on it. 

Grim followed suit and Mirabel went to the kitchen. She pulled some cups out and looked at the stuff Crowley brought over. She saw some tea bags as well as some cookies. She pulled those out and started making tea. After a few minutes, the tea was ready and Mirabel grabbed everything and moved to where Ace and Grim were sitting.

Mirabel placed the items on the table and heard Grim talking to Ace. 

“That’s the same collar that red-haired upperclassmen put on me during the entrance ceremony,” Grim said, pointing to the collar on Ace.

“Why do you have something like that on you?” Grim asked before Mirabel could stop him.

Ace, still looking angry, turned his head to the side with his arms crossed and mumbled something under his breath. 

“Um, I didn’t hear that, could you repeat it a little louder please?” Mirabel asked, tilting her head.

“I ate a tart,” Ace said louder, not looking at Mirabel or Grim.

Mirabel looked at Ace very confused. Surely that couldn’t be it. There had to be more than this.

“That’s it? Just a tart?” Mirabel inquired.

“Yup! Just that!” Ace angrily replied.

“I was hungry when I got back to the dorm so I checked the fridge and there were tarts chilling inside” Ace began to explain.

“Three whole tarts! So….” Ace drifted off.

*Flashback* Heartslabyul Kitchen

“Uggh. I’m so exhausted on day one. And I missed out on dinner. Soooo hungry” Ace moaned in hunger.

Ace’s gaze shifted towards the fridge. He smiled as he walked to the fridge and opened the door.

“In the fridge we have… Ah, tarts! These look so good!” Ace said excitedly, his mouth watering at the sight of the tarts.

“There’s so much. Nobody’s gonna notice one piece missing” Ace thought out loud

Ace looks around and sees a fork, knife, and a plate on the counter. Ace quickly grabs the items and proceeds to cut himself a slice of the tart. He hurriedly closes the fridge and sits himself down on a chair. 

“Thanks for the meal,” Ace said happily, as he dug into the piece of tart.

“Wow! This is amazing!” Ace beamed, relishing in its sweetness.

“Of course it’s delicious. Trey does not make tarts that are anything less than the best” A voice said from behind Ace.

“There’s nothing better than this! Not even those sold in…” Ace nodded before freezing. 

Ace gulped as he slowly turned around to see who was behind him.

“Dorm Leader!” Ace yelped.

“You have some nerve putting your hands on things that belong to me. Queen of Hearts law number 89: “One shall not eat a tart without the queen’s permission” The dorm leader scowled, with his arms crossed. 

“Tart theft is an unforgivable crime! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” the dorm leader boomed.

Ace yelped in surprise as he felt something clasp on his neck. He looked down and saw a heart-shaped collar attached to his neck.

*Flashback over*

“That's the end of the story” Ace finished.

Grim looked unphased by Ace’s story and Mirabel didn’t know how to feel. There should’ve been a better way to have handled the situation. But Ace needed to ask first before eating things. There was a brief moment of silence before Grim decided to speak up.

“You’re both in the wrong,” Grim said nonchalantly.

“ Isn’t sealing my magic for stealing a bit of tart going too far?” Ace retorted back, really agitated by their lack of responses. 

“For a magician, it’s like chaining your arms and legs. And there were three whole tarts! There’s no way he can eat them by himself!” Ace tried to reason.

“There’s got to be a limit on how narrow-minded you can be!” Ace added.

“Well... Sealing your magic may have been too much but…” Mirabel tried to explain her thoughts but didn’t know how Ace was going to react. 

“What’s with the lukewarm reaction?!?” Ace demanded.

Mirabel sat up and didn’t try to finish her sentence. She knew throughout her childhood that she shouldn’t speak her mind. She can only replay a lot of memories of her Abuela not so subtly telling her to not speak or when she raises her hand to silence her. 

“Could they have, by chance... Those three tarts could’ve been for some sort of party, someone’s birthday, or something. I’m so good at deduction”  Grim suggested.

“Birthday?”Ace questioned.

“That would certainly explain his anger” Mirabel spoke up again before shutting up again. 

“ I thought you’d say that he was being tyrannical, Dorm Leader” Ace said, really not expecting for her to side with his Dorm Leader.

“You’re right. He was being a tyrant but…” Mirabel said, trying to understand both sides but having a hard time with who was right and who was wrong. 

“You’re at fault for stealing the tart in the first place” Grim argued, crossing his arms.

“How about tomorrow you can go apologize to him. Put this whole thing behind you” Mirabel suggested.

“Grudges over food are the worst. Hey! Wait a second! I never got my tuna cans from the Headmaster!” Grim cried out.

Ace sighed in the background as Grim was looking as if he was about to hunt down Crowley for his tuna cans. 

“ Fine. Whatever. I just have to apologize right?” Ace asked.

Ace then pointed at Mirabel, which caught her off guard.

“This is your idea, Dorm Leader. So you have you come with me” Ace demanded.

Well, I was the one who suggested this idea. And a Madrigal doesn’t walk away from commitments 

“Ok. I got this” Mirabel said, with confidence 

Ace yawned and stretched his arms. 

“Where should I sleep tonight?” Ace asked the two dorm residents.

This question was definitely out of the blue and Grim was not happy in sharing his space or his henchman.

“You’re seriously staying the night?” Grim retorted back.

“Well, tough news. We haven’t checked all the rooms to see what’s in them yet. The only one we checked was Mirabel’s room. Go check them yourself “ Grim said, letting out his yawn.

“I’m too tired for that” Ace protested before looking at Mirabel.

“Dorm Leader. Let me stay in your room. I’m slim and won’t take up too much space. ‘Kay?” Ace beamed.

Grim’s mouth fell open as he thought that there was no way Mirabel would say yes.

“Ok,” Mirabel nodded.

Ace was taken aback for a moment as he also didn’t expect her to say yes. Casita was rustling the window shutters in protest.

“It’s ok, Casita. It's only going to be tonight so it shouldn’t be a big deal” Mirabel reasoned with Casita again.

“Let’s go then,” Mirabel said to Ace, gesturing him to follow her.

She proceeded to pick Grim up and made her way towards the stairs. Ace followed behind her, looking in amazement as the staircase materialized out of thin air. They both walked up the stairs with no hassle. Mirabel led Ace down the hallway to her room.

Ace was intrigued by the door and figured he’d ask her about it tomorrow. Mirabel opened her door and walked into her room with Ace in tow. Once he stepped into her room, Ace was blown away by how majestic it looked. It was better than any dorm room could ever be.

“What’s wrong?” Mirabel asked him, tilting her head in confusion.

Ace could feel his face begin to flush and he was trying so hard not to call her cute.

“Nothing at all, Dorm Leader” Ace laughed it off, hoping it would work. 

“If you say so” Mirabel shrugged, moving the covers of her bed to lay Grim down and tucking herself in. 

“Get comfy Ace. You need a good night's sleep so you have the energy to apologize tomorrow.” Mirabel laughed.

Ace let out a huff before taking off his shoes and laying on top of Mirabel’s covers.

“You’re so mean, Dorm Leader. Picking on me, I’ll get you back later. Good night.” Ace pouted. 

“Good night” Mirabel smiled before closing her eyes once more.

~Timeskip (Two hours later)~ 

The Great Seven must be testing me 

Ace thought as he lay on Mirabel’s bed. He turns his head to see Mirabel’s curly hair creating a  halo on her pillow. He could see her soft breathing as she was in deep sleep.

Ace could still feel his face flushed as he was laying on the bed of the girl who turned Night Raven College on its head. He remembered how he overheard other boys talking in the dorms about her. He heard how she was so cute and how many wanted to take their shot with her. And here he was, achieving something they couldn’t.

But he felt wrong about it somehow. When he first met her yesterday, she became more than a pretty face. She was very different. Ace wasn’t sure how she was different but he somehow found her endearing.

Ace sat up in her bed slowly. He quietly got off her bed, grabbing the shoes that he placed near the bed. He carefully walked towards her door and opened it. Once he was safely outside of her room, he slowly closed the door. 

He let out a sigh of relief as he didn’t hear her stir. He walked towards the stairs and descended to where they were earlier. He looked to see if there was a larger couch for him to sleep on. 

*rustle rustle*

Ace perked up at the noise and looked for the sound. He heard it was coming from below him. As he looked down he saw the tiles were shaking as if pointing to something. He followed the path with his eyes and saw a long couch near a window with a blanket on it.

“Is it ok?” Ace hesitated, hoping not to upset the house even more.

The tiles on the floor rattled softly as if to answer his question. Ace walked toward the couch and laid himself out. He then grabbed the blanket, draped it over, and then finally drifted to sleep.

~The Next Morning~

Ace woke up to the sound of loud pounding. Ace stirred in his sleep, trying to drown out the sound. But what eventually got him to wake up was the sound of a loud “OW” coming from the other side of the front door.

“Ughh. Who’s pounding on the door so early in the morning?” Ace groaned, sitting up on the couch. 

Casita rattled the tiles underneath Ace, causing the couch to shake. 

“Wait! Stop that! What did I do?” Ace begged.

The tiles were shaking again, pointing to the front door.

“Are you telling me you need me to answer it?” Ace asked.

Casita opened and closed the window as an affirmative.

“OK! I hear you! I’m coming so stop hitting the door!” Ace called out, hastily putting on his shoes and running towards the front door.

Ace made it to the front door in record time and opened it to reveal a familiar face on the other side of the door. It was Deuce and he was holding his hand, rubbing it as it was smacked by the door earlier. Deuce looked up from his hand and saw that it wasn’t Mirabel who answered the door.

“ So you did come here,” Deuce said nonchalantly.

“Deuce…” Ace said, not expecting him so early in the morning.

“I heard what happened from the other dormmates. You got collared after you stole the dorm leader’s tart…. You are a complete idiot” Deuce sighed.

“Shut up! I don’t wanna hear it from you!” Ace snapped.

“By the way, was he still mad?” Ace inquired after cooling down a bit.

“Not really. He looked irritated at some guys who were late to the morning roll call but… three people met the same fate as you” Deuce answered, unphased by what happened.

“He hasn’t calmed down at all! He’s definitely pissed!” Ace blurted out.

“Oh Deuce, good morning” Mirabel called out as she walked down the stairs with Grim in her arms.

Deuce perked up at her voice and stood up straight to greet her.

“Dorm Leader, good morning” Deuce greeted, his cheeks having a slight pink tinge.

Mirabel smiled back and saw Ace was with Deuce.

“Ace, what happened? Was my bed uncomfortable that you left last night?” Mirabel asked Ace, her eyebrows furrowing in worry.

Ace could feel Deuce give him the side eye. 

“Oh uh, no I just uh went to get a glass of water and decided to sleep downstairs to not wake you” Ace lied, hoping that it would be enough to please Mirabel.

“Oh ok,” Mirabel said, completely buying Ace’s story.

I can’t believe she bought that!

“Anyway guys, let’s go. Ace is losing precious daylight to apologize to your dorm leader” Mirabel joked, pointing to the front entrance. 

“Don’t make it sound like that!” Ace protested, while hearing Deuce and Grim were silently laughing. 

Chapter Text

~Main Street~

“Hey, hey out of my way. The Great Grim is making his way as a student at Night Raven College” Grim boasted while Ace, Deuce, and Mirabel followed him. 

“Look at my collar. Unlike the lame thing around your neck, mine is stylish” Grim continued boasting although nobody was around them. 

“On top of that, you can’t use magic, right? You’d make a good janitor today. Haha! I feel good!” Grim skipped happily, oblivious to the world around him.

“You really won’t let the stuff that happened yesterday go that easily, will you?” Mirabel sighed at Grim’s words. 

“ I’m gonna remember this when I get my magic back!” Ace growled under his breath, seething beside Mirabel. 

“The headmaster told us yesterday not to make a scene,” Deuce said, trying to get Ace to listen to reason. 

“Nevertheless, if your magic is sealed, you’ll have problems in class. Have you considered apologizing to Dorm Leader Rosehearts and having him remove it?” Deuce inquired. 

“Crap! This will not go well at all!” Ace groaned as he was having second thoughts.

“We still have time before class and I’m curious about the other dorms. Let’s go observe Ace’s apology” Grim piped up. 

“This isn’t a show! Screw this!” Ace shouted, moving past Grim to walk briskly towards the Hall of Mirrors. 

Mirabel, Grim, and Deuce quickened their pace to keep up with him. After going down countless hallways they finally made it to the Heartslabyul mirror. Mirabel was trying to hold in her excitement as they turned into a small entryway with a ‘Heartslabyul’ crest above it. 

The steps leading up to the mirror were covered by a red carpet with small mushrooms on each step. The mirror was sitting upon a stone carved like an open book. There were stone cards and stone roses surrounding the mirror frame with the crest in the center of the frame. Behind the crest were two long sticks with a spade at the end. The entrance was lightened up by red lanterns, which were cylinder-shaped, with a crown sitting on top of them. 

The boys and Grim entered before Mirabel. Mirabel hesitated before stepping in the mirror, unsure of what was beyond the other side of the mirror. Mirabel took a deep breath and then entered the mirror. A strong white light blinded her vision.

What flooded her vision next was a lot of red and black. A long brick road, surrounded by heart-shaped topiaries in which red roses bloomed, led to a small fountain and then to a large castle. The large castle in front of her was covered in black diamonds and heart-shaped windows. Mirabel wasn’t sure how to feel about it because of the lack of other colors.

Do you think they’d add other colors somewhere? It feels super stiff here…

“Wow! This place is gorgeous! This is so much different than ours, but ours is better!” Grim exclaimed.

“Grim, be nice. This dorm is pretty nice too” Mirabel said, trying to prevent Grim from getting into more trouble than yesterday.

Mirabel continued to look around them. Behind them was a large luscious green maze with many similar topiaries to the front entrance. The only difference that Mirabel could see was that one of the roses looked like it was a white rose with red paint dripping from its petals. Mirabel looked at it confused, not sure if what she was seeing was real. Within the maze, she could hear a panicked voice.

“Crap, crap, crap! I’ve got to get these roses painted!” the voice continued to panic.

“Oh someone’s in there” Grim stated before inching closer to where the voice was.

Mirabel, close behind him so that he didn’t make a mess. Ace and Deuce also followed her in confusion.  The person in question was older than Mirabel, Ace, and Deuce. He was also taller than the three of them. He had long orange hair, half of which was tied up. He was wearing a similar uniform to Ace and Deuce. But unlike Ace or Duece, who had a spade and a heart underneath their eye, this particular guy had a red diamond. His shoes were similar to Ace’s but were a different style and color. 

Mirabel, who was distracted by this new person, didn’t notice that Grim was getting close to the open can of red paint. Grim laid a tentative paw on it before the person called out.

“Oh watch out. Any paint splatters, and my head is gone” the orange-haired boy pointed out.

Mirabel was very much bothered at how calm this guy was about what he said. But for some reason what he said sounded vaguely familiar. But she couldn’t figure out where.

I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before….

The figure then turned his head to see the three freshmen before him. He tilted his head to the side. He seemed to be curious about their presence in the maze. 

“Hm? Do you all need something?” The boy asked them.

“What are you doing with all of that?” Ace asked, pointing to the paint can.

“This? As you can see I’m painting the roses red.” The boy answered as it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Eh? Why would you?” Deuce inquired, not understanding the logic. (LOGIC isn’t LOGIC-ing)

“ Hmm, your reactions are so cute” The boy smiled and chuckled.

“Now that I take a good look at you, you’re the freshmen that busted the billion madol chandelier yesterday,” The boy said in realization.

Mirabel, Ace, and Deuce sighed in unison.

“We’re gonna be hearing about that chandelier until the day we graduate” Ace groaned.

“And you’re the one who added on more punishment by stealing the Dorm Leader’s tart last night!” The boy continued, pointing at Ace.

“I feel so lucky. Getting to meet such notorious newcomers first thing in the morning. Hey, hey, hey let’s take a selfie! Yay!” The boy said happily, pulling out a rectangle-like thing from his pocket.

They were pretty stunned about that question. Both Mirabel and the boys froze in place as the other boy inserted himself in between them. With that came a short flash from the rectangle thing. The boy pulled away quickly, looking at the rectangle with a smile. 

“Can I put this on Magicam? Tell me your names so I can put you in the tags” The boy said very quickly. 

The freshman looked at each other in confusion but said their names.

“Deuce Spade” Deuce started first.

“Ace” Ace said, shortly.

“Grim and my henchman” Grim chimed in, gesturing to himself and Mirabel.

“Yes. Upload finished!” The boy said happily.

“Oh. I’m your senpai, third-year Cater Diamond.” The boy finally introduced himself. 

“ Call me Cater. Cay is also fine too” The boy, Cater, also suggested.

“Nice to meet you too,” Mirabel said, feeling a bit overwhelmed by this energetic guy.

“Oh. You’re the cute girl at the entrance ceremony and the Dorm Leader of Ramshackle Dorm. Is it true your magic did that? That's so cool! I’m kinda sad that I didn’t get to post any pictures of your dorm first” Cater said, pouting at the end.

“This guy is running his mouth” Grim noted, getting bored of this conversation.

This comment brought him back to reality. 

“AH! I don’t have any time for small talk! The party is in two days. I don’t want to lose my head for being late” Cater cried out. 

“Hey guys, will you help me paint the roses?” Cater asked the freshmen and Grim.

“But why are you doing something so weird?” Ace asked again, not fully understanding why.

“Red roses at a party are the most photogenic... I guess?” Cater said, very quickly.

“I need to also change the flamingo’s colors for the croquet match, so I’m busy with all this work?” Cater continued.

“You’re changing the flamingo’s colors? Your chores are weird.” Grim said, bewildered.

“So the tart that Ace ate was going to be used for the Dorm Leader’s birthday party? That’s so sad” Deuce sighed at the situation.

“Nope, that’s not it” Cater interrupted.

“It’s not? Then who’s birthday is it?” Ace blurted out.

“It’s not anyone’s birthday. The day after tomorrow is our dorm’s traditional Unbirthday Party” Cater said, but seeing how the freshman looked at him confused, he continued.

“The Dorm Leader chooses a random day that isn’t anyone’s birthday and we have a tea party” Cater concluded. 

“The heck is that?” Ace exclaimed.

“Later, worry about the reason later.” Cater assured Ace with a smile.

“All you have to do now is make the roses red! Deuce, Grim, and Dorm Leader, you can do it with magic” Cater said, pointing to the half-painted rose bush.

“ Ace, since you don’t have magic, you can use a paintbrush” Cater chimed, handing a bucket of red paint and a paintbrush to Ace.

“We can change the color with magic?” Deuce asked, intrigued at how advanced that magic was.

“I’ve never done anything like that” Grim retorted.

“I’ve never used my magic like that before so I’ll help you paint Ace” Mirabel smiled, grabbing a spare brush from the ground.

“Thank you,” Ace said softly, looking away as his cheeks flushed a soft pink.

“OK, it’s fine, just relax! We’ll figure it out! We better hurry if we don’t wanna lose our heads to the Dorm Leader” Cater beamed at the group.

This is a little harder for this to be done magically huh Abuelo?

Mirabel marveled in her mind as she lightly painted a white rose red. Ace was beside her, mumbling about how ridiculous this was. Deuce and Grim were struggling so hard with the other roses. 

“Red..red…. There! Ah! It turned blue” Deuce gawked at the blue rose.

“Change color… Take that! Ah! The roses are on fire!” Grim exclaimed, as the bush caught on fire. 

Mirabel, Deuce, and Ace pitched in to put out the fire.

“You guys are worse at this than I could’ve imagined” Cater sighed.

“Aren’t the roses fine being white? They’re pretty” Ace argued

“This is our tradition. Roses are red for the Unbirthday Party, and we use flamingos in seven different colors for croquet with hedgehogs as the balls” Cater explained.

“But you know, the spring garden concert of flowers uses white roses. That’s also important too” Cater also added in.

“Those are all strange rules” Grim scoffed.

“They say these rules were all decided by the Queen of Hearts from the Great Seven. Riddle is particularly passionate about following the rules even compared to other strict Dorm Leaders. I won’t deny he goes too far sometimes, though…” Cater continued, trailing off at the last part.

“That’s right. I don’t have time for this. I want to speak to the Dorm Leader, is he inside?” Ace interrupted, reminded about the main reason why he was here.

“Hm? I think there’s still time before he leaves… By the way, Ace the tart thief, did you bring a tart of apology?” Cater asked.

“Huh? No, I came first thing so I’m empty-handed…”Ace admitted.

“No? Is that so?” Cater inquired.

“Since you’re going against the Queen of Hearts Law Number 53: ‘One must return what they stole’, I can’t let you in the dorm,” Cater said with a smile.

“What the hell is that?!?” Ace yelped in shock.

“ I’ll lose my head if I knowingly let you in while you’re not obeying the rules. I feel bad but you need to leave before Riddle notices” Cater said in a serious tone, slightly whispering at the end, probably not wanting attention drawn to them.

“Woah, his face got serious! Guys help me out!” Ace pleaded as he looked at Deuce, Mirabel, and Grim.

“Why should I?” Deuce interjected.

“Please! I can’t use magic right now… Ah, here he comes!” Ace continued to beg as Cater walked closer to him.

“You may want to step back cutie. This will get very ugly” Cater then smiled at Mirabel.

Cutie? I heard that right Abuelo?

However Mirabel’s feet listened and she stepped back, still reeling that someone had called her cute. 

“Hey don’t flirt with her!” Ace interjected.

“Aww, I didn’t know that would make you angry. Sorry, sorry” Cater laughed it off, not taking Ace seriously.

“I’ll help you just this once,” Deuce said, also unhappy at the upperclassmen’s comment towards Mirabel.

Deuce pointed his magic pen at Cater. Cater was unphased and the smile never left his face. Cater flung the first spell which Ace managed to dodge. Deuce fired back a bunch of spells. However, Mirabel noticed that no matter how many times Deuce’s spells seemed to hit Cater, the older boy didn’t run out of energy and was able to keep up with Deuce. Ace tried to help out too but it was to no avail without his magic.

Despite his best efforts, Deuce slowly started to get tired and Cater got the upper hand. In a quick moment, he grabbed both Ace and Deuce and began to drag them out of the maze. Mirabel quickly followed them out of the maze with Grim at her heels. Once they were back where the entrance was, Cater let them go.

“Now, go get a tart then try again! Bye-Bye!” Cater happily waved them goodbye, before walking back to the maze. 

“What’s his problem!” Ace yelled out, a frown marring his face.

“No matter how many times we took him down, he kept coming back… I wonder if he was using illusion magic?” Deuce questioned out loud.

Illusion Magic? I guess that would make sense as it seemed unlikely that Cater could’ve kept going without getting tired like Deuce did.

“On top of that, we got turned away without a tart? We didn’t have one to begin with! He just wanted us to paint the damn roses!” Ace fumed at the situation.

“ He’s a shrewd one” Grim commented.

“Then we just have to bring a tart and try again. We can go after… UH! CRAP!” Deuce began but ended up yelling in shock.

This caused Ace, Mirabel, and Grim to tense up in shock.

“What’s wrong?” Mirabel asked.

“This is bad! The warning bell already rang! We’re going to be late!” Deuce exclaimed.

This caused major panic among the freshmen and Grim.

“My shining school life is going to be tarnished on day one!” Grim cried out.

“Let’s get a move on!” Grim commanded as Mirabel quickly picked him up.

“What class are you two in? You’re first year right?” Ace asked quickly.

“The headmaster told us yesterday we’re in 1-A” Grim answered.

“We’re in the same class. First period is potions” Deuce noted.

I guess I’ll be seeing more of them, Abuelo.

“Yay! Sounds like fun!” Grim cheered.

“I can’t use magic so I wonder how this will go…” Ace muttered, quietly.

“Guys we got to go now! ¡Vámonos!” Mirabel yelled as she ran towards the mirror. 

Ace and Deuce were not far behind her, running as fast as they could. Mirabel, despite the circumstances, made a small smile as they rushed down the halls. 

Abuelo, I think that this is going to be fun.

Chapter Text

They sprinted to their classroom at a fast rate of speed. Ace and Deuce were surprised at how fast Mirabel was going, with her leading the pack in their mad dash to their class. The trio and Grim made it with a couple of minutes to spare. They sighed in relief, took a second to catch their breath, and went to stand with their classmates.

The classroom was something to marvel at. The room was big. There were long tables with matching stools underneath. Along the walls, there were a lot of shelves with items placed on them. There were a lot of differently colored bottles and other miscellaneous things that Mirabel didn’t know. 

 It’s mysterious but I’m excited for this class Abuelo.

The room door opened and everyone turned to see who was walking in.

“So you all are the fresh new faces in my homeroom?” A voice asked, which Mirabel recognized immediately.

It was Divus Crewel. He was wearing the same outfit that she had met him. He looked around the group of freshmen and let out a small hm.

“There are some rare hair colors in this bunch. Not bad. Make sure to properly take care of it daily” Crewel said, which caused a few eyebrows to rise.

“I’m Divus Crewel. You may feel free to call me Master Crewel” Crewel introduced himself.

I don’t know if I HAVE to call him ‘master’

“Take your seats. Class will begin” Crewel ordered, pointing to the tables and stools.

Without a word, everyone reached a table and sat down. Seeing that it was 2 people per table, Mirabel and Grim sat at one table while Ace and Deuce sat at another.

“First for the basics. I will beat the names and appearances of 100 types of plants for medicine as well as poisons into your little brains” Crewel stated as he brought up a stick-like thing in his hand. 

He’s not serious about the beating thing right Abuelo??

“We will cover fungi later. Now memorize these so you don’t go around getting poisoned by random things you eat off the ground. Dogs will eat whatever is lying on the ground” Crewel continued, many raising their eyebrows.

“Your training will be strict and I better not see any red marks on your tests” Crewel warned, holding his stick thing tightly.

Is this the same man I met yesterday?

“I see. By the way, what’s a ‘fungi’” Mirabel heard Deuce mutter under his breath.

“Bleh. I’m no good at memorizing” She heard Ace groan. 

“All that matters for grass is whether or not it tastes good” Grim argued softly.

That’s horrible logic Grim!

“Miss Madrigal,” Crewel called out.

Mirabel straightened her posture and looked at the teacher nervously. 

“Yes sir?” Mirabel said, shaking in her seat, wondering what she did wrong.

“Relax, puppy you’re not in trouble. I wanted to inform you that you should receive your textbooks and supplies at your dorm at the end of the day. So please don’t worry about not having your textbook today.” Crewel assured her.

Mirabel let out a sigh of relief and calmed down. Deuce raised his hand. Crewel raised his eyebrow in response.

“Yes, Mr Spade?” Crewel asked.

“If it’s ok Mr. Crewel… could I share my textbook with Mirabel. Just for today?”  Deuce asked nervously at Crewel's reaction.

“I’ll allow it for today, Mr Spade” Crewel agreed, not sounding pleased at the arrangement.

Grim and Mirabel switched seats so that Mirabel was closer to Deuce. Although Mirabel didn’t notice, everyone gave Deuce the side eye, wishing they suggested first. Crewel looked displeased but didn’t press any further.

After what seemed like an eternity, the class was dismissed. Crewel waved them off with their first assignment in learning the syllabus and reading something from their textbook. Mirabel felt like a sponge as she wanted to know more. Everything was so new to her and all of it was exciting. 

Their next class was different than the last one. Although it was just as big, the layout was different. 3 large windows brightened up the room along with some lantern-like things. There were two rows of desks, one higher than the other. There was a large desk with a lot of books on it. The table was in front of a large blackboard. A tall bookcase stood next to the blackboard with a large sphere thing atop it.

At the large desk was the older man in Crowley’s office, with his cat sitting on the desk. As the students piled in and took their seats. Just like the last class, Ace and Deuce sat at one table while Mirabel and Grim sat together. Only this time, Mirabel sat at the seat closest to Deuce so that they could read their now shared textbook. The man stood, once all the students were seated, with the cat held in his arms.

“ I’m Mozus Trein and I’m in charge of your history lessons. This is my familiar Lucius” Trein said with a low calm voice.

“You will learn about the history of magic that has brought prosperity to the world” Trein finished.

The cat meowed in response. 

“Class participation will affect your grade, not just your assignments. For future reference, I will not forgive sleeping in this class” Trein cautioned, with a frown on his face.

“Now open your textbooks to page 15” Trein instructed, walking back to his desk. He sat down on his chair and opened his book.

“We will start with the discovery of magic crystals in the Dwarf’s Mine..” Trein said before his cat interrupted him with a loud meow. 

“Magical energy spread throughout the world during the century after this discovery, we call it the ‘Beginning of Magic’” Trein continued.

Lucius meowed once again loudly.

This is interesting.

Mirabel could hear Ace yawn from the other side of Deuce. She expected that from Ace but got a different reaction from Deuce. 

“Woah… At Dwarfs’ Mine… Woah… Magical Energy” Deuce oohed and awed as he was reading the textbook.

“Hmm.. I want a class to use magic like BANG” Grim complained, silently.

Before Mirabel could reassure Grim, she heard a soft meow from in front of the desk. She looked down and saw Lucius paw at the desk. Mirabel raised an eyebrow and without warning the cat jumped onto the desk. The cat then placed himself on Mirabel’s lap where the cat proceeded to nestle into her lap and fall asleep. Mirabel was unsure of what to do other than give a tentative pet to the cat. 

Its fur was soft and gave a small purr of approval. Mirabel looked back up and saw that Trein and the other students were looking at her. Her face flushed in embarrassment at the attention. Trein gave a small nod of approval and continued with the lesson. Eventually, they were released with their first homework assignment. Ace was trying to rub the sleep from his eyes while Deuce was excited about what they learned. 

The next class was drastically different than the other two. The class was going to be outside and were instructed to meet in the locker room. They were met up by the burly man that was in Crowley’s office. Mirabel was curious as to what this class was going to be about.

“Alright bean sprouts. You got 10 minutes to change out of your school uniforms and into your gym attire” The man instructed.

Change? In front of- 

“Miss Madrigal. You are going to change in my office. I will lock the door behind you so you won’t worry about anyone walking in on you. Just knock on the door once you’re finished.” The man assured Mirabel, handing her a stack of clothes and a different set of shoes. 

Mirabel took the clothes and walked behind the man as he opened the door to the office. Mirabel walked in and the man closed and locked the door behind her. Mirabel looked at the clothes and began to change. She saw that she wasn’t given a skirt. She was given long black pants, a white short-sleeved shirt, along a black short-sleeved jacket, with some socks to go with the shoes.. 

Mirabel was unsure about the outfit. It was unheard of that a woman to wear pants. Every woman in her life were only wearing skirts. But Mirabel swallowed her thoughts and put on the outfit. Mirabel didn’t have a mirror so she was unsure of what she looked like. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the office door. 

The door opened and she walked out of the office. Mirabel followed the coach to leave the locker room. When the second door opened, her classmates were waiting there. Ace and Deuce were talking about something when they turned to look at her. They waved her over and for once she felt like she had true friends. She ran over to them and smiled at them.

“ATTENTION!” The coach yelled.

This caused the students to stop talking and face the coach.

“ I’m Vargas. I’m in charge of athletics for you bean sprouts.” The man, Vargas introduced himself.

“Becoming a great wizard starts with your muscles. Look at all the muscle I’ve built by eating raw eggs every day!” Vargas boasted, flexing his muscles through his gym attire.

Isn’t eating raw eggs unhealthy-

“You baby wizards have no stamina. Start with 20 laps around the track then 100 pushups!” Vargas instructed by pointing to the track.

Wait. How do I even do pushups? 

“Ehh… I don’t dislike exercise but can’t deal with this type of teacher” Ace groaned.

“I’ve got confidence in my stamina!” Deuce said, getting ready to start running.

“What’s fun about running in circles? I’m not a freaking hamster!” Grim argued.

Running *huff* is *huff* so hard! Pushups *huff* are *huff* even *huff* HARDER!

Mirabel was exhausted. No, exhausted was too tame a word. Vargas had worked them to the bone and didn’t even come close to finishing their goal. Vargas scoffed and complained about how they were ‘weak’ and ‘to be better prepared for tomorrow’. He dismissed them to the locker room to change back to their uniforms. Mirabel was escorted to the office once again and changed into her uniform. 

She knocked and was promptly let out of the office. She saw Ace, Deuce, and Grim waiting for her outside the office. As they saw Mirabel, they started to walk out of the locker room. Mirabel was confused.

“You guys know that you don’t have to wait for me right?” Mirabel asked.

This caused Ace and Deuce to look back at her with a furrowed expression.

“ We know we don’t have to but I kinda…” Deuce began but mumbled the last part.

“Huh?” Mirabel tilted her head in confusion.

“Deuce is trying to say we don’t mind, Dorm Leader. Besides, who else is going to help you if things get tough?” Ace said nonchalantly. 

Ace was right in that sense. Mirabel only met these two yesterday and she somehow felt safe with them. Sure they had a rough start but today felt different. 

Is this what it’s like to have friends Abuelo?

Luckily for them, there was a break between classes so they had time to burn before heading to their next class. Mirabel was ready to see what class was next on their agenda. But more importantly, she was happy. Happy that she had two people beside her, keeping her company hopefully throughout her entire stay.

“Our next class is…” Deuce was about to say before getting cut off by Ace.

“For a magic school, it’s not that different from a regular old school” Ace sighed.

“It’s a lot more subdued than I expected. Not having magic hasn’t been a problem at all” Ace continued.

“I’ve never been to school so I wouldn’t know” Mirabel added.

This caused Ace and Deuce to stop in their tracks and look back at Mirabel.

“Hold up! You’ve never been to school?” Deuce gawked at the girl.

“No. I kinda taught myself how to read and to do other things.” Mirabel said, not sure why they were reacting like that.

“Why did you teach yourself? Why not ask your mom or dad to help teach you?” Ace asked.

“ Well ugh..” Mirabel said, trying to formulate an answer.

“Regardless of that fact, I’m sure you’ll do great here,” Deuce said, seeing how Ace’s question made Mirabel uncomfortable.

“ True that. How about you Grim?... Hm?” Ace asked Grim but was met with silence.

Uh oh. Abuelo don’t tell me!

“Grim?” Mirabel said, looking behind her, hoping Grim was there.

He wasn’t. Mirabel got nervous and started looking around for him. 

“Look out the window! The furball is making a beeline through the courtyard.” Deuce yelled, pointing out the window.

~Meanwhile in the courtyard~

“I’m not sitting through boring classes all day!” Grim yelled.

“ As a genius, I don’t need classes to teach me to use magic!” Grim boasted, continuing to trot away.

~Back to the hallway~

Oh no! The headmaster is going to be so mad!

“Making a break for it already? He never learns…” Deuce muttered.

“Your first day as a Dorm Leader and you already have to report that you lost track of him. So, Dorm Leader, do you want help catching Grim?” Ace suggested, with a small smirk.

Abuelo why did I say anything nice about these guys?

“Yes please!” Mirabel pleaded.

“Buy me a chocolate croissant at lunch” Ace smirked.

“Then I’ll help you for an iced latte from the cafeteria” Deuce added, with an identical smirk.

¡Miércoles!

“Better think fast, Dorm Leader. Grim’s getting away! You ok with what we want in return?” Ace taunted Mirabel.

“FINE! Just help me!” Mirabel all but caved in.

“It’s a deal then! Now Deuce, shall we help clean up after our sad little Dorm Leader?” Ace continued to tease Mirabel.

“Sure thing Ace. I’m looking forward to lunch” Deuce smiled.

They started to run down the hallway with Mirabel behind them. 

I can’t believe I said anything nice about these guys! 

They eventually made it to the courtyard with enough time to spare. They saw Grim ready to return to the dorm when he saw the trio behind him.

“GAH! They found me!” Grim yelped in surprise.

“Stop right there fuzzball” Ace commanded.

“You’d have to catch me first!” Grim retorted, starting to run away.

“Let’s go Deuce,” Ace said, starting to run after Grim. 

Deuce joined in on the pursuit. Mirabel could only stand and stare at the ongoing chase between the boys and the cat monster. For some strange reason, Mirabel couldn’t be mad at them. Compared to the other village children, Ace and Deuce were much more nicer to her. The other kids didn’t hold back their insults at her, but with them, she felt that she could trust them. But her thoughts were cut off by Grim’s protests as he was swiftly captured by Ace and Deuce.

“NO! NO! No way am I going back to those boring classes!” Grim argued, trying to free himself from Ace’s grip.

“But Grim if you do that, then you won’t become a good magician” Mirabel countered.

“Dammit! You’re being extra strict today!” Grim shouted, crossing his arms.

“Guys, our next class starts in 10 minutes. We need to start heading there” Deuce said with urgency.

Abuelo, the day isn’t even over yet and I’m already tired. Please let the rest of the day be ok.

Chapter Text

  ~ Cafeteria~

A couple of classes later it was now lunchtime. As the group walked into the cafeteria, they could hear the hustle and bustle of students grabbing their food and those eating and talking. Mirabel felt a bit overwhelmed by the noise but felt secure with Ace and Deuce. Grim was happily walking with a big smile, the complete opposite from earlier.

“It’s finally lunch time” Grim cheered.

“Wow! Everything always looks so good here!” Grim said in awe of the food.

“Well, they have a big spread of food. I think that’s pretty amazing” Mirabel said, seeing that there were different items than yesterday. 

“Fluffy omurice! Grilled chicken and bacon egg tarts!” Grim said, still happy, pointing out different things on display.

“You’re too loud. You’re only this excited during lunch?” Ace said, staring at Grim bewildered.

“Hey, hey. I want some grilled chicken! It’s the last one left!” Grim proclaimed, grabbing a plate of the grilled chicken.

“Grim, don’t take too much” Mirabel warned, grabbing a hamburger steak plate. 

“ And omurice too! Bread with jelly, too! Just take a bit of everything “ Grim continued without hearing Mirabel. 

“Ah!” Grim yelped as he bumped into something hard behind him.

“Huh? Watch it!” The individual yelled at Grim.

Mirabel’s gaze shifted as she saw two guys behind grim. One was tall with tan skin and gray hair while the other, a bit shorter, had fair skin and red hair.

“Because of you, the egg in my pasta broke!” The taller one continued.

“ Woah, woah, woah~ Breaking the gooey egg is the best part of eating carbonara. How do you plan to pay for this?” The shorter one said, sneering at Grim.

This is bad!

“Wait hold on guys!” Mirabel called out, which caused their heads to turn.

“Surely there’s a better way to do this, right?” Mirabel asked, trying to de-escalate the situation.

“Oh hold the phone. You’re the girl from the opening ceremony who lives in the remodeled dorm, right?” The taller one inquired.

“Yes,” Mirabel answered, not sure why they were asking.

“You know, you’re not bad to look at. Tell you what, fuzzball here gives up his grilled chicken and you sit with us as consolation and we’ll call it even. How does that sound babe?” The taller one grinned.

Abuelo, I’m uncomfortable!

“Huh? No! This is my chicken! Also, my minion isn’t up for grabs!” Grim protested.

“Ah? Not showing your upperclassmen respect as a freshman? Come around back and I’ll teach you!” The shorter one retorted.

“Wait! Please spare him!” Mirabel pleaded.

“Oh? Are you pleading for his safety? How cute. If you continue to be nice and have lunch with us, I’ll let him go scotch-free. “ The shorter one replied, a similar grin appearing on his face.

Abuelo, Please-

“Senpai, settling personal squabbles with magic is prohibited..” Mirabel could hear Deuce behind her.

“Squabble? This just seniors teaching their juniors proper behavior!” The taller one argued back.

“Grit your teeth and mind your business!” The shorter one commanded.

“Hey, Dorm Leader. Stand behind us, we’ll protect you” Mirabel heard Ace, shifting his body to be in front of her. Deuce follows suit. 

Mirabel didn't know if it was a trick of the light but she could see a scowl on Ace’s face. 

Mirabel couldn’t tell who threw the first spell, but it was over as soon as it started. Ace and Deuce were victorious looking at the two seniors with a serious look. The seniors looked displeased with the outcome. 

“You’re better than expected” the taller one growled, hating to admit it.

“My pasta is getting soggy so I’ll let you off easy!” The shorter one exclaimed before the two walked away. 

“ Hmph! Those guys were all talk and no bite! And never come back!” Grim boasted, yelling the last bit so the seniors could hear him. 

Grim you didn’t do anything!

“Grim, please be mindful of your surroundings “ Mirabel sighed.

“Hey Do- Mirabel are you ok?” Deuce asked her.

Mirabel looked at Deuce, who was pointing to her hands. She looked down and saw she was gripping the lunch tray for dear life. She took a breath and slowly loosened her grip. 

“I’m ok” Mirabel nodded. Truthfully she wasn’t, but she didn’t need to worry them about it. Deuce didn’t look convinced but turned to follow Ace and Grim to an empty table with Mirabel in tow.

“Come on guys, let’s eat. After missing breakfast this morning, I’m so hungry I’m going to pass out.” Ace whined dramatically, which caused Mirabel to roll her eyes and smile. 

“We have no luck” Deuce groaned. 

“There are so many people trying to get into this prestigious school but they let guys like that in,” Deuce said, irritated. 

“Back to the task at hand! Let’s eat!” Grim beamed, taking a spoonful of the omurice and shoving it into his mouth.

“Delicious! The egg around the omurice is light and fluffy, and the center is filled with gooey cheese!” Grim said, his eyes sparkling.

As Grim was eating, everyone soon got the hint to start eating too.  Mirabel had grabbed a few different items that looked good. She got a ‘hamburger steak’, ‘mashed potatoes’, a piece of bread, a piece of ‘tiramisu’, and a glass of water and orange juice. As Mirabel cut a piece of the hamburger steak and put it in her mouth, she smiled at the new textures and taste. She continued to eat, attempting not to rush and enjoy her food.

“So since we saw your dorm this morning, what are the other dorms like?” Grim asked as he was chewing a piece of toast with strawberry jelly.

Instead of Ace or Deuce answering Grim, another voice popped up behind them.

“You know about the Great Seven statues displayed on Main Street right? There’s seven of them, so there are seven dorms” The person explained.

As Mirabel looked, she saw that it was the guy from this morning. He seemed a bit cheery despite unceremoniously pushing them out of the Heartslabyul Dorm earlier. Cater Diamond, as Mirabel’s memory recalled. But standing beside him was another person. He was just as tall as Cater. He had dark green hair, which caught Mirabel off guard as it seemed like a very unusual color for hair. He had black-framed glasses that seemed to compliment his warm hazel eyes. 

“Hey! You’re the from this morning” Ace exclaimed, pointing at Cater.

“You tricked us into painting those roses for you” Grim accused, putting down his grilled chicken.

“Saying I tricked you is so mean. I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to” Cater pouted.

I seriously doubt it

“It's just how things are done in our dorm,” Cater said, justifying his actions.

“You were grinning all the while” Deuce added, not convinced either.

“Now, now Deuce-chan. Those are rules for inside the dorm so now I’m just your kind upperclassman” Cater said, waving off Deuce’s comment.

“Drop the ‘chan’!” Deuce said, flustered. 

What does ‘chan’ mean?

She heard a chuckle from the green-haired boy and she looked back at him in confusion.

“That’s just how Cater shows his affection” The green boy smiled.

“Who is this guy next to you?” Ace asked Cater, pointing to the green-haired boy.

“Oh, my bad. I’m Trey. Trey Clover. I’m a third year in Heartslabyul like Cater.” Trey apologized before introducing himself.

These guys have unique names here, Abuelo.

“And you must be the freshman in charge of the newly renovated dorm, correct?” Trey asked, turning to Mirabel.

“Yes I am” Mirabel nodded.

“I heard from Cater. Sorry for all the trouble that these guys from our dorm caused you.” Trey said, apologizing to Mirabel.

“I’m sitting right here” Ace pouted, not liking the implication.

“We should put that aside and make up. We’re in the same dorm after all. Let’s all exchange numbers!” Cater bubbled, pulling out the rectangle thing again, waving it slightly. 

“I don’t want to bother you but what’s that thing you’re holding” Mirabel asked, pointing to the rectangle thing.

This had caught Cater’s attention real quick.

“Wait, you don’t know what this is?” Cater gawked, pointing at the rectangle thing again.

“No? What does it do?” Mirabel continued asking.

Cater gasped dramatically and grabbed his chest. 

“You don’t know what a phone is?” Cater whispered.

Mirabel shook her head.

“Never heard of one before” Mirabel answered honestly.

“That’s crazy! You’re like an endangered species!” Cater spouted.

I don’t understand what the big deal is

“ I know a place to get the newest models for cheap. How about we go on a date to choose one?” Cater asked, winking at Mirabel.

Abuelo, Did I just get asked out? Like for real and not a prank? Also, I don’t think that Crowley or Crewel would want me to use my allowance for a ‘phone’.

“ Hey, Cater. Look at the freshman, hold back a bit” Trey pointed out, looking at Mirabel’s face. It was a mixture of blushing and confusion.

“Haha, sorry, sorry. We were talking about the dorms?” Cater said, getting back to the main conversation. 

“ Sounds good, a fresh convo. We’ll tell you anything you wanna know.” Cater continued.

Before Mirabel could ask, Ace beat her to it.

“First, I want you to tell me about our dorm. What the hell is up with those crazy “ Laws of the Queen of Hearts” ?” Ace asked, seething at the mention of the rules.

“You know the legend of the Queen of Hearts?” Trey began.

“She created a wonderland of madness built on strict adherence to her rules. Out of respect for the Queen of Hearts, those of us in Heartslabyul traditionally wear red and black armbands, just like her dress-“ Trey explained before being cut off by Cater.

“ And uphold the rules she created” Cater added in. 

I wonder how many rules she has created. 

“Sounds like a stiff place” Grim commented. 

“ How strictly we follow the rules depends on the Dorm Leader. Last year’s was pretty chill about it all. Riddle is the serious among the serious of all the Dorm Leaders” Cater continued.

“So he follows the rules to the max” Trey chimed in.

“Ugh. What a pain….” Ace groaned.

“What are the other dorms like?” Grim inquired. 

 I want to know more too

“Just like Cater said, there are seven dorms each emulating one of the Great Seven” Trey said, before beginning to list all the dorms. 

“ Our dorm, Heartslabyul, is founded on the strict spirit of the Queen of Hearts. Savanaclaw, the dorm founded on the fortitude of the King of Beasts. Octavinelle, the dorm founded on the benevolence of the Sea Witch. Scarabia, the dorm founded on the deliberation of the Sorcerer of the Sands. Pomefiore, the dorm founded by the strenuous efforts of the Beautiful Queen. Ignihyde, the dorm founded on the diligence of the King of the Underworld. And Diasomnia, the dorm founded on the elegance of the Fairy of Thorns” Trey explained each of the seven dorms.

There are so many. I don’t know if I can remember them all, Abuelo.

“Their names are way too long! No way I’m gonna remember all that” Grim said in shock.

“Just get the rough idea. You’ll remember them eventually” Cater reassured Grim with a small laugh.

“Which dorm you enter is based on the judgment of the Dark Mirror when it looks at your soul during the entrance ceremony. So each dorm has their little quirks ” Trey continued.

Wait. The mirror said that I could be in all the dorms but none at the same time. What does that mean?

“You’re right about that. I see it.” Cater nodded in agreement.

“What quirks?” Deuce spoke up.

“For example… look, over there,” Trey said, pointing to someone.

Mirabel followed with her eyes and saw who Trey was pointing to. He was tall with a tan complexion. His eyes were like amber, and his hair was silver with… a pair of dog ears on his head. 

This may be rude of me to think of, but I want to touch them. I wonder if they’re soft. 

“Trey, are those real?” Mirabel asked softly, not wanting to point at the boy and be rude.

Although Mirabel didn’t notice, the boy’s ears began to twitch and a small pink tinge graced his cheeks for a second before shaking his head and walking away. 

“Yes, they’re real. Have you never seen a beastman before?” Trey asked.

“No. Never heard of one” Mirabel replied.

“Well, that makes sense, with you being from a different world and all” Ace said.

“Anyway, that rugged look means Savanaclaw.” Trey shifted the conversation back.

“Totally! That dorm has a lot of people who are good at sports and martial arts. They’re the buff and gruff bro types. Savanaclaw wear the yellow and black armbands” Cater commented. 

“Oh. Then what about that guy with the gray and lavender thing on his arm?” Grim asked, pointing to a different person.

Mirabel looked and saw who Grim was referring to. It was the silver-haired boy from the entrance ceremony who was helping the red-haired boy, Riddle, apprehend Grim. If Mirabel’s memory served her right, his name was Azul. It still puzzled her that his name was ‘Blue’.

“He’s from Octavinelle,” Trey answered.

“At the table in front of us, the guys with the dark red and yellow are from Scarabia” Trey gestured to another table.

Mirabel looked and saw that it was Kalim and Jamil. Kalim was happily munching on something with a smile, while Jamil looked neutral but annoyed at the same time. Mirabel wondered why Jamil seemed so agitated all the time.

“They say both of them are smart. Those two dorms are in a dead heat during written tests. Though, the Scarabia Dorm Leader isn’t great at studying” Cater added in.

“We’re getting derailed,” Ace said, pointing out Cater’s distraction.

“You sure adapt quickly” Trey nodded in approval.

“Back to what we were saying, over there, practically sparkling, are Pomefiore members. They have purple and red armbands” Trey said, gesturing to another person.

Mirabel looked and saw two people with the purple and red armbands. One had a blonde bob hairstyle and was wearing a brown hat with a large white feather sticking from the side. The other had lavender hair and a soft look about him.

“Wow! There’s a super cute girl over there!” Grim spouted.

“What?! At a boy’s school?” Deuce gawked.

“Idiot. Mirabel is the only girl at this school.” Ace deadpanned, wondering how stupid the both of them were.

I guess I’m not that cute

“Huh?” Deuce and Grim gasped.

The lavender-haired man turned at the loud noise. 

“If you wanna see another pretty girl, there’s a portrait in the west building. Roselia is pretty high-level. I don’t mind introducing you if you’re interested. Should I set up a blind date?” Cater suggested.

“I’m good! No matter how cute Roselia is, she’s still a painting” Ace rejected the idea, his cheeks turning pink.

“Anything goes if you’re good-looking,” Cater said, winking at Mirabel. 

“Pomefiore always scores high for looks and their beauty regimen is second to none. Their Dorm Leader is a Magicam-grammer with over 5 million followers” Cater added in, gesturing with his ‘phone’. 

“Hey now. Don’t focus entirely on their looks. Pomefiore has many members skilled at making potions and curses” Trey said.

“Oh, is that so?” Cater said, bashfully. 

“Next we have Ignihyde. But I don’t see any of them around, they have blue and black armbands” Cater said, getting back into the conversation.

“Everyone in that dorm has their guard up at all times. I don’t even have any friends in that dorm” Cater said, pouting at the last part.

“They’re the exact opposite of the extraverts in Heartslabyul,” Cater commented.

“Oh, so they’re all dull?” Grim asked. 

“Hey, word choice! Though they do have a very quiet image” Trey said but admitted softly. 

“Many of them are good at building equipment that uses magical energy or digital things” Trey continued.

“So the only dorm left is the Diablahblah dorm,” Deuce said, chewing his food.

“ You can’t fool me with that straight face. It’s Diasomnia” Ace called out Deuce’s mispronunciation.

“I bit my tongue, ok!” Deuce said, trying to save himself.

“Diasomnia is.. there. They’re all shoved into that booth in the back” Cater pointed.

Mirabel looked where Cater pointed. They were a very interesting bunch. The shortest had magenta eyes with magenta and black hair. The one to his left has silver hair and violet eyes. The one on his right had green eyes and green hair. They sat beside the shorter one like bodyguards. 

“Their armbands are green and black. They’re kind of like celebrities around here. Their Dorm Leader has MAX don’t come near me vibes.” Cater said.

“Huh? There’s a kid with them?” Ace asked, gesturing to the magenta-haired boy.

“You can skip grades and still enter this school. But he isn’t a kid. He’s a third year like..” Trey was explaining but a voice popped up behind Ace and Trey. 

“Lilia. Lilia Vanrouge.” A voice introduced themselves. 

Mirabel had to blink multiple times to process what she was seeing. The magenta-haired boy was floating upside down in the air behind Ace and Trey. The boy was smiling as Trey and Ace jumped in alarm. The boy flipped himself right side up as he floated to the ground gracefully. 

“He just teleported right over here!” Grim gasped.

“Are you all curious about my age? Haha. I may have this baby-faced visage but like glasses said, I’m not at an age one would call me a child” The magenta-haired boy, Lilia, answered for them. 

“Baby-faced?” Trey whispered.

“There’s no need to look on from afar. Just come up and speak with us. Are we all not students of the same academy? We at Diasomnia will always welcome you with open arms” Lilia continued with a smile. 

However, the two other boys had made their way toward them with a not-so-welcoming expression on both of their faces. 

“Those guys over there don’t look like they'd be very welcoming” Deuce commented on their expressions.

“Haha. Apologies for dropping in on your meal. Until we meet again” Lilia said, giving a small wave, but as he was turning to leave, Mirabel got up.

“Wait before you go. I’m Mirabel” Mirabel said, introducing herself and holding out her hand to shake.

The Heartslabyul students and Grim looked at her in shock and amazement. So were both of the Diasomnia boys. Lilia stops midstep to turn back to Mirabel. He sees her extended hand and in turn, gives his hand to shake hers—the cool leather glove against her hand with a soft grip.

“I very do appreciate you introducing yourself, my dear. So polite and positively kind. I do hope you visit us in Diasomnia in the future “Lilia said praising her, smiling all the while. 

“I will” Mirabel nodded.

After a couple of seconds, Lilia let go before heading out of the cafeteria with the other two boys following close behind him. Mirabel then sat back down, feeling the stares of her table mates. 

“What?” Mirabel questioned.

None of them responded to her. They instead looked away from her and continued talking.

“Our table is easily 20 meters away from them but you’re telling me that he heard us from over there… Scary!” Ace whispered in shock.

“Well… Let’s just say that Diasomnia has many peculiar memories” Trey said, trying to say something nice but failing.

“Many of their members excel at magic in general. Their Dorm Leader, Malleus Draconia, is among the top 5 wizards in the world” Trey continued. 

“Honestly, Malleus is like SUPER crazy. Our dorm leader is his brand of crazy though” Cater added.

Wait. Malleus Draconia! The guy everyone was talking about, the one who was forgotten… Just because he’s different doesn’t mean that he’s scary-

“So true! All I did was eat a single piece of tart and he collared me! His narrowmindedness is super crazy!” Ace growled at the mention of his collar. 

“Oh? I’M crazy?” A voice asked. 

Mirabel looked at where the voice came from behind Ace. Her face fell. It was Riddle! And from the looks of it, he wasn’t happy.

Abuelo, I don’t think this will end well.

Chapter Text

Mirabel looked at Riddle in shock as he crossed his arms, a scowl forming on his face, drilling a piercing glare into the back of Ace’s head. Of course, Ace was oblivious to his surroundings and muttering under his breath while eating his food. Deuce, Grim, Cater, and Trey sat there in silence, debating whether to alert Ace to his impending doom.

I don’t know which is worse: that Riddle appeared out of nowhere or that he heard what Ace said.

“Yeah! He blew past ‘strict’ and went straight to being a tyrant!” Ace continued to gripe, not hearing Riddle behind him.

“Ace. Behind you!” Deuce managed to stutter out, slightly pointing behind Ace.

Ace raised an eyebrow and turned his head to see what Deuce was pointing to. Ace’s displeased look quickly vanished and his complexion turned very pale at the sight of his Dorm Leader. 

“DORM LEADER?!?” Ace stammered in alarm.

“ Oh my, Riddle. You look super cute today” Cater complimented, a bit of apprehension in his voice,  hoping to relieve the tension surrounding the lunch table. 

“Hmph. Cater. If you talk too much, it’ll cost you your head” Riddle reprimanded, not impressed by Cater’s attempt to smooth the situation.

“Hey now, gimme a break” Cater pleaded, breaking into a nervous sweat. 

“This was the guy who put that weird collar on me during the entrance ceremony!” Grim shouted, a glare forming on his face. 

Riddle’s gaze then shifted to the other occupants of the lunch table.

“You’re the freshmen that caused all that fuss of expulsion yesterday.” Riddle said, looking at Deuce, and Mirabel, and then settling his eyes on Grim.

“Also will you knock it off, calling someone’s unique magic a ‘weird collar’?” Riddle demanded, sounding insulted at Grim’s comment. 

“For goodness sake. The headmaster is too soft. If you forgive rule breakers, the whole system will collapse” Riddle tsked, shaking his head in disappointment. 

Crowley may be a lot of things but he wasn’t THAT soft.

“All you have to do is cut the head off of those who don’t follow the rules,” Riddle said, not bothered by what he had suggested. 

Abuelo, what is wrong with this guy? How could he just cut someone’s head off?!?

“The things coming out of his mouth doesn’t suit his looks” Ace sighed quietly. 

“The headmaster appears to have forgiven you, but make no mistake the next time it happens, I will not” Riddle continued.

But is his opinion that necessary, Abuelo?

“By the way, Dorm Leader, is there a way….you could say, remove this collar?” Ace asked, without hesitation.

Mirabel could feel her eye slightly twitch and had the urge to put her hand to her face.

Although I appreciate Ace’s bluntness, after hearing what he said earlier, I highly doubt he will.

“I was going to if you had learned your lesson, but the way you were just talking shows that you haven't at all. I’ll keep it on a little while longer.” Riddle said, unamused by Ace’s audacity. 

“Don’t worry, as first years you’ll only be learning the fundamentals, not using magic. You also won’t be able to cause a scene like yesterday, isn’t that great?” Riddle said, sneering a bit at the end.

Abuelo, why do I feel like this is the wrong way to go about getting your point across?

“Now don’t just sit around chatting away, finish lunch and head to your next class. The Queen of Hearts Rule # 271 states that “One should eat lunch and leave their seat within 15 minutes”. If you break the rules… I’m sure that you understand?” Riddle commanded while frowning, 

“Another weird rule” Ace groaned slightly.

“The answer is “Yes, Dorm Leader!” Riddle yelled, which caught the table off guard. 

“Yes, Dorm Leader!” Ace yelled back with the addition of Deuce.

“Very good” Riddle nodded. 

“I’ll look after them for you” Trey added, noticing that Riddle had calmed down a bit.

“Hm. You’re the Vice Dorm Leader so I expect you to not act foolishly” Riddle nodded to Trey.

“Following The Queen of Hearts Rule # 339, “After a meal one must drink lemon tea with two sugars”. I must go buy sugar cubes from the school store, so I’ll be on my way. Letting the sugar cube run out is a huge offense, I can’t believe…” Riddle was explaining before trailing off.

Is it that he’s upset that he has forgotten something?

But before Mirabel could reassure Riddle that it was ok, the world around her faded. The world around her had turned into a red haze. In that haze, she could hear the sound of dripping. Where Riddle should’ve been standing, a couple of drops of black liquid emerged and dripped to the ground. The drops merged and as it quickly came, the world around her changed back. 

What was that?

When her vision came back, Riddle was gone. Mirabel looked around to the others at the table and it looked like they didn’t see what she saw. They looked relieved that Riddle had left. 

“That was close,” Cater said, letting out a sigh of relief.

“That guy is so obnoxious!” Grim scoffed.

“Woah that’s rude,” Deuce said, coming to Riddle’s defense.

Before she could comment on what she had just seen, she could hear chatter behind her. She turned to see a couple of Heartslabyul students talking. A few of them seemed to be quaking in fear, like they’d just seen a ghost. 

“Did the Dorm Leader leave?” One said nervously.

“ I broke the Queen of Hearts Rule # 186, “One must never eat hamburger steak on Tuesday. I was afraid of what would happen if he found out that I ate one” Another student said, looking down at his lunch tray. 

“Ugh. At least let us eat whatever we want” Another student said. 

“In his first week of school, Riddle had taken the seat of Dorm Leader. He speaks harshly, but he’s trying to make the dorm better, he doesn’t have bad intentions.” Trey said, obviously trying to smooth the situation over. 

“Someone with good intentions doesn’t randomly collar people” Grim retorted back.

This caused Trey and Cater to make what sounded like a small laugh in embarrassment as they knew Grim had a point. But what Trey said caught Mirabel’s attention. It didn’t sound like Trey believed that Riddle would do things without reason. But he wasn’t justifying his actions either, but coming to defend him.

Are they friends?

Mirabel shook her head as it was something she could ponder later.

“Don’t you remember Grim? You were the one that went crazy at the ceremony” Mirabel commented, not letting it slide that Grim nearly tried to burn down the place.

“But that collar cuts off your magic, it’s horrible and sucks!” Grim complained.

“Oh, you’re talking about Riddle’s unique magic?” Cater asked.

Unique magic…. Maybe I may have my question answered about what it means.

“Unique..meaning that it’s magic only he can use?” Deuce inquired. 

“It’s magic that’s strictly limited to one person. Simply put, it’s magic that reflects the character of the user that only they can use, so ‘unique magic’, You’ll learn about it in class eventually” Trey explained. 

So what does that mean for me? What does my magic mean? I recreated Casita, I fixed the statue, and changed the magic pen into something different. None of those things add up.

“Riddle’s unique magic lets him seal another person’s magic for a fixed amount of time. It’s called Off With Your Head” Cater added in.

“Just the name alone is terrifying” Grim paled.

“As a magician, having your magic sealed off hurts just like losing your head. Therefore, you shouldn’t break Riddle’s rules inside the dorm” Cater went on to say.

“It also means that he isn’t scary if you follow the rules,” Trey said, in simpler terms.

“So what you’re saying is that I have to buy a tart or Cater will kick me out again?” Ace concluded.

“That’s right. It’s part of the Queen of Hearts Rule # 53. In particular, Riddle looks forward to eating the first piece of a whole tart so he won’t forgive you unless it’s whole” Cater answered.

“You said you want to be friends so can’t you just overlook this?” Ace argued back.

“That is that. This is this” Cater simply said.

“But aren’t whole tarts pretty expensive?” Deuce asked.

“I don’t have that kind of money” Ace sighed.

“Then how about making one? The other tarts were made by Trey” Cater suggested. 

“You know that’s not a bad idea. Baking is a better option than buying. And I’m sure that he’ll appreciate the effort put into it” Mirabel said, hoping to bring in some positivity.

“Trey you made that tart? Amazing! It was as good as a professional” Ace exclaimed, not hearing what Mirabel said.

“Thank you. I indeed have all the tools and seasonings but I won’t help you for free” Trey said.

“What?!? I have to pay for it?” Ace yelled in surprise.

“I’m not going to squeeze money from my underclassman” Trey laughed at Ace’s distress.

“If we’re going to make the tart Riddle wants to eat next, we need a lot of chestnuts. Could you gather some for me?” Trey asked.

“Either way is a pain. Well, how many do you need?” Ace sighed in defeat.

Gathering these ‘chestnuts’ shouldn’t be that hard right?

“To make it for the Unbirthday Party we’ll need….about 2-300, I think,” Trey said, trying to do the mental math.

“That many?!?!” Grim and Deuce gasped at the amount. 

“Then I’ll have to roast them and remove the outer shell to take out the nut,” Trey explained the process.

“Can I go home?” Grim groaned.

“Me too,” Deuce added.

“Traitors!” Ace accused them.

“You know, tarts that everyone makes together are always the best,” Cater said with a smile.

“To make memories? You might even make your debut as a food blogger” Cater added.

“Just keep it a secret from Riddle but freshly baked Mont Blanc is the most delicious. Only those who help make it get to try some” Trey said, a small smirk forming.

“ Even if Deuce and Grim don’t help, Ace, I’ll help you out. I want to know how to bake something to enjoy this experience with you” Mirabel said, smiling happily. 

Ace then looked towards Mirabel and was entranced by her smile. He was trying hard to not blush but also at the same time was astounded by her insistence to help him. There was nothing in this for her and there should’ve been something else she could do but she would rather spend time with him. But a part of him was praying that Deuce and Grim would go back to their dorms so that he could have alone time with Mirabel…for research purposes, not to get it confused with a ‘date’. 

“I don’t mind you helping,” Ace said softly, hoping not to give himself away.  

Grim and Deuce could see where this was going and didn’t like it with Trey and Cater trying hard to hide their smirks.

“Ooh! Let’s get a move on! We’re going to pick chestnut after chestnut after chestnut” Grim said happily. 

Mirabel then turned to face Grim.

“You changed your tune rather quick,” She said, with a raised eyebrow. 

“There should be plenty of chestnut trees in the forest behind the campus botanical gardens,” Trey said.

“Then we meet after class in front of the botanical garden” Ace suggested.

“Go! Go! Chestnut picking!” Grim cheered. 

Deuce not wanting to be left out agreed by nodding his head.

   ~ Later that day~     ~ The Woods behind Campus~

At long last the school day was over. Throughout the last classes of the day, Mirabel was still trying to wrap her mind around all the topics that were going to be taught throughout the semester. As the final bell rang, signifying the end of the day, everyone began piling out of the classroom. Ace, Deuce, Mirabel, and Grim began to make their way to the woods. 

To Mirabel, the forest seemed peaceful. The birds could be heard chirping in the trees. Some trees contained fruit, which upon closer inspection were apples. But after scavenging the forest for a bit they found what they were looking for. There was a large cluster of chestnuts in a few trees.

“ There’s so many chestnuts all over the place! It’s a forest of all-you-can-eat Mont Blanc! Let’s get picking- OW!” Grim yelped, holding his paw.

Mirabel looked at the tree. She saw that there were pods with spikes covering them. Mirabel then grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket to wrap it around Grim’s injured paw.

“The thorns pricked my paw!” Grim hissed in pain.

“We can’t pick them with our hands. It’ll be good to get a basket or something to put them all in” Deuce commented.

“The botanical garden probably has whatever we need inside” Ace added. 

“Let’s take a look,” Deuce said, motioning everyone to follow.

                   ~ Botanical Garden~

Mirabel was surprised by the natural splendor of the botanical garden. Unlike Isa’s room, there was a lot more green, with a lot of differently colored flowers. Mirabel could see little bridges that went over small pools of bright blue water. Mirabel can imagine herself sitting here for hours, enjoying the beautiful view.

“Wow, it’s bigger in here than I thought,” Ace said, looking around at the large space.

“There should be a caretaker of this place. We should split up and find them” Deuce suggested.

“I’ll go right,” Ace said, heading toward the right. 

“And I’ll go left. Dorm Leader Mirabel and Grim, you guys go straight to the back.” Deuce said, pointing in a certain direction. 

Although Mirabel was uncomfortable going in that direction by herself, since Grim was by her side, she thought it would be ok. Mirabel nodded and led Grim in the direction that Deuce pointed to. After walking for a little bit, there was no sign of the caretaker. Mirabel could tell that Grim was easily getting distracted.

“Hey, hey look! There’s a bunch of fruit! They smell so good!” Grim said, scurrying to the tree with whatever fruit Grim was talking about.

“Wait Grim! NO swiping” Mirabel said, running after Grim.

“OW!” a voice could be heard from a bush right next to her. 

Did I just step on something?

Mirabel stopped her next step to look down and saw what looked like a tail from under her shoe. Mirabel panicked and lifted her foot, the tail swishing into the bush. The bush began to rustle and a figure emerged from the bush. Mirabel paled in the realization that she had accidentally stepped on someone.

The figure was taller than Ace and Deuce. He had long brown hair, which had matching braids, along with two animal ears poking out from the hair. He wore a long white-sleeved shirt, with a golden yellow vest. As he moved closer to her and out of the bush, she could see long black pants, brown open-toe sandals, and the tail that she accidentally stepped on, swishing back and forth.

The figure walked up to her, his emerald green eyes, one covered with a long scar, glaring at her in irritation. His lips tightened in anger. 

“Hey. You got some nerve stepping on someone’s tail without saying anything.”  the figure growled.

ABUELO HELP ME!

Chapter Text

And here I thought nothing ELSE would go wrong today!

Mirabel could feel that she was trembling. Everything in her mind was telling her to run away, but looking at this boy’s eyes, made her legs freeze so she couldn’t lift her feet. Mirabel recognized him from the entrance ceremony. He was standing alongside Riddle, Kalim, and Azul. Does this make him a Dorm Leader too? 

“Are you the caretaker? You seem like an impolite guy…” Grim pointed out

YOU’RE NOT HELPING GRIM!