Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Ah, my lovely Lady,

The noble and beautiful flower of evil,

You are the most beautiful, number one in this world.

ーMirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most…

ーFor thee, guided by the Mirror of Darkness,

Follow thy heart and take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.

Flames that turn even stars into ashes,

Ice that imprison even time,

Great tree that swallow even the sky,

Don’t be afraid of the power of darkness,

Come now, show your power.

Mine, theirs, and yours,

There’s only a little time left for us.

Do not let go of that hand, at all costs.”

She awakens to darkness, the noises of a creature outside of wherever she is being kept, getting closer.

“I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me…” She hears the words mumbled, the voice has an odd note to it that makes her think of Exceeds. A small talking animal, but not very small, just obviously not human or a child either.

She feels light headed, obviously out of it. What could knock her out so thoroughly, without her dad and uncles there to get her already?

There aren’t many things. Her Dragon Slayer adaptations means that she can’t be knocked out by the regular, and well, it's been decades since they had no cure for Dragon Slayer Induced Magical Motion Sickness, so that couldn’t be it.

Some sort of sleep magic was used on her, and she wonders who…The shifting of whatever is trapping her inside, gains her attention. 

“Urgggh... This lid weighs a ton!” The creature speaks again, oh? A lid? What’s she in? A coffin? Oh. 

It is rather soft here. Do her parents know she’s dead?

“Try this on for size! Mya-ha!” Does the creature have some sort of complex?

The Lid of the Coffin blew off, and she was suddenly able to see a room full of floating coffins. 

Are they all alive like she is?

And what is she wearing?

“Now to grab the goods…”

What goods?

“What?! You ain't supposed to be awake!” Ah, the creature kind of looks like an exceed too?

And not awake? As in not supposed to be alive? 

But more importantly…“Are you an exceed?” 

“What's an exceed? I am not whatever an exceed is! I am Grim! Sorcerer Extraordinaire!” Ah, does he not know he’s an exceed? 

Mom said Frosch thought they were a frog their whole life…

“Tch. Whatever. You...human! Just gimme your uniform, and be quick about it!”

He lights himself on fire, quite like the Dragneels in a mood. A mood to be dramatic, or even threatening. This weasel-exceed-creature was obviously trying to intimidate her. His next sentence confirmed it, “‘Cause if you don't...you're gonna regret it!”

And she doesn’t really think she will.

She snaps her light pen off of her wrist wrap and writes out a quick word.

“Chains!”

The chains wrap around the creature quickly and as they work around her, and she quickly writes another word in the air.

“Quiet!”

As soon as he is bound and silenced, she slips out of the coffin and through the doors to find someone or something to figure out where she is.

She is in a library when the man in the raven mask finds her. “Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students?”

“I have no recollection of applying to your school sir.” She answers truthfully.

“Well, how old are you?” 

Why does he need to know? Maybe the age the school lets students in at? 

“I’m 15 sir.” 

“It’s so nice to see a student with manners.” She just said she wasn’t a student? 

Is he confirming she's the right age to be a student?

“Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with enough temerity to open their own gate and step out of it.” Oh? “Does the very notion of patience elude you?”

“I didn’t open my gate. The creature I tied up outside blew mine off and so I've been trying to figure out where I am and why. By gate you do mean the coffins, right?”

“The design is intended to symbolize a parting with your former world, and a rebirth into a new one. No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.”

“Would you mind telling me who you are and where I am?”

“Yes, yes. Make haste, you have an orientation to attend.” He then pauses and looks back at her, his head tilted.

“Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness?  The timespace teleportation must have addled your memories... Well, these things happen, I suppose. I shall explain it to you while we walk. Truly, my magnanimity is boundless.” He whips the air with the rope in his hand.

He then clears his throat, “This is Night Raven College.  It is an institution for students the world over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic. It is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland. And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmage.”

“And what is Twisted Wonderland?”

At this his body comes to a full stop.

“Oh? We’ll get back to that after you’ve been sorted into a dormitory. That has interesting connotations.”

He begins walking again, the explanation falling easily from his mouth. “Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted to the college. Those who are selected are summoned to the campus through those "gates," which can appear anywhere. A black carriage bearing one such gate should have come to meet you.” 

Now that he mentioned it, she did remember some sort of horse, she mentions such to the headmage who nods his head in satisfaction before continuing. “That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate that connects to this campus. And as you know, sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a time-honored tradition.”

As soon as he finishes his sentence she sees they are stopped in front of some doors.

She should be paying more attention, but she's mostly been listening to his heart beat. Either he’s not lying, or he somehow knew she would be listening and is controlling his heart beat.

Guess she’ll be finding out soon. After all, “Now, let us attend your orientation.”

And the doors open.

Chapter Text

They step into the open room unnoticed, except for a few glances from more perceptive hooded figures.

Seeing most everyone's hoods still up, it leaves her relieved her own is left up.

A boy with a vibrant shade of scarlet hair like Erza is the first to speak since they’ve been there.

“We're done with orientation and dorm assignments?” His voice is stern, but pleasant to listen to. He really seems to resemble Former Master Erza quite a bit.

Her musing cuts off as he speaks again, “All right, new students—let me be clear. At Heartslabyul House, I am the law. Break the rules, and it's off with your head!”

Well, his behavior is really similar to how Mom spoke of Erza prior to her trauma being resolved.

A yawn was what she heard next and a boy with a lovely shade of green eyes was who it came from.

He smelt like a predator, and quite feline too… “Well, that ceremony was as boring as ever. I'm going back to the dorm. If you're in Savanaclaw House, follow me.”

Oh, it seems like he and the Scarlet Haired boy from earlier were in charge of these dorms.

Come to think of it, the headmage had mentioned this was an academy earlier.

They must be dorm heads… guess she should pay attention. 

Aunt Lucy said schools were filled with politics and jokingly told mom it's why most in Fairy Tail never had the patience to go.

A boy with sly eyes who smelt like the Ocean was the one to speak next, “New students! Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your achievement.”

He pauses, a sly smile graces his lips. “As dorm leader of Octavinelle House, I am honored to have the opportunity to support you in what I hope will be a fulfilling campus experience.” His voice is smooth, though not as deep as the green eyed one..

The next to speak is the first to ask a relevant question,” Hey, does anyone know where the headmage went? He disappeared midway through the ceremony…” This boy is unfairly pretty, though it makes her pause a bit. Out of all the students in this room, four spoke and all were male.

Either they are rather discriminatory here and males are seen as better than females, or she is simply in a gendered school.

Well, it's not like it matters either way, she’ll be going home soon.

There was no immediate answer to his question, just a floating square -with an odd symbol on it? A communication device, much thinner than a round ball shaped lacrima?- with a snide comment. “Some headmage he is.” The voice was soft and nice to listen to.

A boy with eyes as red as her dads speaks next, “Maybe he had a tummy ache?” His voice was innocent and excited and it made her think of the younger children in the guild.

The headmage's body did an odd twitch and he spoke up drawing attention to them.

“I most certainly did not!”

The scarlet haired boy's voice was dry as he spoke, “Ah, speak of the devil.”

The headmage ignored it as they strode to the group of boys, “If you must know, I was searching for the new student who’d failed to show up for orientation!”

He lowered his hand from his hips and spread them out invitingly.

His glowing amber eyes focused solely on Gage as he spoke next, “You are the only one who has yet to be assigned a dorm. Step up to the Dark Mirror, and be quick about it. I'll watch your weasel.”

The poor exceed that had no clue of his possible origins growled.

Oh?

At least it seemed to know it wasn’t a Weasel…

She listened to the Headmages instructions and stepped up to the mirror.

“State thy name.” 

“Gage Redfox.”

“Gage Redfox… The nature of thy soul is… unfamiliar to me.”

Oh, how interesting… This seems to be shaping into an Edolas situation.

The headmage however was stunned unlike herself.

“What did you just say?”

“The magical power I sense of this one is unclear to me.”

It continues without letting anyone else speak.

“Like a Dragon roaring, a undefinable color, shaped only by her will, contained deep within yet as vast as an ocean”

It seemed to wax poetically on her magic, most people wary of the words it speaks they stay silent while it finishes, “Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate.”

There is silence for a few moments, other than a few whispers of her gender being mentioned by more perceptive students. She can hear them as clear as day, even once the headmage speaks up. “Are you suggesting this student's magic is so different from our own it is blurry?” He does not bring up her gender, which she finds odd. “But that is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existence! How could this have happened?”

She notices the confused exceeds movement and noises before others, as he struggles to free himself from the stunned headmage.

She is thus not surprised that he speaks as soon as he frees himself. “ME! Let ME have this student's seat!”

She watches rather passively as the headmage unwinds his whip, “Not so fast, you hyperactive weasel!”

The exceed crosses his arms provocatively, “Unlike that human, I can actually use magic! So let me be a student here!”

His arms uncross with his next words, “Look, I'll show you! My spells're the cat's meow!”

This… is going to go so wrong for them.

The Scarlet haired boy notices this too, his body tensing then relaxing for ease of movement for his next words, “Everyone get down!” 

His command is headed by most as the cat raises its arms and screeches, “Myaaahhh!”

Blue fire alights the hall, and the Boy with Red Eyes flails, “AHHHHH! HELP! I'm on fire over here!”

She quickly writes the word water and douses it over the boy and the fire.

He's soaking wet when he looks at her, but he smiles in gratitude anyways.

“Someone catch that blasted animal before it sets the entire school ablaze!” The headmage orders.

The Green eyed boy's response to his command is to groan. “Can I go now, or...?”

The unfairly pretty one's lips quirk a tad bit before going back to neutral, “Oh? I thought you fancied yourself a hunter. Go and help yourself to that plump little morsel!”

The other one's eyes stay closed as he speaks, “Too much effort. Do it yourself.”

A gleeful smile alights on the sly ones face, “Allow me to handle this, Headmage Crowley.”

A challenging tilt to his eyebrows, “If none of you are up to the task of catching a small animal, I will accept the responsibility.”

He was definitely angling for something, but it wouldn’t affect her.

And what type of headmage couldn’t catch a small animal anyways?

“WTG Azul. Rackin' up those participation credits.” The thin lacrima speaks with the voice of whoever is on the other side.

Although she isn’t sure of what WTG means. An abbreviation of some sort.

And in this situation… way to go?

That seems about right. She’ll have to confirm it with someone later.

The indignant headmage speaks up, as the fire starts up again, “Im sorry, did no-one hear me?”

It is the Green eyed boy who speaks her previous thoughts with a sigh. “Preeetty sure you can handle catching one mangy weasel all on your lonesome there, headmage.”

The cat is now also indignant, “How many times do I gotta say it?”

A cocky smirk falls along the, presumed to be an exceeds, lips, “I'm Grim, spellcaster extraordinaire! I am NOT a weasel!”

The sly boy crosses his arms, “Aren't you a spunky little fellow? Riddle, would you be so kind...?”

The other boy places a hand on his hip as the sly boy spoke.

“Furry miscreant. I will abide by no rule-breaking. You will be judged by my hand.”

Ah. She’s decided. If she ends up having to stay here, one day this boy, Riddle, will be her friend.

She notices that the cat starts spewing fire with his eyes closed, “Check it! See how strong I am?!”

Riddle runs up to him and shoots off a spell with a pen.

No incantation, no magic circle, just hand movement and a spell in mind.

The cat yelps, flailing his arms as he loses balance.

“How very brazen of you to go on breaking the rules in my presence.”

The Sly eyed boy approaches Riddle from behind, “Shall we make this quick, then?”

He smirks confidently to himself. “I'm afraid we don't have much time to spare.”

Grim launches himself into a sprint as the boys behind him begin to launch spells.

She watches amused as the boys chase the cat, firing spells only to pause and watch the cat flail.

Both boys have stopped as the cat flails, Riddle's exasperated voice comments, “Must you relish playing with your quarry, Azul?” 

The cat rages as Azul smirks and flips his hair a bit. “Heh. And here I thought we were both the sort to enjoy this.”

Riddle closes his eyes and seems to resist the need to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Please. I'm not like you, so spare me your drivel.”

They turn back to the cat that yelps at their attention, and they all begin to run once more.

Their spells are stronger and quicker than before, no matter that Riddle denied it to Azul.

He was most definitely playing with the cat.

The cat had turned to watch them chase him and flailed when he turned to pay attention back to his situation.

They had cornered the cat into the dead end he hadn’t been paying attention to.

He yelped, “It’s a dead end!”

Azul spread his arms invitingly, a mocking coo leaving his lips “Poor soul. Ran yourself straight into a corner, did you?” The glee shining in his eyes would make a lesser man tremble. 

Good thing she wasn’t a man then.

The cat on the other hand did tremble.

Both boys had pointed their pends back at the cat.

Riddle spoke, his tone cold and unforgiving. 

“I suggest you surrender. Otherwise...”

The cat straightened back up, and began to wave his paws threateningly.

“NO! I'm gettin' into this school, and that's FINAL!”

Riddle seemed slightly alarmed, but kept his cool as he ordered Azul aside.

Azul himself seemed alarmed by Riddle's command, before he watched attentively.

“ Off with your head! ” Riddles chant was authoritative and with a flash of light there was a heart shaped collar around the cat's neck.

The cats shrieked as his paws came up to tug on the collar.

“What are you doing?!”

The cat's eyes were blown wide with his ears pinned back. 

Riddle had calmed significantly. “The Queen of Heart's Rule 23: "One must never bring a cat to a formal affair." Your very presence here is a violation of order. You will vacate these premises immediately.”

A rule follower.

Well she had told herself she would be friends with him…

She would have to get her hands on a Queen of Heart’s rule book.

Whatever that was.

The cat grew angry at his words, and hissed out, “But I ain’t a cat either! Don't try to collar me! I'll burn it right off! Huh...?”

His expression grew panicked. “Wh-what gives? My fire ain't workin'!”

A satisfied smile crosses Riddle's Face.

“Until I deign to remove that collar, you won't be using any magic.”

The smile shifts into something more contained but is still noticeable.

“You're naught but a pet cat now.”

The cat grows angry again. “M-meoWHAT?! I ain't nobody's pet-NOTHING!”

He sure meows a lot for not being a cat.

It was why she had stopped referring to him as exceed in her head.

Even the most cat-like exceeds at home didn’t meow.

Much less say it.

They purred, Happy ate fish, Carla is dismissive, and Lily is the most cat-like… Grumpy, detests noisy people, and afraid of thunder…

But all three of those characteristics were human things too.

Except for the purring, that was a cat, dragon and dragon slayer thing.

Riddle's expression goes cold again, “Oh, you've nothing to worry about there. I certainly have no interest in having you as a pet.”

His facial expression looked close to becoming a sneer but quickly smoothed out.

“The collar will disappear once you're removed from campus.”

A gleeful smile was on Azuls face as he interrupted.

“Ha-HA! Good show as always, Riddle. Your signature spell locks down any magic. It's quite handy.I've just GOT to have it—ah,” he coughs, catching himself quickly, “I mean, I've just got to have respect for it.”

The headmages angry face appears in her vision. “Miss Redfox! Was I not clear that you are expected to take responsibility for your familiar?”

She is shaking her head, about to respond as he continues. “Now discipline your—” He pauses, and notices her silent denial. “What's that? It isn't yours?”

“Nah.” She pauses, noticing his widened eyes. “He was outside my coffin when I awoke and I heard him speaking so I just waited because I was lightheaded. He then proceeded to blow the lid off my coffin, shriek I wasn’t supposed to be awake and then demand I strip my clothes and hand them over. He then lit himself on fire and threatened me, so I subdued and silenced him and wandered away.”

Seh bluntly retold the story, confused about the indignant whispering at the part where he demanded she strip.

They must be more against nudity here. Battle has no place for caring about your clothes getting ripped… just get good enough no one can hit you is what her guild senior told her.

The headmages hand had come up to rub his chin. “Oh?”

He clears his throat, “Then I shall have it expelled from campus. I shall even spare it from being served as dinner.” A gleeful smile lit up his face and his glowing gold eyes squinted a bit.

“My, but I AM kind. ...Someone take this away, please.”

Grim grew angry as some students grabbed him to drag him away.

“Nooooo! Let me gooooo! You fools better remember my name! Cause I'm gonna go down in the annals of magic history! Just you wait!”

He struggled to remove himself but the students quickly handed him over to what she could only assume was a staff member to deal with before heading back to their dorm groups.

She stayed quiet as the Headmage spoke again, hands placed sternly on his hips.

“Well, that was quite the unexpected fracas. I hereby declare that orientation has concluded. Housewardens, please escort your students back to the dorms.”

His arms lowered quickly, before he raised one up to stroke his chin the other braced across his chest. 

“...Hm? Come to think of it, I don't see Housewarden Draconia of House Diasomnia anywhere.” He mused.

The green eyed boy's hand rose to his hip, as he snidely spoke, “And that surprises you? Dude's a total recluse.”

The red eyed boy chimed in, “Wait a sec... Did anyone even invite him?”

“If you're that worried about him missing out, maybe you should have told him yourself.” The unfairly pretty boy spoke dismissively to the other.

Red Eyes' face grew a bit guilty, “Maybe, but I don't know him too well either...”

A few students had been whispering so she tuned into the conversations.

“Draconia... Like, Malleus Draconia? THAT Draconia?”

“So it's true? He really does go to school here?”

“Yikes”

“Scary…”

“Ah, I’m glad I'm not in Diasomnia then.”

A new scent suddenly appeared, and a boy with cool pink highlights spoke.

“Ah, just as I expected.”

His eyes were wide, and he seemed slightly angry as he spoke.

“I figured I'd come down and see for myself whether Malleus had made an appearance. But once again, he was evidently not informed that his presence was required at an official ceremony.”

Not too notably angry though, in fact it seemed he was perfectly in the right to be angry if they hadn’t been inviting someone he was on a first name basis with to official events.

His arms were crossed by the end of his words, and lips pursed.

Azul’s face was painted with grief, which she was sure was fabricated.

“You have my sincerest apologies. I assure you, this oversight was in no way intended as a snub.”

Riddle's own face was cold and calm.

“I mean, you must admit, he's not exactly the easiest person to strike up a conversation with.”

The boy with pink highlights dismissed their words and turned to the group of newly sorted students.

“No matter. All who were assigned to House Diasomnia, follow me. I just hope he doesn't sulk about this.”

The other presumably dorm heads called for their own dorm students and all left the hall.

Gage watched it all happen with a detached air.

She wanted to go home.

To the guild.

With her mom and dad.

Her younger siblings.

Her older siblings.

All of her aunts and uncles.

The other various people of the guild.

She wanted to watch brawls in the guild hall and dodge the barrels thrown around.

She wanted to sit in the library reading the thousands of books gathered by inquiring minds.

She wanted.

She wanted.

She wanted.

The headmage had turned his attention back on her, hand once again stroking his chin.

He did it often.

“Well, Miss Redfox. This is a most unfortunate turn of events.”

His hands lowered back to his sides. “I'm afraid that you will not be attending Night Raven Collage after all. Surely you realize that I cannot very well admit a student with no dorm to stay in, into my academy.”

He paused for a second, seeming to gather that she didn’t seem to mind much before continuing anyway. “But worry not. The Dark Mirror will see you safely home.”

His arms spread outwards, him facing towards the Mirrors platform.

“Now, step into the gate, and visualize the place from whence you came.”

She sighed, relief filling her body.

No need to strip a world of its magic to get home.

Although it wasn’t really the guild fault last time, her Mom would totally strip a world of its magic for any one of her babies.

“O Dark Mirror! Return this soul to where it belongs!” The headmage commanded.

The mirror was silent.

The headmage figited as he cleared his throat, “L-let us, er...try this again. O Dark Mirror! Return this soul—”

“There is no such place.” The mirror was blunt.

She paled and swayed a bit.

“What?” The headmages voice was as stunned as she felt.

“There is no place in this world where this soul belongs.”

This world? Or course not, the headmage said this was Twisted Wonderland. She lived in Earthland.

“None.” The dark mirror finished with a solemn finality.

The headmage contemplated these words staring at his hands.

“How can that be? My, but today is a veritable cavalcade of impossible phenomena!”

The mirror stayed silent, so the headmage spoke up again.

“This has never happened throughout my long tenure. I must confess that I am at something of a loss.”

He started to frown at me,“Tell me: From what land do you hail?”

“Fairy Tail, of Magnolia Town in the Kingdom of Fiore. Fiore is the country with the most mage guilds in Earthland.”

He contemplates her words, once again his hand has returned to his chin.

“I'm afraid I am not familiar with such a place. I am intimately acquainted with the origins of every student who has ever come here, and yet... This mysterious homeland of yours eludes me.”

His hand lowers back to his side. “Let us go to the library and look it up, shall we?”

It seems she really is in another world.

Chapter Text

They find themselves in the library rather quickly.

The headmages arms are crossed over his chest.

“Just as I suspected nothing.”

She nods along to his words. 

She also expected it.

“Not only is your homeland not listed on any map from any point in history.”

He pauses. Not only what? 

“Now, are you QUITE sure that you come from such a place? That wasn't some sort of lie, or jape?”

Why not finish his earlier sentence?

“Yes I am quite sure. I wouldn’t lie, because quite personally I would prefer to be at home, with my parents and siblings and aunts, uncles, grandfather, and the library back home. There was still so much to read…” She finishes her words mournfully. 

Gale will get ahead of her with reading.

Gage and Gale had grown up with this competition, until she could get home… she’ll have to read books from another world to keep up.

Books from another world…

She perks back up, well suddenly this doesn't seem so bad at all.

In fact, she had already wanted to read that rule book hadn’t she.

And befriending new people is always a worthwhile venture.

Even with the knowledge she won’t get to spend time with them anymore after she heads home… it will still be worth it to have known them for however long she is here.

She will get home.

She just needs to look on the brightside until she does.

“Then the only explanation is that you've come from another planet. Or perhaps you were summoned here from another dimension?”

She nods along, “Back home when my mom was only a few years older than I am now, everyone from Fairy Tail was in another world for a while. It was called Edolas, everyone there was mirror images of who they were on Earthland. One of my uncles fears pretty much nothing but getting in moving vehicles, his mirror image feared everything but racing vehicles.”

His face was a tad bit astonished, but he quickly collected himself.

“Show me everything that you brought here with you. Do you have some form of identification, a driver's license perhaps? Or even a...shoe? You do seem a tad bit...empty-handed.”

“No. Whatever brought me here into these robes took everything off me too. I certainly wasn’t dressed like this when I was last awake.” Her last sentence was mused with a wry twist of the lips.

His hand had once again been brought back up to his chin, with the other arm resting across his chest.

“Well, this is quite the predicament. I cannot have someone with no assigned dorm sleeping in random places around my magic academy. And yet, as an educator, I am loath to expel a young person without a cent to their name, or any ability to contact their guardians...”

His eyes curved upwards gleefully.

“Truly my grace is boundless.”

He goes back to contemplating, his hand lowered once more.

Because the headmage has three poses, at rest, hand on chin with an arm under that, and then whip!

“There is a vacant building on this campus. It was, in fact, used as a dorm a long time ago. With a proper cleaning, it should be habitable enough. Out of the profound kindness of my heart, I will allow you to live there for the time being.”

The wide gleeful smile on his face is slightly off-putting.

“In the meantime, we will investigate other ways to send you home. Dear me, but I am a gracious man indeed! A model educator, one might say.”

His eyes go wide behind his mask, before settling into the gleeful curves of before.

“Well then, I shall take you to your dorm straight away. It is an older building, but it has plenty of...character, one might say.”

They use a street connected to the Library that the headmage calls the Main Street, he points out other parts along the way.

“A quick tour on our way!”

They eventually make it to the place called Ramshackle Dorm.

It is an old building as previously mentioned.

The building itself doesn't seem to be in too bad of condition.

A few tiles need replacing, and all of the windows are missing glass and boarded up poorly with wood.

The fence outside is crooked and all three trees are dead.

None of the grass is alive either.

It looked vaguely like a graveyard.

“Am I allowed to alter some things?”

I quickly questioned. Enchantment would at least keep pests out while I fix the rest.

Dad liked doing construction in his free time, Gale and I had helped occasionally.

“Go ahead! Isn't it delightful? Right, scoot inside now. There you go.”

He pushed her shoulders from behind her as they moved along the path that was lit up well enough.

Although with her eyes… the lighting didn’t matter much.

With his hands on her shoulders she noticed his claw-like gloves were very sharp.

She should get some.

They make their way into the lounge, the dust floats around the room from their presence alone.

“This should keep the elements at bay for the time being.”

And he wasn’t wrong. A few Enchantments along the walls and floor and she wouldn’t be in any danger for a few days. She would have to fix it up rather quickly or keep applying the Enchantments.

“Now, I should return to my research. Do try to find some way to keep yourself busy. But don't let me catch you wandering the campus! Ta!”

She waves him off, “Thank you!”

Pulling out her light pen and rolling up the sleeves of her robes she gets to work.

Eventually, through her cleaning and enchantments she notices that it has started to rain.

Deciding that allowing more rot to happen would be a bad idea, she heads to quickly enchant each and every attic room. 

Those ones would only last for a day, until she had time to clean them up.

But it would keep the rain out from all the other rooms for now.

As she’s working in the attic she hears a loud screech.

“It’s pouring out there!”

She quickly comes downstairs to see the cat shaking his wet fur everywhere.

No manners, at all.

“Bwahaha! That look on your face is priceless! Like a bat that got blasted by a water gun.”

This cat is annoying.

 His mere arrogant presence gives her a headache.

“As if I wouldn't just sneak back onto campus the second I escaped pryin' eyes. You all got no idea what I'm capable of!” The arrogant look is back on his face. 

As if he’s forgetting the first time they met she dealt with him in a few seconds.

Does he ever stop talking?

“I ain't givin' up on goin' here just 'cause I got kicked out one measly ol' time. And if you think otherwise, you don't know Grim!”

Apparently not.

“Why are you so determined to go to this school?”

His face goes puzzled.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

A wide grin splits across his face, she likes it much more than him being arrogant.

“I was born to do this! I'm a magical prodigy who's got the makin's to become one of the greatest mages who ever lived!”

He droops a bit, “So I've been waitin' and waitin' for that black carriage to come for me.

And yet…”

He seems to get close to crying, before forcefully smoothing his face from emotion.

Except for the depressed look in his eyes.

“Hrmph! That Dark Mirror's got no eye for talent!”

And then the arrogant look comes back.

“That's why I took the initiative and came here myself. You humans don't understand what a mistake you're makin'! Not lettin' me in is a great loss to the world!”

She notices he is still dripping wet and gets up.

“Hey! What gives, weren’t we doing that emotional human talk thing?”

He scrambles after her.

She goes through the hallway to find some towels.

Making her what to one of the storage rooms on the first floor she digs though a few boxes until she finds one that had been sealed properly and the towels were still good.

In a similar box she notices a few clothes that may fit her and finds herself in what she believes to have been the previous dorm uniform.

It will need a few adjustments to her size, but fits well enough for now.

She hears a few noises, but dismisses it as Grim, he had disappeared some time as they walked down the hall.

And then she hears the laughter.

“Yee hee hee... Bwa ha ha ha ha ha. We haven't had visitors in ages!

Oh, I'm just itchin' for new friends! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

Ah, ghosts.

Thin, Medium and Large. T, M, L.

Depending on how this turns out, she may have to categorize them as pests.

She notices Grim wander to her, and watches him look up.

“AAAAAH! GHOSTS! GHOOOOOOSTS!”

He screams and flails.

“All the people who used ta live here got scared of us and ran away.” M mentions casually.

“We just want a new ghost to play with! What do you say, buddy?” L speaks up.

She watches Grim shiver and keeps silent.

“I'm a master sorcerer! I ain't afraid of any dumb ghosts!” He concludes the statement with an arrogant laugh.

And setting the room on fire.

“Nope.”

She gathers magic power and utilizes her magic in quick succession.

“Water”

“Dry Heat”

“Chains”

The last one she uses chains up all three ghosts.

It leaves all four other current occupants of the house staring at her.

“First off. No fire in the house. I’m repairing this place.” She stares them down.

“Second, I am repairing this place, you understand. I am using my magic to make sure I am safe here.” 

She smiles, a wide smile she knows shows off her fangs.

“That includes making sure the building has boundaries of not letting pests in…”

Her smile grows wider, a tad bit more dangerous.

“I can easily alter them to include cats and ghosts as pests if needed.”

She watches all four gulp and nods to herself satisfied.

She walks back to the lounge, bumping into the Headmage on the way.

He glides up to her, hands extended allowing her to see the bags in one hand.

There was a gleeful smile back on his face as he spoke.

“Good evening. In another gesture of my immense kindness, I have bought you dinner.”

He then glances further down the hallway and pauses at seeing the restrained Grim and ghosts.

His golden eyes were widened behind the mask, but his face was stony.

“Wait. That's the creature we ejected for causing trouble at orientation! What is it doing here?!”

Grim had finally removed himself from the chains so she waved her hands to release the ghosts too.

“Takin' care of yer ghost problem, that's what. You're welcome, by the way!”

She interrupted him before he made her mad with his unfounded arrogance.

“You didn’t, I restrained and threatened all four of you.”

The headmage seemed slightly taken aback, then he was back in pose number two.

The hand on the chin, with an arm crossed over his chest bracing the chin arm.

“On the topic of ghosts, I do seem to remember that a mischievous ghost problem was why it was abandoned. In fact, the ghosts scared away all the students.”

She nodded her head, it would explain why it became abandoned.

“Would you mind demonstrating?”

She looked up at the headmaster, who had crossed his arms while asking his question.

“Sure.”

She nonchalantly twisted her wrist in Grim's direction while pointing her light pen at him.

“Chains”

Grim struggled a bit before slumping the ground.

He had after all just gotten out of the others, and Gage had already proven effective against his fire magic.

Crowley was once again in his rest pose, eyes widened curiously behind his mask.

“Incredible... I've never seen anyone bend a monster to their will quite the way you have.”

Pose number 2!

“I must confess, my educator's intuition did sense something about you after the brouhaha at orientation, Miss Redfox.”

She nodded her head along to his words.

Honestly, she was pretty sure he didn’t notice her half the time.

“Headmage?” She softly called.

“Oh? Yes?”

“Grim would really like to go to this school. Would it be alright for him to attend if I was his minder?”

At first the headmaster seemed almost petulant, “WHAT? A monster, stay HERE?”

“With me watching over him. I would be responsible for any and everything he does.”

He closed his eyes in thought.

And she heard Grim mutter to himself.

“Did she just…?”

“Hmmm... I suppose I cannot deny your plea. Very well.”

He paused before glancing back at them both seriously.

“Let me be clear! Under no normal circumstances would I allow this, if it weren’t for your offer of complete supervision I wouldn’t. Anything he is punished for, you will be punished for not stopping.”

He looks over her, noticing the clothes she had changed into.

“I see you’ve found this dorm's old uniform. To be clear, it was the Dark Mirror that transported you here. Therefore this school does bear some responsibility for your well-being as one of the students. So I will allow you to remain in this dorm, free of charge.”

He crosses his arms, “However, you will need to pay for your own food, clothing, and extras. As to how you will do so, penniless as you are... Ah. Ah ha. Yes, a fine plan.”

She raises her eyebrows in caution.

“After school, once you’ve both done your homework of course, I'm simply going to ask you to do a few odd jobs around campus. From what you've done here, Miss Redfox, I can tell you know your way around a broom and some cleaning spells. So what do you say to you two working together as a janitorial team? If you agree to that, I will make a special exception and allow you to remain on campus, both of you as students.”

He gives her a gleeful grin.

“I'll also allow you use of the library, so that you may study, and research ways to return home. How soundlessly charitable I am. Ah, but only when your work is over, of course!”

Grim sulks for a bit, but ultimately perks up.

“I get to put on one of those sweet uniforms and be a student, even if I'm sweeping up people's junk!”

A smile crosses over Gage’s face, “Fair Enough.”

Grim may not be an exceed. 

But he can be her partner all the same.

“Wonderful. Then I beseech you both...

To work hard as the newest members of the Night Raven College's janitorial staff!”

Gage wakes up early, the next morning to do more cleaning.

School.

The guild homeschools its children.

Mom, Aunt Lucy and Teacher Freed do the most teaching, but everyone chips in.

Their education is scattered with all sorts of things guild members think they need to know.

 But it is also standardized.

With three dedicated bibliophiles their education is strict-as strict as Fairy Tail could be at least- and they learn everything that would let them pass a standardized test.

After her classes and cleaning she’ll head straight over to the library to study.

Eventually Grim also wakes up and helps her a bit.

T wanders over to greet them.

“So I hear you'll be living here from now on? Hope you like pranks as much as we do! Hya ha ha!”

He then gives them a kind reminder.

“Hee hee hee... Aren't the two of you supposed to be off cleaning the school today?”

They are about to leave the dorm when they notice the Headmage closing the door behind him.

He glances up to greet them, “Good morning, Miss Redfox. Did you sleep well?”

Grim pipes up, deadpan.

 “Not at all! When I sprawled out on the bed, the mattress fell right through the frame! Exactly how ramshackle IS this dorm?”

“I slept great!” She smiles at the Headmage.

The headmage smiles gleefully, hands on his hips.

“I am delighted to hear that you've adjusted so well, despite being sent to another world!”

His face smooths out into a neutral mask.

“Let us discuss your assignment for today.”

They move into the guest parlor.

 She had cleaned it up a bit, but not nearly as much as the bedroom.

Assignment.

Basically a mission.

She can do this, she has done plenty of missions before.

And currently Grim is her partner.

She takes a deep breath,

In

Out.

And she focuses her attention on the headmage, who had been watching her.

“Your job today is to go into class, meet your teachers and get to know the school.

You also will be cleaning the campus afterwards. That said, the campus is vast, and without magic, it'd be quite the Herculean task to clean it all. Therefore, today I'll have you focus on the area spanning from the front gates to the library.

Now, Miss Redfox… I do expect that you'll keep a close eye on Grim, lest he cause another incident like yesterday.”

She nodded her head, her face serious and attentive.

“Understood.”

He nodded his head back at her.

Grim silent at her side.

“Your lunch will be paid for in the cafeteria, but other meals you will be paying for by the job I have gotten for you at the school shop on campus.”

“Customer Service then?” She muses with a smile directed at the headmage.

He smiles back at her, tilting his head towards her.

Both newly enrolled students watch the headmage leave.

“Hrmph. I ain't cleanin' nothin'! I'm here to study magic so I can be blastin' off spells left and right! Like BAM! POW! FWOOM!”

She pats his head, feeling him lean into it.

“After we clean we can study in the library.”

Chapter Text

Soon after the first set of classes they are wandering through Main Street.

“Wow, so this is Main Street, huh? This is incredible!”

She looked fondly down on him.

Fond of him already, huh?

“I didn't get to see it much yesterday. What's the deal with these seven statues? All their faces look pretty scary.” He crosses his arms and looks up at one of the statues.

“Like, this lady here looks like she's got some reeeal anger management issues.”

She hears his footsteps and smells him before she sees him.

“You don't know the Queen of Hearts?’

She turns to see a boy around her age, fluffy orange-red hair, red eyes with a red heart over his left eye. 

His chin was tilted slightly up, a hand on his hip as the other gestured towards the statue they were looking at.

Grim panics and looks up at the boy, “Queen of Hearts? Is she some kinda big deal?”

The boy smirks as he answers Grim.

“She was a queen who lived in a maze-like garden of roses long, long ago.”

They all looked up at the statue.

The woman was elegantly dressed. 

Her gown was large, dramatic and the collar was stiff.

She was holding a heart on a stick in one hand and lifting her skirts slightly with the other.

There was a pleasant smile on her face.

Roses surrounded her feet.

“She was a strict woman who prized order above all. She wouldn't tolerate a rose being off-color, or her playing-card soldiers being out of step. She basically ruled over a kingdom of madness, but not one of her subjects dared to defy her. You wanna know why? Because the punishment for breaking a rule was immediate decapitation!”

The boy had removed the hand from his hip, and grim addressed him again.

“Wah! That is seriously messed up!”

The boy was pleased with Grims reaction, “Pretty cool, right? I'm a big fan. I mean, who would bother to obey a queen that was kind all the time?”

Grim smiled along with him, “Yeah, true. A leader needs to be strong.

But puttin' that aside... Who're you, now?”

She was glad he was making friends. 

The boy placed a hand behind his head.

“Name's Ace. I'm a first year student here, as of... today! Pleased to meetcha!”

She smiled at Ace and let grim introduce them, “I'm Grim! I'm a prodigy who's plannin' to be, like, the greatest mage who ever lived. That there's my far less interesting hench-human.”

The boy frowned, “”Gage"? Huh. Name's got an odd ring to it.”

Gage immediately tensed.

Grim hadn’t said her name afterall.

He called her his hench-human.

Which she isn’t but, why did-

The entrance ceremony.

She relaxed, he knew her name from the entrance ceremony.

“It’s nice to meet you as well.”

Grim looks back up at Ace, his face adorably confused.

“So tell me, Ace. Is that lion with a scar on the eye a famous ruler too?”

Ace smiles back at him, “Of course!”

The lion statue they look at is standing proud on a rock.

A multitude of cracks in the stone look more like battle scars than anything else.

Sitting below the rocks is what appears to be the skeleton of another lion.

“Of course! That's the King of Beasts who ruled the savanna. But he wasn't born into the throne - he had to earn it through hard work and elaborate schemes.”

And the dead lion must’ve been the one who had been born for the throne.

“When he became king, he decreed that the hyenas would be pariahs no more, and should live among his subjects as equals.”

Grim was pleased with this explanation, “Sounds like a great guy! Not everyone's able to look past social status like that.”

He quickly asks after the next statue.

“Who's the lady with the octopus legs?”

This statue sat between the queen and the lion.

From the angle they were at, she could only see five tentacles.

Waves were lapping beneath her tentacles in a gentle manner.

She had a sly look to her, and her hair style was lovely.

In one of her hands she held a contract.

“The Sea Witch who lived in an underwater grotto. She basically devoted her life to helping troubled merfolk. If they were willing to pay the price, she'd help them change their appearance, find love, whatever!”

That’s wonderful.

“They say she was so good, there was no wish she couldn't grant. They also say the price was a tad steep, though. But she was granting wishes! Of course it was!”

True, there is always a price, unless you're family.

Then you do things to make them happy, with the knowledge that they also would do things to make you happy.

She would do anything for the guild.

Just like she knew that even now, as she learned the history of this world, they were looking for her.

She would be home one day.

But for now, she will be making friends.

She heard grims laugh, “Myaha! So you're sayin' that once I'm a great mage, gettin' rich off folks will be a total cinch?! Oh, oh! Do the dude with the big hat next!”

They walked towards the other side of the road to look up at the statue.

The ‘dude with the big hat’ was tall.

His eyes were closed, knowing his power would let him ignore those in front of him.

He wore elaborate robes, with a long cape.

The ‘big hat’ had a feather held to it by a large round gem.

One hand was positioned on his hip, the other held a staff shaped like a snake.

“That's the Sorcerer of the Sands. He was an advisor to a total dolt of a sultan. He was a smart guy. Really capable sort. He exposed this swindler once - some guy pretending to be a prince in order to trick the princess!”

This guy is good.

“After that, he got this magic lamp and became the greatest sorcerer in the world. Then, they say... he used that power to become sultan himself!”

Seems to have saved himself plenty of trouble.

“Wow! Guess it's true that a mage needs to be an excellent judge of character, huh?

And what about this beauty over here?”

This statue had a statue between her and the Sultan.

She was an elegant woman, one hand gracefully extended, the other held an apple drippin in poison.

Her robes were long and draped to the ground, large open sleeves went down to her wrists.

She also wore a cape, hers had a dramatic collar, reminiscent of the Queen of Hearts.

Her hair was completely covered by fabric and atop her head was a large crown.

Her face was slim, and angular, her face was a cold but gentle thing that showed no true emotion.

Around her waist was a rope that cinched the fabric of her dress in a dramatic but flattering fashion.

At her feet was a book and a chest locked with a heart emblem.

“She's a queen who was said to be the fairest in all the land. In fact, she used her magic mirror to check how she ranked on a daily basis! When it looked like her position was threatened, they say she'd do whatever it took to keep it. Can you even imagine the level of dedication it would require to keep a record like that? Also, they say she was a master of making poisons!”

Well that last bit was suspicious, but the book must be some of her recipes.

Doing whatever it took to stay at the top was admirable, she had to admit.

“Geez. She's pretty, but that sounds kinda scary.”

True.

“You think so? I gotta respect the hustle!”

That is also true.

“F-for sure... Sounds like she fought hard for what she believed in, and never gave up!”

He paused for a moment, before asking after the next statue.

“And the one there, with the flaming head? Now THAT guy looks scary!”

They walked over to the statue next to the Sultan, on the opposite end of the Fairest.

His head was on fire, and from a look at the back of his neck seemed to drape all the way to the floor and surround his feet.

He was draped in a toga, a skull pin holding both pieces together rather than them being tied.

His teeth were also very sharp.

A single finger pointed upwards, and was also on fire.

He kinda made her think of Uncle Salamander.

“That's the King of the underworld! Single-handedly ruling a kingdom packed with rambunctious spirits - that takes competence! He may look scary, but he was a straight shooter who worked tirelessly at a tough job he never even asked for.”

Competent then.

“I mean, this is the guy who was ordering Cerberus, the Hydra, and the Titans into battle for him.”

A very big puppy!

“Hmm. That IS something. T'think he could have that much power and not let it go to his head!”

Unlike Grim.

It would totally go to Grims head.

“And that last one there, with the horns?”

The last statue was between the Sultan and the Fairest.

Her cloak was long, the sleeves were wide open and almost reached the floor.

The sleeves seemed to have been torn at one point, the edges tattered.

In one hand she held a staff.

She had two layers of dramatic collars, one flared out.

The other was closer to her neck and was almost tall enough to reach the base of her horns.

Said horns formed a crest on her forehead.

At her feet rest countless thorns.

“That's the Thorn Fairy who lived on a mythical mountain. She was noble and elegant, and a master of magic and curses - even by the standards of these seven! She commanded storms, covered the kingdom with thorns... She could use magic on a massive scale! She could even turn herself into a giant dragon.”

This is her type of lady.

Noble and Elegant like Aunt Erza!

Master of Magic and Curses like Mom and Freed put together!

She seems as powerful as Gildarts, and the Dragon thing!

She’s pretty much an honorary Fairy Tail Mage!

The others seem pretty cool too, but Gage knows which is her favorite.

“Ooh. a dragon! What all monsters yearn to be!”

Not just monsters.

Ace looked back down at Grim, “Pretty cool, huh?”

His grim grew malicious, “Not like some piddling weasel.”

Grim seemed genuinely betrayed by this as he yelped.

Gage’s face went blank, her eyes narrowed and pupils turned into slits.

Ace began to laugh, his eyes were closed and his arms crossed which allowed her to notice only one hand had a glove.

“Pfft... Ah ha ha! I can't hold it back anymore! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

Both arms fell, one to his side and the other to his hip.

“Come on, you're the ones who turned orientation into such a fiasco, right?”

The hand by his side moved to his hip and the one from his hip lifted to gesture as he spoke.

“The one summoned by the Dark Mirror whose magic is unreadable, and the monster no one summoned at all. It took everything I had not to burst into laughter right in the middle of the ceremony!” 

His eyes closed as he smiled gleefully.

Grim grew frustrated, but he wasn’t blistering mad like yesterday.

“H-hey! You don't gotta be a jerk about it!”

Ace crossed his arms across his chest, speaking arrogantly.

“So in the end, neither of you got admitted, and now you're janitors? Ah ha ha! SO lame!”

Gage’s own eyebrow raised, “No.”

Ace sputtered, so she continued, “If you’d been paying attention in class you would’ve noticed that we are in classes, the janitor work is to pay for things we want.”

He gathered himself quickly, “Still! You're both so clueless you don't even know who the Great Seven are. Not one of them! Maybe before you try getting into the academy again, you ought to take a second crack at kindergarten?”

He began to laugh.

In response Grim began to growl, but she quickly stopped it with a hand on his head.

Ace continued, “Anyway, just thought I'd tease you a bit. And man am I glad I did. It's been a blast! We all have classes to get to, so I'll let you get back to picking up trash. Bye!”

Grim looks like he’s about to say something but with her hand still on his head he instead just breathes out a puff of fire in frustration.

Ace’s eyes flash and he pulls out his pen to blow wind.

A few students around them shout encouragement but she shuts it all down quickly.

With a few twists of her wrists…

“Dome” A dome keeps the fire from hitting anything…

“Water” The water douses the fire…

“Chains” And both are tied up…

She tied them up because she smelt the headmage coming.

“What is going on here?”

Ace groans from where he is tied up, “Oh no! The headmage!”

“Did I not just warn you, "no more incidents"? And now you've almost charred one of my statues?! It's almost as though you WANT to be expelled!”

The headmage seems exasperated, but being expelled for almost doing something seems a bit dramatic.

Ace yelps either way.

“No! Forgive me!”

The headmage turns specifically to Gage, “And you, Miss Redfox. You were specifically told to keep Grim under control!” 

She raises her brows, sending the man a deeply unimpressed look.

“I did keep the situation under control. No property damage, no bystander damage, both offenders restrained.”

The headmage clears his throat before turning to Ace.

“And you! State your name and grade.”

“Ace Trappola... Freshman.”

“Then listen well, Trappola. You too, Grim and Redfox. As punishment for today's infractions, you are hereby ordered to wash a hundred windows!”

“‘Kay.” 

“You’ll meet in the cafeteria after class. Are we clear.”

““Yes Sir!””

Chapter Text

Grim slumps towards the cafeteria following her.

“I'm already exhausted from a full day of school and cleanin'. I can't believe we still gotta wash a hundred windows!”

“33.”

Gale corrected.

Grim cocked his head at her curiously.

She decided to answer his unstated question, “There are three of us. 33 x 3 leaves us with an extra window. So if we do our 66 before Ace gets here…”

He perks up, an arrogant grin growing on his face.

“Yeah! We can make ‘im do the extra window.”

She nods along to his suggestion, pretending she didn’t lead him to it.

“Of course. So.. let's get started shall we.”

She pulls out her light pen and quickly throws out some words.

“Bucket”

She always thought that the words forming objects were weird…

But as long as it works.

“Water”

Just enough to fill the Bucket

“Sponge”

Oh.. her letters were too big…

She can still use it.

They spend the next hour cleaning all their windows.

Gage and Grim both ignored that Ace didn’t show the entire hour until they were done.

A few times where Grim would look like he was about to complain or go find Ace, Gage would just stare him down until he got back to work.

Some might find it odd that staring him down works.

…

But those people would be the ones who didn’t listen to the mirror during her sorting.

“Like a Dragon roaring,..., contained deep within yet as vast as an ocean.”

Earlier Grim said all monsters want to be a dragon, as he stood in the presence of the first born grand-daughter of Metalicana, The Dragon of Iron.

She was raised by a man who had been raised by a dragon, and grew up around other humans raised by dragons.

These humans had killed a Dragon so powerful, that several other powerful Dragons had raised children and sent them forward 400 years in time to stop him.

Gage had been raised in a nest of Dragons.

With the knowledge all of those Dragons would go to war to keep her safe.

She may not have inherited the innate use of Slayer magic, but her senses were still stronger than a normal human.

She had still been raised in a nest of dragons, and her soul radiated that danger.

One could only wonder…

Does Gage also eat metals?

Eventually, they finish cleaning.

Grim stood at the doors, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

Eventually he uncrossed his arms and threw them into the air.

“... And now he's super late! I bet he up and bailed on us!”

Gage nodded in assent.

“That’s possible. Two options.”

He turned to look at her.

“We go and look for him.”

He began to grin arrogantly.

“Or we let the headmage know he never showed up.”

His grin fell off of his face quickly, a small contemplative hum left her throat as she watched him.

She would prefer just letting the headmage know.

The boy would get in trouble, and she wouldn’t get in trouble from Grim tearing a fiery path through the school…

She sighed at the cat's next words, “Ain't no way am I doin' his punishment for him! C'mon Gage! I don't care if we gotta drag him kickin' and screamin', he's washin' those windows!”

Her sigh was louder this time.

The first thing Grim did after bursting into the empty classroom was to yell.

“Hey! Ace! Get over here! Try to hide from me, will ya! Huh... Maybe there's really no one here?”

Of course, there was no smell, and no noises had previously been made…

So, Gage jumped with Grim when the words were spoken, “Oh, I wouldn't say that, I'm here.”

They turned to see a painting of a man in a tophat, twice the size of his head.

He wore a monocle, and had a rather large nose in proportion to his face.

His hair appeared to be a shade of light brown, eyebrows, mustache and beard included.

Said Eyebrows and Mustache were very well kept, and the beard appeared to be the same size as his nose.

The man had a very large and extravagant shirt collar, tall enough to reach the tip of his nose.

His bright red cravat sat untucked from his shirt.

He had a rather judgmental look on his face.

The frame was exquisitely beautiful.

“Bwaaah! That painting just talked!”

The judgmental look deepened, “Yes, and...? Is a talking painting really such an oddity at this school? The lady in the portrait on that wall talks too. As does the gentleman in the portrait on this one. As long as a painting has a mouth, why wouldn't it be able to talk? Is that really so strange?”

“No. A member of my family has the ability to quite literally give life to his paintings.”

He nodded his head, it wasn’t strange at all after all.

“You seem to be looking for someone?”

Grim answered in a subdued manner, “We're lookin' for this guy called Ace. He's got messy hair and a heart drawn on his face.”

The painting's eyes lit up in recognition despite his facial expression still being the same it had been painted as.

“Ah, I know the one. A new student, I believe? Today was his first day at school. I think he went back to his dorm a while ago.”

Grim grew angry, the fire of his ears flaring up with his emotions.

“So it's true! He's tryin' to ditch us! Do you know which way he went?”

This time the painting really did seem judgmental.

It was an obvious answer after all.

Anyone with a dorm would know…

“The door to the dorms is in the eastern building.”

Grim didn’t seem to notice, placing his paws on his hips as he nodded decisively.

He then marched off, with the knowledge Gage would follow him.

In an odd chance of luck the two reached the hall of mirrors while Ace was still talking to himself.

“Yeah right, like I'm gonna have a hundred windows. I'm just gonna go back and—”

Odd kid, he spent an hour after classes not heading back to his dorm?

“AHA! GOTCHA, PUNK!”

Ace jumped backwards, an arm flying in front of him as if to protect himself.

“They saw me!”

Grim pointed a paw at Ace before declaring, “Stop right there, pal! No fair gettin' a head start! Wait!”

Ace smiled arrogantly, “Who in their right mind would ever wait?! Seeya!”

The boy ran and Gage sighed as Grim immediately yelled after the boy instead of chasing, “No way are you gettin' out of this! You think I WANTED ‘ta wash windows?”

Unluckily for Ace, another student was in the hall of mirrors and in his way.

“Outta my way!”

The boy flinched back.

“Hey! What gives?!”

He had dark hair, a few shades of blue darker than her own.

Unlike Ace his uniform was perfectly done.

His eyes were a teal and the right one had a black spade mark.

She decided to tell the boy.

“He is shirking his punishment.”

The Spade boy's expression was astonished as he replied, “What? That's not right! But how to stop him?”

He began to speak to himself, “Like, freeze his legs? Or bind them with a rope? Or maybe I could... Hmm... No...”

He closed his eyes and crossed his arms as he spoke

Grim interrupted the Spade boy's thought process by stomping a foot on the ground and crossing his arms.

“I don't care how! Just do something! Anything!”

The Spade boy leans backwards, a startled look on his face, “Anything?! Anything, huh… Alright! Here goes anything! I summon thee... something heavy!”

He waves his magic pen in the direction of Ace and they all watch a large cauldron fall on the red eyed boy.

Ace yelps, “Bwaaah?! Wha?! A pot?!”

Grim begins laughing and pointing, “Ah ha ha ha ha! Look, Gage, look! That Ace guy got crushed beneath a giant cauldron! It squashed him flat! Aha ha ha! That's what you get!” 

The cat begins to do some sort of gig in his excitement.

A gleeful smile on his face the entire time.

The Spade boy on the other hand raises a hand to his face, a single finger touching his lips as he speaks.

“A cauldron?! I wasn't expecting that. I may have overdone it this time...”

He had a rather calm look on his face for someone who just crushed another student under a giant cauldron.

Ace pulled a hand out and began to rub his head, “Owwww!”

He turned to glare at her, “What are you bothering me for? You guys coulda just banged out the work yourself!”

She glared calmly back at him.

“The headmage wanted you and Grim to wash 100 windows.”

She spoke slowly, as if to a particularly dumb child.

“Grim and I did 66 together.”

She had stopped glaring at him and was now looking at him as if he were a particularly dumb child.

“That means you only have to clean 34 windows, and you are no longer in trouble for almost burning down a statue from main street.”

The Spade boy yelped at that, staring at Ace incredulously.

“You damaged a statue of the Great Seven?! No wonder he flew off the handle at you! After you managed to get into THIS school, how could you get in trouble on the very first day?!”
Ace’s face grew mullish, “Oh, shut up. Who are you, anyway?”

The Spade boy scowled at Ace.

Crossing his arms the boy replied, “My name is Deuce. Deuce Spade. Don't you remember your own classmate? Uh...”

Deuce paused sheepishly, he obviously had forgotten Ace’s name.

Gage shook her head in amusement, the small smile on her face fading as she heard light footsteps.

She turned her head slightly, keeping an eye on Grim as she watched him try and sneak out.

Her ears however are on the conversation happening in front of her.

“You don't remember my name either, do you?” Ace sighs despondently.

Deuce covers for himself with an indignant, “That's not the point! You shouldn't try to shirk an order from the headmage!”

Her eyes flicker back to the boys watching as Ace moves a hand to his hip and the other to behind his head.

“Yeah, yeah, message received... Fine, let's bang out the windows already. Huh...?”

She turns back around noticing that Grim is giving up being quiet.

“Ah ha ha ha! I'll let you two handle the rest! See ya, suckers!”

Gage decides she is not dealing with this.

So she Growls, a deep threatening Growl she learned from her own misbehavior.

“Grim.”

She watches as the fur on his body stands up on all ends, he whirls back around and trots obediently to her.

She scruffs him by the back of the neck and they all walk to the Cafeteria.

Peacefully.

Gage makes sure Ace is working before she sets Grim down.

“Do not break anything. Otherwise have fun.”

The cat loses the tension that had grown upon being set down and cheers.

He immediately begins racing around, Deuce who was still there for some reason, chasing the cat.

She hears a few tinkling noises as Grim taunts Deuce.

“Heh heh heh! Catch me if you can!”

Those tinkling noises were like glass…

Gage’s head whips around to look at the chandelier..

Why?

“No fair climbing up onto the chandelier, you coward!”

She heard Deuce shout, still not looking away from the chandelier.

A small whine came out of her throat.

High pitched enough to not be heard by the human ear.

“I haven't really learned flight magic yet… What could I summon to hold onto him...? Hmmm… Oh! That's it!”

She heard Ace next, he must’ve also been paying attention.

He had almost been done with the windows anyways.

“Did you come up with somethi- Oh, hey! Stop! What are you doing?! Why are you pointing your pen at me?!”

“Because I'm going to launch you.” She glanced incredulously at Deuce.

“This is not going to end well.”

She mutters to herself petulantly.

She sighs, readying her pen.

Might as well mitigate as much of the damage as she could.

She hears Ace screech.

“Are you kidding me?! Bwaaah! Put me down! Seriously, do not launch me! Abort! ABORT!” 

Deuce's only response to Ace’s fear was, “Just make sure to grab him tight. I've got him in my sights, and... Go!”  

Both Ace and Grim shrieked when Deuce launched Ace.

She sighs, whipping out the deck of cards Aunt Cana got her for her sixth birthday.

Throwing one out, under the falling chandelier.

[The deck of cards had been a mocking gift, but still useful.

From the ages of five to eight, Young Gage wanted nothing more than to fly.

So she jumped off of all sorts of heights.

There was always a guild member around to catch her…

But she certainly gave plenty of Adults heart attacks.

And that deck had been made with Cana’s magic, full of all sorts of soft cushiony things.

They would leave her with no damage at all.

And anything else she decided to catch once her flight phase was over.]

Ace and Grim hit the wool first, their bodies falling low enough to not be crushed under the incoming chandelier.

It was a large thing, lovely to look at.

The ceiling rose was difficult to see through the light, but seemed to be an actual rose carved by wood.

The chain was a strong, thick branch of wood that grew into more branches for the top canopy.

Each branch also branched out and all of those branches had at least one light on them.

Each light was large and round, and they all glowed a lovely shade of gold.

A tad bit less lovely to look at while off the roof.

“I cannot believe you just did that!” Ace coughs out.

Deuce tilts his head in consideration.

“Oh, right! I probably should have come up with a way to soften your landing after you caught him… Thanks for that Gage!”

He smiles at her thankfully.

She smiles back, an incline of her head, a scent that was slowly becoming familiar made itself known.

Ace groans at Deuce.

“You complete and total moron! We got Grim, but we broke the chandelier! If the headmage finds out about this-”

She hears the headmage step behind her.

“I suppose I have you to thank for the wool.”

She turns to look at him, and inclined her head at his dry statement.

She goes to pick Grim out of the wool.

“Everything is spinning…” He mewls.

“I see burning a statue wasn't enough for you? Now you've almost destroyed a chandelier?! Enough. All of you are expelled.”

She didn’t blame him, she hadn’t stopped Grim after all, just mitigated damage to the chandelier.

She feels Grim go limp in her arms.

She doubts he knows he was just expelled.

Deuce and Ace both made exclamations of shock.

The headmage heard them and responded, “It would’ve been broken if not for Redfox saving it. In fact I wouldn’t be expelling her if she hadn’t told me she would be taking responsibility for Grims actions.”

He nodded his head, his words final.

Deuce of course, did not take the silent cue and argued.

“Headmage, please! Give me a second chance! I can't get expelled from this school! I need to be here!”

“Then blame yourself for your own foolish behavior.” The headmaster dryly responded.

The expression on Deuce's face made him look as if he were ready to get on both knees and plead.

“I'll pay for the damages! However much it costs!”

The headmaster cocked his head in consideration, his tone held a lilt of pity as he spoke next.

“That chandelier is no mere light fixture. It is a magical chandelier. Its candles are powered by a magical energy source, enchanted so that they will burn for eternity. It was created for us by a legendary artificer. Possibly their finest creation. It has been here since the school was established, and I imagine it will be here forevermore. Considering its historical value, I would estimate its worth to be no less than a billion thaumarks. And you intend to repay that sum?”

Deuce staggered back in shock. 

He croaked out a response, “A... A billion marks?!”

Ace snapped back to the conversation at this point.

“B-But I'm sure with your magical talent, sir, you could snap your fingers and fix it right up!”

He was also growing desperate, though it didn't seem to be for the same reason as Deuce.

The headmage sighed, his disappointment in the situation didn’t stop him from answering his soon to be former students.

An educator through and through.

“Even magic has its limits. Furthermore, its magestone - the figurative heart of any magical artifact - could’ve cracked. A magestone cannot easily be replaced. I fear the candles of this majestic chandelier would have never burned again.”

“This is bad...” Ace muttered.

Deuce moaned, “What am I going to do?! How am I going to tell my mother...?”

The headmage tilted his head in consideration, pose two coming back suddenly.

“Ah...! But there may be on way. One tiny sliver of a chance to have repaired this chandelier.”

“There is?!” Deuce and Ace chorused once again.

The headmage nods his head, eyes resting on the boys contemplatively.

“The magestone that powers this chandelier was mined from the Dwarfs' Mine. If you can acquire a magestone with the same properties, it may be possible to have repaired it.”

Deuce perks up quickly, eager to please.

“Then I'll go find a magestone! With your permission, sir!”

Ace does not react to the offer at all.

He doesn’t seem to mind being expelled.

Curious.

Gage runs her tongue along her bottom row of teeth, recategorizing the sharp fangs as she goes.

“I should caution you that I cannot promise there yet remain magestones to find. The mines were closed quite some time ago. It is quite likely that all of the magestones have already been mined.”

Hm, she already missed doing quests, this should be reminiscent.

She fights to keep the feral grin from rising on her face.

“I will do anything to avoid expulsion, sir!”

How earnest of Deuce.

“Hmmm... Very well, then. I will suspend your expulsion for a single night. But if you fail to return with a magestone by morning, then all of you are expelled.”

She takes a deep breath attempting to center herself.

“I understand, sir! Thank you very much for this opportunity!”

Like a puppy, the boy shakes with his own over-eager enthusiasm.

A sigh was heard.

“Fine, then. Let's hurry down there, find a magestone, and get this whole thing done with.”

Ace on the other hand seems dull.

He's completely unexcited, he already seems to be a bore.

“You should be able to reach the Dwarfs' Mine instantly by using one of the gates in the Mirror Chamber.”

She turns to start walking immediately.

Deuce snaps out a quick, “Yes sir!”

And she hears both boys scramble to catch up.

“Myah! Wh-? Where am I?!”

She loses the fight, and the feral grin appears on her face.

Deuce and Ace notice and both take a wary step back.

“I believe you will have wished to have remained unconscious.”

They enter the mirror chamber.

“Maaan... How did I end up in this mess? I swear, I have the worst luck.”

“We don't have time to complain. Let's go. Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarfs' Mine!”

Chapter Text

They found themselves teleported into a dark and dreary forest. It held little resemblance to the one outside of Magnolia, but she still felt a sense of peace upon the smell of un-inhabited nature, the air pure from the stench humans leave.

“So this is the Dwarfs' Mine…” Deuce spoke contemplatively.

His arms were crossed, and head tilted as he took in their surroundings.

“Long ago, this mine was flush with magestones.” He continued, and yet he was just repeating the words the headmaster had told them mere minutes previous.

Grims blank wide-eyed stare crumpled into an expression of misery as he spoke up, his voice tormented.

“Urgh... Who knows what lurks in there now?”

Ace gave her feral smile a wary look before speaking up, his mask firmly in place.

“Look, I can see a house. Let's see what the people there have to say.”

The boy spoke cheerfully, with one hand on his hip and the other gesturing towards the house in the distance.

Her grin widened as she picked up Grim. She stalked towards the cottage, feeling Grim shiver in her hold.

She heard the boys scramble to follow her wide stalking strides towards the dilapidated building.

She wrenched the door open, throwing the useless and broken piece of wood to the ground behind her.

The noise of the two jogging behind her suddenly having to dodge made her feel a bit guilty.

A pleased purr built in the back of her throat as she looked around the ground floor of the cottage.

A mystery, and they were even given some fun clues!

Goodness, she felt so spoiled!

Her stay in this world would be all kinds of fun if this pattern kept up!

Numerous cobwebs and spiderwebs filled the place, and dust coated the entire room– the particles moved everywhere and people wandered.

She surveyed the room as she heard the others arrive behind her.

Seven small wooden chairs around the room, five surrounded a wooden table of similar size. The other two chairs had fallen to the ground.

Embedded in the table was an old, rusted pickaxe—had a fight happened before the abandonment of the house?

Deuce made the first noise, banging on the doorframe as he spoke up.

“Hellooo? Is anybody home...? Must be empty. It looks like it's been abandoned.”

She paused in her appraisal of the house to give him an incredulous look as he shakes his head despairingly, hands raised in a motion of ‘what can you do?’

Did the boy just notice the dust in the air?

She sets Grim down absentmindedly as she goes back to the mystery.

He sputters, “Bwah! I got a spider web on my face! Ptchoo! Ptchoo!”, while giving her a betrayed look.

She pays him no more attention, running her finger down the length of the melted candle that had been set on the table.

Someone had been here recently.

The candle was the only thing in the house not coated in dust, in fact, it was suspiciously dust free.

Ace spoke up contemplatively at first, “Look how tiny these desks and chairs are. Did children live here? One, two... Seven! It's like a clown car in here.” before reducing to shock and exclaiming the rest of his sentence loudly.

He had raised a hand in front of him, a defensive motion to his own shock.

She narrowed her eyes in contemplation to his words. She assumed it was a smaller sort of being.

But maybe this world allowed their children to live alone.

She knows that upon joining Fairy Tail Uncle Natsu had lived alone in the woods from a young age, but he had been constantly checked up on by guild members.

“When the mine was flourishing, this house must have been a lively place.”

She turns to look at Deuce when he speaks and her eyes catch on the startlingly clean staircase.

A broom rested in front of the staircase, leaned against the hearth that held a cooking cauldron.

A mystery to be certain.

Ace lifts a hand, gathering the attention of the room.

“Well, this isn't getting us anywhere. If we're gonna find a magestone, it'll be inside the mine. Let's head inside and take a look.”

She’ll have to come back another day when they don’t have a time limit from being expelled.

She gives a sigh and pouts, trudging after her current team members.

The mine entrance wasn’t far away from the cottage, a quick walk to a cave that was pointed to on a faded sign of a red arrow.

It was still easily entered, despite the tree roots that had grown around the wooden doorway of the mine.

The boys paused outside the mine as she kept walking.

She heard Grim whimper, “You wanna go inside THERE? It's pitch black!”

She turned back around, walked to him and picked him up.

“What, are you scared of the dark? Pathetic.” She heard Ace scoff mockingly as she walked directly back into the start of the mine.

She felt Grim turn in her hold, “Myah?! I'm not scared of anything! I'm taking the lead. You all follow me!” He waved his paws in threat towards the others behind her.

She kept walking and felt the shift of air as Ghost appeared in front of her.

She shifted Grim to a single arm hearing his whimper and whipped out her pen.

“Chains.” She intoned calmly.

“I have questions. You have answers.” She narrowed her currently slitted gaze upon the ghosts.

The ghosts gulped at the girl, whose eyes glowed an ominous maroon.

“Of course!”

“Yes, Yes. Of Course.” Her mocking response was purred. Her widened eyes flashed, and her smile grew ominous.

–

The boys are silent after the ghosts are released and she claps her hands, turning to them with a small smile and closed eyes.

“Well then, we have a very special stone to claim.” Her eyes snap open and her grin flashes sharp teeth, “Don’t we?”

The boys nod quickly and follow her as she starts walking.

Her head tilts as she hears a noise in the direction they are going and she pauses.

“Hmm?”

“Is something wrong?” Someone asks behind her.

“I think.. I’ve heard a voice just now.”

“...iiivvv... ...oooouuu…”

Ace stutters, “Wh-where's that comin' from?”

“...neeevvvaaa... ...iiivvv... ...ooouuu…” All the boys flinch, as she listens to the footsteps. 

They’re heavy.

Something large.

“Sounds like..” Deuce pauses, “It’s getting closer.” His lips are pursed and eyes blown wide.

They watched a large monster step from the darkness, its head was glass-like and shaped like an ink pot.

Ink seemed to seep out of the crack in the head and out from beneath the long red vest the being wore.

The long red vest was dirtied, and tattered and had been rather obviously repaired before due to the brown fabric patches.

In its hands were a pickaxe and a lantern that light glowed red.

On the top of the monster's head was a long brown hat similar to the one’s Grandfather Makarov used to wear.

The boys had been panicking behind her as she took it in.

She hears Grims declaration to leave before Ace’s comment stops him.

“That thing's super creepy! But didn't it just say something about "stones"?!”

The boys all turn to look at him and she thinks about the weakness’ the monster could have.

There is a crack in the monster's head.

Someone had wounded it.

Was it whoever had previously been in the cottage?

Her mind flashed back to the pickaxe that had been stuck into the table and she looked closer at the one in the monster's hand.

Did.. the monster come from the cottage?

Is this something similar to takeover magic…

Like what happened with Old Man Elfman?

The Boys fight the being, very determined to get the stone and not be expelled.

And yet, no teamwork to speak of.

She listens to it scream at them to leave.

To it roar as they fail to do anything worthwhile to it.

And when Grims Fire lights up in a direction it hadn’t yet, she sees something glimmer and points.

“There! Something just sparkled!”

The boys follow in the direction she pointed, the being following them.

“A magestone!” Deuce gasps out, a smile on his face.

“GWAAAAAAAH! Nooo giiive yooouuu stooooooone!” The being roars.

So that's what it’s protecting.

The last magestone.

Probably the miners last chance before being lost to their magic.

She snatches the stone and tosses it to Deuce, “Run! Lead it out of the mine! We need to fight it outside to prevent the collapse of the mine with us in it!”

She runs with the boys as they make it to the entrance, the boys need to work together.

Life and Death situations always help improve teamwork.

At least that's what Aunt Lucy and Mom tease about when they know Uncle Salamander and Dad are arguing over pointless things.

Once they’re far enough away from damaging both the mine and cottage she turns to Ace.

“Ace, you can do Wind Magic can’t you?!” She shouts gleefully at him.

He narrows his eyes playfully at her, “You bet. I got this! One extra-large gust of wind, comin' up!”

“Grim!” She prompts him, he blinks and looks between Ace and her.

He nods his head determined, “With a side of Grim's blazin'-hot fire! MYAAAH!”

They fire off their magic at the same time, distracting the being from Deuce who watches them work together with a shocked expression.

The being gives a shocked roar as the wind enhanced flame hits it.

“How's that taste?! With my winds fanning them, even Grim's feeble flames can become an inferno!” Ace teases Grim who banters back at him, “Whaddaya mean "feeble"?! Ya really don't know how to shut yer mouth, do ya?”

She turns to look at Deuce, “Hey!” He turns to her, and she continues, “Have you got another caldron in you?”

His face lightens and he nods towards her, tossing her the magestone he prepares his pen.

“Just stay calm, aim carefully... and pull out the biggest, heaviest thing I can think of… Get 'em, cauldron!”

The being sputters as the cauldron lands, smashing it into the ground.

It was, admittedly, a very large cauldron.

“Nailed it! The plan's workin'! Look, Gage!” Grim turns to grin up at her, “That monster got smashed flat by a falling cauldron, just like Ace did!”

She smiles back at him in amusement.

Ace chimes in pouting playfully, “Coulda done without the reminder, thanks! This has been one drag after another.”

She hands the magestone back to Deuce carefully and ignores the boys as they banter, happy with their success.

She wanders over to the Being.

“Hello.” She speaks softly and watches the ink pot turn in her direction.

“You’ve been here a long time. I’m sorry for what happened to you.”

It gives a mournful yet quiet wail.

“Chains” She intones regretfully, before walking around the being to begin with her runes.

“I hope you find peace.”

Out of the corner of her eyes she sees 6 smiling old men smiling softly at the scene as she activates the runes.

She turns to get a better look at them, but they’re gone.

And when she turns to look back at the being she only sees sparkles of magic dispersing into the air.

“Thank you…”

She hears a whisper in the wind.

Seven voices in harmony.

She doesn’t turn around this time.

Just walks back to the boys who had continued arguing the whole time.

“Let’s go back! We don’t want to get back too late to stop you all from being expelled? Do we?” She teases, walking towards the portal.

“Your cat is weird.” Ace bluntly states, following her anyways.

Grim interjects, outrage in his tone. “Rich in flavor and full-bodied... Like sweet, fragrant flowers burstin' into bloom on my tongue. A whole field of 'em! Right in my mouth! It’s not weird!”

“Humans don't take random stuff they find on the ground and just pop it into their mouths. Especially not stones.”

Uncle Salamander ate magic stones once, but he wasn’t entirely human. And was really sick afterwards…

She tilts her head, squinting at Grim inquisitively.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t feel sick, do you?”

Grim scoffs at her. 

An arrogant look was on his face as he spoke to her, “I’m great! Don't worry about me. I don't got a weak stomach like you humans do.”

She sighs, lifting her head to look at the stars still currently in the sky.

Ace scoffs back at Grim.

“Hmph. We'll see if you're so smug when you're sick later tonight.”

Boys.

She sighs deeper.

“So why a cauldron? Why can't you have just blown that thing up with magic?” Grim questions Deuce.

“The headmage said it himself... magic has limits. If you can't strongly visualize your magic, it isn't going to happen.” He pauses to wet his lips before continuing.

“Using magic at a greater scale, or using different types of magic - those things require training..”

Ace chimes in before Deuce can continue to lecture Grim.

“Yeah, that's why magic academies exist. It takes a lot of training before you can snap your fingers and turn your thoughts into magic. And the more flustered you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes.”

By the time the boys have finished the explanation they’ve made it to the Headmage’s office.

Gage knocks on the door, hearing a “Come in!” from the Headmage she ushers the boys in, closing the door behind her.

Deuce carefully sets the stone on the Headmage’s desk.

“Pardon?! You actually went to the Dwarfs' Mine in search of a magestone?”

The headmage sounded incredulous as he looked between the magestone sitting innocuously on his desk and the boys lined up looking at him hesitantly.

The man coughs into a fist, “Ahem. I didn't expect that you'd seriously do it. And never in my wildest imaginings did I think you would actually return with a magestone! And here I spent all evening preparing your expulsion documents.”

The man hesitantly looked up at the clock, then back to the paperwork in front of him.

He then proceeded to vanish it rather abruptly as if nothing had happened at all.

“Are you serious?! While we were fightin' some crazy monster for you, you were expelling us?!” Grim asked the headmage, stunned.

“Monster?” The man sat up straight, as he prodded with a question.

“Yeah. There was a monster, all right.” Ace scoffed, “A big, nasty one. It nearly killed us!” He pointed a rude hand at the man in charge of his fate.

The man in question only raised a brow before prompting further, “Would you kindly relate this story in full?”

Gage allowed the boys to explain the story, she would stay behind to tell him about takeover magic and her theories about what happened there.

While they told their story she looked around the headmages office.

The wide and open and round design was spacious and could probably hold quite a few people.

The only chair in the room was the headmages, it was made of a medium brown wood in an elegant design, with royal purple cushioning.

The desk in front of the chair was a medium brown wood, sturdy and glossy.

Two elegant golden candelabra’s sat at each side of the desk, with a total of six lit candles flaring brightly.

There were three windows around the room, one directly behind the desk and two to the sides.

The curtains around the room were deep purple, decorated with green stars and crescent moons.

The curtains were bound by indigo ropes and the tassels at the bottom were also a shade of golden.

The Silver Chandelier that hung above their heads was two layers, six candles on the lower layer and four on the top layer.

Seven paintings floated around the room, colored depictions of the statues they saw previously. 

All of the colors in the room matched with the colors in the painting of the Thorn Queen.

She tuned back into the conversation upon the grown man in the room bursting into full blown sobs.

“Oh, gracious... Ohhh... Ohhhhhhhh!” The man sobbed dramatically.

She smelt the tears, but was pretty sure they were still not completely real.

“What is this guy's deal?! Burstin' into tears in public? At this age?!” Grim rudely pointed out the man's predicament.

“We're not in public Grim, it’s his private office.”

The man had already stopped sobbing and began to speak again, “In all the decades I've worked at this school... The day has finally come when the students of Night Raven College have joined hands together to defeat a common foe!”

Deuce and Ace both protested at the headmage’s proclamation.

“Whoa! No! No way would I join hands with that guy!”

“Okay, one, there was no joining of hands. Gross. And two, exactly HOW old are you, headmage?”

“At this moment, I am moved beyond words. This incident has proven my hopes were justified. My students have all been selected by the Dark Mirror for their exceptional talent and potential. But great talent begets great pride and big egos. Most are so self-reliant and self-centered that they never even consider cooperating with others.”

The man lamented.

“Students - I hereby revoke your pending expulsions!”

She raised an eyebrow at the man as he suddenly changed the subject.

“Accordingly, I will now present to Grim and you the magestone’s that are issued to every student here.”

Grim spoke up, shocked. “Heh! A magestone, eh?!”

“It is typically attached to the "magic pen" that each student uses.  But I suspect your paws cannot handle implements. Therefore, I have a custom solution for you. Is it possible that I am, in fact, too kind?”

The man posed dramatically as he spoke.

“Ah, sweet! I look awesome! A magestone collar, to be worn only by the legendary archmage, Grim!”

While Deuce and Ace’s magestone pens along with their housewardens were a bright red, her own and Grim’s were a very light purple, the way they reflected light they could be mistaken as silver.

“You're not listening to anything I say, are you?” The headmage takes a deep breath after this, a long suffering noise escapes him before he continues, “Miss Redfox. As you can plainly see, Grim remains oblivious to the customs of human society. You are to keep a tight rein on Grim, and ensure there are no further incidents!”

He pauses again, this time to hum contemplatively.

“After all, I wouldn’t wish to expel you due to the bargain you made with me to allow Grim to attend in the first place.”

The Headmage’s glowing golden eyes glinted ominously from behind his bird-skull shaped half-mask.

Instead of being intimidated, she just feels her blood rush with the need to challenge herself.

She grins back at him, and in total contrast to her expression demures, “Of course headmage. You can expect my best to be put into all of my work at your institution.”

His lips tilt up into amusement before settling back into his normal ‘benevolent’ smile.

“Ah, Yes. I suppose that makes you a prefect. I just so happen to have a job for you, and that title will make it all the easier to foist... er, I mean, congratulations! Now, I have something for you. This is called a ghost camera.”

She almost laughed, he was obviously enjoying this game as much as she was.

“A Ghost Camera?” She prompted him.

Ace piped up at her question, “Ooh, my grandma's told me about those. Those are, like, super old magic items, right?”

“I would hardly consider them "super old"... ahem. But it may indeed have been invented when your great or great-great grandmother was a child. It's a camera enchanted with a special kind of magic. It enables the user to photograph not just the subject's physical form, but parts of their soul itself.” The headmage explained to all of them.

Deuce made a contemplative noise, “Wait, that sounds... sketchy.”

“They're called Memories. Here's the thing: when the soulbond between photographer and subject deepens... The Memories captured in this magic camera's photos come jumping out!”

Hmm, he did mention the soul earlier.

Soul Magic is not something to lightly use.

“Soulbound?” She once again prompted him further.

He nods his head at her, continuing further,“When the photographer and subject grow closer, their photographs grow animated like videos... And sometimes the photographs take on corporeal form and slip out. Is that not what you youths would call "wicked keen"?”

“That almost sounds like ghost photography!” Deuce spoke excitingly.

“Very astute. Hence the name "ghost camera". I understand it was developed as a more vivid way to capture moments in time, in an age before video. As Spade observed, in days of yore, when people saw Memories jumping out of photos, they would get spooked and yell, "Ghost!" I've heard many a tale of people who were deathly scared of being photographed by such cameras.”

Ace made a noise of concern, “This tech sounds like way more trouble than it's worth.”

She nodded her head to him in agreement.

The headmage spoke fully to her once again, “Miss Redfox. I would like you to photograph Grim and the other students with this camera, and make a record of your campus life.”

She refrained from answering him right away.

Soul magic is dangerous, yes.

But Ace’s Grandmothers both spoke of it to their grandson and apparently didn’t give him any warnings of it.

The headmage also does seem to genuinely want to keep her alive to get her home, or at least to participate in whatever game he is currently playing.

“Myah ha haaa! Sounds like the perfect way to immortalize all my finest moments!”

It also seems like Grim is interested, she thought to herself in amusement.

The headmages attention was solely on her as he tried to convince her.

“Ahem... Make especially certain to capture the mischief caused by certain students who struggle with impulse control. Keeping a photographic journal sounds far less tedious than writing me lengthy reports, wouldn't you agree? As a prefect, consider it your duty to maintain a sharp eye on your surroundings and record them. Note how generous I'm being in providing a rare magical item that even someone like yourself can use. Is my kindness not beyond all reckoning?”

“Thank you Sir.”

That works.

She thanked him for his ‘generosity’ but did not commit to actually using it.

“The hour has grown late, so further details shall have to wait till the morrow. You are all dismissed. Return to your dorms.”

He waved his hand in dismissal.

The boys filed out, Deuce giving a parting goodbye.

She closed the door behind them and turned back to the headmage.

“There is a magic in my home world. It is used by quite a few of my family members. This magic allows them to Takeover the soul of another being with their own soul and magic. They collect these souls and use them interchangeably in battle. At one point on of them at a young age, failed his attempt to subjugate a very large beast and the beast’s soul won. His younger sister attempted to pull him back from it, and he attacked her. For two years they believed her dead–it turned out she was in Edolas, the parallel world I told you about. The being we fought from the mines. It was once a person, it became a being dripping of ink. It's only goal was to defend the last magestone. Upon defeat I purified the being and watched the magic particles return to the world, setting them free.”

She allowed him time to absorb all she said and watched him.

He wasn’t human.

He also wasn’t a Zeref demon.

They didn’t have Zeref here, so it’s unlikely he is.

He also doesn’t seem to be a Devil, Dragon or God.

She’ll need to do some research on humanoids of this world while in the library.

“You believe the being of ink won over the original soul?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for this information. You are also dismissed.”

She hadn’t expected more from the conversation, and was glad he didn’t.

This was such a fun puzzle to solve after all.

She left the room, hearing the tail end of a conversation of the boys who had apparently waited for her.

“Better than your lazy, dopey grin.” Deuce scoffed.

Ace grinned in amusement, “Keep bawling, crybaby. I haven't forgotten how you almost wept when he said you were expelled. Catch ya later, Gage.”

The two walked off to their dorm mirrors, she and Grim watching them go.

“Man, those two are made for each other. Maybe they're the type who bond through squabbling? Anyway, Gage, let's get back to the dorm!”

She hummed in amusement, and picked him up.

They walked back to the dorm in companionable silence.

Upon arriving back she made them a quick dinner.

And while Grim finished eating she cleaned a quick room up for him and set wards over it.

She walked back into the kitchen to grab the now snoring Grim and brought him to the new room.

She tucked him in and went to her own room.

She couldn’t wait for all the good books she was going to be able to read.

And a single mystery to entertain herself on.

She should just stay for all three years.

Get a nice education, and if she finds a way home, send letters to the guild.

Maybe have a contact lacrima sent back.

This was going to be such fun!