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Chapter Text

You didn't mean to doze off in Professor Trein's class — learning this world's history and cross-referencing it to your Disney knowledge was actually pretty entertaining in a nerdy sort of way, but you hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night due to a late-night gaming session with the Shrouds.  For better or worse though, you weren't caught snoozing.  Thank God (or as your friends would say, "Thank Sevens").  You didn't want to deal with another detention.

However, sleeping did, unfortunately, cause you to miss an important announcement.

"Back to the City of Flowers?" you mused.  "Last time we were there, it was under a scheme to kill Tsunotaro and we nearly all burned to death," you pointed out.  It was a surprise to nobody that you weren't entirely onboard, but considering how every other field trip was, you'd be forced to go on it as some sort of chaperone one way or another.

If you didn't know any better, you'd liken these field trips to limited-time events in those gacha games Idia always plays (not to sound too much like a nerd or something, but hey!  You were literally living in some alternate universe, Disney fanfic!).

Sitting at your lunch table, Ace shrugged.  "I'm not interested in going this time around," he admitted.  "A field trip for a museum?  Yuck."

"You weren't invited anyways," Grim grinned cheekily (dare you say, cattily) at Ace, who consequently flung a pea at him.  "MYOW, you almost hit me!  Or my hench-human!"

"Thanks for looking out for me," you absentmindedly patted Grim on the head, even though you were sort of an after-thought.  "I think it's nice," you then added on.  "They want to thank us for saving the city and to apologize for what happened, so it's thoughtful of them to invite us back."

"Yeah," Deuce agreed.  He usually did with you.  "Ya think that Flame guy is gonna be there?"

You instinctively grimaced at the mention of Rollo Flamme.  "I mean, he's the one that got us all those special tickets, so I don't see why not..."  Changed or not, though, you weren't too keen on seeing him again.  You shouldn't be so biased, but you knew full well which Disney villain he had taken after, and you just couldn't get past it.

But wait, did that make Malleus Esmeralda...?

The cursed image flew through your mind before you could stop it, and you immediately pushed your plate away from you.  Abort mission, abort abort abort—

"Yo Prefect, you okay?"

"Yep.  Totally fine.  Absolutely wonderful."

Three days later, you were up at the ass-crack of dawn for the accursed field-trip.  There was a slight change in the lineup this time.  While everybody that had gotten involved with Noble Bell College had been invited, Azul and Rook couldn't come along.  Azul because there was a special event he was hosting at Mostro Lounge, and Rook had some sort of 'important trip' he couldn't miss out on.  The latter had been extremely vague and dodgy when you had asked him what kind of trip it was, but you think it had something to do with his family.

Idia was the only one who had no reason to not come but didn't come anyways — and honestly, you didn't blame him.  You were sort of done with the City of Flowers, too.

Among missing three of your original crew, Vil, Ortho, and Lilia were along for the ride.  Vil was going in place of Rook, Ortho was going on behalf of Idia, and Lilia was going due to what had happened last time Malleus was in the city.

"It's way too early ta be here..."  Grim grouched, slumped on your shoulder.  You couldn't help but agree, adjusting your grip on the handle of a suitcase Kalim had gifted you a while back.  It was much nicer than you could ever afford, and you knew if Crowley ever shorted you on allowance money, you'd be set for months if you sold the suitcase.

Not that you would, but a contingency was always nice to have.

"Looks like everybody is here and accounted for once more!  Ah, how gracious of Noble Bell College to be offering this opportunity in restitution for what happened previously.  Is everybody ready to depart?"

Even though it was much too early for your brain to properly function, the headmage was as lively as possible, his booming voice leaving a promise of an incoming migraine if he continued.

"Wait, there's some changes this time around...  Why are you guys here?" Deuce asked, scratching the side of his cheek as he looked over at the three newcomers.

Vil spoke first.  He seemed completely fine and well-put together despite being up at this god-forsaken hour.  "Rook had other things to attend to, so I am here in his stead.  Besides, I believe this will give me some inspiration for Film Appreciation Club.  A lot of period dramas tend to take place in the City of Flowers."

"Big Brother didn't want to come along this time, so I'm going to represent our dorm and am bringing his tablet along!"  Idia's tablet wasn't powered on, but no doubt he was awake from pulling another all-nighter for whatever video game he was currently hyper-fixated on.

"Kehehe.  I'm here to chaperone and make sure things go well this time around," Lilia tacked on, popping up behind you.  It startled Grim, who sunk his claws into your shoulder.  You didn't startle — you were too tired, and you just gave Lilia a deadpan look, gently prying Grim's claws out.  Lilia only grinned wider at yours and Grim's reactions (or, in your case, lack there of).

"Why ya always gotta pop outta nowhere?!" Grim complained right by your ear.

"Please keep in mind to abide by the same rules I set down last time, everybody," Professor Trein was quick to cut in.  "We were invited back, and must be on our best behavior."

". . . Are they gonna be on their best behavior?"

"Going to, Epel."

Epel didn't respond to the correction.  It was too early in the morning to care right now, but he did have an excellent point.

"They are inviting us back as apologies for what happened prior," Professor Trein reminded you all.  "It is safe to assume that, yes, they will be on their best behavior for the duration of this trip."

You felt a presence next to you, and didn't need to look up to see who had shown up, hovering over you like they were your shadow.  A very tall, very regal-looking shadow.  You looked up, giving Malleus a tired smile, but said nothing else in acknowledgment.  Give yourself a couple more hours and some kind of caffeinated beverage and you'd be good as new, but right now?  You felt like the walking dead.

After confirming that everybody was indeed ready to go, the thirteen of you plus Trein stepped through the mirror, with Crowley once more offhandedly mentioning his preferences in souvenirs.

Yeah, right.  If he wanted a souvenir, maybe he should up your allowance so you can patch the hole in the roof of your kitchen.

Your surroundings shifted as you all stepped through the mirror.  Once more you were at Noble Bell College, greeted by a familiar face.  He looked just as dour and sleep-deprived as you had last seen him.

Talk about deja vu.

"Welcome back," Rollo Flamme sniffed, looking as disdainful as he did the first time you all had met, although his gaze seemed to have softened up by a smidge.  Either that, or you just weren't fully awake yet.  "Thank you for accepting my invitation to make amends and returning to Noble Bell College.  I do hope this stay finds you better than last..."

For somebody who had supposedly invited you all back as an apology, he looked particularly bitter about it, as if he had been forced so swallow a whole lemon.

Nice to see that some things never changed.  This time, though, he wasn't accompanied by anybody else.  It was just him as he welcomed you all back to NBC, letting you all know that your tickets and the event itinerary would be in everybody's rooms.  You were hoping that would be it, too tired to want to deal with anything.  You zoned out of the conversation as you all were once more led to your rooms, but unfortunately, Rollo seemed to have picked you apart from the rest like last time, calling your name.

"A moment, if you'll please," he requested, practically wringing his handkerchief.  You gave him a wary look, but refrained from going into your room as Grim darted in.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to apologize once more for last time.  I truly hope you are able to enjoy your time this time around in the City of Flowers.  I went ahead and took the liberty of leaving an extra gift in the room for you.  I...  do hope it's suitable."

This felt painfully awkward.  ". . . Uhhhh.  Thanks," you finally responded, pressing your lips together.  "I...  Appreciate it, Flamme—"

"Rollo is fine," he butt in, eyes sliding to the side.

". . ."  Maybe with him, but you?  Did you want that level of familiarity?  You sighed.  "Alright, then.  Thanks, Rollo."

You could have sworn you saw his cheeks tint pink as he gave you a curt nod before walking away, and you promptly ignored it.  You did not want to dwell on whatever the hell that could have been.  Standing there for a moment longer, you finally went into the room, seeing a black and maroon gift bag on the red.

Gingerly, you picked the bag up.  It was a miracle Grim hadn't tore into it yet, but you looked to see him already napping on the bed.  Go figure.

Even though a part of you didn't really want anything from Rollo, you opened the bag nonetheless.  Inside was a small black box, and you pulled it out and opened it up to see a simple necklace.  It was a golden chain with a pendant that looked similar to the Bell of Salvation.  

How thoughtful.

Mixed feelings about your almost-genocidal acquaintance aside, it was pretty, and after a moment, you clasped the necklace around your neck.  The bell pendant settled daintily on your collarbone, and you ran a hand through your hair.

. . .

Something told you that this weekend, much like every other trip with this school, was going to go awry.

Chapter Text

After you had gotten your bearings and drank enough caffeine to power you for the day, you had decided to brave the city.  This time around, you didn't have to stick by Professor Trein.  Divvied up into even groups, you were stuck with Ortho, Silver, and Vil.  Ruggie had gotten stuck along with Deuce, Epel, and Lilia this time around, leaving the last group the same as the time before with Malleus, Sebek, Riddle, and Jamil.

Meeting up with the others, you were unenthused for Vil to comment on your tardiness as Grim was content with piggybacking off you.

"This is a vacation.  Didn't realize there was an itinerary I had to follow to the 'T'," you countered back immediately, although Vil did not seem impressed with your mouthing off.

"It's called respect, Prefect — respect for others' time so that way we can all enjoy the city."

You'd at least give it to Vil that he hadn't been here last time and was probably more interested in touring the city than you or Silver.  Ortho seemed excited as well, hovering carefully over the ground as he pointed out certain landmarks and their historical significances.  You were content with lingering in the back near Silver, who almost seemed ready to sleep where he stood.

Poor man.  You wondered if he was like Sleeping Beauty and would need his curse broken eventually — considering you had to deal with every overblot up to Malleus' so far, and with how life had been panning out, you wouldn't be surprised if somebody in this stupid city overblotted next...

Ugh, this was a vacation!  You did not want to be thinking about that right now, especially since you knew what to expect in this Great Value Disney world.  It was as if this world was intent on making you deal with all of these issues as if you were some shounen protagonist.  It was bad enough you were on edge being here since every field trip and event thus-far had been chaotic and dealing with other Disney movie-related bullshit.

But this was fine!  The worst that would happen would be if this event was parodying the sequel to Hunchback of Notre Dame, partially because direct-to-film Disney sequels were rarely, if ever, good, but also because that meant you'd have to deal with some BS.  Considering Frollo was obviously not in the sequel film, you hoped that that wouldn't be the case since Rollo had personally invited you all back...

Unless this was his second attempt at murking the mages.  Also not ideal.

". . . Shit."

You had been too lost in your musings and had lost sight of your group, not even Grim having stuck around with you.  Feet shuffling to a stop, you glanced around hopelessly.  Your friends tended to stick out thanks to Main Character Syndrome, but you didn't see hide nor hair of anybody you recognized.

". . . Double shit."

It was a shame that Rook hadn't come along this time, because you know he'd have found you the moment he realized you were missing (and that's assuming that he would have let you separate from the group in the first place).

While this wasn't your first time in the City of Flowers, it's not like you remembered everywhere you went.  It would be best to just stay in place and hope that they would retrace their steps and find you, right?  Maybe Ortho could even track you through the city cameras?

You looked around but didn't see any street cameras.  Okay, maybe not that way, but hey, this was what phones were for!  Pulling out your phone, you meant to send a message to the group chat Vil had made for you all, only to see your phone was dead.

. . .

Fuuuuuuuuck.

Well, you might as well sight-see where you can.  Eventually, you'd run into somebody you'd know.  Hell, you'd even welcome Rollo if it meant not being lost.  Starting to walk again, you soon found yourself outside a large building, immediately recognizing it as the museum you'd be going to later tonight.  There were banners everywhere promoting the new exhibit, but infuriatingly enough, it didn't say what that new exhibit was.  It would probably be unveiled tonight — no doubt the mystery was a part of the hype.

You hated mysteries in this world, considering your experiences thus far.

Sighing, you squinted your eyes at the banners, as if that would suddenly reveal what might be in store for you tonight.

"Ya know, if you continue to glare at the sign, it might just burst into flames."

The voice right by you immediately stole your attention as you turned to your right to see a stranger.  He certainly stood out — his skin was pale and tinted green, with pointy ears and vibrant, purple eyes.

Is he supposed to be based off a Disney character, or is he just some stranger?  In this world, you could never tell — his green skin and purple hoodie immediately made you think of the Hulk.  Then Beast Boy.  Lastly, you settled on Invader Zim, although the last two weren't owned by Disney and, therefore, weren't likely.

Apparently you were staring at him for too long as well, because he had started snapping his fingers in front of your face.  Blinking, you were quick to apologize, feeling a bit embarrassed that you had just optically fileted this man.

I'm really becoming paranoid, huh...

"No apologies needed.  Although now I'm concerned.  You good?"  He flashed you a toothy smile, revealing a slight gap between his front teeth.  It was cute, and almost overshadowed the fact all his teeth were razor sharp, like a shark's.

"Um...  Yeah.  Sorry, I've been zoning out a lot today."  Him appearing suddenly aside, he was rather cute, and the fact you couldn't immediately recognize him did help you relax a little bit.  If you couldn't recognize him as a Disney counterpart, that probably meant he wouldn't become your problem any time in the future.

"Yeah, I noticed your eyes are a bit swollen.  Should probably sleep more tonight."

"Excuse me?"  Who did this guy think he was?!  That was extremely rude!

He shrugged, and stepped back from you, instead turning his gaze to the banner you had previously been glaring at.  "You plannin' on comin' to the opening night tonight?"

And of course, he wouldn't just leave you be.  Because life was never easy for you in this world.

"Um...  Yeah.  I got invited to go."  You didn't like being on the receiving end of being stared at, although at least his didn't feel as hostile as yours might have been.  If anything, he seemed more contemplative.  ". . . Are you?"

Another shrug.  "Eh.  I'm not one for those fancy-shmancy events.  Seems too stuffy."

Well, you could agree on that.

"Anyways, be careful.  Never know what could happen at those types of events, ya know?"  Your gaze snapped back to his face, eyes narrowing at the thinly-veiled threat.  He didn't seem serious, only giving you a cheeky smile.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, somebody else was calling your name from behind.  You turned back, seeing Grim and Silver coming towards you.  A bit further behind was a relieved-looking Ortho and a vaguely-annoyed Vil.

"Wait a sec—" you turned to look back at the person you had been talking to, only to see that nobody was there.  ". . . Huh."

"HENCH HUMAN!  How dare you leave me alone?!"  Grim pounced on your leg, kneading sharp claws through your pantleg in displeasure.  Rolling your eyes, you picked him up and allowed him to perch on your shoulder in hopes you wouldn't have tiny little puncture marks in your clothing.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't realize that y'all went ahead of me."

"We were all worried when we noticed you were gone," Silver told you seriously, his eyes scanning you for any injuries or distress.  "Are you alright?  You seem stressed."

You thought you had hidden it well, and quickly averted your gaze from Silver's imploring one.  "Yeah, yeah.  Did you see where the person I was talking to went?"

Neither Silver nor Grim knew who you were talking to.  "No...  I didn't see anybody else around you."

"Me neither!  Hench human, this is why we should have slept in!"

. . . Huh.  You doubted you hallucinated somebody to have a conversation with, but with no other explanations right now, you just sighed.  "Hmm...  Never mind, then."

Vil and Ortho had caught up by now, with the younger Shroud hugging you.

"Potato," Vil snapped, "do you ever charge your phone?"

"Not for you," you blandly intoned, shoulders slumping a bit.  Vil was not impressed with your rebuttal, but you were too tired to really care as you all started to head back to your temporary residence, Silver staying diligently by your side this time as Grim stayed on your shoulders.

Knowing your luck, you had a feeling that would not be the last time you saw that strange man.

Thankfully, you were allowed to spend the rest of your afternoon resting in the room before you were finally tasked with getting ready for the opening event.  It was supposedly a black-tie event — normally, you wouldn't have had any clothing nice enough for such an event, but you had been gifted a nice three-piece suit a while back, courtesy of Crewel-sensei for the holidays.  Pulling it on, it was, unsurprisingly, form-fitting and flattering to your figure.

As expected of Crewel-sensei.

"MRAH, the food there better be worth it!"  Grim complained as you fixed the bow around his neck.  "Museums are never that interesting!"

Agree to disagree.  Instead of saying anything, you just tiredly ushered Grim out of the room so you could get this over with.  The stranger-from-earlier's words rung ominously in your mind, and because of this you were more tense than you really ought to be.  

Could you be blamed, though?  He straight-up insinuated something would happen at the grand opening!  And thanks to your anxieties, it was only natural that some people noticed, although thankfully nobody asked about it.

"Wow!  [Y/n], you look so nice!" Ortho exclaimed, and his cheery demeanor was enough to distract you from your brooding.

"You did clean up well, Potato," Vil agreed.  "And your skin looks good.  I trust you've been using the creams I gave you?"

"Yep," you responded absent-mindedly.  "I've been following the instructions you gave me for them, as well."

Vil cast a side-eye towards Epel, who, at the very least, had his tie on straight this time.  "It's nice that some people know how to follow instructions and take proper care of themselves.  Epel, you should take notes."

The moment Vil turned away, Epel was sticking his tongue out at the Pomefiore dorm leader, and you stifled a smile at the antics of your friends.

"Kufufu.  It's nice to see everybody is so lively for tonight."

"GRAH!!!  Why do you always pop up out of nowhere?!"

Lilia, as always, made it his little habit to be a personal, walking jump-scare.  You appreciated his efforts, but considering the actual scary things you've dealt with in this world (overblots and several other near-death experiences), it fell flat on you.  You gave him a bit of an unimpressed look, which he returned with an enigmatic smile.  You just wished Grim wouldn't freak out in your eardrums every time Lilia popped up.

"Is everybody accounted for?"

You looked over to see Rollo.  It was nice to see him out of the lofty Nobel Bell College uniform that looked just a bit too much like a certain judge.  He cleaned up well, too, in his own suit, although the eyebags were as fierce as ever.  His eyes, narrowed and wary, hovered over you for a moment, seeming to pick up on the necklace you wore over your dress shirt.

You could have sworn you saw an uptick in his smile, but then his expression fell flat once more as his eyes wandered away.

"Where's Draconia?"

Indeed, Malleus was the only one missing from your group.

"He'll be joining up later," Lilia responded, eyes narrowing as he grinned at Rollo.  Unlike his usual cheeriness, there seemed to be a hint of something else that flashed in those fuchsia eyes of his.  You wouldn't quite call it malice, but you were thankful he wasn't pinning you under that stare.  "Would that be a problem, Rollo?"

Ulp.  Seemed like Lilia was not quite yet forgiving Rollo with what had happened previously.

For what it was worth, Rollo stood his ground and didn't seem at all perturbed.  Taking a moment, the student council president sighed.  "It wouldn't," he responded carefully.  "I just wouldn't want him to miss out on such an event."

The silence felt almost a bit awkward, and you were thankful when Riddle cleared his throat, wanting to get the show on the road.

"Dorm Leader Draconia can certainly handle himself, but we should get going if we don't want to be late.  The even starts at six P.M. sharp, correct?"

Rollo's eyes slowly landed on Riddle.  "Correct.  I'll lead the way, then."

With that awkward encounter out of the way, you found yourself once more at the museum.  It was certainly more lively than before, although your little Invader-Zim-Teen-Titans-looking friend from earlier was nowhere to be found.  You weren't sure if that was better or worse considering his cryptic words from earlier.

"Hey...  you good?"

Looking off to the side, you saw that Deuce and Epel were waiting for you, and you gave a half-hearted smile and a nod.

"Yep.  Just peachy."

"Then let's go in, henchman!  I wanna feast on the SNACKS!"

With a wry grin, you followed everybody else into the building, handing over the ticket Rollo had given you earlier.  To nobody's surprise, it was filled with plenty of fancy people, the music seeming almost stereotypical.  Trein once more reminded everybody to be on their best behavior before everybody split off into groups once more.  Once more, to nobody's surprise, Grim made a beeline for the snacks table, leaving you in the dust.

You really hoped your night wouldn't consist of babysitting him, considering he always seemed to get himself in trouble.

Watching as some of your friends mingled (i.e. Vil and Riddle), some milled about looking out of place, and others seemed intent on eating up all the food that was made readily available.  Or, in Ruggie's case, just stuffing it in an empty bag that was brought along.

Best behavior my ass.

You kind of wondered who was going to get in trouble first, and started internally making bets.

Epel might get in trouble with Vil by how he's eating, but at least he wouldn't get in trouble with Trein.

Ruggie was blatantly stealing food and probably would start sneakily robbing rich guests soon.  You wouldn't snitch — eat the rich and all — but he was bound to get caught.

If not Ruggie, you figured Grim might be the one to get in trouble considering he was a cat hogging up the buffet.  Already he was getting weird looks (and hopefully nobody else followed those stupid rules Riddle talked about here, considering one of them was to not bring cats to festivities — whether or not Grim was an actual cat didn't seem to matter).  Even if he didn't get in trouble per se, Trein was probably going to ask you to get Grim to stop harassing waiters for more hors d'oeuvres.

Because whenever it came to Grim, you were the one that always had to do something since the two of you made one student.  Heavens forbid a teacher step in and scold him for once.

You didn't think Jamil, Ortho, or any of the present dorm leaders would cause trouble, and Diasomnia was also probably safe.  Perhaps Sebek — you could imagine him getting rowdy if Malleus was involved, but even he knew how to behave in formal settings.

Deuce...  Well, without Ace here, he might not be as at risk for getting in trouble, but your first-year friends especially seemed to be magnets for trouble, and as much as you loved Deuce, you weren't too faithful that he'd stay out of trouble.

As you were waging bets with yourself on who in your group would most likely cause a scene, you once again found your spatial awareness narrowing until a voice spoke up from behind you, nearly causing you to jump out of your skin.

It wasn't Lilia, despite the fae's tendency to try and spook you.  Instead, it was the familiar, tired face of the president of Noble Bell College's student council.

 "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself too well, Prefect."

You shrugged.  Sometime during your musings, you had grabbed a small appetizer plate from one of the traveling servers.  It looked to be some kind of vegetable spread on top of a crunchy bread.  You took a hesitant, teeny bite into it — upon finding that it actually tasted good, you continued to nibble on it.

Rollo continued with a low sigh.  "I understand your trepidations about being back here, but I assure you that I don't host any ill intentions towards you or your... classmates.  I've learned my lesson, trust me."  His voice was somewhat bitter at the end, but you didn't bother to point it out.

"It's not you," you pointed out.  "It's just...  Every single fucking time we go on a field trip, something stupid happens, and I'm always the one that has to deal with it."

"What?"  Rollo hadn't been expecting that response, his eyebrows knitting together in incredulity.

"Seriously, you do not understand.  Nothing is ever normal with this stupid school, and I'm tired and just want one peaceful vacation."  You hadn't meant to vent to Rollo, but seriously.  You couldn't think of a SINGLE instance where something didn't go wrong.  And every time there was a problem, Crowley or one of your friends made it your problem.

So, yeah, you were a bit paranoid, especially after the warning that Great Value Beastboy gave you.

Rollo was practically wringing his handkerchief, seeming a bit unsure how to respond.  "I do assure you, Prefect, there are security measures to ensure this night goes without a hitch.  If anything, I'm more concerned over your classmates."

You followed his gaze to Grim and Epel that stood by the buffet table.  Off to the side, you could see that Vil had caught sight of Epel and was stealthily making his way over — even though his face was neutral as always, you could tell he was inwardly fuming.

". . . That's a valid concern, to be honest."

Turning back to Rollo, you took a deep breath, attempting to calm your anxiety.  "Honestly...  What is even being showcased at this museum?  When are they going to reveal the special exhibit?"

As if on cue, somebody had called for attention, commanding everybody to look up at a platform that was covered by a purple curtain.

"Without further ado....~!"

The curtain dropped, and the audience around you gasped.  Unintentionally, your grip on your little appetizer tightened, shattering the bread.  You barely noticed the greasiness of the vegetable spread that got on your hand.

"One of the most powerful magical artifacts in all of Twisted Wonderland, it's said that the Horned King himself was sealed inside it...  The one and only, Black Cauldron!"

"Oh fuck me."

Chapter Text

For what it's worth, Rollo wasn't too big a fan of the Black Cauldron either, although you were certain it was for entirely different reasons.  Placing his handkerchief to his nose, he muttered something too low for you to hear.

The Black Cauldron.  Because of course you couldn't have a single thing in this world!  You should have known it'd be some bullshit like this or The Sword in the Stone, although that would have been way better than this.  At least the main antagonist in The Sword and the Stone was just Kay and his asshole dad.  The Black Cauldron's antagonist was a blood-thirsty warlord and an army of grotesque creatures and undead cauldron-born.  You remember the Horned King's death giving you nightmares as a child.

"Excuse me," you muttered to Rollo, rushing out.  You grabbed a napkin to wipe the vegetable spread off your hands, immediately leaving the building and going out to the front.  Your intent had been to get some fresh air, but you had been so hurried in your attempt to leave that you had barreled into somebody.  Thankfully, you had thrown the hors d'oeuvre away so you didn't get vegetable spread on anybody else.

"Human!  You should be more careful of where you are walking.  What if it was the Young Master you ran into?!"

You grimaced at the voice that shouted in your ears, wobbling for a moment.  Two hands shot out lightning-fast to steady you, resting on your biceps.  Sebek's voice dropped a bit lower, his eyebrows knit in concern.

"Is everything alright, human?"

You took a moment to steady yourself, nodding.  "Yeah.  I just needed a breath of fresh air, and you startled me."  No point in bemoaning about the Cauldron; your friends rarely, if ever, listened to your warnings (like, for instance, the first time you all came to the City of Flowers).

Sebek's eyebrows drew in together tighter, and he leaned closer a bit more to where you leaned back a bit in retaliation.

"Um, Sebek—?"

"You don't seem sick," he cut you off, huffing.  "Human constitutions are rather weak, though!  If you must take a break, then there is no shame in doing so!"

"Um...  Thanks?" you said, gently prying his hands off.  He took a step back, nodding sharply.  You were glad that he seemed like he cared, considering how he could be, but more than anything...  You were just a bit confused.  "Sebek, why are you out here?"

Sebek stood up straight.  "I am awaiting the Young Master's arrival!  He is due to come here any moment, now!"

"Have you been out here the entire time?"

"Of course!"

". . . How thoughtful."  You sighed, looking back at the front doors.  "I suppose I should get back, though..."

Lime green eyes stared at you in an almost thoughtful manner for a moment.  ". . . Very well.  If you still feel ill, human, it'd be best you head back to our lodgings!"

"Understood."  Giving him a soft, albeit tight, smile, you made your way back inside.  And, because heavens forbid you have a moment of rest, you ran into the odd duo of Riddle and Vil.

"Prefect!  We saw you rush out of the hall, and were coming to check up on you.  Is everything alright?"  Riddle beat the other to it, and you saw Vil scrutinizing you as if he would dissect every syllable that dropped from your mouth.

"Yes," you forced out, and much to your ire, they clearly didn't believe you.  You wouldn't believe yourself either, though.

"Hm...  You're all learning about the Black Cauldron right now in history, right?"  Riddle asked, gray eyes seeming to glint.  Considering you had been sleeping through Trein's lessons, you could neither confirm nor deny it, although maybe you would have a heads up if you had managed to stay awake.

Curses to your messed up sleep schedule.

"If you're worried about the curse, it's been sealed for hundreds of years.  It's rumored that not even Draconia's grandmother could break the seal."

While the thought should have been reassuring, you were still suspicious of it, tense and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I do have to wonder about the cinematic value of such an artifact, though," Vil mused.

"Cinematic value...  yeahhh..."

Now would be a wonderful time to remember the exact plot of The Black Cauldron, but in your defense, it had been years before you had come to Twisted Wonderland since the last time you had seen the movie.  It wasn't as updated in your memories as, say, movies like Hercules and Aladdin.

"Prefect—"

You knew cutting Vil off and absconding would only get you an earful later (especially since you noticed he did not call you 'potato' but 'prefect' — yikes!), but you were just not in the mood or mindset to converse right now.  "I'm actually gonna take a closer look.  Bye!"

Leaving the two dorm leaders in the dust, you beelined it straight for the artifact.  While usually approaching the object of your anxieties should make those said anxieties worse, you needed to just reassure yourself it was truly sealed up.  To reassure yourself that there was no way this night could turn south.  Not everything had to be batshit insane, right?

Making it to the front of the exhibit, you approached the Cauldron.  Nobody seemed to be wary of it in the way you were — no, they were all hovering around it as if it were a normal, totally unthreatening and not-deadly piece of kitchenware.  But you had seen the movie and even read the original Chronicles of Prydain books, although it had been years since you had read them.

You knew what was up.

And yet...  Despite the trepidation, curiosity won out as you approached the cauldron.  Despite its age, it didn't seem at all scuffed or old.  The black finish was dull, but other than that, it seemed to be in pristine condition.  The only thing that had you nervous was the aura that came off it; even though you were completely magicless, you could feel how suffocating the air around it was.

The only thing different from this cauldron, and the one from the movie, was that this cauldron had silver chains draped around it.  There didn't seem to be a padlock, but you had a feeling it was these chains that were keeping the cauldron from being of use or unleashing whatever madness it held.  Almost in a trance, you started to reach out, about to trace your fingers over the odd chains...

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

. . . When a voice spoke up, effectively startling you as a hand gently wrapped around your own just short of you touching the chains.

"Nfufufu.  So it seems even you aren't immune to being startled," Lilia teased, although it was clear his intent this time wasn't to jumpscare you.  Funny, considering whenever he tried to scare you, you weren't affected whatsoever.  He kept his grip on your hand as he gently pulled it away from the cauldron.

Weird...  Can't believe I was about to touch that abomination...

"Sorry," you muttered, trying to draw your hand back from Lilia's.  For a moment, he didn't let go, his grip tightening for just a second before he released you from his grasp.  There seemed to be a deeper understanding in his pink eyes, but you couldn't fathom to guess where it was coming from or what it was in regards to.

"It can't hurt you," Lilia amended, "but I still wouldn't recommend it.  The person who sealed this...  Well, I wouldn't be surprised if she added an extra enchantment just to ward people from messing with the Cauldron."

That was enough to gain your attention as you fully turned to face the older fae.  "Seems like you're pretty knowledgeable about it," you pointed out, and Lilia's eyes crinkled in amusement.

"One could say that.  In fact, I was there when it was sealed."

You had always figured Lilia was much older than he seemed, but considering this artifact had to be at least a couple hundred years old, that left you nearly choking on your spit.

"What?!"

His gaze turned onto the Cauldron, and you noticed how the glint in his eyes and his smile faded a little bit, seeming more contemplative.  You had so many questions, but now was probably not the time to start barraging Lilia with them all (as much as you really wanted to know).

"In all honesty, I didn't believe they would have dug it up.  They should have left it in its resting place," Lilia mused, and while his tone was light, you could tell he was bothered by the Cauldron's presence, too.  You appreciated the validation that it clearly wasn't good, but you weren't sure you felt reassured if it was Lilia of all people seeming unsettled by the Cauldron.

Ugh.

"Is it too late to send it back to wherever they dug it up from?" you asked weakly, earning a chuckle from Lilia.

"Hehe.  It would be interesting if they did.  I wonder..."  He trailed off, before something seemed to catch his eye.  He glanced back, and seemed to sigh.  "Perhaps I should fetch Malleus myself, before Sebek really starts to stress."  You followed his gaze to see Sebek noisily berating Grim and Deuce.

"In his defense...  Grim probably did something to deserve it," you muttered, pinching the bridge of your nose.  Bidding you 'goodbye', Lilia went off to where Sebek, Grim, and Deuce were.  You noticed Trein out of the corner of your eye, looking thoroughly unamused.

Grrk...

Right now, you didn't want to deal with any trouble, so instead of being responsible and going to grab Grim, you pointedly turned your back to them to scrutinize the Cauldron once more.

I wonder what all Lilia knows about the Cauldron...

That was something you'd definitely ask later.

Other than your knowledge and the intricate chains (you noticed upon closer look there was engravings in the chains in a language unknown to you), the Cauldron seemed rather bland.  It could easily be considered some random artifact rather than some powerful object of evil and malice.

You weren't aware that you had been tracing the cold chains, almost entranced, until they seemed to grow warmer under your touch.

"Prefect...?" Silver had come by during this time, although thankfully his voice didn't startle you like Lilia had earlier.  The chains glowed brighter, and you withdrew your hand, blinking sluggishly.

"What...?"

Silver sensed the danger moments earlier than you did, although you'd chalk it up to him actually knowing magic and being able to sense it.  The chains continued to glow brighter and brighter, and the people at the opening exhibit began to crowd around, murmurs of awe filling the room.

Riddle had been nearby, too, and he was the one who took decisive action when the light grew white-hot, practically blinding.  "Everybody get down!"

Not even moments later had a blinding flash enveloped the room, bits of metal exploding as the chains were obliterated into tiny little pieces.  The metal shattered, and shrapnel flew everywhere as Silver quickly brought you to the ground, holding you close to his chest.  Smoke filled the room, and you felt a stinging sensation on your cheek as panic erupted the room, everybody screaming.

Your ears rung so badly at the explosion you could barely process Silver's franticness until he was cupping your cheeks.  Huh.  You never noticed how pretty and enchanting his eyes were up close — although it was strange to see his expression twist into one of such concern, considering he was usually composed.

 "—fect, are you alright?"

You blinked sluggishly as he helped you to a stand, and you glanced around.  Nobody seemed to be injured; it looked as if Trein, Vil, Riddle, Lilia, and a couple of others had acted fast enough to deflect any metal pieces from hitting the partygoers.  Thank goodness.

"Yeah," you muttered.

"You're bleeding," he pointed out, and you felt his thumb brush over your cheek where a piece of metal must have grazed it.  You grimaced slightly.  It was just a scratch (you had gotten far worse injuries in the overblots you had dealt with thus far), but it was a bit comforting that Silver seemed to care so much.

Gently pulling out of his grasp, you shook your head.  "I'm fine.  Anyways...  Huh?!"  You had looked over at the Cauldron to see just what had happened...

Only to see nothing but chains in its place.  Silver followed your gaze, his eyes widening.

"The Black Cauldron...!"

As realization dawned upon the room that the Cauldron was missing, people started to come closer and crowd the area.  Pulling away completely from Silver, you looked around towards the exits, knowing the culprit couldn't have gotten too far.

Sure enough, a hazy figure was near the back, using their magic to lift the artifact.

"BACK THERE!"

You shouted, and started to shove your way through the crowd.

"Prefect, wait...!"

You did not wait.  If this perpetrator got away with the Cauldron, there was no way you were being granted a peaceful vacation.  Instead, you elbowed your way through.

You weren't as physically strong as most of your friends, nor did you have the capacity to use magic; but you were a determined and spiteful motherfucker, and you'd be damned if you let some Horned King remake fuck up your well-deserved vacation!

Feeling no sympathy for the attendees you shoved out of your way, you eventually made it out of the museum hall, seeing the figure making their way down the streets.

"Hey!"

You shouted, and the figure stopped, glancing back over their shoulder.  You could have sworn they cursed as they tried to go faster, but with the Cauldron, it hindered their movements.  Their hood fell off in the commotion, revealing skin a familiar tint of green that you could have sworn you had seen earlier.  You continued to run, even starting to catch up, before another figure met up with the first one.

This guy was easily as tall as Malleus, towering over his accomplice.  He looked at you with red eyes that seemed to glow, a gaze cold enough to shoot chills down your spine.

"You're incompetent as always, Fredo," the figure stated emotionlessly, throwing the person carrying the Cauldron a disdainful look before turning back to you.  "As for you...  Begone, cockroach."

You didn't see him draw out a pen, but you could see the bright white flames that erupted from his hand, hurtling straight towards you.

"Oh fuck—!"

The flames were expertly aimed right at you, obscuring your vision as you closed your eyes, expecting the worse.  Man.  You've survived being poisoned, kidnapped, drowned, turned to sand, and various other blot-related attacks...  And this was how you die?

Pathetic.

When the searing pain didn't come, you allowed yourself to crack open an eye.  First you were miffed at the lack of lighting; then, you were relieved when you realized somebody had stepped in front of you to easily block the flames, managing to disperse them with ease.  Only one person could do immense magic like that so effortlessly and flawlessly, and you glanced up in pure relief when your eyes landed on the tall, trademark horns of said person.

"Tsunotarou..."

Malleus' gaze was cold, and you peered around him to see him locking eyes with the man that had attacked you.  The stranger sneered.

"Fredo.  Let's go."

Before anybody could do anything, red sparks flashed around them, and the two disappeared with the Cauldron, no traces of them left behind.

Shit.

Malleus surveyed the area for a few moments more, green eyes cold and harsh, before he turned to you.  Immediately, his gaze softened in a way that made your heart flutter in your chest.  He tilted your head up, and his eyes lingered on the cut on her cheek for a moment before he met your eyes.

"Child of Man...  Why must you always get in trouble like so?" he murmured, seeming almost exasperated as he pulled you in close.  You sank into his embrace, hugging him back as your heart continued to race in your chest at the near-death experience. 

No matter how many times you got in trouble like that, you never seemed to get used to it.

"You're late," you grumbled in response, and he let out a chuckle that reverberated through your body, and his grip on you tightened for a moment.

"It seems I am."

"Malleus."  Lilia had caught up, and you could hear the others clamoring to catch up as well.  "It seems our culprit got away with the Black Cauldron."

It took Malleus a moment longer to finally let you go, although he hovered right over you in an almost protective manner.  "The Black Cauldron...  Hm."

You gave one last glance to where the two culprits had disappeared from, small pieces of ash still lingering in the air from their disappearance.

Green skin....

You had a feeling you knew exactly who to be looking for.

Chapter Text

Shortly after the debacle at the museum and the theft of the infamous Black Cauldron, you and your classmates found yourselves gathered in the foyer of the place you were all staying in.  A fire crackled off to the side in the fireplace, and you were left pacing around as silence fell across the room.  You all were waiting for Professor Trein to get back; him and Rollo had both left the moment you were all ushered to safety.

"Prefect, shouldn't you sit down?" Deuce asked hesitantly.  You almost snapped at him, but managed to hold your tongue.  Instead, you simply waved him off, your mind racing.

Your knowledge of both the books and the Disney adaptation were...  hazy, to say the least.  It had easily been years since you last consumed any media in regards to The Black Cauldron, and so you felt like you were grasping at straws.

For sure, the green-skinned person from earlier that you had run into was the exact same person that had stolen the cauldron.  Coincidences didn't seem to be a thing in Twisted Wonderland when it came to events like this, and that only made you want to tear your hair out in frustration.  The City of Flowers was huge!  How the hell were you going to track him down?!

More importantly... what would you do when you finally caught up to them?  You couldn't do magic.  Perhaps a solid left hook would do the trick, but after seeing the way that other man had wielded his magic, you weren't too keen on going up against him.

"You're incompetent as always, Fredo," the figure stated emotionlessly, throwing the person carrying the Cauldron a disdainful look before turning back to you.  "As for you...  Begone, cockroach."

Fredo.  Was that the first guy's name?  It was a lead, and you weren't sure how many green-skinned fae were in the City of Flowers.  God...  you felt so stupid.

He was based off fucking Creeper.  

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes.  No doubt the taller guy was based off the Horned King; that did not bode well for you if so.  What the hell was your group going to do against a lich?

"Prefect."  A gentle hand on her shoulder snapped you out of your thoughts, and you looked back to see Lilia giving you a gentle smile.  "Let's sit down."  You allowed him to guide you to a plush stool right by the fire.  You were aware of the varying degrees of concern that were in your peers eyes, and while you felt bad for worrying them, there was no time for you to rest right now.

"Students."

Professor Trein walked back in, followed by Rollo and the headmage of Noble Bell College.  Their expressions were all grim, promising nothing good.

"Due to the... delicate situation, the City of Flowers is currently on lockdown."  Professor Trein seemed as if he had aged multiple years in the thirty or so minutes he had been gone.  "Headmage Crowley, of course, has been alerted of the situation, and Headmage Clopin has agreed to extend his hospitality to us all for the time being."

You all were quarantined.  Wonderful.  Considering that the culprits could teleport, you didn't think locking down a city would be very helpful.  What was to say that they were still in the city?  Did law enforcement have reason the believe the culprits were sticking around?

"What about classes?"  Riddle asked, crossing his arms with a small frown.  Leave it to him to worry about that of all things.

"Everybody will be caught up accordingly, but as of now, I want you all to stay put and cooperate with law enforcement."  Trein was stern, knowing just as well as you did that your group attracted chaos.  "Prefect, you and... hm?"

Trein's eyes narrowed, and he gazed around before his frown deepened.  ". . . Where is Grim?"

"He's right... oh."  You glanced over where you last saw him, standing by Epel and Deuce, but he was gone.  Now that you thought about it, it had been particularly quiet on his end.  Usually, he wouldn't stop yapping.  Your stomach dropped as you realized that Grim was most likely out on the town, doing...  Well, whatever it was that Grim did.  Probably hunting down food and being a menace.  As usual.

Looking as if he had just aged another decade, Trein pinched his nose and took a very deep breath.  "Vanrouge, Viper...  Take the Prefect and go find Grim.  And stay together."  An odd group, but you could see why Trein picked them of all people.

Riddle frowned.  "Shouldn't a dorm leader go along, too?" He asked, and you could tell it was his way of asking if he could come along.

"I believe Vanrouge and Viper are the best to go along.  Besides," Trein's expression turned wry, "Schoenheit and Draconia would stand out quite a bit."

Vil hummed, frowning, but didn't dispute the fact.  Neither did Malleus, even though he also seemed a bit put out that he wasn't coming along.  Still, neither argued with Trein.

"I'll come along too," Rollo offered, and you could feel your sanity slip just a little bit.  "It'll be easier with somebody who knows the city well."

With your odd group formed, the four of you were setting off in the dead of night to track down the only other student of Ramshackle.

The walk was... silent.  Rollo and Jamil weren't very talkative, and while Lilia was usually a talkative person, even he seemed to be stuck in his own thoughts.  The four of you were hyper-focused, hoping to spot a glimpse of black fur or blue flame.  Your searches only turned up nothing, though, and you were once more hit by the urge to just rip your hair out.

"I'm going to kill that rat," you muttered in tired irritation.

Lilia chuckled, patting your shoulder.  "I'm sure he's off somewhere, gorging himself on tuna," the vice dorm leader of Diasomnia reassured you cheerfully.

"It doesn't help that you two seem to be at the epicenter of trouble," Jamil mused, his lips turned upwards in a derisive smirk.  The urge to pull out your hair turned into an urge to throttle him.

"Excuse me?" You asked, narrowing your eyes at Jamil.  "It's not just me and Grim.  It's this entire school.  We can't have a single normal thing!"  You threw your hands up in the air.  "We've gotten sucked into two books, roped into a human-trafficking ring disguised as an amusement park, multiple overblots...  And don't even get me started on what happened last time we were in this city."

You, Jamil, and Lilia shot looks over at Rollo, who didn't flinch underneath the scrutinizing gazes.  He was well aware of his own faults in what happened during the masquerade.  Meanwhile, Jamil just looked annoyed that you brought up his own overblot, throwing it into his face.

"I had nothing to do with what happened tonight," Rollo stiffly said.  He looked almost hurt at the thought of accusing him, and your shoulders slumped slightly.

"I know."  You sighed, feeling the fight seep out of you.  "And it was kind of you to extend an ulterior-motive-free invitation to us all to make up for what happened last time.  This entire situation is just... very frustrating."

You were almost home free; with Malleus' overblot out of the way and summer vacation approaching, you and Crowley had almost come up with a way to send you back home, all thanks to Mickey.  You had been hoping for just one, normal vacation before you left...

That was on you for getting your hopes up, you supposed.

". . ."  Rollo seemed to be at a loss for words as he looked over at you.  He immediately raised his handkerchief up to his mouth to cover his face, but you didn't miss the way his cheeks turned a light pink.  For your sanity, you opted to ignore the sight and pretend you didn't see it.

You were not going to think of the implications of that right now, even though, judging by the narrowing of both Jamil and Lilia's eyes, they had noticed it as well.

Changing the subject swiftly, your gaze slid over to Lilia.  "So what can you tell us about the Black Cauldron?" you asked him.

Lilia feigned surprise, pointing at himself.  "Why, oh why, are you asking lil' old me?"  His expression was cheeky, and while you would normally humor him, you were much too tired and stressed to play into it right now.

"You mentioned you were around when it was sealed, back at the museum."  Both Rollo and Jamil looked over at Lilia in shock, reminding you that not everybody had been privy to Lilia's odd dream, filled with war and soldiers and all-around mayhem.  It was easy to forget just how old the fae was, sometimes.

Lilia's mirth died down a bit, morphing into a more contemplative expression.

"Hm...  Perhaps it would be best to wait until we are all back at our lodgings.  I'm sure you are quite curious."  Lilia's eyes twinkled.  "For now, let's focus on finding our dear Grim, yes?"

He had a point — you needed to find Grim before doing anything else.  Even knowing that, though, your mind wouldn't stop wandering.  Too much had happened tonight, and while you knew that Grim needed to be found before he got himself into trouble (if he hadn't already), you kept thinking back to the two new people that had unfortunately crashed into your life, as well as the ancient and evil artifact that was no doubt going to cause you a great deal of grief.

It all circled back to the Black Cauldron, making you want to bash your head into a wall.  Life was a circus, and you were clearly God's least favorite clown.  Or, well, the Seven's.  Whatever the phrase was in Twisted Wonderland (you had been here for nine months and still wasn't used to their usage of 'Seven', whoops).

You were trying really hard to not stew in your own negative feelings.  Worrying about the Black Cauldron, the lich, Fredo; none of that was going to help you right now.  You needed to focus on the task at hand, but you were spiraling, spiraling, spiraling—

"Everything is going to be just fine."  The hand on your shoulder had you jolt back to your senses.  Lilia was smiling at you, softer than his usual mischievous or amused looks.  For a fae with so much experience, if he felt there was nothing to worry about then surely everything would truly be fine, right...?

Then again, Lilia had fallen for Fellow Honest's trap and had gotten immobilized like the rest of you back in Playful Land, so maybe you should still take the reassurance with a grain of salt.

Still...  You wanted to believe in him that everything was going to turn out just fine.

"Yeah.  We'll be fine."

You took a deep breath, and Rollo coughed in his handkerchief again, averting his gaze.  "We should continue forward.  There is a lot of ground to cover to find one cat."

Ugh. Grim.

"Rook's unique magic would really come in handy right now," you sighed.  His usage of it when everybody got kidnapped by Styx had been impressive; no doubt, if Rook were here, he would have been able to easily help track Grim down.  Unfortunately, he was not, so you'd have to make do.

"In normal circumstances, we'd have a better shot if we split up, but considering everything else that happened, it's probably for the best that we stick together," Jamil pointed out with a small frown.  It was a reasonable suggestion, and nobody else had any qualms about it.  Splitting up was never a good idea, and while this might not be a horror movie, knowing your luck?  You'd wind up face to face with trouble the moment you were left to your own devices.

Jamil was right, to an extent: you and Grim were magnets for trouble.

"The streets are so empty..."

They were.  Thanks to the city being put under lockdown, after tonight's events most people seemed to have retreated to their own homes.  Shops had closed early, and you didn't see a single other soul while you four traversed the streets, seeing neither hide nor hair of your feline friend.

Jamil spoke up, but it wasn't in response to your observation.  "Flamme...  Those two from the auction looked around our age.  Is it possible they were Noble Bell College students?"

"Are you insinuating that Noble Bell College could be at cause for what happened tonight?"

While you doubted Jamil meant to aggravate Rollo, it did the trick as the two began to converse, both of them growing sharper with their words.

"Now, boys, let's not argue right now..."

You barely heard Lilia speak up, your attention diverted.

". . . ?"

It moved in the peripheral of your vision.  A flash of flickering blue, reminiscent of Grim's ears or tail.  Distracted, you immediately veered left into the alleyway you saw the blue disappear into, not even letting the others know.  They were too busy now discussing whether or not Noble Bell College truly was involved, and you figured they'd see you turn down the alleyway.  Clearly, you overestimated them, as the three neither noticed nor followed you down.

At least you got some peace and quiet.

The city lighting did little to illuminate the alleyways.  Bringing out your phone, you turned on your flashlight, wincing when you saw that the battery was teetering on only 4% — because of course the universe had to make life as difficult on you as possible.

"Grim...?"

You called out in a hushed whisper, your entire body tensed and ready for the worst.  You heard scuffling nearby, but at your voice it went silent.  And then...

"Henchhuman—?"

Immediately the tension bled from your shoulders as you rounded the corner.  Grim immediately scrambled over to you, leaping in your arms, and you held him close.

"God, what the hell!  Where even were you?  What...  ugh, never mind.  Let's just head back."  You had plenty of questions for your furry friend, but those could all wait until you got back to your lodging.

"Wait, are those things gone?"  Grim's voice was panicked as he squirmed in your arms.  "Not that I'm scared or anything!  But they were freaky lookin', ya know?!"

You didn't know.

"What the hell are you talking about?" You were perplexed.  As far as you were aware, it was just the two of you in this alley.  You hadn't seen anything else.

"Mrahhh...  Never mind."  At your nonrecognition, Grim didn't seem eager to push the subject.  You filed that away as another thing to question him about later, instead turning around.

"Well, now that I found you— did you hear that?"

There was a strange rattling noise around the corner from where you came from, and then a grinding noise like stone scraping against stone.  It was a slow, dreadful sort of noise as the air around you seemed to immediately drop in temperature.  Instinctively, you took a step back and looked behind you only to notice a dead end.  The only way was back where you came from.

It's nothing.  It's late at night, and you're separated from the others, so of course your paranoid.  A lot has happened tonight.  You tried to reason with yourself, talking yourself down.

On cue, your phone's flashlight immediately turned off, and you stared down in frustration at the black screen as it died.

It's fine.  Everything was going to be fine.

With no other way to go, you turned the corner.

. . .

There was nothing.

"Let's get outta here, henchhuman!"

You couldn't agree with Grim more.  You had taken two steps forward before that awful grinding noise picked up again, and a green mist seemed to swirl in front of you.  The sight caused you to immediately stop in your tracks as the mist rose, seeming to carry something with it as a figure seemed to take shape.

"FFFGNAAAA— IT'S BACK!"

"You have got to be fucking with me right now."

Straight out of your anxieties and worries was now a decrepit skeleton, barely holding together at the seems as its empty sockets trained on you.  Grim's panic mirrored your own internal panic.

This was not happening.

Turning around, you were miffed to see two more glowing green skeletons that had risen behind you from the shadows, appearing out of nowhere.

Not good.

Not good at all.

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

". . . Where did the Prefect go?"

Rollo had been peeved at Jamil's questions, even more so at the other fae's 'attempts' to diffuse the situation (although Lilia seemed amused at Rollo's ire).  Handkerchief covering his mouth and, therefore, sour expression, he was finally snapped out of his glowering when Jamil asked that simple question.

None of them had even noticed that the Prefect had disappeared without a trace.

"Oh dear," Lilia sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.  "This doesn't seem to bode well..."

Just as he said that, about five or so blocks back a strange green glow seemed to emit from an alley way.  The atmosphere suddenly felt heavier.

". . . In what world does this not have to do with us or the Prefect?" Jamil asked in half-exasperation, half-defeat at the situation unfolding before them.  Even though he was very much unwilling to go back, though, his feet had started to move towards the alley all the same, Rollo and Lilia moving in tandem with him.

"Fufufu...  There's only one way to find out," Lilia exclaimed cheerfully, stepping ahead of them in a way where it seemed like his feet weren't even touching the ground.

Jamil stood by his words: The Prefect and Grim were, indeed, always at the epicenter of trouble.