Chapter Text
Since the first day she arrived in Twisted-Wonderland, the prefect had been a whirlwind of chaos and eccentricity.
It had started in the mirror chamber, at the end of Night Raven College’s orientation ceremony. Almost every single coffin had opened up and released a student, allowing the boys to be sorted into their respective dorms.
The ceremony could not be finished yet, though, as one coffin remained unopened, floating vertically in the air of the room.
The release of the students into their dorms had already been delayed by long enough, with the room almost being set ablaze by an intruding direbeast and now this.
So, Dire Crowley, NRC’s very own Headmage had stepped forward to bring the coffin down so he may unlock it. Oddly enough, as he approached, he was able to hear odd noises and muttering from inside the coffin.
Ah, he concluded, the student must have awoken prematurely. How impatient.
But before he could get close enough to bring the coffin down to the ground, the lid was sent rocketing off, accompanied by a large explosion.
The Housewardens and their Vices were immediately on guard, whilst the Headmage quickly backed away to avoid any other supposed attacks.
Looking up, everyone who was gathered watched as a white light pored out of the coffin. Typical for the unsorted students.
What wasn’t usual was the accompanying smoke which billowed out.
As it began to slowly clear, a head popped out of the coffin. Large obnoxious goggles were strapped to the person’s head, which was covered by a mess of short black hair.
They looked around in what appeared to be confusion, with bright yellow eyes accompanied by large eye bags, before looking down and yelping, almost falling out of the coffin.
Some of the more…inhuman occupants of the room could hear slight sounds of talking from the coffin.
It sounded almost like the person inside had been groaning about…‘not another kidnapping.’
The goggled head popped out of the coffin once more as the person sighed. They pulled forward a bag, digging around inside and sifting through its contents before grabbing a hot pink ball the size of their hand.
They then proceeded to lift it high above their head and chuck it straight at the floor.
”FIRE IN THE HOLE!”
By now, most of the new students had backed away, and proceeded to watch in shock as the ball ruptured upon hitting the ground and released an odd pink liquid, which quickly began to solidify and grow, grow, grow…
The now solid pink structure represented a cartoonish depiction of a cloud, looking soft yet firm.
As some of the observers slowly inched closer to the bright pink cloud, the others whispering amongst themselves, the voice which had previously yelled was heard once more.
“INCOMING!”
Suddenly, the orientation straggler jumped out of the coffin in the air, causing a few students to gasp. The fall would most likely cause them to sprain an ankle at best.
To their surprise, though, the student aimed their jump straight at the pink cloud, and landed on it. Their landing was softened and the cloud jiggled slightly upon impact.
The goggled student slumped down into the bright pink cloud, looking out at their audience before zeroing in on Headmage Crowley, who was slowly approaching.
”I don’t know what you’ve heard,” The student slowly started, “But I do not know how to make meth. Just because Walter White could, doesn’t mean all of us can.” Their fingers were clearly and obviously crossed as they spoke.
”…Pardon?” Headmage Crowley asked.
The student blinked one at a time, “That’s a bird mask. Was I kidnapped by a cult this time?” They looked out at the crowd of robed teenagers, “A cult of teenagers and a grown man…?”
”Perish whatever though you may be having,” Crowley said comedically quick.
The student turned back to him, and then looked up to where they had fallen from.
”Ohhhh,” They spoke as if realizing something, “I’m dead, aren’t I? You inhale toxic fumes one time...”
The lights in Crowley’s eyes blinked once, twice, and before a third time could happen he cleared his throat.
”I must say, it is unheard of for a student to emerge from the gate unbidden,” He spoke dramatically, “What a terribly impatient lad you must be. I mean, really.”
The student eyed him warily and held their bag close as Crowley made his way towards them.
”Six feet away, Big Bird!” The student exclaimed and pointed at him.
”Oh, do calm yourself,” Crowley insisted, “You have no reason to distrust me—“
”No reason?” They asked incredulously, and shifted their goggles over their eyes, “I have every reason to distrust you! One moment I’m heading home from a late night, and the next I’m waking up in a coffin!”
”Ah yes, the gates—“
”Why did you bring me here?” They cut him off.
”Because you were chosen, of course!” Crowley responded.
“Like the Smosh character?” They tilted their head.
”Hmm, it would appear your mind is somewhat hazy still,” Crowley held his chin, “Likely due to the effects of time-space teleportation…”
”Time-space?” They asked.
”Yes, it has been known to happen,” Crowley nodded, “I sense confusion, very well, let me explain! This is Night Raven College, it is an institution for students all over the world who display a rare aptitude for magic!”
”Magic?” They turned from Crowley to the students then back to Crowley.
”Indeed! This is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland,” He opened his arms widely, “And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmage!”
”The birdman’s name is Crowley, what the fuck…” The student muttered to themself.
”That should be enough explanation for the time being, yes?” Crowley spun around to the crowd, “We have our final student, everyone! Let us regain our composure and begin the orientation!”
”Hey, wait!” The student stood up from the pink mass, which had started to melt into a goop at the bottom, “That didn’t explain anything! Are you sure you didn’t snatch the wrong teen? I’m not exactly big on LARPing, no offense!”
”The Dark Mirror would never make a mistake,” Crowley said, “You are meant to be here.”
”But, I don’t know how to do magic!”
Gasps and murmurs broke out in the crowd.
”Did he say he can’t use magic?”
”Yeah, what is that about?”
”What was that pink stuff then?”
”Is this guy for real?”
Crowley turned back to the student(?), “What did you just say…?”
“And besides I have a meeting tomorrow!” They spoke and their tone turned a bit giddy as they shook their hands in excitement, “If all goes well I’ll be getting some reallly good sponsors!”
“…What?”
”So, if you’ll excuse me,” The teenager said while checking to make sure they had everything, ignoring the robes they had on, “I would appreciate it if you could point me to the nearest bus station?”
”I—I—What? A student refusing their admission is unheard of!” Crowley sputtered.
”Uhm hello, I’m only 16! I can’t just up and go to college,” They waved their hand around, “That would be boring!”
”Isn’t that the age of most first years, though?”
”Goodness gracious. Quite rude, isn’t he?”
”Childish is more like it.”
”Hee…I wanna squeeze this kid silly…”
“Ha-ha! This guy’s a real maverick! What a killer start to the school year!”
”If you would just remain calm…!” Crowley tried as the student began to move past him towards the doors.
“Yeah, no, I’m done with this,” The teen began to speed up.
”Halt!” Crowley cried out, “Stop right there!”
”He’s making a mockery of our traditions…”
”I will not allow you to refuse your enrollment!” Crowley declared.
The teen stopped and spun around on their heel, “Fine, fine, how do I prove to you that I don’t belong here?”
”I said—Wait, pardon?” Crowley stumbled slightly.
”How do I prove you’ve got the wrong guy?” They started looking around, “What, don’t you have a talking hat to sort me into my house? Between you and me, the internet quizzes are totes wrong about me being a Hufflepuff.”
”A Huffle—no, that’s unimportant,” Crowley shook his head, “As you have yet to be assigned a dorm, step up to the Dark Mirror.”
”The whosawhat now?” They asked.
Crowley lead the teen back up to the platform, where the pink mass had now almost dissolved completely, and pointed to the mirror floating in the middle.
”This! Is the Dark Mirror,” Crowley explained, “Step forth!”
The teen looked suspicious, but did as told and stood infront of the mirror.
They jumped when a large gothic mask appeared in the mirror, accompanied by green smoke.
The mask opened its mouth, maintaining a persistent scowl, “State thy name,” it demanded.
“Yo, is this guy trapped in there???” The student asked.
Crowley looked away and the mask’s scowl deepened.
”State thy name.”
”Yikes,” The teen said and then answered, “Kawa—er, Yuzuki Kawanaka.”
There were a few whispers and mutters in the crowd about how foreign the name sounded to them.
“Yuzuki Kawanaka…the nature of thy soul is…”
…
…
…
”Yes…?” Yuzuki waved their hand in a ‘go on’ motion.
”The nature of thy soul is familiar,” The mask said slowly, “Yet different. One can barely see it, but it is there. Lacking color and shape, yet perfectly defined.”
A few gasps and and increase in whispers broke out across the crowd.
”Shapeless and colorless?” Crowley asked, “But that means…”
”That the soul that stands here is magicless?” The mask clarified, “Indeed.”
”But that’s impossible! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existence!” Crowley cried out, “How could this have happened?”
”The process did not fail,” The mask said plainly.
”But the young man is magicless!”
Yuzuki’s face gained a confused look at the headmage’s comment. But, oddly enough, it was clear that the reaction was not in regards to magicless part.
”But not without potential, although lacking in conventional beauty, the soul before you has the chance to become something great,” The mask explained, “The nature of this soul is…terrifyingly tenacious. Yuzuki Kawanaka belongs in Pomefiore.”