Chapter Text
Third person
The sun was setting letting darkness enter. The trees rustled as three girls were walking about to cross the road. Light chatter was heard over the sound of cars driving past them. One girl had short red slightly curly hair and was dressed in a babydoll dress, while the other two had brown hair, one short and curly, the other long and straight, both dressed in pants and a t-shirt.
Heading back to one of their houses for a sleepover after having dinner, the three girls waited for a red light so they could cross the street. Once they were mid way through the street they heard something fast coming towards them. The red headed girl turned her head in confusion and saw a black carriage right in front of them and then all she saw was darkness.
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When the red headed girl started opening her eyes all she could see was black, however it felt like she was trapped in something. The girl heard some noise surrounding her 'What's that noise?' She thought. "I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me..." An unfamiliar voice said. "Urggh... This lid weighs a ton!" She heard it again 'lid?' she pondered.
The girl started trying to push the door open but ended up tripping and pushing herself backwards, making whatever she was trapped inside fall backwards with a giant thud.
"Ouch." She groaned, when she opened her eyes she was no longer surrounded by darkness but by floating coffins. "Now to collect the goods..." She heard the voice say again. When she sits up she sees a gray cat with a black and white bow and blue fire coming out of its ears. She also comes into sight of her two best friends who both have equally confused and terrified faces. 'WHAT THE HECK' she thought. The weird looking cat looks at her in shock. "What?! You ain't supposed to be awake!" It shouts. she exclaims in shock. "A talking... weasel?!" While her other friend exclaimed, "f-floating coffins?!" The cat looked at her friend in offense. "Oh-ho! You got a lotta nerve ignoring me, human! The name's Grim. Believe me, you won't forget it!" 'So his name is Grim' all girls thought in unison.
Grim looks at the red headed girl. "Now gimme your uniform, and be quick about it!" "Cause if you don't... you're gonna regret it!" He shouts, a flash of blue fire appears, she looks at him dumbfounded. "Getting roasted alive by a weasel? What will I dream of next?" She replies sarcastically. "Well keep dreaming, cause I ain't no weasel!"
The three girls and Grim then started running throughout the unknown place, stopping at a place that looks similar to a library. The three girls shared a look that said 'where the hell are we?' Then there was another flash of blue fire. "Foolish human! Did you really think you could slip away from ME?" Grim stated. "Now, unless you wanna get burned to a crisp, take off that–" Suddenly something whipped Grim. "Me- YEOW! That hurt! What gives?"
A man appeared, he had a top hat, with a mask and coat. The dude looked like he was about to show up to a masquerade ball. The red headed girl had a bad feeling about this man immediately picking up the cat and slightly backing away. "Consider it tough love." The unknown man said. "Ah, I've found you three at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students?"
"My, were you ever eager to make your debut." "And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school's rules." Grim started wiggling around in the red headed girl's arms. "As if I'd serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!" The unknown man stepped forward. "Yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit, won't you?" He cast some kind of spell on Grim. "Dear me. Of all students I've dealt with, you three are the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it." "Does the very notion of patience elude you?" He straightened his stance, "no matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber." He stated.
Two of the girls said in unison, "student...?" While the third girl hid behind one of them. The Unknown man looked at us in confusion. "You awakened in a room full of gates, did you not?" He questioned. "All of the students here at the campus arrived by passing through such gates." "Although typically the students have restraint enough to wait until I open them before waking up." The red headed girl looked at him in annoyance, 'does this man ever shut up?' Her friend beside her spoke up. "So those coffins are like...gateways?" She inquired.
"The design is intended to symbolize a parting with your former world," He explained, "and a rebirth into a new one." Sudden whispering pulled the attention away from the unknown man. "Former world...rebirth?....new world.." The red headed girls widened. "Wait?! Former world like we died?!?! Is this some reincarnated into a princess type stuff or like some fantasy world?!? WHERE THE HECK ARE WE?" She exclaimed.
The unknown man ignored her. "But now is not the time for such prattle." "You've a student orientation to attend!" "Go on, now. Make haste."
"Sir, I will not be making haste. You look like the type of person who goes, 'hey kids want some candy' if i'm being kidnapped into a fantasy world right now at least let the man who kidnaps me be hot and mysterious." She remarked while her other friend beside her asked. "Who are you though?" The third friend behind the red head sweat dropped at her comment but wasn't surprised. "Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness?" He questioned. 'Clearly not dude.' The red head thought, "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." The red head looked between her two friends like are we seriously following this random guy.
But as they have zero idea where they are whatsoever they figure the best option is to go with the weird creepy unknown man. As they start walking they end up outside, the unknown man clears his throat. "This is Night Raven College." The red head nods unsure, "so fantasy world." He ignores her again. "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." The man now known as Crowley explained. 'So his name's Crowley.' Two of the girls thought. "Magic?!" The red head inquired. "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."
"Dude, we're literally the most useless kids ever, what are you talking about." One of the girls remarked, while the other "I do remember a horse." "That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror." He continued explaining. "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."
"So this carriage dragged us here against our will?" The red headed girl asked. Grim wiggled around in her arms trying to speak. "Now, let us attend to your orientation."
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Crowley brought the three girls back to what was called the Mirror Chamber.
Crowley bursts into the room apparently overhearing some kind of conversion saying. "I most certainly did not!"
"Ah, speak of the devil." The three girls look over to see a short red headed boy in weird robes. "If you must know, I was searching for the new students who'd failed to show for orientation." He explained. "You three are the only ones who has yet to be assigned a dorm. Step up to the Dark Mirror and be quick about it. I'll watch your weasel." He grabbed Grim from the red headed girl. The girls looked between each other before the two shorter ones looked at the girl with long brown hair, she sighed and went up. "State your name." The Dark Mirror spoke. 'It can speak?!" the three girls thought. "I'm Golden..." The taller friend said. "Golden... The nature of your soul is......." There was a long pause. "Unclear to me."
"What did you just say?" Crowley said. "I sense no magical power from this one, same with those two over there. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant." The Dark Mirror stated.
"We are in fact incredibly useless, thanks for pointing that out in the rudest way possible." The red headed girl said. "Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate." The Dark Mirror continued. Lots of surprised chatter collected around the room.
"Are you suggesting that the black carriage went to receive a person who cannot even use magic?" Crowley asked. "But that is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existence!" "How could this have happened?" He asked again.
Grim starts fighting again letting out a gasp. "ME! Let ME have this student's seat!" Grim shouted. "Not so fast, you hyperactive weasel!" Crowley hissed. Grim crossed his arms. "Unlike those humans, I can actually use magic! So let me be a student here!" Grim insisted. "Look, I'll show you! My spells're the cat's meow!"
"Everyone, get down!" The red headed boy shouted. Grim makes a weird sound before covering the room in flames.
"AHHHHH! HELP! I'm on fire over here!" Some random kid with red eyes screamed. One of the girls stared at the fire amazed before being pulled away by the other two. "Someone catch that blasted animal before it sets the entire school ablaze!" Crowley yells. A bunch of kids start having random side conversations while Crowley starts yelling at them for not putting out the fire immediately, then the red headed boy and some other random kid decide they're the ones to catch Grim.
After a while of chasing the red headed boy now known as Riddle after hearing the side conversations yelled. "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" And a collar magically appeared on Grim's neck. "MYAH?! What are you doing?!" He yelled. "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." Riddle Ordered. "But I ain't a cat either!" Grim argued. "Don't you try'n collar me! I'll burn it right off! Huh...? Wh-what gives? My fire ain't workin'!"
"Until I design to remove that collar, you won't be using any magic. You're naught but a pet cat now." Riddle answered. "M-meoWHAT?! I ain't nobody's pet-NOTHING!" Grim shouted.
"Oh, you've nothing to worry about there. I certainly have no interest in having you as a pet." Riddle responded, putting his hands on his hips, then going back into a normal stance. "The collar will disappear once you're removed from campus."
The other guy that helped Riddle catch Grim now known as Azul entered back into the conversation. "Ha - HA! Good show as always, Riddle. Your signature spells locks down any magic. It's quite handy." He crossed his arms. "I've just GOT to have it – ah, I mean, I've just got to have respect for it." 'I don't trust that guy at all,' Golden thought.
"You! Was I not clear that you are expected to take responsibility for your familiar?" He gave a pointed look at the red head. "Actually now what are your two names?" He asked the red head and the girl behind her with the short brown hair. "I'm Janey, and the girl behind me is Klarah. Also he isn't my familiar. He just showed up in my coffin." The red head explained. "Ok, now discipline your – What's that?! It isn't yours?" Crowley asked, "I've never seen that cat before in my life!" Janey responded.
"Oh... Is that so?" Crowley inquired, "then I shall have it expelled from campus. I shall even spare it from being served as dinner." The three girls gave him a grossed out look. "My, but I AM kind. ...Someone take this away, please." Crowley begged.
"Noooo! Let me goooo!" Grim cried. "You fools better remember my name!" "Cause I'm gonna go down in the annals of magic history! Just you wait!" Janey frowned and turned to her friends. "I feel kind of sorry for him." Klarah nodded, "yea.."
"Well, that was quite the unexpected fracas. I hereby declare that orientation has been concluded." Crowley spoke. "Housewardens, please escort your students back to the dorms." He ordered, he continued speaking while Janey suddenly started panicking. "Wait, where's my phone?, it's not in any of my pockets?!" "Were our phones taken away? I need my phone, my phone has my fanfics, I can't live without my fanfics." Klarah cleared her throat, "Janey, you had me put it in my purse remember." Realization dawned on Janey's face. "Ohhhh, right, I'm dumb." Golden laughed.
Crowley turned back to us. "Well, Golden, Klarah, and Janey. This is a most unfortunate turn of events." "I'm afraid that you three will not be attending Night Raven College after all." "Surely you three realize that I cannot very well admit a student with no magical ability to my academy." "But worry not. The Dark Mirror will see you safely home." "Now step into a gate, and visualize the place from whence you came."
The three girls let out a sigh of relief. Crowley turned to the Dark Mirror. "O Dark Mirror! Return these souls to where they belong!"
The Dark Mirror did nothing, Crowley cleared his throat awkwardly. "L - let us, er...try this again. O Dark Mirror! Return this soul—" The Dark Mirror interrupted him. "There is no such place."
"What?" Crowley asked. "There is no such place in this world where this soul belongs." "None." Janey gasped. "What if earth exploded or the zombie apocalypse happened and destroyed earth." Golden face palmed and Klarah laughed nervously.
"How can that be? My, but today is a veritable cavalcade of impossible phenomena!" Crowley replied to the Dark Mirror. The Dark Mirror said nothing. "This has never happened throughout my long tenure. I must confess that I am at something of a loss." Crowley stated. "Tell me: From what land do you hail?"
Golden answered. "We're from earth." Crowley put his hand on his chin thinking. "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."
"Let us go to the library and look it up, shall we?"