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.