Chapter Text
Yuuna’s entire body ached, every nerve screaming in pain. She felt like her body was floating on the water’s surface, though stuck in an endless darkness with no discernible objects. Suddenly, her body was pulled under, but instead of suffocating, she was dropped into an empty room. A mirror stood at the center, though it provided no reflection. Not surprising. One couldn’t see their reflection in a dream. Yet stranger still, the mirror only displayed green, angry flames burning on the other side of the glass. Slowly, through those flames, a hand reached out. She felt compelled to take it…
There was a voice coming from an unknown distance away, echoing throughout the room. “As flame reduces even the stars to ash… As ice seals away even time itself… As great trees swallow even the sky… Fear not the power of darkness. Now一demonstrate your power.”
She reached out, her fingertips chilled by the glass as she touched it. The hand lunged out and grabbed onto her wrist. Even a gasp failed to escape her as she was pulled forward, falling into the rippling mirror.
“Keep steady your grip. No matter what may come…”
“Ugh, my head…” she muttered out, head head feeling like a hundred pins were prickling at her brain. Maybe if she just went back to sleep, the pain would go away. She tried to turn over, but as she did so, she came to the realization that her space was more…compact than what she was used to. Too narrow, like her movement was being limited. She could’ve easily tossed around at night to the point of wrapping herself into a blanket burrito. But when she shifted to sit up…
“Ah!” Yuuna hissed out in pain when she bumped her head, immediately lying back down to nurse her poor forehead. What the…? She finally opened her eyes, only to see…nothing. It was completely pitch black. She was groggy but she knew her room was never this dark. She lifted her hands up, feeling cold wood just above her head.
“Better hurry…a uniform…someone spots me…”
Wait… Yuuna heard a voice, muffled by whatever she had been enclosed in and the person speaking so low.
“Ugh! This lid weighs a ton!”
Lid?! Yuuna slammed her fist against the top of whatever was imprisoning her. She could feel and hear that it was wooden but she wasn’t all that interested in the intricacies of whatever was keeping her trapped. “Hey!”
“Nyahh! What was that?!”
Okay, that she could hear very clearly. Poor person on the other side sounded like they knew nothing about her presence either. But she persisted, hitting her hands against the wood to try and get their attention, most preferably their assistance. “Help!” she shouted. “Just get me out! Please!”
She couldn’t see them, but whoever was out there seemed at a loss for words at her panicked state. Yuuna didn’t bother to process anything else, really. All she knew was that she needed some sort of exit before she ran out of air. The confined space was doing her no favors either, her muscles starting to ache stuck in a singular position.
“Bah! Fine! Try this on for size!”
Hot. That was what she could feel shortly after those words were said. Blue flames curled around her vision, making her instinctively press her back against whatever she was in, the lid burned into ash. She could feel a cushion on her back. With her vision adjusting from the darkness she’d been consumed in just seconds before, Yuuna’s brain began to develop the mental capacity necessary to process the specific situation she was in. Coffins. Lots of them. And they were…floating? And she’d been crammed into one of them?! Was someone planning to bury her alive?! She would have at least liked to have some say in her eulogy! Well, guess that wasn’t an option now thanks to the help she’d received.
I should thank whoever helped me.
“Hey, so, thanks for not letting me die and一 Huh?” Yuuna looked to both sides, unable to find anyone that might’ve helped her. That was odd. Even in her stunned state, no one should’ve been able to leave the room without her at least hearing a door open.
“No one’s supposed to be awake! Now everything’s ruined!”
That was the voice! But… She looked down, seeing not a human but a cat. A cat with flaming ears and a forked tail to be exact. And when she opened her mouth, instead of repeating her thanks, she screamed.
Her screaming then triggered the creature to let out its own terrified shriek. If she wasn’t so frazzled by the ordeal, she’d be impressed by how in sync they seemed to be.
“Wait a minute! Why am I screaming when you should be the only one who’s scared?!” The cat thing stomped its feet angrily. But to Yuuna, it was actually kinda…adorable. That checked out. Cats could be assholes but turned into sweethearts when they wanted something. “Just hurry up and hand over your uniform! Or I, the Great Grim, will make you regret it.”
I take back the adorable part. This cat’s just an asshole.
With the blue flames roaring as the cat made its threats, one thing was becoming obvious. Yuuna was dreaming. Cats with fire powers? Floating coffins? None of it could possibly be real. Even the mysterious robes that she was somehow wearing despite having no memory of ever owning something this fancy. It was all just the elaborate conjurings of her deepest imagination and the power of suggestion. Maybe she should’ve taken it easy on the fantasy movies instead of binging.
“Fine, whatever.”
“I’ll scorch you to a一 Wait, what?” The cat looked shocked that she gave in so easily. But this was her dream, so he should’ve expected it. “Just… Just like that? You seriously don’t care?! A chance like this is once in a lifetime and you’re just handing it over?! Well, whatever. I ain’t complaining about the quickest solution!”
“I just need some new clothes and you can have these.” Yuuna half-expected for new clothes to just poof into existence now that she knew this was all a dream. Wasn’t that how this lucid dreaming thing worked? Maybe she didn’t have it totally under control to do that. Oh well. If this was her dream, she was bound to find clothes somewhere.
“Hey, don’t you walk away!” The cat一Grim was his name from what she recalled of his little rant一screeched, chasing after her as she casually walked out the heavy doors once she found the exit.
“How else am I supposed to find something else to wear?” she asked, now having some serious thoughts about how her mind could think up such a grumpy cat. “If you think I’m just taking these off and walking around butt naked, you might just find yourself punted across the hall. So this will be best for both our health.”
“Geez, why did I get stuck with a human like this? Maybe I should go find a new one…” And he didn’t care if he was loud about his musings either, apparently.
Turning a corner, Yuuna just decided to try the first door she could find after walking down the hall for a bit. Once she opened it, however, she was surrounded by bookshelves that reached to the ceiling; an impressive library. She honestly didn’t think her dream would involve so many books, at least ones that weren’t manga or mystery novels. Maybe then, it would truly be paradise.
“What’s the holdup, human?! If you keep stalling, I’m gonna turn ya to ash!”
And if this cat was nice, maybe didn’t talk at all.
“There you are!” A new voice carried over to her, echoing around the unoccupied space. It sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place why. She looked around, trying to find the person addressing her. Sure enough, he appeared. But, of course, she no longer expected the ordinary. The man was dressed very sophisticated with a button down shirt covered by a vest, a neatly done tie, and a jacket with black feathers set on the shoulders. Even the top hat was indicative of a gentleman. But the strange thing was the crow mask he wore, covering nearly the entirety of his face except for his mouth. It even made his eyes look abnormal in the way they quite literally glowed yellow instead of just regular eye sockets. And now she was wondering if her mind had conquered up a masquerade ball somewhere.
“Imagine my surprise when I noticed one of the gates had been so crudely opened. You must have been quite eager to start your school life, despite it being such a blatant and disrespectful display against our traditions.” Aaand she was lost again. “Not to mention your familiar causing quite a ruckus, going so far as to nearly damage school property.”
“Like I’d ever serve a stupid human!” Grim snapped. “You should be bowing down before me! And I一 Yeow! Hey, what gives?!”
Yuuna could only stare while the crow man picked up the fire cat by the scruff of his neck. Never thought I’d be dreaming up that sentence, but here we are.
“Reprimanding you further will have to wait for now,” the man continued. “Orientation is already underway. We must return to the Mirror Chamber at once.”
He started to walk to the door, still holding onto Grim as he thrashed around, trying to escape. Yuuna, however, stayed put. “No thanks. This dream has been nice and all, if a bit weird, but I gotta get up soon. I really don’t need to get yelled at for somehow muting my alarm in my sleep. You feel me?”
The man stopped in his tracks turning back to her with what was clearly a disapproving look. “Listen here, young lady. I do not ‘feel you’. This is no time for games. Attending student orientation is crucial. So we must make haste to一” Yuuna, ready to retort, shut her mouth when t he man suddenly paused. “You… You are not a young man.”
“Um, thanks for noticing? The Y chromosome wasn’t a fan of mine, I guess.”
“This is unprecedented! The first woman even chosen by the Dark Mirror! I cannot believe I am witnessing history here at Night Raven College!”
“Night Raven what? Is that a new band?” Yuuna still was not keen on this dream dragging out this long, but she began to follow the man as he walked back to what he called the Mirror Chamber anyway. Maybe it was best to just ride this out and wait for it all to just cut off right when it got interesting. That’s how most dreams she had went anyway.
“I shall explain on the way,” the crow man tried to reassure her, “and perhaps that will send the haziness from the spatial teleportation magic away. Oh, what a generous instructor I am! Now一 What on earth are you doing?”
This wasn’t happening. This was not happening! Yuuna pinched at her arm, her thighs, her face, trying to force herself awake with any form of pain to shock her nerves so she’d finally wake up. But no matter where she pinched, she only felt that typical jolt of pain. She finally stopped once they got to their destination, from what she remembered. This was indeed the path she’d taken before going into the library. But that was much less important compared to the true reality that she was facing.
“So… So I’m not dreaming? I’m really…somewhere else…? Oh god…” She just…couldn’t believe it. Her head was going a hundred miles per hour just trying to accept this fact. “L-Listen, Mister…uh…”
“Crowley,” he finished for her, “Dire Crowley, headmage of this prestigious school for young mages..”
“Right… Um, look, I think there’s been a big misunderstanding, or error, in your system. I’m just a normal person. I can’t even use magic. So I really shouldn’t be here.”
“Did I hear you correctly? You don’t use magic? I know kids these days like to tell tall tales, but this is ridiculous. There is no mistaking that you were chosen. The open gate you left behind is proof that you are here by the Dark Mirror’s will. You must possess some potential if you are to be a student here.”
“Well then tell your mirror that it got something wrong for once. I just…” Yuuna sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I just want to go home. I don’t need to be a student here. So just point me to the nearest gate or whatever you said so I can get back.”
“You’re just giving it up?” Crowley asked, flabbergasted at the very notion that one would wish to pass on being a student here. Was it that hard to believe?
“That’s what I said!” Grim, who Yuuna had honestly forgotten was here by how quiet he’d been, piped up, finally managing to wiggle out of the headmage’s hold. “This stupid human has no idea what she’s passing up on! So let me fill in that spot! I’ll trounce all those losers in that room and then some! Myah ha ha!”
The headmage, however, did not look impressed. “It seems I might have to take more extreme measures to get this rowdy familiar of yours under control. I suggest you do so once orientation has concluded. As the truly patient headmage that I am, I will give you a chance to properly tame it instead of instantly kicking you out. Now come. You are the last one who needs to consult the Dark Mirror.”
He barely gave her a chance to speak as he waved his hand in the air towards Grim. He instantly went stiff, as if turned to stone. Okay, she had wanted him to be quiet too but that felt a little cruel… Grim was definitely still conscious throughout it, trying so hard to speak but only weird muffles coming out. Crowley picked Grim up and walked through the door. And Yuuna couldn’t do much else but follow. Maybe this magic mirror business was how she could get home. And now that she knew that this weird dream wasn’t actually a dream, she was willing enough to give it a try.
At least the headmaster was kind enough to hold the door for her while she walked in. As she passed him, she almost shrieked when he suddenly reached out and pulled her hood over her head. “Tis tradition” she could imagine him saying if their conversations up till now were any indication. Well, she wasn’t going to bother complaining at the moment. In fact, Yuuna preferred it. She could feel hundreds of eyes looking her way, and the hood was a nice excuse to not look in anyone’s general direction. The whispers were hushed, yet she could hear them clearly with how stagnant the air was.
“That small fry was causing the hold-up?”
“Hold on… Is that a girl?”
“I’m actually seeing this, right?”
“Is this a prank or a weird dream?”
That’s a mood, buddy. She anxiously kept walking, making it up to the small platform where a full body mirror stood. She recognized it almost instantly as the one from her dream. The green flames could not be mistaken. Standing before it, a face not her own appeared through the glass. She didn’t even jump at this turn of events, having gone through a whole tv series worth of weirdness already.
“State your name,” it spoke in a stern voice. Just about what she expected of this, uh, face thing.
“U-Uh…Yuuna…” She waited for a beat. Then two. All she received from the severed face was a hard stare, as if waiting for more. Oh, right. Last name. “Yuuna Palaire…”
“Yuuna Palaire,” it repeated back to her. “The nature of this one’s soul is…” Yuuna waited when it went silent. Was it assessing her? She was so sure she was a Slytherin. Some would argue Ravenclaw. Its expression twisted in surprise. Then frustration. And finally back to neutral. “It is unknown to me.”
“Impossible!” Crowley exclaimed, the sound of his voice drowning out all the hushed and frantic whispers that ensued after those words. “Are you sure?”
“I see a constellation in this one, but no clear shape. An entity with stars clouded by an unknown force. An existence completely new to the skies of Twisted Wonderland, but one that does not belong. With no magic to wield, sending this one to a dorm would not be appropriate.” The face made its exit, disappearing among the green flames, until those flickered out too. Yuuna was only left completely baffled by its cryptic speech.
“I told you!” Grim finally broke out of whatever hold Crowley had on him and landed on the floor. The man’s shock at the situation probably gave the little guy an opening. “I’ll be taking that spot! Unlike this human, I can use the best magic there is! See for yourself!” Grim, in all his hubris, began spitting out his blue flames left and right while pretending everyone around him was fireproof.
“What the hell?!”
“Ah! My robe’s on fire!”
Yuuna, despite the craziness, could only facepalm. Was this what she really had to deal with until someone was kind enough to help her find a way home?
Crowley stepped forward. “Quickly! Someone catch that rowdy weasel before it burns our precious school down!”
“I ain’t a weasel!”
Yuuna looked around, watching most of the students refusing to heed the headmage’s words and instead running for an exit. She did take note of a couple students actually taking the initiative to try and catch Grim, though.
“Allow me to rectify this situation, Headmage,” one of them spoke up, and quite confidently too. She could barely see under the hood, but she did notice the shine from a pair of glasses.
The little punk was still doing his fair share of damage, spewing his flames and disregarding anyone caught in the crossfire.
“Watch out!” Yuuna yelled, grabbing a guy’s arm and pulling him forward as one of Grim’s attacks misdirected and shot straight at him. She was just in time too, the flames only singeing his hood a little as it blasted on by and leaving the two standing toe to toe. He looked a little dazed too, but otherwise fine. “You okay?”
The guy looked shocked to see her. She didn’t think much of it, as she’d been informed that a girl showing up at this school has never occurred before. “Y-Yeah… I’m fine.”
“Good, now go.” She nudged him to the exit, not needing anyone else getting into this mess. He nodded, not saying anything else, and ran out of the room. She was lucky enough to see that two students had made it their responsibility to capture Grim, distracting him long enough for everyone else to safely get out. She couldn’t do much else but stand back and watch the little guy get cornered.
“Off With Your Head!” one of them shouted, pointing what looked like a pen at Grim. With a flash of light, a strange looking collar locked around Grim’s neck.
“MYAH!” Grim suddenly fell flat on his back from something suddenly weighing him down. “What is this?!” No matter how hard he struggled, however, it would not come off. “Get this piece of junk off me!” Once again, Yuuna witnessed Grim getting ready to start up his fire breath. But this time, every attempt ended with him just coughing out some smoke. “What gives?! I can’t use my magic!”
“Such is your punishment for disturbing order,” the one who collared him simply said. “And unless I decide otherwise, there it will stay. Or you are removed from campus.”
“No way! I ain’t getting hauled off that easily! I’m gonna make my mark on magic history here!”
As she watched from the sidelines, Yuuna couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little guy. Even if she only knew him for a good 20 minutes. And he was turning out to be nothing short of arrogant, self-centered, unapologetic… What point was I trying to make again…? Oh, right. She could see where his motivation was, even if the methods to achieve them have been very poor.
“Hold on a second, please.” She stepped in, walking towards Grim. Now that he couldn’t huff and puff his fire everywhere, she felt a little safer picking him up. Even if he tried squirming out of her hold, as per typical cat behavior. “I think you’re being just a little harsh. I know that I just met him today but I can understand what he wants. So, let me take care of him for now. Or at least let him go through some kind of training program if you have one. Because clearly I won’t be staying.” Just to be extra cautious, Yuuna covered Grim’s mouth before he started going on another tirade.
Was this course of action in her best interest? Absolutely not. She wasn’t that dumb. In fact, she was plenty aware that this could mean she’d be kicked out too with no help at all on how to get home.
“What a generous soul you are,” Crowley complimented before the other guys could speak up. The headmage giving his opinion was enough to make them back off for the time being. “Truly, someone like you will be missed. But unfortunately, I cannot allow one who does not wield magic to attend Night Raven College. As an apology, I will give your suggestion some thought. Now, face the Dark Mirror once more so it may guide you home. Simply step into the gate and visualize where you wish to go.”
Finally. Yuuna set Grim down, giving him a brief smile. In return, he just huffed and looked away. He wasn’t yelling at her immediately so she took that as a sign of friendship in its own strange way. She stepped up to the mirror as instructed, thinking of home. Home. Home… There’s no place like home
…Why couldn’t she remember what home was like? Family, friends; all of that was clear. Birthdays, special events… They were there but…blurry. She searched through her memories, trying to take in any background details. Nothing… Why? Why couldn’t she fully remember where she came from?!
“O Dark Mirror! Return this soul to where it belongs!”
She waited. He waited. Everyone who’d been dragging their feet to eavesdrop waited.
“Such a place does not exist here. This one’s home…is far beyond my reach.” The face faded away once more, leaving Yuuna and everyone else still in the room stunned at the gravity of the situation.
So that was it? She was trapped here? Her face paled, staring into the mirror as if the face would come back. That couldn’t be the end. She wanted to go home!
“I must admit that I am at a complete loss,” Crowley finally said, breaking the tense silence. “From what land do you hail? Perhaps a name may help.”
Yuuna finally looked away from the mirror, her knees still a little shaky. “U-Uh, okay. I…I’m from…” She searched her memories again. An address, a road, the name of a city she was familiar with! But everything was coming up hazy in her mind when it came to those specific details. Why? “I-I don’t remember… But I know that I’m not from here. That’s all.”
“I see… It seems that the teleportation magic did more of a number on you than I previously imagined. Possibly because you do not possess the knowledge or magic to properly go through such an experience.”
Oh crap.
