Chapter Text
Is it morning already? Eli awakens with a pounding headache. The last thing they remember is going to sleep in their bed after a long day, so why…
“I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me…” That line is a little too familiar for Eli’s liking.
“Urgggh… This lid weighs a ton!” That one too…
“Try this on for size! Mya-ha!” FIRE?! Eli jumps out of their coffin, frankly upset that they even know what they’re jumping out of.
“GRIM STOP!”
“What?! You ain’t supposed to be– H-How do you know my name?” Eli doesn’t deem it relevant to respond to the flaming cat’s antics, scooping him up and shushing him as they hear a door open nearby. Eli makes a split second decision, running through another door nearby and finding themself in the library. It seems that the plot is plotting.
“If this is a dream, I’m ready to wake up now…” Eli whispers, trembling slightly. Grim seems to take a bit of pity on them, merely snuggling into their chest as they clutch him tightly.
“Look, Grim, this is how this going to go, so I need you to trust me, okay?” The monster nods, confused as Eli takes in the room. Surely enough, there are floating coffins all around, and the lid to theirs is open, the coffin shaking as it tries to re-center its weight.
“You are going to pose as my familiar. You aren’t going to like it, but it’s the only way this is going to go smoothly. You may be sentient, but I know for a fact that you’re going to be seen as a mere monster if you don’t listen to me, okay? You and I need to work together to survive this.” Grim nods, but Eli has a sneaking suspicion that this is not going to go as well as they hope, especially where Grim is involved.
“My, you were eager to make your debut.” Eli jumps, accidentally squeezing Grim so hard he yelps, jumping from their arms.
“And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school’s rules!” Eli sighs, apologizing to Grim before turning to a man in a big hat and a bird mask, a man they know far too well to be meeting him in person, Dire Crowley.
“You’re rude, you know that? Grim isn’t poorly trained, he’s rebellious. There’s a difference. He knows how to behave.” Grim makes an outraged noise, but is quickly silenced by Eli, who glares at him like their lives depend on it.
“Yes, well, you’re still not supposed to have a familiar without the proper paperwork. Of all the students I’ve dealt with, you’re the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it. Does the very notion of patience elude you?” Eli opens their mouth, but Crowley beats them to the punch.
“No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.” Eli nods, motioning for Grim to come to them. Luckily, he listens, and jumps on their shoulder, perching himself steadily before Eli begins to follow Crowley back.
“Typically the students have restraint enough to wait until I open the gates before waking up…” Crowley laments, making Eli roll their eyes.
“Gates?” Grim asks. Crowley stops in his tracks, seeming shocked that Grim can speak at all.
“Yes, gates. Although, I’m sure I can attribute your early awakening to that familiar of yours, and its behavior shall be your responsibility from here onward.” Crowley opens the door to the Mirror Chamber, holding it for Eli, who is surprised the man has manners at all.
“Alas, now is not time for such prattle, you’ve got a student orientation to attend! Go on now, make haste.”
~
“We’re done with orientation and dorm assignments?” A voice Eli doesn’t recognize asks. They wish they paid more attention to the beginning of the game, maybe then they could identify that voice. The other obstacle is that the voices are all in English now, not Japanese, but at least there’s no concern about a language barrier.
“Alright, new students—let me be clear. At Heartslabyul House, I am the law. Break the rules, and it’s off with your head!” That line would be more concerning if Eli wasn’t aware of just what the person saying it meant. At least they’re able to put a name to the voice now, Riddle. His English voice is certainly different than they were expecting it to be. There’s an audible yawn before the next person is heard.
“Well, that ceremony was as boring as ever. I’m going back to the dorm. If you’re in Savanaclaw, follow me.” That must be Leona, and there’s Ruggie’s tell-tale laughter following his declaration.
“New students! Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your achievement. As Housewarden of Octavinelle, I am honored to have the opportunity to support you in what I hope will be a fulfilling campus experience!” At this point, Crowley has led Eli and Grim far enough into the room that they can see who is speaking, and Eli has to gasp, they all look so different from how they do in-game. Well, that’s to be expected considering they look more human than art themself, but still.
“Hey, does anyone know where the Headmage went? He disappeared midway through the ceremony…” Vil’s question is met with sarcastic amusement.
“Some Headmage he is.” A tablet that Eli can easily identify as Idia sighs.
“Maybe he had a tummyache?” Kalim offers. Eli feels their breath catch in their throat at the sight of the pair of them. They’ve always thought that Vil was pretty, but Kalim ? He’s far too pretty to be real right now. They were prepared for Vil to stun them, not the Scarabia Housewarden.
“I most certainly did not!” Crowley shouts from beside Eli, who winces at the noise. As-is, they’re about two seconds from a meltdown or a panic attack and they can’t tell which one it is anymore.
“Ah, speak of the devil,” Riddle says, carefully eyeing Eli and Grim as well as the Headmage.
“If you must know, I was searching for the new student who’d failed to show for orientation,” Crowley turns to them now, giving them a stern look and grabbing Grim from their shoulder. Eli immediately goes to protest, but Crowley beats them to the punch, “You are the only one who has yet to be assigned a dorm. Step up to the Dark Mirror, and be quick about it. I’ll watch your weasel.”
Eli tenses, knowing that this is where Grim is going to stop listening, especially if his growl is anything to go by. This is where the chaos begins, they’re sure of it. Alas, they have to face the Dark Mirror.
“State your name.” The Dark Mirror booms. Eli covers their ears, the sound bouncing off the high ceiling and almost echoing back. They’re going to have a meltdown.
“I’m Eli…” They say.
“Full name.”
“Elliot James.” The Dark Mirror hums, deep in thought as the disembodied mask seems to appraise them. They’re glad the Dark Mirror accepted that because there’s no way they were going to give their full name like that, so first and middle should suffice. The Dark Mirror’s frown turns into a wicked grin before it opens its mouth again. Eli doesn’t remember that happening in the game.
“The nature of your soul is…” There’s a long pause, one that makes Eli’s heart move to their throat.
“...unclear to me.”
“What did you just say?” Crowley demands. Eli knows what’s coming next. The Dark Mirror is going to pronounce them magicless and tell them that they don’t belong anywhere, and then Eli is going to find themself in Ramshackle and–
“I haven’t sensed magic like this since the time of the Seven. This one is bright like the star one wishes upon, and yet no dorm would be appropriate.” The entire room is silent and Eli’s brain does a factory reset.
What.
The.
Fuck?
“I come from a world where magic is left in fairytales, and you say I have magic?” Eli asks, voice nothing more than a squeak even to their own ears. Crowley looks between Eli and the mirror, and if they weren’t freaking out themselves, they’d take pride in being able to derail the Headmage like this.
“But that is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in–!” “I shall allow this student to decide their fate.” The words the Dark Mirror utters send the entire room abuzz. Eli covers their ears, wishing they had headphones or earplugs or something to filter out the noise because they can’t keep holding this meltdown back, it’s just not possible. They’re already at a new record.
“Well?” Crowley asks. Eli feels tears well up in their eyes.
“I want to go home…” They beg. Their hands come from their ears to their arms, where they allow their hands to come below the sleeves of their robe and claw at their arms, relishing in the grounding feeling that the bite of pain brings them.
“I need to go home, please. I don’t belong here, I’m not from this world, this universe even! I haven’t spoken up because I figured this is a dream that I’ll wake up from, but I managed to calm Grim down enough that he hasn’t set anyone on fire yet, and I’ve been playing along with the script I knew because I was hoping I’d wake up before I faced the Mirror!” Eli can’t breathe, nothing is helping them calm down. They can’t do this anymore. They need to hit something, to take out their frustrations and sudden anger on something or someone. They can’t do this. This isn’t real . This has to be a dream.
Everything goes to shit when Crowley touches Eli’s shoulder, though.
“HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY HUMAN!”
“Grim, stop –”
Chapter 2
Summary:
Fire, strange looks, and forgotten Housewardens, oh my!
Notes:
I forgot to tag that I'm autistic... brb
Chapter Text
“HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY HUMAN!”
“Grim, stop –” Their call falls on deaf ears, and Grim launches blue fire at Crowley before Eli can reach him. Grim looks almost feral, his glowing blue eyes narrowed as he bears his teeth menacingly, mouth lighting up as fire escapes it once more.
“Everyone, get down!” The fire spreads quickly, and Eli can’t do anything but sit there tearing at their skin. They can’t possibly stop Grim, can they?
“AHHHHH! HELP! I’m on fire over here!” Kalim cries. Eli suddenly gets an idea.
“Kalim, your unique magic!” They cry. They receive many looks of confusion, but Kalim takes that idea and runs with it.
“A haven within the hot sands, a never-ending feast. Dance! Sing! Oasis Maker !” A summer-like rain suddenly fills the room, and Eli wants to cry for two reasons now. One being that the fires have been put out, and the other being that they’re wet . The robe, although made from luxurious material, clings to their skin uncomfortably. It needs to come off. Now.
“Fuck it,” They say under their breath. At least they have the decency to check what they’re wearing underneath first, a white button-up dress shirt and black dress pants. As they’re peeling the wet article of clothing off, they realize that the clothes beneath it are damp as well. They can’t take those clothes off, it’s the last layer they have before their skin, which they would rip off too if able right now.
“Off With Your Head!” Eli turns sharply, watching as Azul and Riddle have cornered Grim, Riddle’s signature collar being put on the cat. It takes everything in Eli not to interfere here, especially as Grim looks around for them.
“The Queen of Heart’s Rule 23: ‘One must never bring a cat to a formal affair.’ Your very presence is a violation of order. You will vacate these premises immediately.” Riddle states matter-of-factly. Grim sputters, immediately arguing. He even tries for his magic, but it doesn’t come. Eli expected this, but Grim did not.
“Until I deign to remove that collar, you won’t be using any magic. You’re naught but a pet cat now.” Noticing another tantrum incoming, Eli steps in.
“Hey! Riddle, was it?” The boy looks shocked, considering he never gave Eli his name.
“Look, I understand that you’re doing your best to retain some semblance of order here, but Grim and I are a little lost, so–” A laugh cuts Eli off, and they turn to see who it is, finding Azul coming up next to Riddle again.
“Good show as always, Riddle. Your signature spell locks down any magic. It’s quite handy! I’ve just GOT to have it—ah, I mean, I’ve just got to have respect for it.” Eli rolls their eyes, knowing exactly what Azul meant. Crowley chooses that moment to come after Eli, fury evident on his face.
“Elliot, was I not clear that you are expected to take responsibility for your familiar?” The Headmage asks. Eli rolls their eyes. They can’t deal with this right now, so they brush him off.
“I prefer Eli, and I believe I still have to select my dorm, so if you’ll excuse me…” There’s a loud, deep laughter that if Eli’s guess is correct, belongs to one Lilia Vanrouge.
“Do you have your decision?” The Dark Mirror asks, a gleam in its nonexistent eyes leading Eli to believe that there is a correct decision here. They take a deep breath, staring into the disembodied mask’s eyes before speaking.
“I am selecting Ramshackle as my dorm.”
~
With the general chaos Grim caused finally taken care of, Eli walks back to the podium, picks up their ceremonial robes, and walks back to Crowley. The Headmage seems to finally have recovered, trying once again to appear unbothered.
“Well, that was quite the unexpected fracas. I hereby declare that orientation has concluded. Housewardens, please escort your students back to the dorms.” Crowley looks around, and Eli knows who he’s looking for already.
“... Hm? Come to think of it, I don’t see Housewarden Draconia of Diasomnia anywhere.” Leona snorts, rolling his eyes as he adds, “And that surprises you? Dude’s a total recluse.” Eli can feel Lilia’s glare, despite it not being pointed at him.
“Wait a sec… Did anyone even invite him?” Kalim asks.
“Well, that sounds like the Headmage’s job, but since he’s a bit slow, the Housewardens can take a bit of initiative too,” Eli says calmly.
“Yeah, I’d be sad if someone forgot me all the time!” Grim remarks. Eli pets his head affectionately. At least a few of the surrounding Housewardens seem to look like they feel bad for excluding Malleus, but when Eli’s gaze falls on Leona, he rolls his eyes. Lilia, ignoring the comments about Malleus that followed their words, steps out of the crowd a little too close to Leona, making the lion jump.
“Ah. Just as I’d expected.” Eli hides their laughter behind their hand, and Grim looks at them in shock. Lilia winks at Eli before continuing.
“I figured I’d come down and see for myself whether Malleus had made an appearance. Once again, he was evidently not informed that his presence was required.”
“You have my sincerest apologies. I assure you, this oversight was in no way intended as a snub,” Azul offers. Lilia sighs, and Eli knows from this that Lilia also knows of Azul’s nature.
“I mean, you must admit, he’s not exactly the easiest person to have a conversation with…” Riddle looks embarrassed, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. Immediately, Eli can see what Floyd means when he says messing with Riddle is fun. He does turn very red.
“No matter,” Lilia says with a shrug, “All who were assigned to Diasomnia, follow me. I just hope he doesn’t sulk about this.”
~
Eli and Crowley are in his office, filling out their paperwork as they answer his questions. The only problem is that with each question answered, several more spring up. Eli gives their full name, which they did not give to the Dark Mirror for safety reasons, and describes where they live. When Crowley doesn’t recognize this, nor Grim, Eli explains that they know they are from a different world.
“You said before that your world leaves magic to fairytales, correct? How do you have a familiar, then?” Eli smiles wryly, looking to Grim before responding the best they can.
“Grim and I met when he woke me from my gate. I let everyone assume he was my familiar because that was easier than getting him kicked out. He wants to be a student here, and I can’t justify kicking out someone who genuinely wants to learn.” Crowley gives Eli an odd look at that. They give him one right back.
“That is not a response any sane fifteen-year-old would give, so how old are you really?” They look away, embarrassed.
“I’m twenty.”
“TWENTY?!” Grim and Crowley exclaim.
Chapter 3
Summary:
Insert chronic illnesses here. Also, Ramshackle Ghosts (the hitchhiking ghosts) and some magic... >:)
Notes:
I am touching on my old middle school days where I used songs to write fanfiction. I used to live on song fics, and now I find them hard to read. Well, we all return to our roots eventually.
I actually got this from another fic I read, and I can't remember what it's called... I'm sad about that, but it was so chaotic that it had me laughing my ass off all the time.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Ah, Ramshackle. You’re so much worse than I remember.” Eli sighs, holding Grim tight. Crowley, who despite his twitching eye is electing to ignore their odd comments, sighs, moving toward the door with an old key.
“Isn’t it delightful? Right, scoot inside now. There you go.” The dorm is so much messier than it ever looked through a screen. There are cobwebs everywhere, broken furniture left and right, and even just stepping inside brought a chill to the air.
“This should keep the elements at bay for the time being. Now, I should return to my office to finish submitting Grim’s familiar application. Once it is accepted, we may discuss what legal protections the two of you have because of this. Since it is after curfew, I shouldn’t find you wandering around campus tonight, are we clear?” After both Eli and Grim nod, Crowley is gone. Not long after that, a booming clap of thunder is heard, and the entire place goes white as lightning strikes. The following downpour is almost immediate, and both Grim and Eli whine at the sound.
“It’s pouring out there!” Grim cries. They sigh at his outburst, looking around for something to make themself busy.
“Grim, would you mind helping me find some candles? We can use the busted furniture for firewood, but I’d like some light to explore with.” Grim nods, scampering off. Eli finds themself in the dorm’s kitchen, groaning at the amount of dust all around when their stomach grumbles. They think about what could be in the cabinets, but they decide not to bother. They bet that even if it were edible, anything left wouldn’t be gluten-free.
Oh shit.
A new wave of panic floods Eli as they remember that they have chronic illnesses. On top of celiacs, which they’re confident will be a relatively quick fix, how are they going to handle their diabetes? Does insulin exist here? What about ketone strips? Do mages even get diabetes? If this isn’t a dream (and they’re still not convinced) then they need to have a conversation with Crowley tomorrow about their health. They’d like to live, after all.
“Grim, come here for a second! I need to talk to you!”
“We thought we heard someone.” Eli jumps as they turn around to see three spectral forms. They almost forgot about the ghosts!
“Oh, great! Can you three help by telling Crowley something?” All three figures pause, frozen in disbelief.
“You’re not scared of us?” The tall one asks.
“Scared? Not quite. You see, I know who you three are. You’re Phineas,” Eli motions to the plump ghost, “Gus,” they motion to the short ghost, “and Ezra,” they finally motion to the tall ghost, smiling all the while. How could they be scared of them if they won’t actually hurt them?
“Now, if I were afraid of the three of you, why would I ever have entered this haunted mansion?” The three of them perk up at that, smiles widening.
“You do know us! It’s been so long since a human has known us!” Gus cheers.
“What do you need from us, kid?” Phineas asks.
“I need you to tell him that I have chronic illnesses and we need those to be part of my enrollment documents.” The ghosts all nod, disappearing just as soon as they came. Eli sighs in relief, maybe it can get taken care of today! They step into the lounge again, calling once more for their “familiar.”
“I found a candle!” Grin cries triumphantly. Eli applauds the cat, and he absolutely preens under the praise.
“Now, where’s my tuna?!” Ah. They were wondering when that was going to become a problem. They roll their eyes, holding the candle up to one of Grim’s ears and watching it light. The can jumps out of his skin at the feeling.
“Hey! Why would you do that?!” Eli gives him a deadpan look.
“Would you have lit the candle without tuna that I do not know how to magically summon?” Grim doesn’t respond.
“I don’t think so, and I don’t appreciate being spoken to that way. Now, go find some rags so I can get the dust out of the fireplace. Burning dust is not a good smell.” Grim grumbles, bounding away. Eli takes that moment to look around, seeing a broom. They pick it up, humming and dancing around as they sweep the floor. Seeing visible streaks of dust come up is rather satisfying.
“...again, we’re assumin’ again, we’ll resume our long-lost joie de vivre.” Eli is so absorbed in the song that they don’t notice the closet doors opening and closing, nor the brooms and rags dancing around them.
“We’ll be dancing again, we’ll be twirling again, we’ll be whirling around with such ease,” Eli spins, relishing in the way their robe floats as they twirl. They sway from side to side, matching the pace of their broom.
“We’ll go waltzing those old one-two-three’s. We’ll be floating again, we’ll be gliding again…” They don’t question it when a dustpan comes up, despite the fact that they didn’t grab one. Eli glides straight past is, stopping only to make sure that the dust does indeed make its way into the pan. They’re so wrapped up in the song that they barely even notice the door opening. They turn to check briefly, jumping when they discover that Crowley, Crewel, and Trein are the ones standing there, Sam not far behind and peeking his head over the top of Trein’s head.
“Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were actually coming, I thought that you would tell Ezra, Gus, and Phineas to tell me to wait until morning to bother you since it was already so late, and–” They’re cut off by the sound of falling items. Eli turns around, expecting to find Grim doing something cat-like but instead finds that there is much less mess than there was before, but there is cleaning supplies littered around the room. Cleaning supplies that Eli didn’t even know was in the building before.
“Oh my gods… Is that what the mirror meant? All I did was sing, I promise!” Crowley’s mouth hangs open, Trein is pinching his nose, Crewel jabs Crowley in the side with his elbow, and Sam pushes past all of them, coming to hold Eli’s shoulders and practically shaking in excitement.
“That was ancient magic, Little Imp! How many of those old songs do you know? Do you know any from my ancestor, the Shadow Man? My great-grandmother told me that those songs were lost with her great-grandfather!” Sam is so excited it’s almost cute.
“Wow, you’re a lot more attractive in person…” Eli mutters, shoving Sam away when they realize they said that out loud. Sam takes it in stride, but the pale markings on his cheeks turn a little red.
“Those aren’t paint?” Eli asks, embarrassment momentarily forgotten.
“We’re getting off-topic. While your magic is… shocking, We were all finishing a meeting when you had the ghosts inform us of your illnesses. We think that is an important conversation to have, and we have all had a long day.” Crewel’s words are harsh, but Eli understands immediately.
“Alright, what do you guys know about diabetes? That’s the more life-threatening one.”
~
“Well, the fact that none of you know what diabetes is is concerning, but long story short, the human body doesn’t take in glucose or ‘fuel’ from what I eat without something called insulin. Insulin is naturally produced by the pancreas. My pancreas doesn’t work, stopped producing insulin. If my blood sugar gets too high, my blood becomes acidic and my organs can fail. Also, I will essentially starve, and my body will take fuel from the fatty parts of me. I will lose weight excessively, and since the brain is made of fat…”
“Your organs can fail? That’s terrifying.” Trein says. Eli nods, rubbing the back of their neck sheepishly.
“Oh! Also, if I get too low of a blood sugar, I can have seizures and go brain dead.” The silence is palpable. Eli understands completely. It’s been six years since they’ve been diagnosed, so they had to learn everything really quickly. They’re not the best at taking care of themselves, but they do enough to stay alive, at least.
“As for this… ‘insulin’, can you provide me with a sample of it? We can have some to you by tomorrow afternoon if you can give us a sample now. I’ll have to take it easy on my classes tomorrow, but it will be done, I assure you.” Crewel’s demands aren’t unreasonable, just concerning. They pause, thinking it over before rolling their sleeves up and ripping the insulin pump they were wearing off their arm, making three of the four men flinch. Crewel’s eyes merely widen in surprise.
“I am going to trust you with this, this is my life in your hands. I need insulin by the time you’re giving me, and I will not be eating without it. I also need something to check my sugar, and another pump because unless one of you is going to do my injections for me, I have a phobia of needles and cannot do this. Oh, and I need something to check for ketones. If I have ketones, I should not be exercising.” Eli’s words are firm and unrelenting. They can’t afford to compromise on this. Crowley opens his mouth, but they aren’t having it
“I mean it. You are not going to have everything but the insulin to me tomorrow morning, or I will find some way to make your lives hell.”
Notes:
I am simplifying the act of getting the medicine and proper technology for my own sanity. Also, I am going off of my own experiences and research with my own medical history, so please be kind if there's anything about that that bothers you!
Chapter 4
Summary:
Crowley tries, Ghosts are annoying, and our resident trouble-maker makes his grand entrance!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
After talking about their diabetes and celiacs and what will happen to them if these illnesses aren’t treated, Eli slumps down on a magically fixed couch, courtesy of the ghosts, Sam, and Crewel, who are quickly becoming some of Eli’s favorite people. Especially since Sam had one of his “friends” deliver a few cans of tuna to tide Grim over for the night, and some deer jerky with a note explaining what all was put into it. Apparently, Vargas practically lives on this stuff.
“Sam is a god amongst men. Thank you for your service, little shadow.” Eli reaches out with their own shadow to pet the little guy, who chirps happily before leaving to go back to its tether. They munch on the jerky as they pull out a blanket and a pillow. They yawn, rubbing their eyes and freezing when they realize what they’ve done. They desperately hope that since Grim isn’t technically a cat, their allergies won’t act up, but they won’t be able to tell until tomorrow anyway. Pushing that thought aside, Eli lays on the couch, barely even noticing when Grim curls up under the blanket with them.
~
“Hee hee hee… Aren’t the two of you starting school today?” Ezra asks. Eli sighs, opening their eyes to see that the lanky ghost is in their face. They groan, rolling over and pulling the blanket over their head.
“Five more minutes…” Grim whines, burying his head into the couch cushion to block out the light. Ezra looks to Gus and Phineas for help. With a nod, all three of them are lifting the couch, dumping both Grim and Eli off of it with ease. Grim screams as he falls, Eli landing on his tail.
“I know I’m not scared of you guys, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be pissed when I’m woken up so early!” Eli scolds. The ghostly trio doesn’t take it to heart, though, and laughs at their misfortune. It’s then that Eli realizes that their allergies are nowhere to be found. Huh. Small victories.
“Go ahead, sleep the day away and you might not ever hafta wake up again!” Gus jests.
“Just like us!” Phineas adds, the pair’s laughter sounding more and more like the old guys from the Muppets as every second passes.
“GHOSTS?!” Grim cries, suddenly awake. That’s right, he didn’t get to meet them yesterday, so there was no confrontation.
“They’re friendly. A nuisance, but friendly,” Eli assures. It does little to calm Grim, who remains on edge even after they disappear. There’s a knock on the door, and with a rattle of keys, Crowley is swinging the rotten thing open.
“Good morning, Eli. Did you sleep well?” His voice is higher than it should be. He’s nervous about something.
“Not at all! There’s not even a good bed in this place! Exactly how ramshackle is this dorm?!” Eli rolls their eyes, turning to look at the Heasdmage apologetically.
“He’s just upset that the ghosts woke us up. I slept pretty well, all things considered.” Crowley claps his hands at that, smiling kindly at them.
“I am delighted to hear that you’ve adjusted so well, despite being sent to another world! Now, speaking of moving on,” Crowley looks as if he wants to be anywhere but here right now, “I bring good news and I bring bad news. The good news is that you will not be required to attend classes today. The bad news is that while we are making progress on the front of your insulin, we do not have anything to go off of for the other supplies you mentioned.” Eli sighs, they should have expected this.
“Well then, we should head to the library. Surely there’s something in the medical section that has to do with diabetes.” Crowley perks up a bit at that.
“Actually, a student of ours here, Trey Clover, has experience with both of your illnesses. He claims his youngest siblings, twins, each have one of them, or at least something similar. We were able to get a message out to the Clover family, but they won’t be able to send over a blood tester. They did, however, send back a list of suggestions for us to purchase on our own.” Eli could kiss Trey right now. Really, they could. Leave it to the mother hen of Heartslabyul to have an answer for their plight.
“That’s amazing! We should be able to modify a blood tester as long as I can get in contact with an Ignihyde student. I wouldn’t even know where to go from scratch.” Really, Eli cannot express how much of a weight has been taken off their shoulders with this alone.
“We should still check the library for more information though. If my theory is correct, then diabetes does exist in this world, but has been all but eradicated with the resurgence of magic.” Crowley nods in agreement.
“We should get going. Classes are starting soon, which means the campus will be nearly empty. This way you can learn the layout and the quickest way to find myself, Sam, or your professors.” Eli nods, following Crowley out of the dorm, carrying a once more sleeping Grim. They can’t even blame him, yesterday was a lot.
Wait…
“Uhh, Crowley?” Eli asks. The Headmage turns around in lieu of responding.
“Do you happen to have a spare set of clothes I can have?”
~
They approach Main Street, where each of the Seven is displayed proudly through statues. Eli and Grim look at them in awe, they’re awe-inspiring. If Eli didn’t know their stories, they’d believe that these seven were truly heroes.
“Ah, the Great Seven. If you know songs from their time, you must be familiar with them, yes?” Eli nods, not looking away from the statues.
The Queen of Hearts, Scar, Ursula, Jafar, the Evil Queen, Hades, and Maleficent. To think that, if the plot armour is as thick as they believe it to be, they’ll be facing each of them as Phantoms… It’s terrifying. They can’t afford to think about that, though. Not until they get their diabetes sorted out.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I have to take this. I’ll be one moment, Eli.” Crowley picks up his phone, and Eli can hear Crewel snapping through it, frustrated about something. Eli feels bad, not wanting to stress the man out any more than he already is, but they need insulin to survive.
“Wow, so this is Main Street, huh? This is incredible!” Grim cries, jumping from Eli’s arms and bounding around to look at the statues up close.
“I didn’t get to see it much yesterday. What’s the deal with these seven statues? All their faces look pretty scary… Like, this lady over here looks like she’s got some real anger management issues!” Eli has to laugh at that. Grim hit the nail on the head, but he doesn’t know that yet.
“You don’t know the Queen of Hearts?” No.
Notes:
I love Ace, but if I were to ever actually meet him, I think I'd strangle him. We barely even meet him here, I just want to let everyone know for future reference!
Chapter 5
Summary:
A charred queen, and the introduction to one of our favorite idiots! Also, more magic!
Notes:
I'm trying to do the same thing I'm doing with my BOTW fic, and only post as a treat if I have been writing, but I'll probably fail at that... Anyways I want to hit one Ace Trappola, but he's just a teenager and I can't hit kids I'm twenty
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“You don’t know the Queen of Hearts?” No.
“Queen of Hearts? Is she some kinda big deal?” Please, gods above take mercy on them.
“She was a queen who lived in a mazelike garden of roses long, long ago.” Eli doesn’t hate him, they really don’t. They just wish that the plot wasn’t progressing before they got their shit figured out. They should have known that Crowley suddenly getting a call was a little too convenient.
“She was a strict woman who prized order above all. She wouldn’t tolerate a rose being off-color, or her playing-card soldiers being out of step.” Eli turns, shoulders tense, and finds Ace and Grim conversing politely. They know it’s short-lived, they do, but why couldn’t this have waited a week or two?
“She basically ruled over a kingdom of madness, but not one of her subjects dared to defy her. You wanna know why?” Grim nods excitedly.
“The punishment for breaking a rule was immediate decapitation!” The cat cries out in surprise.
“That is seriously messed up!” Ace grins, pleased with Grim’s over-the-top reaction.
“Pretty cool, right? I’m a big fan. I mean, who would bother to obey a queen that was nice all the time?” That’s when Eli feels the need to step in.
“There’s a difference between nice and kind. My name is Eli. I believe I am a first year student here, but the Headmage never told me. It would make sense for my knowledge of magic, but for my age, I should probably be a teaching assistant or something if he needs to justify me staying here.” Eli extends their arm to shake Ace’s hand. He looks skeptical, not having expected them to step in, but eventually shakes their hand.
“Name’s Ace. I’m a first year student here, as of… today! Pleased to meetcha!” Grim, not wanting to be left out, cuts in.
“I’m Grim! I’m a prodigy who is planning to be, like, the breatest mage who ever lived. Eli’s my far less interesting hench-human.” Eli nudges Grim with their foot, knocking him off balance with a yelp.
“‘Eli’? Huh, name’s got a nice ring to it.” Eli stays silent, watching for the moment Ace is going to flip on them. Grim, however, doesn’t pick up on Eli’s hesitance.
“So tell me, Ace. Is that lion with a scar in the eye a famous ruler too?”
Eli listens, standing back and watching as Ace explains each of the Great Seven to Grim. They sigh, wondering how even they were caught off guard when they played through this scene in the game. Ace is a troublemaker at heart, even when he means well. Right now? He doesn’t mean well at all.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Ace asks after explaining Maleficent to Grim. Eli tenses, knowing what’s coming next.
“Not like some piddling weasel.”
~
“Come on, you’re the ones who turned orientation into such a fiasco, right?” Eli has half a mind not to step in, but they know that their lack of action will only spur Crowley into more of a rage later. That doesn’t mean they have to step in right away, though. As is, Grim is currently chasing Ace around Main Street. Not only has Ace insulted Grim’s pride, but his human too? The ginger is dead .
“You’re both so clueless you don’t even know who the Great Seven are. Not a one of them!” Honestly, Ace is digging his own grave here.
“Maybe before you try classes, you ought to take a second crack at kindergarten?” His laughter only fuels Grim’s rage. A menacing growl escapes the cat’s mouth, sharp teeth bared and ready to latch onto Ace as soon as he catches him.
“I mean, I knew something had to be wrong with you when you didn’t show up to classes today!” Okay, they’ve had enough.
“ You try having autism and two chronic illnesses then! I’m sorry that I’m waiting for medicine and technology that will stop me from dying !” Ace stops in his tracks, suddenly looking guilty as he stands right in front of the Queen of Hearts statue.
“Grim, no!” It’s too late. Eli tackles Ace, saving him from a blast of blue flame released by the enraged cat. The fire luckily goes by without so much as a singed hair, but it does hit the Queen of Hearts statue dead-on.
“No!” Both Eli and Ace shout.
“What is going on here?!”
~
This is awful. How are they going to fix this now? Eli wracks their brain for answers. Maybe they can try singing again? That seemed to work last time something needed fixing. The problem is that this may be a little out of their expertise. The only song they know does anything so far is Human Again , and all that did was animate cleaning supplies. What song could possibly fix things?
“Headmage, let me fix it,” Eli begs. Crowley merely holds up a hand, giving them a look that says: later .
“Did I not warn you, ‘no more incidents’? It’s almost like you want to be expelled!” Ace’s eyes widen.
“No! Forgive me!” Crowley’s glare silences the Heartslabyul first-year.
“And you, Eli. You were specifically told to keep Grim under control!” Eli feels fury rise within them quickly.
“And you were told that there are things I need to live, Crowley. You don’t see me hounding you about those, do you? In face, had you not left Grim and I here, Ace never would have gotten the chance to bother us here!” Eli fires right back. Crowley’s eye twitches below the mask, but Eli doesn’t back down in the slightest.
“I am stressed out here. I can’t eat anything with carbs for fear that I will throw up and pass out, and I can’t not eat because what if I have a seizure? There’s no way to check if I am going to, either! I haven’t eaten anything other than jerky in over twenty-four hours because I’m too afraid to do so without insulin or a way to check my blood sugar, so I’m sorry if monitoring Grim has been the least of my problems when I fear for my life !” Crowley is silent, and so are Ace and Grim. Suddenly, Crowley turns away from Eli, facing Ace and Grim.
“I will take care of them for the time being, Eli. In the meantime, I expect you to figure out how to fix this. I trust you already have an idea, but feel free to call for help from Crewel, Sam, Trein, or the contact labeled Vanrouge.” With that, Crowley hands off his phone and Eli is left alone, facing the smoke-stained statue of the Queen of Hearts. She is more terrifying when she isn’t a cartoon.
It’s obvious that Crowley doesn’t want other people to know about their magic, but why? Is it because of what the Dark Mirror said? Everyone heard that, though. Either way, they’re thankful for a bit of privacy when attempting this since they have no clue what they’re doing.
“Salagadoola… Mechicka boola… Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo…” They keep their voice small intentionally, and they wait for something to happen. When nothing does, they close their eyes, continuing the song.
“Put them together… and what have you got? Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.” A peek at the statue shows that it is slightly cleaner than it was before, a completely clean spot peeking through in the center of the mess.
“Salagadoola, mechicka boola. Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. It’ll do magic, believe it or not. Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.” More of the statue is clean, and where it’s clean it looks more pristine than the unaffected parts. Eli continues to sing, feeling less and less silly as they sway around, unable to stand still as the song plays in their mind. They’ve never been able to stand still when music is involved anyway.
“... Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!” The song is done, and not only is the Queen of Heart’s statue clean and new-looking, but each of the Great Seven’s statues looks like the day they were carved.
“That’s amazing, Little Imp! Good job!” Eli flushes, embarrassed that anyone saw that. They turn around to see Sam standing there, eyes gleaming in awe.
“They all look like new! How did you do that?”
“The same way I cleaned Ramshackle’s Lounge, I guess? I just sang a song that came to mind… Nothing special.” Sam shakes his head, slinging an arm over Eli’s shoulder and leading them toward the main building.
“No, it is special, Little Imp. Your magic is probably the most special my friends and I have seen in years, and they knew the Shadow Man himself! You’ve got a gift. Now, let’s go see what kind of punishment Grim and little Trappola got, hm?” Eli laughs, shaking off their embarrassment. They feel lighter, somehow, and they nod.
“Let’s go.” They walk for a little while, smiling as Sam prattles on about some of the new things his shop has to offer this year. Eli isn’t sure if Sam knows he’s doing it, but offering something to listen to, some one to listen to, is taking their mind off of everything they still have to worry about.
“Hey, Sam?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime, Little Imp.”
Notes:
I actually adore Sam, he's one of my favorite NRC staff, if not my favorite. He and Crewel are kind of tied at the moment.
Chapter 6
Summary:
Diabetes and an encounter with the resident stalker!
Notes:
So I'm trying to update everything I can today since I don't have rehearsal tonight... wish me luck!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“ What were you thinking? Either of you?! Do the pair of you have two brain cells to rub together between you, because I’m not sure you do!” Upon entering Crowley’s office, he alerts Eli that they were waiting for them to proceed with deciding the verdict of their punishment. Especially since they cleaned up the pair’s mess. Given that they already know what the punishment is, and they’re sure that Crowley is catching onto the fact that they know more than they’re letting on, this is both a blessing and a curse.
“Listen well, Trappola. You too, Grim and Eli. As punishment for today’s infractions, you are hereby ordered to wash a hundred windows!” The outraged cries of both human and cat have Eli stifling their laughter.
“Is this funny to you, henchman?!”
“You’re not out of this either!” At Ace’s words, Eli raises an eyebrow, glancing at Crowley for help.
“Actually, due to extenuating circumstances, Eli will be there to make sure the two of you are behaving. They are not allowed to help. You will meet in the cafeteria after class. Are we clear?” Crowley says, stern in his orders.
“Yes sir,” Ace mopes.
“Good. Now, if you would give Grim, Eli and I some privacy to discuss an urgent matter, I urge you to return to the class you were skipping, Mr. Trappola.” Ace leaves with his head hung low, and Eli almost feels bad for him. Almost.
“He’s going to skip. Also, why are we hiding my magic? Is there a point to this?” Crowley sighs, leaning back in his chair.
“Has Grim seen you use magic yet?” The cat shakes his head before looking at his human in offense.
“You’ve never done magic around me, Human! Why?” They shoot the cat an apologetic look, smiling wryly.
“Usually random singing isn’t exactly smiled upon. I don’t understand why, though, I was just told that as a kid. Besides, where I come from, those songs are just that, songs. There’s no magic associated with them outside of the movies they come from.” Eli’s explanation only spurs Grim’s questions on further.
“What does singing have to do with your magic? Why don’t you have a pen? Is that why you don’t have a pen?”
“Grim–”
“Am I not good enough to show your magic to, Human? Do you not trust me? Why are you hiding–”
“Grim! When I sing, things just happen ! I sang two songs that are apparently very old in this universe, and both times, magic took over! I don’t know what these songs do yet, but I know a lot of them. I do, however, know that apparently, this is ancient magic and that for some reason Crowley wants to hide it.” Eli, having grown incredibly frustrated, is shouting by the end of it.
“Prove it!”
“No!” Eli and Crowley shout at the same time. The Headmage sighs, his face in his hands.
“You are right, this magic is incredibly ancient. Other than that, we are hiding your magic so no one tries to take advantage of you, do you understand? There’s a reason many of these songs have been lost to time, and it is because they are dangerous.” Eli nods in understanding, looking down at the cat in their arms.
“Maybe I’ll show you when we go to clean the dorm tonight, but not out in the open. I promise, I’m not hiding it from you out of everyone on this campus.”
~
Eli walks Grim into the Cafeteria, having spent all day with Crowley in the library. They needed a break anyway, if the way their back popped when they stood was any indication. Grim whines the whole way there, only slightly placated by the promise of tuna for dinner after he’s done.
“I’m already exhausted from all that readin’. I can’t believe I still gotta wash a hundred windows!” Grim cries, digging his claws into Eli’s shirt. They wince, prying Grim off of them and looking him in the eyes.
“Try to learn from this experience. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” The cat crosses his front legs like a human would cross their arms.
“What’s buggin’ me is, Ace ain’t even here yet! To make us wait, after what he did…” Grim growls, mouth lighting up with promise of a fiery tantrum to come.
“Let’s just give him a moment, hm?” They do give him a moment. Several moments, in fact. Uncountable numbers of moments were given to the Ace of goddamn hearts. Grim’s glare is deadly, and fixed directly on Eli.
“...”
“...”
“I knew he was gonna pull this shit. Fine, go get him. I have to call Crowley anyway.” They pull out the Headmage’s phone, finding Crewel’s contact. He better be with him if he knows what’s good for him. Eli might not know what the songs do, but one of them has to hold some form of attack, right?
“Ah, Eli. I was just about to call you! Divus is nearly done with your insulin, and I called in a favor with Ignihyde and got the blood testing kit modified to check for glucose levels. We should test to see if it works. Do come to Professor Crewel’s classroom.” Not even letting them talk, Crowley hangs up the phone. Great. How are they supposed to find the classroom if they’ve never been in the school?
~
“I hope you know that by doing this you have taken me from the duty you assigned me, Crowley!” Eli flings the door open, finding that this is a different potions classroom, one occupied by students. All of which whip their heads around to find a stranger standing there.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I don’t know which one is Professor Crewel’s classroom. I’ll just… get out of your hair, then. Sorry for interrupting!” Eli closes the door quickly, heart pounding as they lean into it, hand over their chest and eyes squeezed shut.
“That was nerve-wracking. I’m going to kill Crowley!”
“Why do you want to kill the Headmage?” Eli jumps, not realizing they weren’t alone anymore. In fact, they open their eyes to see Trey Clover and Rook Hunt standing there, looking concerned and intrigued respectively.
“H-Hi! Sorry, I didn’t realize that there were club meetings today, I thought they didn’t start until later!” Eli explains, talking with their hands.
“Did you say you need help finding Professor Crewel? I believe he’s a few doors down, working on a project that he needed some privacy for. Something about a new student’s medicine,” Trey explains. Eli nods, thankful for the information. They begin to walk that way, but Rook stops them.
“Professor Crewel said he needed to be unbothered, Gardien du Chant,” The blonde says, eyes far too knowing for his own good. Eli feels their heart stop. They never took French, but they can reason out what “gardien” means… If Rook already has a nickname for them, then there’s no way he hasn’t been stalking them. They’ll have to be more careful.
“The medicine is for me, and I was told it just needs testing. Thank you for the warning, but I need this to live.” With that, they’re off. Eli practically sprints away from Rook, ignoring Trey’s further concern. They don’t stop until they’re in the classroom, practically slamming the door as they allow themself to catch their breath.
“Are you alright, Eli?”
“Rook Hunt… He knows… something…” They pant, sliding to the floor.
~
“Alright then, should we test your blood sugar first before we attempt any insulin?” Crewel asks, unsure of what the proper procedure is. Eli nods, taking the kit from the table and nearly crying when it works, displaying a prominent 373. Their sugar is more than a little high, but that’s to be expected after going so long without any insulin whatsoever.
“Okay, so for this, I would normally get three and a half units, which should be about… This much, according to the books Crowley and I read. It usually takes about half an hour to kick in, so I should probably stay with one of you until then, just in case.” Crewel nods.
“As if I was going to let you out of my sight. This is new to me, and I don’t feel comfortable with just letting you go quite yet. Now, where do you normally inject it?” Eli points to the back of their arm. Crewel cleans the spot, waiting for it to dry before injecting the insulin into Eli’s arm for them. It hurts, but from what Eli could tell, the syringe Crewel is using has a bigger needle than what they’re used to dealing with.
“In the future, thinner and shorter needles tend to work as well.” Eli says, voice wobbly. It’s then that they realize that their entire body is shaking from fear.
“Are you alright?” Crowley asks, coming up next to Eli. They nod.
“I’m just afraid of needles… I always have been. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.” They miss the look Crewel and Crowley share above their head.
“Hey, you know I was pulled away from watching Grim, right? If I remember correctly, he chases down Ace, but that’s supposed to be with me. I don’t know what he’s doing now. Oh, and Ace skipped his punishment, just like I said he would.” Crowley curses, fleeing from the classroom in search of the two troublemakers.
Notes:
So... Rook knows something (does that mean Vil knows? who knows? not me) and I am absolutely looking forward to playing around with that!
Chapter 7
Summary:
Boys will be menaces.
Notes:
This whole fic is really going to be me and Ace fighting, I can see it now. He's going to do stupid shit, and I am going to tell him he's doing stupid shit. The dynamic I am looking for is the same one me and my sister have, where we will try to kill each other and then share skittles ten minutes later.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When Crowley returns, he’s dragging three students with him. Grim, Ace, and Deuce. Eli expected this, but did not know that the plot would continue without them. Maybe it’s because they’re actually treating Grim like he has feelings and not as some random monster?
“I’m about to expel all three of them, but I fear that legally Grim must remain by Eli’s side. We’ve already submitted the application, and until it is either accepted or denied, we are to treat Grim like Eli’s familiar.” Crewel’s lips twitch up in some sick form of amusement and annoyance combined. Eli can’t even blame him for such a reaction, Grim is a handful on a good day.
“Headmage, please! Give me a second chance! I can’t get expelled from this school! I need to be here!” Deuce cries. Eli has to pity him a little bit, knowing what they know. Especially when he offers to pay for the damages.
“It’s gonna cost at least a billion thaumarks, Deuce.” Eli receives a few odd looks for that, not that they can bring themselves to care at the moment.
“You don’t seem surprised by this development, may I ask why?” Crowley asks. Eli sighs.
“I don’t think you’ll believe nor appreciate my answer, Crowley. It’s the same reason I’m not afraid of you, and why I know everyone’s names. I’ll explain later, but for now, I think I need to take a trip with three idiots to the Dwarfs’ Mine.” Their words shock the room into silence. Honestly, they know that they just gave them more questions than answers, but they, again, cannot bring themselves to care.
“Now let’s go, idiots. We have a magestone to replace.”
~
“I’m worried about them, Dire. Eli knows far more than they’re letting on.”
“I know, but they’ll tell us in time. All we can do is help them with their magic until then.”
~
Eli practically drags their idiots to the Mirror Chamber, not having any of their whining after the stunt they just pulled.
“Man… How did I end up in this mess? I swear, I have the worst luck,” Ace whines, shoulders slumped and head hung low.
“You played stupid games and won stupid prizes. Angering Crowley is the stupid game. Let me worry about that from now on. Now, I’m confident that we’ll get this done, but that requires that you three listen to me. Follow my instructions, and we might just survive.” Eli’s words leave little room for argument, but Ace still finds it.
“Why should I listen to you, you’re the reason I got into this mess!” Eli stops, practically feeling the steam come out of their ears as they whip around, backing Ace up into the wall.
“No, Ace Trappola. You are the reason you got into this mess. You were the one to anger Grim, the one to skip your punishment, and the one who keeps pissing me off today. Now, if you don’t want to see the magic that Crowley is so intent that I hide from the general public, behave .” When no further arguments are heard, Eli steps back.
“Now then, to feign ignorance, how does the Dark Mirror help us travel again?” They ask, looking to Deuce for help.
“Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarfs’ Mine!”
~
As soon as their vision returns to them, Eli sees the Dwarfs’ cottage isn't far down the path. It’s dark outside, and they can’t help but feel a sudden sense of dread. They know how this plays out, but they also feel like warning any of them of what’s to come would only prove harmful in the end.
“There’s the mine, let’s get going,” They order, leading the group. As they get closer to the cottage, their sense of dread grows tenfold. It’s hard to ignore the devastation that occurred in order for the Seven Dwarfs to have abandoned their home like this. They recall the movie, when the house was lively and bustling with eight people running amok.
“Look, I can see a house,” Ace’s volume makes Eli wince, and they shoots him a withering glare, “Let’s see what the people have to say.” They reach out to stop Ace from getting any closer, but the boy is too far already. He knocks on the door, only for it to fall clean off its hinges. Ace shrugs, entering the abandoned cottage anyway, and Eli sighs, following him in.
“Hellooo? Is anybody home?” Deuce asks, not far behind. Grim slinks in behind him, immediately screeching.
“I got a spider web on my face! Get it off, get it off!” Eli bends down, scooping Grim up and helping him get the web off as Ace and Deuce explore the cottage.
“Look how tiny these desks and chairs are. Did children live here?” Ace asks.
“No, dwarfs did though,” Eli responds without a second thought.
“Dwarfs?” Deuce asks. They nod, explaining that the Seven Dwarfs were miners, hence the mine being called Dwarfs’ Mine. Eli, whilst still holding Grim, looks around aimlessly, eyes falling on a journal. They flip through a few pages, smiling upon seeing that it is Grumpy’s. The entire thing is filled with entries about the Seven Dwarfs’ days spent mining, including when Snow White herself appeared to them. In fact, the entries are nearly daily from there on out. That is, until the first death among the Dwarfs is recorded…
Doc.
After that, the entries are few and far between, each sadder and, well, grumpier than the last. The last entry, though, brings up some concerns.
This is my late entry, I feel.
Everyone is gone. Doc, Bashful, Happy, Sneezy, Sleepy, and Dopey. Even Snow White left us after a time.
I’m going into the mine today, I have to show them all that I don’t give up. Not on family. Our song isn’t the same when I’m alone.
I have to find something. Just one more. Then I can go.
“Fuck, it’s Grumpy.” Grim, who had thankfully been quiet while they were reading, makes a noise of confusion.
“What’s grumpy?”
“Nothing. Let’s get out of here.”
~
The entrance to Dwarfs’ Mine is dark and dreary. It’s wrong for it to be silent like this. Momentarily forgotten, dread returns with vengeance, making Eli’s heart pound against their ribs, trying to escape. They can feel it in their fucking throat, and it only seems to spur them forward.
“You wanna go inside there ? It’s pitch black!” Grim shouts, trembling a bit in Eli’s arms. They pet the cat to try to calm him down, and he emits a light purr.
“What, are you scared of the dark? Pathetic,” Ace snarks, looking proud of himself.
“Behave. Besides, Grim is right. We’ll never see anything in there.” Deuce taps his foot as he thinks, and Ace looks ready to say something rude again. That’s when Eli gets an idea, handing Grim to Deuce and walking toward the entrance.
“Huh? Hold up!”
“Human, what do you think you’re doing?!” Grim calls.
“That doesn’t seem like a good idea, Eli!” Their protests stop as Eli holds up their hand.
“Trust me for a second, that book I was reading gave me an idea!” They let out an experimental whistle, watching as a flicker of light is seen deep within the cave. So this song is magic too?
“Heigh-Ho!” They sing into the cave, smiling triumphantly as a chorus of voices echo back to them. Eli turns back to their idiots with a bright smile on their face. Of all the ways they thought this song would work, this wasn’t one of them.
“Stay close, I don’t know how long the magic will last after its cast.”
Notes:
This fic is going to be me embracing my song-fic bullshit (I've probably already said that) but we all know what's coming next (except I play fast and loose with lore) and I am looking forward to the feels :D
Chapter 8
Summary:
After the wild ride that was that afternoon, Eli and their boys make their way to Dwarf's Mine where they come across a startling revelation!
Notes:
Okay so since I'm on spring break maybe we'll get a few chapters out?
I'm a liar don't listen to me :)
Chapter Text
“Stay close, I don’t know how long the magic will last after its cast.” This earns Eli a few odd looks. They fully expected this, and take it in stride as they stare right back at the trio of boys.
“Aren’t you magicless?” Ace, ever the shit-starter, asks. Eli shrugs their shoulders with a smug grin, turning to face the entrance of the mine.
Ace, Deuce and Grim come up behind them, allowing them to lead them all into the cave. Eli goes as far as they comfortably can without starting the song. Once it’s too dark to see, they stop. The trio behind knocks into them, earning them complaints, but they quickly shush the boys.
“Grim, you wanted to see my magic, right?”
“Yeah, but didn’t the Headmage say–”
“I trust Ace and Deuce, even if Ace is pissing me off today. Now, get ready. I think I know what this song does, but I’m not sure yet.” No one sees the uneasy grin on Eli’s face, and that’s for the better.
“Song?” Ace and Deuce ask in unison.
“We dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig in our mine the whole night through,” They sing, a faint sound of metal against stone can be heard deep within the mine, going along with the singing.
“To dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig is what we like to do.” Anxiety creeps up as nothing happens just yet. They shake lightly, embarrassed and nervous all the sudden. This is why they don’t do shit like this. They’re going to be called weird and shunned and–
“It ain’t no trick to get rich quick, if you dig, dig, dig with a shovel or a pick,” They take a deep breath before the next part, trying to steady themself as Grim rubs against their leg, noticing their sudden anxiety.
“In a mine!” When an echo responds to them, much like it did before, they feel like they could cry. They would be tears of relief and pure joy.
“In a mine!” Another echo, and Ace and Deuce are so close to Eli now that they’re touching.
“Where a million diamonds shine!” Suddenly, from a deeper part of the mine, light begins to travel toward them. Upon closer inspection, it seems like the walls themselves are glowing. Gems glitter as they glow, and Eli watches in awe as the mine lets up gem by gem.
“I’m so glad that worked, but it took so long that time! The one I sang in the dorm was immediate, and the one I used to clean up the statue didn’t take that long!” Ace and Deuce, still at a loss for words, simply stare at them with open mouths.
“That magic is fucking ancient . That was the Dwarfs’ working song, right?” Deuce asks, looking somewhere between shocked and scared.
“I know it as Heigh-Ho, but you’re right. They sang this while working. If my suspicions are correct, then singing more of the song should turn the lights back out,” Eli explains, proud that they were able to reason this out.
“If not, then I don’t know how long the magic will hold, like I said before. I don’t know much about magic here, but even with what I do know, this is out of my range of knowledge.” Eli turns around, seeing the state of Ace and Deuce, and lets out laughter that shakes their entire being. It’s hilarious that they were able to shock them this much, and they’re very grateful to have been given the opportunity to see such expressions on their idiot’s faces like this.
“Don’t you two want to avoid expulsion? We have work to do!”
None of them noticed the stone above their heads turn almost pearlescent, its glow a warm and comforting light.
~
They’re pretty far down the tunnel when Deuce stops in his tracks, looking down a smaller tunnel that breaks off from the one they’re currently in. This mine is massive, so it’s no wonder that there are a million twists and turns inside of it.
“What’s up, Juice?” Eli has heard Ace call the blue-haired boy that a few times now, and each time it grates on their nerves.
“There’s something there…” Deuce replies, fear outwinning annoyance and pride in that moment. Grim stalks forward to investigate, and Eli remembers just a moment too late what comes next. Grim yowls, sprinting back to Eli’s arms and trembling as he deposits himself on their shoulder.
“G-GHOSTS!” Grim cries. They roll their eyes at his reaction.
“We live with some, why are you so– Never mind…”
“Visitors! The first in ten years!” One of the ghosts laughs, looking pleased with themself.
“Do make yourself at home… You can stay forever!” Why is this their life? What god did they piss off to bring them here? Ace and Deuce grab their magic pens, and Grim growls. Eli practically throws him, feeling sharp heat too close to their head for their liking. Spells fly left and right, and Eli has to watch in amazement as all three of them work not at all together, but still somehow accomplish the same goal, driving the ghosts away. When they finally have a moment to breathe, Deuce turns to Eli, confused.
“Can you not cats regular spells?” He asks. Eli shrugs.
“I haven’t tried. Magic isn’t something well-known in my world, if it even exists. I didn’t even know those songs did that until I started singing them.” He looks absolutely baffled by their response, as if the thought of magic not existing is so foreign to him that he can’t even imagine it.
“That’s alright, you’ve got The Great Grim to protect you, Human!” Grim cries, a smile on his face. Eli smiles tensely, not liking having to rely on someone else for protection like that.
“Let’s keep moving,” Deuce says. Eli nods in agreement, scooping Grim up once more.
“Sure, but don’t act like we voted you team leader. The only reason we’re here in the first place is because of that stupid stunt you pulled.” There Ace goes again, blaming everyone but himself for the trouble he caused.
“Oh? I’m pretty sure this all started because you tried to shirk your window-cleaning punishment!” Deuce snaps, rising to the bait.
“So, we’re bringing up ancient history now? Then if you wanna get down to brass tacks, this all started when that furball torched the statue!” Ace retorts, dodging the blame once more with a smirk on his face.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have made fun of me, then!” Grim jumps in.
“Stop arguing right now before I send all of you back and do this myself!” Eli shouts. Well, at least none of them seem to like that idea…
“...iiivvv… …oooouuu…”
“What the fuck is that?” Eli asks, forgetting everything about the plot they know in that moment and letting fear overtake them.
“Wh-Where’s that comin’ from?” Ace asks, eyes wide. His hands are shaking.
“...neeevvvaaa… …iiivv… …ooouuu…”
“Sounds like it’s getting closer!” Deuce says, gripping his magic pen tighter tha before.
“Stooonesss… Stooonesss aaare miiiiine!” Eli gasps as the Phantom is revealed, the inkwell it calls its head leaking profusely. It drips as it comes closer, slowly yet steadily for the time being.
“No one said anything about monsters! Let’s get outta here!” Grim cries, pushing at Eli’s leg to get them to move. They don’t move, almost caught in a trance as they stare at the monster.
“Grumpy…” They mutter under their breath.
“What?” Grim asks, remembering what they said back in the cottage.
“That’s Grumpy. He’s one of the Seven Dwarfs that housed Snow White. He’s… He never died…” The realization almost has them losing what little food they’ve consumed, and Grim looks to them in concern.
“That thing’s super creepy! But didn’t it just say something about ‘stones’?!” Ace cries. Eli nods, eyes never leaving the Phantom’s form. They get an idea, but no one is going to like it, or even hear them out as they all try to pull them away from the scene. Eli tries to stand their ground, and the resistance gives the Phantom enough time to attack, swinging his pickaxe and barely missing Eli in its path. Ace yanks Eli’s arm, bringing them to his chest and out of the way as Deuce uses a wind spell to push the Phantom back. Eli looks up at Ace, thankful for his quick thinking before they’re pushed behind him. Ace steps forward, helping Deuce drive the thing away enough for them to escape.
The Phantom emits an enraged roar, but luckily stays not far from the mine itself. They stop around the Dwarfs’ cottage, and Eli rushes inside the building, almost like they’re looking for something. They find a bucket, giving their concerned companions a wry smile before puking into it. Deuce rubs their back as they heave again, and Ace and Grim stand nearby, ready to help if need be. Eli recovers, giving all of them another tense smile before apologizing.
“What’s got you so worked up like this?” Ace finally asks.
“That’s not a monster, that’s a Phantom. Grumpy, one of the Seven Dwarfs, overblotted, and because no one was around to help him, it’s been using him as a physical form. Take it from me, don’t overblot. It’s not worth it.” There’s a long stretch of silence before anyone speaks again, each of them thinking about the bomb Eli just dropped on them.
“I knew overblots were bad, but this?” Deuce asks. Eli nods solemnly.
“We have to help him, Grumpy didn’t deserve to go this way.”
“WHAT?!” The air is suddenly filled with three different voices protesting the mere idea of going back into the mine, but Eli shakes their head.
“I told you that I know we get through this, didn’t I? Trust me here.”
~
“Absolulely not. You are not going to draw him out, end of discussion.” Ace snaps. Eli narrows their eyes at the boy.
“It’s the only way we’ll get him out long enough for one of you to take him by surprise. We need to get Deuce to bury him in cauldrons. I don’t know if we can take him out completely, but what we can do is incapacitate him long enough to get the magestone that was behind him and get out.” They explain shortly.
“I don’t like this, Human. You don’t know any offensive magic, what happens if it attacks you?” Eli sighs. They’re not getting it, are they. They stand, grabbing the book they were reading earlier and flipping to the last page, pointing to a certain line.
Our song isn’t the same when I’m alone.
“This is how I know it’ll work. Grumpy will recognize the song. I’m not going to use words, just the tune, so the magic itself shouldn’t activate. I have a feeling that this kind of magic needs the incantation to work.” Eli looks to each of them, and while still looking apprehensive, none of them are arguing anymore.
“I don’t like it, but I’ll trust you for now. You know how your magic works better than we do.” Deuce says, looking Eli in the eye. They nod, sure of themself in this moment. It has to work, there’s no other option.
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll take the pickaxe that’s over there?” They offer the other two.
~
Eli walks up to the mine’s entrance, humming Heigh-Ho as loudly as they can manage. They hear the sloshing of ink, moving to whistling the tune. They watch as the light of the mine becomes brighter for a moment, and the Phantom emerges, looking straight at Eli.
“Hooow dooo yooouuu… knooow thhhaaat sssooong?” The Phantom asks, its distorted voice sending chills up their spine. They continue to hum instead, not answering the Phantom at all as Ace and Grim slink past, leaving Deuce behind the Phantom, ready to attack.
“Get ‘em, cauldron!” Deuce calls. The Phantom roars as it is trapped beneath the heavy iron object. Logically, Eli knows that Grumpy wouldn’t have had much trouble with just one.
“Try a few more, Deuce!” They call. They dodge a swipe from the Phantom’s arm, watching as it becomes trapped beneath another cauldron. A third one lands on the floating tail-like part of the Phantom, leaving only its head and a single arm free. That should hold him for now.
“Nailed it! The plan’s workin’! Look, the monster got smashed flat by a falling cauldron, just like Ace did!” The ginger-haired boy huffs in response to Grim’s exclamation.
“Coulda done without the reminder, thanks!”
“Quick, we need to get that magestone!” Deuce cries, running ahead with Eli. The two follow them quickly, rushing deep into the mine.
“Waait! Nooooooo!”
Chapter 9
Summary:
Talks are had after trauma is shared... What's TWST without a little trauma bonding though???
Notes:
I'm going to be so real I am trying to make myself not feel bad about not updating until I get this major paper done so an early update it is!
Chapter Text
“That’s it! That’s a magestone!” Deuce cries, pointing to a glowing rainbow stone. Eli uses the pickaxe on their shoulder to dislodge the stone from its rocky confines, laughing happily when it's free. The others make similar triumphant cries. They rush back toward the mine entrance, afraid the Phantom will corner them inside.
“Dooon’t tooouch thaaaaat!” The Phantom screeches.
“Looks like it’s nearly wriggled free!” Ace remarks.
“Hey, Deuce! You gotta add more weight!” Grim calls. Eli sighs but nods anyway. If they’re not strong enough to defeat the Phantom, they have to at least contain it.
“Y-You mean something heavier?” Upon seeing more nods, Deuce readies his magic pen once more.
“Uh… I summon thee, cauldron! And also, uh… Um… Another cauldron! And a cauldron on top of that! All the cauldrons!” Eli winces in sympathy, it must be painful under there. The Phantom’s pained cry alerts them as much.
“Is that the only thing you know how to summon?!” Ace asks, incredulous.
“Pipe down already! I’m worked up enough as it is!” Ace is about to shout back at Deuce when Grim cuts in.
“We got the magestone! Now let’s get outta here!”
“MYYY STOOOOOOONE!” All four of them whip around to see that the impossible has occurred.
“Are you kiddin’ me?! It’s still coming! It pushed off all that weight!” Ace shouts.
“Ooooooooogh…! Give it baaaaack…!” The Phantom demands, lunging for Eli, who’s holding the stone tightly. Deuce pulls them down the trail, away from the swipe, but the Phantom is gaining on them quickly.
“It’s too fast! It’s about to catch us!” Deuce calls, looking behind them.
“We’ve weakened it! If we strike now, maybe–” Eli is cut off by a fiery blast from Grim hitting the Phantom dead-on.
“Aw, fine! Let’s just smash the thing. Try not to wet yourself, Deucy!” Eli cringes at the crude wording.
“Same to you, Ace!”
“I’m gonna show you why they call me Grim the Great!”
Eli watches as the three of them fight, but not as chaotically as before. This time, they seem to work together, fighting as hard as they can. Where one of them fails, the other two cover, and when one is attacked, the others defend. It’s a very welcome sight, and Eli is so proud of their boys already. By the time the fight is over, all three of them are sporting some minor injuries, but nothing that can’t be patched up back at the school. They’re all panting as they come back to Eli, Grim jumping into their arms as Ace and Deuce use them for support.
“Hey, you guys did great today, I’m proud of you all.” Ace snorts at their wording, and Eli gives him a look.
“What? It’s not my fault you talk like you’re so much older than us. What are you, our mother?” Eli nearly pushes him off of them for that. He doesn’t deserve the praise anymore, they’re going to rescind it on the spot.
“Well, I am older than you, so there.” Deuce, not sensing how tense this conversation is making Eli, adds to their misery.
“By what, a year?” They wince, a wry smile on their face as they respond.
“Try five?”
“YOU’RE TWENTY ?!”
~
They’re almost to the Dwarfs’ cottage again when they remember something. How could they forget this so easily? It’s literally a major overarching plot point!
“Hey, Grim? Did you find any weird stones when the fight was over?” Eli asks. Grim grins, pulling the blackened stone from somewhere Eli wants no part of knowing, and proudly shows it off. They scratch it right from his paws, earning an outraged cry from the cat.
“What was that for?!” He demands, reaching to take the stone back.
“ This is crystallized blot. I am handing it over to Crowley for safekeeping. I know that you think it smells good, but if you eat this, you could actually turn into a monster. You don’t want that, do you?” Grim looks scared at the thought. Good, maybe he’ll take it seriously then!
“I– B-But I don’t wanna hurt anyone!” Eli smiles gently, all sternness falling away.
“That’s good, I’d hate to have to withhold tuna when we get home. Monsters don’t eat tuna.” They say, a cheeky grin forming immediately.
“No tuna?! I’ll never become a monster! Never ever !” Grim says, sounding so sure of himself that Eli believes him wholeheartedly.
“Good! Now, can we stop in here, Professor Trein will appreciate seeing Grumpy’s diary in person, and I need it for something later.” Not even questioning it anymore, they let Eli grab it. They thank them profusely, promising to hurry up. While in there, they also put the pickaxe back, and pull out Crowley’s phone, which he has yet to take back. Upon unlocking it, they see many frantic messages from Crewel and Sam.
Sam: Please tell me you didn’t go to Dwarfs’ Mine, Little Imp
Sam: That place feels like death
Sam: My friends say that you don’t want to face whatever’s in there, Little Imp!
Sam: Please answer, you’re scaring me!
Divus: I told Sam where you went when he asked, and now he’s freaking out.
Divus: Sam informed me about some dark entity in the mines, return to campus at once, I will deal with Crowley myself.
Divus: You’re not even seeing this, are you?
Divus: If you’re dead, I’ll murder Crowley in cold blood, don’t think I won’t.
Well, at least they know they care, right? They quickly send back that they are alive, and that they should meet them in Crowley’s office when they get back to campus.
Sam: Crewel and I are already here, Little Imp. We’ve been here since you left.
Divus: We are checking your blood sugar when you return, and I have some food waiting for you.
The sentiment brings tears to Eli’s eyes, but they don’t allow them to fall, not wanting to worry the injured members of their party.
~
“We’re back, Crowley!” Eli shouts, flinging the door to his office open and absolutely beaming as they see a plate of food there for them. Their stomach rumbles audibly, and Deuce pushes them toward the food, taking the magestone from them to hand to Crowley.
“Pardon?! You’re telling me you actually went to the Dwarfs’ Mine in search of a magestone?” Ace, Deuce, and Grim look at him as if thay don’t understand just how crazy this was, as if the three of them aren’t actively being treated by Sam and Crewel for their injuries.
“I didn’t expect you to seriously do it, and never in my wildest imaginings did I think you would actually return with a magestone! And here I spent all evening preparing your expulsion documents…” Crowley trails off, looking at the magestone sitting on his desk.
“Are you serious?! While we were fightin’ some crazy monster for you, you were expelling us?!” Grim cries.
“‘Monster?!’” All three authority figures ask, suddenly frantic.
“Oh yeah, you should have seen it! Eli was able to distract it, and…” They tune out the explanation in favor of munching on the meal before them, wiggling happily in their seat.
“Hmmm… So a mysterious monster was living in the mines–”
“Not a monster, a Phantom.” Eli interrupts. Crowley looks at them, confused, so Eli elaborates.
“Do you want the crystallized blot to prove it? The book I brought in helps explain it, too. By the way, how do dwarfs do burials? I figured I could look in here, but I figured I’d ask anyway.”
“Sam, shut the door. This is not a conversation to be having when anyone can walk in.” The shopkeeper nods solemnly, getting up without another word. Eli sighs, time to face the music, they suppose.
“What gives?” Deuce asks, looking between Crowley and Eli.
“A conversation that is long overdue,” Crowley says, sitting back at his desk before asking, “How much do you know about our world, and why?”
Eli sighs, not sure how to go about this. If their suspicions are correct, Crowley is fae, which means he can tell if they’re lying. Not that they want to lie, but how much should Ace and Deuce know right now? They sit in silence, waiting for Eli to respond, but they can’t decide how to start this conversation. How do you start this conversation? What does one say?
“What if I said you’re all in a video game on my phone in my world?” Their silence speaks volumes .
“Okay, so obviously not everything is the same, but that’s how I know everyone’s names already, including Grim’s. This is how I knew you wanted us to go to the Dwarfs’ Mine. Hell, this is how I know what that black stone is! By the way, do not let Grim eat that, I’d like to stay as uninjured as possible.” Grim whines pitifully at the insinuation that he would ever hurt his human, but they have to keep going or they won’t get through this.
“In my world, the songs I know are from movies made for children, and you all are characters in a video game. Actually, I’ve grown extremely attached to each one of the students, and Sam and Professor Crewel are two of my favorite adults in this world. I know more or less how magic works here, but my magic is completely foreign to me. I’m not supposed to have magic. Also, I am fully exaggerating when I say I know everyone’s names, I mean just a few freshmen, an even smaller number of second-years, and every Housewarden and Vice-Housewarden.” There’s a shocked silence that follows this explanation, and Ace whistles lowly.
“That’s insane… Is that how you knew we’d live through the Dwarfs’ Mine?” Deuce asks. Eli nods, looking a little embarrassed.
“Wait, then why go at all? Why not just avoid the situation altogether?” Crewel asks. They shrug, which gets them a few odd looks.
“Why would I fight the main storyline? I’m already shocked that it didn’t pause when I was separated from Grim for so long. I thought the chandelier falling wouldn’t happen without me being there if I’m completely honest.” Crewel’s eyebrows furrow, but he asks no further questions.
“Now, can you please give me my insulin? I’m supposed to have it before I eat.”
~
“We managed to escape expulsion, that was a close one!” Deuce says, sudden excitement enveloping his being. Eli can’t help but agree. That conversation went over way better than they expected it to, especially given that they revealed that Ace and Deuce know of their magic now.
“Yeah, no kidding!” They bid the duo farewell as they step through Heartsyabyul’s mirror, sighing with relief when they don’t return. It’s not that they don’t like Ace and Deuce, but they can’t deal with them fighting all the time like that, it’s overstimulating. Once they’re back at Ramshackle, they’re out before their head hits the pillow.
Chapter 10
Summary:
Classes were supposed to start today... right?
Notes:
I actually adore this chapter so much and I'm sorry I'm late with it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The next day, they’re woken gently by Crowley and Sam. It’s almost noon, which makes Eli panic, but they quickly assure them that they agreed that they need another day before they begin classes, and that Grim has gone with Ace and Deuce for the day.
“I… I don’t understand,” They start, rubbing sleep from their eyes.
“We read through the journal you brought back, and were able to cross-reference it with a few of our history books. Do you want to be part of the dwarf’s burial?” Crowley asks. They jump up suddenly, scrambling to get ready to go. They want to lay Grumpy to rest personally, after all.
~
They step through the mirror with a sad smile on their face, leading Crowley, Sam, and Trein down the path and toward the Dwarfs’ mine with ease. The cottage looks much less scary in the daylight, the light filtering through the trees frames the building with a stunning glow.
“Grumpy was the last of the Dwarfs to die… He watched his entire family die, withering away to nothingness as they tried in vain to harvest the remaining diamonds. He was lost without them, you know? And he never really died, he just got absorbed by magic-hungry parasites…” Eli mutters, tears falling down their face as they go into the cottage, reamerging with a shovel and a pickaxe. They hand one to Crowley, the other to Sam, and continue down the path. Once they get close to the mine, the ink-stained body of Grumpy lay there, lifeless and cold. Eli freezes at the sight, hiccuping through sobs that wrack their entire body. Sam hands the Shovel to one of his friends, bringing them into his arms in a tight yet comforting hug.
“He died alone in there, well after the mine was closed…” They sob, burying their head in Sam’s shirt, leaving tear stains in their wake. Eventually, the group makes it to the mine, finding it still lit. Eli remembers now, they never finished the song. It’s a blessing in disguise, really.
“It’s okay, Little Imp. You helped him. He can rest now.” Eli can barely watch as Crowley uses his magic to lower him into the hole next to his family. They can just barely make out the names on the other burials. Doc, Bashful, Happy, Sneezy, Sleepy, and Dopey. There’s just enough room left for Grumpy, and as they cover him up, Eli puts his hat on top of his sign, letting it rest there.
“I guess… I guess I have to finish the song now, huh?” They ask, fighting back more tears.
“Considering we don’t know how much of your magic this used? I’m surprised it’s held up so well, actually,” Crowley says, looking impressed. Eli sighs, shaking their head. Crowley really can’t read a room, can he? They take a deep breath, trying to calm themself as they call out into the abyss that is the Dwarfs’ Mine.
“Heigh-ho!” They sing. Nothing happens for a minute, but when a quiet echo sounds through the mine, Eli feels tears fall once more.
“Heigh-ho!” They call, a resounding “heigh-ho” echoing back to them. They smile, eyes unseeing through fresh tears as they go to sing the next part, but find that they don’t need to. Seven glowing forms come tromping down the mine’s main shaft, singing the remainder of the song for Eli. Their eyes widen, breath caught in their throat as they watch each of the Seven Dwarfs marching and singing along together, smiles on every face but Grumpy’s. None of them move, apparently all able to see the scene before them. When the song reaches it’s end, the cave is dark minus the light emitted from the spirits of the Seven Dwarfs. Each of them stand over their graves, smiling at one another, except for Grumpy, who has a look of disbelief on his face as he stands in the middle of them. His frown breaks into a smile, which turns into a full-on sob as all seven of them hug.
“You’re here,” Doc says, looking at Grumpy, then his grave.
“Thanks to them, yeah I am.” It’s then that each of them, Crowley, Sam, Trein, and Eli, realize that these are not magical projections, but actual spirits.
“You’re… You’re real?” Eli asks, falling as their knees suddenly feel weak. Grumpy nods, looking at his family before looking back at them, a soft, uncharacteristic smile on his face.
“You saved me, you let me rest. You brought me to my family… You didn’t have to do all that, y’know? Not after I attacked you.” Eli shakes their head quickly.
“That wasn’t you, not really. You wouldn’t have tried to hurt us if you were still alive. Besides, it’s your journal that helped us do this,” They explain. Grumpy opens his mouth, but no words come out. Dopey bounces over to him, pointing above Eli’s head to a large, pearlescent stone that appears to still be glowing despite everything.
“Oh yeah, ain’t that one of them fancy magestones?” Eli’s head snaps up, confused to see its color is off. It’s not rainbow, or even grey like Grim’s. It’s also looks like it would fit perfectly in their hands when cupped, not in their palm like the other magestone was.
“They respond to magic, right? I think, when you sang our song, you were standin’ near this one, and it responded to you. It’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen activated like that, though. Why don’t you take it. I don’t exactly have another way to pay you back, and I don’t like having debts to pay.” When they look back to Grumpy, he’s whispering something to the other Dwarfs.
“We’ll even get it down for you, watch out!”
They watch, along with those accompanying them, as the spirits somehow manage to dislodge the large magestone, singing their song happily as they do. Using each other as step stools and ladders, they safely bring it down, nearly forming an assembly line to hand it to Eli, whose eyes are lost in the slight swirl of white light inside of it. It’s so pure… They don’t feel worthy of touching such an object, not really.
“Thank you for bringing me back to my family,” Grumpy says, walking back to meet the rest of the Seven Dwarfs at the grave site, standing over his own and looking at the others with pride. Eli merely nods, at a loss for words as they watch each of them dissolve into what looks like Pixie Dust. The mine is silent now, as well as dark. The only light in the room is the giant magestone Eli is holding in their arms.
“That certainly is the biggest magestone I’ve ever seen… Since it’s already been activated, there’s no sense in breaking it down into a pen either. Doing so risks deactivating it completely.” Eli holds the gem tighter to themself now, afraid of what could happen to it. They glare at Crowley, not liking his observations one bit.
“Well, there are people who specialize in this for a reason, no? I mean, look at each of us. Our magestones aren’t pens anymore. Sam, don’t you know someone who could fashion this into something for Eli?” The shopkeeper nods, suddenly excited about the possibility of such an important job falling to him.
“We can’t make the pieces too small, but I think if I call in a favor, our Little Imp could have a functional magestone by tomorrow morning! The question is, what form would you like it in? Is there something you’d like specially made?” Eli thinks for a moment, suddenly thinking of the funniest way to display their magic without telling a soul. Honestly, they were probably going to ask for one anyway at some point, since they are rather musically inclined without the magical aspect.
“Is there a way to make it into a tuning fork? One that can attach to a necklace, so I don’t have to worry about carrying it or forgetting it somewhere?” Sam laughs, wrapping an arm around their shoulders at that request.
“Bold, Little Imp! I like it! Consider it done!”
~
The walk back is pleasant, and Eli relays the entire story to Crewel over dinner in Ramshackle, when he’s giving them their insulin. They’re provided with a spinach salad, as well as a dessert that Crewel ensures them is gluten-free. It turns out that Trey’s family makes these things frequently, and it was no hardship to place an order for them to have some basic things stocked in their dorm’s fridge. Bread and sweets came directly from the Clover Family bakery, and the list of foods that are naturally gluten-free that Eli provided was used like a shopping list. Honestly, it makes Eli embarrassed that Crewel spent this much time ensuring that they had these things, but he assures them that it is no hardship to provide for a student in need. Besides, Sam was the one to place the orders, Crewel just put everything away.
“Human!” Grim cries, launching himself at Eli the second he lays eyes on them. Eli opens their arms, a warm smile on their face as the cat snuggles into their chest, purring rather loudly. Ace and Deuce are running behind him, trying to catch up. Both of them smile when they see them too, wanting to know how their day was. Crewel smiles, stating that if they need anything at all to contact himself, Sam, or Trein before trying Crowley, and leaves the first-years to their talk.
Maybe being here isn’t so bad after all…
They should have known nothing could ever be that simple.
Notes:
I hope this made you as emotional as it made me when writing it, if not moreso!
Next up is book 1! Tell me if I should end it here and break it up into different works or if I should just make this a monster fic please, I'm indecisive.
Chapter 11: Next Book!
Chapter Text
Hey guys! I decided to break this up into a series because I know I can get overwhelmed when I am reading a fic with a million chapters, so you should see that this is now part of a series under the same name! I hope you enjoy book 1!
DimensionEnby on Chapter 1 Mon 17 Feb 2025 03:30AM UTC
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