The next morning, Celeste opened her eyes to discover the three ghosts hovering at the foot of her bed. Gasping in surprise, she sat bolt upright in the bed.
“Aren't the two of you supposed to be off cleaning the school today?” The gaunt specter said, grinning at them. Grim stirred at her feet, squinting blearily at the ghost.
“Oh yes, we are! What time is it?” She asked, clambering out of bed.
“… You're really not scared of us, are you?” The large ghost looked slightly disheartened at her response.
Grim let out a yowl as he finally became fully awake. "Wha?! The ghosts are back! Why are you talking to them like it's totally normal?!”
“They're just people without bodies, Grim. It's not that weird.” She replied calmly as she tugged on her black hoodie.
“People without… Celeste, do you hear yourself?! Of course, it's weird!” Grim exclaimed as he shrank into the blankets.
“You're a strange one. So, you'll be living here from now on? I hope you like pranks as much as we do!” The thin ghost laughed, still trying to get a rise out of her.
“I only intend to stay here temporarily. I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you.” She spoke politely, and the ghosts exchanged glances.
“Whatta ya apologizing to them for?! THEY were terrorizing US!” Grim gawked at her in disbelief.
“They were here first, Grim. It was rather rude of us to barge in on them last night.” She pointed out, looking up as Crowley sauntered into the room without bothering to knock. Upon seeing him, the ghosts instantly dissipated.
“Good morning Celeste. Did you sleep well?” He smiled down at her as she smoothed down her hair.
“Not at all! The mattress fell right through the frame!” Grim griped loudly, hopping down onto the floor, as Celeste grimaced in silent agreement.
“I'm delighted to hear you've adjusted so well. Now, moving on, let's discuss your job for today. Today I'll have you focus on the area spanning from the front gates to the library. Now Celeste… I expect you to keep a close eye on Grim. I don't want a repeat of yesterday, understand?” He gave her a stern look after giving them their assignment.
“I'll try my best.” She sighed, hoping Grim would behave.
Celeste and Grim made their way to the front of the school. The street leading up to the main building was lined with seven stone statues. She started to pick up the rubbish on the ground while Grim admired the sculptures. I used to be a squadron leader; she thought to herself bitterly as she plucked trash off the walkway.
“This lady here looks like she's had some real anger issues,” Grim said, examining a statue of a rather larger woman with a crown on her head. Celeste started to snap at him for dawdling about when a young man sauntered up to them.
“You don't know the Queen of Hearts?” He asked, looking down at Grim. He had fiery orange hair and bright red eyes. A red heart symbol was painted over his left eye.
“Neither of us are from here,” Celeste explained, leaning on her broom as she walked over to them.
“She was a queen who lived in a maze-like garden long ago. A strict woman who prized order above all. She wouldn't tolerate a rose being off-color or a card soldier being out of step. The punishment for breaking a rule was immediate decapitation!” The boy spoke with an impish grin.
“Woah, that's seriously messed up!” Grim said, his fur standing on end.
“Pretty cool, right? I'm a big fan. I mean, who would bother to obey a queen who was nice all the time?”
“Whatever happened to doing things in moderation…” Celeste murmured, glancing up at the statue. Angels were just as severe with their laws and carried them out just as ruthlessly. She had gotten off lightly in the end, most likely because of her social status.
“Puttin' that aside… Who are you?” Grim inquired, staring up at the fluffy-haired boy.
“Name's Ace. I'm a first-year student here. Pleased to meetcha!” Ace responded with a smirk.
“I'm Grim! I'm a prodigy who's plannin' to be the greatest mage who ever lived!” Grim declared puffing out his chest.
“I am Celeste… Just Celeste.” Celeste spoke in a slightly subdued tone.
“Celeste? Huh. Name's got an odd ring to it.” Ace contemplated her curiously for a moment before Grim started talking again.
“Hey, what about the lion with the scar?” He said, waving his paw at the lion statue.
“That's the king of beasts who ruled the Savanna. But he wasn't born into the throne – he had to earn it through hard work and elaborate schemes. When he became king, he decreed the hyenas would be pariahs no more and should live among his subjects as equals.”
“Sounds like a great guy!” Grim said, as Celeste felt a mixture of emotions stir through her. How had that gone over with the king's subjects? Could angels and mortals one day come to an understanding like that? Most mortals were unaware that angels even existed, seeing them as legends. While the angels saw mortals as nothing more than insects crawling on the ground.
Grim moved on to the next statue. “Who's the lady with the octopus legs?”
“That's the sea witch. She basically devoted her life to helping troubled merfolk. They say she was so good, there was no wish she couldn't grant. They also said the price was steep, but of course, it was. I mean, she was granting wishes!”
“Wishes…” Celeste murmured, remembering back in the old days it was angels that had granted wishes.
“Do the guy with the hat next!” Grim appeared to enjoy learning about the statues.
“That's the sorcerer of the sands. He was an advisor to a sultan. He exposed a swindler who was trying to trick the princess! After that, he got a magic lamp and became the greatest sorcerer in the world. They say he used the power to become sultan himself!”
“What about this pretty lady?” Grim hopped over to the next statue of a tall woman in a flowing dress and a crown.
“She was a queen who was the fairest in the land. She used a magic mirror every day to check. If her position was threatened, she'd do anything to keep it. She was also a master at making poisons!”
“Geez. She's pretty, but that sounds kinda scary.” Grim stepped back, seeming surprised that someone so beautiful could be so cruel.
“All that over looks? Isn't it rather foolish to pine for your reflection?” Celeste shook her head in disapproval.
“You're one to talk. You don't have anything to worry about in the looks department.” Ace said, peeping under her hood. She drew back and tugged her hood down as she abruptly turned her head away.
“That guy there, the one with the flaming head, now THAT guy's scary!” Grim said, ignoring their exchange.
Celeste gasped when she recognized the next sculpture. “That's Hades, king of the underworld.” She answered, stepping up to the figure.
“Oh, so you've heard of him? He may look scary, but he worked tirelessly at a tough job he never asked for. I mean, this guy was ordering Cerberus, Hydra, and the Titans into battle for him.”
Celeste frowned. She had met him when she was a small child briefly, but from what she could remember this was certainly a strange way to describe Hades. She and her brother had accompanied her father in presenting a pegasus foal to Mount Olympus in the Celestial Realm when she was a child. Hades had been there to celebrate the birth of his nephew. He had been a smooth talker with a bit of a temper.
"And who's this last one with the horns?” Grim's question brought her back to the present.
“That's the thorn fairy. She was noble and elegant, and a master of magic and curses. She commanded storms and covered the kingdom with thorns – she could use magic on a massive scale! She could even turn herself into a dragon. Pretty cool, huh? Not like some piddling weasel.” Ace sneered at Grim, revealing his true intentions from approaching them.
Grim gasped as Ace began to mock them. Celeste straightened up from her slightly bent position. She'd been leaning on the broomstick due to her injuries bothering her.
Ace let out a laugh. “I can't hold it back anymore! You're the ones who turned orientation into such a fiasco, right? The girl summoned by the dark mirror unable to use magic, and the monster who wasn't summoned at all.”
“H-hey! You don't have to be a jerk about it!” Grim responded defensively while lashing his tail.
“In the end, neither of you got admitted, and now your janitors? SO, lame!” Ace clutched his stomach, no longer able to stifle his laughter.
“Don't you have somewhere else to be, child?” Celeste growled, losing her patience.
“Child? We're the same age, aren't we? Who are ya calling a child?! You guys didn't even know who the great seven are! Maybe before you try getting into the academy again, you should take a crack at kindergarten!" Ace became defensive at her remark.
Grim looked like he was about to fly off the handle again as he bristled with fury. “Grim. Ignore him. Don't let him win.” She warned him, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Grim erupted into flames causing Ace to let out a yelp of surprise. “No one makes fun of Grim, Master of fire!”
“You wanna throw down, shorty? You've got some guts!” Ace huffed, using a wind spell to blow away Grim's flames.
A small crowd of students gathered around them, excited at the sight of a fight.
“That's ENOUGH, you two! You're causing a scene!” Celeste shouted at them, but they both ignored her causing her to let out a hiss of frustration.
Grim unleashed another volley of fireballs, which Ace deflected. Unfortunately, the fire was diverted directly onto the statue of the Queen of Hearts, charring it black. Both Ace and Grim gasped in horror when they realized what they'd done, freezing in place.
“What's going on here? Cease this at once!” Crowley shouted, forcing his way through the crowd of students. Both Ace and Grim tried to escape, but the headmaster halted them with a crack of his whip.
“As if the likes of you could flee from me!” He growled, crossing his arms.
“Did I not just warn you, 'no more incidents'? And now you've gone and charred one of my statues?! It's almost as if you WANT to be expelled!” Crowley thundered furiously.
“No! Forgive me!” Ace pleaded, sounding panicked.
Crowley whisked around to scowl at her. “And you Celeste! You were specifically told to keep Grim under control!”
“I sincerely apologize, sir.” She replied, bowing her head.
“This will not do. You state your name and grade.” Crowley demanded, glaring at Ace.
“Ace Trappola… Freshman.” Ace answered glumly, his shoulders slumping.
“Now listen… As punishment for today's infractions, you are hereby ordered to wash a hundred windows!” Crowley ordered sternly glaring at the three of them.
“Gah! This is all your fault!” Grim accused Ace, lashing his tail.
Ace gave the Headmaster a stunned look. “What? I have to do it too?!”
“Of course you do. You will meet in the cafeteria after class. Are we clear?” They exchanged glances and nodded at Crowley's instructions.
After a long day of cleaning, Celeste and Grim went to the cafeteria to meet Ace. Grim was grumbling about how unfair it was, and she cast a sharp look down at him. She was incredibly sore from her injuries, and a day of cleaning hadn't helped. Now she had to clean a bunch of windows WITHOUT flying, aka the hard way.
“Try to learn from this experience.” She hissed at him as he shrugged her off before glancing around the cafeteria.
“Ace ain't even here yet! To make us wait after what he did…!!” Grim fumed as he sat down at a table.
They waited a while longer before exchanging glances. “He ditched us!” They cried out, simultaneously leaping to their feet.
“Let's go track him down.” She growled, stalking away.
After finding the classroom empty, they tried to head him off at the dorm entrances. Fortunately, catching up to him just as he was about to step into the hall of mirrors.
“Where do you think you're going, young man?!” she called out to him sharply.
“Wh…?! Aw, crap!” He spun around, his face filling with dread when he saw them.
“Stop right there! Wait!” Grim hollered at him as he made a mad dash for the mirror, shoving one of his dorm mates aside.
“Hey! What gives?!” the boy with black hair shouted as Ace blew past him.
“Please stop him!” She cried out to him, desperately pointing to Ace.
The boy blinked, looking bewildered as she and Grim rushed up to him.
“Y-you want me to cast a spell to stop him? W-what kind?”
“It doesn't matter! Anything!” She spoke frantically, not wanting Ace to get away.
“Anything, huh? I summon thee… Something heavy!” He waved his magic pen and an enormous cauldron appeared over Ace, landing directly on top of him right before he could step into the mirror.
Ace yelped as he was pinned underneath. She grimaced, maybe it HAD mattered. Grim let out a laugh as Ace shoved off the cauldron with a grunt.
“That's what you get!” Grim sneered at Ace as he staggered to his feet.
The boy seemed surprised at his own spell. “A cauldron?! I may have overdone it this time…”
“What are you guys bothering me for?! You guys could have banged out those windows yourselves!” Ace said, glowering at the three of them.
“A hundred windows? With Grim who isn't even three feet tall?! After the Headmaster ordered you to help?!” Her voice grew more enraged as she went on, her injuries were aching, and her temper was unusually short.
"You have to wash those windows as a punishment? What the hell did you do?!” The other boy gawked at Ace, his eyes wide.
“I was just messing with that furball a little… Okay, the statue of the Queen of Hearts got a bit charred. Sue me.” Ace grumbled defensively with a shrug.
“No wonder the Headmaster flew off the handle at you! How did you manage to get into trouble on the very first day?!” The other boy exclaimed, glancing at her.
“Well anyway, thank you… Um…” She trailed off, not knowing his name. He had neatly combed black hair and blue eyes. Over his right eye, he had a spade symbol painted on his face.
“Oh, I'm Deuce. Deuce Spade. What's your name?” He peered curiously at her, trying to get a better look at her beneath her hood.
“I am Celeste. I'm not a student. I'm only here temporarily.” She replied, emphasizing temporarily.
Ace let out a sigh as he gave in.
“Alright, let's go bang out those windows… Huh?”
She stiffened, realizing that Grim was no longer next to her. She whirled around and spotted his pronged tail receding down the hallway.
“I'm going to KILL him!” She spat as the three of them gave chase.
They pursued him all the way to the cafeteria and started closing in on him now that his escape routes were blocked. Grim leaped onto one of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and proceeded to mock them. She cursed under her breath, wishing she could strike him down with magic.
“H-hang on! I'll think of something..." Deuce assured her looking around. "… Hm, I need something to grab him.” Deuce glanced over at Ace and smiled, pointing his pen at him.
"What are you doing?!” Ace gave him an uneasy look when he saw the expression on Deuce's face.
“I'm going to launch you.” Deuce declared, preparing to cast his spell.
“W-wait, are you sure you know what you're doing?!” Celeste cast him a dubious look as he sent Ace up in the air. Ace let out a yell and flailed around in a panic.
“Ace! Try to keep balance in your core! Don't panic!” She attempted calling out some flying advice to him. Back in the celestial realm, aside from being a warrior, she also taught young angels how to fly.
“What do you know about flying?!” Ace snapped at her, still struggling.
“Grab him and hold him tight,” Deuce instructed Ace, sending him soaring towards the chandelier. However he did so too quickly, both Ace and Grim shrieked as Ace crashed into it, bringing down the entire chandelier with him.
“Oh no! Ace! Grim! Are you alright?!” She dashed up to them with Deuce on her heels. Ace and Grim clambered to their feet, looking sore but otherwise unharmed.
“I probably should have softened your landing…” Deuce said with a grimace.
“YOU. THREE. AGAIN. What have you done this time?!” They all reeled around to see Crowley storming into the cafeteria, looking livid.
“First the statue, now the chandelier?! Enough. All of you are expelled!” He roared, waving his hand.
“What?!” Ace and Deuce cried out in unison, sounding horrified.
“But, sir! Deuce was merely trying to help!” Celeste tried to defend Deuce, but Crowley shook his head.
“You mean how he helped shatter the chandelier?” Crowley fumed, narrowing his eyes.
“Headmage, please! Give me a second chance! I need to be here! I'll pay for the damages!” Deuce pleaded desperately.
“This is no mere light fixture. Its candles are powered by a special magestone, so they will burn for an eternity. A legendary artificer created it. It's been here since the school was built. Considering its historical value, I would estimate its worth to be no less than one billion thaumarks.” At the Headmage's words, the two boys went pale.
“A… A billion marks?!” Deuce sputtered. It must have been a lot of money for them to react in such a manner.
“B-but I'm sure with your magical talent, sir, you could snap your fingers and fix this right up!” Ace said hopefully.
Crowley shook his head. “Even magic has its limits. Its magestone is cracked. A magestone cannot be easily replaced.” He pointed to a crystal at the center of the chandelier that was virtually shattered.
“What am I going to do?! What am I going to tell my mother?!” Deuce sounded like he was about to have a panic attack as his breath quickened.
Suddenly, Crowley looked up with a thoughtful glint in his eye. “Ah! There may be one way. The magestone that was used to power this chandelier was mined in the Dwarf's mine. If you can get a magestone with the same properties, it may be possible to repair it.”
“Then I'll go find one! With your permission, sir!” Deuce leapt at the chance.
“I should caution you that there may be no stones left. The mines closed a long time ago, and all the magestones were likely mined.” Crowley warned him, but he didn't back down.
“I'll do anything to avoid expulsion, sir!” He insisted, puffing out his chest.
“Hmm… Very well then. I will suspend your expulsion for a single night. If you don't have a magestone by morning, you are all expelled. You can get to the dwarf mines through the dark mirror.” Crowley said with a nod. Deuce thanked him, and they scurried to the mirror chamber.
Stepping through the mirror, they found themselves in a dark forest. The sun had just set, leaving their surroundings dimly lit in the soft moonlight.
She was forced to pull back her hood, so she could see properly as they headed for the mine entrance. The entrance was located on the side of a mountain and appeared as if it hadn't been used for quite some time.
“You wanna go inside THERE?! It's pitch black!” Grim flattened his ears, looking at the entrance nervously.
“Grim, if you're scared, why don't you use your fire magic to light the way?” She suggested, looking down at Grim.
“Wha-! I'm not scared of anything! I'm taking the lead! You all follow me!” He huffed, puffing out his chest as he marched inside. He summoned a small blue flame to light their path as they followed behind him.
As they proceeded down the dimly lit tunnel, Ace and Deuce kept stumbling and tripping over loose stones.
Apparently, a human's night vision wasn't particularly good, even with Grim's flame.
Ace swore in frustration, glaring at Deuce. “We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for that stupid stunt you pulled!”
Deuce scowled back at him. “Oh? I'm pretty sure this all started because you tried to shirk your window-cleaning punishment!”
“So we're bringing up ancient history now? If you really want to get down to it, this all started when furball torched the statue!” Ace shot a glare at Grim as he felt his way along the side of the passage.
Grim quickly whipped around to scowl at Ace. “Maybe you shouldn'ta made fun of me then!”
“Alright boys, listen. You're about to be expelled, remember? It might be a minor inconvenience for me, but for you, it's a big deal, yes? You should concentrate on the task at hand.” Celeste chided them, and they turned to her with confused expressions.
“A minor inconvenience? Don't you want to go to this school?” Deuce seemed bewildered by her response.
“Oh no, I arrived completely by accident. But I'm quite far from home and needed a place to stay temporarily.” She explained, halting as a strange noise echoed off the walls from further down the passage.
“Hey, where are you from anyway? You have kinda a weird accent.” Ace inquired curiously, but she promptly shushed him.
“Wait, I can hear someone…” she said, peering down the tunnel and spotting a shadowy shape sliding towards them. She felt a wave of negative energy wash over her as it got closer, causing a chill to run down her spine.
“Wh-where's that coming from?” Ace stammered, sounding spooked, still unable to see what was approaching.
The dark entity moved closer, mumbling. “I really hope that's not what I think it is.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Sounds like… It's getting closer…” Deuce's voice shook as the phantom drifted into the firelight.
“Stooonesss… Stooonesss aaare miiiiine!” The phantom growled its shadowy form dragging a pickaxe behind it. Grim let out a shriek and darted back behind them, crouching in fear.
“What is that?!” Deuce cried, taking a step back.
“It's a phantom! Get back, they're dangerous!” She shouted, backing up. Just a splash of its black muck would burn her skin if it touched her.
“Let's get outta here!” Grim yowled, preparing to flee.
“Wait! Didn't it say something about stones?” Ace stopped in his tracks.
“Stooonesss… Nevvva give stooonesss!” The phantom rumbled as its black ooze dripped onto the ground.
“So there ARE still magestones here!” Deuce said, perking up.
“Even as a master sorcerer, I… I don't think I can take that thing down!” Grim squeaked, trembling behind them. Celeste had never felt so utterly powerless. Usually, she had no problem taking down a single phantom but without her magic or sword…
“We need a magestone, or we'll be expelled! I'm going in!” Deuce declared before charging forward.
“Are you outta your mind?!” Ace shouted at him.
“Deuce, you don't know what you're dealing with! It's too dangerous!” She shouted after him, but he ignored them.
The phantom roared at Deuce, swinging its pickaxe. Deuce wasn't fast enough to fully block the blow, and it sent him sprawling out onto the ground with a thud. Ace rushed to help him, but was also thrown aside.
That's when the phantom noticed her, looking at her intensely. “Shinnness… Soooo… Briiiightly. MUSSST HAAAVE!” It lurched in her direction, forgetting about Ace and Deuce.
“It's coming this way!” Grim shrieked in panic, hurling fireballs at it to no effect.
While the phantom was preoccupied with her and Grim, Ace spotted something glinting in the wall a little way further down the mine shaft.
“Hey, something is sparkling in the mine shaft!” Ace exclaimed, pointing at the magestone sticking out of the wall.
“Ugh!” she cried out as she blocked a blow from the phantom with a collapsed wooden beam. She winced in agony as the black ooze burned into her pale flesh, and she felt the wounds on her back reopen.
Realizing that she was struggling, Ace and Deuce hastily came to her aid, blasting it with spells. She was able to get the phantom off her, but only just.
“We should retreat for now!” She shouted as they helped her to her feet, nodding in agreement. They sprinted out of the mine. Luckily, the phantom didn't pursue them.
They stopped next to a small stream in front of the mine, trying to catch their breath. She immediately tore off her black hoodie, which was now covered in the burning black ooze, tossing it aside and plunging her arms into the icy water to wash them off.
“What did you say that thing was? Nobody said there'd be anything like that!” Ace turned to her, his scarlet eyes wide.
“It was a phantom. They are made up of negative energy of sorts.” She explained, taking her hands out of the water. The burns weren't terrible, only slightly red.
“Why was it so focused on you? H-hey, are you hurt?!” Deuce noticed the superficial burns on her arms.
“Oh, this is from that black ooze. It burned my skin a little, but it's not too bad.” She tried to reassure him, but he frowned.
“How come it didn't burn me and Ace?” Evidently, some muck had spattered onto them as well, with no effect. The ooze didn't appear to be as toxic to humans as it was to angels.
“O-oh, I must be sensitive to it…” she answered, restlessly rubbing her arms.
Ace sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Let's just quit and go home. I'll happily take the expulsion if it means never having to fight that thing again.”
Deuce's head jerked over to glare at him. “What?! No! I'd rather die than get expelled from Night Raven! How can you give up when the stone is right there?”
“If you want that stone so bad, go get it yourself. I'm out.” Ace huffed, shaking his head.
“OH YEAH?! Fine, go back to your coop, you big chicken!” Deuce yelled, squaring his shoulders and clenching his fists.
“What?! Who are you callin' chicken, huh?” Ace spat back at him.
“Deuce did you… Just turn into an entirely different person just now?” Grim gawked at Deuce's shift of attitude.
Deuce coughed nervously and tried to relax. “Sorry… I lost my cool for a second.”
“If we worked together, it would be possible to defeat the phantom.” She suggested, thinking up a strategy. However, she would require their magic to execute it.
“No way! He'd get me killed!” Ace said casting an accusatory glare at Deuce.
“Like it'd be a treat to work with you?!” Deuce shot back at him.
“I have a plan, but you will have to cooperate for it to work.” She explained, and Ace scoffed at her.
“Like some kinda buddy move? You always say the lamest things with a straight face, Celeste.”
"There's no way that I could work with him.” Deuce huffed, crossing his arms.
“Yeah, but… Gettin' expelled on the first day… That's pretty lame, too. Maybe lamer.” To her surprise, Grim backed her up.
Ace and Deuce exchanged glances before turning to her with a hesitant nod. “Alright Celeste, what's the plan?”
"I know of a type of magic circle that can destroy the phantom. I'll draw it in front of the mine entrance. Grim, I'm going to need you to lure it out. I'll stay by the circle since it's attracted to me. Once it's inside, Ace, Deuce, you will need to recite a spell."
"Alright, so all we gotta do is say a couple of magic words? Sounds easy enough." Ace said, regaining some of his confidence.
“Yes, however, the magic circle needs a special ingredient to activate. I have to draw it using my blood." Celeste said and the boys blanched at her words.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Ace exclaimed, backing away.
"W-What kind of spell is this?!" Deuce stammered his eyes wide.
"The kind that's used in emergencies. Now the words are tenebras expellit et hostes. Do you think you can remember that?” She asked, the two boys flashed at each other anxiously before nodding.
“What about the blood?” Grim squeaked up at her.
“Ah… I reopened some scratches earlier when we were in the mine. I'll use the blood from that.” She turned around and revealed her wounded shoulders causing them to all gasp.
“HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LIKE THAT?” Ace practically shouted, gaping at the bleeding wounds on her back.
“I had a bit of a… Fall, before I arrived at Night Raven.” She replied, looking at the ground.
“You should go to the infirmary! That looks bad.” Deuce choked, his eyes filled with concern.
“I heal quickly, trust me. Back to the matter at hand. I'll get started on that circle.”Celeste walked over to the mine entrance and started tracing the magic circle using her blood. After she finished, she turned to them to give the go-ahead. They all bore uneasy looks on their faces.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Grim squeaked, looking petrified.
“Yes, I'm certain.” She assured him with a nod.
With her reassurance, Grim shuffled over to the mine entrance on trembling legs. “H-hey, monster! I'm uh… I'm over here!” He called out into the gaping hole, his voice echoing off the walls.
There was a rumble as the phantom ran surging out of the mine. “He's coming your way, Celeste!” Grim yowled, dashing past her.
The phantom immediately lost interest in Grim catching sight of her. She backed up, trying to lead it into the circle without messing up the lines she'd drawn.
“Sssooo… Briiight.” The phantom hissed as it entered the circle reaching out for her.
“You guys! Now!” she yelled, and Ace and Deuce started reciting the spell.
“tenebras expellit et hostes!” They called out in unison and the circle flashed. A shining light engulfed the phantom, causing it to shriek as it disintegrated into black goo.
“I… I can't believe that worked!” Ace stammered, astonished, as he watched the phantom melt into a puddle.
“Celeste, are you alright?!" Deuce ran up to her and she nodded.
"Yes, thank you, Deuce. Let's retrieve the stone so you can give it to Crowley." Celeste replied and they went back into the mine where they had spotted the stone earlier. Deuce grabbed a hold of it and, after a few pulls, wiggled it free.
Leaving the mine behind them, Ace paused to stare down at the black puddle as Celeste carefully stepped around it. “Is it… Over?” He glanced over at Deuce holding the stone in his hands.
“I think… we won? I think we did it!” Grim exclaimed, jumping up and down with elation. The boys rejoiced together, giving each other high-fives. Celeste smiled as they came over to give her a high-five as well.
“It seems this experience has made us friends!” She grinned at them. Deuce and Ace immediately drew back, scrunching up their faces.
“I dunno if I would say, friends…” Deuce grumbled, glancing at Ace.
“Yeah! Spare us the clichés, Celeste!” Ace agreed with Deuce, and Celeste's face fell.
“Do… You not want to be my friends?” She asked, feeling put out. Part of the reason for hiding her identity as an Angel was so that mortals wouldn't be scared of her. Perhaps the spell she had used had unnerved them.
“Huh? N-no, I didn't say that…” Ace said, a red blush forming on his cheeks as he suddenly could not look her in the eye.
“I don't mind being your friend, Celeste!” Deuce added quickly, talking over Ace. He smiled warmly at her and she perked up.
Ace rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at her sheepishly. “Y'know… I hate to admit it, but… We mostly won because of your freaky spell.”
“Yeah… If you hadn't kept your cool and told us what to do, we never would have gotten this magestone.” Deuce nodded in agreement. “Now I won't get expelled. And wow, is THAT a relief!”
“I'm just glad no one got hurt.” She gave them a relieved smile but Ace frowned at her.
“No one got hurt? Celeste, you're literally covered in blood.”
“Yes, I suppose we should go back. It wouldn't hurt to clean these cuts properly – Grim?!” She cut herself off when she saw Grim reach into the muck and pluck out a black stone.
Ace and Deuce turned to stare at him.
“Is that part of the phantom? It looks like a magestone, but it's black. I've never seen that before.” Deuce looked at the odd stone in Grim's paws.
“I… Don't know. Grim put that down. That stuff burned me, remember?” Celeste scooted further away from him as he sniffed the rock.
“Are you insane?” Ace exclaimed as they watched Grim pop the stone into his mouth.
“Eww! Gross! Spit it out!” Celeste cried, but he ignored her, appearing to relish the taste.
“Are you okay?!” Deuce asked, watching Grim gasp.
“That's what you get for eating trash.” Ace huffed.
“That… Was AMAZING!” Grim exclaimed merrily as they all ogled at him.
“Do me a favor and stay away from me for a while. I don't know what that stuff could do to me.” Celeste responded with a grimace.
“Come on, we should get this magestone to the Headmage. And Celeste needs to go to the infirmary.” Deuce said, leading them back to the Dark mirror.
Once on the other side, they were stunned to see Crowley about to leave. He looked just as surprised to see them.
“You… Actually, went to the mine?!” Crowley gasped, taking in their disheveled forms. He immediately recognized the magestone in Deuce's hands.
“Uh… Yes?” Deuce and Ace spoke at the same time, looking taken aback.
“I didn't expect you'd seriously do it. And never in my wildest dreams did I think you'd actually return with a magestone! And here I spent all evening preparing your expulsion documents.” Crowley gawked at them in disbelief.
“But you told them that you would let them stay if they returned with a magestone!” Celeste strode forward, concerned that he was about to go back on his word.
“Are you serious?! While we were fightin' some crazy monster, you were expelling us?!” Grim piped up, fuming.
Crowley did a double take when he saw the condition she was in. Blood was staining her backless tank top, and was smeared on her hands and arms. The lacerations across her back were now fully visible.
“OH MY! CELESTE! What happened?! Monster?” Crowley raised his voice in alarm at the amount of blood.
“Yeah! It almost killed us.” Ace responded with a glance at her.
“Oh, no worries, Headmage. The blood is from a wound I received the other night. It reopened during the battle.” She tried to reassure him but it appeared to have little effect.
Crowley groaned and shook his head.
“Come back to my office and explain to me what happened… And sign a liability waiver…”
Once in his office, they took turns recounting to him what had transpired at the mine. Ace mentioned the spell they had used, and Crowley eyed her curiously for a moment, before speaking.
“So there was a phantom in the mines and the four of you worked together to destroy it and then brought the magestone back to me?” Crowley stared at them in incredulity.
“Yes!” Celeste chirped, smiling cheerfully as the boys groaned behind her.
“I don't know if I'd call it working together,” Ace grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“We just happened to share the same goal at the same time…” Deuce added, trailing off and the Headmage abruptly erupted into tears, shocking all of them.
“S-sir?!” Celeste exclaimed, alarmed at his reaction.
“The day has finally come when the students of Night Raven College have joined hands to defeat a common foe!” Crowley choked between sobs. Ace and Deuce immediately voiced their disgust, but the Headmage continued.
“At this moment I'm moved beyond words. This incident has proven my hopes were justified. Celeste, my doubts are allayed! You possess the talents of a beast master!” He looked at her eagerly, his yellow eyes gleaming through his raven mask.
“Um, what do you mean by that exactly?” She asked, confused.
“The dark mirror has chosen my students for their exceptional skill and potential. But exceptional talent begets immense pride and big egos. Most are so self-reliant and self-centered that they never even consider cooperating with others. But you, Celeste, are unique. You seem to emanate kindness and humility. The exact opposite of the other students here. This is precisely what Night Raven College needs!” Crowley exclaimed passionately, throwing his hands down on his desk.
“Trappola, Spade- I hereby revoke your pending expulsions!” Crowley declared, and Ace and Deuce exhaled in relief. Celeste shot them a smile.
“Furthermore, Celeste… I am granting you the qualifications to attend Night Raven College!” Crowley beamed.
“WHAT?!” Everyone shouted, including Celeste.
“B-but sir! I was only intending to stay at most a week! And I am unable to use magic!” She lifted her golden shackles in front of her to make her point.
“Of course, this is extraordinarily kind of me. There is one condition. Your inability to practice magic is for a mage unacceptable. You could not pursue the curriculum. As for you, Grim… Your actions today have made it clear you have sufficient talent to become a mage. So, you and Celeste will share a single enrollment at Night Raven College.”
“I… I'll get to go to this school? As an actual student?” Grim choked, on the verge of tears.
“B-but sir! I can't stay- I shouldn't!” She sputtered as things quickly got muddled in her head. How would she hide the fact she wasn't human long-term? What if she became a target for hunters or demons? What if she corrupted? She had planned to remain on the move constantly to avoid these problems. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Grim latched onto her leg.
“NO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! Not now!” Grim's big blue eyes stared up at her, tears gushing down his cheeks. Despite her initial dislike of the small creature, she felt her heart melt.
“Well, I… Suppose I could stay a little longer.” She smiled down at him, and he immediately perked up.
“I will now present to Grim the magestone that is issued to every student here.” Crowley pulled out a purple stone affixed to a black and white ribbon, which he tied around Grim's neck. Grim bounced up and down with excitement.
“Celeste, as you can plainly see, Grim remains oblivious to the customs of human society. You are to keep a tight rein on him and ensure there are no further incidents!” Crowley warned. Celeste glanced down at Grim, who was rejoicing, not sure how to say she wasn't the best with human customs either.
Ace let out an impressed laugh. “Wow, that's quite the promotion. From janitor to student to prefect, all in the span of one day!”
Deuce nodded in agreement. “I see, if the dorm is just you two… And the headmage is putting you in charge of Grim, that makes you… The dorm prefect.”
“I'll do my best.” She replied, slightly apprehensive.
"Now Celeste, please go clean yourself up. You'll frighten the other students walking around like that." Crowley said and gave her directions to the infirmary.
To her surprise, Ace and Deuce accompanied her. Deuce hurriedly grabbed some clean towels and bandages, while Ace passed her a wet cloth to clean away the blood.
“Geez, Celeste. I can't believe you were walking around with these gashes like it was nothin'.” Ace frowned as he watched her clean herself off.
Deuce came up and gingerly patted her burns with a cool cloth. “Thank you… You could say that I have a high pain tolerance. I was fortunate the Night Raven carriage picked me up when it did, even if it was by mistake.”
“I'll say!” Grim huffed, trying to sound nonchalant, but he gave her a concerned sidelong glance.
“You should really take better care of yourself. These could have gotten infected.” Deuce spoke softly, helping her apply the bandages to her back.
“You seem rather good at first aid, Deuce.” She noted, giving him a curious look.
“I have some experience with this sort of stuff… Anyway, thanks for helping us even though you were hurt.” Deuce mumbled as a faint blush appeared across his cheeks.
“Yeah… Thanks.” Ace added, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
“You are most welcome.” She smiled at them as they finished applying bandages and headed back out into the hall.
Grim rejoiced in being finally admitted into the school, cheerfully waving his paws in the air.
“I'm gonna be the top mage on campus in no time! Enjoy eating my dust, boys!”
“Big words for a sentient pile of lint who's literally only half a student. Still… Good for you.” Ace smirked down at Grim, while Celeste chuckled at his comment.
“I guess we're schoolmates now. Grim, Celeste – welcome to Night Raven.” Deuce gave her a welcoming smile, which she returned.
“Yes, I suppose we are.” She felt a twinge of apprehension, which must have shown on her face.
“I know ya didn't want to stay, but it won't be so bad! After all, you'll be working with the great Grim!” Grim chirped, tugging at her pants leg.
“Yeah, why DID you want to leave so bad? I mean, where were you gonna go?” Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Ah… Well, that's a bit complicated. Let's just say I was hoping not to remain in one place for too long.” She answered carefully, earning an even more puzzled look from Ace and Deuce.
“It is growing late, yes? I think we should head back to our dorms.” She said, wanting to avoid this line of questioning.
“Yeah… Catch ya later, Celeste.” Ace said and left with Deuce, who gave her one last worried glance before disappearing out of sight.