(Heads up everyone, this chapter is dedicated to my good friend @anime_sweatheart45 for one of the characters that are in this chapter was inspired by her character in her wonderful story The Golden Flower in Wonderland.)
Lia soon snapped out of her daze when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. "Lia? Lia, are you alright?" Asked Theo, looking a bit concerned.
"Y-yeah just zoned out there for a moment," she assured him.
"Pika?" (Are you sure?) Pikachu muttered, worried.
Lia just smiled at him, "I'm fine Pikachu, don't worry."
"Yesh! That was really scary!" Cater sighed in relief that the 'worst was over.
"That guy really has some serious issues. Definitely needs to loosen up, like, a lot!" Grim states.
"Hey now, don't disrespect him!" Deuce scolded him.
"But he's not wrong, even if he's in a higher position than us. He still needs to tone it down a notch. Otherwise, it'll be slapped right back at him." Persian replied.
Suddenly, Lia and the others started to hear some of the other Heartslabyul students whisper to one another.
"Did the dorm leader leave already?"
"It looks like it,"
"What a relief, I broke rule number 186: One must never eat hamburger steak on a Tuesday; I don't know what I'd do if he caught me!"
"*Sighs* I wish he hadn't come here, I mean, I want us to eat lunch in peace and have the freedom to eat what we want."
"Well, so do I. I mean for real, are all these stupid rules seriously more important than us?" Ace questions.
Lia noticed that both Trey and Cater had sad-solum expressions when they heard the students. 'Judging by their looks, I'm guessing the rules that are enforced on their dorm isn't the main problem.'
"Well, it is his duty as dorm head of Heartslabyul after all." Theo pointed out.
"Right, Riddle managed to take on the responsibility of house warden, before the end of the first week after enrolling here at the school. I understand that he comes off harsh with his words and all. But it's for the sake of improving the dorm. He's really not a bad guy and his intentions are just to make the residents strong." Trey exclaims.
"Really? Would a guy with 'good intentions go around beheading people with magic suppressing callers?" Grim begrudgingly asks.
"He wouldn't have to do that you last time if you hadn't run amuck in the mirror chamber the other night and almost burned it down along with everyone else with it." Lia brought up, as a matter of factly.
"Pika/That's for sure," Pikachu and Persian agreed.
"What?! H-Hey! That caller really hurt you know! And it shut off my magic, that's considered rude!" Grim argued.
"Not as rude as you were that night," Lia uttered under her breath.
"Don't get cheeky with me!" Grim growled.
Theo, Trey, and Cater laughed a bit. Then Cater brought up a different topic, "Sounds like you guys are curious about Riddle's signature spell."
"Is it like, a spell that only he can cast?" Deuce asked.
"In a sense, I don't believe he's the only one who can do that but, do you recall your first lesson with my father? About how no one's magic is the same? Well, there's this magic called, 'Unique Magic. It's a type of special magic whose characteristics are based on and developed by the magic user's personality. Now, depending on the characteristics of the said magic, one's magic can seem a bit similar to the others. This is where the name, 'Signature Spell comes into play, generally speaking, it's typically unique to the user depending on how they use the spell and how they cast it. You'll soon learn more about that in class." Theo tells them.
"Yep, and as you guys have seen. Riddle's signature spell allows him to temporarily seal away one's magic. I'm sure you all can guess what the name is,~" Cater cooed.
"Oh, we remember alright, 'Off with Your Head!" Persian imitated, making Grim shiver.
"Gah! That kind of name sounds so psycho, just hearing it sends shivers down my spine." he cowered.
"Not going to lie, that name is pretty nerve-wracking. The first time we heard it I thought he meant it literately." Lia said.
"Well, to a mage, losing your ability to use magic is about as painful as actually losing your head completely. That's why we students of Hearslabyul try our hardest not to violate Riddle's rules." Cater tells her.
"So as long as you're following the rules and respecting them. Riddle won't seem as scary." Trey finishes.
"In other words, you guys are still not going to let me back into the dorm until I come back with a tart, right?" Ace deduced.
"Not really my say, but pretty much. That's what rule number: 53 states, so our hands are tied. Also, Riddle always looks forward to having the first slice of the tart. Soooo, if you really want him to forgive you, you'll have to get him a whole tart!" Cater says with a smile.
"Oh come on! What happened to "We're all from the same dorm, let's try to get along and all that?! Throw me a bone here!" Ace complains.
"That was one thing, this is another." Cater defended.
"Plus, this is your mess kid. So, you have to deal with it." Persian retorts.
"No one asked you!" Ace seethes at him.
"Isn't a whole tart a bit more expensive than a slice?" Deuce asked.
"It depends on what the tart is and how it's prepared," Lia tells him.
"Sounds like you know a thing or two about backing." Trey smiles at her.
"Well, my mother used to work at a small pastry shop in her childhood home. Eventually, she came up with some recipes of her own. She used to make the best chocolate creamed croissants."
"You do a pretty good job of baking yourself, Lia." Persian mentioned.
"I just know the basics, anyone can make good treats as long as they read and do the recipe right," Lia replies.
"Pika, Pika! Pikachu, pi!" (Not true! You make the best, most delicious mandarin orange custard tarts back home!) Pikachu proclaimed.
"That sounds interesting," Theo said.
"And yummy.~" Grim drooled, picturing the said pastry.
"Anyway, there's no way I can get him a whole tart. I don't have that kind of money on me." Ace said deflated.
"Why not make one instead? Trey here is the one who made all those other tarts after all." Cater happily mentioned.
"Huh!? Seriously!? Trey made them?! Nice! They were so good, I thought they came from a 'five-star bakery!"
"Making a new tart is less expensive than buying a new one." Lia thought.
"Ha, ha, thanks. But it's nothing. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without my little helpers." Trey says.
"Pika?" (Little helpers?) Pikachu asks.
But his question was ignored as Ace went straight up to Trey and asked if he could help him with making a tart. Well, more like he 'kissed up to him; making Persian and Theo roll their eyes at him. 'Oh brother,' is what Lia guessed what they were thinking.
Trey agreed to help, however, "Well, I was thinking of baking some more stuff for the party, and we do have most of the stuff you need,"
Ace beamed. "Really?! That's,"
"However, I'm not teaching you all this for free. I'm afraid I'm going to need a little something from you in return." Trey cut him off.
"Huh!? You're seriously gonna make pay?! What the heck!"
"That's not what he means, Ace." Lia said.
"Hmm?"
"She's right, besides, I would never rip off an underclassman. What I meant was, I was planning to make a Mont Blac tart next as per what Riddle wanted. In other words, I'm going to need you to gather some chestnuts for me." Trey exclaimed.
"That sounds more annoying and more of a hassle than buying a new tart!" Ace complained.
"Ace, he's already agreeing to help you with this. He's not going to do all the work, the least you can do is throw your own weight around in order to make this work." Lia glared at him.
Ace sighs in defeat, "Fine, how many of these Chestnuts do you need?" he asked Trey.
"Hmm, let's see, to make enough for a Merry Unbirthday party. I'll need around, two hundred to three hundred picked chestnuts." Trey says.
"Did you say about a hundred/Pikachu?!?!" Deuce, Grim, and Pikachu shouted in unison.
"Of course, after all, we're going to need that much in order to puree them. Though, we'll have to first boil them and peel all the shells off to do that." Trey explains.
"Yep, I'm out."
"Same for me." Grim and Deuce said, not wanting to take part in that.
"What!? You heartless jerks!" Ace seethed.
"Well, it is you're problem kid." Persian shrugged.
"No one asked you!"
"Now hold up, haven't you guys ever heard that homemade food tastes better when you make it friends? It'll become a memorable treasure! Or a chance for ya to be a cooking blogger wiz!" Cater exclaimed excitedly.
"No one's as enthusiastic about blogging as you are, Cater." Theo sighed.
"Anyway, don't tell Riddle or anyone else but, chestnut tarts are at their tastiest when eaten right out of the oven. And only those who experience that culinary privilege are the ones who make them." Trey adds.
"Really? Well then, when you put it like that, let's get to it and start baking!" Grim cheered.
"You sure change your mind pretty quick when it comes to eating the food." Persian deadpanned.
"But where do we find the chestnuts? Is there a nearby town with a market that sells them?" Lia asked.
"Even better, in the campus woods, there are plenty of chestnut trees where you can pick them. They're just behind the school's botanical gardens." Theo says.
"Alright, we have a plan set. Let's all meet at the gardens after last period." Ace suggests.
"Sweet! I bet we'll pick so many, we'll be up to our ears in chestnuts!" Grim smiled.
"Good thing you wont have to walk that far to get to the gardens." Theo brings up.
"What do you mean?" Lia asks.
"Your guys, last class, Miss Mac's Beastology class, her room is right next to the botanical gardens. Occasionally she teaches her lessons outside of the classroom. It's much easier for her that way when she brings living animals for her show." Cater says.
"Remember that hippogriff she showed us that one time when we were freshmen?" Theo laughed as he mentioned it to his fellow upperclassmen.
"Oh, I remember, especially that time when you freaked out when Mr. Clyde said that you could go on for a ride." Cater teased.
"I wasn't that spooked," Theo argued.
"Uh huh, you holding on to that thing for dear life said otherwise," Trey said with a smirk.
"Now I'm definitely looking forward to this class because I have no idea what they're talking about," Lia says to the boys and her Pokémon.
"I think you're gonna struggle the most in that class considering you don't know what ninety percent of what the animal and creature spices are in this world," Deuce replied.
"Oh, you'd be surprised with how fast this girl can learn," Persian said.
_______________________________________________________________________________
After lunch was over, the group went to their last class. However, when they got to the classroom, it looked very different compared to the other classrooms in the school. (See pic above for reference)
One side of the room looked like half of a greenhouse, with a variety of plants and creatures in big cages or terrariums. And the other side where the door was located, had bookshelves and cupboards. Lia counted at least twenty-five to thirty desks on one side of the room whereas the teacher's desk, along with a blackboard and such was one the other that looked like a small two or three-foot-tall stage.
"Whoa, it feels like we're not in the school anymore," Persian said.
"I'll say," Lia agreed.
"Pikachu," (That's how I felt when we were in Heartslabyul,) Pikachu mentioned.
"Hey guys," Ace called out. Getting the group's attention.
"What is it, kid?" Persian asked.
"You think that's real?" the redhead asked, pointing to a figure that was next to the teacher's desk.
To Lia's surprise, it was a creature that looked similar to a Ursaluna, however, it was a bit smaller and was pitch black with no mud-like exterior. 'I sure hope this class will help me.' she sighed, getting frustrated with not being able to know what it was.
"Hold the phone, is that a black bear!?" Deuce jumped.
Grim did the same thing, only literally, high enough to cling onto Lia's head. "Who in their right mind would keep a bear in the school!?"
"That bear happens tae be ma familiar, an A'd be quiet if A was ye, Mathe does not like tae be disturbed whan he's nappin." said a thick accent voice from behind the group.
It was a woman with wild curly red-ginger hair and had some freckles on her face. She looked no older then Madame Eva, but somewhat looked younger. She wore a long corset like green top above her white shirt, black jeans and armguards. And a few sapphire jeweled jewelry.
"Now hurry up tae yer seats, ye're aw blocken traffic juist standin like that." She waved them off, making way for the other students to come in.
The group did what she said, as did everyone else. As soon as everyone was seated, the woman walked up to the front of the class and introduced herself. "Alright, lads and lass. Welcome tae beastology, A'm ye're teacher, Mckenzie Dunbroch Crewel. But ye aw can call me Miss Mac. Here in this class, ye will learn aw ye need tae know about aw the animals and creatures that exist in this world. Most of ye may already know some, but A'm here tae tell ye, that what ye may already know is only the tip of the iceberg. Thare's a whole lot more tae know about the animal/creature kingdom thon whit ye may think isn't real, actually is."
"But before we get tae aw that, who can tell me what a familiar is?" Miss. Mac asks.
The class murmured with one another till someone raised their hand and answered, "They're pretty much an animal companion that follows you around, right?"
"Close lad, but not quite. A familiar is more than juist yer companion. They are also yer helper, in yer times of need. Yer partner in battle, for whenever yer back is up against the wall. Yer consonance, whenever ye are unsure of somethin or if somethin is not right. But most of aw, yer best friend wha ye can count on and will always be thare for ye."
'They sound no different than a trainer's Pokémon.' Lia thought.
"Now, if ye want tae get intae more detail. Thare is a difference between regular animal familiars, like Trein's cat, Lucius; and magical familiars, like ma Mathe here." Miss. Mac said, pointing to her bear at the end.
"Wait, he's not just a black bear?" Ace questioned.
"Nope, in ma hometown. Mathe here is what we call a 'guardian bear. Magical bears have mystical abilities tae not only tae protect their lands but also their sleuths. Anyway, the difference between the two, is that regular animal familiars are juist smarter than average animals thon are greatly loyal tae their masters. Now, magical familiars, not only do they do what A'v mentioned before. But they also stay with ye, for the sake of balance with yer magic."
"What do you mean by that Miss. Mac?" asked a voice Lia briefly knew.
Slightly looking over her shoulder, Lia found that it was Epel that asked.
"Glad ye asked lad. Well, dependin on the magic user, a magical familiar can use their magic tae help their owner should their magic be too little or too much. The same is said vice versa." she tells him.
Deuced raised his hand. And Miss Mac pointed to him. "Ay?"
"So, if a mage has too much magic, their familiar can take away that said magic to heal the said mage. And that magic can balance the familiar's magic should they have too little?"
"Ay, an as A'v says. It works vice versa ower. And through their bond, thare is one more thin that makes magical familiars different."
"What's that?" Lia asked this time.
"A magical familiar requires a magical contract. And A don't mean a contract that ye juist simply write on. Na, this contract is a silent vow or promise that the mage an the familiar make tae each other." Miss Mac said.
"Is it like a blood pact?" a student asks.
"Na, this magical contract is a magical and powerful bond that not only promises the mages and the familiars loyalty tae each other, but it also ties their fates tae each other."
"What do you mean, ties their fates to each other?" Ace asks.
"A mean, that it has them share their lives with each other. For example, whatever happens tae the mage will happen tae the familiar. Whatever happens tae the familiar is the same vice versa. Like, say the mage were tae have a cut on his arm. The familiar wad receive the same cut. If the familiar were tae get sick, the mage wad feel the same thin." Miss Mac explains.
A thought suddenly pops into Lia's head, and she felt like she was going to regret this. She hesitantly raised her hand and asked, "What, what would happen if one of them died?"
"Now that is a really good quaisten lass. If a familiar were tae die, the mage wad feel their bond snap, and they wad feel a pain that is evon greater than what the familiar felt. But, if the mage were tae die, the familiar will die as well." the woman tells them.
This made the whole class speechless in shock, Grim and Pikachu however, looked like they were about to pass out in fear.
"Okay, I don't mind the whole idea of loyalty and the bond and all. And feeling the pain of your lost partner is understandable. But isn't dying with the mage a little much?" Persian asked, feeling really uncomfortable as well.
"It depends. For some powerful mages or any powerful magic user in general, it's not. Because not only is a familiar trusted with a mage's life and everything, but they are also trusted with their discoveries and secrets. Sae, if one's familiar were tae stay alive and eventually end up in enemy hands, wad ye want them tae endure the possible torture tae spill the beans until they breathe their last breath?"
"But they'd still face that regardless, right? I mean, what if the familiar were to get captured while the mage is still alive?" Ace asked.
"Dae ye think the familiar will go doun without a fight?" Miss Mac replied. "This is where the bond between a mage and a familiar really comes in handy. Whan a mage's familiar is bi themselves in a dire situation. The mage will give them permission tae unlock their 'hidden magic." she explains.
"Hidden magic? Is it like, their own Unique Magic?" Epel asked.
"Somethin like that, it's when the familiar unleashes their inner beast. An become a stronger version of themselves, and their magic is doubled or sometimes tripled. Bein a force tae be reckoned with. It is like, hou ye youngins say, 'levelin up like in a video game, right?"
Most of the class lightly laughed at her comparison. 'So, it's like that old saying, Dead man tells no tales. Or in this case, a creature tells no tales. Boy, am I relieved that a trainer doesn't have to do that whole contract thing.' Lia sighed, she couldn't bring herself to imagine her Pokémon dying with her when her time comes. No way, she would want them to live out their lives the way they want.
"But how does the mage know when to let their familiar use their hidden magic Miss?" one of the students asked. Snapping Lia out of her thoughts.
"Ah, now thon is another factor o the bond that's really interestin. Ye see after the contract is made, not only is yer life force connected, but also yer minds and magic. In other words, ye can pretty much hear ilka other's thouchts and see what the other is seein. And with the magic connected, ye can track each other doun like a trail of breadcrumbs."
"That is kind of cool." Deuce thought.
"Yeah, if you like having to hear a voice in your head twenty-four-seven." Ace retorted. Then he looks up to Miss Mac and asks. "So can any magical creature be a mage Familiar?"
"Ay and no, not all creatures are very keen on servin a mage. Let alone a human one at that. With some creatures bein at a certain level when it comes tae physical strength and magic; ye can't juist expect a magical creature tae straicht up be yer familiar. Sometimes, ye have tae prove yourself tae them. Ye'll have tae do somethin tae earn not only their loyalty but also their trust and respect." she explained.
"What does one have to do in order to earn a creature's loyalty Mame?" Asked a familiar and irritating voice. Lia looked back to see it was that boy from gym class. 'Hope the next time we meet; he'll apologize for his little stunt.' she huffed.
"It really depends on the creature lad. Tak me and ma buddy, Mathe here. All A had tae do tae get him tae be ma familiar, was juist beat him in a simple round of one-on-one." Miss Mac told everyone with a smile.
The whole class was silent, everyone including Lia and her Pokémon looked at the woman and to the sleeping bear next to her desk. Then back to the woman giving off the expression as if their teacher had a second head.
Epel hesitantly pointed at her and uttered. "Y-you mean to say, that you fought a full-grown magical black bear. And win?"
"Darn, right A did!" She held her head high, "Well, tae be perfectly frank with ye all. The fight didn't really last that long. Before Mathe here could make the first move, A managed tae grab his paw and flip him over tae the ground. Instantly knockin the wind out o him." she admitted. Everyone heard the said bear groan as if he was still a little embarrassed and irritated from it.
"You were able to flip a magical bear twice your size that easily?!" Asked a student excitedly, sounding like he was genuinely impressed.
"Yep! we're grown strong in the Mystic Mountain Kingdom. Ma family and A come from a long line of proud warriors. One of ma ancestors wasn't called the 'Bear Kin for nothin!" She stated proudly.
"But enough aboot me, ye all are here tae learn. Sae, today ye'll be given this year's encyclopedia of creatures and critters. Ma assistants this year will be passin by and give ye a copy. Yer first assignment will be an essay on a creature ye find most interestin. And if ye think aboot makin that said creature a familiar, please add the way ye would win their loyalty." she told them.
"And when do you expect us to turn in, Miss?" Asked Deuce.
"A expect ye all tae hand in yer report by the end of the week. A will accept no excuses if it's not turned in on time or if ye decide tae juist not do it. If A were tae catch ye doin either, A will hold ye for an after-school make-up session." she says with a stern look at the end.
Some of the students swallowed hard, 'She's scary,' they all thought. Just then, the group started to hear two familiar voices from the back of the room.
"Here you go!"
"Be careful, it's heavier than it looks."
"Oh, um, thank you." thanked a student.
Turning around, the whole group, especially Lia and her Pokémon, had their mouths comically dropped open to the floor, in shock. There at the back of the class, passing the textbooks to the students, were none other than Maddie and Matt with two Goletts with them! Both were wearing appropriate NRC uniforms!
'What, in the name of Arceus is going on?!' Lia screamed in her head, very confused.
As soon as the two children and Pokémon were finished giving everyone a book, they went up and stood next to Miss Mac.
"Everyone, meet Nicht Raven's youngest teacher's assistants. They will not only help ma class, but also Mr. Trein's and Madame Eva's. A expect ye aw tae treat them well." Miss Mac told the class.
'Teacher's Assistants?!' Lia and the boys and Pokémon thought flabbergasted.
"Hia! I'm Maddie Magnolia!" Maddie waved happily to the class.
"And I'm her twin brother, Matt. Nice to meet you." Matt politely introduced himself to them with a bow.
Almost everyone in the class was thinking the same thing, 'They're so cute!'
However, Lia, on the other hand. Though was kindly smiling at them, the twins knew that smile meant something else entirely. As an irritating shadow was looming over her. She mouthed out something that made them shiver, "You two better have a good explanation for this when we get back to the dorm.~"
"I told you we should have told her," Matt whispered to his sister.
"Er, um, well. In our defense, it was that weirdo man's idea to give us this job. So, blame him," she whispered back.
In the Headmaster's office, Mr. Crowley suddenly let out a loud sneeze that startled his wife as she was giving him some papers.
"Are you alright Dire?" Madame Eva asked.
"I'm alright my love. Someone must be talking about me, or so the saying goes. And who can blame them, I am quite gracious." He boasted dramatically.
Making his wife sweat-drop. 'I highly doubt that,'
Anyway, back to the class, before the class continued; one of the students asked, "Um, so what are those things next to you two?"
"Oh, this is my friend Golett. He's stone golem my family found in our homeland." Matt explained.
"And mine is named Zoey! She may look like a Golett too, but, ~" Maddie turned to the said 'Golett. And in an instant, the 'Golett jumped up doing a flip, and turned into a Zorua, landing in Maddie's arms. "She's a shape-shifting fox!" she beamed as she hugged the said creature.
This impressed Lia, not only was the twins able to keep the Pokémon a secret but also was able to come up with an alibi and name to cover them. However, that still didn't excuse them for going behind her back and coming into the school without telling her. 'I get the feeling that this is going to be a really, long, day.' She groaned in her head. But she was going to realize sooner or later that her day was going to get even better.