You awoke to the sun beaming on your face through the small window in your cell. You screwed your eyes shut, pulling the thin blanket over them, trying to preserve any little sleep you had left. But after a few moments, you remembered where you were and shot up.
"Fuck!" You huffed to yourself, disappointed that last night hadn't been a dream. With the crazy dreams you'd been having recently, you were partially convinced it had been.
You looked at the cuffs that were wrapped around your wrists, pulling on them slightly. You could feel your weakened magic attempt to fight against the cuffs, but it wasn't enough.
"Shit, shit, shit!" You mumbled, as you looked around the cell. In brighter light it was easier to see the dungeon. It was small, no doubt because it was rarely used. There were only a handful of cells and they were all empty besides yours.
Suddenly, you heard the door on the far wall unlock, and watched as Clarissa and four wolf guards entered.
"Clarissa, I swear I didn't do this! Please!" you begged, as she magically undid the lock.
She glared at you as the wolves entered the cell. "I want to believe you. Trust me I do. But Sophie gave us first hand evidence of your plans. Had they succeeded, they would've hurt quite a lot of people. I cannot overlook that."
You drug your feet as much as you could as the wolves surrounded you and pushed you out of the cell. You could feel your anger rising. Whoever was possessing Clarissa clearly had something against you; but you were determined to get through to her.
"Clarissa...if I wanted to hurt anyone here, I would have done so already." You pleaded as she led the wolves toward the stairs to the main hall. "Please, you have to believe me. You're being mind controlled to think I'm behind this! I can prove it, just let me go!"
You begged and pleaded all the way up to the main hall. The entirety of both schools sat in the stands, awaiting your trial anxiously. Sophie, Agatha, Tedros, and the rest of their group stood with Pollux and the remaining wolf guards. They all looked the same; emotionless. It was eerie to see them this way, and confirmed your suspicion that they too must be mind controlled.
The wolves chained your cuffs to a bolt in the floor, which forced you to kneel about ten feet in front of Dovey. The teachers and students in the stands were stirring, but with the amount of tension in the room, no one dared speak too loudly.
"Y/N of Avalon," Clarissa spoke loudly, her voice booming throughout the room. "You are charged with using spells against students and faculty, kidnapping a student, and planning a mass mind control of the entire school. How do you plead?"
You pulled on the chains that bound your cuffs to the floor. "Not guilty! Please, allow me to speak on my behalf!"
Clarissa stood still for a moment, then nodded.
"I am not the monster you all believe me to be; though I have been hiding something from you since I arrived. I admit, it was foolish to keep it from you, but I was warned many years ago of the consequences that could ensue if this secret was revealed."
You inhaled deeply and let out a soft sigh. "I could not have done these terrible things you charge me for. Not because I am incapable, but because I am not as evil as you believe me to be. When I attended school here, I did not just attend the School for Evil...I also attended the School for Good. My twin was a ruse, developed by Storian and the Headmasters to conceal the fact that I possessed both ever and never magic. And although you have only seen me use my dark magic, I can assure you that is only one half of my soul. I am also an ever; and I would never commit such horrid acts towards the school or its students."
There was some small chatter and commotion in the stands; students and teachers stunned by this new development. Pollux moved to whisper in Clarissa's ear as the students standing near them remained fairly stoic.
After a moment, Clarissa spoke. "There is no evidence proving that what you're claiming you are is true. We do not accept your plea."
You moved toward her, tears forming in your eyes, "Please, Clarissa. Allow me to prove it! Uncuff me, I can prove it!"
Clarissa held up her hand. "Absolutely not, I will not risk you escaping or harming our students."
"I won't attempt to escape! I just want to prove my innocence, please!"
Clarissa flourished her hand and in a flash of sparkles, her magic wand appeared. "Y/N of Avalon, for your crimes against the School for Good and Evil, I sentence you to banishment with an erasure of your memories of your time spent at the school."
You lowered your head as your tears spilled out onto the gold embellished floor. This was it. You failed. Your memories were going to be erased and Lesso would never know why you truly left.
The pain of this reality was ripping your chest in two. Your breathing became ragged and your body was shaking.
"BIBBIDI..."
You recalled the memory of watching Lesso take off on the bridge and telepathically telling her you loved her. At the time, you had no idea it would be the last time you'd ever see her. You imagined what her face would be when Dovey recounted what happened while she was gone; filling her head with lies of you kidnapping Sophie and a diabolical plan to mind control the whole school.
"BOBBIDI..."
You closed your eyes, not wanting the last thing you saw of this school to be one of your closest friends erasing your memory.
"BOO!"
"Nooo!"
Your eyes screwed shut and you covered your head in your arms, preparing to lose all memories of your time here; all memories of the love of your life. You'd heard Dovey complete the incantation, but your memories were still here.
You looked up and through the plethora of tears, you saw a translucent purple sphere surrounding you and another figure. You blinked some of the tears away until the figure came into focus. They were facing away from you, but you'd recognize that red hair anywhere.
Lesso had made it. She had saved you.
"Get out of my way, Leonora," Dovey growled, as she took a step toward the forcefield.
Did she just say Leonora?
"No!" Lesso spat back. "Y/N is telling the truth! She is a split soul. She didn't do this!"
"Sophie has proof!" Clarissa replied. "She is guilty and deserves to be punished!"
Clarissa raised her wand, as if preparing to strike again. And at the same time, Lesso prepared her own magic, ready to stop her.
"Lesso, wait!" You cried, reaching your bound hands to grab her leg.
"I'll kill her for-"
"She can't help it!" You interrupted her. "She's being mind controlled. They all are...look."
Through the purple shimmer of Lesso's shield, she looked closer at Dovey's eyes. And sure enough, within a few seconds, she could see the red sheen glimmer across them.
"How?" Lesso asked, looking between Clarissa, Pollux, and the remaining students.
"I don't know. But get these cuffs off me and I'll see if I can reverse it." You answered, as you crawled as close to her as you could.
She slowly backed the rest of the way to you, straining to hold the shield from the repeated strikes that Dovey was now sending toward it. When she reached you, she knelt down and carefully removed one of her hands from holding up her shield.
She quickly released one of your hands from the cuff. As it flew off, you could feel your magic returning. And just in time, as her shield was beginning to fade as she started fiddling with the second cuff. Quickly, you threw up your free hand to reinforce it.
"I've got it, you can let go," you said. Lesso nodded and dropped her other hand, now working to release you from your second cuff. Once it was free, you held both your hands up to strengthen the shield, as Lesso slipped the cuffs into her pocket.
Lesso lifted her head between your arms and gazed into your eyes. For a moment, it was like you were the only two people left in the world. Just a minute ago, you'd been terrified that you'd never see her again, let alone remember you loved her. But seeing her now, in front of you, even in the midst of chaos, you couldn't help the rush of emotions you felt for her.
"I love you." You said, as your eyes shone with pride. There was a soft plinking noise echoing around you from Dovey's repeated assaults hitting your shield.
"I love you too," Lesso whispered back, as she ducked under your arms and rose to stand.
You stood next to her and together you began pushing your way closer to Clarissa.
"I think I can break them free of this," you said loudly as the noises around you began to heighten. Pollux, Sophie, Agatha and the rest of their group had joined in on trying to break your shield. "But I'll need your help."
Lesso looked at you. "What do you need me to do?"
"Link your magic with mine," you said, as you moved to stand shoulder to shoulder. "Collectively, our mind magic capabilities should be able to counteract whatever this is and break them free from the spell."
Lesso nodded and summoned her magic. She outstretched her hands, sending her magic into the shield, mixing it with yours; causing her eyes to glow their traditional purple. As she did, the strength of the shield grew. You summoned the rest of your own magic, and as it siphoned it into the shield, your eyes began to glow as well. However, as your magic merged with Lesso's, your eyes shifted from their normal colors into a vibrant hue of lavender, symbolizing the unity of your magic.
You mirrored each other's movements, working as one, as you pulled the shield in towards you then pushed it outward in a large whoosh.
The magic of the shield shot out, washing the entire hall in a soft lavender light. For a movement, everyone froze. But eventually, moans and groans began to pierce the silence as those who had been mind controlled began to regain control over their own bodies.
Clarissa shook her head as you and Lesso stepped closer.
"Clarissa?" Lesso said hesitantly.
Her gaze rose to meet Lesso's and her eyes widened.
"Lesso..." she said barely above a whisper. "I couldn't-"
"I know," Lesso replied, placing a hand on Dovey's shoulder. "It's alright."
Dovey then turned her attention to you, tears filling her eyes. "I'm so sorry."
You smiled. "It's fine; I'm just glad we're all okay and you're back to believing I'm not the one behind this."
She nodded; her eyebrows furrowing in as she thought. "Were you telling the truth? About what you said in your defense. Are you really a split soul?"
You smiled and looked at Lesso. She grinned and took a step back.
"Show them," she said softly, as she gestured toward you.
You let out a soft exhale and opened your hands. In your right, your normal black and purple magic swirled like a violent hurricane. But in your left, a beautiful golden light materialized, causing all the people near you to gasp in shock.
"So, you never had a twin?" Dovey asked, still slightly confused.
You chuckled and shook your head. "No. I had a doppelgänger; thanks to Storian."
You closed your eyes and summoned your pocket watch into your hands. Carefully, you unclasped the necklace that was intertwined in its chain and put it around your neck. In a flash of smoke, your doppelgänger appeared in a beautiful green and gold dress, fit for a princess.
Dovey and Lesso's eyes widened. For a moment, they were speechless. Though that was to be expected, as this was probably something very foreign to them.
Eventually, Dovey looked at Lesso. "You knew?" She asked, a little upset at the idea that Lesso had been hiding this from her.
Lesso shifted her gaze to her fellow dean. "I only found out a few days ago. But I hadn't seen it for myself until now."
Dovey sighed, "An immortal demigod who's equally split between good and evil..."
You're ever half let out a soft laugh, "Yeah, I know it's a lot to take in."
Dovey looked at your never half's slightly defeated expression and stepped forward, placing her hand on your ever half's shoulder. "Actually, believe it or not I think it makes a lot of sense. I always thought you were too kind to be solely a never; now I know why!"
Lesso came behind your never half and placed her arm around your waist. You turned and smiled at her, laying your head on her shoulder.
But the happy moment didn't last long.
Suddenly, the entire castle began to shake; causing bits and pieces of molding to crumble and fall to the floor.
"What's going on?" Dovey shouted, as she grabbed on to your ever half for balance.
"No idea," you responded.
You looked around the hall. The stands were shaking; and students and professors were attempting to make it to the ground before they collapsed. Screams filled the room as everyone tried their hardest to stay upright and safe as the castle walls and ceiling began to chip away.
"Look!" You heard Sophie yell as she pointed toward the ceiling. An army of shadows began slinking in through the cracks, working their way towards the floor. As they met the golden embellished marble, they materialized into more solid bodies and roared, preparing to attack.
Both your halves immediately began throwing magical blasts at the shadows; and it only took one or two hits for them to dissolve, though they were quickly replaced with another.
"Where are they coming from?" Dovey yelled over the roaring of the beasts and screams of the students.
"You're guess is as good as mine," your never half yelled to her as you stood back to back, trying your hardest to protect students who were still attempting to get off the bleachers.
Lesso, who had just stabbed a shadow beast, yelled to the two of you. "I have an idea. I'll be right back!"
She started sprinting toward the main hall entrance, throwing her magic this way and that in an attempt to clear a path.
"Wait!" You called to her. "Where are you going?"
The tower. She answered, as she disappeared from sight.