"Maaan... How did I end up in this mess? I swear, I have the worst luck." Ace complained.
You shoot Ace a glare. "You're telling ME that?" The four of you are in the Mirror Chamber, getting ready for your search for the magestone. Grim is still laying in your arms recovering from his fall.
"We don't have time to complain. Let's go." He turned to the mirror in front of you. "Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarfs' Mine!"
The glass in the mirror ripples like a drop of water fell into it. A bright light shone from the mirror. The light surrounded you and you feel yourself being pulled into the mirror. You feel your feet hit soft grass inside of the hard floor of the Mirror Chamber. The light subsides and you find yourself in a forest only lit by the light of the moon.
"So this is the Dwarfs' Mine. Long ago, this mine was flush with magestones." Deuce commented.
"Urgh," Grim looked at his dark surroundings. "Who knows what lurks in there now?"
"Look, I can see a house." Ace pointed to a little cottage. "Let's see what the people there have to say."
Your group makes your way to the house. Even though it looks in a state of disrepair, you'd gladly take this than the house you had to live in. You knock on the door.
"Hello, anybody there?" You called. No answer.
Deuce knocked a little louder. "Hellooo? Is anybody home?" Still no answer. "Must be empty. It looks like it's been abandoned." He opens the door and you walk in.
"Bwah! I got a spider web on my face! Ptchoo! Ptchoo!" Grim furiously rubs his face trying to free himself from the web.
"Oh, sorry Grim." You help clean his face.
Ace looks around the small house. He points at a chair. "Look how tiny these desks and chairs are. Did children live here? One, two... Seven! It's like a clown car in here."
Deuce nodded. "When the mine was flourishing, this house must have been a lively place."
Ace scoffed. "Well, this isn't getting us anywhere. If we're gonna find a magestone, it'll be inside the mine. Let's head inside and take a look."
You all leave the tiny house and make your way to the entrance of the mine. If you thought the forest was dark, the cave was even more so. The rocks were lined with moss and it was eerily quiet. You pull Grim closer to you, suddenly feeling very nervous.
"You wanna go inside THERE?" Grim shook his head vigorously. "It's pitch black!"
Ace smirked at Grim. "What, are you scared of the dark?" He scoffed. "Pathetic."
Grim shot Ace an indignant look. "Myah?! I'm not scared of anything! I'm taking the lead. You all follow me!" Grim jumped from your arms and walked confidently towards the cave.
You shake your head. "Do you always have to take the bait Grim?"
Ace laughed. "It's just to easy."
The three of you follow Grim into the cave. The further in you walk, it only got ever darker. Beautiful red, blue and green gems sparked in the dim light. Grim's confidence falters with every step. He scampered up to your shoulders and cowered underneath your hair. Feeling just as nervous, you step closer to Deuce beside you. Noticing, he takes your hand and squeezes gently. Feeling more relieved, you press on. Ace couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy as he saw you. Why couldn't you be next to him?
Deuce stopped walking all of a sudden. You paused right beside him and Ace, not noticing, crashed into your back.He grabbed your shoulders to steady the both of you. Ace threw an annoyed look at Deuce.
"What now?" Ace asked, still holding onto you.
Deuce looked nervously around the cave walls. "There's something there!"
"Myah?" Grim clung on to your shoulders.
A white shape wizzed past your group. Then another and another. Remembering your first night in that ramshackle of a house, you pale. "Oh no."
Cackling and mischievous laughter echoed in the mine. "Hee hee hee hee! Visitors! The first in ten years!"
"Do make yourselves at home. In fact, you can stay forever!"
Ace and Deuce shielded you from the swooping ghosts. Ace fired a spell at the ghosts but when one fell down, another took its place.
"More ghosts? They're floating around here too!" Ace fired more shots but to no avail.
"If we stop to fight, we'll never get anywhere. Let's just keep moving!" Deuce ran further into the mine, still holding your hand, you followed right behind.
Ace ran up to your other side and took your free hand. "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." He shot a look at the blue haired boy.
Deuce raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I'm pretty sure this all started because you tried to shirk your window-cleaning punishment!"
Ace scoffed. "So, we're bringing up ancient history now? Then if you wanna get down to brass tacks, this all started when furball torched that statue!"
"Myah? Maybe you shouldn'ta made fun of me, then!" Grim swatted the air with a paw at Ace.
"Guys! We're in real hot water, remember?! If we don't come back with a magestone by morning, we're all being expelled!" Deuce reminds you all.
You swallow the lump in your throat. "That's definitely not ideal."
"Yeah, which is why we don't need you ordering the rest of us around. It gets old real fast." Ace shot at Deuce.
You slow to a stop. "Wait," the boys stop besides you. "I think I heard something." You all went quiet, trying to hear in the damp mine.
"...iiivvv... ...oooouuu..."
Ace looked around the cave walls. "Wh-where's that comin' from?"
"...neeevvvaaa... ...iiivvv... ...ooouuu..."
Deuce took a step back, pulling you behind him. "Sounds like... it's getting closer."
A figure emerged from the shadows. It was large, wearing ragged clothing and sagging brown hat. It floated in the air with black liquid swirling around it. Its head appeared to be a glass vial with the same dark liquid inside.
"Stooonesss... Stooonesss aaare miiiiine!"
"Myah!" Grim hopped off your shoulder and bolts for the exit, running on all fours. The rest of you quickly follow suit.
"What is that?" Deuce asked besides you.
"Myaaah!" Grim shouted. "No one said there'd be monsters! Let's get outta here!"
Ace held on tightly to your hand. "That thing's super creepy! But didn't it just say something about stones?"
Grim looked over his shoulder. "Wait, what?"
"Stooonesss... ...nevvva give stooonesss!"
Deuce let's your hand slide out of his, he stopped running. "So there ARE still magestones here!"
Noticing Deuce wasn't beside you, you paused, causing Ace to glance over quizzically. Grim stopped as well.
"Myaaah... Even as a master sorcerer, I... I don't think I can take that thing down!"
Deuce shook his head determinedly. "But we need a magestone or we'll get expelled! I'm going in!" He turned to face the monster.
"Are you outta your mind?" Ace called after him.
You stare in horror as the monster gets ever closer all the while Deuce stands his ground.
"Wait Deuce!" You call to him "It's too dangerous to go alone!"
Deuce faced the monster unafraid. "I won't be expelled! No matter what!" He fired spells at the monster but it does not seem affected at all. It growled and set its sights on Deuce.
You glance at Ace, asking for help. You press your hand against his arm. He looked at your eyes and finds he couldn't say no. "Oh for the love," Ace sighed. "Deuce wait up!" He ran to stand beside Deuce and fired his own spells at the monster.
You turn to Grim. "We have to help them!"
"We ain't have ta do nothin'!" Grim shouted back. "They only got us in more trouble!"
You shake your head at Grim and you take off after the boys. "Myah? What are ya doin' Y/N?"
"I have to help!"
Grim chased after you, not believing he's staying for some human. Grim shoots fire balls at the monster who barely flinches at the onslaught.
"Begone! Begone! Begooone!"
The monster lunged and swiped a clawed hand at you. You brace for impact but Deuce pushed you out of the monster's reach. You hit the ground as the monster sent Deuce flying. He hit the wall with a thump and falls to the floor weakly.
"Deuce!" You cry out.
Hearing your cry, Ace turns to see the blue haired boy leaning against the rocks. "Aw, crap! He's got Loosey-Deucey on the ropes! Not on my watch! Heeyah!"
Ace shot a spell at the monster but it only seemed to make it more angry. It roared in response and flung Ace against the wall next to Deuce. He lands in a crumpled heap on top of Deuce.
Seeing as he was the only one left, Grim panicked and ran to cower behind you. "Myaaah! Stay away from me!"
You stand up and hurry to the collapsed boys. You crouch down in front of them, putting a hand on each of their shoulders as they sit up and rub their heads. Grim climbed onto your own shoulders.
"It's like nothin's even hurtin' it!" Grim clung to you. You look back at the monster, trying to think of some way to stop it.
"Wait..." you squint, trying to see beyond the monster in the dim mine. "I think I see something." You point to what you're seeing.
Ace looks to where you're pointing and his eyes light up. "Behind the monster! There's something sparkling in the mineshaft!"
Deuce notices it too. "Could that have been a magestone?"
"GWAAAAAAAH! Nooo giiive yooouuu stooooooone!" The monster screeches, confirming what you thought.
Grim tugs on your janitor uniform. "Y/N, we need to book it, and fast! That thing's gonna pound us into tuna paste!"
You help the two boys stand, take both of their hands, and bolt for the exit. The monster roared after you as you near the mines exit. With a burst of adrenaline, you sprint out and into the moonlit woods. You collapse to your knees a few paces away from the entrance and take in lungfuls of the cool night air. Deuce and Ace, hands on their knees, trying to catch their breath.
Grim flops face first onto the grass. "This should be far enough, I think?" You nod at Grim's words, seeing that the monster isn't chasing you outside of the mine.
"Owww..." Ace rubbed his shoulder that hit the stone wall. "What was that thing? No one said there'd be anything like that!"
"That was no normal ghost, that's for sure." Deuce agreed.
Ace sighed and stood up straight. "Let's just give up and go home. I'll happily take the expulsion if it means never having to fight that thing again."
"What?" You and Deuce both shout in unison.
"Nuh-uh, not happenin'! I'd rather die than get expelled from Night Raven! How can you give up when the stone is right there?" Deuce added.
The red haired boy scoffed. "Big talk from someone who's not even half the mage I am. You want that stone so bad, go get it yourself. I'm out." He started walking away from the rest of you.
Deuce narrowed his eyes at Ace. "Oh YEAH?! Fine, go back to your coop, you big chicken!"
Ace whirled around, giving Deuce the same slanted glare. "Whaaaaat?! Who're you callin' chicken, huh?!"
The two stood barely a foot apart, waiting to see who moves first. You jump up and put a hand to both their chests trying to calm them down.
"Guys, please calm down." You urge. "There's gotta be a way to-"
Ace whirls at you, directing his anger towards you. He scoffs and swipes away your hand. "I wonder why the mirror even sent you here. Clearly you're even more useless than wanna be here, at least he has magic though unimpressive as it is." He waved to Deuce who glowered at him.
"In fact, you actually just get in our way. Because of you, Deuce got flung like a rag doll by that thing!" You bow your head, realizing the truth in his harsh words.
"Ace..." Deuce warned while taking a step in front of you, trying to shield you from the red haired boy.
"If anything, you're the reason why we're all here to begin with." Ace continued. "If it weren't for you, none of this would've happened!"
Deuce took a threatening step towards Ace but was stopped by a hand tugging on his sleeve. He turned to see you, head still bowed, you shake your head.
"No, he's right." You say in a small voice.
"What? How could you say that?" Deuce asked.
You drop your hand holding Deuce's sleeve. You can feel your throat tighten, making it hard to get your words out. "If that stupid mirror hadn't brought me here, I wouldn't be stuck being a janitor in a stupid school cleaning up after immature boys, I wouldn't have to live in a house that's falling apart and infested with ghosts, I wouldn't be facing a monster to stay at the only place that could get me back home."
Ace takes a step back, realizing how he took this too far. Grim slowly walks up to put his paws onto your leg, trying to reassure his hench-human.
You let out a small chuckle looking up to the stunned red haired boy. "You want to know what else? The mirror said that my soul belongs nowhere. How pathetic is that?"
You fall to your knees, barley able to stand anymore. Tears blearing your vision. "So you're right Ace, you've got me pegged." You softly sob as the two boys look helplessly at each other.
Deuce kneels beside you, putting an arm across your shoulders. "Hey, don't listen to that stupid mirror."
"Yeah!" Grim's paws are on your knees. "I know for a fact that you're a better hench-human than these two would be." He gestured to the two boys.
You lean your head to rest against Deuce, feeling all of the events of today piling on. Deuce pulls you in closer. Ace rubbed the back of his head and took tentative steps towards you.
"Look, I didn't mean any of that." He crouched beside you, putting a hand on your shoulder. "I shouldn't have said any of that, I'm sorry."
You throw a glance his way. "Do you really mean that?"
Ace nodded. "I promise, if we get out of this, I'll make it up to you."
Deuce tilted his head. "And how do you exactly plan to do that?"
Ace let out a sheepish laugh. "I'll have to think of something."
You nod, accepting his apology. You let out a long sigh. "So what now?"
"Can't you guys just blow that thing up with magic?" Grim asked.
Deuce sighed. "Using magic at a greater scale, or using different types of magic - those things require training."
Ace nodded, agreeing with him. "Yeah, that's why magic academies exist. It takes a lot of training before you can snap your fingers and turn your thoughts into magic. And the more flustered you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes."
"Oh, I assumed spellcasting just came naturally in this world." You say.
"Nope," Ace shakes his head. "Although if the magic's your specialty, you can use it more intuitively."
"Anyway," Deuce put a hand to his chin. "We need to find some way to defeat that creature and get the magestone."
"Yeaaaaah. Just like the time with the chandelier, right? You 'found some way,' and now here we are." Ace rolled his eyes. "We just fought that thing and it creamed us. So what exactly is your plan here, genius? Because I sure don't trust you to improvise!"
"What? You're the one who-"
"Would the two of you know it off already?" You shout at the two.
Ace and Deuce were taken aback at your sudden outburst. Grim smirked. "Whoa, that was loud. Where'd that come from?"
You sigh in exasperation. "Why not we try cooperating a little?" You suggest.
Ace recoils. "With Loosey-Deucey? No way. He'd get me killed!"
Deuce rolls his eyes. "Like it'd be some treat for me to work with you?"
You groan inwardly. "What if we all just worked together and came up with a proper plan first?"
"Work together... Is that some kinda joke?" Ace scoffed. "You always say the lamest things with the straightest face, Y/N."
Deuce nodded. "Agreed. No way could I work together with him."
You rub a hand down your face. How am I going to get anything done with these two?
Grim smiled his trademark smirked. "Yeah but, gettin' expelled on the first day... that's pretty lame too. Maybe even lamer."
Ace rubbed the back of his head. "Well..." The two fall silent as they ponder their options. You perk up.
"I did have one idea..."
Ace through his hands up in exasperation. "Gah... Fine. Let's just get this over with, then. All right Y/N, what's the plan?"
You grin.
After telling the others your plan, you stand in front of the mine entrance. Ready for what lies ahead. The dark cave just as dreary as ever.
"Uhhh Y/N... Is this plan of yours really gonna work? I'm sca- I mean, I'm a little... uh, hungry" Grim complained.
You nod your head determinedly. "Don't worry! I think this could really work!"
Deuce nods beside you. "It really could. Let's go, Y/N!"
Ace pumps his fist in the air. "Yeah, let's do this!"