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One Gift in Wonderland

Summary:

Aurora is the child of the Obey Me MC and one of the demons. Separated from her real father and raised in isolation with her mother and Solomon, she is desperate and ready for her own adventures. When the black carriage comes for her, she walks into the world of the twisted without so much as looking back.

The half-demoness is thrust into a world, learning to live freely and embrace her own power as she helps her new friends from looming danger.

And.... having been obsessed with all matters of legends, fairy tales, and mythology, Aurora is very well-versed in Disney movies.

Notes:

Hi I'm back! I've had this idea for about a year now so I finally decided to get started on it!

I've...... had a lot of brainrot for this fandom for a while now, so I'm very excited!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Take Me Somewhere Far and Fair

Chapter Text

LEAVE ME ALONE!

 

A door slammed as a teenage girl stormed into her room, short and unpainted nails clawing at the door in her boiling rage. Darting over to her vanity lined with fragile, twinkling fairy-lights, she swept off a pile on her desk, disregarding any displaced tomes and grimoires in favor yanking out a set of makeup remover wipes before aggressively scrubbing at her face. Drawing a line down the middle of her face and removing the makeup on one side first, she looked in the mirror and yet again in her short life, grew agitated at the extreme lengths she went to in order to cover her true face. On one side lay a thick, stifling layer of foundation much too orange for her skin tone, dusted-on eyeshadow beneath her eyes to create the illusion of tiredness, and a plain tan lipstick that was flattering to neither her fabricated nor her true skin tone. On the freshly-cleaned side she saw her complexion nearly fair as snow, complemented by rosy cheeks, long black lashes, and lips “red as the red red rose,” as some of her favorite fairy tales would describe. After working through cleaning the makeup on the other side, she popped out her brown cosmetic contacts, revealing cotton candy pink eyes underneath. Reaching up to undo her long dark braid, she heard a rap-rap on the other side of the door. Glaring tear-filled daggers in that direction, she opted to ignore it in favor of some much-needed self-care. Unfortunately, the moment of solitude came to an end as a figure appeared in a small cloud of mist in the room.

 

“Aurora, sweetie-” A woman not appearing much older than her pled, more put-together than the teen.

 

“I said stay out mom! ” The girl screamed, choking back tears.

 

“Actually, you said to leave you alone-” The woman placed a finger over her lips, appearing to be in thought.

 

YOU KNEW WHAT I MEANT! ” Aurora’s eyes glowed as she argued with her mother.

 

“Look, sweetie, I know you’re upset, but-”

 

“But WHAT?!” she spat out. “Is it too much to ask that I actually get to leave the house without looking like I walked straight out of the Chocolate Factory?”

The woman sighed, “sweetie, your skin tone would draw way too much attention out here, so that alone has to be covered up. It looks like you never go outside-”

 

“Maybe that’s because I don’t! ” she interrupted.

 

“-As I was saying,” the woman cut back in, “you’d attract far too much attention looking like that-”

 

“I thought I wasn’t responsible for others’ opinions of me? Or does that only apply when it’s convenient for you-”

 

“-And not because of the typical reasons some people might say, but if the wrong people look a little too closely at your distinct appearance, somebody might recognize that you’re not. completely. human .” The woman clapped her hands together as if to emphasize her point.

 

“Then you should’ve thought about that before deciding to raise me here!” Aurora threw her hands up in frantic motion. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, I’d actually want to be normally socialized instead of being stuck inside this house all day?! And if you can’t give me that, then maybe you should’ve given me to my dad who might’ve actually loved me!

 

The mother’s voice raised as she iterated, “we’ve been over this a million times by now, child! You know that’s not safe for you right now-”

 

“And yet you spend all this time cracking down on me instead of actually attempting to find a solutions that’s not just screaming at me to stay miserable like you!”

The woman’s eyes darkened, her fists clenching as she visibly reigned her temper in. “...I can see that you’re not willing to be reasonable right now. You can come talk to me or Uncle Sol when you’re ready. I just hope you know I’m doing this because I love you, Aurora.”

 

“SHUT UP!”

 

Her energy spent from the last several horrible hours, Aurora flopped down on her bed, muffled tears escaping into her pillow. Another knock sounded as she heard her Uncle announce that he had brought food for her, but she could not bring herself to acknowledge any more unwanted presences. An inky black cloud of despair surrounded the teen, threatening to suffocate her as the night came for her once again, no end in sight to her isolation.

 

Until there was.

 

For somehow, despite all the magical wards, traps, and protections surrounding every inch of her home, there stood an almost-menacing black carriage with a midnight-colored horse, its very presence inviting to her. As she reached out to admire the beautiful creation, she felt her body being whisked into the contraption. Knowing she was being kidnapped, that this was dangerous, she knew she should fight back - and yet, deep within her soul, she couldn’t bring herself to. ‘ This might be my only chance to get out of here.

 

And so Aurora let herself be carried an unknown distance by this mysterious carriage, only to find herself in a dimly lit chamber, a bubbling green fountain leading up to a floating mirror roaring with acidic flames. A deep, almost-disturbingly eager voice echoed across the chamber as the teen slowly stepped closer. “Ahh… my dearly beloved, a lovely and noble flower of evil… Truly, you are the most beautiful of all.” Such dangerous words… and yet they appealed to the girl’s desires, beckoning her further forward towards the siren song of this mirror. “Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest…” ‘ Of them all? Am I truly that outstanding? ’ “Let yourself be guided through the Dark Mirror… If your heart desires, take my hand.” At last, the flames parted, revealing a hand pale as Aurora’s own, fingertips glittering in gold. 

 

This is a horrible idea. I know this is a horrible idea. It’s too much like something out of a fairytale - far too perfect. And yet… I can’t keep going on like I have been. And if this is my ticket out… then I think I’d do just about anything for it. ’ So Aurora held out her hand, paying no heed to the hiss from her boots as she ascended the fountain. ‘ Wonder if this guy secretly has a spindle tucked between his fingers. ’ “Magic mirror in the air, take me somewhere far and fair.” ‘ Every good story needs a few rhymes, right? ’ With that last though, she reached through the mirror, ebony hair cascading behind her as she fell, tugged through the portal. One final sentence echoed into her heart as she fell into her slumber, the first small smile on her face in months.

 

Welcome to the villains’ world.

Chapter 2: Other Side of the Looking Glass

Summary:

Aurora arrives in Twisted Wonderland and puts a cat to sleep before a long entrance ceremony.

Notes:

Annnnnd here's the next chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When the flames turn even stars into ashes, ice imprisons even time, a great tree swallows even the sky, don’t be afraid of the power of darkness. Come now, show your power. For me. For them. For us. We are running out of time. Do not let go of that hand, at all costs.

 

The comfortingly ominous voice echoed through Aurora’s dreams, washing over her as she sailed between dimensions. As she heard the voice wash over her, the call of an infernal power woke her up, leading her senses to a blaring disturbance.

 

Blue, hellish flames seared the box holding her form, dancing over the lid and tracing patterns of smoke within the air. The teen shoved forward, the door to her container flying off the hinge as she leapt up. Upon breaking out, she found herself once again within a chamber, quite similar to the one she had just been in (though the acid fountain was mercifully not activated here). Before her stood what seemed to be a small cat with flaming blue ears and a pitchfork tail, yapping and yowling about wanting her uniform. The small feline launched itself at her with flaming breath, only for Aurora to catch it, drenching both herself and the creature in an explosion of water that she conjured in defense. As she extended her arms to do so, she noticed the unfamiliar garb that covered her, with dark and flowing sleeves, leading into long, billowing robes, a massive hood disguising part of her face and hair.

 

“Nyah! My adorable ear fire dazo!” The little creature screeched in front of her, wiggling and twisting in a vain attempt to escape the teen’s grasp. “Let me go dazo!”

 

Taking in her surroundings, the teen saw hundreds of floating coffins, her opened one the first to lay on the ground. Scanning the room for any clues, she looked at the wet hairball in her hands and asked, “who are you, what is this place, and what do you want with me?”

 

The creature shook more as it yowled, “Let me go, you stupid human! Nya!” It kept huffing more as it tried to wrangle out of the tight grasp. “The Great Grim is going to become the greatest magician here at Night Raven College, but first I need a uniform! So give it up, human!”

 

Mildly satisfied with that answer, she conjured a tiny torrent of wind, near-instantly drying herself and “Grim” off. ‘ Well that answers a few questions, I suppose. Although I’m still not sure who brought me here?’ 

 

As soon as Aurora thought this, a tall, lanky figure with pale skin, a bird mask, and a flamboyant suit stepped through the door and entered the chamber with a dramatic sweep of his arms. “Ah, these students should begin waking up soon,” she heard the figure mumble. “I should make sure the dorm leaders awake first so I can relax- ah, so the younger students might have a friendly face! Ah, for I am grac- AHHHHH A STUDENT IS AWAKE!” The masked man looked at Aurora and let out a panicked near sob as he yelled. “Why don’t the students here have any patience nowadays?”

 

Ice-cold magic seeping from her fingertips holding the small monster in place, she bowed her head before addressing him. “Hello. Ah, sorry about that- this creature awoke me with some type of blue hellfire.” Pausing a moment to observe the man, she noticed a very familiar flutter of gold fingertips. ‘ The hand that brought me here! ’ “I don’t suppose you could tell me where exactly I am? One minute I was brought to a chamber room I’d never been in before, the next I was here.”

 

Golden eyes narrowed into strange rounded slits as the masked figure appraised her. It cooed at her, “ah, but it is against school policy to bring an poorly-trained familiar, no?”

 

Interjecting quickly, as the man seemed about to continue, she spoke up. “I actually didn’t bring him here - I’ve never seen this creature before,” she noted, deciding to leave out the ripple of old power that washed across her in waves from the struggling creature. “Also, you said this was a school? Where exactly are we?” ‘ Please be far away from mom, please be far away from mom!

 

“Ah, it seems the teleportation magic has left you quite disoriented. Fear not, I shall catch you up, for my graciousness knows no bounds, hm?” ‘ Big words for the one who told me to get in that mirror. ’ “You are at Night Raven College on Sage Island, here within Twisted Wonderland,” he quite literally crowed. “Might I add, the most prestigious college for mages in all of the land.”

 

Yep, that does it, I’m on the other side of the looking glass. ’ “I don’t recognize any of those locations- um- Sir, Your Majesty, Mr. - what do I call you?”

 

“Mr. Crowley - no, Headmaster Crowley to you, or Headmaster for short.” Around this time, the murmurings of students climbing out of their own coffins began, the man seeming to pay no attention to them.

 

“Anyways, Headmaster,” she explained, “so I remember the carriage coming and getting me - sound correct so far?”

 

“Yes, that is-”

 

“So that happened,” she interjected before he could ramble on, “and then there seemed to be this big room with a mirror - very much like this one - and then I woke up.” ‘ Not telling him about that hand though. Let’s see when he slips up and mentions it himself .’

“That sounds fairly typical for the students here.” Not a change on his face.

 

“But I don’t think I’m from this world? At least, the name Twisted Wonderland is not something I’m familiar with.” ‘ Admit it already!

 

“AHHH! No my dear, in 100 years there has never been a mistake with the Dark Mirror. Surely it wouldn’t malfunction now?” He tilted his head in apparent confusion.

“I don’t think it’s a mistake? I’m certainly capable of using magic, as you can see here, but I’m from the United States. Particularly, from a state called Florida.”

 

“Ah, yes of course! Well, I don’t recognize that name, but surely that will give me a clue as to where you’re from! Ah, I- OH LOOK THE STUDENTS ARE AWAKENING! Yes, well, I shall conduct this ceremony and I shall graciously search for more information about your origins tonight as you settle into your dorm.” He hurried away as quickly as he could, muttering something about “the troubled teenagers here scare the shit out of me.”

 

Whispers echoed around the chamber, Aurora’s strange chat circulating throughout the student body. The teen dwarfed the majority of the student body, standing at a proud 6’4” tall. Fanfare sounded, the crow figure directing each student to step in front of the mirror and state their name to be sorted into a dormitory. Having stepped in the line last after dumping the cat in a corner and putting it to sleep, waiting impatiently for her own turn to arrive. Person after person stated their name, seeming to be sorted into one of seven dormitories: Heartslabyul, Savannaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, or Diasomnia. ‘ Wait a moment, I know that mirror - it’s almost exactly like the one in Snow White! What is this, Disney Academy? ’ Eyeing the room in search of other interesting details, she saw seven hooded men at the front, ushering the new students seemingly based on their dorm. Finally the mirror had gotten through the others, and it was her turn.

 

“State thy name,” the magic mirror boomed.

 

Grasping the hem of her sleeve to hide her fidgeting and digging her nails into her palm she answered, “Aurora,” evening her voice out as her anxiety spiked in the largest crowd she had ever physically seen.

 

“The shape of thy soul is,” it continued, “I… do not know.”

 

“WHAT?!” echoed across the chamber.

 

“Thy soul is… something I have not seen before. There are too many influences affecting its shape currently. As such, no one dormitory is suitable for you.”

 

“So what does that mean?” Her eyes widened. ‘ Too many influences? Like, demon influences?

 

“Ah well, I suppose I’ll just have to find some other accommodations for you. Well,” he turned to address the rest of the student body present, there was a little trouble, but with this, the opening ceremony is closed. Each dorm leader, please bring the new students with you and go back to your dorm …Nn? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Diasomnia Dorm’s dorm leader, Mr. Draconia at all…”

 

Aurora noticed that some of the dorm leaders, as well as the students, began to gossip about this Malleus figure.

 

“Him not being here is normal, ain’t it?”

“Huh? Don’t tell me, nobody told him about the ceremony?”

“If you said that, why didn’t you tell him about it?”

“Mmm. But you know, I don’t know much about him.”

“Draconia… don’t tell me, it’s that Malleus Draconia?”

“So it’s real that he’s enrolled in this school.”

“Scary…”

 

How do you forget to let such an important student know about what’s likely one of the biggest events of the year?

 

A much shorter figure with colorful hair streaks and pointed ears stepped forward, his voice almost that of an old man. “Ooh, as expected. I came here thinking that perhaps he might be here, but Malleus didn’t come, did he. It would appear that the opening ceremony announcement didn’t get delivered to him, again.”

 

Two of the hooded men at the front rushed to answer him. “I apologize. By no means are we ostracizing him.” And the other, “he somehow has this hard-to-approach aura about him.”

 

The shorter man chuckled. “Well, that’s fine. Diasomnia Dorm’s students, come follow me. …It would be great if he doesn’t sulk…”

 

“Well then, Aurora,” Crowley hummed as the last of the students filed out. “About the accommodations for your special circumstances. There’s an unused building that ah - charm, yes, it has a lot of charm.”

 

That’s not a good sign. ’ “Alright… do I need a key, or a student card or something like that? Or a student computer or textbooks or a uniform or anything like that? Additionally, do you have any world maps or notes of major importance that will be key here?” Upon not receiving any visible reaction from him, she quickly added, “sorry for going so fast, I’m just not sure how everything works around here.”

 

Finally seeming to pause in thought, the crow replied, “Ahhhh… I suppose those are reasonable questions. Do you have any identification on you? Perhaps a magic carriage license, or a shoe?”

 

Patting herself down quickly, she shook her head.“Not a thing.”

 

“Ah well then, I suppose I shall set you up with everything you need. Ah, my graciousness knows no bounds! Your textbooks and uniforms will be sent over in the morning, as well as a computer that accommodates your schoolwork requirements! I suppose I can bring you a school pamphlet tonight along with your dinner after you get settled into your new place. Ah, come along!” Practically skipping off, he made his way out of the Hall of Mirrors, Aurora quickly running to get the strange cat and tuck it in her robe, following close behind.

Notes:

So.... uh. Next chapter should be very exciting - being the daughter of Lucifer and probably the most powerful sorcerer in their world's history, Aurora's packing some pretty powerful magic of her own (even if she doesn't always have the greatest control over it). Still... between her magic and another tool at her disposal, she'll have a much easier time cleaning Ramshackle than a magicless human would.

Also..... she might be getting to meet a shy dorm leader in the next few chapters :D

Anyways, let me know what you all thought of it or if you have any predictions about which fairy tales are gonna pop up on Aurora's side of things, and thanks for reading!

Chapter 3: How Familiar

Summary:

Aurora arrives at her new home and gains a familiar.

Notes:

Hi guys! So writing has been slower than I wanted, given the everything that's going on in the US right now... but I finally managed to get myself together enough to get back into it. That being said, I hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora expected very little of her new accommodations. Headmaster Crowley was obviously neither the most transparent nor responsible of adults, and her new home was probably in a state of neglect.

 

And yet she was still disappointed.

 

Upon entering, waves and waves of dust flew up to greet her, coating her shadowy robe in a shade of dull slate gray. Loose floorboards creaked as she gently tread across the steps, the ashy texture of the air making the girl extremely glad for her not-fully-human lungs. Most frustratingly, the idiot in a bird mask had the audacity to hum out, “Mmhmm, how full of charm this place is, no?”

This left her the inevitable question, “so, this is… lovely… and all, but where exactly am I supposed to sleep?”

 

Trilling back, he merely shook his head and replied, “now now, do not fret! As I am so generous and kind, there is a closet of cleaning supplies around here somewhere.”

 

Pinching the bridge of her nose and barely reigning in her ire at his lackadaisical attitude, she followed up, “and do the utilities in this building work? I can’t imagine the plumbing here is much better than the rest of the building.”

 

“Hmmmm…” He appeared to be in thought, “I suppose I can arrange for that to be adjusted tomorrow along with the other arrangements I have ordered.”

 

“Tomorrow?” She gritted her teeth, “but what about tonight?”

 

He grinned widely once again as he blew past her indignance, “Ah I am so generous, no?” ‘ Does this guy ever talk about anything other than how “gracious” he is?! ’ “Ah, I suppose I’d better go check on your supper!” he crowed out before skipping off.

 

What did I just get myself into? ’ the girl wondered. Looking around the room, she saw the coast was clear and set the cat down who finally started to stir awake.

 

“Nya~ Gotta get that - HEY!” it yelled upon seeing the teen. “Gimme - that - uniform!” it hissed as it started squirming again.

 

“You know you’re not supposed to be here, right?” She tilted her head in questioning the little furball.

 

“Hey, I am!” It waggled its arms frantically as if trying to emphasize its point.

 

She raised an eyebrow at the little creature, clearly much smaller than she was. “What is your deal with needing my uniform so badly anyways? I’m sure there’s a dusty old blanket somewhere that you could curl up in.” ‘ Stop being such a bother to me when I’m already dealing with so much.

 

“It’s not like that, human!” It ran up to her leg, attempting to appear intimidating.

 

“Then what is your problem ?” she grimaced, shaking the creature off her leg.

 

“I’ve always dreamed of bein’ able to go to a big, fancy college like Night Raven!” The creature lamented before declaring, “I, the Great Grim, shall become the greatest magician the world has ever seen!”

 

Aurora’s rose-red lips curled into a snicker as she attempted to cover her laughter with her hand, “I’m not sure whether to laugh or to give you a hug right now.”

 

Ignoring her amusement, the cat continued, “the Dark Mirror clearly doesn’t have an eye for this, so I came here myself! And that’s why I need your uniform, human!”

 

She shook her head before lowering her hand, a devilish grin forming as she remembered something that flippant Headmaster had said to her. “Well, I need my own uniform, but I might have a solution to allow you to stay here with me.”

 

“I get to take your place!” it screamed.

 

“No, you idiot. However,” a glint formed in her pink eyes, “the headmaster did seem to be under the impression that you were my familiar, so-”

 

“Nope! Uh-uh! Not happening!” the cat protested. ‘“There’s not enough canned tuna in the WORLD-”

“Then I suppose you’d like to be kicked out of here?” she interjected. Met with utter silent horror, she continued, “you saw what I can do. I can knock you out and keep you permanently out of this school’s walls-”

 

“NO!” it cried.

 

“Or,” she added, “you can cooperate with me and become my familiar.”

 

Quivering as it attempted to shout over her, “did you NOT hear, human-”

 

“I’d make it a fair deal for you, of course,” she cut the creature off once again. “You want to study magic, right? Well, what better way to learn than to have access to my textbooks, what I learn in class, and what is presumably an impressive magical library?”

 

“I ain’t gonna be your henchman!” it protested.

 

“Well, I’ve been looking for a familiar of my own, but none of the choices back home were all that great - and why should I settle for anything but the best?” ‘ Not that I was actively able to look, being locked inside most of the time and all, but he doesn’t need to know that.

 

“Nnng- yeah that’s right, I am the best!” She grinned at him. ‘ Hook, line, and sinker. ’ “But-”

 

“But I suppose you don’t want any part of all this, being here at the college and all that.” She turned and dramatically lamented, only waiting for that final push to get him to agree. “Oh well, I was excited, you do seem to have quite a lot of potential within you, after all. Buuuuuuut I suppose I’ll just have to send you back to sleep and have you on your merry little-”

 

“OKAY!” Grim finally screamed at her.

 

“What was that?” Of course, she heard perfectly well, but the demonic arrogance seeping into her expression belied to a more observant viewer that she wanted to merely hear him repeat himself.

 

Unfortunately for him, Grim was not that observant. “Okay! I’ll do it! Just…. Just you better promise that you’ll actually follow through and teach me magic! And I want canned tuna!”

 

“Of course, Grim,” she smiled. “I’m not one to back out on my word.”

 

“Ngh… You better mean that!” He waved his fuzzy little arms around again, blue ears flaming adorably.

 

“But of course! Now, are you ready to get started?” Her robes billowed behind her as she walked to a more open area of the room.

“Yeah!” Grim squealed as he trailed behind her, “I wanna go BANG BANG with my super cool fire magic!”

 

“As…” she paused, “super cool… as I’m sure your fire magic is, I actually meant if you were ready to get started with the familiar bonding ritual.”

“Hah?!” 

 

“It won’t take long,” she placated him, “plus it’s supposed to be super painless.” ‘ I think.

 

“Gah, fine, just get it over with!”

 

“Alright, now I’m going to need you to stay in place,” she ordered.

 

Aurora plucked a strand of her long, wavy hair and a strand of Grim’s fur, pinching the two together and using them to trace a large circle around the room, keeping herself and the cat inside the boundary as she fused energy into it. Upon completion, it began to glow a soft silver, illuminating the dusty room in radiant light. A small smirk dancing onto her face, she walked towards the center, placing the hairs down and setting them to her right. She extended her hand out to the smaller creature and asked, “Do you, Grim, agree to serve as my familiar, to obey my commands and heed my call?”

 

A small whine tore out of the cat as he begrudgingly agreed, “yeah, I do. But I meant it when I said I wanted magic AND tuna!”

 

The girl’s grin widened as she answered, “Then I, Aurora, agree to serve as your master, Grim.” As she finished her statement, ripples of magic flowed through the both of them, infernal mixing with celestial mixing with human as it bound them in an unknown string of power.

 

Grim then whined as he yawned, “nya! That was exhausting, I wanna take a nap.”

 

Aurora smirked at him, “you can definitely take a nap… right after you help me clean all,” she gestured widely with her arms, “ this up.”

 

“Fng… this guy’s a demon…”

Notes:

Annnd that's the new chapter!

Aurora's already getting settled in, and those demonic instincts are definitely gonna flare up in interesting ways... And also, in a couple chapters, you get to see Solomon and her mother again... and maybe get some more hints on why she's done the things she has.
I'll mostly be using the OM lore up through season 2, as most of what was presented later seemed somewhat sloppily put together.

Anyways, I hope you guys like the story so far, and let me know your thoughts!

Chapter 4: Disney University?

Summary:

Aurora settles into her dorm, finds hidden stuff, and discovers just where exactly she is.

Notes:

Hi! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. This semester has been absolutely crazy, on top of some of my own personal projects I'm doing. Hopefully you like this, and I promise the next one will be out sooner!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Five minutes later, Aurora stood in front of Grim, several half-empty bottles of cleaning supplies laying on the ground.

 

“Why am I doing this?” Grim whined.

 

“Relax,” Aurora waved him off. “My magic should be doing most of the hard work - I just need you to get some of those high corners I can’t reach.” ‘ I actually could, but it’s going to be funny to watch you try.

 

“Nga…”

 

Covering a bit of a smirk, Aurora glanced at the lineup. ‘ Wonder if I could pull a Snow White or a Giselle here. ’ “Come on, bucket, soap, mop, broom. Go ahead and clean up the room.” Sticking a duster in the poor cat’s hands, she levitated him up to the corner as the spell began to work its magic, covering a snicker as he haphazardly flailed about. In just a matter of minutes, the entire dorm was almost sparkling clean, the tools leading a path through the hidden hallways - passing assorted abandoned rooms, a tower room with a corkboard and desk, and above that - a hidden room with a wilted rose on a lone oak table. Inscribed into the table was an incantation, a dagger engraved with the words “speak me” laying next to it.

 

Certain as the sun rising in the east,

There shall come a beauty to tame the inner beast.

From any corner of the world a guest,

Come to this tower, a wing of the west.

 

See here, this knife

And give but a bit of the elixir of life

And unto this house bequeath

Another chance to breathe.

 

So… if I follow it, what exactly will happen? Is this house really alive, or is this one of those weird magical metaphors Uncle Sol always talked about? ’ Deciding to take a chance, Aurora held her hand over the rose while chanting the incantation. As she reached the end, rammed the dagger into her hand, struggling to break her demonic flesh before finally rending three drops free. As they hit the wilted rose, the dead flower bloomed once more, taking on a faint glow as the house transformed. Cracks in walls and vaguely rotting floors were suddenly patched up. Suddenly, an artist’s palette appeared in front of her, floating with a paintbrush - suspiciously familiar, she noted - next to a model of the house that had suddenly appeared. Deciding to test it out, she picked a lovely slightly-lighter-than-violet shade whose name escaped her, tapping one of the walls. Suddenly, the entire wall in the model changed color. Having a bit of fun, she changed the entire interior of the house, even coloring the model floors into shiny white.

 

Going back downstairs to check on Grim, Aurora quickly realized - that wasn’t just a test model for the house. Instead, every single shade change became reality in the rest of the strange dormitory. ‘ It’s like that house model Mom and Sol always talked about. Still… this looks much better to me. That wallpaper was such a stupid color.

 

Running when she heard a shrieking Grim, she laughed when she saw him running in circles to try to fix whatever he had done. Deciding to forego the explanation of… whatever had just happened, as she glanced down at her mostly-healed hand, she spun a little lie. “You know Grim, you must have done such a good job cleaning that you got the layers of dust over the walls.”

 

“Is that how… yeah, I did totally do a good job!” He seemed a little confused but willing to ignore the gap in logic in favor of a nap.

 

That worked way better than it should’ve .’ “Yes, well…” She hesitated, not wanting to let him know of the room she had found. “How do you feel about taking that nap now?”

 

“Yes-dazo!” Like clockwork, the little cat ran to the nearest bedroom, crashing on a bed and snoozing within a matter of seconds. In fact, he was so deep in sleep that he failed to register the door swinging wide open, the headmage strolling in with a dinner that looked like it could’ve been cooked by Uncle Sol.

 

“Oh-ho-ho,” he glanced around the polished-up dorm. “It looks like you and this place are quite a good match. Of course, such a genius arrangement, as I am ever so gracious.”

 

‘Does this man ever stop saying that word? If he’s the head of a school, shouldn’t he be able to read books that use other adjectives? ’ Aurora pressed her lips together, deciding on a more diplomatic response – no need to get kicked out already. “Yes, I suppose so. Although I think I’ll feel more comfortable when I have some supplies here.”

 

“Ah, yes!” he cawed out. “Here,” he gestured to some sort of sack he lugged along, “contains all supplies you’ll immediately need. Also, there is a card for Sam’s Mystery Shop – the campus general store. According to the other professors, it is, ah, necessary that a scholarship student have a monthly stipend while on campus.” He spread his arms wide open in a gesture of grandeur. “I think you’ll find that it is a very gracious amount.”

 

I’ll be lucky if that amount even buys me a grain of rice here. ’ “Yes, well, thank you,” Aurora cautiously answered. “I’m sure that you must be very busy with the beginning of the school year and all.” ‘ Now please drop my stuff off and get out of my face so I can figure out what’s going on.

 

“Ah, so understanding! Yes yes, I am a very, very busy man and I must get back to my card- ah, my very important things. Well, goodbye then!” He whistled joyfully, skipping out as he left the dorm.

 

I’m going to paint the outside of the dorm in rainbow just to piss this man off.

 

Opening the sack of supplies, Aurora carefully check her inventory: textbooks, uniforms, the aforementioned card, and Thank Grandfather – as much of a bastard as she had heard he could be – a few basic hygiene products such as a toothbrush and soap. Hopefully her blood sacrifice had fixed the plumbing.

 

After going through her new things, Aurora decided to check out one final thing – the pamphlet for Night Raven College. “An Elite Wizarding College For Those Who Embody the Great Seven,” it read. ‘ Like… the Seven Deadly Sins? Demons? Wait IS THIS THE SCHOOL MOM AND SOL WENT TO? ’ she wondered frantically. Hurrying and opening the pamphlet up… it was worse than what she expected. For starters… Night Raven College seemed to be an all-boy’s school. ‘ There must be some loophole in that rule, or I wouldn’t have been able to travel by the school’s own magic. ’ But… the really troubling part lay in the figures known as the Great Seven. For Aurora was an avid lover of fairy tales – Disney adaptations included, even if they didn’t always stick to the source material. Yet the “Great Seven” were the villains in said Disney adaptations. More disturbingly, they seemed to be remembered as heroes. ‘ No, you idiots. Scar and Ursula tried to kill their family and take over a kingdom. Jafar was similar and also a creep. The Evil Queen was literally jealous of a teenager. Hades and Maleficent were cooler than the rest, but there’s still the fact that they committed war crimes and tried to kill babies . And the Queen of Hearts was just nasty and bitter, not a fan here. I bet that dorm has to absolutely suck .

 

Aurora was definitely curious about these dorms, but she had to wonder - ‘ Am I actually in a world where the Disney films are history? ’ Whatever she did next, one thing was for certain.

 

I’m definitely painting this dorm rainbow.

Notes:

She's officially discovered she's in Disneyverse!
Also yes, that was the paintbrush from Epic Mickey.
Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Also, I'm working on an original fairy tale retelling of my own - a dark Snow White story where there's more going on with the royal family than meets the eye, and maybe the Evil King isn't quite as evil as he first seems. If you like my writing, be sure to check in, cuz I'm sure I'll be posting updates on it when it's closer to done. Thanks!

Chapter 5: Painted Pride

Summary:

Annnnnnd Aurora finally meets the Ignihyde gang! Albeit very briefly, given Idia's personality on top of the fact that Aurora's never met anyone her own age really, but... it's still a start! Also, Aurora's pride combined with her upbringing leads to self-consciousness.

Notes:

Got another chapter out whoop!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Come the next morning, Aurora had indeed painted the exterior of Ramshackle in rainbow – after, of course, reading the handbook of rules to be sure that doing wasn’t technically a violation. ‘Let’s see how well you handle pride, birdbeak. See if you take to it as well as Florida does. Suffer.

 

Unbeknownst to her, someone had indeed seen the rainbow and was suffering. It just wasn’t the person she expected.

 

Having woken up early to take a scalding shower in the now-functional plumbing, she was now attempting to get dressed. More specifically, she was attempting to get dressed while looking like a guy.

 

Did the birdbeak know she was a girl? He must have, since there was a convenient little chest binder included with the uniform.

 

Pretty sketchy. Just how much did he know about her, anyways?

 

After finally getting the binder on, she was able to tug the rest of the uniform with relative ease. Almost satisfied with her appearance, an item rolled out in front of her – a tan lipstick, the exact same color her mom had always made her wear out. ‘ What a cruel fucking prank. ’ And yet, her mother’s words echoed in Aurora’s mind.

 

“Everyone will be able to tell you’re not human.”

“Red isn’t ugly, but it is abnormal.”

“Are you trying to get caught by witches? They can sniff out unnatural appearances a mile away.”

 

Her contacts were not here – there was no hiding her eyes. And in a world where magic seemed to be more normalized, perhaps that was okay. But to be the only girl on top of being not-fully-human? That was a recipe for trouble. And her red lips certainly didn’t help her look masculine. ‘ I don’t know how, but this is definitely Mom’s fault. ’ Regretfully, she applied a thick layer on, barely able to stomach looking at her reflection in the mirror. ‘ One day. One day I won’t have to hide anymore… right?

 

At least a lot of the guys here seemed to have long hair. She would riot if she had to finally cut it, too – the one concession in her appearance that her mother had given her.

 

A series of soft raps on the front door shook her from her musings of melancholy. Giving her uniform a final once-over, she walked down towards the door, swinging it open to reveal a boy who looked as out-of-place as she felt. Taking a look at him, she saw the most striking hair she had ever seen – a mass of blue flames dancing across him in waves. His skin was about as pale as hers, with blue lips and golden eyes to boot. ‘ Is he another demon like me? ’ was the first thing Aurora thought. ‘ He’s really cute, ’ was the second. White knuckles pressed together as he seemed to be lacking the uniform gloves, awkwardly standing there.

 

Mildly flustered – having never gotten to hang out with someone her age, let alone someone so pretty – she tried to speak and cut the awkward tension. “Um, hello,” she greeted. “I’m Aurora. It’s – uh – really nice to meet you.” Well, that went great. ‘ Damn you Disney for teaching me that it would be easy to speak to pretty strangers after growing up alone in the forest with just a couple of weirdos.

 

Fortunately for Aurora’s already fragile pride, the mysterious boy in front of her didn’t seem to be doing much better. Rather than speaking, he typed onto some keyboard that seemed to link to a voice modulator. “I’m Housewarden Idia from the Ignihyde Dorm. The Headmage sent me over to drop some a device off.” Emerging from behind him was a smaller cyborg, entrusted with carrying a bag with some kind of small device that seemed to be slightly more advanced than the normal cell phones from her world. In fact, it seemed vaguely similar to that one device Uncle Sol would whip out on occasion. “This is my Vice Housewarden, Ortho-”

 

“Hi!” the small cyborg waved at her.

 

“-and the Headmage said you can come to Ignihyde if there’s anything wrong with it.” The blue-haired man finished his speech, slightly shaking his head and fidgeting.

 

“Oh, um, thanks,” Aurora replied. Was this how you ended a conversation with someone who wasn’t 25 (or 2500) years older than you? Probably not. “Say… I have to finish setting up my dorm, but would you like to come over and hang out sometime after I’m done?”

 

Panic flashed through Idia’s eyes, followed by the pain that came whenever he was forced to socialize in any capacity. His fingers flew to his keyboard once more. “Maybe if there’s time after I do all of my other things.” He breathed a sigh of relief: crisis avoided.

 

“Oh, of course,” Aurora half-apologized. ‘ I didn’t do anything weird, did I? ’ “Have a good orientation day.”

 

Mumbling some kind of agreement, the housewarden walked out, the adorable cyborg in tow. As he slunk away, Aurora’s demonic hearing picked up a small uttered phrase: “Extroverts are scary…”

 

Maybe I actually did okay, then.

 

Well, with that over, maybe Aurora could finally set up her new phone. And maybe pick out some new fabric and furniture to decorate the place with before her orientation activities started.


Hopefully Idia hadn’t thought she was too weird.

Notes:

As someone who's been in Aurora's position before (kinda), meeting someone your own age for the first time is very difficult, but it gets much easier after successfully getting through a few convos.

As always, be sure to let me know what you thought of it!

Also, Aurora meets Ace next chapter and it goes about as well as you would expect.

Chapter 6: A Certain Idiot

Summary:

Aurora meets Ace, and it goes about as well as you would expect.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

A couple hours later, Aurora stood on the wide, clean street as she moved to meet up with her orientation group – apparently, someone deemed these statues a wonderful place to begin their campus tour. Having arrived a bit early, she perused the street, looking at the statues of the “Great Seven,” still baffled at this world’s apparent idolization of them. Especially the Queen of Hearts, whose statue she couldn’t help but glare at a little bit.

 

During her glaring session, another student walked up to her, a heart painted over his eye nearly matching wild red hair. “What did the Queen of Hearts do to you?” he joked as he walked towards her. Looking at him, Aurora noted that his friendly, joking demeanor did not match the smug pride that she felt practically rolling off of him. “She’s my favorite, ya know. I’m kind of a big fan. The name’s Ace, by the way. As of today, I’m a first-year student too.”

 

Playing it cautiously, not eager to reveal her other-worldly status just yet, Aurora decided to play into that pride, looking directly into his eyes as she made him subtly swell with the sin. “I’m afraid I don’t know all that much about her. You seem to be pretty knowledgeable, though.”

 

That was all it took for Ace to launch into an explanation of all 7 of the cartoon villains. ‘ Hook, line, and sinker .’ Even if the bait was wildly inaccurate misinformation about their “heroic” deeds.

 

“Pretty cool, right? Unlike a certain idiot who didn’t even get a dorm.” A nasty grin spread across his face, that smugness she had detected finally making itself seen. “I mean, can you even use magic?”

 

I’d really like to kick his ass, but unfortunately I’ll get in trouble if I give this guy what he deserves .’ “Yes,” she carefully replied. “I don’t think I would have been summoned to a magic academy if I were unable to use magic.”

 

“So like, did you sleep outside with a bunch of bears or something? I can’t imagine not even getting a dorm. Ooh, ooh, or are you gonna have to go live with a professor? Wait, what color even is your magic pen?”

 

What the fuck is wrong with this stupid, irritating boy? ’ “Pardon me?” Aurora tried to maintain a mask of cool indifference, mulling over what a magic pen could possibly be needed for – couldn’t she just use magic to make a regular old pen write if she really wanted to?

 

“Hahahaha!” Ace’s fit of laughter intensified upon her apparent confusion. “You really are magicless! You don’t even have a magic pen!”

 

“Why would I need some pen to cast the most basic of spells?” Aurora snapped at him, pink eyes flashing with traces of obsidian. “Are you so incompetent that you can’t use magic without some sort of crutch?” Aurora thought back to her early lessons with Uncle Sol – how wands were useful tools for witches first learning to cast. Yet, he explained to her, once you exerted greater control over your powers, it was far easier to cast based on your own energy rather than relying on a conduit that would break under powerful enough spells.

 

Suffice to say, he’d weaned her off of wands as soon as she had enough control to not blow the whole house up in a temper tantrum. Also, she had to be careful since so many similar conduits – such as the rings but he and her mother possessed – were not exactly demon-friendly .

 

Unfortunately, this Ace character kept guffawing at her, drawing attention from an increasing number of onlookers who were presumably here to meet up for class. “Everyone knows that the best mages have great magic pens,” he wheezed out in a fresh peal of laughter. “What, are you from another planet or something?”

 

Aurora briefly froze. Sure, this guy was clearly just spewing bullshit, but he still had gotten uncomfortably close to exposing her. Well, one of her secrets at least. Still, this wouldn’t do. She needed to shut him up, and fast. “Aren’t you named after the bottom card in the deck?” Staring into his eyes, she toyed with his pride once again. After all, she couldn’t directly attack him with magic, but perhaps if he threatened her first…

 

“Hey!” He, predictably, sputtered. “I’ll have you know that in some games, the Ace is the most powerful card in the deck!”

 

She cocked an eyebrow back at him, reaching into his very soul and twisting that pride to a little bit of light shame to couple her words. “And in just as many, if not more, you’re the weakest.”

 

As if on cue, his face flushed, compounded by the stares and whispers of their classmates. “I’m not weak!” he yelled at her.

 

Unexpectedly, a blue-haired boy with a spade painted over his eye walked up to her, asking frantically if she was okay – or so she thought, it was a little difficult to pick out his speech from the blustering red-haired idiot. Even more surprisingly, he stepped in front of her, looking like he was ready to fight. Adjusting her plan, Aurora covered her mouth with a gloved hand to hide a smirk.

 

Surely it shouldn’t be long before the professor arrived, right?

 

Using her ability to mess with a person’s pride, she reached deep into his soul one last time, stroking his ego on… and then absolutely crushing it at the idea that someone else might insult him. In the redhead’s tampered state, there was no doubt that this unfortunate blue fellow was a direct threat, a menace — someone who needed to be taken down a peg.

 

So Ace punched him.

 

As if on cue, the two began to brawl — that is, before a loud whistle interrupted the two of them.

 

The professor — a tall man with a fur coat and black-and-white hair — saw the blue boy covered in bruises.

Notes:

Annnnnd that’s how Aurora meets Ace! You’ll see more of them soon, but first- next chapter you get to see MC and Solomon lose their shit over her disappearance.

Chapter 7: So Old

Summary:

MC talks to Solomon. MC then goes to have a talk with Aurora, and...

Notes:

The awaited chapter where we see Solomon and MC's side of things - aka discovering that Aurora is missing. Also, a bit of discussion and insight as to why MC raised Aurora the way she did.

Also - MC is named here (I didn't wanna just insert "MC" since this version of MC has a defined personality).

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Something was not right.

 

Solomon knocked on Aurora’s door again, picking up last yesterday’s untouched tray, dropping off a fresh one whenever she finally decided to poke her head out of her room. What was it, twenty hours now that she’d been holed up in there now? Definitely not her longest streak, but not exactly a healthy one, either.

 

…Maybe it was time to talk to her mother about this. Again.

 

Walking down into their joint study room, Solomon lightly pushed the door open to find the woman slumped over a desk, reading something he couldn’t quite make out from here. “Victoria?” He asked softly. “Is now a good time?”

 

Slowly spinning around to face him, she nodded and waved him in, chugging a massive cup of some unholy coffee. “Yeah,” she reluctantly agreed, closing her book which Solomon could now see was titled “How To Talk To Your Teenager – Extra Stressed Edition.”

 

Glancing pointedly at the book, Solomon cleared his throat. “I take it your talk with Aurora yesterday didn’t go well?”

 

She deadpan started back at him, drawling, “obviously.”

 

Pressing on, he noted, “she’s been in her room for almost a full day now. Isn’t this going on just a bit long?”

 

Sighing, the tired woman dropped her head to the desk. “I just wish she’d understand , Sol,” she griped.

 

Sitting next to her, he placed a comforting arm around her. “I know you have your reasons for keeping it secret,” he started out cautiously, “but she can’t understand what she doesn’t know.”

 

She looked at him pleadingly. “She deserves to have a childhood, Sol,” she weakly argued. “She – she deserves to grow up without that horrible burden over her head. She shouldn’t have to worry that some tyrant is going to use or kill her because of what she is.”

 

His eyes softened towards her. “I know, love, I know.” He paused in thought briefly. “She is sixteen though. I think she’s old enough to know at least a little more about… well, her unique situation.”

 

“She’s still a child!” The woman wiped her eyes, willing tears not to spill out just yet. “She’s not even a legal adult yet – hell, she’s barely old enough to operate a vehicle.”

 

“If you’ll recall, I wasn’t much older than her when I started running a kingdom,” Solomon noted. Even younger than her when I became a co-regent.”

 

“Didn’t you have a magic ring to help you out with that?” She glared at him through wet eyes. “Besides, the world was a different place back then.’’

 

He placed a hand on his chest in feigned shock. “You make me sound so old .”

 

“You’re 3000 years old, Sol,” she retorted.

 

“Then, my dear, wouldn’t you say I’m old enough to have a touch of insight on this matter?” He cupped her chin gently. “I’m not saying you have to do a complete turnaround overnight – and I wouldn’t find that wise, either. But maybe… maybe just a few things. A few more explanations and freedoms to go along with that. She’s young, but she is quite responsible for age, and I think you know that too.”

 

The woman sighed, pulling Solomon a little closer to her as a tremble wracked her body. “Every night,” she cried. “Almost every time I close my eyes, I see that awful, horrid dagger so close to killing him, Sol. And I’m so afraid…” The tears she tried to hold back cascaded forward as she cried into the sorcerer’s shoulder. “I’m so afraid she could end up in a similar position to him. I can’t even protect him from that wretched prince, so all I can do is protect my daughter. I… I know it’s been over seventeen years since I’ve been down there, but I still feel like something awful is coming.”

 

“I know, love…” He held her a while longer, comforting her til her tears ran dry. As she began to calm down, he hesitantly spoke, not knowing what her reaction would be. “You know… you’re not the only one who’s tried to protect someone from Diavolo.”

 

Her eyes blinked wider, sharpening into focus. “Solomon… you’re not implying what I think you are, right?”

 

Unphased, he immediately replied. “Not yet . But your fights are getting worse, and quite frankly, might end up going in a similar direction if you can’t give her a better explanation. You are doing this for all the right reasons, love, but that doesn’t make it any easier for her to grow up without anyone she can really call a friend – and no, I don’t support the Gilmore Girls philosophy – we don’t count.” He stroked her hair gently, softening his voice again. “If she’s going to keep dealing with that, then I believe she needs a more concrete reason – it’s not enough anymore to speak of a vague danger she can’t even put a name to.”

 

She groaned, wiping her face dry. “I hate it when you’re right.”

 

He ruffled her hair, grinning at her. “Well, I’m not ‘Solomon the Wise’ for nothing, love.”

 

“Again,” she quipped, “that was 3000 years ago.”

______________________________________________________________________

 

Of course, nothing in the household could ever be simple.

 

She had been knocking on Aurora’s door intermittently for the last ten minutes, and yet there was not even a ghost of a response – not even for a “fuck off.”

 

Which, to say the least, was concerning. She may have been Lucifer’s child, but she sure had a tendency to act like Satan. (Maybe technically her brother? But 1000 years of studies couldn’t begin to scratch the surface of that .)

 

Even Solomon was showing visible concern.

 

Finally, she teleported into the room, the older sorcerer in tow. Aurora’s bed was completely empty and made, only slightly rumpled from when she threw herself on it the day before. Fear building deep in her gut, she rustled through every nook and cranny she could possibly hiding in. She and Solomon called out for her frantically, hoping she was just playing some sort of awful prank.

 

Until he noticed something amiss. For across her room, one window was ever-so-slightly ajar, the faintest breeze gently sweeping in. Stepping a bit closer, he focused on the area, divining what could have possibly broken the wards – and then he recoiled away.

 

Solomon took her hands, eyes frantic with fear as she began to tremble. “Sol? Do – do you think she ran away?”

 

He shook his head numbly, shock still evident on his features. “No, Victoria. It’s so much worse than that.”

 

She squeezed his hands, a tint of green coloring her face. “What’s wrong? What happened to my baby?”

 

His eyes casted downwards, not wanting to admit the truth aloud. “I don’t recognize the spell that was used to open that window. But… I do recognize that it’s fey magic – and it carried her out of here.”

 

No amount of damage-proofing could prevent all of the window’s from being shattered by the scream that followed.

Notes:

And there you have it!

...this is especially for all my babes who, alongside me, did NOT trust Diavolo throughout season 2. (At this point in the game he's probs not actually evil, but also I'm throwing out most of seasons 3-4 here, so... have fun XD)

Be sure to let me know what you thought of it!

Chapter 8: Let's Get a Magestone!

Summary:

Aurora sits with Deuce in the infirmary for a bit. She then talks to birdman and Crewel about getting a magestone.

Notes:

I'm back with another chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora sat with the blue-haired boy — whose name was Deuce — in the infirmary, holding ice up to some of his bruises which he confusedly poked at.

 

“H-hey, Aurora, right?” He glanced unsurely at her.

 

“Yes, Deuce?” She glanced at him, curious to see what her would-be knight in shining armor would say.

 

“Are-are we dead?”

 

Aurora sputtered. “What? No?”

 

Deuce sighed audibly in relief. “I wasn’t sure… I don’t feel that hurt, but everyone was fussing over my bruises…”

 

A moment passed before Aurora knew how to respond to that. “Um… no? Oh!” She looked at him and shook her head a bit. “You’re not actually that injured — I just put a little glamour on you to make it look a bit worse.”

 

He stared dumbly at her for several seconds. “YOU WHAT?!”

 

“I would’ve gotten in trouble for fighting him,” she explained nonchalantly, “and I was afraid you might too for stepping up to my defense. That was really sweet of you, by the way.” She smiled at him, dropping the ice along with the pretense of healing.

 

“That makes no sense why you made me look all bruised!” His eyes darted from side to side, furiously trying to figure out what he was missing.

 

Aurora grinned a little bit at this adorable idiot’s antics. “Deuce,” she interjected, ignoring the warmth flaring in her cheeks as she leaned in close, “I thought you might get in trouble for fighting, so I made you look more injured so the teachers would be more likely to believe it was self-defense — especially since a couple of punches from your end really did a number on that guy. And,” she added with a little smirk, “it had the added bonus of putting him in even more trouble.”

 

“But wouldn’t I still get in trouble for fighting?”

 

She shook her head amusedly. “Not if the whole crowd there can testify that he threw the first punch — since his injuries were worse than yours, that might discredit the notion that it was self-defense, so I used magic to… clear things up a bit.”

 

“…Oh.” He blinked slowly. “I guess you’re pretty smart, huh?” He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as heat crept up his face.

 

Aurora’s grin widened, her ego swelling a bit from the compliment. “Well, I’d like to think so.”

 

And so the two of them kept talking until it was time for her to speak to the headmage.

 

____

 

“And so, the next thing I saw, he’d been absolutely beaten to a pulp for trying to come to my defense,” Aurora finished explaining to an exasperated headmage and the stern-looking professor from earlier. “He really did try to de-escalate, but unfortunately that Ace fellow was out to fight.” Of course, she conveniently left out her own involvement with this — not that they should be able to trace it back to her anyways.

 

“Haah…” the bird man groaned, not bothering to hide his exasperation. “Did you really not get a magestone yet?”

 

The professor – Crewel, he had said his name was – glanced in disbelief over at the man. “Is that seriously your top priority rather than disciplining that foul pup?”

 

Aurora watched the light enter the headmage’s eyes — a light that surely spelled trouble for her. “Fear not! As I am so gracious, I have devised the perfect solution! Aurora, have you ever heard of the Dwarf Mines?”

 

Nearly matching glares were directed at Crowley by Aurora and Crewel. “Headmage,” the professor interjected, “did you not say that this poor pup has most likely been thrust here from a completely different world?”

 

“Well, yes,” Crowley smiled. “I’m glad to see you were paying attention.”

 

Crewel tapped the riding crop against the desk in warning. “Then how would he have heard about any of our landmarks?”

 

“Ah, right!” He nonchalantly brushed the concern off. “Well, you don’t really need to know what it is, Aurora, just that it’s an abandoned mine where magestones are kept.”

 

“If I may,” Aurora interjected hesitantly before receiving a nod from the professor, “what exactly are magestones? It seems like they’re fairly important here, but since I was about seven years old or so I haven’t used a wand.”

 

The two men looked at her with varying degrees of horror spread across their faces. “What exactly do you mean by that, pup?” Crewel questioned her. “Have you been practicing magic without one?”

 

“Um, yes?” Aurora answered as her eyes narrowed slightly. “Most skilled mages do once they’ve learned the necessary skills to control fundamental spells – without breaking everything nearby in… a tantrum.”

 

“But what about excess blot? It’s not healthy to store it inside yourself.” Professor Crewel’s face showed concern where the headmage’s was now difficult to read.

 

“I – what? Blot?” Aurora frowned slightly and shook her head. ‘ I am in a Disney world of sorts, so perhaps it has to do with that one story with Mickey? ’ She thought briefly back to the paintbrush in her dorm before snapping back into focus. “I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what exactly you’re talking about.”

 

“Aurora,” Crewel interjected. “When you cast a spell, you create a little bit of blot – that blot does not go away for some time, depending on how well you rest and take care of yourself. The purpose of a magestone is not only to act as a conduit for your magic, but a place to store your blot. Otherwise, the blot is going to build up inside of the mage casting the spell.”

 

Aurora paused in thought. ‘ Surely not – there’s no fucking way mom or Uncle Sol wouldn’t have told me. Perhaps.. ’ “Would there be a possibility it’s due to a difference in magical operation between here and my world?”

 

Crewel leaned his head on his hand, in his own thought process. “I suppose it is possible,” he agreed, “but until we know for sure, we should still get you a magestone.”

 

“Which is why my solution is perfect!” Crowley hooted, jumping back into the conversation. “I propose that these Ace and Deuce fellows accompany you to the Dwarf Mines – fear not, you may use the Dark Mirror to teleport there – and they will help you pick out a nice magestone. Ah, am I not gracious?”

 

“Crowley!” The professor hissed at the headmage, though he could not seem to open his mouth to say another word.


And that was how Aurora found herself on the other side of the Dark Mirror in front of an abandoned cottage that looked suspiciously similar to the one from the animated Snow White film.

Notes:

Okay so - this chapter had a hint about what's in store for Aurora. :D Also, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm debating whether to show the time at the Dwarf Mine next or head back over to how Solomon and MC are handling Aurora's disappearance (spoiler alert: not great). Be sure to let me know what you thought!

Chapter 9: Even Good Girls Go To Hell

Summary:

Ace, Deuce, Grim, and Aurora go to the Dwarf Mine.

Notes:

Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter!

Also, a note I want to make - I retconned Aurora's eye color. Why? Well, one reason was bc I thought it matched her aesthetic better... but the more important reason is that I was going through some of the lore I did as part of worldbuilding along with where I plan to take her character... and let's just say it fit SO much better thematically.

Anyways, hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Standing in the forest near the familiar cottage were what Aurora had dubbed the “card boys,” one significantly more ticked off than the other.

 

“Okay, I get that I shouldn’t have punched Juice Box here,” Ace blabbed, “but why’d that mean I had to get dragged here ?”

 

“Hey, it’s Deuce , not Juice !” the boy corrected. “Don’t you know any of your classmates’ names?”

 

“Okay,” Aurora cut their bickering off. “As lovely as this is, I need you guys to shut up for a second. There’s someone I want to summon here.”

 

The boys’ eyes widened, each protesting the merits and possibilities of such a feat. Aurora ignored them, focusing her powers as her eyes began to glow and she began the incantation. "Hear me, denizens of the Darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! I call upon you to send forth one of my number! I summon my familiar, Grim!” As she spoke, weaving her spell, the air around her began to crackle in sparks of violet flames, pushing the boys back. As the two looked around, they noticed something that had not been there before – a slate gray cat with flaming blue ears and a pitchfork for a tail.

 

“Ngh… my nap…” the animal whined.

 

“Grim, meet Ace and Deuce,” Aurora gestured at the bewildered duo. “Boys, meet Grim. He’s my familiar.”

 

“HOW DID YOU DO THAT?” screeched Ace. “I thought you couldn’t even do magic! I mean, you hadn’t even heard of a magic pen!”

 

“I hate to agree with this idiot,” Deuce concurred, “but I definitely wouldn’t have expected… this. This seems like a super fancy kinda spell.”

 

“Is it? It’s much easier than teleportation,” Aurora mused. “I still can’t do that super well – or for very long distances.”

 

“YOU CAN TELEPORT?!”

 

They spent much of the walk exchanging freakouts over what their new ally could do.

 

“So,” Aurora asked as they neared their destination. “Pardon me for how I ask this, but… what magical abilities are you two currently able to use?”

 

“Cauldron!” Deuce exclaimed almost immediately. “Ah, I mean, I can summon cauldrons. Which are great if you need something heavy.”

 

Ace laughed flippantly at him. “That all, Juicy? Well, I can use wind magic!”

 

“I told you, it’s Deuce!

 

“What kind of wind magic are we talking about, Ace?” Aurora tried to veer them back on track.

 

“What do you mean? I can use wind!”

 

Aurora pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “...Got it.” ‘ A light breeze and then it’s useless. Fantastic.

 

“Flame dazo! But you already saw that, haha!” Grim contributed. 

 

I’m surrounded by a bunch of morons. At least Deuce is nice, though. And Grim’s kinda adorable. Obnoxious, but adorable AND has potential. Very, VERY deeply hidden potential. ’ “So,” Aurora started, “the headmage didn’t exactly… explain a lot of details to me. Is there some sort of danger we should be aware of here?”

 

The two boys looked at each other and shrugged. “I mean, I guess be on the lookout for whatever could be in an abandoned mine? Dust bunnies?” Ace decided to “helpfully” suggest.

 

Aurora glared, muttering how useless the two of them were.

 

Upon arrival outside of the large cave – presumably, the mines –  Aurora stopped the group for a discussion. Frowning as she looked at the cave, she placed Grim atop her shoulders before facing the boys. “Alright, look,” she began. “I know we’re not exactly all the best of friends here – Ace, you’re my least favorite here – but we do need to set aside our differences and work together to get this done.”

 

“What, are you kiddin’ me?” Ace snarked at her. “You want us to all hold hands and do this or something?”

 

“Well,” she reasoned, “the headmage DID say that all of us have to contribute – and we have to bring back some sort of proof that we worked together. Of course, a simple selfie together after completing the task should do the trick, but… I won’t include you if you don’t go in and make an attempt to help, of course.” A small smirk appeared on her face at this last part.

 

“I don’t intend to be dead weight,” Deuce addressed her, “although I’m not sure what exactly we’re supposed to help with.” Sensing her flickering annoyance, he hastily continued. “I mean, while I’m gonna be an honors student, it seems like you’ve kinda got both of us outclassed in terms of magic right now.”

 

Aurora pursed her lips, debating how much to tell these boys. “Look,” she started. “I don’t fully know how to explain this, but… what I will say for now is that… I have an extremely magical family. And… both good and bad, there are magical creatures and items that would react much more volatilely to me than to a normal person on account of my… heritage.”

 

The boys’ eyes widened, even Grim pausing in shock for a moment. “So does that mean one wrong move and BAM!, you’ll blow up?”

 

Aurora looked at him, thinking back to the many talks Uncle Sol had given her – some without her mother’s knowledge.

_________

 

“Aurora?” Solomon poked his head into a thirteen-year-old Aurora’s room, braving shards of smashed glass from her latest fit of rage.

 

“Go away!” She yelled at him, shivering a tiny little bit.

 

Pressing on despite her insistence, Solomon opted to sit in the chair across from her bed – then chose to hover above it on account of last-second noticing even more shards. “Aurora,” he started again. 

 

“I know, I know!” She clenched her fists as she lifted her head. “I shouldn’t have made this mess, I shouldn’t have talked to that boy, I should’ve just shut up and stayed in my place like always!”

 

“Oh Aurora,” he sighed. “You didn’t do anything wrong just by talking. Your mother and I were worried because that boy happened to be a siren.”

 

She blinked at him. “Okay? And?”

 

Solomon chuckled a little bit at her. “Unfazed as always, I see.”

 

Aurora deadpanned at him. “Well why should it matter? First of all, I’m half demon, half something-weird, and second of all, aren’t you guys always going on about how someone’s species doesn’t define who they are?”

 

He smiled fondly at her, getting off the chair to go pat her on the head. “You’re not wrong kiddo,” he agreed affectionately. “But…” his face became more serious. “One never knows which creatures might talk to the wrong people – people that would hurt you, Aurora.”

“Well,” she stubbornly argued, “how am I supposed to know which people those are if you won’t tell me?” She stamped her foot, frowning.

 

“I agree,” he told her. “I know your mother doesn’t want you to know yet – that she wants you to have a few more years of not having to worry about these things – but there are some things you have to know.”

 

“Wait,” she said. “You’re actually gonna tell me what’s going on?!”

 

He smiled at her. “Get ready for another lesson with King Solomon the Wise!” The two of them settled down for their makeshift lesson before he began again. “Aurora,” he looked at her solemnly, “I take it you remember what we discussed about the Great Celestial War?”

 

She nodded furiously. “Yes – everything.”

 

“Good.” He took a deep breath. “What you didn’t know… was that the Angel Lilith was reincarnated into a human after her death.”

 

“Wait, what?!” the girl exclaimed. “Wasn’t that against the rules?! Like, restart the war level bad?!”

 

He smiled sadly at her. “Precisely. That is why she was reincarnated in secret at a much later time into her human form – where she had a child and started her own lineage.”

 

“Oh…” Her lips parted in shock. “So… I guess she got another chance at a happy life then?”

 

The far-off look in his eyes returned before he brought himself back to the present once more. “Yeah, something like that. Look,” he paused, “Aurora… your mother is a direct descendant of hers, albeit many generations later… but regardless, by Celestial Realm standards, she is a person that is not supposed to exist . Assuming the Celestial Realm knows the truth of her origins, it was one thing for them to allow a human descendant of Lilith’s reincarnation to live – and a liability given what her powers first did. However, given that you are not only her descendant, but half-demon as well – and not just any demon, but Lucifer’s child – if the wrong people, demon or angle discovered your true lineage, they might try to wipe you from existence – at best. Worst case scenario… They could try to siphon your power, your very soul even if you’re unlucky.”

 

Pink eyes froze in shock, Aurora’s body akin to a stone statue. “And because of that… Because I have to watch out for my soul… I can never go outside… And… I’ll never be able to have friends?”

 

He wrapped her tight in a hug. “One day,” he promised. “One day, no matter the decrees of heaven or hell, I swear to you that you’ll be able to live freely in whatever realm you choose. The day may be farther away than either of us would hope, but change is on the way. We just want you to be safe until that day comes.”

She looked at the forlorn look in his eyes. “And what day is that?” At his initial lack of response, she pressed onward. “Uncle Sol? Do you think there’s gonna be another war?”

 

He smiled sadly, ruffling her hair as he delayed his answer. “...I’m not gonna lie to you, kiddo. There probably is – but don’t worry, you’ll be big and strong by then.”

 

She leaned into his hug, anxiously pondering his words until a thought struck her. “Wait a minute – you said it was a while before she was reincarnated. Just how long exactly did she have to wait?!”

 

“That,” he evasively answered, “is a story for when you’re older, kiddo.”

 

“Hey!” She glared at him. “I’ll have you know that I am thirteen whole years old now – a whole adult from ‘back in your day,’ man.”

 

He let out a small wheezing laugh at that. “Well,” he answered, “if it makes you feel any better, it’s something not even your mother has learned yet.”

 

“Well…” she pouted and crossed her arms. “If she doesn’t know it yet, then I guess it’s fiiiiiiine that I don’t. But don’t expect me to stop bugging you about it every chance I get.”

 

A bark of laughter tore out of him. “I wouldn’t expect anything less of you. Now… how about I help you clean all this ,” he gestured at her mess of a room, “up, and then we can grab some of your favorite Princess Poison Apple ice cream from the freezer, alright?”

 

Her face lit up in excitement. “The whole tub?”

 

“The whole tub,” he reassured her with a grin. So the two of them got to cleaning up the glass shards as fast as they could. And… if she heard him mutter a quick prayer that she never have to find out what truly happened to Lilith… she certainly didn’t bring it up to him.

________

 

Thinking back to her current predicament, Aurora looked at the group in front of her – realizing she had yet to answer Grim’s question. “Probably not quite that easily, and I’ll probably have a chance to react before being wiped from existence, but… you’re not entirely wrong either,” Aurora begrudgingly admitted.

 

“Whoa whoa whoa, WHAT?!” Grim screeched out.

 

“Did you just say wiped from existence ?” Deuce questioned with a horrified face.

 

“I thought like, only gods could do that kinda stuff!” Ace exclaimed, flabbergasted.

 

“Um… I would guess only gods or such, yeah,” Aurora admitted sheepishly. “When I say my family is extremely magical… I mean on levels that I… can’t divulge the details of. Well,” she admitted with downcast eyes, “I guess I don’t even know the full details. What I will say is that… some of my family members… wouldn’t want me to walk this earth.” ‘ Or any of the realms in the dimension I’m actually from, but these guys don’t need to know that just yet.

 

“HOLY SHIT!” Ace jumped back.

 

“Aurora, my humble house might not be a lot, but I’m sure my mom would let you hang out with us if you ever needed to hide away,” Deuce frantically offered.

 

A little flutter erupted over Aurora’s heart. Here was this boy, practically a stranger, and he had already stepped up to defend her previously – even if she didn’t really need it – and he was offering a place to stay if she needed it. Either this boy was an absolute master of Seductive Speechcraft or he was genuinely an amazing person. Regardless, he was definitely someone she wanted to stay near. “Thank you so much for the offer,” she smiled as she spoke warmly to Deuce, “but… I think I should be safe out here. Or at least at Night Raven, that is.” Her face dropped as she continued on. “But… back to my original point. I don’t know how to explain it, but… there’s something in there that I’m having some sort of reaction to – or at the very least, I can vaguely sense them. Most likely, they have something to do with my heritage. What I’m trying to get at is that while I don’t think I’ll die from being in there… there is the possibility that I’ll pass out or something similar – in which case I would like you to get me out. Preferably with the item so I can analyze it later, but I’m not too picky if there’s some sort of trap going off.”

 

“What the hell?” Ace looked like he had officially lost it.

 

“How can you say all that so casually?!” Deuce’s hands were gripping at his hair.

 

“You can’t die on meeeee!” Grim howled while curling up on her.

 

“Ah, sorry,” Aurora apologized. “I haven’t… exactly been out in a while. Sometimes I forget just how odd my… situation… can be.” Shame flushed her cheeks, old feelings and insecurities flaring within her immortal heart.

 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Deuce assured her.

 

“Yeah, what Juice here said,” Ace snarked. “Besides, the Headmage sent us all here – how bad can it be?”

 

__________________________

 

As it turned out, it could be very, VERY bad.

 

“Deuce! Focus your cauldron to surround the creature’s hand!” Aurora ordered as they shot down the tunnel towards the one sparkle of a distant gemstone. Following her lead, he summoned one just as she told him – slowing the inky creature down and forcing it to drop the pickaxe. “Grim! I join together with you, forging a hellfire to ruin the very land before me!” Reaching for his hand as she drew from their bond, she drew a short violet flame before throwing it at the cauldron, slightly melting it. “Deuce, summon another large cauldron! Ace, use your wind to make sure it hits the other cauldron and sticks to it!” Obeying her “suggestions,” the two boys found the inky monster trapped for now.

 

“Nice going, Aurora!”

 

“Hey,” Ace panted, “any progress and those weird things you could sense?”

 

“I… I think that monster was one of them.”

 

“WHAT?!” Ace’s voice was going to give out if he wasn’t careful.

 

“It’s not my fault my family is batshit insane!” Aurora protested. “Or that I’ve never met most of them, and the ones I have never fucking tell me anything!”

 

The two boys ground to a halt. “Wow,” Ace guffawed, “you said the ‘fuck’ word. I wouldn’t have guess that from you.”

 

Aurora glared at him, eyes darting back to the wiggling ink monster. “Is this really the time?”

 

Ace and Deuce paled as the abomination roared again. “Let’s go!”

 

Fortunately, the came across the gem soon – along with a set of mysterious markings across the wall.

 

Or at least, mysterious to three of the four individuals there. For unfortunately, Aurora was able to read them – and was a bit apprehensive as a result. On a small pedestal sat a large pink diamond, one that matched her eye color suspiciously well. “Hey guys,” she confessed, “this is the other…item that I was sensing.”

 

“Holy shit!”

 

“Is it safe?”

 

Aurora looked at the blue-haired boy. “It… probably is. I think Headmage Crowley knows what he’s doing – to a degree. So…”

 

Aurora reached out, curled her fingers around the gem, and grabbed it.

 

And then she passed out.

Notes:

Next chapter, we see how MC and Solomon are gonna try to find/save Aurora... wonder what they could possibly have up their sleeve? ;)

As always, be sure to let me know what you thought! Your comments give me life :D

Chapter 10: Helene, Helene

Summary:

Solomon and MC (Victoria) seek an old friend's help in finding Aurora.

Notes:

Hi lovelies, I'm back with another chapter!

As you can probably tell by the chapter title, this chapter contains a character that Obey Me CRIMINALLY underused (who I really adore the concept of).

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Destruction had torn through the house. Vases lay thrown askew into walls, covers and knick-knacks all thrown out of shape.

 

Yet Solomon and Victoria were deep in discussion about their next moves, disregarding the mess the frantic mother made.

 

“What could the fey possibly want with her, and more importantly, how did they learn about her? We’ve been so careful, Sol,” the woman rasped out, fingers clawing into the desk.

 

“I’m as lost as you are, love,” he muttered as he furrowed his brow in concentration. “The fey are… not my specialty. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t have thought them to have the right combination of power and motive for this…” He rubbed the woman’s back, trying to comfort her. “The good news is that they can’t really do much unless she gives them her full name,” he recalled from his brief studies of them.

 

“Solomon Jedidiah, son of David,” she glared, “you can’t be serious right now.”

 

“Make no mistake,” he assured her, “we will tear apart whatever realm we must until we find her and make whoever did this pay . But we have to trust that she’s smart enough to hold on until we do get to her.”

 

“Which will be by her bedtime tonight,” at least she hoped, “if those morons don’t want me in charge of their personal torture for the next century. And I spent enough time with her father to have plenty of ideas on that front,” she swore as a shadow crossed her face.

 

Solomon squeezed her hand in reassurance. “I managed to bottle up the remaining traces of magic, so now we just have to figure out who we’re asking for help tracking it.”

 

“Who do we know that specializes in fey?” the tired woman asked.

 

“Specialize in? Nobody. But between our contacts, certainly several of them have had at least some dealings with them before. I understand if you’re hesitant, but… I do believe your pactmates would be able to help here.”

 

She immediately blanched, shaking her head vigorously. “No. I trust them all with my very life, my very soul , but do you really think it would stay a secret from that fucker for long?”

 

“If there are preferable routes to find her,” he acquiesed, “we will take them. But if not, then we had better face them sooner rather than later – or we risk Diavolo, her Grandfather, or any number of ‘those fuckers’ finding out about her regardless.” Upon her muffled agreement, he pressed on. “Now, my pactmates have… many of the same concerns apply to them, on top of a number of issues, so… None of them either. Perhaps the Great Witch Maddi? I do happen to know she’s encountered fey before.”

 

“You mean the one who wanted to marry Diavolo? No thanks, I don’t want Aurora to be a bargaining chip,” Victoria disagreed. “What about your friend Artemisia?”

 

“Lucifer owes her some favors if I recall correctly, so she’s a bad choice for this,” Solomon rebutted. “Well, we might have one more option, then.” He glanced at her furtively. “That is, if you’re willing to let Helene in on what’s happening.”

 

Victoria chewed her lip for a moment, debating the pros and cons of calling her – and maybe cashing in that favor Helene still owed her, not that she would normally call in such a thing. “All right,” she conceded. “I think Helene is our best option.”

_____________

 

At the end of her second stint in the Devildom, Victoria was on her way out of the castle after having tea with Luke and the scary royals. As the young angel stayed behind for some final baking practice with Barbatos, the woman was left to navigate her way out of the castle alone. Thinking back to that odd near-confession from Diavolo that she had just barely dodged — thankfully, Luke had just managed to come in at the right time — she zoned out for a brief moment, taking a wrong turn down a corridor she had only seen once before.

 

“Hello?” A woman’s familiar voice echoed across the empty hall, startling the new mage out of her anxious stupor.

 

Victoria looked up, seeing a very familiar painting. “Helene?” She asked carefully, quietly, heart hammering against her chest.

 

“Do I know you?” the painting asked.

 

Averting her eyes, the exchange student answered softly while creeping closer to the cursed art. “I met you once last year, when you pulled me and the demons into the dungeons as revenge for what Asmodeus did to you.”

 

The painting huffed, features marred by fury at the flippant demon’s actions. “And the little rat still got away unharmed. Partially thanks to you too, if you are who I think.”

 

Victoria quirked an eyebrow at the accusation. “I mean, I was really just flailing around the first time, and I kinda just copied Solomon the second – wait a minute,” the exchange student cut herself off as she connected the dots. “Aren’t you that one girl from Troy? You were in a relationship with that Greek king, Aga-something, before y – before everything happened?”

 

Something to akin to amusement danced across the painting’s face. “Are you just now realizing who I am, dear?”

 

The girl threw up her hands, barely reigning her volume in. “Well, pardon me , but it’s been over, like, 3000 years since that happened – I think — and a lot of historians thought that whole story was just a myth!” She continued her spiel. “And let’s not forget that I was dragged down here to hell and was powering through with an average of four hours of sleep per night with a fuckton of biblically inaccurate bullshit .”

 

“I – biblically inaccurate?” The woman in the painting rolled her tongue over the words, questioning the student’s vocabulary.

 

“Oh, right,” Victoria sighed. “Uh, so, the world’s kinda changed a lot since you were last up there, like, a LOT,” she attempted to explain. “But uh, that one’s gonna take some time to explain, so how about once we’re both back on the surface, we meet up and I can try to give you a crash course?”

 

“You do realize I’m trapped – no,” the painting shifted around in shock, “you’re not saying…”

 

Victoria hastily replied to her. “Look, Barbie Bitch and company are currently distracted, and I’m running on just the right mixture of caffeine, pride, and adrenaline to think I can pull this off. So yeah, as long as you’ll promise to head straight back to the human world and not like, immediately try to get your revenge or something, then yeah, I’ll let you free.”

 

An aura of surprise and suspicion leaked out, practically encircling the younger exchange student. “And why exactly are you doing this?”

 

She smiled wryly at Helene. “Because you didn’t deserve this. Besides,” she added with a cheeky little grin, “we ladies gotta stick together.” She held out her hand, brushing fingertips against the ancient painting.

 

For the first time in 3200 years, Helene of Troy walked free.

____________________________________________

 

Now, roughly seventeen-and-a-half years later, Victoria knocked softly on the door of Helene’s hidden seaside abode, Solomon in tow. Half a minute later, the door creaked open to reveal Helene’s figure. “Hello, Victoria! What a pleasant surprise,” she greeted as she reached out to her friend. “Hello Solomon, there’s a lighthouse twenty minutes from here you can jump off of.”

 

Victoria looked up at Helene, face puffy from earlier. “Actually, Helene, would it be alright if we all talked inside? I… I wouldn’t ask this if I didn’t really need your help.”

Narrowing her eyes at the infamous sorcerer, she then looked over to her clearly distraught friend. “Alright,” she acquiesced, “just this one time.” Leading them through the white halls of her abode – clearly heavily guarded, if the wards on every wall were anything to go by – until they were in a sunlit drawing room overlooking the ocean. Sitting the two on a leather couch, she took the chair adjacent. “So,” she began. “What exactly is it that you need help with, Victoria?”

 

The woman leaned forward, wringing her hands in a fit of anxiety as her voice wobbled. “...You remember how you figured out that I had fallen pregnant shortly after returning from the Devildom…” She waited until Helene confirmed with a nod before continuing, “...but what I didn’t tell you is that the child is Lucifer’s.”

 

Helene’s eyebrows moved up slightly. “I figured it was one of those seven, and it makes sense that the child would be his.” She furrowed her brows at her friend’s wording. “Is there some sort of problem going on with the demon brothers?”

 

Victoria shook her head. “Not really, at least not like you’re thinking. But until today, only Solomon and I have known of her existence – not even Lucifer knows. I had to keep her – I had to keep Aurora safe. You’ve seen just how bad Diavolo can be,” she pled.

 

Helene noted a dark shadow passing over Solomon’s face before turning back to Victoria. “That certainly makes sense why you’d keep it a secret, but… why reveal her existence now? What’s going on?” She noted the seemingly genuine affection that shady sorcerer was showing the distraught woman, rubbing her back as she forced words out.

 

“She’s missing,” Victoria rushed the words out. “She’s been abducted – there was another magical signature, specifically some type of fey, but the trail disappeared not even forty yards from her window. I – I know it’s a long shot, but please , I need help finding this so I can find my daughter. I – I don’t know what’s happened to her, but I need to know she’s okay.”

 

As she finished her plea, Solomon took out a small bottle filled with a green glow from his cloak before passing it to the witch. “I managed to bottle a little bit of it up in the hopes you could help us track the owner down,” he explained.

 

Helene examined it carefully, standing up swiftly. “All right,” she agreed. “Let me see what I can find out about the owner of this signature.”

___________________________________

 

Less than an hour later, Helene emerged back into the common room, her lips pressed in a thin line.

 

“Were you able to find anything out?” Victoria asked as she tiredly sprang to her feet.

 

“Yes,” the witch cautiously answered as she gently pushed the tired woman back to a sitting position. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

 

Victoria clenched her fists, knuckles white as her voice cracked. “How bad?” Tears filled her eyes, threatening to cascade at the slightest upset.

 

Helene took her hands as Solomon continued to hold her. “She will be fine,” she promised. “The worst part is that she is in another dimension – not the Three Realms, but a completely separate place.”

 

Both the sorcerers startled at this. “But – what – how?” the mother asked.

 

“I’d heard of such things,” Solomon muttered, “but after not seeing any myself, I thought they might not be real – or at least not accessible.”

 

“Have neither of you ever come across a mirror portal?” Helene looked at the two of them. “I understand why you wouldn’t have, Victoria, given how young you are. But Solomon, I thought you only came a few centuries after me?”

 

He shook his head. “Be that as it may, a few centuries is all it takes to change everything sometimes. Based on how you’re talking, I’m assuming there are fewer of these things now?”

Helene nodded. “Given my entrapment, I am not sure how or why, but the ones I used to use all seem to have disappeared.”

 

Victoria cut in again. “What are they, and what do they have to do with what happened to Aurora?”

 

“Mirror portals can occur across two different dimensions when there is a location that mirrors the other side – hence the name,” the witch explained. “When two places are alike enough, magical energy occurs in such a way that it serves as a portal between the two worlds. Now, when the energy is in its raw form, it led to a number of accidents where people accidentally walked between the worlds without meaning to,” Helene shuddered in memory of the shock of her first travel, “so mages over time concentrated the energy into mirrors so that any interdimensional travel would be purposeful.” She paused, looking at their faces. “The reason I bring this up is because I recognize the caster’s signature – and I’ve been to that world before.”

 

The sorcerer duo’s faces lit up for the first time in hours. “So you can get us there, then?” Solomon questioned.

 

Helene shook her head, holding her hand up. “I’m afraid it’s not that simply,” she lamented. “Like I said, the mirror portals I used to use all seem to be gone.”

 

Terror flitted across Victoria’s pained face. “So… my baby’s just… stuck alone in a world she doesn’t know?” Tears rolled down her face, unable to hold the pain in anymore.

 

“The fact that this happens means there’s another portal we can find,” Helene took her hands as she promised. “You helped me before, Victoria – I will help you find your daughter, I swear. Now… at least I can tell you two the good news.”

 

“Which is?” Solomon questioned.

 

“I know it’s not a substitute for seeing her yourself and knowing she’s alright…” Helene squeezed her friend’s hands in a gesture of comfort. “But there is not a safer world she could be in right now. That land – Wonderland, I believe it was called last time I walked there – runs on a different logic than ours. It’s – it’s a place where evil cannot reign for long. And for someone as powerful as I would suspect your daughter is,” the witch hugged her friend, “if she’s so much as half the person you are, she will be just fine there. And… as for the fey who performed the spell, I wouldn’t worry too much about him – I knew Crowley quite well back in the day.”

 

“Thank you, Helene,” Victoria sobbed.

 

The witch smiled before tilting the woman’s head up with a more somber look. “One last piece of advice I’m going to offer you, Victoria.”

“Yes?”

 

“I would tell Lucifer what’s going on the instant you get home,” she advised.

 

“But-!” She started to protest.

 

“I know you have your reasons,” she rebutted, “but would you rather he find out at your behest or through someone who would present the knowledge to hurt him?”

 

“I… through me,” she conceded. “But Diavolo knows when someone’s lying –”

 

“Which won’t come into play,” Helene pointed out, “unless he already knows the truth about her.”

 

“...Fine,” Victoria conceded. “You’re right. I think it’s time for him to know.”

 

“Good,” she breathed a sigh of relief. “Besides, he might have some ideas for finding your daughter that we haven’t thought of yet.”

 

After exchanging their final goodbyes, the sorcerer duo went home to prepare to summon one prideful demon.

Notes:

Hope you all liked the little bits of lore/worldbuilding I've started to add in here!

Helen of Troy is such an interesting figure to me, and I figure if the Obey Me lore is gonna give me tidbits to work with, I'm gonna run wild with them! Also... how do you suppose she knows Crowley? ;)

Next chapter, we return to Aurora who has passed out from the magestone XD

As always, your comments give me life!!!

Chapter 11: Idol

Summary:

Visions, deals, and magestones, oh my!

Notes:

Back again with another chapter!

WARNING: This chapter (and future chapters from here on out) will contain interpretations of religious figures (particularly Abrahamic religions, Christianity bc that's what I have personal experience with) in ways that would be considered blasphemy within the religion itself. If that's as cathartic for you as it is for me, fantastic! If not, I completely understand.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Blinding white light streamed in forceful rays, beating down upon the very clouds where she was forced to stand.

 

“Where am I?” Aurora asked. “Grandfather I swear, if you fucking killed me then I’m gonna return the favor.” There was no answer. Instead, she heard a muffled booming voice, originating from somewhere behind those heavy golden doors carved with a gaudy lion’s head. Aurora pressed her hands up to knock, only to find she could pass straight through.

 

“You understand not what you have done, child!” The entity glowed even brighter from within, threatening to scorch the very matter that comprised this place. “You have let yourself toss away the glory of My kingdom, defiling yourself with some human . Your actions, your sin , have cursed both himself and all of his future children, that in the end, they shall all walk alone. You have broken My Law, and for that you must face My Judgement.”

 

“Father, please!” A woman with rich ochre skin knelt to the cloudy floor, teal hair flying down her back. “Was it not You, Father, who told us to love humans, for they too were made in Your image? Father, it was not his time!”

 

The figure stared back in near silence, a humming of energy constantly suffocating the room.

 

“Wow, grandfather, you really are an asshole,” Aurora sniped, uncomfortable from this whole situation. ‘ Vision? Memory? Either way, fuck this, ’ she cursed internally while looking upon the scene.

 

“Child,” the voice continued, “you have broken My first Commandment. For it would be one thing to brave my Wrath in honor of a sacred vow of marriage, in honor of something Blessed. But you, child, you have broken my Commandments in favor of one who would not return your attentions fully, to an idol of your own making before Me .”

 

“I – I don’t understand,” the woman cried softly. “I know I wasn’t supposed to feed him that, but – but I love him! And he loves me, he promised me without even knowing I’m an angel!”

 

“No, child,” the voice echoed. “Even now as you reap the consequences of your shortcomings, he lays with another – one whose match I shall ordain.” An image played in front of the woman’s eyes, blurry to Aurora through the blinding light – all she saw was one man and one woman closer together.

 

Aurora stepped closer to the playing image, feeling the kneeling woman’s horror as she gazed upon the same image, a lovely woman with angular features all too close to a man – the man this woman had risked everything for. ‘ Don’t tell me that what I’m seeing is…’

 

‘N-no… he’s a good man, there has to be some kind of –” the woman protested.

 

“Do you doubt My Righteous Judgement that much, child?” At the woman’s silent sob, the voice boomed once more. “For all your actions, there can only be one punishment. ‘Death’ is only temporary for angels such as you, but your transgressions are eternal. For your sins… you are to be erased from existence .”

 

“Wait, Father, please!” A terrified tremor rang through her voice, hands trembling as she bowed her head down to the light. “Please, I – I promise I’ll be a good angel, I won’t leave the Celestial Realm at all –”

 

SILENCE! ” The voice roared louder than it had before. “For I hath made My Divine Judgement, your existence will cease to exist at your execution in three day’s time. Neither your soul nor your memory shall live on in the hearts of your brothers and sisters, the last vestiges of your power laying to nothing but dust. For no worthy daughter of Mine would err so gravely, and thus you shall be sent to your grave.’

 

“Father!” The woman pled, her body nearly stone as her blood chilled from the promise of her doom. But the light ignored her pleas, rather chaining her up with holy light as her sobs wracked the skies.

 

Aurora ran closer before falling through the clouds, hurtling towards another, more familiar voice. “-ra! Auro-” She slammed into something, jolting her out of her vision.

_____________________________________________________

 

“AURORA!” Deuce was screaming over her, shaking her body awake. “YOU’RE ALIVE!”

 

Aurora cracked her eyes open, finding herself laying on the ground outside the quaint little cottage from earlier. “Ugh,” she groaned, body heavy with the implications of what she had just witnessed.

 

“HENCHMANNNNN,” the little cat whined, nuzzling up to her.

 

“Geez, you really weren’t kidding around,” Ace looked at her in shock. “So uh, what exactly are you anyways?” He gestured up and down at her prone form. “Also dude, why the hell are you wearing a dress?”

 

Looking down and giving her head a quick pat, Aurora realized that during the vision, she must have slipped into her otherworldly form. Ace and Deuce looked upon a creature wearing a strapless corset of white complemented by flowing detached sleeves, lacy layered skirts giving the dress an angelic quality. The look was tinted by the celestial blue, lavender, and cotton candy pink colors that one might find in an aurora borealis itself – complete with silken butterflies and flowers sewn in. But the dress itself was not the most shocking part – nor was it the glass slippers – instead, that role went either to the two feathered wings of lavender emerging from her back, or the twin horns of white with pearlescent sheen that emerged from her head, curling upward with ridges that resembled the horn of a unicorn. “Oh,” she started. “Well…”

 

“Wait, ARE YOU A CHICK?!” Ace seemed to realize in horror.

 

Aurora cocked a brow. “Yes, I am,” she answered with a smirk. “Is that all you’d like to know?”

“Aurora,” Deuce asked concernedly, “are you sure you’re not dead? Because, uh, you kinda… look a bit like an angel? Not in a creepy way, I promise!” He exclaimed.

 

She grinned a little bit at the boys’ freakouts. “Well, Deuce,” she started, “I am perfectly alive and well. However… you’re sort of right – I do have angelic heritage, which is part of why I look the way I do.” 

 

“Is that why you passed out when you touched the gem?” Ace asked.

 

“And what was with those creepy drawings?” Deuce shuddered in horror.

 

Turning her head towards her hand, she saw that while the boys had dragged her out, her hand had tightly grasped the pink gem the whole way. “I… I think this magestone used to belong to my angelic ancestor. And when I touched it… I think I saw one of her memories.”

 

“Holy shit, is that even possible?!”

 

“As for your question, Deuce,” Aurora continued, “in the world I am from… that is writing in the first language that humans ever spoke.”

“You’re from another world?!”

“Well damn, now I feel bad about making fun of you earlier…”

 

“Yes… the black carriage took me here from my home, and… I kind of let it just happen.” Aurora frowned slightly. “As for the writing itself, it said ‘ Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, the devil’s after both of us.’ I’m… not quite sure who wrote it or why?”

“Talk about ominous…” Ace shuddered.

 

“Is there anything else we should be aware of?” Deuce asked. “I mean, I kinda feel like we’re all in this weird, crazy thing together now.”

 

Keep saying sweet things like that, and you just might make this immortal heart combust, ’ Aurora thought with a small blush. “Well,” she admitted, “I may or may not be the grandchild of my world’s God.” Once again, she was met with dumbfounded looks on the boys’ parts. After waiting for the boys to pick up their jaws, she continued on. “And… I’m also half-demon.”

“Yeah, I can definitely see it,” Ace quipped. “You look calm and collected and all that on the surface, but you totally got that ‘keep pissing me off and I’ll wreck your shit’ sort of vibe once you’re to the pissed off point.”

 

Aurora’s smirk widened further. “I’d say that sounds about right. On that note, I probably should apologize for earlier.” She stood up, brushing herself off.

 

Ace scratched the back of his neck embarrasedly. “I mean, I’ll admit that I was pretty out of line back there. Sorry about that, by the way, I’m not really sure what the hell came over me.”

 

Aurora bared her teeth a little, waiting for him to pick up the hint. “Well, I may have had something to do with that. I kind of… have the ability to mess with people’s pride levels, and I had a feeling you were gonna start a brawl if you got defensive enough.”

 

“Wait…” Ace’s eyes bugged out. “YOU CAN DO THAT SORT OF SHIT?!” He jumped back, spinning frantically in circles.

 

“Well, first of all, I was kind of pissed off at your rudeness,” Aurora admitted. “But, more importantly, I was worried that if you kept harping on my ignorance, you might end up inadvertently blowing my secrets out of the water. Being in a new world is still a bit frightening, even if I’m probably in less various forces here.”

 

Ace squinted his eyes, thinking as hard as his poor little brain would allow for. “I mean, if you’re in as much danger all the time as you say you are, I kinda get why you’d be worried about that. But the fact that you can do that is STILL REALLY FUCKING FREAKY!”

 

Aurora narrowed her eyes slightly, a devilish glint entering them as she eyed him like a lamb for slaughter. “You know… I could magically bind myself to never use that power on you again… but I’d need something in return.”

 

He shrieked just a little bit. “Isn’t this what they call a deal with the devil?!”

 

“All you’d have to promise,” Aurora continued to offer, “is to not say or do anything to risk blowing my secrets into the open – not my out-of-world status, anything having to do with my… unique… powers or heritage, and last but not least, my gender. On this promise, I, Aurora Morningstar, bind myself that I shall never use my powers to manipulate nor harm you, so long as you do not attack me of your own volition first.” A glow emitted from her left hand as she spoke the agreement into existence. “Well, Ace? Do we have a deal?”

 

Ace screeched a little bit, trying to think the deal over. “All right, all right!” He thrusted out his hand to shake hers. “Deal!” A rippling spark washed through the both of them, binding their agreement for all eternity. “Woah, that was intense…”

 

Grim shuddered at seeing his new master in action. “Don’t use your powers like that on me either! Scary…”

 

Aurora smiled, crouching down and petting between his flaming ears. “Don’t worry, Grim,” she assured him. “Our familiar bond doesn’t allow for me to do that sort of thing to you anyways.” Standing back up, she walked over to Deuce, towering over the boy in awe. “Deuce,” she started, “if you’d like, I would be willing to offer you the same deal.”

 

He cocked his head at Ace, seeing that the rush of magic didn’t seem to be having any adverse effects on him. “Alright? I think? Sure,” he agreed.

 

So the two of them made the same deal, leaving the boy initially dazed in the rush of power.

 

“Hey, Aurora?” he asked afterwards. “Um… do you need to borrow my jacket or anything? So people don’t see you like that and find out… everything.”

 

“Oh,” she realized, “right.” She slipped out of her ethereal form, appearing as a human in the Night Raven uniform once more. “I can kind of slip in and out of that form whenever I want, so I’ll be just fine.” Her cheeks flushed a little, this boy’s sweetness affecting her. ‘ If he’s gonna make me feel like this, I’m gonna have to make sure he’s affected too.’ Smiling sweetly, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, brushing her gloved fingertips down the small of his back. “You truly are a sweetheart, Deuce – I couldn’t ask to have met a better person here.” Just as she had hoped, his own cheeks flushed apple red.

 

“P-pretty…” He stuttered with a dazed look.

 

“Ew, gross,” Ace grumbled as he crossed his arms. “Can we just take our group picture so we can get outta here already?”

 

“Yeah,” Aurora agreed, smile crossing her face. “Let’s do that.”

_______________

“So what you’re saying,” Crowley cawed out with Professor Crewel pinching the bridge of his nose in the background, “is that all of you held hands and worked together to trap and defeat a common enemy while getting safely away?”

 

The three students glanced at each other, Grim having been sent back to Ramshackle. “Yeah,” Aurora surmised, “I’d say that’s a fair – if not oversimplified – explanation.”

 

“OH!” the bird man suddenly exclaimed as he burst into tears. “In all the decades I’ve worked at this school… the day has finally come when the students of Night Raven College have joined hands together to defeat a common foe!”

 

“Whoa! No!” Deuce exclaimed. “It was one thing to hold Aurora’s hand, but no way would I join hands with that guy!” He pointed at Ace.

 

“Okay, one, what that guy said,” Ace snarked. “Gross. And two, exactly HOW old are you, Headmage?”

 

Ignoring the boy’s concerns, Crowley continued his sob-show. “Aurora, you are exactly the kind of person we need at this school. My educator’s intuition tells me so. And so… I present to you the magestone that every student needs to attend this academy!” He presented to her the gem she had worked so hard to find, presenting it back to her in the form of a wand – or a “magic pen,” as it was called. “Furthermore, as you are the only student within Ramshackle Dorm – therefore the top student – I am officially making you a prefect!”

 

“Whoa!” “Nice!” The two boys congratulated Aurora in tandem.

 

Ahem ,” Professor Crewel interrupted everyone. “While this is certainly cause for a celebration, is it not about time that the two pups got back to their own dorm? Perhaps with a written pass so their housewarden knows they did not willingly break curfew?”

 

“Ahhhhh,” the headmage sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”

 

After receiving their notes and saying their goodbyes, the dynamic duo stepped out into the hall and made their way to Heartslabyul.

 

“Ahhh,” Deuce sighed, cradling the side of his face that Aurora had kissed. “I’m never washing this cheek again…”

 

“Dude, that’s so gross!” Ace yelled.

 

“Hey,” the blue-haired boy rebutted, “you’re just jealous cuz you didn’t get a kiss.”

 

“For the record, I’m glad I didn’t get a kiss from her!”

 

“I got a kiss from an – angel/demon/um, well – you know what? I got a kiss from a really pretty girl and you didn’t!”



“What makes you even think I wanted one?”

____________

“Headmage,” Crewel bit out, “was there not an important fact about Ramshackle dorm that you left out earlier?”

 

“Ah! Yes, about your dorm…” the headmage explained. “You see, it is supposedly… haunted by ghosts. Ah, but I’m sure it will be no trouble at all for a mage of your apparent caliber!”

Aurora’s eye twitched slightly. “I’m sorry, I must have heard you incorrectly. You see, I thought I heard you say that I am basically rooming with ghosts .” She smiled a little too tightly, fury starting to simmer through her at the man’s apparent idiocy.

 

“Ah, you heard correctly!” He chuckled.

 

“I apologize, pup, for the faculty’s lackadaisical attitude thus far in handling your accommodations,” Crewel said. “Especially since you were not given any warning before the Dark Mirror saw fit to collect you from your world. If you find yourself in need of anything, be it academic help or physical supplies, please do not hesitate to approach me at any point.”

 

Finally, someone responsible ,’ Aurora mentally breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you very much for the kind offer – I will be sure to keep it in mind going forward,” she thanked.

 

“Of course, pup.”

 

After finishing up a few last-minute forms, Aurora left the office, finding herself excited to attend classes the next day.

 

Notes:

Hope you all liked!
We got flashbacks/visions, religious trauma, demonic deals, and Crewel trying to be helpful lmao.
Also, above is pictured the dress that Aurora wears in her otherworldly form, hopefully the description was kinda clear. (Her appearance is obvi different than the model also lol)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 12: Painted Tarts

Summary:

Aurora and Grim meet the Ramshackle ghosts, dealing with a couple surprises along the way.

Ace spends the night in the haunted dorm after Riddle collared him.

Notes:

Hey lovelies! I'm back with another chapter! Hope you all enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

There was no rest for the wicked, nor an ounce of salvation for the damned.

 

The instant Aurora stepped inside the brightly painted Ramshackle, she could feel that the energy was off – it was moments like these that made her wonder if she had inherited vestiges of her dear old grandpa’s near-omnipotence.

 

Probably not, but anything was possible.

 

Furthermore, as she made her way through the house, one of the bookshelves began to rattle ominously. Curled in a ball was a terrified Grim, shooting off weak balls of fire that began to lick across the floor.

 

GRIM, CEASE YOUR FIRE NOW!” Feeling the tug of the familiar bond forcing him to obey, she set about summoning large volumes of water to put out the flames. ‘ Flames that charred far worse than they should’ve in such a short time ,” she noted with a mixture of irritation and pride for the little creature. After drying the floor out, she finally she walked over and scooped the little furball in her arms. “Now,” she asked him sternly, “would you like to tell me what that was all about?”

 

“Nga…” he shivered in her grasp. “G-ghosts…” A spectral light danced across the room as a nearby lamp fell to the floor, shattering upon impact. “Eeek!”

 

“Awww, Grim,” she teased him while petting between his ears, “I didn’t know you were afraid of ghosts – it’s kinda cute, though.”

 

“I-I’m not afraid! THE Grim –”

 

“It’s okay,” she hushed him. “Those little ghosts aren’t gonna bother us much longer, alright?”

 

“Th-they’re not?”

 

A sadistic grin crossed her face as she set Grim to rest comfortably on her shoulder. “Oh, ghostieeeeeees!” she called out. “Come out, come out~!” Beginning to focus her magic, a sadistic glint entered her eyes as she thought of what would come next.

 

“A ha ha!!” Three ghosts called out. “We’re just itching for some new friends!” Their spectral forms appeared, darting through the halls.

 

Are – are those the fucking ghosts from Epic Mickey?! ’ Aurora wondered with a startle. ‘ Ah never mind, wrong outfits. Still, between the references to the game, I’m starting to get an idea what this dorm might be based on… ’ Broken from her musings by her trembling familiar, Aurora focused on the task at hand. “Spectral light, spirit, and soul,” she chanted as a purple light began to glow from her hand, “from now until dawn, remain under my control.” An ethereal web, visible only for a moment, spread out from her over the entirety of Ramshackle, locking each and every ghost she could see in place.

 

“Ahhhh!” “We just wanted a new ghostie to play with!” “Your little ghost friend can hang around you but WE can’t?!” All the ghosts balked in indignation.

 

That’s right dumbasses, mess with Aurora Morningstar and you’ll get – wait WHAT DID THAT LAST GUY JUST SAY?!’ Her head snapped towards the skinny ghost at an inhuman speed. “I’m sorry, I must have misheard ,” she snapped, ignoring the twinge of fear that perhaps these ghosts weren’t just playing a trick on her. “It almost sounded like you said I have another ghost besides you three following me.”

 

“That’s correct!” The ghost laughed, seemingly uncaring of the spell that bound it for a measly night.

 

“T-there’s another ghost?!” Grim shook on her shoulder.

 

“Don’t worry,” she comforted him as she reached out to scratch gently between his ears. “Whatever this thing is, I’ll make sure we find it really fast, okay?”

 

“Okay…”

 

Ignoring the raucous laughter of the ghosts, Aurora held Grim close to her shoulder and ascended the stairs as nonchalantly as possible, pretending the tremor in her hands was as nonexistent as the pounding in her heart. ‘ Please let it be a prank, I do not need a stalker ghost on top of all of my already existent problems! Not to mention all of the idiotic decisions I’ve already made here! I’ve already made two deals where I disadvantaged myself just because I saw a couple of pretty faces, so what’s next? I make a fucking pact with the next idiot that smiles in my direction? Maybe I should’ve just stayed home instead of fucking everything up! I – okay, I’m at the tower now, I might be alright after all. ’ Pulling herself out of her self-deprecating internal monologue as she saw the door, she sped up and she hurried to the room above. ‘ Okay, Disney logic, don’t fail me now. There should probably be some sort of important artifact or tool to help me out here… right?’ As she scanned the room, her eyes narrowed in on a very familiar paintbrush – the same one she had used to paint the dorm model before. She took out her new magical “pen,” attempting to see if there was some way she could use her item to draw power from the brush. ‘ Maybe I can start spraying paint around and see what sticks.’ But as she held the two items in her hands… something began to happen – the two items began to meld together. The paintbrush now had a heart-shaped gem embedded in the handle, and a quick experimentation told Aurora that she was able to control which form it took. ‘ That’s handy .’

 

“What is going on dazo?!” Poor Grim questioned from her shoulder, done with the bullshit he had been put through in the last few hours. 

 

Fuck if I know, Grim… ’ She grasped the brush, masking her fear with a forced smile for both her and the animal’s sakes. “Don’t worry,” she stated. “I’ve got this under control.”

 

“Okay…”

 

Aurora did not, in fact, have everything under control. The first thing she did was focus on summoning large amounts of blue paint, splattering every surface she covered as she meandered around the dorm. Despite spraying every inch, nothing was revealed to her – just blue puddles that evaporated slowly. Trying to concentrate her rage and focus her magic into the one room her the spectre was – possibly – trapped, she commanded, “power of the brush, reveal to me that which is hidden! Listen closely and hear my voice, I am Aurora – obey me!” As she focused the blue paint into the room, a ghostly figure was revealed to her – one that looked quite familiar. As Aurora stepped closer… the figure slipped out of the web. Aurora chased after the woman, but she slipped through the floor before the raging teen could reach her.

 

“Ahh! It’s getting away!” Grim screeched.

 

Aurora hissed, having cracked the wooden floor while diving after the ghostly figure. ‘ Great-something-grandma, is that you?! ’ She stood up, dusting herself off as she set the floorboards back somewhat in place. ‘ I’ll sacrifice some more blood tomorrow to fix this. ’ “Grim, it’s going to be fine,” she reassured him. “Right now, let’s just get some sleep, and I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.” So the two of them went to bed shortly after, Aurora having to sleep in her uniform – minus the compressor, of course.

__________________

 

There truly was no rest for the wicked.

 

First of all, her brain had decided to conjure up a vivid dream of that scene in Alice In Wonderland where the card boys were all painting the roses red.

 

Then sometime in the dark of night, some idiot had started pounding on the dormitory door, waking the new duo up. Agitatedly pulling her jacket over her, Aurora jumped the last flight of steps, stomping towards the door. “And who exactly has decided to bother me at this hour?” ‘ I don’t give a fuck if it’s birdboy, I’ll beat the shit out of him if there’s not a good reason for this.’

 

“It’s me, Ace!” the voice called back. “Just let me in, okay?”

 

Begrudgingly, Aurora opened the door for her new friend. “Fine, but this better be– Ace, what the fuck happened?!” For on the boy’s neck lay a thick metallic collar.

 

“I can’t go back to Heartslabyul House,” the boy grumbled as he stepped in. “I don’t even care that you’re a demon, I’m joining your dorm. For good.”

 

“Nyah! Come again?” Grim yowled.

 

Aurora blinked at him before taking his hand and pulling him toward the common room. “Okay,” she started as she manhandled him into sitting down on one of the yet-to-be-reupholstered couches. “Explain. What the hell is that collar?”

“It cuts off my magic,” Ace grumbled. “I can’t cast a single spell.”

 

That has to be painful .’ “Shit, that’s awful,” she sympathized. “How did it get on you?” ‘ Probably something stupid, but he was probably pretty tired too after the mines.

 

“Housewarden Rosehearts collared me after I ate a tart,” he answered simply.

 

“Excuse me?” ‘ Surely there’s more to the story.

 

“Yeah, that’s it!” He pouted, “That’s all I did! See,” he continued, “after getting back late and missing the dorm’s dinner, I was a little hungry, so I went down  to the dorm kitchen and found some tarts in the fridge. See…” The boy continued to regale his adventures of tart consumption, all down to Riddle Roseheart’s rule 89, “Never eat a tart without the Queen’s permission” and exceedingly eerie spell name. “And… here I am,” he lamented.

 

Aurora pursed her un-painted red lips in thought, mulling over the details of Ace’s story. ‘ Sounds like that little boy is punishing Ace for all the wrong reasons here – it’s not about order, it’s about ego .”

 

Of course, Grim cut in to provide his own opinions. “So the point is that you’re both terrible?”

 

“You don’t think,” Ace defended, “that it’s insane for my magic to get sealed away for eating ONE slice of tart?! For a mage, that’s like having your arms and legs bound and shackled! And there were three whole tarts! THREE!” He sighed, “c’mon, you KNOW this is messed up!”

 

Aurora decided to answer before Grim could cut in again. “Normally I’d say that eating others’ food is a serious no-no despite the quantity, but… if you missed dinner because of something the headmage specifically asked you to do – and gave you a written pass for – then he should have given you some kind of accommodation to make sure you didn’t go hungry. And taking away your magic for that, regardless, is… kind of tyrannical.” ‘ Unless he suffers from some kind of curse requiring him to eat far more than normal for his health, but I get the feeling that’s not the case here.

 

“Riight?!” Ace lamented as he threw himself in Aurora’s lap, causing her to freeze up in shock. “I knew I could count on you to be reasonable!”

 

“Eh, I don’t know,” Grim cut in as the voice of reason for once. “I mean, if there were three of them, they might’ve been for a party or somethin’. Maybe it was someone’s birthday?” He grinned, “Lookit that! I’m, like, a master detective too!”

 

Party… No, I know this is Disney stuff here, but no way could it be… ’ “Ace, is there any chance it could be an Unbirthday party?”

 

The boy shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe? I kinda remember my brother talking about that stuff when he went here. I guess I can figure that out tomorrow, though.”

 

Aurora nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow sounds good. You’ll probably have to replace it, just so you know.”

 

“Ahhhhh…” Ace groaned in frustration. “That’s gonna be such a pain…”

 

“Cheer up,” she advised him as she reached her hand out to gently ruffle his hair. “For now… I might just be able to take that collar off.”

 

“Really?!” He shot up, skull nearly knocking into her in the process. “You can do that?!”

 

“I might be able to,” she corrected. “I haven’t seen this particular spell before, but I think I understand the general principle behind it – it acts as a binding ring, which more or less is a magnet for your magic – and it can’t be easily removed. But…” searching and feeling around the collar, she felt the flow of magic… and the point where it was most fragile. “Hear my voice and heed my command. These words are sound… the sound, melody. And through it I break thy bindings, that which hast robbed thee of thy freedom.” A little focus of her magic, and… the collar evaporated to nothing but dust.

 

“WHOA!” Ace hollered, rubbing his slightly bruised neck. “That was like, super badass! Aurora, you’re the freaking best!” He shamelessly snuggled her, seemingly forgetting just what exactly she was.

 

Aurora was never so grateful for the dark helping to hide the redness of her cheeks. Laying one final spell on him, she laid her fingers on his bruises. “May the vestiges of pain that linger within the creature before me disappear.”

 

Immediately he felt his neck, fanboying over her “sick awesome spells.” After Aurora’s ego had practically swelled through the damn roof, Ace moved on to his next point. “Say, I’m probably just gonna get collared again if I go back to Heartslabyul. Got a place I can crash?”

Aurora shrugged. “I mean, I fixed up the beds in here, but my room is the only one with sheets, old and musty as they are, so you’ve either got a plain mattress or the sofa.”

 

He pulled a disgusted face. “Ew, gross! Who knows what’s been on those.” Suddenly, his face took on a much sweeter smile as he snuggled back into her. “Just let me stay with you, Aurora,” be begged. “I’m real slim. I won’t take up much space.” Just as she was about to say no, he looked up at her, his cutest eyes at play. “Pleeeease?” Deciding to take a page out of her book, he decided to appeal to her obvious sense of pride. “I’ve heard this dorm is haunted by scary, scary ghosts, and I’d feel less scared with you by my side.”

 

She looked down at him, even the darkness not doing shit anymore to shield her red cheeks. ‘ Oh this guy is totally playing dirty, and I’m a sucker for even thinking about giving into that pretty face. And yet… that incident earlier was pretty scary, so maybe it’d be nice to not be alone… ’ “Fine,” she conceded, “but no funny business, okay? And you owe me breakfast in the morning,” she added.

 

“Deal!” He nodded quickly. “Wait, do we like, shake on it again or something?”

 

A genuine, ringing laugh escaped out of Aurora this time, making Ace’s ears turn a dusty shade of red. “No no,” she corrected quickly, “that would take a fair amount of energy to make deals right and left like that – not to mention I’d be much more careful about my wording,” she added. “I’ll just… trust that you’ll hold up your end of the deal.”

 

Ace nodded along with her. “Got it!”

 

So the two of them went up to her bedroom to get some sleep. And if they snuggled a little closer than they intended, well…

 

Nobody was around to see, right?

Notes:

So... Aurora now has her magic pen AND it can shapeshift now like the other dorm leaders.

Also... can anyone tell yet what villain I based Ramshackle (and Aurora's "twst-sona" on here? (Actually there's kinda 2 depending on if you count one of them as a villain or not, but...)

Annnnd she's already got a massive soft spot for the braincell squad! (to be fair, 1. they're adorable, and 2. she's spent her whole life fearing rejection/torture over what she is and this group of idiots accepts her)

We also got ghostie Lilith following her around! ...wonder what that's all about?

And as for the last line... I'm sure nobody's happening to see Aurora in bed with this random boy, right? right? ;)

Anyways, next time we head back over to the human realm to see MC, Sol, and Luci!

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 13: My Lucifer was Lonely

Summary:

Lucifer is summoned up to the human world, where he learns the truth about his daughter.
Crowley has a mysterious conversation with a powerful figure hidden in the dark of night.

Or, in which Crowley knows things and Lucifer learns things.

Notes:

Hi there lovelies! I'm back with yet another chapter! This one is where I start to show a few more hints on how the two worlds are interconnected, so... I hope you enjoy what I'm laying out!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Lucifer Morningstar was quite tired.

 

His brothers’ antics had only been steadily growing more chaotic for the last seventeen years – after their human had summoned him in the dark of night to tell him that she was going into hiding for a long while. Especially when she had looked so frightened – more frightened than any of her previous ordeals had made her.

 

Naturally, they had all wanted to seek her out, and keeping everyone – including himself – in line had proven to be quite the struggle.

 

Just tell me what is happening, ” he had pled. “ You know there is nothing I would not do for you .”

 

But Victoria was right – there was one thing he couldn’t do.

 

Deceive Lord Diavolo.

 

So all he could do was think of her face once more, drowning in memories as he waited in his office at exactly the time – regardless of the insane hour – that Asmodeus had urgently asked him to.

 

But instead of the office door opening, he felt the tug of his pact beckoning him towards the human world – and so he followed without hesitation.

________________

 

Crowley lurked in the Mirror Chamber, having made sure every entrance to the room was thoroughly secured. In front of him, the Dark Mirror was alight with poison green flame, the image of a tall, imposing fae woman with skin to match the fire.

“Have you uncovered any more leads on who is targeting my grandson?” Her rich voice boomed across the room.

 

“No, Your Excellency,” the bird man answered solemnly as he seemed cowed for once. “But, ah… I did bring in that person I was telling you about.”

 

“You truly insist on letting a teenager be the one to handle this matter?” Her golden eyes bore into him with the intensity of one thousand suns. “I have done many dreadful things, and yet even I would not put a child through the ordeal of dealing with something like this.”

 

“With all due respect, Your Excellency,” he cawed out, “she is the only one suitable to handle this job here. Both because she is the same age as most of the student body, and because of what else she is… ah, but he might not be too happy about who I’ve chosen.”

 

The tall woman sighed in resignation. “And which he is this? You’ve pissed off enough powerful individuals to fill an encyclopedia, Dire.”

 

“Why, Your Excellency,” he crooned, “the one who is linked to my other aspect. You know, the one you tore me off of when you were sent here from –”

 

“Enough,” she thundered out. “You mean to tell me you’ve angered someone from that world? And not just anyone, but one of the few beings who could pose a legitimate threat to you?”

 

“Fear not,” he assuaged. “For I am gracious, and have carefully considered all possibilities. He is of a much better nature than the one you truly fear, Your Excellency. And do not forget, we have Hades guarding the gate between the two underworlds through Cerberus.”

 

“Even so, if you took someone he values…” The woman worried her lip. “You know just what that place is like. I can’t help but worry that this will have consequences we are not prepared for.”

 

“I have everything under control. And besides… She has already come into contact with the monster of the mines, and come out just fine, Your Excellency,” he assured her.

 

She sighed reluctantly. “How traumatized is she?”

 

“She has not been traumatized by the monster, Excellency.”

 

“...So what has she been traumatized by, Dire?”

 

“Well… she did have an interesting reaction when she grabbed the artifact trapped within.” He smiled mischievously.

 

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “She was able to successfully hold it?”

 

Dire’s grin only widened in response. “I did choose her for a reason – well, many – Queen Maleficent.”

 

Maleficent only narrowed her eyes in response. “Fine, then. I will accept this – for now. So… what is the girl’s name?”

 

The gleam in Crowley’s eyes was positively devilish as he answered, “Aurora.”

 

If looks could kill, Crowley’s very soul would have been eviscerated beyond the point of resurrection.

__________________

 

Even after so many years, his human looked almost exactly as he remembered her.

 

But her eyes belied decades of exhaustion, her voice hoarse as she called his name. And this power rushing through him… clearly, she had only grown stronger in her magical abilities.

 

“Victoria…” Lucifer breathed the woman’s name onto his lips, a gloved hand coming up to caress a wet cheek. The instant he touched her, he felt it – tidal waves of shame rolling off her soul, striking him through the heart. In the blink of an eye, she was wrapped up in his arms, pride be damned – he hadn’t seen her for so long.

 

“Lucifer,” she sobbed out, having missed the demon just as much. “I’m so – I’m so sorry,” she babbled. “I – I screwed up so badly, I – I don’t blame you if you hate me forever, I –”

 

Lucifer stroked her back, softly shushing her as he held her tightly. “I could never hate you,” he fervently promised. ‘ I’d gladly commit treason for you any day ,’ were the words he didn’t say out loud.

 

Forcing herself to calm down, the woman spoke. “No, I – I hid this from you for years, Lucifer. Even with everything happening… you still had a right to know.”

 

Anxiety pricked at the demon’s heart. “Then tell me now, Victoria. Perhaps all is not lost yet.” He laced his fingers through hers in an act of reassurance.

 

She took a deep breath as she began her explanation. “That night when I summoned you… I had just found out I was pregnant,” she admitted. “With your child.”

 

Lucifer’s eyes widened as he took a deep breath, bringing one hand in front to place on her abdomen. “We… we have a child?” His lips quirked up in a small smile. “But…” his brows furrowed in realization. “That’s why you were so afraid. In addition to his advances toward you at the time… you were worried that he would hurt our child… so you decided to keep them completely secret.”

 

Victoria nodded sadly at the demon. “I tried so hard to protect her, Lucifer.”

 

His eyes fixated on her, dreading the answer to the question he was about to ask. “Victoria… what happened to our daughter?”

 

So Victoria explained the events of the last couple of days to him, answering questions about why exactly she let that “damned sorcerer” be so close to their child and her involvement with Helene.

 

“I know she’s somewhere in a different dimension, but I have no idea how to find her. I… I’m afraid that whoever kidnapped her was so powerful that she didn’t even have a chance to fight back. And… I’m worried that maybe instead, I drove her away so far that she willingly walked into a trap, and it’s all my fault,” she admitted woefully.

 

“Victoria,” Lucifer solemnly cut in. “I do not know exactly where this world is, but I shall promise you this: I will tear apart the dust of the very stars themselves to retrieve her safely if that is what it takes. I do not care who stands in the way, for they shall be obliterated to dust.”

 

“Lucifer…” the woman held him tightly. “Thank you.”

 

“What kind of father or lover would I be if I just left you to this alone?” he asked. “Now,” he squeezed her hand gently. “Do you have some type of large mirror? I should at least be able to help you check on her in the meantime.”

_____________________________________________________

 

Crowley patrolled the campus in the dark of night once more, checking in especially on the newly-redecorated Ramshackle. Peering through the windows, he saw the trapped ghosts – including one new one darting around that he had not yet met before. “Ah, that must be… it seems young Aurora’s powers are growing faster than expected if she can already provide a more permanent form, even if it’s still just a spectral one,” he mused to himself. Predictably, he couldn’t help a small chuckle as he peered through the windows and saw her asleep with the Trappola boy. “What a curious child,” he hummed as he moved further away. “Using her powers to provoke him one moment, yet fast friends with him by the same night… yes, I do believe I chose well indeed.”

_______________

Solomon, Victoria, and Lucifer all gathered in the same room as the demon completed the enchantments on the mirror to scry on Aurora.

 

“Mirror mirror on the wall, spirit which can see through all,” Lucifer demanded of the mirror, “open the veil, the thread of which weaves through all the worlds. Open, I command you, and show us the one called Aurora Morningstar!”

 

The mirror danced with mists through the surface, mists which soon parted to show its viewers the image they asked for. As a room came into focus, the three of them saw Aurora safe and sound, asleep in a slightly worn bed as the sunlight began to peek through her window, illuminating her face.

 

But to the three’s surprise, she was not alone.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Hmmm... Crowley talking to Maleficent? Wonder what that whole conversation is about. ;)

And poor Lucifer, he's had a lot dumped on him in a very short period of time.

Anyways, a lot happened in this chapter, so keep hanging on to this wild ride! And, of course, if you have any theories about what is going on, I would love to hear them!

And as always, your comments give me life!!

Chapter 14: Smile for the Looking Glass

Summary:

In which our terrific trio of Lucifer, Solomon, and Victoria scries on what Aurora has been up to.

Notes:

In which Victoria and Lucifer have heart attacks and Solomon is a proud uncle.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“How… how much time has passed in that world that she’s already this close to someone…” Victoria shuddered, hugging herself as she struggled to stay present. “She’s already been alone for so long…”

 

Lucifer shook his head, pulling her closer to him and shooting Solomon a brief glare as the sorcerer tried to do the same. “That’s not usually how it works, love. Of all the worlds I know of, at least, they all ran on a very similar timeframe, if not the exact same. I suppose this could be an anamoly, but I do severely doubt it.” Lucifer looked back at the mirror, choosing to currently ignore the mop of messy red hair that fancied itself good enough to be with his family, rather marvelling at seeing his daughter for the first time.

 

Solomon seemed to be deep in thought, but Victoria balked at what Lucifer was implying. “So you’re telling me that our daughter has been kidnapped to this strange world for less than 2 days – both our time and hers – and she’s already hopped into some random person’s bed?! I raised her to be more cautious than this, Lucifer, it – it can’t be…” She shuddered. “She knows how dangerous it can be for her to get close and reveal herself to people.”

 

Solomon interjected, “well, her other form is still hidden, so there’s the possibility that this fellow doesn’t know.”

 

Victoria shook her head in denial. “So you’re saying she’s just hopping into bed with someone she doesn’t know well? That’s not her either, she wouldn’t be so reckless.”

 

Solomon raised an eyebrow at her. “If she’s as safe as Helene seemed to think she was, she’s probably going to go a bit wild and enjoy her freedom.”

 

Lucifer glared at the ex-king, inclining his head as if to communicate, “ are you serious right now?

 

Of course, a glare from Lucifer was never enough to keep Solomon from speaking his mind. “I’m just saying,” he added casually, “that she is her mother’s daughter.”

 

Now both individuals glared at the man. “And what the fuck is that supposed to mean, Solomon Jedidiah?” Victoria bit out.

 

He raised his hands in defense. “I’m just saying that you did some pretty reckless things yourself, Victoria. And came out just fine,” he added.

 

Lucifer closed his mouth, realizing that he couldn’t exactly argue with Solomon on the whole “being-reckless” front, not after the number of times he had said the exact same thing to her.

 

Victoria could, however. “Okay, one, I was a whole-ass adult when I got sent away, so that’s very different,” she argued. “And considering the everything going on, I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘just fine.’”

 

“What I’m saying is that it’s time to trust her just a little bit to make reasonable decisions, love,” he calmly stated as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He looked to Lucifer. “She is strong and competent – we have to trust her to be smart until we reach her, while also understanding that she is going to enjoy the freedoms she hasn’t been able to yet.”

 

As the two started to argue back and forth, Lucifer suddenly hushed them, a shadow crossing his face. “Someone’s trying to break into her house.” The two sorcerers stared at the mirror, fists clenched as the tried to watch the scene unfold.

___________________________________________

 

As the dawn rolled over the horizon, a pounding sound from downstairs echoed across the entire dorm. Aurora cracked her eyes open, a hazy fury written on her face. “Fuck no,” she yawned as Ace sleepily asked who it was. “I don’t know, and they can wait. I might be named after the dawn, but I am not a morning demon.” She closed her eyes again as the pounding continued, letting the boy snuggle back with her.

________________________________________

 

Victoria died a little bit – only on the inside, unlike the incident with Belphegor – at seeing her daughter so casually slip and reveal one of her greatest secrets.

_____________________________________________

 

After a few minutes of pounding, the door creaked open and footsteps began to approach the sleeping pair. “Ace? Aurora? Are you guys in here?”

 

Aurora’s eyes cracked open again, vaguely recognizing the voice. “In here,” she lazily called out.

 

A blue-haired boy with a spade painted over his eye came into the mirror’s view, appearing relieved. “I figured I’d find you guys here, but still – wait, whoa, whoa, whoa! What did I just walk into here? Aurora, he didn’t do anything sleazy, did he?!” He rushed over by the pair.

 

Aurora stretched up and yawned, revealing that she was did seem to be wearing some form of a jacket and shirt. “Morning,” she greeted as she rubbed her eyes. “And Deuce dear… do you think he’d still have his hands if he tried anything?

 

Deuce seemed to accept this as an explanation, still eyeing Ace. “Yeah, you’d probably kick his ass in a couple seconds flat. Wait – would the deal even let you?!” He looked at her in horror.

 

She just smirked in response, shaking Ace awake. “First of all, the magic of the deal would most likely consider that to be an ‘attack.’ Second of all… the deal prohibits my use of my powers under most circumstances – it never said anything about beating the shit out of him if needed.”

 

“What did I do now?!” Ace screeched as he finally woke, still seemingly unaware of how the situation looked – and still snuggled up against her.

 

“Talk about scary…” Deuce sighed as he shook his head.

 

“And that’s why wording is important, darling,” she explained smugly. “Every turn of phrase in a binding contract can twist against your favor if you aren’t careful.”

____________________________________________

 

“What the actual fuck is she doing?!’ Victoria was not having a good time.

 

Solomon dabbed at his eyes, a proud smile on his ancient face. “Our baby’s all grown up, making her first deal and everything,” he warbled.

 

Lucifer’s head snapped inhumanly fast back towards Solomon, bristling at the “our” part of the sentence. “What could those feckless buffoons possibly have to offer a daughter of mine?”

 

“Their silence,” Victoria worried. “They found out her secret and blackmailed her into some sort of a deal in exchange for their silence.”

 

Lucifer’s eyes went purely black at his lover’s speculation. “If that is the truth, then I shall rip them limb from limb, slice off their noses and feed them to Cerberus myself before I shred apart their pathetic little souls.

 

Solomon kept dabbing his eyes while seeming to pay the duo no mind.

___________________________________

 

“Anyways,” Ace waved his hands around, “moving on from Aurora’s concerning… everything… Deuce. What the hell are you doing here at this hour?”

 

“Ah, right.” Deuce suddenly remembered what had prompted him to come here so early. “So, you ate the housewarden’s tart. You really are an idiot, Ace,” he sighed.

 

“Oh, shut up!” he yelled. “Like you’re one to talk! Anyway, uh… Is he still mad?”

 

“Not at all,” Deuce explained. “A bunch of our dormmates had trouble getting up last night when we were trying to figure out where you went, but only three of ‘em got your treatment.”

 

Ace scrambled up at that. “You call that ‘not at all’ mad?! Sounds like he’s still on the rampage, to me.”

 

Deuce looked strangely at Ace before realizing just what was wrong. “Wait, Ace, I thought the housewarden collared you?”

 

Ace casually grinned giving Aurora a hug and nuzzling against her. “Yeah, but Aurora here fixed it all up for me. ‘Cuz she’s awesome like that.” Of course, Aurora was weak to praise as ever and couldn’t help the warmth spreading through her heart.

 

Deuce looked impressed at the blushing girl, nodding in approval. “I know you’re like, super-strong and all, but… damn. That’s pretty amazing, Aurora. Although… the housewarden might not be too happy if he learns that you did that.”

 

“As if I care?” She maneuvered out of Ace’s hug to stand up out of bed. “It’s not like some little boy with a temper tantrum is gonna scare me,” she stated confidently.

 

“AURORA!” Grim screamed as he finally woke up, jumping over to her arms. “Henchman, henchman, henchman, it’s morning now so you gotta tell me all about that ghost!”

 

Aurora gave Grim some little scratches between the ears as she bounced him like a baby. “Hey Grim, how about I bring some snacks back after class today and I can tell you all about it then?”

 

“Awww, but…” the cat began to whine.

 

“That way I can be sure I don’t leave anything out, okay?”

 

“Fine…”

 

“Wait,” Deuce held his hands up, “the rumors are really true about the ghosts here? Can you even fight ghosts?”

 

“Yep,” Aurora confirmed, “and I kept them trapped overnight since they decided to be dicks and scare poor Grim here.”

 

“I wasn’t scared-dazo!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, sure.”

 

“Aurora are you sure you’re okay here?!” Deuce frantically looked around the room. “I mean, I know you said it’s better than the situation in your world, but that still doesn’t make it safe.”

 

“Awww, Deuce, you’re so cute when you’re worried,” she cooed at him. “I’m gonna be just fine. Now… I’m gonna go get ready, and then Ace owes me some breakfast.”

____________________________

 

The trio cut the mirror feed off as the conversation ended.

 

Victoria was worried, Lucifer was pissed, and Solomon seemed just fine.

 

“My baby’s been kidnapped and forced to deal with a ghost infestation?”

 

“I will obliterate whoever thought fit to dump her here…”

 

“Now, now,” Solomon consoled them. “It can’t be all bad over there.”

 

“She was kidnapped, Solomon!” Victoria snapped. “Are you seriously telling me –”

 

“Victoria,” Solomon cut her off, “when’s the last time you saw her smile that much in one conversation?”

 

Victoria started to answer, then hesititated upon realization. “I… I don’t think… you can’t seriously think she’s happier with her kidnappers?’

 

“Answer the question, Victoria,” he pressed on solemnly.

 

“I… not since she was very, very little…” Victoria’s voice cracked on her answer.

 

“Lucifer, Victoria. I am not saying not to be worried, and it’s not as if I do not fear for her either. But…” Solomon looked at the both of them directly. “Let us not forget that the greatest threats to her safety are in this world.”

 

“So you’re saying…”

 

“That we will find her, yes, but perhaps not rip apart any friends she has happened to make in her time away.”

 

“Fine,” the two distraught parents conceded.

 

“Excellent! Now, Lucifer, I know you must get back to the Devildom soon, but how about we set up a meeting with all of us along with Helene to see what we can figure out together?”

Notes:

Hope you all enjoyed!

Yeah uh, Luci and MC are not having a fun time, but... Solomon knows Aurora the best, so he's the first to kinda see that she's happier in TW than she was before :D

And oh boy A/Deuce, be glad you're in another dimension atm XD

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 15: Red, Red Roses

Notes:

3 chapters so close together? I feel fantastic!

Anyways, hope you lovelies enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Dude, it’s not a big deal! If your lipstick makes ya so uncomfy, just wipe it off!” Ace handed her a small facial wipe in a little packet. “It’s not like it’s gonna make or break you, ya know?”

 

“It’s just…” Aurora hesitated. “I already stand out… enough… as is. And… I’m a little nervous since I’ve never really gone out without it before. I just… I won’t feel comfortable either way, if that makes any sense? And I don’t need people…” She darted her eyes around, making sure nobody was nearby to listen. “I don’t need people suspecting I’m a girl.”

 

“Then you should’ve been more careful when you chowed down on those donuts!”

 

“I know we’ve only been here a couple days, but…” Deuce thought for a bit. “Ace and I are both wearing some makeup, and I know that a ton of the other guys at the dorm wear it too. Plus, you kinda tower over most of us, so that kinda helps your case.”

 

Ace kept his hand extended, throwing his own two cents in. “‘Sides, you look kickass with what you got. Why cover it up with something you don’t like?”

 

Deuce nodded, averting his eyes slightly. “It is true that you look really pretty…”

 

And that was how a little praise led Aurora to voluntarily show her red, red lips in public for the first time – even if she was still nervous about it.

_____________________

 

Lucifer was rarely late to breakfast.

 

So when he showed up to the dining room table seven minutes before he normally left for R.A.D., all of the brothers knew something was off.

 

“Luciiii, what were you doing all night, hmm? <3” Asmodeus asked. “I just know Solomon didn’t call you for paperwork ,” he pouted.

 

He emitted a mild glare, fuse far shorter than normal after the hectic night he’d had. “Would you be surprised if I said he was bothering me for a pact again?”

 

“That wouldn’t be an excuse for any of the rest of us, Lucifer,” Satan snarked, “and you damn well know it.”

 

“Perhaps I have not made myself clear. This discussion ends now ,” Lucifer ordered, chugging his coffee a little bit faster than normal.

 

“I’m too sleepy to deal with this right now…”

 

Mammon, ” Lucifer snapped his head towards the second-born, ignoring his screech. “ Come see me in my study here as soon as classes are done for the day. Do NOT be late.

 

“MFAOROFL stupidmammon got himself in trouble again. RIP!”

 

“Hey, I didn’t do nothin’!” He defended.

 

“Do not even think of trying to get out of this, Mammon.” He poured himself a second cup of hell coffee, having gone through the first already.

 

“Luciferrrrrr…” he pled. “Big bro Luciiiii, pleeaase…” He snuggled up against his older brother looking for mercy when he saw it – the thicker layer of concealer he sometimes wore to hide the bags under his eyes, and the nearly-imperceptible twitches in his hand.

 

Something was clearly wrong with Lucifer.

 

And even if the eldest was just looking for some stress relief, well… “Fine fine, I hear ya, I’ll go straight there.” He could endure a couple hours strung up from the ceiling… or whatever it was Lucifer wanted from him.

_________________

 

The trio stepped the mirror into Heartslabyul, Aurora openly admiring the decor of the place. ‘ The Queen of Hearts may have been a bitch, but she sure as fuck knew how to decorate. ’ “I kinda want one of those pretty red roses,” she whispered softly.

 

Deuce looked over at her in bewilderment. “Do you want the housewarden to kill you?”

 

“I’m not going to actually take one,” Aurora explained, “but like. Coveting is kinda… my kind’s thing. Also I really need to get some better decor for Ramshackle and this is giving me ideas.”

 

“Fair enough,” he concurred before turning back to Ace. “And dude, I still can’t believe you don’t even know what kinda tart you ate!”

“Hey!” he defended, “it was late and I was really hungry!”

 

“You’re hopeless,” Deuce sighed. The trio walked in further, ready to talk to the housewarden to solve the puzzle.

 

As they walked through, Aurora noticed something strange. ‘ Are those… paint buckets? Red paint buckets? By fucking rose trees? And right after I had that weird fucking dream from the movie last night? Odd…

As if on cue, the group came across a ginger-haired man singing about “getting his paint on,” and, “they all gotta be red, or it’s ‘off with my head!’”

 

Aurora’s heart nearly stopped at that. ‘ It’s a little too convenient to be a coincidence…’

 

As the trio slowed down and couldn’t help but stare, the ginger man with a diamond painted on his face seemed to notice them. “Huh…? You guys need something?”

 

Stupefied by the paint, Ace asked, “what are you doing there?”

 

“Are you blind?” Cater asked brazenly. “I’m painting these roses red, duh.”

 

“What? Why?!” Deuce screeched.

 

The ginger man laughed. “So naive, you put the ‘n’ in newb. Hold the phone, I know you! You’re the ones who got into that fight on Main Street and got caught by professor Crewel! I’m surprised you’re still standing in one piece,” he chuckled. “And you!” He pointed at Ace. “You’re the one who ate the housewarden’s tart that same night! Wait…” he looked confusedly. “You are that one, right?” He gestured at Ace’s neck.

 

“Yeah, I had to deal with that collar for a whole hour!” Ace yelled.

 

“Only an hour?” The older-looking boy was well and truly confused now.

 

“He can thank me that it’s off,” Aurora cut in, making herself known with a grin. “It was a decent parlor trick, truly, but child’s play to get it off.” ‘ It actually was a pretty good spell, and could spell trouble for me if it were to catch me off-guard, but… I wanna see this guy freak out a bit.

“Child’s – I, wow,” he laughed nervously. “I don’t think I’ve heard anyone describe it that way before. Still,” he brightened up as his more flirty persona came back up. “You guys are THE hot topic around campus! I’ve gotta get in on this fleeting fame. I’m just gonna grab a selfie real quick…” He scooched over, giving everyone a few seconds to pose for the selfie before snapping the pic. “It’s cool if I post this on Magicam, right? Gimme your names so I can tag you,” he asked quickly without a break.

 

“My name is Deuce Spade, and my handle is @deuce_spade”

 

“My name’s Ace, and my handle’s @ace_in_the_hole”

 

“My name’s Aurora, but my handle is @morningstar_borealis,” Aurora added, very grateful she’d taken the few minutes to set it up once that Idia boy had brought over the device.

 

“And… posted!” The ginger laughed. “Oh, I’m Cater Diamond, by the way. I’m a junior here at Heartslabyul. But Cater is fine. Or Cay-Cay if you’re cray-cray! Soooo nice to meetcha.”

 

Hm… I can’t get a read on this guy. And… I think there might be a bit of demonic magic in that boy too… I wonder if he’s like me?’ “It’s a pleasure,” Aurora greeted, extending her hand.

“Ah, you’re the prefect of that so-called Ramshackle House dorm, right?” He recognized as he shook her hand through the gloves. “Like, I can’t believe you actually live there! It’s all gloomy and looks like hot garbage on Magicam. No filter could salvage THAT dump,” he bragged.

 

Aurora just stared into his eyes with a saccharine smile. “Perhaps you couldn’t save it, but I renovated the entire dorm in just a few hours. But… I’m sure you just didn’t have time to do so before, right?”

 

At the mention of time, Cater snapped to attention. “Gah, what am I doing? I don’t have time to chat!” He yelled with a bead of sweat breaking on his brow. “The party’s tomorrow. If we’re not ready, it’s ‘off with my head’!” He looked at them sweetly. “Hey, you kids wanna help me paint some roses?”

 

Ace asked the question they were all thinking. “Why are you doing that exactly?”

 

Cater answered instantly. “Because red roses are so much more photogenic! Or…something…? And after that, I’ve gotta start getting things ready for the big croquet tournament. And that means coloring all the flamingos,” he sighed.

 

Deciding to cut off a long list of explanations, Aurora cut in. “Is this for the Unbirthday party?”

 

“Yes!” Cater jumped excitedly. “Wow, someone knows their stuff!” At Ace’s and Deuce’s confused looks, he explained, “it’s a special tea party we throw when no one has a birthday – if the housewarden feels like it.”

 

“And why?!” Ace questioned.

 

“Again with the questions! Listen, I need those roses to be red. Like, yesterday. Can’t you guys help out with magic or something?”

 

I don’t want this guy to get hurt in our absence, especially if that Riddle brat is half as bad as he sounds. Besides, it should be pretty quick once I know what to do.’ “Sure,” Aurora agreed, “but I’ve never done that exact spell before. Could you show us how to do it?”

“Yes, yes. Let’s get this done before I lose my head!” Cater whooped. “The trick is to picture a real red rose in your head when casting.”

 

On Aurora’s very first attempt, she turned the entire tree red instead of just the rose – a mistake which was a fair bit of a pain to undo. ‘ I won’t be too hard on myself since I’m literally teaching myself how to control myself on this wand.’ Deuce and Ace kept turning their roses pink, green, and aquamarine, all of which drove Cater into a frenzy. Finally fed up with the failures – and the slow success rate when she finally started getting them all correct, she grasped the magic pen, reverting it back to its brush form. “Power of the brush,” she began to command it, “see into my heart and carry out my will as I command you. Find on each bush and tree whereth lie every rose, and make it become the red color that I chose. Hear me, Aurora, and carry out thy master’s orders!” Upon the final word of the incantation, a blue stream of light emitted from the brush, near-instantly winding through the entirety of the maze and changing the color of every last rose to the lovely jewel red.

 

Of course, Ace and Deuce were slowly becoming less and less phased by Aurora just casually dropping large spells like it was no big deal, but Cater was certainly in shock.

 

Along with a couple other dorm members scattered throughout the area.

 

“What was that?!” Cater lifted his eyebrows. “I’ve seen the other dorm leaders’ pens turn into staffs, but I’ve never seen that ,” he whined.

 

“Yeah, that’s just Aurora being Aurora,” Ace quipped as he slung an arm around her shoulder.

 

“It was just something I found lying around,” she answered with a mischievous smirk.

 

“Hey, so now that that’s done, is Riddle here?” Ace asked. “I gotta talk to him.”

 

“Yeah, probably. But are you sure that’s wise? Did you even bring an apology tart?” Cater asked.

 

“Actually,” Aurora cut in before Ace inevitably got ticked off again, “we don’t know what kind it was, so we came to ask him what kind to bring.”

 

“Oh…” Cater actually seemed stupefied. “Well… I’m sure he’s around here, but look. He’s probably gonna be pretty mad that you undid his punishment so easily. Also, Trey’s the one who made all the treats for the party. How about I make sure he talks to you by the end of the day today, ‘kay?”

 

“Really-” Ace started.

 

“That’s fine,” Aurora cut in, “as long as it’s before we need to get ingredients.”

 

“No prob!”

 

So the three of them slowly made their way out of Heartslabyul, admiring the handiwork of the brush.

 

And, of course, Aurora had to teach them the “Painting the Roses Red” song on their exit tour of the garden.

____________________________________________________

 

“Cater,” a stern voice rung through the rose gardens. “Was that Ace Trappola I saw traipsing out of here loudly?”

 

Cater gulped, a smile forced onto his face. “Yes?”

 

“And tell me… did my eyes deceive me, or was he somehow without his collar?”

 

He giggled nervously. “Ah… apparently that freshman got it off of him somehow? You know, that guy who didn’t get a dorm, so he got stuck as the prefect of Ramshackle?”

 

The short “queen” clicked his jaw. “I see… did he say how , Cater?”

 

“No…” Cater was absolutely sweating buckets now.

 

Riddle huffed and crossed his arms. “Very well then. Continue with the decorations. And Cater… bring me to meet this ‘Ramshackle Prefect’ later today.

 

Cater sighed. “Yes, Housewarden Riddle…”

_________________________________________

 

The trio walked back down Main Street, heading back towards their classes.

 

“Heyyy, Aurora,” Ace sang out. “Look what I got for ya.” He whipped out a single red rose that he had managed to nab on the way out. “And it’s one of the ones that isn’t all sticky.”

 

“Ace,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful. But… how’d you get it without getting caught?”

 

“Sleight of hand is kinda one of my things,” he bragged with a flirtatious wink. “It comes in handy a lot, you know?” He ran his fingers deftly across her hand, brushing the bare skin of her wrist with a feather-light touch.

 

Aurora shivered at the contact, her touch-starved self leaning into Ace ever-so-slightly for more. “So… do you steal things a lot or what?” ‘ Shit, what kind of question was that? About as smooth as fucking sandpaper gliding through Play Dough, that’s for sure

 

Ace snorted at the question. “Nah, I mostly like doing card tricks. Like…” Barely even noticing the placement, Ace pulled out a card from behind her ear — an ace of hearts. “..this. But I’ll show you my good tricks when we got more time, okay? Now… do either of ya got a bobby pin?”

 

“I do!” Deuce answered as he fished one out of his bag. “My mom gave me a pack right before the Dark Carriage came and picked me up.”

 

“Perfect!” Ace brushed back the hair on the side of her face, pinning the flower in. “Looks perfect on ya.”

 

“I have to agree,” Deuce concurred with a small blush on his face.

 

“Selfie-worthy?”  she asked as she pulled out her phone hesitantly.

 

So the three of them each uploaded a selfie onto their Magicam pages that were blowing up.

_______________________________

 

Vil stared at his phone, teeth clenched as he walked with his vice housewarden to class.

 

“Non, non, Roi du Poison,” Rook sang out to Vil. “What is it that troubles you, my Queen?”

 

Vil pursed his lips, reluctantly showing Rook the viral post Cater had just made. “That boy… he looks way too much like…”

 

Rook’s eyes lit up instantly at what Vil was seeing. “Ah, like the Roi de Neige at a glace, yet a distinctly different aura if you see him up closer!”

 

Vil’s eyes deadpanned at him. “Rook, have you been stalking the freshmen again?”

 

“Non, non!” Rook raised his hands with a look of feigned hurt. “Stalking is such an ugly word – I prefer to hunt , my queen.”

 

Vil rolled his perfectly-lined eyes at this. “Well, whatever you do, I’d rather not hear the ugly details about this one.”

 

“Ah, but that is the thing!” Rook exclaimed. “A creature of fair, dark beauty for certain – where the Roi de Neige is fair is snow, this fellow… Monsieur Cygne Noir! Yes, he is a black swan, a deceptive, deadly aura if you believe his innocent front, but beauty to rival the fair snow…”

 

“Rook,” Vil cut in, “if I have to hear you wax poetic about some random potato –”

 

“Non, but he is not random, no?” He looked Vil in the eyes, brushing his thumb over the boy’s throat. “You found yourself a poison apple, but… what if you found a dagger to strike through the enemy’s heart?”

 

Vil paused. “So you think I should try to recruit this potato for the year…”

 

“The choice is yours, my queen,” Rook deferred, resuming the pace to class.

 

Vil narrowed his eyes in thought, mulling over what the huntsman said. “Perhaps… if you were in the mood to hunt this week, you could tell me about your… adventures.”

 

“Wonderful!”

Notes:

Annnd that's a wrap on today's chapter! Hope you all liked it!

Aurora's going without her makeup! She's scared but also excited to not have to wear something that makes her feel such intense shame.
Hmmmm... wonder what Luci needed Mammon for?
And oh boy, Riddle and Cater know about the broken collar now...
Vil is now aware of Aurora's existence... and basically gave Rook the go-ahead to stalk her. Whoops. XD (And "Cygne Noir" means "black swan" in French.)

And as always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 16: Uncollared Domain

Summary:

In which the trio has their first day of classes, meet a bunch of people, and further anger Riddle.

Or, in other words, this chapter is a lot of "fuck around and find out."

Notes:

Hope you all like this one! It's a little longer than normal, but I think it's worth it!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The trio’s first class of the day – potionology – was pretty easy, at least in Aurora’s eyes.

 

He keeps referring to us all as pups… but minus the “Master Crewel” part, this guy is the only reasonable adult around.’ It didn’t escape her notice that when he passed out syllabi to the class, he’d included an inventory form for Ramshackle Dorm within hers. ‘ Definitely my fav professor already. “Dad” Crewel for the win .’

 

Of course, all the herbs and poisons listed off were ones she already knew – Uncle Sol certainly didn’t let her slack off in magical studies – but she was still looking forward to getting to be in a normal class for once. ‘ Although none of these poisons would exactly kill me. Especially any of the Midnight Tears varieties, those taste amazing.’

 

The group then toured the lab after Crewel’s speech, going over basic safety procedures for the class.

_________________________________________________________

 

History of Magic, however, was a little more interesting.

 

It’s fucking Lady Tremaine, holy shit! And his cat has the same name as my dad! Well, similar I guess.’

 

As the class opened their textbooks to the assigned page, Professor Trein began to lecture. “This section concerns the magestones discovered in the Dwarfs’ Mine… As knowledge and awareness of magical energy began to spread across the globe from this point, this year is considered Year One of the Magic Era. Whereas before, access to magical spells was only granted to those who could harness their magic independently, a great number of fledgling mages were now able to harness magical energy for themselves due to the magestones. Now… as you can see in the textbook, there is a vintage photograph taken within the mines before they closed down.”

 

Looking at the textbook, the vintage photo in question was of a site very familiar to the trio. For sure enough, it depicted the wall with the ominous phrase, showing the very magestone that Aurora now carried on her person.

 

“This photograph shows what we within the magical community know as ‘The Impossible Magestone.’ The reason for this nickname is that the magestone would somehow elude the grasp of any who tried to touch it – no matter what tricks were tried, it would only somehow slip away from their grasp time after time,” he informed the class.

 

As if on cue, Ace and Deuce snapped their heads towards Aurora, the latter pressing her lips into a thin line at the new information. ‘ Why is it that even in a different world, I can’t escape the bullshit of my family being involved in every major historical event?

 

“While I will not test you on historical events prior to Year One for this class, I would like to note that scholars speculate different dates as to when and how the Impossible Magestone arrived in its location. Due to mana tracing and the distinct markings untranslated as of now, it is commonly believed to be over 100,000 years old, stolen from one of the fertility goddesses of the Ancient Era…”

 

Over 100,000 years old and stolen from a god – or someone with godlike powers… such as an angel? Did… I knew Angel Lilith had something to do with it but did it belong to her, and how did it get here?! And the way Crowley conveniently sent me to the mines… I need to figure out what he knows, and fast.

Fortunately, the class contained no more earth-shattering revelations that directly involved her.

_______________________________________________

 

Luckily, the third class provided a little break for Aurora – even if she wasn’t looking forward to dealing with working out while wearing a compressor.

 

Still, seeing Coach Vargas talk about eating raw eggs had Aurora struggling not to break out singing the “Gaston” song. At least Deuce was excited, though.

 

“Finally, a subject that I’m good at!”

 

He’s pretty cute when he gets excited.

 

Of course, Aurora’s supernatural strength was not quite on the level of a full demon, but it was still above the threshold of a normal human, causing quite a stir among her classmates.

 

“Whoa, that guy’s pretty fast!”

“Geez, he’s gotta be in Savannaclaw.”

“Nah, I haven’t seen him around. He’s definitely in Pomefiore with that kinda face, though.”

“Didn’t you guys see Cater Diamond’s post? That’s the guy who didn’t get a dorm, so they stuck him in Ramshackle.”

“Wonder how such a priss is doing there…”

“I don’t know man, he’s kinda hot…”

“Ew, gross! Stop being such a simp, dude.”

 

Aurora’s keen ears picked up the gossip of her new classmates as she ran her laps, glad that she’d taken the rose out of her hair. ‘ Damn, didn’t realize I looked that interesting at a school of mages but go off, I guess. ’ Her ears pricked up, eyes darting to the side as a sudden shiver inexplicably ran down her spine, but she resumed at her normal pace upon determining that nothing was amiss as far as she could see.

_________________________________________

 

After P.E. the trio got to clean up, the card boys helping to make sure Aurora got one of the single stalls to keep from being found out.

 

And when Ace pinned the flower back in her hair… perhaps he decided to tease her a bit and let his fingers linger a little too long against her ear just to see her blush.

 

My fucking heart can’t take this .’

 

“So… Aurora,” Deuce asked her shyly. “Are – uh, um… are you sure you’re doing alright after the last couple days?” He cleared his throat before lowering his voice. “Especially after picking up… the thing?”

 

“Yes?” She answered unsurely. “I… have a couple theories regarding it? But I kinda wanna be alone when I bring it up.”

 

“Fair enough,” he replied.

 

“Hurry it up guys,” Ace complained. “We’re gonna get stuck at the back of the line if we’re not careful and then Aurora won’t have anything to bring Grim.”

 

That was enough to hurry them both up.

 

Fifteen minutes later, the trio sat at a table when they noticed Cater approaching their table with a green-haired boy in tow.

 

“Hi hi!” He greeted them in a sing-song voice. “As promised, I brought Trey to meet you all!”

 

Trey nodded along. “Trey Clover. I’m a junior at Heartslabyul, like Cater here. And,” he looked towards the half-demoness, “you must be Aurora, the new prefect from that dump of a – ah, I mean the ‘rustic’ dorm… Although I heard you fixed it up somehow?”

 

Aurora smiled proudly at the reminder. “Yes, that would be correct.”

 

“Impressive,” he acknowledged. “Anyways, I heard the whole story from Cater. Thank you for looking out for our boys yesterday, as well as for your help with the roses this morning.”

 

“Oh, no worries,” she dismissed, “it was nothing.” She nudged Ace and Deuce playfully.

 

“Alright, alright! Now that we’re all here, let’s all trade digits!” Cater suggested, typing away frantically on his phone before pulling up his contacts app. “We are all in the same dorm, mostly, so we should all try to get along!” The group passed their phones back and forth, during which Ace formulated a series of thoughts.

 

“Okay, I got a question,” he directed to the Heartslabyul juniors. “Like, what’s the deal with all this ‘Queen of Hearts rule number whatever’ junk?”

 

“I’m sure you’re familiar with the legendary Queen of Hearts?” Trey decided to answer his question with a question of his own. “She had to rule over a kingdom of weirdos, and did it by emphasizing order and making strict rules.”

 

Aurora died a little inside at that description of her. ‘ Wasn’t Wonderland pretty much just a bunch of hippies who wanted to drink tea and do random shit? She fucking decapitated card people over the color of her roses, for fuck’s sake! Granted, that movie is the one I’m the least familiar with out of the ones I’ve seen referenced here, but like, still. Queen of Hearts was the worst.

 

“Our dorm,” Cater continued, “Heartslabyul, is an homage to her. By tradition, we wear armbands with the red and black of the Queen’s dress. And we live by the rules she created. Now…” Cater admitted, “the degree to which we adhere to the rules depends on the sitting housewarden. Past wardens have been much more lax.”

 

Maybe because her rules have got to be the stupidest fucking things to exist on the planet?’

 

“Riddle though?” Trey noted, “he doesn’t mess around. Basically, you could say that we’re honoring that tradition to the utmost extent possible.”

 

Ace gagged a little at that. “Just my luck… I’m so transferring to Aurora’s dorm.”

 

The two juniors shared a look. “Well,” Trey explained, “the Dark Mirror sorts freshmen into dorms based on their souls – a certain ‘flavor,’ shall we call it. It’s not impossible to do so – actually, Rook Hunt did so his freshman year. He should be over…” He looked towards a table filled with beautiful guys, all of whom seemed to take great pride in their appearance. “Ah, well, normally he would be at that table with Pomefiore, although I don’t see him anywhere right now.”

 

Another shiver ran down Aurora’s spine.

 

“Anyways, what Trey here is saying is that you got sorted into Heartslabyul, and transferring out is a bit of a hassle, ‘kay?”

 

By then, Ace’s attention had grabbed onto something else. “Holy crap, look over there! There’s a little kid in that group!”

 

Trey looked over to where Ace had seen a short man with pointed ears and magenta streaks in chopped black hair. “Ah, we do get some child prodigies here. But that guy there is no kid. He’s a junior like us. Name’s –”

 

The creature instantly teleported over by them, hanging upside down like a bat. ‘ Just like Uncle Sol does sometimes when he’s being dramatic ,’ Aurora reminisced.

 

“Lilia,” he introduced himself. “Lilia Vanrouge.”

 

Trey and card boys screeched, while Cater and Aurora remained unphased. 

 

“I understand my apparent age interests you?” Lilia questioned. “As this bespectacled fellow accurately noted… Despite my fresh-faced, boyish good looks, it would be inaccurate to call me a ‘child.’”

 

So he’s definitely a really old man then. I wonder how old?’

 

“You need not gawk at me – or my companions from afar. You may feel free to speak with us directly. We are schoolmates, are we not? All of us at Diasomnia House welcome you without reservation.” Lilia stared at all of them to an uncomfortable degree, but… in particular, he seemed to notice Aurora.

 

I can’t tell if he’s attempting to intimidate me or if he’s just socially awkward. Either way, if this is some kind of a challenge, then…’ “Lilia, was it?” She cracked her friendliest smile at him. “Why don’t you come hang out at Ramshackle this weekend? Saturday night, 7 pm. Feel free to invite some of your dormmates as well,” she declared.

 

The rest of the table stared at Aurora as if she had grown seven extra heads. Lilia, however, couldn’t contain a chuckle escaping him. “My, how the youth have grown so daring! Yes yes, child, I greatly look forward to it! And I do apologize for appearing above you during your meal.”

 

After he teleported away, Ace leaned in close to Aurora and whispered conspiratorially in her ear. “Our table is way far away! If I weren’t getting used to dealing with all your stuff, I’d have passed out on the spot there from how creepy it was!”

 

As the two giggled, they only half heard Trey’s explanation of Malleus Draconia.

 

“Malleus is reeeeal bad news,” Cater lamented. “Though I suppose the same could be said of our own dear housewarden.”

 

“No kidding!” Ace cut in. “He collared me for eating one slice of tart! After I missed dinner thanks to the headmage! All his rule obsession is outta control!”

 

There truly was no salvation for the damned.

 

For just as Ace said those words, a short boy with rose-red hair – Riddle himself if Aurora remembered him from the ceremony correctly – chose that moment to walk up, repeating the boy’s words back to him angrily.

 

Unfortunately, Ace was the only one unaware of just who repeated his words. “You bet it is. Riddle’s just a petty tyrant who leans into the whole ‘rules’ schtick as a pretext to keep everyone under his puny thumb!”

 

Accurate assessment Ace, ’ Aurora thought as she narrowed her eyes at the prefect, lightly squeezing Ace’s hand. ‘ Don’t worry Ace, I gotcha, he’s not gonna do anything to you.’

 

“Ace! Behind you!” Deuce warned.

 

Ace turned around, screeching and jumping into Aurora’s lap for safety. 

 

“Hey, Riddle!” Cater tried to distract. “What’s shakin’, pal? You’re lookin’ adorbs, as always!”

 

Unfortunately, Riddle was not amused. “Keep running that mouth and you’ll lose it – along with the rest of your head.”

 

What a bitch ,’ Aurora thought.

 

Cater apologized profusely to the little tyrant, anxiety etched onto his features.

 

“And Ace …” He turned to the freshman. “Just why is it that you are not wearing your collar?”

 

Aurora grinned proudly up at the sadistic little boy. “Oh, you can thank me for that,” she announced.

 

Cater chuckled nervously. “Ahh, Riddle, this is the Ramshackle Prefect that you’ve heard about, Aurora.”

 

Riddle clicked his tongue at her. “So much trouble from you already. The headmage’s habit of tolerating rulebreakers like you is going to send this entire campus spiraling into chaos one day.”

 

I think it’s already in chaos because of dipshits like you.’ She refused to dignify him with a response, maintaining a silent facade with letting Ace still sit in her lap.

 

“Those who break the rules should have their heads removed immediately, without exception. As Ace has unfortunately not learned his lesson, and you have aided and abetted him, Ramshackle Prefect …” he spat her title out as if it were a dirty word.

 

Fuck! Good thing he’s announcing himself so I know to prep a shield…’

 

“I must take it upon myself to educate the both of you. And so with that… OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!” He pointed his wand at Ace and Aurora, setting off his signature spell to collar the both of them.

 

Fortunately, Aurora had plenty of time to prep a strong shield, shouting “ Protego! ” as she wreathed the both of them in violet flames – non-injurious to the both of them. The fire dissipated Riddle’s spell on contact, bouncing the energy back at him and forcing him to drop further attempts.

 

“Why, you…” he began to seethe.

 

“Hell yeah! Go Aurora! You’re the best!” Ace cheered for her after checking to make sure neither of them was burned.

 

“According to Section II, Subsection B of the Student Handbook,” Aurora gloated, “as Ace is currently kicked out of his own dorm, he is a temporary member of the dorm currently housing him. In this case, that dorm is Ramshackle. Being the case… he is currently under my domain. ” She placed her hands protectively on his shoulders. “Going by that logic, wouldn’t you agree that any current attempt to discipline him would be a violation of my authority as a prefect?”

 

The boy’s face turned nearly as red as his hair, his fists clenched as there was a small tremble in his arms. “...if the rest of you’ve finished your meal, you should quit gossiping and prepare for your next class. Rule 271 is quite clear: ‘One must leave the table within fifteen minutes of completing their lunch.’ You DO understand what happens to rulebreakers, I trust?”

 

Deuce reluctantly agreed.

 

“Don’t worry,” Trey nervously reassured, “I’ll keep an eye on them.”

 

The tyrant harrumphed. “As vice housewarden, I trust you’ll avoid any further indiscreet conversation. Now, as per rule 339, ‘The post-meal beverage is to be lemon tea with two sugar cubes.’ Thus, I must go to acquire my sugar cubes. Farewell.” He then muttered, “don’t even get me started on their violation of running out of sugar cubes…!” He skulked away, muttering under his breath.

 

As he walked away, Aurora saw two drops of ink appear in front of her eyes, completely taking over her vision for a moment and causing her to jolt in shock.

 

“Hey, Aurora?” Ace asked in concern. “You okay?”

 

“...Yep, I’m good,” she slowly answered. “I… saw something weird, but I’ll talk about it later,” she whispered as he nodded in affirmation.

 

“Yeesh!” Cater yelled. “That was terrifying.” The rest of the student body seemed to agree, hushed whispers of terror echoing across the cafeteria.

 

Deuce looked over at Aurora and Ace. “Hey dude, you can get out of Aurora’s lap now.”

“Awwww, but it’s so comfy here.”

 

Trying to pretend she wasn’t blushing, she looked over at Deuce. “You know, if you’re feeling left out, you can totally join us,” she teased as she scooted a bit closer to him.

 

Deuce sputtered, his face turning a lovely shade of red.

 

“Oh, Aurora dear?” Cater questioned. “What the fuck exactly was that?”

 

“Uhhh… It was a shield?” She answered. ‘ It’s also intended to bounce the spell back at the caster, but they don’t need to know that.

 

“It was super hot,” Ace praised, living to see her lovely pink eyes light up at his words. “And I don’t mean in the flame way, I mean in the 'you’re amazing' way.”

 

“Riddle managed to secure the housewarden title before the end of his very first week at school,” Trey started to explain. “I know he can come off a bit harsh, but he's not a bad guy. Everything he does, he does because he thinks it’ll improve the dorm. Also, Aurora… managing to not only break, but also block his spell both within less than twenty-four hours is quite the accomplishment.”

 

Cater laughed. “He’s not so scary if we don’t break the rules, although I bet a lot of us would love to have that kind of power…”

 

“Speaking of rules,” Ace started, “Aurora said we probably had to replace that tart.”

 

“Yep! Rule 53!”

 

“Trey,” Aurora looked at him, “Cater said that we should talk to you about what kind of tart to get to replace the old one.”

 

“Although a whole tart has gotta be pretty expensive,” Deuce pointed out.

 

“If you wanted to make one in the dorm kitchens, we do have most of the stuff you need, but… I’m afraid I’ll need something from you in return,” Trey said.

 

“You’re gonna charge me to make it?”

 

“Nah, I wouldn’t take money from a freshman! But Riddle wants a chestnut tart next, so I’m gonna need you to gather a bunch of chestnuts.”

 

And that was how the trio got roped into making plans to gather chestnuts at the botanical gardens after classes.

_______________________________________________

 

Riddle tucked himself into an isolated part of the campus, palms sweating as he put up a silencing ward to make sure he was truly alone. He took out his cell phone, fingers hovering above the screen as he reluctantly dialed an all-too-familiar number. “I hate him for making me do this… He pressed the call button, the phone slowly ringing until that frustrating voice answered the phone.

 

“Riddle? What has happened? Are you not supposed to be doing half an hour of self-study right now?”

He held in a sigh, the anticipation not making the irritation any less. “Yes, mother. I apologize for the deviation in my schedule, mother, but I would not call if it were not a matter of urgent importance.”

 

“...Alright. Then tell me what has happened,” her stern voice commanded.

 

“I need you and father to make a formal inquiry into a student who has just begun to attend Night Raven College,” he explained.

 

“That sounds quite serious, Riddle. Why is it that you would like to take such a drastic course of action? I’m sure you know how time-consuming those can be.”

 

“There are… many factors. But I believe the most important one is that he has come into the knowledge of the Song of the Queen’s Painted Roses. And I am certain he is not among the ranks of our Queendom’s nobility.”

 

“...I see. This has quite serious implications. What were the other factors to consider?”

 

Riddle paused, thinking back for a moment.“At the orientation ceremony, this particular freshman was not assigned a dorm – the Dark Mirror said that there were too many influences on his soul.”

 

The woman’s voice went silent for a moment. “That is quite disturbing… Your father and I will investigate using our resources. Now, in the meantime, as a member of the nobility yourself Riddle, you know that you are responsible for keeping an eye on him as well.”

 

“...Yes. I understand, mother. However… I,” he sighed, dreading having to explain this part to his mother. “There is one more thing you should know.”

 

“And what is that?”

 

“His magic is currently strong enough to break my signature spell.” Upon hearing a sharp gasp on her end, he hurried to remedy the situation. “I will spend time correcting this oversight, but I did find it… worth mentioning. Additionally, from the glance I got at his powers… they seem to bear some similarities to Prince Draconia’s.”

 

Several seconds of silence passed before the woman cleared her throat. “Yes, well… You did well by informing me of this, Riddle. Do take care to remember that a Queen is the last piece you should sacrifice in chess, however.”

 

Was – was she actually telling him to protect himself?! “Yes, I understand, mother.”

“Now, Riddle,” she asked him as her tone went back to business. “What is the name of this student?”

 

Riddle scowled at the thought of that unruly freshman flinging himself through life without the slightest care for anything in the world. “He goes by the name ‘Aurora Morningstar.’”

Notes:

Hope you all enjoyed!

I skipped some of the explanatory stuff for the dorm bc it didn't make sense A/Deuce wouldn't know it, having grown up in TW - that's really just for the player's benefit in-game. (Which, valid, but still. Didn't make sense here cuz Aurora did her research as much as possible.)
Aurora and Lilia friendship? He def reminds her vaguely of Solomon
Aurora and Riddle finally met! And... they like each other about as much as you would expect at first.
And that phone call... might come back to bite multiple people in the ass.
As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 17: Visions Over Easy

Summary:

In which chestnuts are gathered, plagues are seen?!, and important conversations are had.

Notes:

Hi lovelies! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The trio met up at the woods behind the school, surrounded by lush trees laden with fresh, ruby-red apples. ‘ Those look delicious. I’m definitely using them to make some Princess Poison Apple ice cream at some point. Well… when I can get my hands on some decent poison.

 

Fortunately, there was a bounty of chestnuts as well, though the group had to go inside the botanical gardens to get baskets

 

The inside of the gardens was something straight out of a fairytale, with soft flowers and sparkling streams decorating every path within the golden sunlight. As they began to explore, the trio decided to split up and look for a groundskeeper who could point them to the proper tools.

 

Striding straight ahead, Aurora noticed something fuzzy laying in her path – that something fuzzy turning out to be a tail. Softly reaching down, she moved to brush the tail safely out of the way of the path – but as soon as she touched it, her vision flashed.

 

A river turned to blood – a teeming of frogs – dust turned to gnats – a stampede of wild animals – a pestilence – a plague of boils – a thunderstorm of hail and fire – a swarm of locusts – a darkness – and a barren wasteland, a single creature lying amongst the piles of skeletons and ghosts of life.

 

Aurora fell to the ground as the vision sent paralyzing fear through her heart, squeezing the tail in shock before she quickly dropped it.

 

Unfortunately, it was too late, and the person who the tail belonged to had already woken up, leaning up as he yowled.

 

Shit, this is Scar in human form! Catboy form? Whatever, I fucked up! Wait, why the FUCK is Catboy Scar linked to the Ten Horrible Plagues of Egypt?!’

 

“Hey! Did you seriously just trip on my tail?” He asked her, rubbing the sore spot. “Ain’t nothing’ worse than bein’ in the middle of a good nap and havin’ some idiot step on your tail.”

 

I’m not an idiot! But okay yeah, that probably hurt him given how freaked out I got. ’ “I”m very sorry,” she apologized earnestly. “That was definitely my fault.” ‘ Laws of equal exchange… offer something in return in order to be in control of the payment for the transgression.’ “Hey,” she offered to the pretty boy in front of her. “I’m baking some tarts for a party in just a little bit. Why don’t I bring you one afterward as an apology later?” ‘ Kill two birds with one stone that way.

 

The man in front of her seemed to contemplate her offer for a moment. “You… I know. You’re that herbivore from orientation who didn’t get sorted.” He moved closer to her, sniffing her up and down as she froze in place.

 

He doesn’t seem like he’s gonna hurt me – well, try – but what the hell is he doing?! ’ “Um… why are you smelling me?”

“This magic… Just what exactly are you,” the shady boy murmured. He kept sniffing her for another moment before shock seemed to register on his face, scooting politely back. “Well, if you’re offering an apology than I suppose it’s only fair that I accept it. Come to the Savanaclaw dorm lounge as soon as you’re done, and tell them that Leona sent you if anyone gives you trouble.” He stood up, offering a hand to the girl.

 

Aurora stood up, squinting her eyes at him at the sudden attitude change. ‘ Okay, he clearly figured out one of my secrets, but the question is which fucking one?! Reluctantly, sensing for any type of binding magic and finding the gesture void, she accepted his hand and stood up. “Oh, and before I go…”

 

“Yes, herbivore?”

 

She reached a hand out towards his tail, gently this time. “May the vestiges of pain that linger within the creature before me disappear.”

 

“How did you…”

 

“Leona, there you are!” A voice called from down the walkway.

 

Aurora made her escape to the card boys before he could catch up.

 

“Hey Aurora, we found baskets and tongs!” Ace cheered.

 

“What in the world happened to you?” Deuce asked at the distant look Aurora had on her face.

 

“Uh….” She looked at the two sheepishly. “I might have accidentally blown one of my secrets to a guy in Savanaclaw but I’m not sure which one he figured out?”

 

“Aurora, you have to be more careful!” Deuce chided her.

 

“How the heck did ya even manage that?!” Ace asked frantically.

 

“...I’m just gonna add this to the list of things I have to explain to you tonight.”

 

“Okay,” Ace listed, “so that’s the whole deal with the ghosts in your dorm, the family magestone you’re toutin’ around, and whatever the hell just happened back there.”

 

“...yeah, pretty much.”

 

“...Let’s just get these chestnuts so we can get baking.”

______________________________________

 

After classes were done for the day, Mammon followed Lucifer’s orders and rushed straight home, meeting the eldest as he strode in, wordlessly opening up the study door for the two of them. Immediately upon entering, Lucifer began throwing up security wards, adding a few more in than normal. Finally the eldest slumped down in his seat, cradling his forehead in his fingertips.

 

Mammon inched closer to him, a shiver running down his spine at what the first-born could possibly have in store for him this time. “Hey hey, big bro Luci?” He made his cutest expression at his older brother, hoping to invoke mercy. “Hey so, uh, I’m not exactly sure what I did this time, but I’m really sorry, okay?”

 

“Nothing,” Lucifer rasped.

 

“Huh?!” Mammon was stunned. Lucifer had never waited so long to dive into the heart of a lecture – or punishment – once behind closed doors.

 

“You did absolutely nothing wrong, Mammon,” Lucifer confessed. “I… I need your help.”

 

Mammon stared at his brother for the briefest of moments – his older brother did not ask for help often. “...Well of course ya came to me, Lucifer,” he stated, coming closer to pat him on the shoulder. “Whaddya need from me?”

 

Lucifer looked up at Mammon, eyes belying a severe lack of sleep. “Last night, I… I received quite a large revelation. I… Victoria summoned me.”

 

“Wait, what?!” Mammon flew in at the mention of their shared pactmate and lover. “She summoned ya?! Is she okay?! Where the fuck has she been?!”

“One question at a time please, Mammon,” he slowed the younger down. “She is… she is as well as she can be. She has been safe with Solomon this whole time –”

 

“With that shady bastard!

 

“— and he has made her immortal.”

 

“...that’s good, right? Right, Luci?” Mammon frantically searched his brother’s face, trying to figure out what was so wrong if she was okay.

 

“That’s not the troubling part. But… I learned why she cut contact all those years ago. Part of it I already knew – that Lord Diavolo had been making… romantic advances… towards her, and she was afraid of what might happen if he continued to pursue her – and if she continued to deny him.” Lucifer’s face curled into a snarl at the mention of his Lord’s name, fury growing towards the demon that caused his current situation.

 

“That bastard –” Mammon’s face twisted into an uncharacteristic growl at the thought of his human being forced to live with such fear.

 

“There is more,” he interrupted. “It was not just herself she feared for. I… I only learned this last night, but… the night she summoned me first, she had just discovered that she was pregnant. With my child,” he added.

 

“Lucifer…” Mammon reached out to envelop Lucifer in a hug, the elder accepting and leaning into the comforting touch. “I mean, I’d say I can’t believe you’re a dad, but ya also take care of us all so much that I’d say you’re pretty much a damn fantastic one.”

 

“Thank you, Mammon…”

 

“Okay, so like… I take it I get to meet your kid too? ‘Cuz I’m gonna be the best uncle ever,” Mammon bragged.

 

Shadow overtook Lucifer’s fair features again, his body drooping. “Mammon. Victoria summoned me up and told me everything because something happened to our daughter. She was kidnapped by fey and brought to an alternate dimension, one I haven’t the slightest idea how to reach.”

 

“Fuckin’ hell?!” Mammon could feel his brother’s terror seeping off of him.

 

“I was able to scry on her and ascertain that she is relatively alright for the time being, but… she is not safe.” Lucifer’s fists clenched at the memory of those two insipid boys with a lack of regard for personal space. “She is not seventeen years old yet, and I fear that she has been blackmailed into making her first deal – and a remarkably disadvantageous one at that.”

 

“Fuck, Luci, that’s awful… So, what do ya need me to do? I take it the plan is to get her back and then kick whoever took her’s ass?”

 

Lucifer nodded. “First things first, we need to find out exactly where she went, along with how to reach there. And for that, I’m going to need you to look into any trace of where she might have been dragged along from her house.”

 

“...Kay. Got it. I’ll need the coordinates, and any other info ya got for me.”

 

Lucifer shook his head sadly. “Only that the fey who took her is named Crowley, and that the dimension she is in might be called Wonderland. So,” he lamented, “practically nothing at all.”

 

Mammon, on the other hand, seemed to have something click inside of his head. “Fey… Wonderland… Well, Luci. If I’m on the right track – which is, admittedly, a long shot – I’m gonna end up payin’ our dear old estranged brother a visit again.”

 

Lucifer looked up, apprehension painted on his face. “Which one, Mammon?”

 

“Jesus. Or as he likes to go by now, ‘Walt.’”

_________________________________________________

 

Fortunately, the trio was allowed to enter the Heartslabyul kitchens to meet Trey. Immediately they were all set to work, peeling and straining the hundreds of chestnuts that they had been able together. Thankfully, Aurora’s cooking skills – basic as they were – bore no similarities to Solomon’s.

 

All was almost normal until Trey announced his intention to add a splash of oyster sauce as his “secret ingredient.” He further insisted, “the umami of the oysters gives the cream a deep, savory flavor.”

 

He’s either lying or he’s off his fucking rocker!’

 

“I use this one here: Walrus-brand Young Oyster Sauce. All the best bakers use it in their tarts.”

 

It’s a Disney world so he might actually not be lying…’

 

“But isn’t oyster sauce like, super salty?” Deuce asked.

 

Ace chimed in confidently, “some folks put chocolate into curry, don’t they? Maybe it’s the same idea.”

 

Aurora made a face at that. “Both of these options sound so gross, ew.

 

Trey started laughing uncontrollably. “I’m totally lying! No one in their right mind would put oyster sauce into a pastry.”

 

“So you were just yankin’ our chain?” Ace yelled.

 

“That’s assuming that you’re in your right mind, Trey,” Aurora rebutted.

 

“It’s so ridiculous!” Trey was clutching his stomach, tears poking at the corners of his eyes. “Let that be a lesson to you. Don’t believe everything you hear.”

 

“Next, oh!” He shook his head. “You guys gathered so many chestnuts that we may have overdone it with the chestnut paste. I don’t think we have enough cream to mix in.”

 

“Then I’ll go buy some,” Deuce volunteered. “Do they sell it at the school store?”

 

“They sell pretty much everything, so… probably,” Trey guessed. “Can I have you pick me up a few other things?” He began listing off a large number of ingredients.

 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to carry all that back,” Deuce admitted. “Aurora, could you come with me?”

 

She looked at him before looking back to Trey. “I’ll go as long as Ace will be safe here while I’m gone.”

 

Upon receiving the promise from Trey, she walked off to the campus store with Deuce.

___________________________________

 

Sam’s Mystery Shop was quite disconcerting for a girl who understood just a dangerous a deal with the devil could be.

 

That didn’t make Aurora want to go back any less after she’d had time to maybe save up some money. And Crowley’s stipend was even decent enough that it should keep her and Grim fed for the month! As long as she didn’t go crazy on snacks, that was.

 

I just know that’s actually Crewel’s doing, though. Crowley seems too preoccupied doing… other shady things. Still… I could definitely go for one of the crystal floral skulls. Or that starlight grimoire, that was so my style. I hope he doesn’t have weird shadow friends who can tell I’m half-demon, though.’

 

“Here, Aurora. It looks like you got the bag with all the cans – that’s gotta be pretty heavy. I can take it for you,” Deuce offered as they were walking outside.

 

Aurora looked at the bag, lifting it fairly easily. “That’s sweet of you, but I think I got it under control,” she reminded him subtly.

 

“Ah, right. Force of habit,” he apologized. “My mom always used to stock up at sales, and the bags would get ridiculously heavy. I was the only man in the house – not that women can’t lift, but I’ve always been pretty strong, so I got to do all the heavy lifting, and – Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to monopolize the conversation.” He shook his head to snap himself out of his rambling.

 

“That’s okay,” Aurora assured him. “I’m… actually a little jealous if I’m being completely honest, it sounds like you really get along with your mom.”

 

Deuce’s face dropped at her assumption. “No, it wasn’t like that at all. The truth is, I –” Deuce yelped as a few delinquents ran into him. “No! The eggs! The carton is smashed and the bag’s dripping egg goo everywhere.”

 

A few snickering boys wearing red and yellow gemstones on their lapels surrounded the two. “Awww, look guys,” he cooed mockingly. “It’s the famous pretty-boy and his big, big, strong protector.”

 

“I’ve had about enough of you walking around like you own the damn place, you punks,” one of the Heartslabyul boys growled. “It’s about time you two freshmen learned your damn place.”

 

Aurora looked down, trying desperately to cover the maniacal grin threatening to overtake her face. ‘ Oh, at this rate, I’m not even gonna have to provoke them into attacking first. Just try messing with me assholes, I dare you.’ Aurora slowly looked up, cracking her knuckles as Deuce began to yell back at the idiots.

 

“You’re picking a fight with us?! Really! And now you’ve destroyed six of OUR eggs!”

One of the delinquents went to ruffle Aurora’s hair. “Awwww, what? Are you gonna go cry and throw a fit now?” She grabbed his wrist, squeezing just a bit tighter as she allowed him to see the maniacal gleam in her eye. “Hey, hey guys–!” He found himself silenced with a wave of her free hand.

 

“They’re still edible! Really, you should be worried about what we’re gonna do to you instead of some stupid eggs!” Some of the boys were still snickering at the pair.

 

Suddenly. Deuce’s face grew dark. “That ain’t funny.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I said, THAT AIN’T FUNNY.” His entire demeanor had altered, a wild aura across his person. “You don’t get to call my FRIENDS stupid. You don’t get to call any EGGS stupid! Those eggs may not have gotten to be chicks, but they were gonna make some amazing tarts!”

 

Wait, did Deuce actually think the eggs were–’

 

“Do you get it yet? DO YOU?! You owe me six eggs. If ya ain’t gonna pay me for em, then you’re gettin’ a bruise for each one!” The bullies began to protest, but it was far too late. “Grit your teeth, assholes!” Immediately, Deuce went on the offensive, decking each guy who had decided to bully them.

 

A couple of teeth lost from the first delinquent later, a few of the boys started to run – but it was too late, as Aurora had already begun to prepare a binding spell. “Hear my voice and heed my command. These words are sound… the sound, melody. And through it I bind thee, and rob thee of thy freedom.” Chains appearing to be made of amethyst flames popped up around the bullies, holding each one in place as Deuce continued his spectacular beatdown. A silencing spell popped up from hear, leaving the boys to only scream into empty air through their terror. ‘ Much lower quality souls that Ace ,” she noted as she reached into theirs, shattering their pride, planting whispers forever in their souls – they would never surpass the duo, nor could they ever hope to come close.

 

Finally, Deuce and Aurora had taught each any every one their lessons. “These guys are outta their minds!” “”Fuck this, let’s get outta here!” And they finally ran away.

 

“Next time you eat an egg,” Deuce screamed after them as Aurora dropped the silencing spell, “you better apologize a hundred times, you buncha chumps!”

 

“There there, Deuce,” she soothed him as she took his hands, “it’s okay, We can calm down now.”

 

Deuce panted heavily, seeming to jolt as he came back to himself. “I did it again, didn’t I…? ARGH! I was dead-set on becoming an honor student this time, too!?”

 

Aurora looked at him quizzically. “Did what, Deuce?”

 

He sighed as he confessed to her, “When I was in middle school, I was pretty wild. I cut school all the time and got in fights. I called my teachers names, hung out with bullies, bleached my hair… I blasted around tight curves on my Magic Wheel… I’d show off my magic to kids who couldn’t use it yet… I was a total punk.”

 

Aurora petted his head, giving him a hug. “Maybe, but you were also a kid, Deuce. Children can’t be perfect, they’re still learning how society functions.”

 

“Maybe so, but still…” He lamented. “One night, I saw my mom talking on the phone to my grandma. She was trying to hide it from me, but I saw her, I could tell she was in tears. She was saying how she must have been a horrible mom, and that maybe she never should have tried to raise me by herself. That had nothin’ to do with it! She hadn’t done anything wrong,” he protested. “For a while I used to blame her ‘cuz my dad left, but my behavior was all me.”

 

A pang entered Aurora’s heart. ‘ That sounds familiar…’

 

“When the carriage came to take me to Night Raven College, she was so happy for me. I decided then and there that this time, I wouldn’t do anything to make her cry. This time, I’d become an honor student – someone she could be proud of. And I already messed it up!” Tears pricked at the girl’s eyes, sending the boy into a panic as he noticed. “Aurora?! Are you okay?!”

 

“Yes,” she sniffled. “It’s just that… you’re a better kid than I am.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean that…” Aurora wiped her eyes, “you still treat your mom better than I do. My mom and I… well, we fight all the time. I… I didn’t grow up around my dad, and I always blamed her for it since she kept me a secret from him.”

 

Deuce’s brows furrowed at that. “But why would she do that?”

 

“She said it was ‘to keep me safe,’ the same reason she rarely let me outside – and never looking like myself. I… she said she loves my dad, but she’s gotten together with my ‘Uncle Sol’ – who just so happens to be human, and… I can’t help but think maybe it’s because she’s also fully human and has more of a prejudice against demons than she’s willing to admit,” Aurora confessed.

 

“But – Aurora, that sounds awful!”

 

“It was,” she answered swiftly, “and we always fought – I can’t remember the last time the two of us got through an entire conversation without it coming to some kind of blows. So… even though I had no clue what the Dark Carriage was, and I thought it was some kind of a kidnapping… I didn’t fight back. I willingly went along with it, and when the hand appeared in the portal… I took it and stepped through. I didn’t even let my mom know I was leaving – and the worst part is, even though I know it’s wrong, I wouldn’t change a single decision in getting here.”

 

“Aurora,” he assured her, gently wiping tears from the corner of her eyes, “you didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t know exactly what it is you’ve been through, but… given what I’ve heard from you, I can’t imagine any reason why you wouldn’t want to get away from that.”

 

She held him just a little tighter, letting herself enjoy the comfort. “And Deuce… you didn’t do anything wrong either.”

“But –”

 

“Growing up without a dad is hard, but… I’m not just talking about that. About just now, well… there was no reason for you to just tolerate those idiots walking all over you. Besides, even if I can defend myself, I still really appreciated you sticking up for me.” She ruffled his hair affectionately.

 

“Thanks, Aurora,” he smiled at her. “I guess you’re right! I just hope those chicks can rest in peace.”

 

Right, how could I forget about that part of the fight?! ’ “Hey, Deuce?” she asked him. “You realize that those eggs weren’t the type that hatch, correct?”

 

“WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” And that was how Deuce Spade received a mid-walk biology lesson that forever changed his life.

Notes:

And there you have it!

What is Leona's connection to the Ten Plagues of Egypt? And why did Aurora see all that anyways?
Mammon now knows that Lucifer is a dad! And... just what is the deal with his investigation?!
And Deuce now knows more about Aurora's past!

Remember, as always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 18: Golden Tart Afternoons

Summary:

Lots of baking, lots of feels.

And also Aurora gives a history lesson.

Notes:

Two chapters in less than 24 hours? I feel amazing!

Also, mild TW: discussions of depression and a bit of suicidal ideation this chapter (basically Aurora makes brief mentions of how her childhood destroyed her mental health)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Fortunately, the rest of the baking went smoothly – minus Deuce panicking over the egg revelation, along Ace so casually draping himself over Aurora and Deuce. The group giggled as they stopped each other from making silly mistakes, a genuine and welcoming air around.

 

It was the warmest Aurora had felt in her entire life.

 

Of course, the chaos returned as soon as Cater popped into the kitchen, snapping pics for Magicam and helping himself to some of the extra pieces of the treat 

 

Not that Aurora could blame him – it was one of the best things Aurora had tasted in her entire life. ‘ I wonder if I could somehow convince him to work poison into his recipes, because I think he’s the best damn baker I’ve met in my entire life. Not that I have a large frame of reference given that Uncle Sol’s cooking is horrifying and the idea of eating mom’s food makes me ill from rage sometimes, but… still. This is genuinely amazing.’

 

“Oh, Trey!” Cater piped up. “You gotta do the thing.”

 

“The thing?” Trey’s eyes sharpened in realization. “Oh… that.”

 

“Uh, wanna fill me in?” Ace asked brazenly.

 

“What’s everyone’s favorite food?” Trey asked.

 

Oh, shit! What’s my favorite normal, human food?!’

 

“Probably cherry pie. Or hamburgers,” Ace added.

 

“If I had to pick, I guess I’d say… omelet rice?” Deuce answered unsurely.

 

“Um… probably cinnamon syrup apples?” Aurora answered, wisely avoiding the actual answer “poison apples.”

 

“I like a nice lamb chop with diablo sauce,” Cater chimed in.

 

“All right, you’ve got it… let’s ‘Paint the Roses’!” A flash of magic came out as Trey waved his pen around.

 

“Huh? What does that mean?

 

“Take another bite of your tart and see,” Trey instructed gleefully.

 

“Huh? It tastes just like cherry pie!”

 

“And mine tastes just like cinnamon apples.” ‘ They’re amazing, too – I guess food really is better when it’s made by someone who doesn’t make you furious all the time.’

 

“Neat trick, eh? That’s gotta be a hit when Trey’s having a date,” Cater giggled.

 

“It’s impressive,” Deuce appraised calmly. “Is changing flavors your signature spell, Trey?”

 

“Technically, it’s ‘overwriting characteristics.’ I can change taste, color, smell, whatever. It only lasts for a little while.”

 

‘So you can just, like, alter reality?” Aurora asked. ‘ You could change landscape, texture… that could definitely come in handy. ’ “That is pretty cool, Trey. That’s actually a lot better than Riddle’s little binding spell.”

 

“Well, it’s just covering up reality, hence the term ‘painting,’” Trey explained. “His is in a whole other league. His signature spell is a weapon. Mine’s just childish prestidigitation. Though,” he appraised her, “that is still pretty high praise coming from someone as powerful as you seem to be. Ah…” he looked at the clock. “I do believe Riddle has locked himself in his room for the night – and I would prefer to avoid angering him if I can help it,” Trey explained. “It’s too late to give him these now. Let’s call it a day and do it tomorrow,” he suggested. “Don’t forget that tomorrow’s the unbirthday party. You don’t want to be late.”

 

“Hey Auroraaaa,” Ace begged, “can I crash in your dorm again tonight? It doesn’t sound like I should be back in my own dorm for the night.”

 

“Again, seriously?” Cater asked.

 

“It isn’t right to keep mooching off of Aurora, Ace,” Deuce reminded the boy.

 

“Yeah, I don’t mind,” she answered with a small blush. ‘ You’re really cozy to snuggle with.

 

“Why don’t you go and stay at Aurora’s dorm too, Deuce,” Trey suggested, “and keep an eye on our resident troublemaker? As vice housewarden, I can issue you a sleepover pass.”

 

“That’s our Trey, always spoiling the newbs,” Cater reprimanded. “Say, Aurora, before I forget,” Cater jumped back in as he handed her an invitation. “Riddle asked me to deliver this invitation to the party to you. Said he wanted to apologize for her ‘unbefitting behavior’ or something earlier.

 

The other boy’s eyes widened as they jumped in surprise.

 

Oh, this is definitely a trap of some kind. Still, I can handle myself pretty damn well, I think… So…’ “Alright,” she answered. “I accept the invitation. See you guys tomorrow.”

___________________________________________

 

“Aurora, are you nuts?!” Ace whisper-yelled as the trio exited Heartslabyul’s mirror. “He’s totally gonna try to get back at ya! Not that he probably can , given the everything about you, but still!”

 

“I am well aware that you are strong, Aurora, but I agree with Deuce here. This is definitely a trick of some sort of trap,” Deuce worried.

 

“Oh it definitely is,” Aurora agreed, “ but , most curses don’t work on me, ya know?”

 

Ace deadpanned at her. “Ya know what, I can’t even be surprised with anything with you anymore – hey, that’s not the way to your dorm!” he yelled as Aurora started walking towards a different mirror.

 

“I know,” she answered, “but I kinda have to give my piece of tart to someone named ‘Leona’ in Savanaclaw as an apology. You know, cuz I accidentally hurt his tail in the botanical gardens earlier.” She disappeared through the mirror before the two could finish their frantic questioning.

 

The scenery she was dropped into was far different than the rosy wonderland of Heartslabyul. A rolling savannah stretched out in front of her, the setting sun dousing the dimension in a soft golden haze. A few boys walked through curved tusks planted into the ground, snickering as they approached her. “Heh, is the little wildebeest coming onto our turf?”

 

Chin held high, Aurora eyed the boys, one eyebrow arched. “Leona sent me here,” she stated calmly. ‘ Oh my Uncle, this is such a Lion King vibe. The morbid part of the movie, but I kinda like this setup.

 

“....Awww, you’re no fun,” one of the boys whined. “Come on, then, Housewarden’s gonna be pissed if we mess with you too much.” 

 

Of course he’s the Housewarden. He reminds me of Scar, Riddle is like the Queen of Hearts… I dread seeing what the other dorm heads are gonna be like. “Leona” hasn’t been openly antagonistic towards me though, so he might be better than Riddle.’

 

The pack of hyena-boys led Aurora to the building with a slight ruin-esque vibe, showing her the dorm lounge – a large, lush room decorated with trees, a balcony, and even a giant waterfall in the middle. Sitting next to the edge of the water lay “Leona,” waking up from a nap as she walked in. Shooing the boys out, Leona beckoned her closer, standing up to properly greet her.

 

“You actually showed up, herbivore,” he noted with no small amount of surprise.

 

“Well, a deal is a deal, after all,” she answered as she presented him with the tart. “Here you go, by the way.” She placed the tart in his hands, looking at him hesitantly. “Is your tail still feeling any better?” Engaging him in conversation so she could easily lock eyes with him, she decided to take a look into his soul and see what she could find out about him that way. ‘ Definitely the only reason, not that I think his green eyes are pretty – okay yeah he’s gorgeous, I definitely wanna find out how dangerous he his before letting myself cross paths with him anymore though.’

 

He narrowed his eyes at her slightly. “...Yes,” he admitted. “Although, I wouldn’t have expected someone so clumsy to pull off such a high-level healing spell.”

 

Hmmm… there’s a broken pride there – a very large spot of it. There’s also some other sins mixed in – sloth probably, based on the napping – and probably envy and a touch of wrath, since those are often linked with pride. But… there’s something else I’m trying to figure out…’ “Oh, that? It’s… I still can’t do massive healing spells like some of my family can,” she admitted, “but… I can at least do a little bit. Especially since it was my fault in the first place.”

 

He stared at her intensely, almost as if he were appraising her soul the same way she was doing to him. “You know, herbivore, it’s not often that people just blatantly go about admitting their faults. Some might even say it’s dangerous in a place like this school.”

 

Is… is that a seal on his soul?! And… and it depicts a lion over a bleeding lamb?! Fuck , if this is somehow good old Grandpa’s work again I’m going to fucking riot! But… I’m not bringing it up. Yet. I’ve already drawn enough attention for the day, and I’d like to get closer to this guy before I bring it up…’ Collecting herself to reply, she let a comfortable smirk slide onto her face. “I wouldn’t be admitting to it if it weren’t true. Besides, let’s just say I would expect someone else to do the same if they’d wronged me.

 

Leona barked a laugh out at the not-so-subtle threat laced in her words to any theoretical punks. “I was wrong,” he chuckled at her. “You’re no herbivore, you’re a jackal. Still,” he conceded, “I can get why you might want to be prepared to hide at an all-guy’s school, little jackal.”

 

Okay, so he just knows the woman thing, not the other things so far. It doesn’t seem like he intends to blackmail me here and now…’ She let out a little nervous laugh. “That obvious, huh?”

 

“A word of warning,” he advised her. “Beastmen tend to have incredibly sharp senses of smell. You’ll want to get some kind of perfume – doesn’t really matter if it’s flowers or sandalwood, just something to provide some cover.”

 

He’s… actually being surprisingly helpful.’ “Thank you.” And Aurora truly meant those words.

 

“Yeah, well… I’d suggest getting out of here before the dorm barges back in here and figures out your little secret – and least, the one of yours I’ve got pegged so far,” he grinned. “Now run along before I try to figure out the rest.”

 

One nod later, and Aurora was out the door – right as her vision showed the same red background from earlier with a larger puddle of dark ink.

_______________________________________

 

“Trey! Cater! You’re finally back,” as student frantically ran around the Heartslabyul lounge as the two boys walked in. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

 

“What happened?” the vice asked.

 

“Ten dorm members were caught violating rule 256,” he frantically explained, “‘no drinking honey-sweetened lemonade after 8 p.m.’ Housewarden Riddle collared them all!” He paused for breath as the two elder boys took in the news. “I can’t take it anymore! I can’t live like this! Everything we do violates some insane rule! I want to transfer to another dorm…” he sobbed.

 

“It’ll be okay,” Trey assured. “We’ll go talk to the housewarden. You go back to your room.”

 

As the boy walked away, Cater sighed. “Guess I’d better go make some tea or something, as a show of deference to the Queen.”

“Thanks, Cater. Oh, but make sure it’s herbal tea, not black,” Trey reminded. “You know what rule 153 says about drinking tea at night.”

 

“......Yeaaah, sure,” Cater replied unconvincingly. “Of course.

 

A few minutes later, Cater showed up to Riddle’s study, tea made exactly to Rule 153’s specifications. “Hey, Riddle,” he knocked. “I come bearing tea.”

 

A few seconds later, Riddle opened the door. “Come in,” he commanded, leading Cater to a seat as he took the tea. “Satisfactory.”

 

Cater was sweating. “Glad you like it, Housewarden Riddle.”

 

“Yes. Now… about what I asked you to do.” He hesitated. “I assume it has been done?”

 

“Yes, yes,” Cater assured. “Prefect Morningstar has both received and accepted the invitation to tomorrow’s Unbirthday party, and Deuce Spade along with Ace Trappola are out of Heartslabyul for the night.”

 

“...Good. Now, Cater… despite how you might like posing with him for Magicam shots… remember that first and foremost, until proven otherwise, Prefect, ” he grit the word out, “Morningstar is to be considered an enemy of Heartslabyul given his current behavior.” He paused for a moment, collecting himself. “Normally, I would bring a matter like this to Trey’s attention first. However, given your previous position, coupled with your natural talent for social espionage, I saw the task fit to delegate to you first.”

 

“Yes, Housewarden Riddle…”

_____________________________________

 

A couple hours later, the trio along with Grim sat in the loung of Ramshackle, all cuddled into each other snugly with Aurora dressed in spare mismatched pajama pieces that she had borrowed from Ace and Deuce, having had time to grab a few overnight supplies. 

 

“Okay, okay, okay,” Ace waved his hands at the end of the crash course Aurora had given them. “I’m just gonna sum it all up cuz that was a lot, and I wanna make sure I got this gist of it right. You’re telling me that your angel ancestor fell in love with some human and broke the rules ta save him, the bastard was cheatin’ on her, and because her dad-god – which don’t get me started on being your grandpa on the other side of your family tree – but because he got all pissy, he was gonna like, execute her but worse. But then her brothers – not blood related, but still, one of which is your dad – started a big war to try to save her anyways, basically turning the world upside down, and she died at the end no matter. But she somehow got reincarnated into a human sometime after instead of bein’ completely erased, and started her own family line, and after her death probably got ghostified. And the magestone you have probably belonged to her at some point, and you think her shitty ex had it because of the language carved on the walls.”

 

“That would be correct,” Aurora affirmed. ‘ Good. I was a little worried he wouldn’t get it. Not that I could blame him, it is all pretty convoluted and I don’t fully understand everything myself.’

 

“And you think the Housewarden of Savanaclaw might have an ancestor who also got cursed by your grandfather?! Because of some fuckin’ weird connection with a series of plagues ending in the firstborn children of an entire nation dying – most of which was a weird, racist, genocidal power play?!”

 

“Also correct,” Aurora affirmed. “Well, firstborn sons – don’t forget how highly sexist my dear old Gramps is.”

 

“How could I?! You spent a lot of time explaining how he basically punished a woman for gettin’ cheated on! Not to mention all the other weird stuff…”

 

“The thing is, I highly doubt I’m the first person to cross over, and well… my grandfather certainly has a penchant for causing generational curses. And it makes sense, based on my vision.”

 

“Your Gramps is fuckin’ nuts, that’s what he is!”

 

“Aurora,” Deuce begged her, “please don’t ever go back to that world. Every bit of it sounds awful, and I really don’t want anything like that happening to you.”

 

“Yeah!” Ace continued on. “Your mom’s a real idiot, ya know?! If your Gramps can really see into that many damn places, she shouldn’t have focused so damn much on lockin’ you up! She should’ve either put ya with your angel-turned-demon dad who’d already been safe from him for a while, or she should’ve been lookin’ to get you outta that world a long time ago, especially if you’re right about him not being able to follow ya here!”

 

“I have to agree,” Deuce comforted Aurora, stroking her arm gently. “You deserve to be safe, wherever that is – you didn’t deserve her prejudice leading her to just lock you up like something to be ashamed of. You’re someone I’m really glad to be around, and I’m gonna do my part to make sure you get to stay here with us.”

 

“You guys…” Aurora sniffled, tears pricking at her eyes for the second time that day.

 

“Deuce, no! You made her cry, dammit!”

 

“It’s okay, Ace,” she choked out a tear-laden laugh. “It’s – it’s not a bad cry. It’s just… my entire life, I’ve thought – no, known – that I wasn’t supposed to exist, that I was an abomination . And… and sometimes, when I was really lonely, I thought that… that maybe I should’ve never existed, that maybe… maybe I should let the fires of heaven wipe my existence – for mine and everyone’s sakes. I mean, for fuck’s sake, I didn’t know if the carriage was going to bring me to some horrific torture or fate, or even just flat-out death at first, and I still  couldn’t bring myself to fight – I didn’t see how things could get worse. But… but I haven’t been here three days yet, and – and I get the feeling I can be more, you know? More than just the accidental abomination child that nobody wanted,” Aurora admitted. “And today… it was a little overwhelming, you know? I have never been around so many people for such a long time, and it was honestly a little exhausting… but today has by far been the best day of my entire life so far. So… thank you guys,” she sobbed. “Thank you for not making me feel like a fucking freak, even when you’ve seen a lot of my secrets.”

 

“Aurora…”

 

“Hey, the ‘scary’ parts about you are my favorite parts! I mean, hell, you stepped up against a fucking tyrant for me, and you’re gorgeous to boot when you do it! Your powers are scary at times, sure, but so are a lotta people’s! And really, I’m not scared of them when you’re not using them against me!” Ace declared passionately.

 

“Aurora, you’re super smart, you’re very pretty – no matter what your mother said to you about your appearance – and you have the power to trample just about anyone you want, but you choose better – and work to correct it if you think you could choose better. That’s not anyone I think deserves to be feared – or live in fear,” Deuce assured her, taking a moment before stroking her hair gently.

 

“You guys…”

 

“Come on,” Ace wiped her tears away as he leaned up. “If it’ll make ya feel better, we can snuggle again and you can lean on me, gotcha?”

 

“Ace, don’t pressure her!”

 

Aurora debated for a moment, leaning into the two boys’ affection. “You know, I think the bed’s got enough room for all of us.”

 

And that was how the Braincell Squad had their first group cuddle sleepover.

Notes:

Hope you all enjoyed!

Also, I did Ace's summary the way I did 1) bc I think he would double check all that to make sure he's hearing all that bullshit straight, and 2) I figured it was a more efficient way of summing up what she went over rather than going into the semantics of every piece of OM lore and Bible lore that I'm using lmao.
Also... Riddle's getting closer to his OB!
And... Aurora had a proper convo with Leona (who was cooperative for once) and she figured out some things... she really can't catch a break from dear old Gramps, can she?
And Ace and Deuce are already protective of her, and that makes her very happy

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 19: Chestnut Chaos

Summary:

In which chestnuts are offensive, shenanigans happen, tea parties are ruined, and Riddle overblots.

Notes:

Hi lovelies! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora could not escape these Alice in Wonderland dreams being projected through the mirror in her room, nor could she get the line “off with your head” out of her brain after essentially being forced to watch half the movie again. Seriously, that card chase scene was always a trip and a half.

 

Unfortunately, Cater decided to walk into Ramshackle uninvited, quickly finding where Aurora’s room was. “Good morning!” he sang out. “Did you all enjoy your sleepover? Did you bond over pillow fights and card games?” Finally arriving up the stairs, he peeked into the room. “Oh my, looks like the three of you certainly had a good time! And awwwww, you have a little cat!” he squealed as he noticed Grim.

 

“I’m not a cat,” Grim groggily called out.

 

“Cater… What the fuck are you breaking into my room for?” Aurora asked with her eyes cracked open, cuddled into the card boys and Grim. “And Grim here is my familiar.”

 

“I’m just here to remind you about the Unbirthday party this afternoon! And remind you to get the big tart from yesterday and go officially apologize to Riddle,” he gently scolded. “And you should probably hurry, because after the trouble yesterday, we’re a little short-handed.”

 

“What does that mean?” Ace asked.

 

“Don’t worry. I’ve totes got it under control,” Cater deflected. “Anyway, Aurora, Riddle asked me to bring you this outfit so you could match the rest of us in our dorm uniforms. Hurry up you guys, and go get ready for class! Be sure to meet up with me by the statues after and we’ll head straight over.”

 

Kicking Cater out of the room and down to the lounge, the trio got themselves ready as quickly as they could.

 

“Hey, Aurora?” Ace asked near the end. “Do you want me to get you a fresh rose today? Cuz I can’t think of anyone they suit better,” he added with a flirtatious grin at the end.

 

“...Yeah,” she smiled at him. “I think I’d like that.”

________________________________________________________

 

Rook whistled happily through breakfast at Pomefiore, far too chipper for Vil who was mildly exhausted from trying to wrangle Epel into shape.

 

“Rook?” He asked privately after breakfast. “You’re far too happy today, and that always means some type of trouble that you’ve brought upon me. Or you’ve been stalking someone a little bit too long. What have you done this time?”

 

“Ah, me?” He pressed his hand to his chest dramatically. “Why, whatever would make you think I had done such a thing?”

 

“Rook…” he warned.

 

“Ah, but it is nothing to worry about, Roi du Poison! I am merely musing over the captivating beauty of the Monsieur Cygne Noir, his lovely shadow a marvel to behold!”

 

Vil tilted his head, nonverbally communicating his veiled interest in hearing more. “Well, if you must sing about it so much, I suppose I could listen.”

 

“Ah, you flatter me!” Rook gasped as he spun Vil around. “Ah, but I am sure you heard about the gentleman in the cafeteria yesterday who broke the signature spell of the Roi de Roses?”

 

Vil quirked a brow, surprised at what Rook was implying. “Of course I heard about him, but… are you seriously saying that boy is the one who made Riddle Rosehearts so angry?”

 

“I did tell you he was a creature of fair and dangerous beauty, no?” Rook circled to Vil’s back, hugging the boy from behind.

 

“...yes.” Vil shook his head fondly, leaning back into the embrace. “As always, Rook, your judgement is impeccable. So…” he asked, “when should we approach him?”

 

“Hmmm… Give me a few more days of observation, Roi du Poison,” he answered with a wild grin on his face. I want to see which delightful secrets I can drag out of him before we pounce.”

____________________________________________________________

 

After a second day of classes, the trio followed Cater back to Heartslabyul where they were met with another surprise. 

 

Cater Number Two greeted them with the same smile on his face, “hey, it’s about time I got back! Good to see me!” The first Cater greeted back. “And me! Looking good as always, me!”

 

“The fuck?!” the card boys exclaimed. “Are you guys twins, or is this some weird magic bullshit?” Ace yelled.

 

“No twins,” Cater One answered. “What I DO have is my signature spell, Split Card. It lets me make magic duplicates of myself.”

 

“Just another day at NRC…” 

 

Aurora, on the other hand, was not so calm. ‘ Even high-ranking mages — or demons — struggle to even cast a convincing projection! And these other Caters… they all seem up to snuff to the original. And this is the guy who seemed so surprised at me breaking the collar?! I don’t buy it!’ She eyes Cater up and down. “Cater, that’s some serious high-level cloning magic you got there. Are… are you sure you’re not strong enough to break Riddle’s collar? Because that’s a seriously impressive spell,” she admitted. ‘ I’ll just look into your eyes, tamper with that pride a little and you should be spilling a couple of secrets in no time!’

 

Cater looked at her, smiling a little too sweetly to be organic. “No no, darling, I’m definitely sure!” A few more of his clones came out, chittering away.

 

My power isn’t working! Come to think of it, upon focusing just a little bit, I can tell which one is really him – it can’t duplicate the font of his power, after all. But that ability to split his consciousness is still quite incredible, even if it’s not as directly blunt as Riddle’s signature spell. Still… this campus just might be filled with more competent people than I initially realized. And if he’s got any demonic heritage like I suspect… he might be immune to some of my compulsions.’

 

“Making these duplicates is suuuper exhausting,” Cater explained with a wary eye on Aurora, “so I can’t maintain them for long. Anyway, if we’re late, heads will roll. So please, let’s get going.”

 

As they strode through the garden, Ace made good on his promise to swipe a red rose from the trees, pinning it deftly back into Aurora’s hair.

___________________________________________________________________

 

A Cater-clone approached Riddle before the start of the party in his study, swaying side to side nervously.

 

“Well, Cater? Say what you have to say. It wouldn’t do to make us late,” Riddle reprimanded.

 

“It’s about Prefect Morningstar, Housewarden Riddle,” Cater answered with a slight curtsy.

 

Riddle huffed. “And what about him?”

 

“I think he tried to use some sort of a charm spell on me. ”

 

Riddle’s jaw clicked. “...I see. You did well to inform me of this… development. I know that none of those spells have worked on you thus far, but… take caution when talking to him.”

 

“Understood, Housewarden.”

_______________________________________________________

 

A few minutes later, the entire dorm plus Aurora gathered in the gardens for the tea party.

 

Okay, this tea party does look pretty awesome.’

 

One of the students began to announce Riddle’s arrival. “All hail our leader, the red sovereign himself… Housewarden Riddle!” The rest of the dorm soon joined in, “we salute you, Housewarden Riddle!”

 

Talk about a praise kink gone wrong. And I just know this little shit would have the audacity to say my pride is out of control.’

 

“Hm.” Riddle slowly appraised the surroundings with a watchful eye, inspecting items with gloved hands. “The garden roses are red, the tablecloths are white… This seems a proper unbirthday indeed. Is there a dormouse asleep in the teapot, as there should be?”

 

Wait, they actually put a poor little animal inside a fucking teapot?!’

 

“Of course,” Trey answered without a beat. “Of course. And should it become necessary, we’ve also prepared the jam to spread on his nose.”

“Very good.”

 

“Come on,” Cater gently reminded the trio. “Don’t forget to give Riddle the tart.”

 

As the trio grabbed the tart, Riddle toasted to a “very merry unbirthday,” a phrase that had Aurora humming the song under her breath.

 

Finally, the trio approached Riddle, the tart in Ace’s hands. “Uh, housewarden, sir…”

“Ah, it’s you. The tart thief,” Riddle greeted coldly. “And the Ramshackle Prefect. I am… pleased…” he struggled to grit out, “to see you here.”

 

Aurora nodded politely as Ace presented the tart. “Yeah, so, I wanted to apologize for eating that tart,” he explained. “We made you a new tart to replace it.”

 

“Hmmm?” He looked with mild curiosity. “And what kind of tart is it?”

 

“I’m so glad you asked! It’s a chestnut tart, and I swear, we weren’t stingy with the chestnuts!”

 

“A CHESTNUT tart?!” Riddle exclaimed in horror. “The Queen of Hearts’s rule 562: ‘One must never bring a chestnut tart to an unbirthday tea party.’”

 

Shit, he’s pissed off again. Guess I better prepare my shield spell for all three of us…’

 

“This is an utterly flagrant rule violation! Do you understand what you’ve done?! You’ve ruined an otherwise perfect unbirthday!”

 

“It kind of sounds like you were waiting for something to go wrong, Riddle,” Aurora rebutted.

 

“Yeah!” The card duo agreed.

 

“As housewarden of a dorm established to honor the Queen of Hearts’s rigor, I cannot ignore this.”

 

Here we go again…’

 

“Destroy the offending tart immediately! Then throw these rulebreakers out of the dorm!”

 

“Housewarden,” Trey stepped in, “allow me to apologize. I was the one who suggested making a chestnut tart.”

 

“I was a part of that too,” Cater confessed. “We had no idea there was a rule about it!”

 

“The making of the tart is not the issue. The issue is bringing it HERE. Today. THAT is the transgression!”

 

“Fucking ridiculous,” Aurora growled, pen at the ready.

 

“And you!” Riddle screamed at Aurora. “You of all people should know better, you conniving, devious, maniacal SPY!”

 

“What the actual FUCK are you talking about, Riddle?” She snapped back at him. “Way I see it, I’ve been stepping up to try to be an actual leader because of you being such a fucking brat!”

 

Cater protested for them to stop, but it was far too late.

 

“I’ve got a shovel, and I am gonna DIG,” Ace added. “Throwing away a tart to obey some batshit insane rule is about as fucking moronic as it gets.”

 

“I agree with Ace,” Deuce chimed in sternly. “I understand that rules do need to be followed, but… This is going much too far.”

 

“Are you attempting to debate me? Bold move,” Riddle tried to growl, “but I’ll bite. By breaking even the smallest rule, you are throwing wide the gate to anarchy.”

 

Ace looked over at Aurora, the girl barely restraining herself from unleashing herself on Riddle. Squeezing her hand, he looked back at the teapot tyrant. “And by refusin’ to bend on a rule that CLEARLY isn’t helpin’ anyone, you’re opening the gate to tyranny! And I’m not afraid of getting my magic sealed by you either, jerk!”

 

“In the year since I became housewarden, not a single student from Heartslabyul House has dropped out or been held back a year! We are the only house that can boast such a feat. Furthermore, of everyone in this dorm, I have the best academic standing. Hence, I am the most correct! If you would simply obey me without question, we wouldn’t need to contend so. It’s not off with their heads because I want to do that. I do it because rules must never be broken. If you will not obey me, then I will have all of your heads!”

 

“...I can’t,” Deuce admitted.

 

“Oh fuck off, Riddle!” Ace shouted out. “Everyone cowtows to you because they’re scared of losing their powers, but without you’re little spell you’re just a big pompous baby that no one likes! You don’t even have that good control over your power! And I don’t bow to self-important tyrants!”

 

Off! With! Your! Heads!

 

Protego!

 

“No!” Riddle shrieked as he kept trying to throw the collars around the trio, all protected by Aurora’s flaming shield. “I! Am! Tired! Of! You! Do you know what you have put my through, Prefect Morningstar, you disgusting little cretin?!

 

Someone in the crowd giggled and threw an egg that cracked against him.

 

“Who dared laugh at me?!” Upon receiving silence, he screamed one more time. “Who dared to laugh at ME?!” Upon receiving silence again, he began casting the hideous collars on everyone else in the vicinity. 

 

“Ace, Deuce,” Aurora murmured to her boys, “alert me if he aims it at us again. I’m gonna give him a taste of his own medicine.” Upon their nods of affirmation, she began casting her spell with the aid of the brush. “Hear my voice and heed my command. These words are sound… the sound, melody. And through it I bind thee, and rob thee of thy freedom.” But as she finished the chant, spell an instant away from casting, the sky turned dark as the trees began to float.

 

“Might roses, tear these brutes to pieces!” The tyrant screamed as he hurled lethal vines at the trio. Aurora yanked them back with preternatural speed, getting them to safety before letting the spell fling at him, trapping him in violent flaming chains that she let burn him just a little bit more than she normally would on a human. Fluttering to the ground instead of thorny vines were massive piles of playing cards splayed in every direction.

 

“No… NO! WHAT IS THIS?! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!”

 

Ignoring the screaming brat, Aurora placed a semi-permanent ward of protection on Ace and Deuce before storming up to him, grabbing his chin and forcibly tilting it upwards to let the coward see the bloody murder in her eyes. “ You are the most correct, right?! ” She snarled at him lowly, keeping her sadistic taunts away from the ears of others. “ If you are so correct , then you ought to be able to break a simple little binding spell, right? I mean, you can certainly dish out punishments like a fucking champ, so you ought to be able to swallow a taste of your own medicine.

 

Riddle yowled at her, seeing the terror in front of him – and nobody stepping to his defense. In fact, Trey… Trey was betraying him too, ‘Painting the Roses’ to take the collar off of their housemates.

 

“You need to stop all this, Riddle,” Trey commanded. “You almost killed these three.”

 

“Trey?! How did you do that?!” Cater cried out.

 

“What did I tell you? My magic can overwrite characteristics for a short time. So I used it to make ‘Riddle’s magic’ into ‘my magic,’” he explained solemnly.

 

“You can do that?! That’s some kinda loophole!”

“No… NO! UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT! I SAID OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

 

“Riddle, stop,” Trey begged. “Can’t you see how you look right now?”

 

“No… nononononononono! I’ve done far too much too protect the rule of law!” He glared at Aurora. “I had to talk to my mother again because of YOU! BECAUSE YOUR VERY EXISTENCE IS A THREAT TO THE STABILITY OF THIS DORM, THIS SCHOOL, AND MY COUNTRY! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I’VE SUFFERED FOR THIS?!” Gray tears began to run down the boys face, sobbing as the flaming chains trapped him. “ I’M RIGHT! I’M THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO RECOGNIZES THE DANGER THAT’S AROUND US! ME! I HAVE TO BE THE STRONGEST AND THE MOST CORRECT!”

 

What the actual fuck is he talking about? Other than trapping him just now, I haven’t posed any fucking threat to him!! That’s it… you can fucking choke on your pride .” Looking into his eyes, she pushed him to the edge of his pride breaking one last time as Ace rushed up, hand on her shoulder to back her up.

 

 “I don’t know why you think protecting someone from your little mock decapitation is such a threat to your ‘stability,’ but maybe rethink your life choices!” He screamed. “You’ve been here this long and you don’t have a single friend here to tell you how wrong you are, and it’s all your own fault!”

 

Perfect job, Ace. That’s a knife that ought to knock him down a peg or two as it reopens some old wounds.’ She squeezed his hand silently in thanks, taking Deuce’s too as he came up to her other side.

 

But to everyone’s surprise, the temper tantrum was not where Riddle’s trial ended.

 

Aurora’s vision went nearly black as the sound of ink drops filled her ears, clearing to reveal an inkier version of Riddle with a shadow of the Queen of Hearts, allowing the boy to slip out of her concocted chains.

 

“Shit, he’s in Overblot!”

 

Aurora looked at Trey and Cater. “What the hell is Overblot?!”

 

“It’s when a mage has used too much magic and they go into evil berserker mode! We gotta snap him out fast, or he could die when he runs out of magic!”

 

Aurora looked at her boys. “Ace, Deuce, I’m focusing on the offensive – I need you to shield me from any evocations,” she ordered. “Trey, keep changing his magic. Cater, throw your clone selves around and keep chasing him in circles to keep him dizzy.”

 

“On it!”

 

Fortunately for Aurora, once she was able to focus purely on attack magic, this was not a particularly great battle – yes, Riddle was a strong mage, but nowhere near the level of the two sorcerers who had raised her.

 

Just a couple of meteors later, and… the ink drained away, leaving Riddle and Aurora to enter a trance-like state.

Notes:

Annnnd there you have it!

Cater knows that Aurora knows how to charm people to a degree... and it seems he has some natural resistance of his own. And of course the party spiraled out of control before Cater could even properly question her XD
Rook's having a little TOO much fun hunting Aurora right now, he is a menace :D
And I was a little worried that Riddle's OB was a little TOO anti-climactic, but... let's just say I had to do it this way bc his is by FAR the easiest to deal with since his sticks closest to canon. Well, minus the whole spy rant lol

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 20: Heads of Hearts

Summary:

In which Aurora sees Riddle's past, the two come to a mutual understanding about some things, and someone is up to something shady.

Notes:

...I got this chapter done a lot sooner than I thought I would, tbh. Probably because I relate to Riddle's OB an unhealthy amount, whoops.
Anyways, hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora found herself in a hazy plane, indicating that she was most likely experiencing some sort of vision of the past.

 

The background was a cold, non-decorated dining room with plain but expensive furniture. A woman with coiffed ginger hair stood over a small sad-looking boy.

 

“Is – is that a child version of Riddle?”

 

“Believe me, I’m not happy about this either,” his small voice clicked back at her.

 

She gave him a side-eye, watching the scene unfold.

 

“Happy eighth birthday, Riddle. This year’s birthday cake is a low-sugar recipe made with nuts and lecithin-rich soy flour to improve your cerebral function.”

 

“Thank you. But, Mom…” little Riddle answered sadly. “Just once, I’d like to try one of those tarts covered with bright-red strawberries.”

 

“Absolutely not! Those tarts are monstrously unhealthy. I might as well feed you poison! Even just a single slice would exceed your recommended daily intake of sugar. Now, dinner tonight will be a tuna saute rich in DHA and omega-3 fatty acids. Now that you’re eight, your caloric intake should be 600 kilocalories per meal, so don't eat more than 100 grams of it. Understood?’

 

“Riddle, did she fucking starve you?!” Aurora looked at the boy with a newfound concern in her eyes. “Because this shit is not okay! This is a recipe for an eating disorder!”

 

He looked at her with a cold fury in his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he answered her.

 

“That’s not a no!”

 

“Yes, Mom.”

 

“I’d always wanted to try one of those tarts with the bright-red strawberries,” Riddle admitted sadly. “There was a local cake shop that had them in the window, and they shined at me like forbidden jewels.”

 

“...If you’ll start being nicer to people I’ll get you one,” Aurora offered.

 

“Why… what–”

 

“Look,” she stopped him. “It’s true that you don’t want to overdo it on the sweets, but having a slice here and there – especially on your BIRTHDAY – is not a big deal. Indulging in moderation  is the best way to handle it,” she explained.

 

“But…” Riddle mused quietly.

 

“Riddle,” she cut him off. “Your mother is really tall, and you’re really short.”

 

“You–”

 

“And that’s not a point against you or anything. And maybe your dad is really short, or there was just something that happened with the combination of DNA with your parents. But being that significantly shorter, Riddle… I’m not sure if you’re not dealing with some sort of malnutrition.”

 

Riddle didn’t know what to say to that.

 

The scene shifted to a study room of sorts, just as plainly yet expensively decorated as the room before.

 

“That’s enough classical magic study for today. Your homework is to read the first fifty pages of the philosophy of language book referenced in today’s magical philosophy texts. You may now have one hour of independent study before your potionology lesson.”

 

“Thank you, Mother,” little Riddle answered like a doll.

 

“I need some time to prepare the lesson materials. I will see you in one hour, okay?”

 

“...I get that you need to learn magic, and it’s especially important to learn to control it if you have a lot of it, but… still, a child needs to do more than study. Riddle, please tell me this wasn’t what every day was like.”

 

Riddle scoffed, a broken look in his eyes. “I was studying every possible subject, scheduled down to the minute. When I didn’t understand something, the lesson was extended until I did. That was my ‘normal.’”

 

“Riddle… that’s awful, I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.”

 

He glared at her. “You don’t have any room to talk. Clearly, you got off easily whenever you wanted something.”

“Excuse me?!” She glared right back at him. “I might not have had every day planned down to the damn minute like you did, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have to study my ass off either! I just grew up with people who had a vague understanding of the concept of rewards. When I got my work done, I go to read what I wanted, but that still doesn’t make it ‘easy.’”

 

“You still are disgusting.”

 

Aurora rolled her eyes. “Oh right, I forgot just how much you hate anyone challenging your authority. Also, what the fuck was all that ‘spy’ accusation bullshit about? What the hell is there to spy on, which type of cutlery you use at your little tea parties?!”

 

“...I’m just going to come out and ask you, seeing as we seem to be stuck in this limbo for the foreseeable future. How did you know the Song of the Queen’s Painted Roses?”

 

“The what?”

 

“Don’t play dumb with me,” he scolded. “I heard you singing it along with your idiotic ‘friends on the way out,” he spat.

 

Wait… that fucking song? Why’s he so pissy about it? ” “You mean the fucking ‘Painting the Roses Red’ song?”

 

“Do not disrespect–”

 

“Because it’s pretty well-known in the land I’m from,” she cut him off. ‘ Shit! Are Disney songs really that taboo around here?’

 

“Oh really. Do tell me what land that’s from,” he demanded sternly, “because I will take the heads of everyone in possession of a rare secret from the Queendom of Roses.”

 

Oh boy, good luck finding it, dude.’ “Oh,” she tilted her head in a show of innocence, fluttering her lashes gently to add to the effect. “It’s a small land called Florida. We have a tendency to stay off the grid though, so you’ll have to ask Headmage Crowley if you want to know more.” ‘ Shit. I need to figure out how taboo out-of-world status is here, and in the meantime, I get the added bonus of siccing this guy on Crowley.’

 

“You can be certain I will,” he advised. “Especially as to determine why he has chosen one so violent and dangerous as you. Those chains at the end were really painful,” he groaned, rubbing at his wrists in phantom pain.

 

‘Not that I don’t have violent tendencies at times, but…’ “Riddle, the only thing I did at first was shield myself and my friends from your little binding spell, which seems quite violent if I’m being honest. And remember that I only hurt you after you tried to rip me and my friends to shreds, ” she reminded harshly.

 

The memory flooded back to Riddle. “I really did do that, didn’t I…”

 

The scene transitioned again to little Riddle in that same room alone, peering at the rapping on a window. “...Is someone knocking on the window?”

 

“Whoa, he heard us!” a muffled voice cheered.

 

“Hey, come play with us!” another voice called.

 

“Who are you?” Riddle asked as he opened the window, revealing a younger Trey and a boy with purple hair and cat-like ears.

 

“I’m Chenya,” the purple-haired boy introduced, “and that’s Trey. Let’s all play croquet! Oh, but it’s LOTS of fun!”

 

“I can’t,” young Riddle rebuffed. “I’m supposed to be doing independent study, and I have a lot of homework to do.”

 

“‘Independent study’ means you pick what to do, right? My grandpa says play is a form of study!”

 

“Just play with us for a little bit!” Trey begged.

 

“...O-okay… Just a little, though!” Little Riddle trembled as he climbed out the window for the first time.

 

“Hey, what’s your name?” Little Trey asked.

 

“R-riddle. Riddle Rosehearts.”

 

Memories flew through the vision of Riddle playing with his new friends happily.

 

“I had the best time playing with Trey and Chenya,” Riddle reminisced. “We did so many things I’d never done before. They taught me lots of things I didn’t know. After that, I snuck out of my room every day to play with them during independent study time.”

 

The vision focused in on a particular memory, standing in front of a bakery.

 

“Whaaat?” Chenya asked in surprise. “You’ve never even tried a strawberry tart? They’re out of this world.”

 

“Yeah. My mom says sugar is basically poison.”

 

“I mean, you probably shouldn’t eat too much of it, but calling it ‘poison’ is kinda… yikes,” little Trey dissented. “You know, my family runs a cake shop. Let’s go get a tart right now!”

 

“Really?” little Riddle asked. “But… I shouldn’t.”

 

“Just one slice,” little Trey assured. “It’ll be fine.”

 

“One slice for YOU, maybe,” Chenya declared. “I want a whole one!”

 

The memory showed Riddle’s very first tart.

 

“A bright-red strawberry tart on a white plate. To me, it shined more brightly than any gem could,” Riddle remembered fondly. “The first bite was so sweet. It tasted like nothing I’d ever eaten before. “With each bite, I became more entranced… and I completely lost track of the time.”

 

Riddle’s mother grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him back to his cold, empty house. “I cannot believe this! Not only are you cutting independent study time, but I find you eating a mountain of sugar?! Those two hoodlums must have incited this behavior. You must never play with them again!”

 

“I’m sorry, Mother!” little Riddle tearfully begged. “I promise, it will never happen again.”

 

“Be quiet!” she demanded. “You’ve broken the rules, and I’ll not hear another word from you. Clearly, you’re not able to handle the freedom of independent study. I need to keep a closer eye on you.” She put extra locks on every door, keeping the boy away from the outside world.

 

‘Oh shit…’ Aurora realized. ‘This scene is a little too familiar.’

 

“Because I broke the rules,” Riddle lamented, “my favorite part of my day was taken away from me. I vowed to never break my mother’s rules again. After all, she was the most accomplished mother in the city, and therefore, the most correct. But Mom…” he started sobbing to himself. “Why? Why does my heart hurt so much? I want to eat a tart!” he screamed. “It’s my birthday, so can’t I have some just this once? I want to play outside all day long for once! I want to make lots and lots of friends! Tell me mom, please… What rule do I need to follow to make this pain go away?

 

Aurora swiftly hugged him, stroking his head through the tears as he sobbed onto her shoulder. “You’re not going to find happiness by following your mother’s rules, Riddle. And… I don’t say this from the perspective of someone with a ‘lack of discipline.’ I say this because… because even though our circumstances are different, I think I get some of what you’re going through. My mother didn’t have the strict time timetable yours did, but… I never got to go outside and play with friends.”

 

“But… but…” he sputtered through tears. “You’ve already got your little friends here, and you’ve been attached at the hip the entire time I’ve seen any of you.”

 

“Riddle… why do you think I got so attached, so quickly and so easily? They’re wonderful people but… they’re also my very first real friends,” she admitted.

 

“But… but I don’t get it. If your mother was so lax with other rules, why that one?”

 

“It… actually has to do with the other side of my family, Riddle.”

 

“How so?” A quizzical look appeared on his face.

 

“My grandfather – on my dad’s side – well, let’s just say he’s overly fond of rules for the sake of rules as well. So much so that he pretty much murdered my dad’s sister – my aunt – for falling in love and starting a relationship without his permission.” ‘ There’s more to it, but that’s the basic gist. “Oh, and he also cast severe punishments on my dad – and any of his brothers – who fought back against him and tried to stop him from murdering her.”

 

A look of horror passed on Riddle’s face. “But… but that’s not a fair rule – or punishment.”

 

Aurora nodded in agreement. “But there are some people who believe that just because he is powerful enough to do all of that, he is justified in doing that. The same people who would say that your mother is justified in punishing you just because she happens to be an accomplished mage herself.”

 

“But…”

 

“But you deserve better, Riddle – we both do.” She held out her hand to him.

 

After a moment of deliberation, he took her hand, and the two of them woke up.

___________________________________________________________

 

The Demon Prince and his butler sat deep within the castle, enjoying a nice cup of tea as a coil of inky shadow slithered across Lord Diavolo’s wrist.

 

“Hmmm…”

 

“Yes, Young Master?”

 

“It seems the first phase of Adam’s plan has been enacted.”

 

“Ah.” Barbatos stirred in another cube of sugar, an impassive expression on his face. “And what of the results?”

 

Lord Diavolo shook his head. “It seems that the first phase was a failure.”

 

Barbatos clicked his tongue in response. “...Well. No matter. The first phase was just a trial run anyways.”

 

The Prince nodded. “Yes, as long as the rest succeed, this one is of no real loss to us.”

 

“Patience, Young Master,” the butler warned. “Remember that no matter the outcomes of the rest, the seventh phase is the only one that truly matters.”

 

“...Yes, I suppose you would be correct,” Diavolo admitted. “Still… I can’t deny that I particularly would like phases two and six to succeed. Oh, and four! Four would be brilliant as well, don’t you agree?”

 

“Yes, Young Master.” Barbatos smiled in a way that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yes, I do.”

__________________________________________________________________

 

“Aurora!”

 

“Riddle!”

 

“You’re awake!’ The two woke up to a rush of concerned peers surrounding them.

 

“Well, it’s about time…” Cater breathed a sigh of relief. “We were just about losin’ our heads here – figure of speech, sorry – ‘cause we thought you might never wake up!”

 

“What in the world happened…?” Riddle choked out as he woke up. “I remember feeling so furious and then my dreamscape, but…”

 

“Don’t worry, Riddle,” Trey assured. “Just try to rest.”

 

“Hey, no coddling him!” Ace knelt down by Aurora, feeling her wrist and trying not to freak out at how much slower her pulse was than a normal human pulse. “Or he’s just gonna think it’s okay to go nuts again! Now the garden is tore up from the floor up, not to mention that a lot of us almost died!”

 

“He’s right,” Deuce added as he helped Aurora sit up. “It was looking bad for a moment there.”

 

“The truth is, I…” Riddle looked regretfully at the trio. “I really wanted to eat the chestnut tart.”

 

“Huh?” Ace shot a confused look between him and Aurora.

 

“And I don’t care if the roses are white, or the flamingos are pink. And I prefer honey to sugar cubes in my tea, and I like milk tea better than lemon tea anyhow.” Riddle started bawling, clinging onto Aurora in a new habit. “And after a meal, I want to be the one sitting around talking with everyone… And I really wanted to play with you and Chenya more, Trey!” His tears kept flowing as he reached out toward his childhood friend.

 

“Hey, you think a few crocodile tears is all it’ll take for me to forgive you?” Ace interjected.

 

“Give the guy a break, Ace,” Deuce cut in.

 

“I’m sorry, Riddle,” Trey apologized. “I knew you were hurting, and yet I did nothing. So I’m gonna say what I should have said earlier. Your way of doing things was wrong, and you owe everyone an apology.”

 

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry,” Riddle wailed miserably.

 

“A stupid ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t even begin to cut it if you’re not gonna make some serious changes around here!”

 

“Ace!

 

“Then… Then what do you want me to do?!” Riddle cried out.

 

“You know…” Ace deliberated. “I don’t got a birthday coming up anytime that soon. So I demand a do-over for the unbirthday party! Except this time, we ain’t gotta do squat. This time, YOU’RE the one who brings the tart! And no getting Trey to make it for you! Do that, and then I’d say things are square.”

 

Aurora looked at Ace holding her protectively. ‘Way to hold a grudge as well as a demon, Ace. I’m proud.’

 

“...Alright,” Riddle agreed.

 

“While the rest of us get cleaning up,” Cater suggested, “Ace and Deuce, why don’t you get Riddle and Aurora to the nurse’s office. That was a full-blown case of overblot. We need to make absolutely sure the two of them are okay.”

 

Noticing a small black gem on the ground, Aurora pocketed it as the two were scooped up and carted to the infirmary.

Notes:

Annnnd there we have it!

Aurora and Riddle talked through SOME of their differences (though he still has that formal inquiry going against her...)
And... what the hell are Diavolo and Barbatos up to? And who the fuck is Adam?
And...... Aurora finally has her first OB stone! (aka a snack for Grim)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 21: Unbirthdate

Summary:

In which the House of Lamentation runs amuck with chaos, while Aurora finds love on the TW side of things.

Notes:

hi lovelies! have another chapter to nibble on :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Lucifer’s brothers — minus Mammon, much to everyone’s surprise — ran wild through the House of Lamentation, taking advantage of Lucifer’s recent tendency the last few days to lock himself in his study again, less likely to catch “punishable” behavior than before.

 

“BEEL! I just restocked the fridge two hours ago, how is it empty already?” Leviathan panicked. “And I’m on dinner duty tonight!

 

“I was hungry…”

 

“No! My limited-edition Cinder Cardamom hydrogel eye mask! It was by Devilior, too!” Asmo threw himself to the floor by the refrigerator, lamenting the loss of his new cosmetic.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

“Stop hogging the fridge with your normie shit, Asmo!”

 

Meanwhile, the Formerly Anti-Lucifer League members communed at the counter, holding various props for their latest and grandest prank.

 

“Look at what I have, Belphie!”

 

“...Hmm?” The sleepy demon asked.

 

“Cursed ink,” Satan giggled. “Whenever he writes with it, he’ll find himself spilling his deepest secrets on the paper – well, they’ll look normal to him, but he’ll realize what he really wrote later!”

 

“Hehe… that would be so embarrassing…”

 

“Wouldn’t it? Imagine the sorts of things he would confess in his paperwork! And the best part is, the more exposure he has to it, the more his resistance against it will slip!”

 

As the two of them snickered at the eldest’s imminent humiliation and tension escalated in the kitchen, the second-born finally waltzed into the kitchen.

 

“Awwww, too bad,” Mammon hummed conspiratorially as he passed by the League members. “I just so happened to come across this rare pillow stuffed with pegasus feathers, but I’m not really sure who I should give it to…”

 

“Give me, Mammon…”

 

“And,” he continued, a small kitten resting in the palm of his hand, “I gotta go nurse this kitten here ta health. I woulda asked you Satan, but ya sound pretty busy.”

 

A strangled noise escaped the fourth-born. “Gimme the kitten!”

 

Mammon hummed. “Sure, if ya hand over the ink. Belphie, same for ya with the pillow.”

 

“But Lucifer’s face!”

 

“Guess I gotta kitten and a pillow ta take care of, then.”

 

“Wait…” Satan conceded. “I want the kitten…”

 

“Perfect.” Mammon smiled with his hand out. “And I’m sure ya wouldn’t go prankin’ Lucifer anytime soon where he could find out about the kitten, right?” He made the swap with his grumbling little brothers.

 

“Fine…”

 

Pocketing the ink safely, Mammon swaggered over to the fridge where his other brothers were fighting. “Levi, chill out about dinner duty tonight. I got some extra modelin’ money today, so I can treat us all to Hell’s Kitchen delivery tonight.” His bank account could probably handle doing this a few more times til Lucifer was okay again.

 

“Really?! Mammon you’re a lifesaver! I don’t think my rations would have passed for dinner!”

 

Mammon ruffled Levi’s hair before tossing a couple of small treats to Beelzebub. “Beel, here’s a couple candies, but these GOTTA hold ya over til dinner, ‘kay?” His little brother nodded. “And Asmo, don’t worry about the eye mask, I got one of those as a promo thing the other day that you can use. Jus’ maybe leave it outta the fridge this time.”

 

“Really?! Oh, Mammon, I love you, I love you sometimes, I really do <3!” Asmo threw himself around Mammon.

 

“Yeah yeah, Big Bro Mammon is the best big bro.”

 

“Humble.”

 

“Now, THE Mammon has important business to do, so I’ll order dinner in half an hour! Byeee!” With that, Mammon ran back down the hall, tapping on the door to let Lucifer open his study.

____________________________________________________________________

 

Aurora and Riddle were both given clean bills of health, the latter having been made to stay home from classes for a day of recovery.

 

Grim had gotten plenty of homework from Aurora – and promptly complained about her assignments – so she’d been steadily bribing him to somewhat keep up with her assignments. And she’d finally gotten the inventory form filled out for Crewel – thank goodness she had that magic hammer to help her build anything the dorm might need in the future. ‘ Even if I just get one thing on the list, I would really love the materials for a new bed and bedding. If he has questions about the dimensions, I can just show him my wings and say it’s to accommodate my wingspan – wouldn’t be a complete lie. Literal fucking fey and pretty catboys exist in the open here, my wings shouldn’t be much of a red flag.’

 

The Braincell Squad also met up every morning before class, keeping up the new ritual of bearing a fresh rose and helping her pin it in her hair. All in all, it had been the best few days of Aurora’s entire life so far.

 

And now Aurora got to go to her first – hopefully sans Overblot, this time – Unbirthday party.

 

The garden had been restored to its previous state, with pristine tablecloths and red roses decorating the surrounding area, and heart paraphernalia everywhere.

 

“All hail our leader, the red sovereign himself… Housewarden Riddle!” A student called out, same as last time. “We salute you, Housewarden Riddle!”

 

Aurora eyed him carefully, hand at her pen in case of another blowup. ‘ Come on, Riddle. You can do better than last time, I know it.’

 

“Hm,” he appraised. “The garden roses are red, the tablecloths are white… This seems a proper unbirthday indeed. Is there a dormouse asleep in the teapot – “ He cut himself off quickly. “Er, well, I suppose it’s fine either way.” He took a deep breath in and out, puffing his cheeks as he regrounded himself.

 

Good job. I’m still astounded the last little mousey survived, but I’m glad she did.’

 

“Not everything has to change completely, you know,” Trey assured the younger boy with an arm around his shoulder. “Like, maybe spread the jam on your scones, instead of on the dormouse this time? Let’s try to set the bar at ‘it’s great if it’s this way,’ not ‘it absolutely has to be this way,’” he explained.

 

“Yes, that makes sense,”’ Riddle conceded. “Now – wait a minute!” He furrowed his brows at something.

 

“Huh?”

 

“There’s a white rose…!”

 

Literally just color it in again yourself, it’s not that hard dude.’

 

Hushed whispers of “we missed one?!” echoed throughout the garden, Trey and Cater immediately beginning to profusely apologize til being cut off by a sudden giggle from Riddle.

 

“Well… I suppose  I can overlook one or two missed roses.” Ignoring the shock, he continued on. “If we work together, we should be able to get them painted in no time.”

 

“They still gotta be painted?!”

 

“Even so…” Trey smiled proudly at his friend. “I’m impressed. You’ve changed, Riddle.”

 

“All right,” he smiled as he called out. “Is everyone ready?”

 

“Hey, I got most of them last time,” Aurora reminded playfully, “so I think I’m gonna sit back for a bit and see how you all manage when I’m not here.”

 

Turned out, many of the freshmen kept applying coats of paint that were too thin and not covering the roses properly – which Riddle still took care to correct in all his perfectionist glory. Fortunately, Riddle was an efficient taskmaster, and the roses were quickly painted, and the party could begin.

 

“So what happened to that tart, Housewarden?” Ace asked cheekily.

 

“I made it for you, as I promised I would. Here,” Riddle presented, “one strawberry tart, crafted by yours truly.”

“Nice!” Trey complimented him, staying glued to his side. “The shape’s a little off, but I can tell you put a lot of work into that glaze. A fine job indeed, especially considering it was your first!”

 

Aurora clapped her hands together, excitedly glancing at Riddle. “Be sure to enjoy it thoroughly – a person’s first may not be their best, but it will be something you treasure forever.” She winked to get her point across.

 

Trey deadpanned at her, clearly unamused, while Riddle seemed to not catch Aurora’s double entendre. “I certainly will enjoy this one,” he instead answered.

 

Ace barked a laugh while Deuce appeared vaguely mortified. “How about we actually TRY it before you start fawning all over him, guys?”

“Hold it! Don’t you dare!” Cater yelled, snapping a picture to upload to Magicam. “Okay, got it!”

 

“Let’s dig in!”

 

Everyone nearby took a bite of the tart, faces immediately scrunching up to various degrees.

 

Not life-threatening like Uncle Sol’s, but not good either…’

 

“THIS IS KINDA SALTY!!!!” Trey and Cater realized.

 

“Whaaat?!” Poor Riddle looked horrified.

 

“Not KINDA,” Ace clarified, “it’s a full-on salt lick! What did you put in this?!”

 

“But I followed the rules exactly, and measured everything precisely!” Riddle defended. “Unless… Oh!” he realized in horror. “Could it be… from the oyster sauce?”

 

Deuce sputtered in disgust. “Wait… did you actually use that Walrus-brand oyster sauce Trey jokes about?”

 

“But,” Riddle protested in a small voice, “Trey said that oyster sauce is an unlisted secret ingredient in all tarts! He said all the finest bakers use it…”

 

“And you actually believed him?! How could you not tell that he was joking?!” Ace yelled.

 

“Trey, you have GOT to stop joking about recipes,” Aurora scolded. “You never know who’s gonna take some batshit crazy advice and run with it.” Trey had the decency to shrink back a bit.

 

“Even if you believed him,” Cater cut in, “it was just supposed to be a splash! How much did you put in?”

 

“It’s an unlisted ingredient!” Riddle pouted. “How could I measure it if he wouldn’t tell me how much to put in?!”

 

Trey broke out in peals of raucous laughter. “I can’t believe someone actually fell for the ol’ oyster sauce prank!”

 

Riddle took the joke in good stride, laughing alongside his friend. “Yes. Quite humorous indeed. I truly am a fool.”

 

“It really is so disgusting that it’s actually kind of funny!” Deuce laughed too.

 

“Yeah, what else can we do but laugh?” Ace agreed.

 

“I think it’s actually not bad,” Cater mused.

 

“Huh?!”

 

“You like it because it’s not sweet, right?” Trey pressed. “You’ve never really liked sweet things, have you?”

 

“Yeah, you got me,” Cater conceded nervously. “But how did you figure it out? I’ve never told anyone that.”

 

“Because you casually bring up my Paint the Roses spell every time we’re eating sweets. You hide it pretty well, but that was a giveaway.”

 

If he hides a preference as simple as food so thoroughly, I wonder what else he’s hiding…

 

“Hah… I should have learned by now that keeping your feelings on the DL is not a great idea.”

 

They eventually settled on a compromise to make quiche for the next Unbirthday party.

 

The rest of the party went smoothly, with several croquet games and tea-drinking contests passing swimmingly. Eventually, as seemed to happen often with the three of them, Aurora, Ace, and Deuce all ended up in a secluded corner of the rose maze, partaking in a massive game of hide-and-seek. The three of them huddled together, some of the rose petals rustling down gently onto them from the trees in the wind.

 

To no one’s surprise, Ace was the one to break the silence. “...So. Look.”

 

“Yeah, Ace?” Aurora whispered.

 

“What’s up?” Deuce asked.

 

Ace blushed a little bit. “So, I know we haven’t all known each other for very long… but in this short amount of time, I’d say the three of us have gotten close. Very close. Wouldn’t ya agree?”

 

“Yeah, I’d say so.” Both Aurora and Deuce agreed.

 

“...Well. I… I think I’d like for us to be even closer, ya know?” At the surprised looks on their faces, he continued. “...I really like both of ya, and I don’t wanna let either of ya go. What I’m saying is… I’d like for the three of us to try dating.” He wrung his hands together, waiting for their response.

 

Aurora’s face was as red as the roses in the garden, and Deuce wasn’t doing much better. ‘ This is… wow. This is soon. But… even if it’s been less than a week, it still feels so right . And… I really think I can be safe with them.’ “Yeah,” she agreed. “I think I’d like that too.”

 

Deuce nodded his agreement too, blush still dusting his cheeks. “Yes… I’ll be honest, I don’t have any experience when it comes to dating but… I think I’d like to experience it with you.”

 

Ace smiled brightly, stars of joy dancing in his eyes. “...Then it’s settled!” he whooped a little louder than he meant to. “From now on, I’m gonna be the best boyfriend either of ya could hope for!” He gave each of his new partners a small kiss, grinning at their flustered expressions.

 

“Hey! I finally found those three!”

___________________________________________________________

 

Lucifer looked like shit.

 

In the privacy of his study, he allowed himself to appear as disheveled as he felt, bags growing under his eyes and his gloves a tearing mess as he pored through piles upon piles of tomes, searching desperately for any scraps of information that might appear on interdimensional travel.

 

“Yo, Luci! I know yer scared, but you’re running yourself into the ground like this!” He walked over, receiving no resistance as he pulled the tome out of the eldest’s hands and led him over to at least lay down on the sofa. “Ya ain’t gonna do Victoria or your kid any good if yer too tired to even stand up proper.”

 

Lucifer sighed, allowing Mammon to take care of him just a little bit. “I know, but I have to do my part too, Mammon. My meeting with them is tomorrow and I still don’t have a single scrap of new information to bring them, and my daughter is in danger of being taken advantage of in a deal she might not fully understand yet.”

 

“The meeting is literally because Victoria’s friend knows the world she was taken to,” Mammon reminded. “Ya can’t beat yourself up for not having gone to this world prior. ‘Sides, she’s your kid. I have a hard time believin’ she’d be completely helpless, even in a situation like that.”

 

Lucifer was silent for a moment. “She has her eyes.”

 

“Okay?” Mammon was confused. “She’s Victoria’s kid too, it’s not surprising their eyes would be similar –”

 

“No,” Lucifer cut in. “Her eyes… they look like Lilith’s.”

 

“…Oh. And I take it…”

 

“It’s hard not to remember,” he lamented. “If that could happen because of a human when they really loved each other…” Lucifer shuddered. “It makes it even harder not to worry what could happen to my daughter thanks to those two moronic bastards ,” he gritted out. “ And the audacity they had to act so friendly with her after forcing her into a deal…

 

“It was just a deal, not a full pact, right?” Mammon assured. “An’ it sounds like she at least knew to make sure to leave a loophole for her own benefit. So they lost their leverage on her while still gettin’ the shittier end of the deal,” he reminded. “Still not ideal, but… means we at least got a bit of wiggle room to get ‘er out safely.”

 

“You had better be right,” Lucifer conceded.

 

“I always am, Luce.”

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Lucifer relies on Mammon, this is canon (also I just love writing the two of them getting along)
And Aurora finally has her first boyfriends! :D
...she might have to be careful that her father, mother, and various uncles don't murder her boyfriends on the spot whoops lol

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 22: Diasomniopoly

Summary:

In which Helene explains a little more about her friends in Wonderland, and Aurora meets the Diasomnia gang - at least, most of them. Also, Crowley being Crowley again.

Notes:

Hi lovelies! This chapter is a little shorter, but that's because the next scene I'm writing was running on a little too long and also didn't tonally fit with this chap. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Ace and Deuce arrived at Ramshackle Dorm earlier than the scheduled hangout with the Diasomnia crew, having brought extra snacks and moral support.

 

“Seriously,” Ace griped, “what the hell possessed ya to invite that guy? I thought you were ‘sposed to do the possessin’, anyways.”

 

“Nope,” Aurora corrected. “I’m still part human, so I don’t have the same full set of demonic skills. I don’t possess people – at least, I haven’t been able to do so previously – and I don’t go around eating souls.”

 

“So why then?!”

 

“Well, when he was talking to us about how we should be more casual with Diasomnia, he was staring at me in particular,” Aurora explained. “It definitely felt like a challenge in the moment, and… well, I wasn’t about to not meet his challenge, you know?”

 

Deuce stared at her. “How was that a challenge?!”

 

“First, you pick up on the cues of really old people after living with one,” Aurora held up a finger. “By the way, there’s no way he isn’t at minimum a thousand years old. Second of all, being linked to the sin of pride… Appeasing my pride is a need as prominent – maybe even more so – than eating or sleeping. And… I’m still figuring out how exactly it affects me, but… sometimes it’s really easy to bait me by appealing to either my pride or trying to tear it down.”

 

Deuce squeezed he hand gently while Ace patted her back. “Hey, it’s okay,” he assured her. “We’ll praise you all you want – no bait needed.”

 

“Okay, one, yes,” Ace agreed. “Two, how the hell do ya figure that guy’s at least a thousand years old?”

 

“Well…”

______________________________________________________________

 

Lucifer, Victoria, Solomon, and Helene all sat in the witch’s drawing room, the demon having been summoned mere moments before. “ Just send one of your crows to warn me if His Lordship comes looking for me,” he’d reminded his little brother.

 

“So,” Helene started off. “We’re all here for a common goal – finding Aurora’s daughter.” Seeing the two parents in question exhaustedly nod, she continued. “As you all know, I was able to trace the magical signature of the fey who took her. Now, I don’t believe this man would hurt her – he’s one of the few men you could actually trust and not regret it – and this world is generally far safer than ours,” she reminded.

 

“And do you have any ideas on how to get there?” Lucifer cut in. “I searched through every text I could get my hands on this last week, and I could not find a single mention of your mirror portals.”

 

Helene shook her head. “I’ve been trying to find a way myself for the last several years,” she admitted. “I have people I’d like to find again myself, you know. But all the old portals were destroyed – at least the ones I knew how to find.”

 

“Do you have any landmarks or anything that you could use to help us recognize the world?” Solomon asked. “Famous entities, or even the old locations of the mirror portals? If we all search as a group, we might be able to find some clues.”

 

“Yes,” Helene nodded. “Famous entities? I ran around with quite a few.”

 

“Cease your bragging,” Lucifer barked, “and tell us who they are. Perhaps we can use their names as a starting point.”

 

“I’m getting there,” she snapped pointedly at him. “I swear, men on this side are the worst…” she muttered. “Regardless, yes, I’ll tell you their names. I encountered one of the gods of that world – yes, there were multiple – and his name was Hades.” Victoria’s eyes bugged out that this. “There were three little fairies – Flora, Fauna, and Merrywether – who blessed me with power, among other things. I ran with a satyr named Philoctetes – he was trying to get into the business of training ‘heroes,’” Helene remembered. “

 

“Okay,” Victoria interjected weakly. “Some of these names are ringing a bell with various… mythologies of sorts.”

 

Helene nodded. “I’m not surprised mention of them has survived even to this day. Philoctetes trained Achilles, who was involved in… well, the entire debacle between myself, Asmodeus, and that little human king,” she scowled. “Now,” her face took on a much softer look, “I also often stayed with the Fairy Queen of the Moors, or as she was known, Maleficent. I got to meet her friend Lilia, a very charming young fey. And, of course, Crowley – all of us communed quite a bit.”

 

Victoria sunk her head into her hands, kneading the bone of her forehead to try to ease the growing headache. “Helene,” she rasped. “Please tell me you’re not talking about some very, very tall lady with huge black horns–”

 

“Well, yes, she did have horns–”

 

“And yellow eyes, green skin, an overall creepy combo?”

 

Helene frowned a little bit. “Some thought she was creepy or evil, but I always thought she was quite beautiful.”

 

Victoria picked up her phone, frantically typing something in as Lucifer and Solomon scooted in closer to her. She turned the device around, Solomon quirking a brow at her thought process while Lucifer looked on in confusion.

 

Helene, however, gasped as she saw the screen and reached a hand out to reverently stroke the image. “Victoria, how… This digital painting of her – how could you have come across this?”

 

Victoria sweat-dropped a little bit at Helene’s reaction. “Fucking hell , you’re telling me she actually exists?!”

 

“Yes…” Helene looked confused. “If you weren’t sure, then how did you come across that?”

 

“Because there’s one source that I’ve ever heard that name from, Helene. And combined with the rest of the names you dropped – at least the ones I recognized?” Victoria was full-on hyperventilating now, Lucifer pulling her into his arms to calm her down. “And Aurora is in the same world as her! Helene, is it true that she can turn into a dragon and control the forces of hell?!”

 

Helene narrowed her eyes. “Victoria, please don’t speak of her as if she is some type of monster. And to answer your question…” She paused, a look of contemplation on her face. “Yes, she is a dragon fey, so she can transform herself. As for the forces of hell part, she once mentioned the original source of her power came from a demon, but… whatever happened there clearly caused her a lot of pain to think about, so I tried not to press.”

 

Victoria let Lucifer hold her, stroking her hair as she wrung her hands together and tried to gather her thoughts. “...Lucifer, you didn’t make a pact with her, right?”

 

Lucifer balked. “You already know the answer to that. Considering that you are my first and only pactmate.”

 

She nodded tiredly. “Okay then, probably the hell from that world. But… Helene, you said you, her, and Crowley all hung out together a lot, right?”

 

Helene nodded, averting her eyes slightly. “...Yes. Something like that.”

 

Solomon raised his brows in surprise, but Lucifer and Victoria were too hyperfocused on their goals to catch her expression. “So… how about we go to one of the places you sometimes met them? If Crowley was the one to take her, maybe he left some trace of a clue at one of his old portals.”

 

“Alright,” she agreed. “How does everyone feel about visiting the French countryside?”

____________________________________________________________

 

Three knocks sounded on the door, Aurora swiftly hopping up from the temporarily-decorated sofa to answer the door. Upon opening it, Lilia hung upside-down, accompanied by two normally-standing boys with nearly intimidating glares.

 

“Ah, little Aurora, how good it is to see you!” He chirped. “Thank you for the invitation.” He plopped down normally onto the ground. “Here, I brought you some of my homemade treats that we might all feast on together!”

 

Aurora accepted the basket gratefully, though she could’ve sworn that the other two boys grimaced at the offering. ‘ Normally I wouldn’t accept food from a fey, but it seems to be returning the ‘favor’ of the invitation, so I should be fine here. Besides, I’m guessing he wouldn’t be able to get away with doing that “stealing a soul” thing often at a prestigious school like this.’ “Come on in,” she greeted the three of them.

 

“Show the proper respect to Sir Lilia, human!” The green-haired one barked at her.

 

Human? Yeah, sure, keep thinking that.’

 

“Sebek,” the lightest-haired boy admonished, “you need to be more polite to humans. Especially since you’re half one yourself.”

 

Oh? Only half? I knew non-humans existed here openly, but it’s still weird getting used to just how open… not that I mind, though, it means a little less danger for me if someone were to find out the truth about me.’

 

“Silver, you –”

 

“And it would reflect poorly on the Young Master.”

 

“...Fine!”

 

Lilia giggled, plopping himself normally to the ground and waltzing in. “How about we start with a nice game of Potionopoly?”

_________________________________________________________________

 

The Dark Mirror roared to life in Crowley’s office once more, the room on an impenetrable lockdown.

 

“Your Excellency,” he cawed at the apparatus, “how are you faring this evening?”

 

“I am alright. I suppose you are contacting me with an update regarding the situation?” she cut straight to the point.

 

“Ah, of course, Your Excellency,” he crooned. “It seems as though the first of the seven has been saved from his Overblot. And in a matter of just minutes from when it started too,” he bragged.

 

“Just minutes…” Queen Maleficent stroked her chin thoughtfully. “I suppose this was the Rosehearts boy that you had mentioned?”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency. Even still…”

 

She nodded. “Yes. Even still, I am aware that pulling someone out of that state in a matter of minutes is no trivial feat.”

 

He wore a shit-eating grin that was obvious even behind the crow mask. “I told you I knew exactly who I was choosing, no?”

 

She glared at him mildly, no real malice in her eyes. “Yes, yes. If she keeps this up and saves Malleus, then she will have done well.”

 

“Ah, but the entity behind this will most likely target him last,” he reminded. “She has five more to save first.”

 

She sighed. “Any ideas who will be targeted next?”

 

Crowley nodded. “Based on the activity in the dorms, Your Excellency, I believe they will target Prince Kingscholar next. Of course, it is difficult to tell exactly what power lies behind his seal, but I suspect he will be a fair bit harder to help.”

 

“...I’m too old for this,” the fey queen sighed.

 

“Still young compared to me,” he reminded her cheekily.

 

“...Right. Just… keep me updated on any important developments, alright?”

 

“Of course, Your Majesty,” he promised. “Ah, I suppose there is one more development I should make you aware of.:

 

“...Yes?”

 

Crowley grinned. “Lilia is currently evaluating her as a potential daughter-in-law.”

 

Why?!

 

There truly was no salvation for the damned.

________________________________________________________

 

Potionopoly – suspiciously similar to Monopoly from the Human Realm – went about as smoothly as could be expected with the group that was currently gathered in the Ramshackle Lounge. Silver had fallen asleep a couple of hours in, Sebek refused to charge Lilia rent whenever the small fey landed on one of his properties, while Ace and Deuce seemed to land on every single owned property.

 

“Ahhhh!” Ace yelled. “Bankrupt! Bankruptcy!” He flopped the last of his Potionopoly money to Lilia, Deuce having gone out two turns before him. “Come on, Aurora, you gotta beat him!”

 

Aurora smiled, rolling the dice around in her palm before letting them drop to the board, going to the correct number of spaces… only to find her icon landing on Lilia’s Felix Felicis square, complete with a cauldron – the equivalent of landing on Boardwalk with a hotel. “You win this round,” she conceded. “But don’t think you’re gonna get the drop on me again,” she smirked.

 

“As if you could ever hope to defeat the Great Lilia!”

 

“Oh?” Aurora asked a little too sweetly to mean anything good. “Did you just concede to him because you knew you wouldn’t stand a chance?”

 

“Why, you!”

 

Lilia cackled, rolling around in amusement. “Why now, the youth of today have so much energy!” He wiped a fake tear from his eye. “Still, Sebek, you’ll want to calm down. I do believe it’s about time we got going back to Diasomnia.”

 

“It’s almost the Young Master’s bedtime!”

 

Lilia giggled. “Yes, yes, it is.” He gathered the two Diasomnia boys, ushering them out the door. “Aurora, dear, thank you for the invitation. And do be sure to enjoy the snacks I brought for you!” And with that, the three of them disappeared out the door of Ramshackle.

 

“Dude, you’re totally right about that guy being old…” Deuce shivered.

 

“I’m just gettin’ used to this sorta stuff at this point…”

Notes:

Annnnd that's a wrap!

A little fluff on Aurora's side of things before she has to delve back into dealing with biblical curses again!
And Crowley just being himself, as per always.
And... Helene seems to have known quite a few people in Wonderland. ;)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 23: Ancient Delights

Summary:

Solomon, Victoria, and Lucifer explore some old sites with Helene, making new discoveries along with learning more about Helene's resentment.
Aurora has another vision of Lilith's past.

Or in other words, both mother and daughter are Learning Things while also seeing Men Being The Worst.

Notes:

Hi lovelies! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Also I'm in my "I hate men" era and it shows (not actually all men, just the ones who make me feel the need to carry pepper spray around)

TW: There is mention of cheating and emotional abuse/manipulation. It's not SUPER in-depth, but still take care when reading <3

Also also: for those who don't know who Maddi is in OM, feel free to check out her paragraph in this link! https://obey-me.fandom.com/wiki/Trivial_Characters#Maddi

There's not a ton of canon info about her anyways so it's not story-breaking if you don't know her, but... let's just say I intend to utilize the scraps OM has given us and run buckwild with them XD

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Three humans and one demon stood at the edge of a forest, staring at the bustling city nearby.

 

“I wouldn’t exactly call Versailles the ‘French countryside,’ Helene,” Victoria noted.

 

The witch in question huffed. “Well, pardon me for being locked up in a mirror for thousands of years – thanks to your little brother, Lucifer – so I still primarily remember this place as I saw it back then.”

 

Lucifer scoffed in response. “Say what you will about Asmodeus, but take care to remember that he is not the one who kept you captive. Or has your memory faded so drastically over the years?”

 

“Of course I know who actually trapped me!” Helene bit back. “It was your Lord who decided to keep me alone in one of the corridors – apparently I was a liability, ” she snarled. Victoria and Solomon whipped their heads around at that admission. “That doesn’t mean your delightful little brother is any less despicable for what he did.”

 

“You were as responsible for your part in the war–”

 

“Can we please have this fight another time?” Victoria begged. “Lucifer, as much as we both love Asmo, you know what he did was wrong. Helene, I know he was shitty and that you didn’t deserve that – but this is not the time for that fight .”

 

“You’re right,” Helene nodded, casting one last glare at the demon.

 

“Yes, we’ll put this matter on hold.”

 

Solomon squeezed Victoria’s hand, silently reassuring her of his intention to stay on-task. “Helene,” he asked, “you said one of the mirror portals was around here, correct?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Perhaps you can show us the exact spot so we can search for clues.”

 

As Helene led them around the base of the hill near the edge of the forest, Victoria asked the question that was starting to bother her. “Helene? I’m sorry to bring this up, but… you said that Lord Diavolo said you were a liability. Why… why was that?”

 

Helene shook her head, ignoring the way Lucifer was practically staring a hole through her head. “I… I do not know,” she admitted regretfully. “All I know is that he sifted through my memories and ascertained that I saw something which ‘I was never meant to see.’ Even though I had never been to the Devildom before,” she recalled. “All I had seen was Asmodeus’s powers – I’m not sure why I was singled out for that. And the price of getting those answers now is not something that I would be willing to pay,” she hurriedly said.

 

Her three companions stood in contemplative silence for a moment, mulling over the witch’s revelation. “I wonder what you could have possibly seen to make him so worried…” Solomon mused.

 

“Considering I spent increasingly scarce amounts of time in this world once I figured out how to actively travel to Wonderland – that is, until Asmodeus – I cannot possibly imagine what he desired other than to do it for cruelty’s sake.” Helene snapped from her musings. “But enough of trying to figure out the workings of his mind. We ought to be about right… yes, here. This is the spot,” she stated.

 

The spot showed no obvious difference to the onlookers, still within that edge of forest, grass, and city as the rest of the area. “Are you sure?” Solomon asked, to which he received a withering glare.

 

Lucifer sent out tendrils of magic, searching the parameter slowly, carefully, looking for any trace of a disturbance as Helene explained to them how she used to cross over the area. And then… he found something. Flashing out a surge of power, he highlighted a circle in deep purple light, revealing a seal of a pillar broken into two, engulfed by fire.

 

Upon seeing a look of growing horror on Lucifer and Solomon’s faces, Victoria asked them. “Lucifer? What exactly did you just do?”

 

“That…” Lucifer shuddered a little bit. “That is the symbol that the witch Maddi chooses to use for herself.”

 

“Wait,” she clarified, “the Maddi who you and Satan had to escort around that time? And the one who scared Mammon?”

 

Lucifer nodded, “the very one.”

 

“Helene,” Solomon asked, “did you ever encounter Maddi at any of these other mirror portals?”

 

The witch shook her head. “No – I had heard her name, of course, but she was far older and more powerful than me – I don’t believe I ever encountered her,” she admitted. “Of course, that doesn’t mean she didn’t dip in and out of that world near the same time – access to information was more difficult back then,” she explained. “I lived around the same time as those awful Plagues of Egypt, yet I hardly caught heads or tails of it.”

 

“But what could she possibly want with having sealed – or drained? – the magic of the portal here?” Victoria asked the question on everyone’s minds.

 

“I… I’m afraid I do not have an answer to that one,” Helene answered somberly.

 

“Helene,” Lucifer cut in, “what was the location of the last portal you came through?”

 

She sighed. “Troy.”

______________________________________________

 

As Aurora slumbered that night, she stumbled into another vision of ages past.

 

Desert flora and vegetation lined every spare inch of the idyllic city streets, signs neatly etched in the language of the world – the Adamic language, Aurora’s brain supplied – on a bright, sunny day. Most prominently was the sign reading “The Botanical Gardens of Eden,” a small paradise with the most vibrant plant life imaginable to any being, mortal or immortal. Prominently displayed in the central path was a bright, nearly-glowing white lily, overflowing with some sort of magnetic power. Near the lily sat a man with dark hair, nose tucked into a book titled “The Universe and its 40 Laws of Power.”

 

“That’s the bastard!” Aurora realized, striding closer to slap him, remembering upon contact that while she could move about the vision, she could not interact with her surroundings. Peering down at the contents of his book, she rolled her eyes. “Damn, Lilith must have really liked the color red, ‘cuz this guy’s flags are EVERYWHERE.”

 

Shortly after, a woman quickly approached – the woman from the previous vision. Her teal hair lay askew, head turning from side to side as she seemed to watch out for any possible onlookers. Seeing the coast was clear, she broke into a run towards him, kneeling at his side as she placed her head onto his lap. “Adam…” she breathed.

 

He chuckled a little bit, placing a bookmark in his reading before setting it aside. He petted her hair, seeming oblivious to the distress shown in the subtle tremor in her shoulders. “Hey, Lils. How’s it goin’?”

 

She grasped his hand, leaning into his touch despite the worry etched on her face. “I… It’s not good, Adam,” she confessed. “I… I got in a lot of trouble at home for getting the fruit.”

 

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” he consoled her as he looked out ahead, a mildly distant look on his face. “I don’t know what was in that thing, but I’m feeling so good still. ‘Sides, it was a piece of fruit – I’m sure they can get another one. No need for them to go getting mad at you for that.”

 

Lilith looked up at him, a wry smile on her face. “...You’re right, you know. I… I’ve just been having a hard time with everything going on there. They… they said a lot of things, even going as far as to say that you’re cheating on me… but you wouldn’t do that, right?”

 

Lilith buried her head down, missing the slight twitch in Adam’s jaw at the accusation. “Lilith,” he laughed just a little too forcedly, “do you really think I’d do that sort of thing to you? I love you, you know.”

 

“I know…” Lilith shivered just a little bit, clearly desperately hoping to believe him.

 

“I’m a little hurt you’d think that, honestly,” he doubled down, “but… I get that your family messes with your mind sometimes. You can always stay with me if they get to be too much, you know,” he offered almost-sweetly.

 

Lilith swallowed. “Yes… I suppose you’re right about them messing with my mind. I… I’m sorry for accusing you…” she apologized, remaining kneeling at his side.

 

“What a lying bastard!” Aurora yelled as she threw her hands up. “Such a red flag! Come on, he could at least scoot over on that bench to make room for you!”

 

“It’s alright, sweetheart,” he crooned. “I can’t help but forgive you when you’re so cute and perfect,” he showered her in gilded praise.

 

But the pair’s silence was not to last. Soon after, a woman – the woman shown to Lilith before – came walking into the gardens, belly slightly round as she greeted the two. “Hi, Adam! And – why, hello,” she greeted Lilith as she examined them. “I – I suppose you must be Adam’s sister?” She offered each of them a small candy.

 

Aurora stepped away from her great-something ancestor to stare at the woman – Eve, perhaps? – in closer detail. “There’s something familiar about you,” she murmured as she reached out, hand passing through her face.

 

Lilith immediately shot up from her kneeling position, turning around to see the woman – and freezing as she noticed the woman’s state. “I – who are you?” she asked in slow, dawning horror.

 

The woman shot her a look of concern. “I’m Eve – but never mind that, are you feeling all right, dear?”

 

Lilith set her jaw, gaze dancing over to Adam who didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed yet. “Yes,” she lied. “Or at least I will, once Adam here tells us what’s really going on. ” Her gaze wandered back over to Eve. “Tell me the truth,” she commanded as her voice began to crack. “Are you having Adam’s child?”

 

Eve nodded, seeming confused and a little worried as she looked at the other woman. “Yes,” she answered cautiously. “I thought you already knew?”

 

Bubbling, poisonous laughter escaped Lilith’s lips, gleaming golden tears beginning to run down her face. “It looks like we’ve both been played for a couple of idiots, ” she rasped in her near-insanity, “and I say we make him pay.

 

A wall of brilliant orange rounded around Adam as Eve stepped towards her lover, a protective hand on her stomach. “...You must be the threat he was talking about, then.”

 

“A threat?! ” Lilith choked out. “I say he’s the threat, so fucking blatantly lying to me! To us!”

 

“Lilith–” Adam started weakly.

 

“No, fuck you, ” Lilith raged. “I loved you! I might die because of what I risked for you! And this is what you do to me?!” Fed up in her anger, the heartbroken woman revealed a set of two massive white wings, a halo – and a pink gem on her forehead, the same one from the mines.

 

The two humans stared at the angel with varying degrees of shock and horror painted across their faces. Tears of ichor running down her cheeks, she shot off into the sky.

 

Eve then turned to face Adam, one hand still protecting her abdomen while she turned to stare coldly at him.

 

Aurora looked at Lilith, then back to Eve. “I’m getting answers about you someday – something is definitely off about you,” she mused. Looking back at the sky, she let her own wings out to take off and follow Lilith.

 

The angel ripped up hundreds of photographs, letters, and other memorabilia – presumably related to the man who had broken her heart – tossing things every which way as she sobbed, fists clenching as she stewed in her rage. “Never again,” she promised to herself. “Never again will I submit to a man.”

 

The scene was blurry after that, with brief flashes of horrible battles spinning around Aurora, the bodies piling up as the montage went on. Finally, the vision slowed once again, showing Lilith fighting alongside two men, one tall and muscular with ginger hair, and the other a bit shorter with mainly dark blue hair tinged with streaks of white. Volleys of holy flaming arrows rained down on each of the trio, protecting themselves with shields of magic. As the hits kept coming, their magical defense began to fail them, nicking them as they began to defend themselves with their holy weapons, slowly drifting apart as they were forced to dodge further and further away from each other. Two angels pointed their larger bows at Lilith and the dark-haired angel, neither noticing the threat as they fought off warriors that had begun to fight them in the melee range. The ginger-haired one looked between the massive distance between each of them, panic flashing across his face… before he ultimately darted to the dark-haired boy, pulling him out of the way just in time.

 

A scream ripped out of Lilith’s throat as the celestial flame pierced her wing, a look of utter despair crossing her face as her wing stilled, locking eyes with the ginger-haired angel reaching out for her futilely. One last drop of ichor escaped her eyes as began to topple from the sky, earning whooping cheers from leagues of the angels who helped to shoot her down.

 

Aurora found herself being yanked from the sky along with Lilith, wings flapping as she fought to regain her balance during the forced descent.

 

As Lilith fell from the sky weeping gold the same as her blood, she found her body hurtling back to the one place she had tasted the fruits of love, of desire, of what she thought happiness was… back to the Gardens of Eden.

 

Falling closer to where the ground was, one last wry lament came from her lips. “I guess I’ll always be second to someone…”

 

Aurora woke with a start, Ace simultaneously asking if she was alright while slapping Deuce’s back, who coughed up a few of Aurora’s feathers that had somehow gotten in his mouth.

___________________________________________________

 

Helene led two human sorcerers and one demon through the ruins of Troy, the lush green surrounding farmlands a stark contrast to what had once been a city of wonder and delights. Every remaining stone, the bones of rubble from what was once a fortress of splendor, lay colored ash gray and burnt. The land itself seemed to bear scars from the tragedy millennia ago, scorch marks littering the area as the soil within was rendered permanently infertile. Even the wooden bridges newly constructed for ease of movement matched that same lifeless gray. The witch’s powerful hands trembled as she walked what used to be the halls of her home city.

 

After walking the perimeter for some time, the group came across a circle of dusty soil marked off in a semi-circular form, indicating a mini makeshift courtyard of sorts. Against the “wall” was a large tree, similar in shape to that of an olive tree. Yet like most of the vegetation that seemed to lay within the walls of this forsaken city, it too was scarred to ashen gray, devoid of the peace and harmony it once brought. “This was where it all happened,” she remembered, seeming to dissociate from her body as she recalled everything. “This is where he brought me through the last – and because he and I were too drunk on his sin to even remember to close the portal properly, Agamemnon’s armies – the Agamemnon of this world and that world – were able to bring their armies too close to here, and…” she trailed off. “Well, you know the rest from there. He promised me he’d help me, charmed me away from the people who truly cared for me…” Victoria hugged her, letting the woman cling on to her during the onslaught of memories. “I may have used my beauty to seduce men into revealing their weaknesses when necessary, but it never truly meant anything… but she did. Then Asmodeus came along, whispering promises I couldn’t refuse. He got me alone, and… I found myself falling into his charm. That was when he took me here, beyond the help of anyone who could have brought me back to my senses.” She looked in Lucifer’s direction, eyes shadowed with pain. “And when he became bored, when he finally left, I was able to come back to my senses… but it was too late. I was disgusted with myself for believing a man’s charms despite the near-infinite warnings I’d been given, disgusted with myself for cheating and abandoning her… even if it was with the influence of his charm, it still was my own choice …”

 

Solomon shook his head at the mention of his pactmate, disappointed but not surprised by the Avatar of Lust’s treatment of women – especially over 3000 years ago.

 

“Helene…” Victoria tried to comfort her. “I, am so, so–”

 

“Do not do that thing where you apologize for something that’s not your fault,” the witch shakily admonished. “Especially since you’re the reason I have my freedom again. Just… just please try to search for what you need quickly. I don’t want to be here any longer than is necessary.”

 

Victoria nodded her agreement, Lucifer looking at the duo pensively before getting to work. They searched for traces of magic, sorting through layers upon layers of faded curses that had been cast in the general area so long ago. Each of them slowly focused on the exact spot Helene had pointed out, Lucifer realizing it first while the human sorcerers came to the same conclusion shortly afterward.

 

“Hellfire,” they chimed in unison.

 

“But the real question,” Solomon posed, “is whose?”

Notes:

Hope you guys liked this one!

What did Helene see that she wasn't supposed to? And Maddi's involvement at the old portal... whatever could it mean?

And Aurora's vision! XD Definitely a lot going on there, whoops :D Eve and Lilith drama!

And... so many demons have hellfire... whose could it have been? Asmo's, or someone else?

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 24: Burning Detective

Summary:

Aurora has the first Lion King dream with a twist, Satan and Beel team up, and the new friend group has a friendly chat.

Or, in which everyone has questions that need to get answered.

Notes:

Hi lovelies! Hope you have a fun time with this chapter - esp the crumbs of lore I dropped in the beginning

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A few nights later during her slumber, Aurora once again was drawn to the mirror as she was shown events of ages past – though this time it was in this new world rather than her Grandfather’s.

 

The mirror showed her the familiar movie scene as a large lion – Mufasa – walked proudly towards the front of pride rock, watching as every citizen of the animal kingdom approached in awe. A monkey – Rafiki – walked to the front, presenting the newborn baby Simba as every animal within the kingdom bowed before them – all but one.

 

The mirror panned a far distance away to show a mangier lion – Scar – walking through the gorge where tragedy would strike mere months later, sulking along the way. Eventually, he approached a small tree shading a rock – the same one he would leave Simba to die at later – likely with the intention of taking a nap. But it seemed fate had other plans, for as the lion grew closer, the energy in the air around him seemed to shift as the tree appeared to wreathe itself in brilliant white flames. Struggling to stay in place, the lion averted his head as an ethereal, booming voice sounded around him.

 

“And what of you, my lion child?” The voice asked him. “Do you seek a miracle like Moses, my child here has just done?”

 

The lion inclined its head, dipping into a bow. “No miracle will give me what I want now,” he lamented.

 

The booming voice chuckled, “very well, then, child. I shall give you a gift much like I gave him – his tenth and final plague shall be yours to enact the way you pray.”

 

The white flame enveloped the lion, his eyes aglow as he absorbed the power that was offered to him – and continued to absorb as the flame tried to withdraw. The booming voice let out a wrathful hiss, the fire wildly dancing as it stopped surrounding the lion and began to minorly crisp the tips of the branches. “...you must be one of my wretched Wife’s creations,” it spat, “constantly taking more than you’re supposed to. But it is of no consequence,” it decreed, “for I curse you, Taka, I curse you that neither you – nor any of your successors who inherit this power – shall be able to use it to its full extent, nor benefit from the full range of the power of the Last Remaining God. Though you are a lion, I curse you as I curse the hapless lamb who crosses me. Go, Taka, go back to your homeland – do as you first set out to do, and n̝̬̬̭̥ͅͅe͖̝̻v̦͇͇͎̼̙̕e̻̺̼̭͜ṛ͈̪͖͇͉̹͜ ̲͔̥̺̜̙͠r̨̼͎͙͚̘̤̯e̟̗̮̼͖̘̼ț̭̞̘̖̀ụ͖͈̰̺̬̞͝rn͔̘̫͞ ̨̘͚̹̜̹̣tọ̻̭ͅ ̞̼̞͚̞̞t̳́h̢̞̯̬͎̺i͍̠s̝͈̘ ̣̗̬ͅw̛̙̭̻͉̘o̤̜̲̞r̛͕̹̤̝l̯͖̗̲͝d̜̖̭̭̰. ” 



So the lion did as he was told, stumbling back into the original gorge and racing back towards Pride Rock.

 

Aurora woke up from the vision with even more questions about the past than before.

_____________________________

 

Beelzebub walked into the library with a small box of poison apples and ramen – respectively, the favorite foods of the first and second brothers.

 

If only he could figure out why they were acting so strange.

 

As he dropped the tray off by the door, he noticed a mop of blonde hair sticking out from underneath the couch. “Satan?” After a moment of silence, he moved closer, tapping on the mop. “Satan?” he asked again.

 

He received a loud “shush” sound in response. “Are you trying to get us both caught?!” he whispered agitatedly.

 

“Sorry…” Beel apologized softly. “It’s just… I’m worried about those two, you know?”

 

Satan’s poked his head out from under the couch, face bright red as he protested with a magnifying glass in his hand. “I wouldn’t say I’m worried, ” he denied. “I just can’t get into his office to prank him when he’s constantly in there with Mammon.”

 

“...Right.”

 

“Speaking of which, I know he’s always been the favorite,” he grumbled, “but would it kill the two of them to actually come out here and be normal? They’ve been holing themselves up for a full week now.”

 

“It’s not normal,” Beel agreed. “I’m worried that something serious is happening.”

 

Satan nodded. “That’s why I came in here to search. Maybe find if they left anything out here.”

 

“Under the couch?”

 

Satan flushed again. “I got stuck and didn’t want to be loud when teleporting.”

 

“Oh,” Beel realized. “Need some help?”

 

“...In a bit. It’s kind of cozy down here,” Satan admitted. “Say, Beelzebub…”

 

“Yes, Satan?”

 

“How would you feel about playing detective with me?”

____________________________________________________________________

 

“So, what clubs are my little freshies joining, anyways?”

 

Cater and Trey had taken to sitting along with the Braincell Squad at lunch, letting Riddle join in on the fun after the Overblot debacle – even if he looked a tad uncomfortable at first.

 

“DEFINITELY a sports club,” Ace immediately responded. “I mean, what else? Probably basketball for me, though.”

 

“Is there any sort of blastcycle club?” Deuce asked nervously.

 

Riddle furrowed his brows as the two juniors burst out laughing. “No dear,” Cater coughed out between giggles, “nothing like THAT here. You could petition Crowley to make a new club if you wanted,” he explained, “but I get the feeling he’d just tell you to join another club that already exists.”

 

“Damn,” Deuce pouted.

 

“What about you, Auroraaaaa?” Cater asked conspiratorially as he leaned closer.

 

“Probably either the Pop Music Club or the Mountain Lover’s Club,” she answered. “I’m not completely sure which yet, so I’m gonna make sure to check them both out at the club fair tonight.”

 

Cater’s eyes quickly darted over to Riddle before focusing back on the dark-haired prefect. “Oh, well you should totes check us out at Pop Music! Me, Lilia, and Kalim are in it – well, I guess you haven’t met Kalim yet,” he realized. “Still, we’re a pretty fun group, but we could defo use some new members.”

 

Riddle nodded in agreement with Cater. “I would exercise caution with the Mountain Club,” he recommended, “due to its primary and sole member.”

 

“Clubs with only one member exist?” The freshmen seemed confused.

 

Riddle nodded in distaste. “It is rare, but…” he huffed. “There are a few students with influential families who have no ambition to expand their horizons with an already-existing club but rather insist on doing their own thing alone. Were it a constant rule that he allowed this to happen it might not be so irritating, but he seems to grant exceptions based on the student’s… familial pedigree, as it were.”

 

This quickly drew eye rolls from the freshmen. “Fucking nepotism,” Ace grumbled.

 

“So what’s the deal with the person in that club?” Aurora brought the topic back on point.

 

“Ah, yes,” Riddle hurriedly cleared his throat. “Jade Leech. He himself hasn’t been so openly antagonistic towards me, but… his twin brother, Floyd, is a menace to society,” he spat. “He is constantly up in my personal space, refuses to leave me alone, and it is rowdy beyond all belief – even as I attempt to utilize quiet spaces such as the library. Jade behaves in a more… socially acceptable… manner, but there is something about him that appears quite unhinged as well – perhaps even more so, given how he hides it.”

 

The trio looked back and forth at each other at this. “...Well. I’ll admit that the idea of going outdoors is personally more appealing, but your description of him… leaves much to be desired,” Aurora answered. “I guess I can see more for myself tonight though. No offense, Riddle, but you kind of seem to think a lot of people are unhinged.”

 

“It’s not my fault – well, not entirely my fault – that I thought you seemed so unhinged!” he protested.

 

“I’m with Riddle on this one,” Cater agreed. “Your homeland sounds like it has some reaaaally strange tendencies. Speaking of which, Aurora dear, you never did answer my question – where exactly are you from?”

 

Aurora thought back to what she had asked Crewel yesterday as he dropped off supplies at her dorm – and what his answer had been. “ Travelers from out-of-world are far less common than they used to be, although still not unheard of. If you feel comfortable with it, there should be no reason that an out-of-world status should draw attention to you. However… I would recommend that you let people think you received a normal, ordinary magestone. I’m not sure how or why you’re able to control it, and I’m sure Trein has gone off on one of his semi-annual tangents about it in class, but that might raise too many questions within the magical community right now than you want.” Aurora looked at Ace and Deuce, squeezing their hands lightly for moral support. “Well…” she looked at Riddle apologetically. “Riddle, when you asked about where I was from, I may have… left a big part of the picture out. Yes, I am from a place called ‘Florida,’ but the most important part to know is that… it’s not from this world – or this dimension.”

 

Riddle hummed contemplatively while the two juniors balked in shock. “Whaaat?! I like, totes wouldn’t have guessed that,” Cater sighed.

 

“I second that,” Trey agreed. “Not that you’re not gathering some attention, Aurora, but you’ve blended in well enough that I certainly wouldn’t have guessed you being from a different dimension.”

 

Riddle glanced over at Ace and Deuce. “Did you two know about this?”

 

They grinned in response. “Guilty as charged,” Ace quipped.

 

“I can’t believe it,” Riddle groaned.

 

“Awwww, cheer up.” she teased. 

 

“I have so many questions,” he groaned back.

 

“Well, you can ask them after today’s Housewarden meeting,” she reminded him.

 

He shot her a mild glare. “And will you actually answer them?”

 

She smirked. “Depends.”

Notes:

Hope you all enjoyed!

Ahhhhhh I finally get to unveil more of what's going on with the Leona plotline!
And... what's that about god's wife? ;) and what does it have to do with Scar?

Satan and Beel both know something is awry and intend to get some answers!

And which club is Aurora going to join? ;)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 25: Magift Kingdom

Summary:

The Housewardens discuss the upcoming tournament, Victoria is finally getting her shit together enough to start putting a plan together, and Aurora joins a club.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora found herself back in the Mirror Chamber after class, Riddle waiting for her by the door. The pair walked in, finding Headmage Crowley humming energetically as he placed document packets on the table. “Ah, how wonderful it is to see you, Mr. Rosehearts and Mr. Morningstar! Practically hand in hand, having set aside your differences!” he cawed.

 

Aurora heard Riddle’s heartbeat hammer against his ribcage as his lip twitched slightly. ‘ That’s odd…’

 

“Yes, well, he did a commendable job,” Riddle complimented.

 

“Splendid!” He smiled unsettlingly wide, scribbling down notes on a sheet of paper that he conjured. “Ah, and how would you say your relationship has grown since the unfortunate incident?”

 

The pair balked at him. “Hey, headmage,” Aurora asked in disbelief, “are you attempting to give us a joint therapy session?”

 

“Ah, is that what the students call these discussions nowadays?”

 

Riddle grumbled to himself as the door swung back open and a small number of students began to trickle in. First was the boy Leona, practically brimming with smug excitement. Next were a silver-haired boy with glasses and a tall blonde boy with lavender highlights deep in discussion, a demeanor of poise and elegance about them. Next was some sort of floating tablet with three triangles on it, causing Riddle to mutter something about “incompetent cowards” and shake his head.

 

Lastly was a bright-eyed boy with white hair and a bandana wrapped around his head, apologizing for nearly running late. “Sorry, everyone, I – oh, hi!” He waved at Aurora. “You’ve gotta be that Ram-something guy Jamil mentioned, right?”

 

Aurora waved back at him slowly as the room scrutinized her, the blonde boy staring at her a little too intensely for comfort. “Yep, that’s me, Aurora from Ramshackle Dorm. And you are?” she asked expectantly.

 

“OH! Yeah!” He realized his failure to introduce himself. “I’m Kalim, from the House Scarabia! It’s so nice to meet you!”

 

This guy’s soul is super shiny – and he’s in Scarabia, which is Jafar… but he’s more like the Sultan? Wait…’ Trying to set aside her musings, she greeted him in kind.

 

“Well, now that the assigned time has passed, it would be best if everyone took their seats and got started, no?” Crowley pointedly reminded the group.

 

“Yes. Tardiness is unbecoming of the school’s top representatives,” Riddle agreed. “All of your… pleasantries… can wait until a later time.”

 

“Then I call to order this meeting of housewardens,” Crowley announced. “Today’s meeting agenda only concerns the October Magift tournament. As you can all see in front of you, important forms regarding safety protocols, official team rosters, and so forth must be filled out soon. Now, let us begin with the report from the head of the tournament planning committee: Mr. Ashengrotto of Octavinelle house.”

 

“Greetings. I am Azul Ashengrotto,” the silver-haired boy greeted, “and it is my honor to lead the planning committee. I am pleased to announce that we have fully booked the grounds surrounding the coliseum. All of the kiosk space allotted to both internal organizations and external businesses is now full.”

 

I’m guessing this guy is similar to Ursula, then.’

 

“Sweet!” Kalim pumped his fist as he cheered. “This tournament should be a real lively one, then.”

 

Ignoring him, Azul pressed on. “All invitations to various royalty have been sent, and public tickets are selling briskly. And, as in past years, we have received numerous requests to cover the event from both television stations and print media.”

 

I know the event calendar we got mentioned that this was one of the biggest events of the year here, only rivaled by the interscholastic version of this or that VDC in several months, but I didn’t expect it to have this level of international fame.’

 

“Before I was admitted here, I looked forward to receiving my VIP invitation every year,” Kalim reminisced as he wiggled and looked at Leona. “I imagine you got them too, huh? We might have run into each other at the tournament when we were kids!”

 

“Who knows?” Leona huffed as he closed his eyes. “And also, who cares?”

 

The blonde boy mused aloud, pulling a compact mirror out of his pocket as he inspected himself. “This year, I’ll have to work extra hard on my makeup to make sure I’m shining like a diamond on the new Ultravision displays. With all the exertion, I’ll need to be touching it up constantly!”

 

Evil Queen, is that you?’

 

Riddle made no effort to hide his sigh of contempt. “...House Pomefiore is the only dorm that regularly calls timeouts to fix their makeup.”

 

Knew it!’

 

“How can you all be so excited to be on TV?” Idia’s voice floated out of the tablet. “Just the idea of it makes me wanna puke.”

 

“Ahem!” Azul slapped his hand down on the table to get everyone’s attention. “As I was saying. Now, as soon as your dorms’ player rosters are settled, I’ll need your registration documents – that is, minus House – er, Ramshackle, I suppose it shall be called – given your lack of dorm members.”

 

Aurora barely kept from rolling her eyes. “Petition to change the dorm name and get some more members,” she muttered.

 

Azul’s eyes glinted. “While we can’t help with the member problem, is that an official motion to change the name of the House?”

 

Aurora hummed, noting Crowley’s growing impatience. “...I’ll save that motion for another time. Anyways, as you were saying about registration?”

 

He nodded. “Ah, yes. Any dorm that is even a single day late –”

 

“Will be promptly disqualified, I trust,” Riddle cut in.

 

“No,” Azul gleefully announced. “They will be charged a handling fee. Consider it remuneration for rush processing.”

 

Aurora narrowed her eyes. ‘ He’s even worse than Ursula! He’s a capitalist!

 

“What?” Riddle balked. “I don’t approve of you changing the rules to allow for policy exceptions!”

 

“And I couldn’t be more grateful for it!” Kalim laughed.

 

“Let’s try to stay on topic,” Crowley reminded everyone again. “We need to discuss the tournament bracket. I had an idea I’d like to propose.”

 

“And that is…?” Riddle asked.

 

“It concerns the Diasomnia housewarden.” Aurora could have sworn Leona twitched at the mention of him. “I think we should induct Mr. Draconia into the hall of fame to keep him off the field entirely.”

 

“Say whaaat?!” Kalim yelled in surprise.

 

Leona scowled. “What are you on about?”

 

“Ever since Mr. Draconia enrolled here, no dorm has scored even a single point against Diasomnia,” the headmage reminded them. “Diasomnia regularly scores 100 points per game, with 90% of them being from Mr. Draconia himself.”

 

Too bad I can’t play against this guy, I’d love to give him a run for his money.’

 

“Yeah, facing them last year did feel kinda futile,” Kalim hesitantly agreed.

 

“The dude totally breaks the game,” the Idia-tablet spoke. “It’s like he’s got cheat codes enabled.”

 

“Like a certain fire-slinging prefect…” Riddle mumbled softly.

 

“Amusement is not the only goal of this tournament,” Crowley pushed on. “Our hope is that spectators over the world will discover talented new mages. However… recent matches have been ending without anyone, save Mr. Draconia, casting even a single spell. And that includes his own teammates! That is a less-than-optimal state of affairs.”

 

“I’m all for it,” Idia agreed. “Getting stomped isn’t exactly fun for us either.”

 

“I know many members of Savanaclaw House aspire to play in the Magift pro league. Savanaclaw House had never landed in less than third place in the history of this school. And yet in both of the last two years, you’ve been eliminated in the first round after being matched against Diasomnia House,” Crowley admonished as he gazed toward Leona. “That’s certainly not impressing any recruiters. Thus, this matter of disproportionate performance directly affects your players’ future.”

 

Leona clenched his fists, lip curling in a snarl. “And you’re sayin’ you expect us to make fools of ourselves on the field again this year?”

 

Crowley made no effort to dissent. “It certainly brings me no pleasure to suggest it. Regardless, Mr. Draconia has already agreed to be inducted into the hall of fame. All we need now is this committee’s approval.”

 

Leona shook his head at that answer. “So you’re sayin’ we need a handicap. Listen and listen well, Teach…”

 

‘Damn Crowley, way to piss off your top students. Also, is that a reference to “just listen to teacher”?’

 

“Ain’t nothin’ I hate more than someone tellin’ me ‘you can’t win’ before I even begin to fight.”

 

“No, that is not my intention –” Crowley protested weakly.

 

“Then what is? First of all, Magift ain’t a game about power. It’s all about what’s up HERE, in your head!” He pointed up towards his brain for emphasis.

 

“I’m pretty sure my head can’t beat Malleus’s,” Kalim whined.

 

“I don’t doubt that,” Leona sniped as he gave Kalim a once-over. “But mine can. Sure, in a battle of brute force, no one’s beatin’ him. But in a battle of wits – that’s a different story.”

 

Aurora leaned in curiously. ‘ I don’t know how powerful this Malleus guy is, but if Leona’s full power is as vast as I suspect, he could likely outrank Malleus – maybe even beat me if the situation were advantageous enough for him.’

 

“Intriguing…” Azul mused.

 

Leona continued his impassioned speech, playing on the egos of everyone in the room. “The King of Beasts from the Great Seven won his throne through cunning and persistence.”

 

Aurora had to bite her tongue not to add in a bit about homicide.

 

“You all should be wrackin’ your brains, trying to come up with a way to beat that monster! Whichever team figures that out is gonna be sittin’ REAL pretty on the world stage. Are you gonna let a once-in-a-lifetime chance like that get yanked out from under you?” Leona smugly looked out to the other housewardens.

 

The Pomefiore boy was the first to fall to pride. “For once, Leona is making perfect sense. I agree – this plan is utter nonsense.” He glowered at the headmage. “It reeks of some kind of unconscious bias on your part. And I despise that sort of thing.”

 

Riddle was next. “I am in complete agreement with Housewarden Vil. As one of the foremost mages here, the last thing I want to do is give up without a fight.”

 

Seeing the next two on the verge of falling, Leona gave another push. “Don’t you wanna see that self-important, stuck-up jerk’s crestfallen face get broadcast to the whole world? Doesn’t the thought of it make you wanna roar?

 

‘Oh, he’s good,’ Aurora thought with a shudder. ‘The way he so easily tempted everyone in this room… you’d think he was the Avatar of Pride or something.’

 

Azul let out a sinister little giggle. “That would certainly boost the ratings!”

 

“Well,” Kalim agreed heartily, “I certainly don’t want to be on the losing side of this.”

 

“Me neither,” Aurora agreed. “I might not be able to participate in the Magift stuff until spring, but for now I’m content with rooting for you guys to bring this Draconia guy down.”

 

A few of the leaders side-eyed her as Crowley cleared his throat. “Ah, about that…” he tapped his fingers together nervously. “The Magift teams only allow for seven players per team, not eight,” he explained reluctantly.

 

Aurora stared back, unimpressed. “I’m well aware. Tradition has it that you get one player from each dorm, right?”

 

“Ah, yes, that is correct…” he answered hesitantly.

 

“Since my dorm is as valid as any, and I am a student as valid as any,” she asserted, “wouldn’t that mean that I have just as much of a chance as anyone else in this room of making the final team? At least, there’s certainly nothing prohibiting it in the rulebook you gave me, headmage.”

 

“Ah… you read the whole thing already?” Crowley had the decency to back away a step.

 

“Of course.”

 

Riddle nodded approvingly in her direction as Leona and Azul let out smirks of varying degrees. ‘ And that blonde Pomefiore guy is still eyeing me too hard over there. Why does he – oh shit, I look like Snow White! Good thing I’m immune to poison…’

 

“Ahhhhhh… the ONE time a student actually reads the whole handbook…”

 

“Excuse me, Prefect Aurora,” the blonde boy cut in, “but even still, what makes you think you’re going to be able to best the top players our Houses?”

 

Aurora smirked. “I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the Housewardens are often the top players in a dorm, correct?”

 

He arched a perfectly-shaped brow back at her. “Yes, that is how it often tends to work out,” he affirmed.

 

Aurora threw a glance over to Riddle and ruffled his hair quickly. “Well then, I think I have my spot.”

 

Immediately his face turned scarlet. “MUST you keep –”

 

“Ah,” the beauty queen smirked. “So the rumors ARE true, then, about how you crushed him in the palm of your hand.”

 

Raucous laughter burst from some of the more mischievous housewardens as Riddle’s hand began to shake. “Stop this –”

 

“Okay, okay, I got it,” she patted him one last time before turning back to the center of the table.

 

“Seriously?” Idia whined from the tablet. “I’m the only one who’s okay with just going with what the headmage says?”

 

Nobody answered him.

 

“I think we have our answer,” Leona addressed Crowley. “The hall of fame idea is officially shut down.”

 

Crowley sighed. “Fine, fine. But if this year ends up being a repeat of the last two years, he’s going in next year for sure.”

 

“That’s your call,” Leona conceded with a small eye roll.

 

“Well, that was really the only item on today’s agenda. Everyone, remember to submit your registrations,” Azul announced.  “Not that I would be upset if it were to slip your mind…” he giggled a little again.

 

“Incidentally, where IS Malleus?” The Pomefiore boy asked. “Did everyone forget to invite him again?”

 

Horror dawned on everyone as they realized their mistake, muttering some variation of “oops!”

 

“So do you guys all hate this Malleus guy or what?” Aurora asked. “Because this is the second time – that I know of – that he wasn’t invited to some major event he should have been a part of.”

 

“Well… it’s not intentional,” Riddle explained. “He just has a suffocating aura about him – and he seems to have similar powers to what you’ve displayed, Aurora.”

 

This earned her some very interested glances, especially from three particular Housewardens – Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, and Pomefiore.

 

“Really…” Aurora mused.

 

“It’s intentional on MY part,” Leona huffed. “He’s absolutely insufferable to be around. He’s the type of person that would, say, step on your tail while you’re takin’ a nap – on purpose, probably – and have the gall to look at you like the dirt beneath his feet and blame it on you.”

 

“Oh…” ‘ I wonder how much is accurate and how much is this little rivalry they have going on. ’ “That sound irritating.”

 

“You’re tellin’ me, little jackal.”

__________________________________________________________________

 

Victoria and Solomon were back in their house, dozens of maps sprawled across the room as they circled several locations.

 

“Solomon?” Victoria asked.

 

“Yes?”

 

Victoria looked at their map of the United States. “Do… do you think it’s possible that one person could have known all those stories and brought them over here?”

 

Solomon hummed. “I suppose. But that does beg the questions of which stories we should be taking into account, as well as how accurate the… representations of each of the relevant stories are.”

 

Victoria shuddered. “For her sake, I hope not very accurate at all. Aurora. Alone. In a world with Maleficent. I know she’s smart and she’s strong, but I’m worried her name alone could make her the target of a nasty curse.”

 

Solomon put a finger to his lips and he thought for a moment. “Well, when you consider the fact that she was raised away from one of her parents by a couple of lunatics out in the woods, I suppose her life does resemble that princess. Although personally, I’d say she’d have to worry more about eating the wrong kind of apple.”

 

Victoria smacked his arm lightly. “Solomon Jedidiah, that is not funny!”

 

Solomon chuckled as he clasped her hand. “Love, we both know she’s immune to poison – and heavily resistant to curses to boot,” he reminded her. “Besides, wasn’t the whole point of those stories that evil couldn’t win in the end?”

 

“But our world doesn’t run on that logic–”

 

“Not ours, but theirs, it seems – and I would reckon a kinder Creator, too,” he postured. “It does make me wonder why their world and ours have so many similarities, though.”

 

“Maybe we can get some answers if we talk to whoever the main traveler is hidden within the company,” Victoria suggested.

 

“That could work.”

 

“Hey, Solomon?”

 

“...yes?” Solomon knew that whatever came out of her mouth next would bring about great chaos.

 

“How do you feel about breaking into the Magic Kingdom?

_______________________________________________________

 

Wandering around the club fair, Aurora passed by an empty booth on the way to her destination. ‘ Gargoyle Studies Club… that’s what Lilia was on about the other night! Don’t tell me that it’s run by Malleus and they forgot to invite him to this, too!’ Walking a little further, she found the booth she was looking for labeled the “Mountain Lovers’ Club.” Sitting there was a boy with dark teal hair and a highlight of black with one golden eye, a close-lipped smile belying secrets hidden underneath. ‘ Kinda reminds me of one of those eels…’

 

“Ah, hello there. Are you interested in joining my club? If you’re looking for the Monstro Lounge, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for business hours.” As he spoke, teeth pointed far too sharply for a normal mortal peeked out behind his lips.

 

“I’m actually here about your club.” ‘ Does he get a lot of people looking to go to his shady-sounding business thing? I’ve heard Cater mention snippets of it but I know very little still.’

 

His eyebrows raised slightly, grin widening as an entire row of sharp teeth showed. “Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” he cooed. “You can sign right here to join if you don’t have any questions,” he mentioned as he presented a sign-up sheet.

 

‘Probably still my top choice, but I do have a couple things I’d like to know… and I wanna watch this prideful bitch squirm just a little bit.’ “Well,” she hummed, “I do have another club that’s pretty interested in me, so I guess I’d like to know a little more before I commit either way.”

 

His smile tightened a fraction of an inch. “And which club would this be?”

 

“The Pop Music club,” she answered.

 

“And you do know the sorry state of that club, correct?”

 

She grinned back. “Yep – down to their last few members, practically begging for attention from newcomers – and offering a lot of perks in that club.” She tilted her head as she tapped her lips. “Of course, if you can make a better case for your club, I’d be happy to stay over here, instead?”

 

A gleam entered his eye at the challenge. “Very well, if you insist. Our club is about the exploration and uncovering of new knowledge at sites that land-dwellers often take for granted. You would receive copious amounts of exercise in scaling the high mountains – not to mention that all gear is covered by the club budget,” he started. “While we primarily stay on Sage Island for activities, we are occasionally granted leeway to travel off the island for club activities – something not many clubs can boast. And… to someone so clearly discerning as yourself, it is a rare, splendid opportunity to gather rare materials that might otherwise cost you a small fortune. Each meeting will offer different and exciting possibilities, and input from club members is always taken into account.”

 

“Isn’t it awfully easy to take your own input into account? As the only member, that is,” Aurora challenged.

 

“Ah, but as you can clearly see in our club constitution,” he pulled out the corresponding document, “there is a formal process for documenting and submitting input – which is intended for the benefit of members, of course.”

 

Aurora read the sheet of paper, careful to look for loopholes in the wording. ‘Process looks a little convoluted for such a small club, but… looks like the overall non-governmental body in the club is guaranteed certain things per year, so long as they’re within school regulations. A little tedious, but manageable.’ “Alright,” she grinned. “Where’s that sign-up sheet?”

 

The boy smirked as he laid it back on top of the table again. After she quickly checked the form to ensure no contractual magic was at play, she signed her name, passing it back to him and noticing a wicked smile on his face and extended his hand.

 

“Ah, where are my manners? My name is Jade Leech, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Mountain Lovers’ Club… Aurora Morningstar.”

Notes:

Annnnnnd that's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed! (Side note, I'll be alternating between some of the English server and Japanese translation names based on what I think sounds better. I like the sound of Magift more than Spelldrive, so that's what I'm going with <3 )

Of course the discussion for the tournament went off the rails lolol
And Aurora thinks Leona could be more powerful than Malleus when he's released from the curse... is she correct?

What the fuck is Victoria thinking? (I feel like this applies to a lot of things, not just her skipping over that Park Hopper pass)

Annnd Aurora has finally joined a club! :D

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 26: Apologetics Accidents

Summary:

In which Aurora attempts to work with Riddle, Crowley foists work on her, and something is afoot with Mammon's powers.

Notes:

Hi lovelies! Welcome back to another chap, hope you enjoy it!

Also what was intended as a sweet scene where Aurora tries to help Riddle go through the Queen of Hearts rules (and understand why they're wrong) turned into a bit of a religious trauma commentary whoops (also if you've never dealt with apologetics... what does it feel like to be mentally stable?)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Must we go over every single one of these now?” Riddle sighed. “I do appreciate you taking the time to talk these over, but it’s already been well over an hour, and we’re not even to rule 200 yet.”

 

“Yeah, you’ve been here a while,” Aurora conceded. “Just one last one I have to ask about before you go – rule 186? No hamburgers on Tuesdays? What’s up with that?”

 

“It’s exactly as the rule states.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, but why? What the hell purpose does that serve?”

 

“Well,” Riddle began to explain, “we went over how butcheries are not to open on Mondays in rule 184. As such, eating a cut of meat that had been undergone the proper process from regular meat into a hamburger would have been prepared on Sunday. Since the same preservation methods for meat did not exist in that time and region, it would have been a health concern to eat that cut of meat – hence the rule.”

 

“So,” Aurora clarified, “it was to keep the population from eating spoiled food.”

 

“Precisely.”

 

“Then wouldn’t you agree there’s no fucking reason for it to apply today? Since that same meat can be good for days at a time now.”

 

Riddle paused. “I… suppose you’re right.” He raised his pen to the list and scratched a line through the offending rule. “Why are you so comfortable with arguing against the rules, anyways?” He squinted his eyes at her.

 

“...Let’s just say I’ve dealt with a lot of apologetics,” she answered slowly.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Remember how I kinda mentioned my good old Gramps being a total jerk?”

 

Riddle nodded pensively. “It would be difficult to forget what you told me about him.”

 

“Okay, good. So, basically, our family is REALLY old in my world, and my… ancestor… made a bunch of weird rules that he made people follow,” Aurora continued. “Some of them just seemed ridiculous, but a lot were actually very harmful to a lot of people. But… in more modern times, people who practically worship the older family members – somewhat similarly to how you idolize the Queen of Hearts – make arguments, which we call apologetics, to explain why this was supposed to actually be somewhat okay. A lot of this involves comparing it against old cultural practices and beliefs to explain ‘context,’” she made heavy air quotes at this, “and continuing to use some rules as, well, gospel – if it suits their agendas.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Okay, easiest example I can think of is how women aren’t supposed to speak in church – which to these guys, was basically the equivalent of a temple of the gods.”

 

Riddle balked. “That is a ridiculous rule! I cannot think of any good justification –” he began to rant.

 

“Riddle,” she cut him off with a small, appreciative smile on her face. “First of all, thank you for being as outraged at that as I am. Second of all,” she explained, “the justification for this is that ‘women were not typically educated at the time this was written, and it was about showing respect towards their God and their male family members.’ But… a lot of people still use that rule as a justification to ban women from positions of authority in… any organization affiliated with the family – which is a LOT. It’s not the only rule either, it’s just one of the ones that gets talked about the most.”

 

Riddle was practically frozen, having to visibly shake himself from his state of shock. “BY THE SEVEN, WHAT IN THE TWISTED WONDERLAND IS WRONG WITH YOUR WORLD?!” He paused. “Ahem… pardon my outburst. I was… not expecting to hear that sort of thing. Did… did people throw those rules in your family’s face often?”

 

Aurora nodded. “Not directly me, since my mom and my Uncle Sol tried to… kinda keep me out of the limelight. And they tried to at least make sure I knew what bullshit the rules were. But yeah, they both were kinda raised by families who insisted on following these rules – or at least, a lot of them”

 

“I never thought I’d so vehemently disagree with a set of rules…”

 

“If you think that’s bad, you should’ve heard the rules about what genocides were ‘acceptable.’”

 

And so Riddle now struggled with a mini identity crisis thanks to Aurora.

 

After he packed up and left, Aurora was left with her vision turning to a couple of small drops of ink, this time against a golden background instead of a red one.

__________________________________________________

 

“Rook?” Vil beckoned his second-in-command as the hunter carefully brushed his housewarden’s hair.

 

“Yes, Roi du Poison?” Rook knelt at his side.

 

“I had an… intriguing interaction today.” His eyes flicked over with a mischievous smile.

 

“Oh?”

 

“I met the Morningstar boy today.”

 

Rook’s eyes glimmered with the luster of one thousand midnight stars. “And what did you think, my Queen?”

 

“I am very curious what else you have uncovered,” he answered, “given the brief impression of him I was given. Rosehearts mentioned even that his powers seemed to bear some similarities to Malleus Draconia.”

 

“Ah, he perhaps is not entirely wrong,” Rook hummed in response, “though there is certainly a certain… distinction between them. Ah, but would I love to see those two embroiled in battle! Their powers, both far beyond common skillsets, a most splendid display of beauty! Ah, but the Monsieur Cygne Noir is young and inexperienced yet, giving us a chance to properly hunt him.”

 

Vil paused. “Is it really wise to hunt someone like that?”

 

Rook shook his head. “Non, Roi du Poison, would I truly be myself if not giving myself to the pursuit of this beauty? Ah, but he is from a different world, and not familiar with these lands like I am – hunting him in secret has been far easier than anticipated. For one with so many secrets, he certainly has much to learn in regards to keeping them behind closed doors.”

 

Vil cocked a brow at Rook’s bold statement. “From another world… I suppose that explains some things. And Rook, dear… what secrets would those be?”

 

“Non, nothing that will interfere with our plans to train him!”

 

Vil rolled his eyes slightly as an intrigued grin danced across his cheeks. “And I take it you’re going to keep those secrets to yourself?”

 

Rook’s grin grew predatory. “ Oui , Roi du Poison. After all, it wouldn’t do to spoil the game.”

_______________________________________________

 

The next afternoon, Aurora was in the Ramshackle yard, playing a dumbed-down version of “Magift” with Grim. teaching him how to hold the disc steady with magic as he ran.

 

“Remember, Grim, hold the line straight – picture yourself cracking open a can of tuna as you hit it into the proper target.”

 

“Ooh, that tuna trick actually kinda helps! But now I want, ahhhhhh!” The cat yelped.

 

“What is – oh. Good afternoon, headmage.”

 

The avian-masked headmage grimaced at the rainbow dorm before turning his attention to Aurora. “Good day. I’m pleased to see that you’ve gotten… all settled in. Quite pleased indeed.”

 

Why is he here now? ’ “Yes… was there something specific you came over here for?”

 

He nodded. “Ah, yes. I have a request to make of you, Aurora. Why don’t we take this inside?”

 

Agreeing, the pair headed inside, the headmage seeming to emit a sigh of relief at the lack of bright rainbow decor in here. Starting off without preamble, he made himself comfortable on a plush lilac couch she had recently constructed. “I’ll get straight to the point. There has been a rash of students being hurt in suspicious incidents on campus lately. I’m here to ask you to investigate the matter.”

 

Making herself comfortable on a chair, Aurora probed. “What suspicious incidents would these be?”

 

“Students falling down stairs, getting burns from boiling water, and so forth. The specifics of the incidents differ, but the nurse’s office has had a clear spike in patients over the last few days. With yesterday’s incident on the stairs, we now have ten wounded students. We’re just fortunate that none of the injuries have been life-threatening… yet.”

 

Aurora thought for a moment. “And… since you’re having me investigate, I suppose this means you think they may not be accidents?”

 

Crowley nodded. “I’m sure many students are too excited about trying out for the Magift teams that they are unable to focus properly. But this is far more accidents than we’ve had in past years. Furthermore, all of the wounded students were considered contenders to make their dorms’ teams.”

 

“I see…”

 

“That being said, we have no evidence of foul play. All of these accidents happened in public spaces, and all of the witnesses said the same thing: ‘it looked like he was just being careless.’”

 

“So…” Thinking over the different types of spells she knew of, Aurora began to speculate. “Perhaps some type of hypnosis magic then? I would think that would be a bit obvious to witness, but perhaps they were able to subtly cast from a distance?”

 

“An excellent line of thinking, Aurora,” Crowley praised. “And that is why I am assigning you to this task.”

 

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Aurora waved her hands as she protested. “I’m happy to help, but shouldn’t I at least receive some form of compensation for this? I’ve already been thrust into a new world and taken care of an Overblot – quite a fair bit to handle at once, you see.”

 

“Well, I could… um, you see –”

 

“How about this,” Aurora proposed. “There’s a nice little starlight grimoire at Sam’s Mystery Shop that I want. That would do quite nicely.”

 

Crowley sighed. “Yes, that will do, if I must. If you want it, then you have to either tell me who the perpetrator is – with solid, irrefutable evidence in your hands – or bring a stop to any and all accidents at least three full days before the start of the tournament.”

 

“Fair enough,” she agreed with a grin. “And in return, you’ll purchase the grimoire and permanently deliver it to me – in pristine condition – within twenty-four hours of the start of the tournament.”

 

Crowley nodded in agreement. “So it shall be. I look forward to seeing how you handle this, Aurora.”

 

As Crowley made his way outside, he muttered to himself, “Pride and Greed always were far closer than they liked to admit.”

_____________________________________________

 

“Hey, Luce?” Mammon shut the door behind him going into Lucifer’s study. “I’m… gonna need ‘ta make a couple trips soon. Like, real soon.”

 

Lucifer looked up at his younger brother from his piles of work. “And where were you going to?”

 

“First, I need ‘ta meet up with ‘Walt’ and see what he can tell me.”

 

Lucifer pressed his lips together apprehensively. “Are you sure that’s wise, Mammon? I know you said he doesn’t have possession over his old powers anymore, but I still don’t want anyone catching wind of this. Especially our Father.”

 

“Nah, it’ll be fine,” Mammon assured. “Guy’s sittin’ all cozy with the mouse logo ‘cuz of my connections – I think he’ll be fine answerin’ a couple questions. I jus’... might need your help gettin’ approval to go on up there to the Human Realm.

 

I can get you the approval to go up there,” Lucifer agreed. “You did just have a birthday, after all. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

 

“Oi, how dumb d’ya think I am?”

 

Lucifer shook his head fondly. “So you think you’ll need multiple trips up there?”

 

Mammon shook his head. “Nah, the topside one’s easy. ‘S the other one that’s gonna be a bit trickier.”

 

“How so?” Lucifer narrowed his exhausted eyes slightly.

 

“Well…” Mammon wrang his hands anxiously. “It’s about… well, you know. The thing that only you know. About him.”

 

“Mammon, we’re in the privacy of my office.”

 

“I know, but I’m so used to speakin’ in code about him.”

 

“...Fine. What about him?”

 

“I think he’s deliberately keepin’ secrets from me.”

 

Lucifer inhaled sharply at that. “But… he might be older and technically more powerful Mammon, but you are still his Master… I don’t understand.”

 

“Me neither, Luce…” The white-haired demon shook his head. “My crow familiars keep leadin’ me in circles 'round the area I was using ‘em to spy on the route you told me she disappeared on. That’s why I needa go out to his tree when I can – talk ta him face-to-face an’ figure out what’s goin’ on.”

 

“Alright,” Lucifer agreed. “It will take a little while before I can keep His Lordship occupied long enough for you to go there, but… yes. Find out what is going on with Karasu.”

Notes:

Annnnd that's a wrap! Hope you liked!

Riddle's having a crisis bc he never knew so many bad rules existed

Ahhh Rook and Vil, my lovely, shady little creeps (affectionate)

Crowley's having a headache (which let's be real, he deserves one or two for all the shit he does)

And... just what IS going on with Karasu, anyways? ;)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 27: Kneelie Court

Summary:

In which Riddle talks to his mother, Malleus and Leona snipe at each other, Aurora investigates, and Lilia is an agent of chaos.

Notes:

Hi lovelies! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As Riddle sat at his desk that night, his phone began to ring, the familiar number of his mother jolting him from his studies. “Hello, Mother,” he greeted, silently cursing his rash decision last week.

 

“Hello, Riddle. I trust you have been making sufficient progress in your studies?”

 

“...Yes, mother. My grades are still perfect, and I have been careful to stay ahead in regards to all necessary subjects.”

 

“...Good. I’m calling for an update on the inquiry process. Headmage Crowley has been… unhelpful, to say the least, in regards to turning over information on that Mr. Morningstar.”

 

Riddle cleared his throat. “I’ve actually… been gathering some intel of my own. And… I have a feeling it might be because there is no currently existing information on him. You see… he claims to be an off-worlder – like the Traveler Alice was.”

 

“I see.”

 

He thought back on some of his discussions with Aurora. “And, I think I believe him. He… he’s talked a little bit about his world, and he is apparently from a high-ranking family there – in a world with some extremely disturbing tendencies.”

 

“How so? And how did you come to learn this?”

 

“He and I were engaged in a discussion over the rules of the Queen of Hearts and he made a few off-hand remarks about rules that I followed up on. And… he claims to have extremely dangerous and powerful family members that enforced horrid rules. One such example is a grandfather that murdered his child over some type of illicit love affair, as well as forbidding women from several public forums as badly as – if not worse than – the old empire in the Kingdom of Heroes did many millenia ago.”

 

Scribbling sounded from the other side of the phone. “...I see. And were you able to find anything out regarding how he came into the knowledge of the song?”

 

“Yes. He… he claims it to be common knowledge from his world. Perhaps one of those off-world travelers spread the song?”

 

“...Perhaps. Still, it is quite disturbing that someone – or several someones, by his account – have access to what is supposed to be a Queendom secret.”

 

Riddle found himself nodding along. “Yes, I agree.”

 

“Oh, and Riddle darling?”

 

He held his breath at her chilly tone. “Yes, mother?”

 

“I received a letter from Night Raven College asking me to attend a meeting regarding you.” Riddle’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Is there anything else you would like to tell me now?”

 

Riddle placed a hand on his throat, willing the queasy feeling welling up to not manifest itself just yet. “I… yes, mother…”

 

“Then out with it,” she snapped. “What did you do?”

 

Tears welled into his eyes, gripping his pant leg as he attempted to formulate a composed sentence. “...I… I Overblotted, mother…”

 

Deafening silence resounded across the line for a brief moment in time before all hell broke loose. “And how did this come to be?! I taught you better than that, did I not?! You are to remain in control of your magic at all times! Using so much magic is dangerous and reckless, Riddle! You’re lucky to even be ALIVE right now, do you hear me?!”

 

He sniffled pathetically. “I know, Mother, I know, I know!”

 

“Do NOT talk back to me!” she snarled across the phone. “I just KNEW sending you off was a terrible idea! We WLL be discussing the future of your enrollment at that pitiful excuse for a school once I arrive there for my meeting with the faculty, do you hear me?! You’re lucky that someone managed to pull you out of that state – do you even KNOW how horribly that could’ve turned out?! And now your image is no doubt ruined by whatever havoc you wreaked! Why, I–”

 

“Stop,” he whimpered. “Please, stop, mother, I already know this!” Riddle wailed. “I’m trying to improve myself and make things better!”

 

“Clearly, you DON’T know,” she barreled on, “or else you wouldn’t have Overblotted in the first place! Seriously, Riddle, was it not enough to break the rules once and eat all that sugar with those hooligans? Now you’re acting out –”

 

Fat tears desperately rolled down Riddle’s cheeks. “Stop it, stop it, STOP IT–”

 

“You’re only proving my point, you insolent child!” The door to Riddle’s office slammed open, revealing a very concerned Cater and Trey. “You constantly seek out new ways to get in trouble and–”

 

Before she could utter the rest of her sentence, Cater grabbed the phone from the sobbing boy and ended the call. “There, there, it’s gonna be okay, ‘kay?”

 

Trey held the sobbing boy in his arms, comfortingly petting his hair. “We’ve got you Riddle, alright? Would you like to talk about what happened?’

 

“Okay…”

______________________________________________________________

 

Leona lay in the grasses of the botanical gardens as an unfortunately familiar figure approached him to disturb his nap.

 

“Ah, Kingscholar. I see you’re still lounging about in here.” The figure loomed over the lion, a fanged grin on display.

 

Leona groaned. “Jus’ go away already, you stupid lizard.”

 

“Don’t be like that,” the tall man admonished, “I am merely in here to gather a few materials I need for an upcoming assignment. An assignment that you no doubt have for your own class, as well. Unless, of course, you’re hoping to stay here yet another year?”

 

“I’m gonna make good on that promise to use those useless horns as a coat hanger,” the lion threatened.

 

An amused chuckle escaped the fey man. “You are certainly welcome to try, but I expect it to go as well as it did last time.”

 

“Do you ever take anything seriously, lizard?”

 

“I would take your threat more seriously if I had reason to be concerned by you. Instead, maybe I should make good on my promise of removing those little claws of yours.”

 

Leona’s fingers dug into the soil, indenting it and ripping up grass. “We’ll see who’s declawed in just a few weeks.”

 

“Oh, that Magift tournament? You’re certainly welcome to put forth your best effort, but we both know how it’s going to go.”

 

Leona’s eyes darkened in fury. “You KNOW there ain’t nothin’ I hate more –”

 

“Yes, I remember.”

 

“Yeah, whatever. Whaddya say we make this interestin’?”

 

The “lizard” grinned, a challenging gleam in his eye. “And what exactly are you proposing, Kingscholar? Nothing that will tarnish your reputation too far, I hope.”

 

“Bold of ya to assume I’m the one gettin’ humiliated here.”

 

The fey just smirked in response. “So what is your suggestion, then?”

 

“Losing captain kneels and kisses the winning captain’s feet at the end of the match.” A sadistic gleam entered the lion’s eyes at the mental image of the prideful, arrogant dragon finally kneeling for him.

 

“Oh?” The fey had an eerily similar expression. “Well, it’s not the way I’d prefer you to be on your knees for me, but I suppose I’ll have to settle for what I can.”

 

Leona growled, flushing in something akin to shame. “Yeah, well, you’re not gettin’ that again, Malleus. Wasted too much fuckin’ time like that already. And it’ll be you kneeling for me, this time,” he leered.

 

“Oh? Are you truly so confident?” Malleus laughed. “Your confidence is falsely assured, but if you care to, you are certainly more than welcome to make the bargain official.” Malleus held out his hand, a green glow emitting from his hand.

 

“...Alright.” Leona paused to formulate the exact terms he wanted to specify. “Kneeling has to happen by the losing party within five minutes of the end of the match. Five standard minutes, not any alternate methods of measuring time that you fey like to use. In the center of the field, while the cameras are still rollin’, and the kneeling has to be for at least twenty seconds. Kiss has to be at least three seconds long.”

 

“Very well,” Malleus smirked. “I just hope you don’t regret the terms of the deal in a few weeks when you lose again.”

 

“Not gonna happen, lizard.”

 

So the two shook hands, a green crackle of magic binding their deal.

_________________________________________________________

 

Across campus, as Aurora walked into the nurse’s office to interview the last witness of the day, her vision once more was spotted with dark ink and that golden background. ‘This is getting way out of control. And that dream I had last night of all the hyenas… Last time there was the red vision and mirror dreams, everything was going awry in Heartslabyul… so I wonder if this could be Savanaclaw. Leona, please don’t make life hard for me here.’

 

As her vision cleared, she finally walked over to the student from Heartslabyul.

 

“Hey,” the patient’s friend called out, “you’re that guy from Ramshackle! The one who handled the whole unbirthday situation! What are you doing here?”

 

She stepped forward, giving a small wave to the pair. “I’m actually here to ask you a few questions about your accident if that’s all right.”

 

The injured boy nodded quickly. “I wish I knew what happened myself, man. I was walking along, talking to my friend here. And next thing I knew, BOOM!” He clapped his hands together for emphasis. “I was tumbling down the stairs.”

 

“Yeah,” the friend corroborated. “I didn’t even see him stumbling or anything.”

 

The patient shuddered. “It was like my body just lurched forward by itself. I can’t really explain it.”

 

Aurora nodded. “And you were on the staircase when this happened, correct?”

 

“Yep. Last night, too.”

 

“And was there anyone in particular around you who seemed to stick out?”

 

He shook his head. “Nope. There were a lot of other students, but nobody doing anything crazy.”

 

‘Probably someone hiding from the crowd, then.’ “Got it. Thank you for your cooperation, and I wish you a speedy recovery.”

 

“Thanks man!”

 

“At least they didn’t demand to fight me like those Pomefiore boys did.’

 

Having interviewed the final patient, Aurora made her way back to Ramshackle for the day, reviewing Grim’s answers to his “homework” absent-mindedly. ‘ Better finish as much investigation as possible before freshmen officially join clubs Monday. ’ Near the end, the front door of the dorm opened and Ace waltzed in.

 

“Heyyyyy,” he greeted her as he walked up and kissed her on the cheek. “How’d your investigation thingie go? Figure out who it is yet?”

 

“Not technically,” she admitted. “Whoever’s doing this is pretty good at covering their tracks. So while I still think the mirror’s trying to tell me it’s Savanaclaw, I don’t have a way to prove it.”

 

“Mmm,” he hummed. “So like, ya gonna beat up the Housewarden there too?”

 

“...Not unless I run out of other ideas,” she admitted. As the two giggled, the door flung open again. “Deuce, there you are!”

 

“Guys, we got a big problem!” He ran in frantically, eyes darting around wildly.

 

“Hey hey, calm down, Loosey-Deucy,” Ace teased. “What’s gotcha all freaked out?”

 

“Trey fell down the stairs! He’s hurt!” Deuce screeched.

 

“They got Trey too?” Aurora frowned. “Some of the others I understand, but Trey’s skilled enough that I would’ve thought he would be harder to get.”

 

“Let’s go see what he has to say.”

________________________________________________

 

“Lilia?” Malleus approached the shorter fey in the privacy of his quarters.

 

“Yes, Malleus?”

 

“I find myself in need of… advice. Specifically… romantic advice.”

 

Lilia’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, did you finally meet them? I was wondering how well the two of you would hit it off. Ah, I think the two of you might be really happy together. Oh, how my old heart is so happy!” He dramatically spun around, flopping to his bed for extra comedic effect.

 

Malleus cleared his throat. “...Actually, instead of someone new, I find myself in a conundrum with Kingscholar.”

 

Lilia visibly drooped at the revelation. “Ah, I see. Has he suddenly reneged on his previous snide remarks against you and given into his feelings?”

 

Malleus shook his head. “...Not quite, Lilia. I… I am unaware if the bet that he asked to make is some sort of… beastman courting ritual?”

 

“Oho?”

 

“Yes…” So Malleus explained the terms of the bet, all the while his mentor grew a sly grin. “So… what is it you think of this development, Lilia?”

 

“Fufu… Why yes, yes indeed! Ah, I do believe I recall some similar courtship practice during my age in the Afterglow Savanna! Ah, to think the youth of today still battle for dominance to show affection…

 

Malleus’s eyes widened akin to saucers at his mentor’s answer. “So you believe I still have a chance, then? But… I don’t understand why then…”

 

“That is something you’ll have to figure out on your own, my dear boy.”

 

Later to himself, he snickered, “I wonder which of them shall end up as my child-in-law…”

Notes:

Hope you like it!

Riddle's mom sucks, and she knows about poor Riddle now :'(

Okay. Look. Before you come at me, I absolutely LOVE Malleus. He is my all-time FAVORITE. That being said, bc he's very soft to Yuu in-game, it's very easy to overlook just how arrogant and catty he can be at times. (Also, has anyone read Malleus's SR Robes vignette? There's NO way he and Leona don't have some sort of personal history and I stand by that, Your Honor.) That being said, he is still very much and adorable dork and I hope I portrayed that balance well.

And Aurora's making progress in her investigation! Well, some.

And Lilia is just the ultimate agent of chaos IMO, playing everyone at all times XD

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 28: Sickly Sweet

Summary:

In which Aurora attempts to investigate with her boyfriends, and Cater makes some big reveals.

Notes:

Hi there, lovelies! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Ace, Deuce, and Aurora rolled into Trey’s room at Heartlabyul, greeting him where the vice prefect was propped up on a canopy bed.

 

“Hey, hey! It’s the infamous trio!” Cater waved at them.

 

“Hey…”

 

Ace waltzed by, barely acknowledging the energetic upperclassman. “Anyway, how d’you feel, Trey? And how’d you get hurt?”

 

The older boy scratched the back of his neck. “Slipped on the stairs. I couldn’t catch myself, and my ankle got all messed up. I’ll be on crutches for a while.”

 

“Yikes,” Deuce sympathized. “That sounds pretty bad!”

 

“Yep,” Trey agreed. “Looks like I’ll be warming the bench at the Magift tournament this year.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Ugh, hashtag #fail!” Cater whined. “Now that we’ve lost a power player, we have to redo our team roster!”

 

“Pssst, Aurora!” Ace leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Can you do your… thing? Here?”

 

She leaned in and whispered back, “...I can try? I’ve never been able to heal much besides minor topical wounds, but… I can definitely at least relieve the pain.”

 

“Hey hey,” Cater trilled. “Whatcha guys whispering about? Come on, you can tell me.”

 

Aurora hummed thoughtfully. “Cater, could you maybe leave the room? I’ve got a spell that might help, but… I kinda need the room clear for it.”

 

Cater narrowed his eyes in response. “No-can-do, Rory! Gotta keep watch and all. ‘Course, if it’s on the up-and-up, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

 

Rory is short for Lorelai, dumbass, not Aurora! ’ She rolled her eyes. “It’s still kinda a big spell, and I prefer not to do it around too many people.”

 

“Yeah, so you can charm Trey like you tried to charm me? I don’t think so,” Cater bit.

 

Ace and Deuce whipped their heads over to Aurora. “You have GOT to calm down with that Pridey McPrideface thing you like to do, hon!”

 

“Okay, one, we’re gonna talk about what to call it later,” Aurora admonished. “And two… Cater. Clearly, you were able to resist it, so why don’t you go ahead and admit your true power already?

 

He huffed, “I got no idea what you’re talking about!”

 

“Can everyone calm down?” Trey asked, heard by nobody in particular.

 

Stepping forward at an inhuman speed, Aurora grasped Cater’s chin in her gloved hand, her eyes beginning to glow. “ Why don’t you admit how powerful you truly are? SHOW how powerful you are? Because the truth is, ” she murmured as she began to leak an aura of violet light, “ you’re a little bit like me.

 

Trey began to cough violently, clutching his head in pain. Ace and Deuce braced themselves against the wall, leaning on each other for support. “Is this the…”

 

Cater, though closer, appeared far less affected than any of the others in the room. “And how’s that, exactly? ‘Cause I think I’ve got more control over my powers than you do, you know? Haven’t exactly pulled this sort of thing since I was a toddler.”

 

So I was right… ” A glint shined in the girl’s eyes until the door slammed open, a frantic Riddle barging in.

 

“Why are there so many people in here, and just WHAT is going on?! Trey is supposed to be resting!”

 

As his voice snapped Aurora back to her senses, she dropped Cater’s chin, her eyes returning to normal as the aura disappeared. The three boys heaved great sighs of relief, the lack of supernatural power allowing them to function normally again.

 

“Aurora? And Cater too, I suppose, from the snippet of your conversation I was able to catch through… all of that,” Trey started with a heave, looking at the lack of surprise from his darty-eyed underclassmen. “Would you two care to explain just WHAT that was all about?”

 

“Uhhhh…” Aurora panicked. ‘ How could I have lost control so recklessly? Just from a little chat? I’m lucky I didn’t seriously hurt someone… and there’s no way I can explain this to even more people. Especially since my haphazard plan so far with Savanaclaw probably involves revealing myself AGAIN.’ “How about I heal you first, and questions later?” ‘Buy myself a little bit of time.’

 

“Nuh-uh,” Cater snapped. “That’s exactly what got us in this mess in the first place.”

 

“Um, Cater,” Deuce defended her, “isn’t it actually because you didn’t let Aurora heal him?”

 

“Oh, you’re just on his side ‘cuz the three of you are snogging,” he sniped back.

 

“Hey, Aurora was tryin’ to do a nice thing for ya!” Ace stepped in.

 

“ENOUGH!” Riddle snapped. “Trey, please, do not hesitate to call me if there’s anything I can bring you. Everyone else,” he eyed Aurora and Cater in particular, “we’re taking this somewhere else. My office. NOW.”

__________________________________________________

 

The group stepped into Riddle’s office, where the boy slammed the door and sternly crossed his arms, “Now, would you all like to explain what happened here, or shall I take your heads first?”

 

Everyone minus Aurora shuddered.

 

“I… apologize,” she started off. “I wanted to do something nice for Trey and try to heal him up a little bit — or at the very least, ease his pain. But… I didn’t want someone I don’t know very well,” she gestured at Cater, “to be in the room. I… try not to show off all of my powers, and for good reason, as you just saw. Not that that’s  what I was planning to do, of course, but… it involves magic I’m still learning about. Magic with a lot of… secrets.”

 

Riddle nodded along. “And what caused the escalation?”

 

“Ah, about that,” Cater sighed. “I kinda freaked out ‘cause I thought he might charm Trey like he tried to charm me.”

 

At the lack of reaction from the prefect, Aurora raised her eyebrows. “Hold up a minute — you both knew about that?”

 

“Yes,” the redhead confirmed.

 

“...that’s why you were so pissed at me that day, wasn’t it.”

 

“...that may have been a… contributing factor.”

 

“Aurora, ya gotta be more careful with that crap,” Ace chided.

 

“You knew he could do this?!”

 

“Uhhhhh…”

 

“Moving on,” Aurora tried to distract Riddle, “Cater. If you’re blowing my secret, I’m blowing yours. Why do you pretend you’re weaker than you are? And don’t give me excuses, I know your magic is very similar to mine. You’re good at hiding your aura, but you can’t fool me.”

 

Cater sweat-dropped, groaning. “If you’re right — and you’re scary enough you might be — why the power difference then? Like, seriously?”

 

“Ahem,” Riddle cleared his throat. “Would you two like to fill us in as to what you’re talking about?”

 

“Well…”

 

Deuce grabbed her wrist, whisper-yelling to her. “Are you sure it’s really okay?!”

 

“Deuce,” Riddle warned.

 

“Yeah, it’s fine,” she quietly assured him before turning back. “So, Cater. Is this a ‘you show me yours and I’ll show you mine’ type of deal?”

 

He slowly nodded. “Fine, but you’re going first, ‘kay?”

 

She grinned and extended her hand. “Care to make it official?”

 

“Must we?”

 

She cocked a brow. “Like I said, if you’re blowing my secret, I’m making sure I’m not alone in this.”

 

“Ugh, fine. So what, we shake on it now?”

 

“Pretty much. I, Aurora Morningstar, vow to the one I know as Cater Diamond, that I shall reveal my true form. In exchange, they must reveal their true form as well, no less than sixty seconds after I have fulfilled my end of the bargain. Do you agree to these terms?”

 

He sighed, a small bead of sweat on his brow. “Yes…” he clasped her hand and shook it, the magic of the deal running through his veins.

 

While Ace and Deuce had seen this type of exchange already, one person in the room had not. “Will someone tell me what is going ON already!” Riddle demanded.

 

“Alright, alright,” Aurora placated, “I’ll show you. Just… not pitchforks please, alright?” With that, she took a deep breath as she changed her form, revealing once more her great wings and ethereal silhouette.

 

“What — what ARE you?” Riddle gasped. “Are you some type of fey?”

 

Aurora shook her head. “I’m… a mixture of a lot of things, actually.”

 

Cater narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s… not quite what I was expecting. Also, are girls allowed at this school even?”

 

Riddle paused, nearly choking on air as he thought for a moment. “I supposed there’s nothing that technically precludes you from attending… but why go to all those lengths to hide yourself?”

 

“The girl thing? I already stick out enough, no need to add men possibly being weird to me to the pile,” she explained. “This form? Technically both forms are ‘real,’ as I am still legitimately part human. But… the whole ‘half-demon’ thing might not be too… fondly looked-upon.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Your turn, Cater.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” The ginger took a deep breath, revealing two tiny red horns poking out from his skull, dressed in a skintight black leather vest and slacks, red diamond patterns decorating his arms. A pair of small, bat-like wings protruded from his back, completing the look. “There. Happy?” The magic finally fizzled out, the deal having been completed on both ends.

 

“Holy shit!” “Cater, you too?! I never woulda guessed!”

 

Riddle struggled to pick up his gaping jaw. “I — what — how?! Both of you?!”

 

“Welcome to the club, Housewarden,” Ace congratulated him. “We got two extremely powerful people who could kick our ass at a moment’s notice.”

 

“Yeah, about that,” Cater cut in. “Aurora, why do you keep insisting I’m so ‘powerful’? My magic isn’t exactly packing the kind of punch yours is.”

 

“Well, my mom is an extremely powerful sorcerer – number one or two in my world, depending on what rank you go by – and we probably have different demons as parents. Who is your demon parent, anyways?”

 

Cater shook his head sorrowfully. “I… I don’t know, you know? My… my mom had a difficult pregnancy with me. Lasted almost a year, too. And… well, let’s just say when this, ” he gestured to his demonic form, “came out, it… also came out that my mom had an affair. It’s why I hate sweets, you know? My mom and sisters – my mom especially, though – went through a phase where they really liked to bake sweets. She told me that my dad – my bio one – really liked sweets too, and she’d end up pretty much stuffing treats down my throat ‘til I was getting sick all the time, and I developed a permanent aversion .

 

“Oh my gods!”

 

“What the fuck?!”

 

“Cater… I – I never knew…” Riddle stepped closer, braving his confusion to take the taller boy’s hand in his own.

 

“That’s awful!” ‘What the fuck is wrong with the parents at this school?!’ “So, you had to figure out your powers all on your own? I can’t even imagine…” 

 

He nodded. “Yeah, wasn’t… wasn’t all pretty when I was younger. Thought I might be shipped off somewhere, you know? So I figured out how to hide myself – physically and socially – and I’ve done it every day since. Can’t let anyone find out what a freak of nature I am!” He forced a giggle out, tears welling up in his eyes.

 

‘This poor guy… it’s already lonely enough, and with that level of mistreatment to boot…’ “Train with me,” she stated.

 

“Huh?!”

 

“If you want to, that is,” she clarified. “I… am still learning about my own powers, clearly, but I do still have an understanding of many things. If you’d like to… then I can try to help you understand your own powers too – at least the ones we have in common. You don’t have to hide with me – with anyone in this room. I… I get having to hide yourself, and it fucking sucks. So… no more.”

 

“You really… huh. Okay,” he considered. “But still, why did you try to charm me that day?”

 

She shrugged. “I thought you were lying about your power levels, so I was maaaybe trying to get you to slip and talk about it just a little more.”

 

“You really are devious… Okay,” he agreed. “I… yeah. I wouldn’t mind maybe doing a bit more with the stuff I have. Just… please promise me we’re gonna be careful, ‘kay? You haven’t been  exactly subtle with your powers all around here.”

 

“Yeah,” she grinned, “I can be careful.”

________________________________________

 

The group finally stepped back into Trey’s room, Aurora and Cater back in their normal “human” forms. “Hey,” he greeted. “Did you guys get everything figured out?”

 

Everyone looked at each other frantically, Cater clasping his arms together. “...Yeah,” he answered. “Yeah, I think so.”

 

Taking note of Riddle biting his lip nervously in the back of the group, he tried to draw the attention of everyone else. “Glad to hear it, guys.”

 

“So…” Aurora broke the silence. “You ready for some magical healing?” Upon Trey’s confirmation, Aurora drew out the brush, manifesting blue ink as she focused. “May the wounds that torment your flesh heal together, and may the vestiges of pain that linger within the creature before me disappear.” As she cast her spell, the blue substance streamed out, wrapping itself in tendrils around Trey’s messy ankle, slowly easing the break to a much smaller injury as the pain completely vanished.

 

Trey balked at the display of healing magic. “How –”

 

Aurora shushed him. “This doesn’t leave the room here, okay?”

_____________________________________________________

 

The group met back in the lounge, letting Trey rest the last of his injury away.

 

“So, Riddle… How did Trey end up fallin’ anyways?” Ace asked. “He doesn’t seem the type to be careless.”

 

Riddle frowned. “He… it’s my fault. Last night, I was… distracted, and was walking with him. But… I lost control and fell. Trey never would have slipped if he hadn’t caught me when I was about to tumble over.”

 

Looking at the way the three freshmen glanced at each other, Cater butted in. “‘Kay, guys, what do you know about this one?”

 

“Well…” So Aurora explained Headmage Crowley’s task for her – leaving out the part about the suspicions regarding Savanaclaw. “Honestly, I’m more worried about making the accidents stop. Sure, without solid proof, Crowley can’t do anything, but… that doesn’t mean I can’t,” she grinned. ‘Also I feel a tiny bit bad ratting out Leona – assuming it’s him – if he has some bad history with this Malleus guy. And, he’s kept quiet about the secret he knows, and hasn’t tried to blackmail me. That definitely counts for something at this school.’

 

“Scary…” Cater sighed.

 

“I’m not sure I completely agree, but I see where you’re coming from,” Riddle mused. “But… yes. I must admit that I found the circumstances odd as well. I’ve had Cater looking into it for me.”

 

“And I found out that all of the victims have been talented players like Riddle and Trey,” the ginger confirmed.

 

“To be clear,” Riddle interjected, “it wasn’t as if I had been pushed, or that I had tripped. But I did feel a peculiar sensation, like… my body was moving of its own volition.”

 

“That’s what everyone has been saying,” Aurora recalled. “It still sounds like my initial assessment – some type of hypnosis magic, or something in a similar vein.”

 

Riddle scowled. “Unfortunately, that is far too solid a hypothesis to dismiss. Now, I believe we can safely surmise that potential Magift players are being targeted. A good performance at this tournament can make a player’s whole career. It’s no surprise that some would resort to underhanded methods to even the odds.”

 

“But how did they hide it?” Cater asked. “Wouldn’t it be, like, super noticeable?”

 

“The culprit can tell us all about it when we capture him.” Riddle declared. “ And we intend to help you do that. Now… if we’re going to apprehend this culprit, we need to stay a step ahead of him – we will protect the target, and attack if the culprit strikes.”

 

“How are we doing that?” Deuce asked.

 

“I’ve already identified a number of potential targets from among the most promising players,” Cater jumped back in. “Here, hop on Magicam. I’ll form a group so you can take a look at what I got.”

 

As everyone joined the new group Cater made, they found hundreds upon hundreds of picture of various students, depicting many of the possible targets. “Whoa, Cater, this is a ton of information!” Deuce admired.

 

“Now, let’s move!” Cater beckoned everyone. “Let’s nail this guy!”

Notes:

Annnnnd that's a wrap!

Yeah, uh... Aurora losing control of her powers is not a pretty sight. And this is only a taste of it. XD

Cater backstory/powers reveal! Poor guy... Also... any theories as to who/what his father could be?

Aurora's also gaining healing powers with the brush!

And finally, FINALLY, the investigation is starting to move! Wonder how her next meetings with everyone are gonna go...

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 29: Walt Disney Investigations

Summary:

In which Aurora and the gang continue their investigation, but their investigatees are super suspicious. Also, Mammon breaks into his little brother's house. (Technically his little brother at least, even if their relationship is a bit odd.)

Notes:

Hi there lovelies! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The amateur detective squad carefully tread through a mirror framed by a large metallic peacock, stepping out to Pomefiore where they encountered a lovely lavender castle framed with rich green foliage. Encountering no resistance, they made their way inside to the lounge – more akin to a throne room with its decor and curtained seat.

 

“That’s actually a pretty good replica of the movie,’ Aurora noted. “Assuming it’s not the legit one?’

 

“Okay,” Cater reminded everyone. “There’s a junior named Rook Hunt who’s caught my eye. He has a blond bob cute and a fedora – you can’t miss him. Well, at least I thought he’d be here…”

 

That familiar shiver ran down Aurora’s spine.

 

Riddle nodded in agreement. “Rook is an exceptional player. He performed extremely well in last year’s tournament. But he is a bit of an… odd duck, one might say. Hmmm, where would he be…” He cast his eyes over towards the prefect and a lavender-haired boy Aurora didn’t recognize.

 

“Whoa,” Ace recoiled as he looked over in the same direction. “Those dudes are, like, glitter bombs in human form. Well, maybe human,” he guessed. “I don’t know what to expect anymore, man. Let’s just find this Rook guy and gete out.”

 

Bonjour, bonjour! ” A voice called from several feet behind the group. “Vil, Epel! At attention, non? We have visitors ,” he cooed. A man stalked up silently – no doubt it was this “Rook Hunt” in question. “Roi de Roses and Monsieur Magicam, it truly is a pleasure,” he trilled as he circled the flock. “And accompanied by the infamous trois of Class 1-A, too! Ace Trappola, 172 centimeters tall. Species: Human. Deuce Spade, 173 centimeters tall. Species: Human. Aurora Morningstar, 193 centimeters tall. Species: unconfirmed.”

 

“Okay, THAT is freaky!” Ace screeched.

 

“How do you know so much about us, anyways?” Deuce had the good sense to ask.

 

“Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself,” he swooned while ignoring the concerns. “Come come, you all must stay with us for a while,” he invited.

 

“Oh, that’s a kind offer, but we actually should be quick here,” Aurora swiftly denied. ‘He’s the huntsman – but several times creepier! And I didn’t even hear him until he made his presence known! I know I’m still a somewhat inexperienced demon, but still… I should’ve been able to pick up some cue he was nearby! I didn’t even hear the fucker’s heartbeat! And he’s far too observant to be taken lightly…”

 

“Oh, non, but it would be rude of us not to offer you our finest after you have taken the time to come and visit us, no?” He circled them, piercing eyes never leaving her.

 

“I, um… actually just came to check on your dorm’s progress with the Magift paperwork,” she lied. “Kinda stupid, but I guess the headmage couldn’t be bothered to check himself.”

 

“Ah, truly?” He put a finger to his lips as he pretended to reach into his memory, predatory gaze still targeting her. “I don’t remember him doing such a thing in the past.”

 

“I wouldn’t know, but it’s why Riddle and everyone else is here. I hit Heartslabyul first, and they came with me so I wouldn’t be going it alone. Right, Riddle?”

 

“...Right.”

 

“Ah, the everlasting beauty of friends travelling hand in hand to complete a mission! But what I would give to witness such a bold display of solidarity,” he sighed theatrically.

 

Aurora grimaced. ‘I know it’s Disney villains, but everyone is so dramatic! And he’s so creepy! “...I’ll just tell the headmage that you seem to have it under control. Sort of.”

 

“Nonsense,” the prefect’s demanding voice rang across the room, his tall heels clicking against the room as he swept across the room to greet them. “After all, you’ve come all this way and gone to all this trouble, ” he reinforced Rook with a smug grin on his face. “Surely you could stay a moment longer for some tea as we discuss more of the specifics?”

 

And that was how the makeshift detective group found themselves seated around the small tea table in the lounge, Vil and Rook picking at the miniscule details of their etiquette skills. “Such unsighly, unwashed potatoes,” he sneered at Ace and Deuce. “You’re holding your pinkies all wrong – come, now, like this,” he instructed.

 

‘Suddenly I’m really glad Uncle Sol made me do some of that etiquette training…’ Aurora was on her best behavior as she and Rook kept glancing back and forth at each other, the latter far too excited about this situation.

 

“Ah, such passion from our Roi du Poison!” He diverted his attention back to his Housewarden. “Beaute, indeed!”

 

“See, little Epel,” Aurora’s ears picked up Vil’s near-imperceptible whisper to Epel, “do you see how refined some of them are? Housewarden Rosehearts, especially. Him and Housewarden Morningstar are the two strongest of our guests, but by your narrow worldview, you would immediately dismiss them as a non-threat.”

 

“I don’ get why I should be so ‘fraid of ‘sum skinny guy lookin’ all flow’ry an’ all that,” the small boy mumbled. “He’s lit’rally gots a stinkin’ rose all up in ‘is ‘air. Jus’ tear it out an’ I reckon he’d cry like a spring rain.”

 

“Epel,” Vil warned lowly. “We WILL keep going over this until you get it in your thick head. Gendering fashion or body types has no place in this world, particularly not in this era. Really, while he has so much to learn yet on some of the finer points of decorum, he’s already far ahead of you.”

 

Her nose twitched as she eavesdropped on them. ‘Wow, Epel’s a little bitch. Never mind what I thought earlier, Vil’s treatment of him makes complete sense now. Kind of. Also, if that isn’t the most backhanded compliment I’ve ever been given.’

 

Unfortunately, her small break of composure did not go unnoticed, even as Riddle and Cater attempted to reign the card boys in. “Ah, Monsieur Cygne Noir, does something trouble you?”

 

“...No,” she lied through narrow eyes. “All good here.”

 

“Ah, and here I thought you would show your righteous anger towards the Monsieur Crabapple for the things he just said about you,” he bemoaned loudly. “Unless, of course, you weren’t able to hear him just now?”

 

“Wait, who’s sayin’ what about who?!”

 

“Ace,” Riddle scolded, “keep your voice down.”

 

“But I wanna know what he said!”

 

“Apologies for the little apple’s display of vulgarity,” Vil directed to Aurora. “I am still working on beating basic decency and manners into him. He has a pretty face, making the dissonance all the more stark, I’m afraid. You see, I believe he’s under the false impression that he’s stronger than the housewardens at this table – besides myself, and even then only because I have defeated him. Perhaps you would deign to correct this notion? You certainly have a reputation that suggests you would, at least.”

 

‘Oh, this is definitely a trap, this is definitely a trap…’ “Well,” she started slowly, “I’m certainly not fond of throwing my strength around carelessly…” ‘So long as I’m thinking clearly enough to recognize the dangers of it, at least.’ She ignored her friends’ barely-concealed chortles.

 

“Yeah, yer girly ass would prob’ly go down in two seconds flat,” Epel muttered a little louder than he realized.

 

“Oh shit…” Aurora’s companions collectively groaned at what would inevitably follow.

 

‘That’s how he wants to play? Okay, then, get fucked.’ “Epel,” she called just a little too sweetly for comfort, “you don’t have to pretend among us, you know? You can just admit that you have deep-ridden shame about your appearance,” she emphasized with the briefest flash of magic to prick at his pride. “Of course, your preconceptions about appearances don’t give you the right to attack someone – and I can guarantee that if you try to take something from me, well… I’m not going to be the one crying ‘like a spring rain,’” she threw back at him while reaching over and giving his hand a "friendly" squeeze.

 

"Owie-ow!"

 

“Magnifique! Returning his bold threats with a hearty declaration of your own!”

 

And so the rest of the gathering passed in similar tension until the group finally began to mosey out.

 

“Aurora Morningstar,” Vil stopped her on the way out. “I have an offer for you.”

 

She paused, perusing his face for a possible threat. “...I’m listening.”

 

He smirked. “As a fellow housewarden, I am sure that you are aware of the Vocal and Dance Championship coming up later in the year, correct?”

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

“Wonderful. And would it be an accurate assessment to say that you have a desire to try out?”

 

‘I love the idea of doing something like that, but… the thought of being on display for that many people is a little nauseating. It would be amazing, but… I’m still getting a handle on actually being amongst people, I don’t know how well I’d do when my ego’s just starting to recover from so many years of being smashed to pieces.’ “I’m… undecided,” she answered cautiously. “First year, and all that.”

 

He stepped closer, circling her slowly. “Understandable,” he murmured. “Still, if it is not your time commitments but rather fear holding you back,” he brushed his fingers in featherlight touches on her shoulders as he inspected her, “we can fix that, you know. You have much to learn, my little vitelotte, but I think you might have potential too – potential to be the best ,” he flattered her. “If you trained with me, I wouldn’t let you be anything but your best.”

 

Aurora shuddered a little bit at the close proximity. ‘Does everything about this spell “danger?” Yes, but that won’t stop me because Common Sense is the one language I can’t read.’ “And what’s in it for you?” ‘Does he want me on his team that badly, or is he helping his weird stalker friend? But even still…’

 

“A mage of your caliber and intellect could surely figure that out,” he replied. “Every evening, 6 pm. One hour of training in the ballroom, every school day – with extra sessions during weekends later, perhaps – until the date of the audition. You would train with Epel many days, though I would of course arrange to move his time to allow more personal attention towards you.”

 

‘This is probably a horrible idea, but…’ “One session,” she agreed. “I’ll go to one session to see what I think before I commit one way or the other, alright?”

 

“Wonderful,” he grinned.

 

Aurora hurried outside to meet the group again. “Aurora, are you all right? What happened back there?” Deuce asked her with a concerned frown.

 

“...This whole experience was very intense,” she admitted. “Also, I think Rook will be just fine. He’s fucking terrifying, ” she shuddered.

 

“Yikes, Ror-ror, if you’re scared of him, maybe the rest of us should be more careful too,” Cater squeaked.

 

“Anyways, who’s next on the list?”

 

“Jade Leech,” Cater answered. “You know, the guy in charge of the club you joined?”

 

“...You really think anyone’s dumb enough to get within a several-foot radius of him?”

 

“...Yeah, let’s keep moving.”

________________________________________________________________

 

An orange sigil radiated from the swampy ground, revealing Mammon as he stepped through a portal into the human world. “Man, it’s been a while since I ran around up ‘ere…” He moved quickly towards the distant metropolitan center he was well-acquainted with. “Pretty sure Victoria’s s’posed to be livin’ not too far from here, anyhow… maybe I can pay ‘er a quick visit when I’m done. Maybe.” Flying under the cover of night near the speed of sound, he soon arrived near the world-famous sign reading “Walt Disney World.” Zipping through the park at a less catastrophic pace, transforming back into his human form to blend into the crowds of the park, he quickly found the iconic castle, entering while barely having to even charm any guards. “C’mon, little bro,” he spoke aloud despite being alone. “I know yer not big into fancy curses ‘n stuff, but you oughta have a BIT more defense.” Running up the spire of the tallest tower now that he was in the private area of the castle, he knocked on the door three times before swinging it open. “Oi, little bro,” he greeted his estranged brother – looking significantly younger than his pictures of “old age” – as he barged in. “I got some stuff I needa ask ya.”

__________________________________________________________________

 

“Come on, Riddle,” Aurora chided the smaller boy, “you know exactly what I have to say to Rule 346. Besides, isn’t it more important to catch someone literally causing hospitalization as opposed to someone playing a little croquet?”

 

“I… yes, I suppose you are right,” he agreed.

 

“Wow, Riddle,” Cater admired, “I never thought I’d see you so lenient about enforcing the rules.”

 

“I’m trying not to Overblot again,” he pouted grumpily.

 

And that was how this makeshift group found themselves stepping through the mirror to Savanaclaw turf.

 

“So this is Savanaclaw,” Deuce marveled.

 

“Couldn’t be less like Heartslabyul,” Ace mused. “And… hey, is that the Jack guy over there?” He gestured over to a tall boy with wolf ears running laps around the dorm field.

 

“Good eye!” Cater praised.

 

“This guy’s as tall as Aurora! And he’s super muscly to boot!”

 

“No wonder all those pro league scouts are after him,” Cater recalled.

 

“With that build, he’d be an asset on any team,” Deuce noted. “Still…” His eyes flicked over to Aurora.

 

“Hey dude,” Ace nervously called out as he waltzed up.

 

The wolf boy startled. “What? Look, don’t bother me when I’m training.”

 

“Sorry about that, Jack,” Cater apologized. “Listen, king, could we have just a minute of your time?”

 

“What’s all this about?” The freshman in question eyed the group distrustfully.

 

“A lot of Magift tournament hopefuls have been hurt in ‘accidents’ on campus lately,” Deuce began. “And we're trying to figure out who’s behind it.”

 

“Go on.”

 

Cater went next. “To put it bluntly, our plan is to stake out some of the criminal’s prospective targets. What do you say? Will you give us a hand in catching this guy?”

 

The wolf boy paused silently, shaking his head eventually. “No. I can take care of myself. I don’t need your protection.”

 

The “brain cell” trio all eyed each other. ‘He definitely knows something, but I’ll play a little dumb here.’ “Please consider our offer,” she lightly pled. “Being alone right now could be so dangerous, and well… we’d feel horrible if we let someone else get hurt.”

 

“I told you,” the boy barked, “I don’t need your help. And besides, I doubt I’m gonna be a target. Seeya.” He turned around, heading back to resume his workout.

 

Within moments, as the group debated their next steps, a pack of Savanaclaw students noticed them. “Hey, what are you lot doing here?” “You’re a long way from Heartslabyul House.” “And the Mr. Red Baby Himself!”

 

“Excuse m–” Aurora cut Riddle off by placing a hand over his mouth.

 

Two boys at the back of the pack slunk off, their yowls picked up by her ears. “It’s the scary Ramshackle guy! And his little enforcer too!” “I have NO desire to get chained and beaten up again, let’s go back inside!”

 

Unfortunately, those students were too cowardly to warn the idiots at the front jeering. “You think you can just barge onto our turg and walk away without payin’ the price?”

 

“What deja vu…” Deuce lamented.

 

“Fine, we’re leaving,” Ace apologized. “Sorry to bother you.”

 

“Aww, don’t be like that. Play with us first!” “Let’s play Predator and Prey! Guess who gets to be the prey!”

 

Riddle’s muffled yelling vibrated against the girl’s hand as she saw Leona and a smaller-eared boy approach together. “Cut it out, you guys,” the housewarden demanded.

 

“Housewarden Leona!” “These students are trespassing on our territory!” “Heh, let’s teach ‘em a little lesson!”

 

He stepped forward, giving an amused huff. “Hey, little jackal. What’s got you over this way?”

 

Cater squinted in confusion, murmuring to himself. “Why’s he being so ni – oooooh,” he realized quietly.

 

“C’mon, Leona, Ruggie,” a member of the pack called, “enough of the chatting – let’s beat these guys up!”

 

Barely restraining an eye roll, she dropped the hand on Riddle’s mouth to step forward. “I apologize for the unexpected visit, Housewarden Leona, but I’m afraid I have something rather important to talk about. I’m sure you’ve heard about the accidents on campus?”

 

He narrowed his eyes at her. “...Yeah, I have. What about it?”

 

Ace and Deuce looked at her frantically, stepping up to pull her back if things got out of control.

 

“Well… I had hoped not to mention this out loud until I had more in the way of proof, but… I know who’s doing it,” she revealed.

 

“Excuse me?!” Leona’s eyes darted over to a panicked Ruggie almost imperceptibly.

 

Aurora pressed a hand theatrically to her collarbone, unknowingly appearing much like her father. “It’s Diasomnia,”, she pretended to reveal, “I’m certain of it!”

 

“What?!” Collective shouts were heard from all parties alike. 

 

“Yes,” she continued on with a false conviction. “I know I truly have no way to prove it as of yet, but… does it not seem strange that they have no fallen members yet?” ‘Not that this dorm, Octavinelle, or Ignihyde do either, but oh well.’ “That in and of itself is not damning, but… that these accidents began the very same day their Housewarden was denied admittance to the Hall of Fame? I have not met this Malleus Draconia yet, but Housewarden Leona,” she appealed to him, “if he is half the horrible creature you have described to me, then I fear that he is capable of atrocities such as this – and worse. I fear that he will try to hurt the students of this dorm – including you, Leona – especially you, since you were the one to lead the charge against his initiation.” She turned to address the rest of the pack. “He has already attacked one housewarden and a vice – and seriously injured one of them,” she reminded them. “All of you are very strong, but strength is not enough to deal with a monster such as him – someone who is an utter sadist. ” Leona cocked a brow, seemingly amused by her impassioned speech. “That is why my friends and I are here – we refuse to let this monster get away with harming anybody else!”

 

The pack whooped, seemingly forgetting themselves throughout the declaration. “Yeah! We gotta make sure our house is okay!” Aurora’s ears picked up the whisperings of the back. “We’re gonna be fine, dumbass, remember?!” “Oh, yeah…”

 

“I knew it!” During the chaos, she looked Leona directly in the eyes and mouthed, “ we’ll talk in private later.” After a moment as a look of panic began to enter his eyes, she addressed everyone again. “Please, bear my words in mind now that you have my warning, and do not hesitate to reach out to anyone in this group if you feel you might be targeted.” Saying their tense goodbyes, everyone began to make their way back to their dorms, Ace and Deuce begging Riddle – and finally wearing him down – to spend the night with Aurora at Ramshackle.

 

“So,” Deuce asked her. “What was that all about back there?”

 

Aurora grinned sheepishly back. “I… may have gotten carried away by the theatrics there.”

 

Ace screeched, “ya think?!”

Notes:

Annnnnd that's a wrap!

Aurora is SUPER sussed out by Rook! :D Also she's not a fan of Epel atm (Epel has a lot of character growth but I headcanon him as kinda being a low-key incel at the start of NRC based on how he talks about 'girly' stuff, and he's only been under Vil's boot for a week here as opposed to for months like when we first meet him in canon)
Also, she and Vil are gonna start training for the VDC! Also FYI, a "vitelotte" is a type of fancy gourmet purple potato XD

Mammon is finally meeting up with Walt/Jesus! Wonder how that's gonna go?

And the Savanaclaw situation is progressing too! :D everyone has questions though lol

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 30: Park Hopper

Summary:

In which Aurora yet again gets to deal with fun Disney shenanigans while her mom and other family members are stuck dealing with biblical fuckery

Notes:

Hi lovelies! There's a lot going on in this one so I hope you have fun!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora settled down with her boyfriends on a plush couch in the lounge, the trio wrapped up in fluffy blankets as they finished their studies for the evening. “Hey, Aurora?” Deuce was the first to break the comfortable silence. “What exactly was that earlier? With Savanaclaw, that is.”

 

“And the thing in Trey’s room,” Ace added. “I got questions about that too.”

 

Aurora grimaced at the reminder of her earlier episode. “That… I owe you an apology,” she started. “Supernatural creatures — fey, demons, and angels — have this aura about them. I personally grew up calling it the ‘fuck-off aura.’ Essentially, we release an aura that fills humans — and all other mortal creatures, to my knowledge — with fear and the instinct to get as far away as possible — and if you get too close to an aura too strong, it could kill a human,” she explained. “That’s why controlling and tempering that down was one of the very first things I was taught — and I’ve spent a LOT of time getting a hold of that control. But… if I slip and lose that control — especially if I’m trying to scare someone — well… that’s how that happened.”

 

The boys dropped their jaws. “So wait, does this happen a lot then?” Ace asked.

 

She shook her head in response. “Not really, or at least, I should hope not. I… I really am sorry about putting you through that, though. I… I should’ve kept a better handle on it than that.”

 

Deuce carded his fingers through her hair softly. “Is there anything we can do to help you if you get like that again?”

 

She leaned into his touch. “Let’s… hope this is a one-time thing. At that level, it’s possible to snap me out of it, but… that was pretty minor, all things considered. If I ever truly lost control — which wouldn’t be easy, sure, but still — it would be a disaster, ” she shuddered. “I couldn’t say for sure what the damage would be like, but… you’d have basically no way to stop me.” ‘Except… I wonder if maybe… no, don’t want to make a pact and then get left like Mom left my dad…’

 

“That was MINOR?!” Ace twitched. “Shit, Aurora, you could probably take over all of Twisted Wonderland if THAT’S the kinda power you’re packing! You better not leave us out of any future world domination plans,” he teased her as he snuggled her.

 

“Hey, I don’t have any YET – well, not for this world,” she protested weakly. “But yeah, you’re in the loop the instant I change my mind about that.”

 

“...I’m on board if we’re getting matching blastcycles,” Deuce agreed, to which Aurora giggled.

 

“Maybe in the spring,” she hummed. “I still think Vil has that type of sheer willpower that he’d drag me by the hair if I messed up his audition, apocalypse or no.”

 

“Still can’t believe you got dragged into that,” Ace grumbled. “We’re totally countin’ on you to beat that stuffy Royal Sword, though.”

 

‘Ah, right. The Disney Hero school. Wonder who’s THERE.’ “I mean, it’s just one training session to see if I even want to,” she reminded them. “Even if Rook is totally creepy.”

 

“Yeesh, yeah, please be careful,” Deuce urged her.

 

“More careful than that stunt you pulled at Savanaclaw earlier!”

 

Aurora blushed. “Okay, look, I admit that I got carried away with the theatrics of it all.”

 

“Do you think it fooled Leona?” Deuce asked.

 

“Nope,” she shook her head, “definitely not. Didn’t need to either – I just needed to get everyone off our backs so we didn’t get involved in yet another brawl here.”

 

“So what’s your plan to catch him then?

 

“Well…”

 

“Don’t tell me this involve’s your grandpa’s weird-ass curse,” Ace pled.

 

“Look,” she answered, “I was already planning on figuring out a way to break it anyways.”

 

“So you’re makin’ another deal to get him to stop?”

 

“Pretty much,” she answered. “He already knows my secret – at least the girl thing – and hasn’t made any move to expose or blackmail me for it,” she reminded. “That’s something I don’t want to forget. So… in exchange, I keep his secret. Not an official deal there. But then I offer to break his curse in exchange for stopping the accidents, closing up loopholes in wording, of course. He benefits from being able to access his full strength, I repay any possible debt, get the job done and get my reward from Crowley, and see just how much power he got – it’s a win all-around for me.”

 

“...you really think these deals through,” Deuce admired. “I’m impressed.”

 

“Aurora, is this your way of telling us you want to add another spot here for date night?” Ace quipped.

 

He was swiftly met with a pillow to the face.

___________________________________________________________________

 

Solomon and Victoria stole into the Magic Kingdom under the cover of night, activating cloaking spells to avoid the prying eyes of cameras and park guests, finding an empty plaza in one particular area near the central castle.

 

“Look, Victoria,” Solomon pointed out to her. “It’s extremely subtle, but… these repellant wards. This is designed to subtly steer common folks away from our surrounding location.”

 

Glancing in that direction, she observed a standalone sword jabbed into a stone glinting in the moonlight. Scanning for traps, the pair moved closer as quietly as they could. “You think this is what we’re looking for, Sol?”

 

He shrugged. “It’s as good a guess as any.”

 

“Then let’s go.” She pulled the sword out of the stone, revealing a spiraling staircase descending into the dark ground below.

________________________

 

Unfortunately, another group of students had been targeted that evening, and Riddle called both Ace and Deuce back to Heartslabyul for the night for a dorm-wide meeting regarding a possible buddy system and safety precautions for the coming weeks.

 

There truly was no rest for the wicked, especially when she couldn’t even cuddle her boyfriends to go to sleep.

 

Slumping down on the Ramshackle porch for a moment, she tried to relax in the cool September breeze. ‘Should probably go to the library at some point soon and get some higher-level texts. And novels. Rebuilding my nice book collection is gonna be a PAIN. Mom better not have ditched my shit already, I’m gonna want to get SOME of it eventually.’

 

As her thoughts ran amuck, a low, silky voice rang across the yard. “Who’s that over there?” He wondered to himself.

 

Standing up cautiously, she glanced over in his direction. ‘Who’s that guy? Wait – green armband, Diasomnia… is he coming here to yell at me for slandering his whole dorm?’ She walked over to him, greeting him with a cautious “hello.”

 

“Well,” he mused, “this is a surprise. A child of man, are you?”

 

‘Not really, but okay. Wait… this guy’s not human either – and are those demon horns or fey horns – shouldn’t he be able to figure it out for himself?’ “Mmm, sure,” she teased, “we can go with something like that.”

 

“Are you not…” He looked in confusion. “You don’t seem to be a beastman, but there is something about you… are you perhaps one of the rare fast-flying fey?”

 

‘Getting compared to Vidia? I am absolutely alright with that. Also, he jumped to fey first, so probably fey for him.’ She grinned back. “I think I’ll just let you figure that one out on your own.”

 

“Hmmm…” He paused. “Are you the person who lives here? I had been under the impression that this dorm had been abandoned for some time – hence my confusion with the…” he frowned slightly, “renovations. I quite enjoyed having a place where I could go to enjoy the peace of solitude,” he pouted.

 

She glanced back at the bright rainbow exterior and back at this mystery boy’s sullen (pretty) face. “Okay, if you’re talking about the decor, I promise it’s gonna get better – I just have to prove a point to someone. Say, who are you, anyways?”

 

The boy made a startled face. “Who am I…? You really don’t know who I am? Interesting. What is your name?”

 

‘I’m not giving him my name so it should be fine. Wording.’ “You may call me Aurora,” she told him.

 

“Aurora,” he tested her name on his lips. “Like the legendary Princess of the Dawn in ancient times, or the borealis lights that dance across the sky where the north wind meets the sea,” he mused. “Hmmm…” His lips quirked upward in a grin. “If you are not a Child of Man, then perhaps a Child of Starlight, instead?”

 

“...I like the sound of that,” she admitted shyly. “But wait, I still don’t know what to call you .”  

 

“I am… No, never mind,” he cut himself off with a shake of his head. “I’d rather you remain unaware.”

 

‘Excuse me? Sketchy much?’

 

“It’s for your own benefit, I assure you,” he added. “Instead, I will permit you to call me by a name of your choosing. Although you may one day regret it…” A mischievous smirk danced across his face.

 

‘I know it’s a Disney world, but everyone is still so fucking dramatic! Although I guess I can’t really talk, huh… And he does seem pretty nice, overall.’

 

“But alas…” the boy continued. “If you have taken up residence here, then this abandoned dorm is no longer ‘abandoned.’ Pity. I shall have to find some other ruins for my next nocturnal constitutional. Farewell.” The boy then disappeared into a flurry of small green lights.

 

‘Interesting. Wonder if I’ll meet that guy again…’

_______________________________________________

 

“Sit here, Mammon,” Walt instructed as he pulled out a chair. “Would you prefer water or wine?” He gestured over to his liquor bar. “I’d give you water, but we both know I can’t pull my old tricks anymore.”

 

“Thanks, but neither,” he answered. “Too shorta time to get back to the Devildom.”

 

“Alright, then.” He sat across from his demonic brother. “What was it you’d like to ask?”

 

“It’s ‘bout the world ya got yer best movies from.”

 

“Wonderland?”

 

“Yeah,” Mammon confirmed, “‘hat’s the one. Somethin’ a mine – well, Luci’s, technically – got stolen to there. Long story short, we figured out it’s floatin’ around somewhere in that world.”

 

Walt frowned. “What was taken? When? And how did you come to know this, brother?”

 

He held up his fingers. “One, can’t really say. Top secret an’ all, ya know? Two, it was ‘bout a week an’ a half ago. Three, he got someone involved who traced the thief’s signature an’ recognized it as someone from the world. Someone named ‘Crowley.’ So, I need ya ta tell me whatcha know. ‘Bout who it could be, and ‘bout how to get to that world.”

 

The man paused. “I know who Crowley is – well, at least a very little bit about him. I always had the oddest sensation he knew far more about me than I did about him, though…”

 

“Go on.”

 

“He was an extremely powerful… fey, or at least that’s what he told me. I never was able to put that to the test, though – you know full well that there’s only a few types of magic I was ever good at.”

 

“Yeah, no kiddin’,” Mammon recalled.

 

“Well, travel between the two worlds happened through mirror portals,” Walt explained. “Personally, I tried to spend as much time as I could in Wonderland. It was… somehow familiar but kinder, if that makes any sense. You know, no crucifixions happening there. Almost as if whoever designed that world spent a lot of time around Father, but was far kinder.”

 

“An’ what’s this got to do with Crowley?”

 

“Ah, right,” he fixed himself back on track. “Well, over the years, he began closing many of the mirror portals up – something about how some of them were ‘compromised’ – and consolidated them all into one big one. I can’t use it, but the entrance chamber is in the basement below the castle if you’d like to see it.”

 

Mammon nodded. “Take me there.”

Notes:

And that's a wrap for today! (and yes I borrowed a Frozen 2 lyric at one point, congrats if you caught it XD

Ace and Deuce are lowkey fine with Aurora taking over the world as long as they get to come with :D

Sol and Victoria are finally inside Disney! wonder how THAT'S gonna go

And AURORA FINALLY GOT TO MEET MALLEUS!!!!!!

Mammon and Jesus/Walt finally are talking!!!

As always, your comments give me life!!!

Chapter 31: Mirror of Fire

Summary:

In which Solomon and Victoria get their shit kicked in by a mirror. Also they find Mammon.

Also Leona and Ruggie have a little chat.

Notes:

Hi loves! This one's a little short, but I'm sticking to the events of one night <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Solomon and Victoria tread lightly through the dark, damp corridor of stone bricks, careful not to disturb any loose quarries. Wary at the lack of traps lining the hall, they cautiously approached a heavy wooden door adorned with a gold handle in the shape of the iconic Mickey Mouse. Solomon quietly tapped, paranoia troubling his brow as he dared to nudge the door open slowly, emitting a small creak. Revealed to the pair was a large, circular chamber where in the center lay a fountain of some mysterious bubbling, green acid with a large oval mirror floating above it. Cast off to the side was a black carriage, doors swung open carelessly.

 

“Sol,” Victoria breathed. “Do you think… do you think that’s where she went?”

 

“A mirror portal,” he mused. “Yes, I think this just might be where we need to go.”

 

Without hesitation, Victoria sprung atop the layered fountain to dash up, only to be met by a blast of acid eating her sleeves away, forcing her to jump back before it could do more harm to her than stinging her skin. “Fuck,” she seethed. “Of course it wouldn’t be that simple.”

 

Solomon grabbed her away from the fountain, carefully checking her for injuries. “Careful, love,” he reminded her gently as he began to wrap a patch of her reddened skin that had been grazed. “We won’t be any help to her if we don’t even make it to her in one piece.”

 

“I know ,” she answered. “I just… I saw my chance and I thought I could get through. Turns out, I couldn’t even get my shield up before everything went off the rails.”

 

“I know, love. Especially since nothing up til now has been well-protected,” he mused. “But I suppose all the focus went into one source of protection.”

 

“Which,” she recalled from his teachings, “should be easier to bypass than a complex web of protections.”

 

“Usually, yes,” he answered. “Now… perhaps a more subtle approach is what we need here.” Cloaking the two of them in a protective spell, they levitated above the ground before slowly reaching out to examine the mirror. The instant they made contact with it, the were slammed back into the fountain, the magic acid spraying all around them in attempted suffocation before they dodged out.

 

“Fuck ths mirror,” Victoria growled. “We are getting through this now, one way or another!” Unfortunately, her subsequent attempt to place a blocking shield over the fountain ended in her being pulled to bounce off the mirror again, shattering her concentration on her shield.

_______________________________________________________

 

In the Mirror Chamber, Crowley shuddered as he watched the two human sorcerers attempt the best tricks in their arsenal to get through their side of the mirror. “Oh, no, no way,” he muttered to himself, thankful he had possessed the foresight to shield other side so thoroughly. “I refuse to deal with these two so soon. Far too troublesome, stubborn, and unwilling to listen to reason when it’s not what they want to hear. Sorry Victoria dear, I really have nothing against you, but if you come over now…” He readied a spell to discourage the two humans. “...you’ll ruin everything I’ve been working for.”

__________________________________________________________

 

Ebony flames roared out of the mirror, engulfing every item and living being within the chamber and wrapping around the two humans who couldn’t finish throwing their shields up in time to avoid the full force of the attack. Unholy shrieks were rendered from their throats as they crashed to the ground, the stench of sulfur filling the air as another wave of cosmic force sent them sailing through the doors that promptly slammed closed. Red splotches dotted any open skin the two humans had, their veins temporarily appearing black as the last vestiges of the spell trickled off of them.

 

“What… the fuck… was that, ” Victoria slowly wheezed, coughing up smoke from her immortal – but still very human – lungs.

 

Solomon shook his head, not much better for wear than his partner currently was. “That… that was what hellfire looks like when it is fresh. But…” he coughed as he rolled onto his side. “...that was perhaps the nastiest that I have ever seen. That singed me through protective robes, and you can’t be doing much better.”

 

“This is almost as bad as childbirth,” she muttered lowly. “ Almost. And you know how bad that was.”

 

He scooched over as fast as his sore body would allow him. “Yes, I remember.”

 

“Sol,” she asked. “What demon are you thinking was involved with this mirror?”

 

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “This is worse than Barbatos could dream to do. We didn’t even make contact with it for a full second – it was very much a warning. If whoever placed that trap had intended to truly kill us… we would stand no more.”

 

Her breathing became shallow. “I thought we were just dealing with a fucking fey , Sol, and now there’s a demon involved – and not just any demon, but one that could do worse than that?! Who – the only one I can even think of is Lord Diavolo, which is, you know, THE WORST CASE SCENARIO!”

 

Solomon opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a clatter of footsteps nearby, and a couple of voices shouting. “Oi! Whoever’s there, you’re aboutta answer to me, the – Victoria?!”

___________________________________________

 

“That boy could be a problem,” Ruggie worried. “Do you want me to take care of him?”

 

“No. Don’t,” Leona ordered. “Even if he goes and blabs it all to Crowley, he ain’t got a shred of proof. And besides, that’d be a terrible waste of talent. Just make sure you keep an eye on him.”

“Got it. And what about that Ramshackle guy?” Ruggie asked. “What’s the deal with him, anyways? You were awfully nice to someone who just showed up here.”

 

Leona scoffed. “I wasn’t ‘nice.’ And his stupidity seems to be serving us well. I bet those little tea drinkers over at Heartslabyul believe every word of what he spouted.”

 

Ruggie hummed. “Yeah,” he agreed. “‘Cept… I saw what he mouthed at you at the end there. Still think he doesn’t know the truth?”

 

“And he doesn’t have a shred of proof either. ‘Sides…” He grinned. “I’m curious to see what his next move is. He bought us some goodwill in the eyes of Heartslabyul, and we can spin this in our favor later too.”

 

Ruggie grinned. “Sure, boss. If ya say so. But… I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me here, y’know?”

 

Leona rolled his eyes in response.

_________________________________________________

 

“I can’t believe I run into ya ‘ere, after all this time…”

 

Walt had led the group to a private infirmary and graciously given them some space after showing them where he healing supplies were. Solomon and Victoria lay on separate cots, Mammon leaning above her.

 

“Mammon…” She sighed softly, leaning her forehead into his touch. “I know there’s no excuse for just up and disappearing then, I just want you to know –”

 

“I know,” he gently shushed her. “I… yeah… Luci ended up fillin’ me in – and don’t worry, it’s still a secret, we’re the only ones who know,” he assured her. “But… yeah. Can’t even imagine tryin’ to keep that secret for so long.”

 

“I still failed,” she cried. “The mirror – that fire – a demon’s involved in this, and I don’t even recognize which one.”

 

The liquid gold in Mammon’s eyes welled up as he looked over the web of distinctive burns, set with a single-minded focus Victoria had never seen from him. “I do. Don’t worry, Victoria, we’re gettin’ your daughter back safe and sound.”

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed!

Ah, Crowley, you beautiful bastard... What the hell have you done now?

And... what is Mammon about to do?

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 32: The Lion, the Lamb, and the Jackal

Summary:

Aurora meets Jamil and it goes... probably as well as it can.
Victoria learns who Walt really is.
And Aurora finally makes her move to handle Leona.

Notes:

Hi guys! This one's longer than yesterday's, and some good stuff happens, so I hope you like it!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Hey, Aurora,” Grim whined against her as she made to leave for classes the next morning. “Where were you last night? I got up to get some milk and didn’t see you.”

 

“Oh yeah,” she remembered. “So this guy showed up on our lawn…” She explained the encounter between herself and the mysterious guy.

 

“So who was he?”

 

“I’m not sure,” she answered. “He didn’t want me to know who he was, so he told me to call him by a name of my choosing.”

 

“Ooh, ooh, let me pick it!”

 

She raised a brow. “What name are you thinking?”

 

“Howsabout… ‘Hornton!’”

 

Aurora made a gagging noise. “Ew, gross! That’s way too ugly.”

 

“He said ‘of your choosing,’ right? Then he’s got no right to complain!” Grim whined.

 

“Yeah, but,” she reminded him, “he made the effort to pick a nice nickname for me, so it would only be right to return the favor – or at least pick something a little cuter.” She paused, thinking back to her favorite fairy tale adaptations. ‘Sketchy, pretty stranger in – or at least by – the woods… I got it.’ “What about ‘Charming?’”

______________________________________________________

 

As she arrived on Main Street, Riddle and Cater informed her of another incident, where they promptly went to meet the victim – Jamil Viper of Scarabia – in the cafeteria.

 

“What is this?” The long-haired boy asked on their approach. “An inquisition?”

 

“Oh, hey guys!” Kalim greeted the group sunnily.

 

“Forgive us for interrupting your breakfast,” Riddle began.

 

“Wow, Cater along with the Heartslabyul and Ramshackle housewardens!” Kalim laughed easily. “What a fun combo! Oh yeah, Cater and Riddle should already know him, but Aurora, this is my vice housewarden, Jamil,” he introduced.

 

‘It’s Jafar! Well, kinda,’ she thought. ‘Please tell me I’m not gonna have to deal with a murder plot later in the year, too…’  “Nice to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

 

Jamil slightly inclined his head. “So, why are you asking me about my accident?”

 

“We’re here because the headmage asked us to talk to you,” she answered.

 

“The headmage? Huh… Well, okay,” he acquiesced. “Last night, I was in the kitchen frying up some lamb rolls at Kalim’s request.”

 

Kalim cut in excitedly. “Oh man, you guys have NO idea how amazing Jamil’s lamb rolls are. You’ve gotta try ‘em one day.”

 

‘Do they have their own party or something coming up? In that case I get it, but… why act as a personal chef for the housewarden?’

 

“Can we stay focused here, Kalim?” Jamil requested, to which the other boy hastily apologized. “When I was chopping the ingredients, it was like my knife hand went wild and cut my other hand all on its own,” he explained.

 

“It makes no sense!” Kalim cut back in. “Even the head chef here can attest to Jamil’s legendary knife skills. Were you tired from Magift practice, maybe?”

 

“No,” Jamil frowned. “Not so tired I couldn’t control my hands. But at one point while I was cooking, I did feel kind of light-headed.”

 

The investigative group stole furtive glances at each other. “Like a loss of control of yourself – almost like someone else was pulling the strings?” Aurora asked.

 

Jamil’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Something like that, yes,” he admitted cautiously. “I think I was feeling the effects of someone’s signature spell.”

 

‘Knew it! Damn it, Leona, you’re making it really fucking hard for me to clean up after you.’  

 

“Oh right!” Kalim started to piece together obliviously. “Because your signature spell is – MMMPH!” A panicked look briefly flashed across Jamil’s face as he muffled the other boy’s voice with his hand.

 

‘Interesting… Bet it’s a Jafar-like spell. Still, not fucking cool, Kalim, you can’t just carelessly blow people’s deepest secrets like that! Especially if it’s as dangerous as he seems to think it is.’

 

Kalim gasped for air as Jamil reverted to semi-normal. “Why’d you cover my mouth there?”

 

“Because we’re not talking about me here,” Jamil hissed. “Anyway, my theory was similar to what Aurora here had suggested – that someone was controlling my movements with magic.”

 

“Interesting,” Cater mused.

 

“And for a short enough time that the victim might perceive it as his own mistake,” Riddle recalled.

 

Aurora whispered conspiratorially to her companions. “Do you think we should tell them?”

 

Riddle blanched. “With no proof?”

 

Aurora shook her head. “We might not have proof, but at least we can perhaps help them stay on the lookout.”

 

Cater sighed. “Alright, but keep it on the DL, okay?”

 

Nodding, Aurora cast a small sound barrier over their group in case of any lingering ears nearby. ‘Sorry, guys – especially Lilia, Silver, and “Charming,” I do genuinely like you guys – but I can’t throw Leona under the bus now.’ “We think it might be Diasomnia,” she started.

 

“No way!” Kalim cut in. “Lilia would never do that! C’mon, Cater, you believe that, right?”

 

‘I totally agree.’ “It very well may not be him,” she explained, “and it might not even be anyone high-ranking in the dorm. But… nobody in that dorm has been injured yet – which isn’t suspicious by itself – but began the very same day their leader was denied entry to the Magift Hall of Fame. Isn’t that just a little suspicious? Not only that, but that type of magic is typically associated with beings such as fey – most of whom go into that dorm. So, logistically speaking, they’re most likely a part of that dorm – I just don’t know who, nor how many are in on it.”

 

Jamil’s eyes narrowed at her ever-so-slightly, but he stayed silent.

 

“So what’s the plan to catch them then?” Kalim asked.

 

“...To be determined.”

 

Shortly after, the group disbanded, where Aurora waited for Jamil as he exited in a different direction than Kalim. “Follow me,” she bid. Going off to a secluded area behind a cluster of trees, they halted.

 

“Any reason we needed to come back here?”

 

She turned around, converting the pen to its brush form as she gestured to his bandaged hand. “I… think I can do something about that, but I want it to be kept a secret,” she explained.

 

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. Did Ashengrotto send you?”

 

“No,” she shook her head. “I just… don’t like people seeing that spell of mine. Like you clearly don’t like people knowing about your signature spell.”

 

He inhaled sharply. “You make it sound so nefarious. No, it just wasn’t the time to talk about me.”

 

‘I know I came out here to try to actually help him, but seeing him squirm a little is actually kind of fun.’ A grin danced across her face. “I think there’s plenty of time to talk now.”

 

Panic danced in his eyes as he subtly raised his own magic pen.

 

‘Is he actually gonna try…’

 

“Aurora,” his silky voice rumbled as he looked into her eyes, waves of potent magic bouncing off of her supernatural defenses, “I think it’s time to scurry along to class and forget this little encounter.”

 

Aurora let her features still a moment, voice slowing down purposefully. “Yes,” she murmured in a false haze, “I think…” Her gaze refocused, a sharp grin dancing across her face. “I think I was exactly right about you, Jamil Viper. Trying to hypnotize me? Really?” She leaned over him as he backed into a tree trunk, slamming her hand to the wood above him to trap him in place.

 

“Who are you – no, no, how!” He shouted in fear.

 

“Want to rethink my offer?”

 

He huffed. “Fine,” he conceded furiously. “But if a word of this gets out –”

 

“We’ll keep each others’ secrets,” she assured him. “Now…” she took his hand and unwrapped it, seeing the large gash where the knife had cut nearly all the way through the palm. She raised her brush once more, blue paint flowing out of it upon her command. “May the wounds that torment your flesh heal together, and may the vestiges of pain that linger within the creature before me disappear.” The ink brought the hand together, knitting flesh and muscle back together till there was just a dark mark indicating where the injury used to be. “Now,” she reminded him, “keep this under wraps – literally – until closer to tournament time, okay? And remember,” she reminded him, “it’s our little secret.”

 

Grinning, she hopped off to class with a spring in her step. ‘I’m really getting too reckless about who I show this to, but… I’m having so much fun. Besides, I’ve got it under control!’

_______________________________________________________

 

Early that afternoon, Solomon and Victoria woke up, still in pain from the night before.

 

“Hey, Mammon,” she asked him as he tended to her. “...How did you end up here, anyways? I know you’re joining the search, but…” She fumbled for words, brain still short-circuiting from the recent stress.

 

“Are ya askin’ me how I know Walt?”

 

She nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

 

“Well, y’know, he an’ I are on kinda weird terms, but we actually go way back. Like, WAY way back. We’re technically brothers, ya know.”

 

She blanched, wincing as she strained a burn. “Excuse me?”

 

“Oi, careful! But uh, yeah, you probably also know his old name, Jesus Christ. Helped ‘im make his fortune here when he was fed up with Father, too.”

 

“...you know what, hearing that Jesus became Walt Disney is somehow not the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard,” she admitted. A moment of silence passed before she spoke up to him again. “Mammon, I… I just want you to know I never wanted to hurt you,” she apologized. “I’ve missed you so, so much over the last several years, and–

“I know,” he soothed her gently. “‘S okay, Victoria, my treasure.” He held her, promising to keep her updated on his findings as she fell back asleep, her body still strained. “I love ya,” he whispered, “and I ain’t lettin’ you go this time around.”

 

He kissed her on the forehead before racing back to the Devildom as fast as he could.

_____________________________________________________

 

As soon as classes ended, Aurora made her way over to Savanaclaw – after promising her boyfriends a sleepover at Ramshackle that evening. Well, after whatever pseudo-hell Vil would put her through. Stepping off into the rugged savanna replica, she was greeted by several curious dorm members who had heard of her encounter yesterday.

 

“Is that the guy who came over yesterday?”

“Oh yeah, heard that little freshie got into it with some Heartslabyul guys.”

“Isn’t that also the one who scared the shit out of some of our buddies?”

“Yeah, but they’re assholes, so can ya really blame him?”

 

Aurora walked through, asking one of the upperclassmen for “help.” “Pardon the intrusion, but I’m here to discuss some important information with your housewarden regarding the… revelation yesterday,” she explained. “Might I have a few minutes of his time?”

 

The boy looked nervously at his classmates and back at her. “Uh… sure? Lemme go see if he’s free.”

 

As she waited semi-patiently for the boy to return, she eavesdropped on what the rest of the dorm, along with her arriving classmates, had to say to each other.

 

“What’s HE doin’ out here?”

“Probably watchin’ out for our dorm from that Draconia freak.”

“For the last time, dude, we’re gonna be fine! Remember?!”

“Right… he just has that kinda quality that makes you believe whatever he says when you’re lookin’ at him, ya know?”

“That’s just cuz he’s super hot. I mean, have you seen the way he throws in P.E.? Wish I were that disc…”

“For the last time, stop being such a simp!”

“What if I –”

“Ask out someone more in your league.”

 

Attempting to cover her amusement at the dorm’s antics, she finally saw what she was waiting for as the boy approached. “Housewarden Leona said you can follow me back to his office.”

 

‘Finally!’ Following him, they turned through the halls of the dorm, built of an earthen material that strongly reminded Aurora of the cave in Pride Rock. Finally, they reached the end of the hall, where Aurora knocked three times.

 

The door swung open to reveal Leona in the same dorm uniform he had worn last time, a smug smolder in his eyes as he grinned up at her. “Come in, little jackal,” he beckoned her. As she walked in, he shut the door, showing her over to a seat. “I see you took my advice,” he commented as the scent of her DIY-ed apple perfume wafted through the room. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about?”

 

‘Okay, he’s extremely hot when he’s being a prideful bastard like this.’ “Well,” she started off, “I… yeah, I’m pretty sure I know what you’re doing. You’re the one behind the accidents, right? Or at least you’re arranging them, if not carrying them out yourself.”

 

“And what proof would you happen to have of this?” Leona countered.

 

“Oh, I have absolutely none,” Aurora explained. “And I’m not trying to get any, either.”

 

He cocked his brow. “So let me get this straight – you think I’m behind the incidents, and you come here to confront me, yet you claim to have no intention to stop me.”

 

She shook her head. “Nope – I said I’m not trying to get any proof of your guilt,” she corrected. “That’s not the same as having no intention to stop you.”

 

“And what’s your angle here?”

“Look, the headmage told me to investigate these accidents. The conditions for fulfilling his requirements are either getting solid proof, or making the accidents stop sufficiently in advance of the tournament. As for why I’m not getting proof, well…” she paused as she looked him in the eye. “You know my secret – at least, one of them – and you haven’t used it against me. That’s not something I’m going to forget easily, or a debt I want to go unpaid.”

 

He sighed. “Look, jackal, even I’m not enough of an asshole to make your life that difficult here. But what you’re askin’ me to do, to throw the tournament…”

 

She shook her head again. “I think you can beat this Malleus guy.”

 

He barked a wry laugh. “You freshmen have way too much faith in me.”

 

“No, no, I really think–”

 

“Do you really think I haven’t given it my all before?” His brow furrowed. “But it’s not enough against that lizard. And I can’t lose this year, I got too much goin’ on with it.”

 

“I…” She paused. “I’m going to try to explain something, and I’m absolutely aware that I’m going to sound like a fucking lunatic while doing it, okay?”

 

He narrowed his eyes as he focused on her. “I’m already surrounded by lunatics at this school, but say your piece.”

 

“...I’m sure you know about curses that can seal a person’s power, right?”

 

He scoffed. “Ancient magic is my specialty, I know about tons of different curses.”

 

She sighed in relief. “Okay, good. Well… I know this is going to sound crazy, but… there’s a curse on you.”

 

“Yeah, it’s called bein’ the last in line,” he quipped.

 

“No, I mean that you have a curse on your soul that’s limiting your current expression of power,” she explained.

 

“...Explain,” he demanded casually as he leaned closer to her. “How did you know this, anyways?”

 

“Well… you might have guessed this already, but I’m… not human? What I am allows me to see souls. And, what’s more, I recognize the kind of magic it is.”

 

“I’m not surprised you’re not human, jackal,” Leona conceded. “But… what you’re sayin’... What type of magic is it?”

 

“Well, so you might’ve heard I’m an off-worlder, right?” He nodded. “It’s a type of old magic that I recognize from my world – and I’ll need a few days to gather some things, but I think I know how to break it.”

 

“Breakin’ it might still not be enough to win the tournament – even if you’re right about there being a curse.”

 

“You said you want to see his crestfallen face be broadcast to the world, right?” Aurora recalled.

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

“What I’m saying is… pride and shame are two things I know very well,” she spoke lowly and slowly. “If you take him out in an accident, sure, he’ll lose the match, but he’ll tell himself over and over again that it’s the only reason he lost – that at the end of the day, he’s still better .” He narrowed his eyes in response. “But,” she continued with renewed confidence, “if you truly want to break him, make him wail like he deserves to? Then you’ll have to beat him at his best, crush him thoroughly when he was certain of victory… and he won’t have any excuse. No, when he loses that way… that is how you truly ruin his pride.

 

He took a shaky breath, pupil expanding at the thrill running through him at the image. “And I take it the price of what you’re promising to do is that I not cause any more accidents?”

 

She grinned. “Well, actually, that – but also going a step further, that you sincerely order all of your dorm members to cease their part in the accidents as well –  and ditch any other remaining plans to eliminate students from the tournament – effective immediately as soon as I am able to fulfill my end of the bargain. So…” she grinned, light emanating from her hand once more. “Do we have a deal?”

 

Leona sighed before shaking her hand, the magic rippling through with a wave that was gentle but strong – stronger than Malleus. “Deal. What the hell are ya anyways? Your magic is freakier than the lizard. Lucky you don’t seem to have the attitude to boot, though.”

 

She laughed nervously. “That’s… kind of a complicated question? But… let’s just go with Not Human for now. And if you don’t mind me asking… why do you hate this Malleus guy so much? I feel like I hear a lot about how scary or awful he is, but nothing beyond that.”

 

“…I can’t really point to any one thing, you know?” He explained with an apprehensive glance, tension rippling through his shoulders.

 

‘That shame… just what happened between them?’

 

“He’s just so, so… arrogant, ” Leona growled. “Goes actin’ all high ‘n mighty and insulin’ everyone around him, then has the audacity to whine ‘n throw a hissyfit when nobody wants to be around him. Another tip for you: don’t go over near Diasomnia anytime there’s a big event, he never gets invited, and then he pouts. And when he pouts, he causes a whole fuckin’ lightning storm.”

 

Aurora’s eyes widened. “So he lacks control of his magic then?”

 

“More like he doesn’t care what damage he causes,” he grumbled. Looking her up and down, a look of sick, distant fury entered his eyes. “And don’t let him get to close to ya either, with the kinda power level you seem to have. He’ll try to make you his consort or some sick, twisted shit, and ruin your life. Or he’ll just trample all over your feelings. He’d never consider you an equal, though, that fucker doesn’t think anyone’s as good as him.”

 

‘...No way these two aren’t exes. How much of Leona’s side is accurate though?’ “I’ll… be sure to keep that in mind,” she answered cautiously.

 

“Please do.” He sighed. “That got a little off-track. Was that all you wanted to talk about, or do you have something else?”

 

She shrugged. “That’s it.”

 

“Then be prepared in a few days, jackal.”

Notes:

Annnnnnnd that's a wrap!

For those of you who aren't OUAT fans like I am, here's a link to a video showing where Aurora got the name idea for Malleus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR4JtFpSpwQ

Aurora's already started to notice how weird Kalim's and Jamil's relationship is, though she still lacks details... and poor Jamil, he cannot catch a fucking break at this school XD And oh, Aurora, how reckless she is sometimes with revealing herself... and yes she really pulled a kabedon there XD

Annnd after making sure Victoria's really gonna be okay (don't worry, she's just sore! and a little crispy...) Mammon's on his way back to take care of business... surely that won't end up backfiring on our TW favs, right? ;)

And Aurora's made yet another deal, this time with Leona! ...and she's learning more about our Mal-Mal... or at least Leona's side :)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 33: A Fairy-Tale Dichotomy

Summary:

Mammon and Lucifer panic over the whereabouts of Aurora (and the rest of the family panics over them).
Meanwhile, Aurora is just having a grand old time.

Notes:

Hi loves!
Another kinda short one, but this one was really just to capture the contrast between the OM side and the TW side

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Unfortunately for Mammon, Lucifer was not the demon waiting for him in the foyer. As Mammon rushed into the House of Lamentation, he barely dodged out of the way of a hexed net meant to capture him. “Oi!” Mammon yelled, on edge from the events of the last several days.

 

“Just let it capture you already!” Leviathan peeped around the corner, eyes glowing bright orange as his hands trembled in muted fury. “You’re not getting away this time, idiot!”

 

“Hey!” Mammon yelled back. “Cut it out, Levi! I don’t got time for this!”

 

“Yeah yeah,” the third-born hissed, “you’re all buddy-buddy with Lucifer all of a sudden, huh? I know you two are up to something, and I’m tired of being left out!”

 

Mammon’s eye twitched as he zipped passed Leviathan, easily sidestepping the younger’s attempted grapple. “Ya make it sound like we’re goofin’ around and deliberately leavin’ you out, bro!”

 

“I know you think I’m like, totally gross, but I’m still your brother!” Leviathan wailed. “And I’m a big bro, too! So come on, let me in, let me in, let me in!”

 

Mammon sighed before circling back and ruffling Levi’s hair. “Look, Levi, what’s goin’ on… it’s not mine to tell, ‘kay? But… I promise I’ll talk to Luci about it.”

 

“You better…”

_____________________________________________________

 

Mammon burst into Lucifer’s office without preamble, slamming it shut as his older brother looked at him in shock. “Luce, this is gettin’ outta control,” he dumped out.

 

The eldest’s tired eyes sharpened as he looked at his younger brother. “What happened?”

 

“In the hallway or in the Human Realm?”

 

“...Start with the Human Realm,” Lucifer answered slowly. “I can guess that our brothers accosted you for answers on what we’re doing.”

 

Mammon nodded. “It’s so much worse than I thought, Luce. Karasu’s involved in your daughter’s disappearance.”

 

The eldest’s demonic form immediately snapped into appearance as a dangerous miasma began to leak from his body. “ What?! How?! What happened up there?!

 

“Look, I’m gonna preface this by sayin’ that everyone’s okay, so please sit down ‘fore ya wreck the joint,” Mammon advised. “But yeah, I talked ta Walt and he showed me some portal in ‘is basement. Pretty sure it’s the portal Aurora got yanked through, too, since apparently all the portals ‘tween that world and ours got consolidated down. Thing is… turns out, Solomon an’ Victoria got it into their heads to break in, and they ended up at that portal too.”

 

“Then let’s go,” Lucifer took off towards the door. “We’ll meet up with them immediately, everything else can wait –”

 

“Wait,” Mammon pulled his brother back. “Victoria and Solomon tried to get through the portal but they got blocked. And they got crisped up bad when they kept tryin’.”

 

Lucifer’s sclera turned to black at Mammon’s revelation. “ Tell me, Mammon. How is she?!

 

“That’s why I prefaced this by tellin’ you that everyone was okay!” Mammon frantically reminded him. “It’s pretty minor overall, and she’ll be back to top form in a few days, max. But… this was just a warnin’ burn, Luci. I recognized the fire that was still comin’ offa her. It was Karasu’s. So now I really gotta get ta him and… figure out what’s goin’ on.”

 

“Would you and I be able to get through?”

 

Mammon pursed his lips. “...Possibly? I don’t know the technicalities and all of the mirror, but… we sure wouldn’t get crisped the same way.”

 

Lucifer nodded. “Have your conversation, and then we shall try to make our way through.”

 

“Got it,” he agreed somberly. “But Luce… we gotta tell the others. At least somethin’. Everyone’s on our asses, and for good reason.”

 

The eldest blanched. “I want to keep them out of this –”

 

“But it’s too late for that,” Mammon countered. “Satan and Beel are constantly tryin’ to watch our every move, and Levi tried to trap me earlier. Even Asmo and Belphie are nervous, Luce. ‘Sides… Victoria and Aurora are their family too. It’s yours to tell, Luce, but… I think they gotta right to know.”

 

Lucifer sighed, the black in his eyes beginning to recede. “I understand your point, Mammon, but the more of them know, the harder it will be to shield it from His Lordship. It’s the same reason we keep your powers secret.”

 

“Fine,” he conceded. “Jus’ please don’t lock anyone in the attic this time around.”

 

“It was one time, Mammon!”

 

“One time too many, Luce!”

___________________________________________

 

Blissfully unaware of the mayhem and despair caused by her disappearance, Aurora wandered over to Pomefiore, having secured the list of items she would need to procure over the weekend for her gambit. ‘Hopefully Crewel will accept my explanation, “Crowley’s being irresponsible again!” It’s true, and Crewel’s been pretty helpful so far, but still… I’ve heard that the Ashengrotto guy can get some weird shit done, but I’d really rather not let him have the upper hand in a deal. Let him approach first – it’s probably only a matter of time with the way I’ve gained attention so far.’

 

Stepping off into the sparkling atmosphere, she made her way through the bright, garish halls, stepping into the ballroom twenty seconds before the clock struck six.

 

“Good to see you here, Aurora,” Vil greeted. “And just in time, too.”

 

“Good to see you too,” she greeted.

“Now… little vitelotte, it is time to transform you from a small, pretty spudling to a jeweled dagger, a fine work of art. Are you ready?”

 

‘I’m the dagger in this fairy tale?’ “Yes.”

 

“First things first, we are going to test out that voice of yours. Now, follow my lead…” As he gave her instructions, Aurora followed along, showcasing a voice that evoked the image of stardust and sin, a wish and a promise of more. 

 

‘Are we seriously starting with “I’m Wishing” from Snow White?!’

 

Vil furiously scribbled notes throughout the instruction, correcting minor flaws in the way she chose to mix her vocals for particular passages.

 

Next was the dancing instruction, which was far more difficult. Kicks and flips came easily to her, but the more graceful steps proved a challenge far different than her previous training.

 

‘I know how to apply force to a body slam, but… other than a ballroom dance or two, I haven’t done any real dance steps.’

 

“Little vitelotte,” he addressed her as the two training segments ended. “Your vocal technique is admittedly several steps above where I expected,” he began.

 

‘I only learned how to sing because it was part of my Seductive Speechcraft studies, but a win’s a win!’

 

“You have a tendency to sing the way you want to sing rather than what the music called for,” he continued haughtily, “but that is something we can correct within the next few months. Additionally… your overall dancing technique is abysmal, but you are not entirely uncoordinated. Most importantly, you do not seem averse to learning, and I fully believe you are capable of polishing your skills by the necessary date.”

 

‘Ouch, but also this is probably the highest compliment I can expect from this guy.’ 

 

“Now,” he beckoned, “for the final segment of today’s introductory session, we are going to be discussing… your routines.”

 

“Which routines?” Aurora asked.

 

“We’ll start simple. What skincare routine do you currently use?”

 

“Um…” She hesitated to admit it. “Since I got here, not really much…”

 

He perused her form for a minute before speaking. “Ah, right. Off-worlder, and all that. I’m guessing Crowley didn’t exactly give you many provisions here.” Cutting off her train of thought as he noticed a rising flush of shame, he presented her with a kit. “Use these. Do you recognize all of these products?” As she affirmed, he pointed out the list he had given her. “Take these – I designed them myself, and they are nothing but the best. Use them in this order morning and night, and here are the special instructions for P.E. day.” He tapped her on the lips, focusing on minuscule imperfections in their texture from years of lack of moisture, shitty lipstick, and aggressive scrubbing. “Now, we’ll talk more about a makeup routine in a couple of weeks after that’s all fixed up, alright?”

 

‘Wow, way to point out how fucked up my face is. Thanks for the fuck-up makeup, mom. At least no permanent damage was done, and it should be undone in a couple weeks.’ “Got it,” she agreed as she tried to keep her jaw from tensing up.

 

“Now, let’s talk about that hair routine of yours… I can tell you’re not following the right steps for your hair type,” he lightly berated. For the next several minutes, he went over a list of steps to treat her inky, ebony waves properly, from giving her a special comb to showing her the “bowl method,” as it was called. “With your hair length, you’ll certainly want to use your magic to aid you in drying,” he advised, showing her how to pull the water out without burning or drying her hair out. As the final segment reached its end, he dismissed her with a satisfied grin on his face. “I suppose I’ll be seeing you here Monday at 6 pm then?”

 

“Yeah,” she agreed. “See you then.”

_______________________________________________________

 

“Holy shit,” Ace admired as Aurora filled her boyfriends in on the happenings of that day. “Ya actually pulled it off.”

 

“Was there any doubt about it?” she grinned.

 

“Hey, lemme be impressed by incredibly powerful and gorgeous girlfriend,” he teased, evoking that pretty blush he liked so much.

 

“I’m just disappointed I missed you two wearing pink,” she lamented.

 

“No, no!” Deuce shook his head rapidly.

 

“Awww, why not, Deucy?” Ace teased him. “You looked real cute in that getup.”

 

Deuce blushed and shook his head furiously.

 

“Wanna see a pic, Aurora?”

 

“Ace, no!”

 

Aurora scooched over as Ace pulled out his phone. “I wanna see!”

 

Grinning, Ace pulled out a picture of Deuce wearing a fitted suit of pink leopard print, complete with heeled boots adorned in silk pink bows.

 

Squealing, she turned back over to the blue-haired boy. “Why would you try to keep this secret from me, Deuuuce? You look so pretty in that!”

 

Deuce groaned in embarrassment in response.

 

As the night rolled on, the throuple’s antics continued until they finally fell fast asleep in each other’s arms again.

 

Unbeknownst to them, a lone feminine ghost came to hover over them, frowning at the sight through the hours until the break of dawn.

Notes:

Annnnnd that's a wrap!

Everyone in the family has... noticed that something is up

Lucifer now knows about Karasu! Will they be able to cross the portal? :D

And... Aurora has finally begun her training with Vil!
Side note, has anyone else ever damaged their lips (temporarily) with bad lipstick and aggressive scrubbing it off? No? Just me? XD

And... why is a lady ghost (we all know it's Lilith) hovering over them? XD

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 34: Saturday Schemes

Summary:

Aurora asks Crewel for help.
Lucifer and Mammon have a “friendly chat” with Karasu.
And we get a look at Octavinelle...

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora waltzed into Professor Crewel’s office during designated “office hours” late the next morning, mercifully finding the halls devoid of students being productive.

 

He looked up at her, mild surprise on his face. “Good morning, pup,” he greeted. “What can I do for you today?”

 

“Good morning, Professor,” she greeted back. “I actually came in here because I… need a little bit of help with something,” she started.

 

He raised his brow, surprised to see the top student in his class asking for help. “And I suppose it would be safe to presume this help doesn’t relate to the homework regarding the Arlan potion?”

 

She shook her head. “Nope, got that under control,” she assured. “I’d like to preface this by saying that it’s technically the headmage’s fault since it’s… related to a task he assigned me,” she explained.

 

He sighed, riding crop thwacking against his desk in visible agitation. “Would you like me to talk to him? Regardless of your obvious strength, you’re still a student here, and a pup in my kennel no less –”

 

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” she assured him. “It’s something I was probably going to try to handle anyways?”

 

“Explain,” he commanded, unimpressed.

 

“Well,” she began, “he was having me investigate the recent accidents lately, and during my investigation,” she stretched the truth a little bit, “I found someone with a curse on them.”

 

He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing as he readied a sheet of paper. “And which student would this be?”

 

“Um-”

 

“Nothing’s going to happen to that student, pup,” he reassured her. “We just need to know as faculty if there’s anything we can do to support him, along with keeping an eye out for any negative consequences this curse could be having.”

 

“...Okay,” she reluctantly admitted, “it’s Leona Kingscholar. I think it’s just a seal on his power, though – magic and maybe physical,” she explained.

 

His pen halted for the briefest of moments before jotting down a note. “I… see…” he murmured. “Now, if you can tell us a little bit about this magic, perhaps I or one of the faculty can handle this instead –”

 

“I recognize the seal used,” she hurried to inform him. “Not only that, but… I’m pretty sure the person who cast it was an ancestor of mine.”

 

“Of course it was,” he muttered lowly. “I’m going to kill you, Dire Crowley.”

 

‘Do I just pretend I didn’t hear that?’ Unsurely, she continued. “A powerful one, but still. Plus, it was cast hastily enough that it doesn’t have a lot of complex layers, so it’ll be pretty simple for me to break. Bloodline advantage, and all that,” she explained.

 

He sighed. “I do not doubt your capabilities, especially given that you are able to somehow handle that, ” he gestured at her magestone. “But I cannot just sit idly by and allow a pup of mine to overwork himself simply because the headmage –”

 

“I already promised him I’d help,” Aurora pled. “Not just Crowley, but Leona too. And I really will be fine, I promise.”

 

“...Fine,” he conceded. “But you’re going to lay out a concrete plan to minimize any potential risks. Now… just what did you need help with?”

 

She grinned sheepishly. “Some mandrake root and a couple big buckets of lamb’s blood. The fresher, the better.”

 

Divus Crewel died a little bit inside.

___________________________________________________

 

Mammon and Lucifer traversed the outskirts of the Devildom, having teleported through the portal in the crypt which they had tried to sneak Victoria through many years before. They entered a thick line of trees, hand in hand as Lucifer allowed Mammon to take the lead for once. An ominous, oppressive aura filled the forest, the younger clutching the eldest’s hand as they braved danger not even the strongest of civilized creatures dared to venture among often. The trees twisted more and more as they ventured in, finally reaching the largest part of the tree where three gnarled roots converged to form one trunk.

 

Demon forms out, the two brothers nodded at each other, in sync for what could come. “ Karasu, ” Mammon commanded as his eyes glowed, “ Get down here. NOW.

 

Snickering, a familiar demon descended upon them, a slender, pale man descended, sharpened gold talons in place of feet and the crook of his arm lending to large, midnight feathered wings where hands should be. Golden eyes lit up the night, in stark contrast to the dark plumage and hair tinted with a crimson sheen. “How can I be of service, my liege?” Karasu cawed as he dipped into a show of a bow.

 

“Cut the crap,” Mammon ordered. “Time’s up. I know you’re involved in my niece’s disappearance. So why don’t you start spillin’ already?’

 

“Why ever would you believe me to be involved in such a horrid crime?” Karasu patronized with a trill.

 

“‘Cuz I recognized your magic on my pactmate,” Mammon growled. “ I know you took Aurora.

 

“Ah, but was it me? How could I have cast my magic from another world?”

 

“Enough of this,” Lucifer snapped as Mammon furrowed his brows in thought. “You will bring –”

“Sorry, but I don’t take orders from you!” Karasu cawed. “One Master’s already enough, you know?”

 

“Your other aspect,” Mammon realized. “The one you were reelin’ from the loss of when we first met. Technically not you, but might still be able to access your power if necessary.”

 

“Wow, if only you were this smart all of the time!”

 

Mammon growled hideously, baring his fangs properly for the first time in centuries. “ Bring back the girl your other aspect kidnapped IMMEDIATELY.

 

Only mildly surprised by the second-born’s anger, Karasu’s smug smirk returned. “Ah, but was she really kidnapped? She could have easily chosen to fight back, and yet she didn’t.”

 

Lucifer’s rage was palpable at the man’s implication. “ Are you truly saying she’s at fault for not having enough time to fight back AFTER YOU DARED TO BREAK INTO HER HOME?!?!

 

“No no,” Karasu spun around carelessly. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. She was brought to that portal, where she was shown a hand and given the option to take it or not. Had she been kidnapped, my Master’s order would force me to at least TRY to break my other aspect’s defenses, and yet… here we are. For, you see, she willingly took that hand and chose to walk into that world.

 

“Yeah, right,” Mammon scoffed, anger receding as doubt seeped into him at the apparent truth in Karasu’s words. “You’re sayin’ that she just showed up at that portal and ignored all the red flags it took to get there before goin’ through there?”

 

The crow demon hummed gleefully as he began to finally make his point to the duo. “Perhaps you two ought to ask your pactmate about her poor parenting skills? Or better yet, listen to that fellow sorcerer of hers when he tells you about the girl’s childhood.” He turned to Lucifer, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “Your daughter used to pray, did you know? To any entity that would hear her, in fact – you’re quite lucky those prayers reached me instead of your King or your Father. Quite heartbreaking for a child of such potential to feel so unwanted, truly. Did you know that as her mother kept her inside, she prayed for a friend? And as she grew a bit older, those pleas for a friend turned to a prayer for rest, for death some days when she felt truly trapped by the crime of her existence. And yet you want to send her back to her own personal punishment, away from the place where she can be free of the very worst burdens trapping her in the first place.”

 

Lucifer scowled, unable to believe his ears. “You’re lying, I know –

 

“Master,” Karasu cut him off with a feigned yawn as he turned to Mammon, “I tire of this conversation. You know I cannot lie to you.”

 

“...Then I command you to reveal any intended deception in your words.”

 

“Why, of course!” Karasu cheered. “Well… Hm, how about that? It seems I’m coming up empty.”

 

“She wouldn’t…” Lucifer’s wings trembled in confused fury.

 

“Oh, I agree that she wouldn’t on purpose!” Karasu piped up. “She certainly intended well. But we all know the saying about the best of intentions, no? Like you, Lucifer, had the best of intentions when you locked your sleepy little brother in your attic.”

 

Why, you –

 

“So what,” Mammon cut back in, “we’re just supposed to leave ‘er alone over there in that sick, twisted world?”

 

“It’s in a better state than yours! Besides,” Karasu countered, “she’s at a perfectly respectable college for mages her own age. And wouldn’t you know it, she’s the safest she’s ever been! Not to mention, her power gets to grow in new ways over there… and, well, let’s just say I suspect she’ll need that for what is to come. Oh, I’d better get going now!”

 

“Hey!” Mammon yelled out. “Get back ‘ere!” But it was too late, for the mysterious demon had disappeared into the tree once more.

_______________________________________________

 

“Jade?” Azul called his loyal housewarden as the three prepared the lounge for the rush of Saturday evening. “What have you found out about that Ramshackle boy?”

 

“Eh? Didn’t he tell you?” Floyd whined. “Black-tipped sharkie joined his club. Which isn’t fair, cuz I wanted to play with him.”

 

“Oh? I suppose I must’ve forgotten to mention that,” Jade smirked. “Not like I would miss the chance to win over another loyal pawn for Octavinelle. Still, I’ll admit, his willingness to join the club certainly aligned with all of my possible interests quite well. Not least of which being that the headmage has suddenly seen fit to increase the club’s funding for the year.”

 

Azul smirked, dollar signs practically ringing through his ears as he gleefully hurried through his preparations. “And I suppose you’ll be working on getting him into a contract come Monday?”

 

Jade hummed his agreement. “Of course. And, he’s much more cautious about signing anything than even our freshman are, so while it will be harder to trick him into what we want… the payoff will be well worth it.”

 

Azul cackled mercilessly, greed tainting his entire being. “I can’t wait.”

Notes:

Annnnnnd that’s a wrap!

Poor Crewel is gonna have a heart attack one of these days

And... Lucifer and Mammon now have a new perspective on Aurora.
Also, remember that very first chat Crowley and Maleficent had? If not, you might want to revisit that

And... surely the Octatrio isn’t plotting to steal Aurora’s powers, right?

Chapter 35: Wrathful Discoveries

Summary:

Wrath has its place amongst all of the brothers, and Wrath finally learns a portion of the truth.

Notes:

Hi loves! This is another short one, but… the next part doesn’t quite fit with what happens here
Hope you enjoy anyways!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Satan and Beelzebub paced around the foyer of the House of Lamentation, guarding the door. “It’s already been half a day, they’ve got to be getting close to coming back,” the elder fretted.

 

“We’ve been saying that for hours,” Beel reminded him as he gnawed anxiously on some hard candy. “We’re not helping ourselves just standing here without a plan.”

 

“I know that!” Satan snapped, petting his new kitten for comfort.. The two began the same mild argument they’d been having for hours as the two eldest finally crawled out of the door to the crypt, demon forms emerged much to the younger brothers’ surprise. “What –” Satan choked on his own sentence, pupils expanding and tail popping out as their aura passed through the room.

 

Not seeming to notice the two of them, Lucifer stormed through the room, wings flapping violently as Mammon haplessly called after him on his tail.

 

Satan slumped to the ground for several moments as Beel rushed over to him, nostrils flared as he fought to regain his senses. After finally coaxing the fourth-born out of his state of shock, he mustered up the courage to ask, “what happened?”

 

“Wrath,” Satan rasped as he shakily stood up, clinging to Beelzebub for support in the first few moments. “Their wrath has been slowly building for several days, but this is the worst I’ve seen it for a while. Especially in Lucifer. We’d better get in there unless we want a new sibling,” he warned. “But first, let me put Sir Whiskerson in his bed.”

______________________________________________

 

Lucifer growled as he entered his bedroom, Mammon trailing close behind as he shut the door. “I’m going up there,” Lucifer snarled, “and having a nice, long talk with our beloved pactmate and that shitty sorcerer .

 

Lucifer, for fuck’s sake, you’re not goin’ up there yet!”

 

Do not even think of denying me this, little brother, ” he hissed. “ My family has been wronged, so I will decide how to handle this.

 

“You’re gonna kill one of ‘em if you head up there now!” Mammon frantically warned.

 

I’m going to get some fucking answers on just how they saw fit to torment my daughter! She PRAYED, Mammon! My daughter was brought to the point of prayer, and even to the point of praying for her own DEMISE!

 

I know you’re furious, Lucifer! And believe me when I say I am, too! ” Mammon shook the eldest by the shoulders as he drove his point in. “Look, I don’t know what the fuck happened, but killin’ either of them ain’t gonna solve anything! Would you really feel good about yourself if your rage took you too far and you actually killed Victoria? She wouldn’t get resurrected this time, you know!”

 

The eldest’s wings twitched as he collapsed in his seat, wings spasming as his body began to tremble. “I don’t know how to fix this,” he admitted in a gravelly voice. “I don’t know what my daughter was brought there for, I don’t know how to get her back, and now I don’t even know if she even wants to come back. And she’s still stuck – Mammon,” horror twisted the eldest’s face as an awful idea struck him, “what if she doesn’t know how to use her powers? She was raised by humans – two fucking idiot humans at that. What if she gets roped into a pact against her knowledge, or already did?” Thick tears began to spill down his cheeks as he trembled in the beginnings of a breakdown. “I failed , Mammon. I wasn’t able to stop this. I should’ve ignored her, I should have gone up to the Human Realm these last years –”

 

“Nope,” Mammon chided, “none ‘a that. All you were told was that she was goin’ into hidin’ and that drawing attention to ‘er would bring more danger for everyone,” he reminded. “It’s gonna be okay,” he did his best to soothe. “We’re gonna try that portal ourselves, an’ we can figure out the best way to handle everything once we meet your kid, ‘kay?”

 

“Do you think we’ll actually be able to break something made by him?”

 

“…we can at least try.”

 

Lucifer nodded numbly, tears tracking down his face as the two brothers sat in understanding silence.

 

Unfortunately, that moment was soon broken as the eldest’s door shattered from a hefty kick, a snarling Satan barging through the doorframe with Beelzebub in tow. “That’s enough of you idiots, I demand to know what’s going on now!

 

“Oi, the door was closed for a reason!”

 

“I really don’t —“ Satan paused as he took in the scenery. “Wait, is Lucifer crying?!”

 

“Out,” Lucifer weakly commanded.

 

“Wait, no,” Satan protested. “Whatever you two are doing is getting WAY out of hand. You know that you are not being at all subtle, right?”

 

“Your call,” Mammon whispered in Lucifer’s ear. “But considerin’ how stuck we are… I think we could use the help.”

 

“…Beel, please go make sure Belphie isn’t doing something destructive right now. I will talk to the two of you later.”

 

Beel narrowed his eyes before giving in with a sigh as he backed out of the room. “Alright.”

 

Reluctantly, the eldest raised a sound barrier over the room in lieu of the remaining fragments of door.

 

“What in the layers of all hell is going on?” Satan questioned as his tail snapped. “You two have been acting weird for almost two weeks now. Constantly hanging out with each other, and now you’re crying? Because I thought Armageddon was just a myth, but —“

 

“Oi, let ‘im actually say it,” Mammon reminded.

 

“Satan… about two weeks ago, I received contact from Victoria for the first time since that night.”

 

A whine tore out of Satan’s throat at that. “YOU heard from her?! What happened?!”

 

“She is… alright,” Lucifer started. “But I found out why she had gone into hiding all of those years ago. I… the night she called me… she had just found out she was pregnant.”

 

Satan froze abruptly. “So — wait, ew, please tell me you’re not the father!”

 

Lucifer frowned. “I… am.”

 

“AND YOU JUST LET HER RAISE YOUR CHILD ALONE?!”

 

“Oi, Satan, give him a chance to explain! He didn’t know!”

 

“Why, I — Lucifer, is this true?”

 

“Yes,” he regretfully confirmed. “I… I didn’t know until two weeks ago.”

 

Satan sighed in frustration, “of course it would be you… so, what? Is Victoria — and your spawn — planning to come down here? Why hide it from you just to reveal it later?”

 

“She is my daughter, not my spawn,” Lucifer corrected. “And… something terrible has happened. Two weeks ago… she disappeared. Victoria initially believed her to be kidnapped by fey, and we discovered that she has been transported to another world. But… recent information has revealed that she chose to go there of her own volition.”

 

Satan’s brow furrowed. “And what was the source of that?”

 

The two eldest glanced at each other. “We, uh… we paid a visit out to the forest to commune with ol’ Yatagarasu,” Mammon revealed.

 

“Yata — I see,” Satan pondered. “And you’re certain of the knowledge you received there?” He received a nod. “Then why was your spawn stupid enough to run off without giving any sort of indication?!”

 

“Satan,” the eldest warned. “Do not speak of my daughter that way.”

 

“…Right, of course,” he sneered with a curl to his lip. “I’m so certain it was a good reason. Then again, if you were my father, I’d probably hop dimensions to get away from you.”

 

“I — Satan, I —“ Words that might’ve normally bounced off of him pierced the Avatar of Pride’s wounded heart, choking him in a cloud of shame and grief as he weakly reached out to the youngest in the room.

 

“I know, I know, that one was uncalled for,” Satan apologized, uncomfortable with the broken look crossing his creator’s face. “Still, I do want to know what’s going through your kid’s head.”

 

“Yeah, uh, we’re still… gettin’ information on that ourselves,” Mammon cut in. “Also, ya should probably know Victoria’s been with Solomon all this time. And apparently he made her immortal.”

 

Excuse me?!

 

“That’s a good thing, Satan!”

 

“I’m pissed because nobody thought to tell me!

Notes:

Annnnnnd that’s a wrap!

Lucifer is in a RAGE right now (and can you blame him given what he just learned)

And… Satan finally knows part of the truth! …he still has a LOT to learn about it all though!

Chapter 36: Best Intentions

Summary:

Lucifer tells the twins about the goings-on of the House.

Victoria checks in on Aurora via mirror again and learns something she never wanted to hear.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Late that evening, Lucifer slipped into the twins’ rooms, expectantly laying on their beds as Belphegor yawned awake from his nap. “About time you got to us,” he murmured. “I thought you were gonna try to brush everything under the rug again.”

 

Lucifer sighed as Beelzebub was the one to lean forward and address him. “Lucifer,” he started nervously. “I… We… I’m worried about you,” he admitted. “These last couple weeks have been strange. Really strange. It hasn’t been this tense since…” He trailed off, unsure of himself.

 

“I… admit that I haven’t been forthcoming,” Lucifer frowned. “I had… hoped to keep you out of this… situation, as it were.”

 

Belphegor snorted. “If you’re in deep shit, it’s gonna affect us anyways.”

 

Lucifer glared momentarily before resuming his talk. “This must stay between us here in the House of Lamentation. I… I cannot allow anyone else to learn of what is going on.”

 

Beelzebub pulled his arms over himself in anxiety. “Learn of what?”

 

“It started two weeks ago, when I heard from Victoria for the first time in years.”

 

The twins froze in shock, looking back and forth at each other before Belphie spoke up. “...She’s okay, right? The pact bond’s still there, and I haven’t felt her call out to me for help.”

 

Lucifer nodded. “That is correct. She went into hiding years ago because… she discovered something that she feared would put her in danger from the Prince.”

 

Beel frowned as Belphie rolled his eyes. “It’s always somehow his fault, I swear.”

 

To the youngest’s surprise, the eldest made no move to correct him. “Is she safe?” Beel asked.

 

“She is currently out of harm’s way, yes,” he assuaged the twins. “But… not everyone is. I… I learned that the reason she was so afraid back then was because she had discovered she was pregnant, and she feared that the baby would not only be in grave danger, but also used as a pawn against all of us.”

 

“Victoria’s a mom now?” “One of the idiots in this house is a dad?” The twins asked at the same time.

 

Lucifer frowned, jaw clicking at the second question. “Yes, Victoria is a mother now, and Belphegor, please end the patronizing questions.”

 

“Ew, gross,” he commented back. “It’s definitely you then.”

 

“...Yes,” he admitted, “Victoria and I have a daughter together. The only reason I know this even now is because Aurora – my daughter – has disappeared into another dimension. We initially believed it to be a kidnapping by fey, but… it appears to be more complicated than that.”

 

Beel was fully at attention, wracking his brain for ways to help. “So what can we do to get her back then?”

 

Lucifer sighed. “I… truly do not know. We found the portal that she disappeared through, but Victoria and Solomon already tried to breach the portal and failed. Mammon and I intend to try that portal again as well, but… given the machinations of the magic, we are unsure if even we can.”

 

Belphegor squinted. “Okay, one, I don’t like the sound of that. Two, what the fuck does Solomon have to do with this?” Once more, Lucifer was met by suspicion and disbelief as he explained the sorcerer’s involvement with their shared lover and pactmate for the last several years.

 

“...You’re telling me all those years up there and we couldn’t have gotten a ‘hey, sorry for ghosting you, but at least I’m okay’ message?” Belphie bitched. “All those years she was just up there playing house with Solomon and your kid, and what’s more, you’re actually okay with that Lucifer?” Beel stood up and walked over to his twin before pulling his twin into a hug to calm him down.

 

The eldest twitched. “I am not going to pretend for one moment I am… delighted… with Solomon’s involvement in all of this. But I would rather my family be safe above all else.”

 

“...Do you have any of her personal possessions?”

 

“No,” Lucifer confessed.

 

“Well, get me one of her prized items or something next time you’re up there,” Belphie lazily ordered. “I have no idea about this portal stuff, but I might be able to reach her in other ways.”

______________________________________________

 

“Hey, Sol?” Victoria asked her lover as they finally reached their home, still a little injured from before. “Can we… can we do the mirror thing again? I need to see that she’s okay.”

 

Solomon nodded his agreement to fire up the spell once more. “Knowing another demon’s involved… I’m worried too.”

 

So the two humans set about preparing the mirror and reaching out to see Aurora once more.

____________________________________________________

 

Aurora stood at a bathroom sink going through a new skincare routine as the two boys curiously looked through the kit she had been sent home with.

 

“Ew, what’s this nasty lookin’ teal stuff?” Ace grimaced.

 

“Vil’s instructions said it was a serum,” Aurora explained. “Not a moisturizer, because you want to use it directly on the skin after toner. Speaking of which, could you pass it this way?”

 

Ace did so reluctantly, putting her previous product back where he’d gotten it. “I bet it’s something reaaaaaaaaaal disgustin’,” he made a face. “You sure he’s not tryin’ to murder you?”

 

She grinned, gently patting the product into her skin. “If it were going to do something bad, I think it would’ve happened when I used it this morning. While you two were still sleeping, might I remind you.”

 

“You shoulda stayed in bed longer!”

________________________________________

 

“My baby’s still with those two?!” 

 

“It would appear so,” Solomon murmured thoughtfully.

 

“I don’t care that they’re two humans, I’m going to kill them for stringing her into whatever sick shit they’re doing,” she hissed.

 

“Now now, love,” he hummed, “there comes a time in every mother’s life where she must accept that her daughter has a boyfriend – or multiple boyfriends here, it would appear.”

 

She glared in response. “They forced her into a deal, Solomon, I’m not going to just let them –”

 

He shushed her with a finger on the lips. “Do we know they actually forced her to make the deal, or was it simply the first conclusion that appeared logically to you? Think about it,” he remarked solemnly. “She is almost certainly more powerful than those two are. Do you think they would still walk that world if she were not in full agreement to that deal herself?”

 

“But she’s never dealt with many social situations, she’s –”

 

“Not the helpless child you still see her as,” he cut in.

 

“I don’t –”

 

“But you are,” he admonished. “Even if you do have the best of intentions.”

_____________________________________________

 

She moved onto the next product with a pointed glare. “You know I had to get up at a semi-normal hour to handle everything,” she reminded him. “You know, he wouldn’t let me leave his office until I made forty-seven different contingency plans for Monday.”

 

“Forty-seven?” Deuce grimaced. “How did you even come up with that many?”

 

“...They got more ridiculous as they went on,” she laughed as she recalled. “One involved turning Crowley into a flea, then putting him inside a box, which would go inside another box, and then mailing it to ourselves before crushing it and using his remains as a spell component.”

 

The two boys blanched at that. “Is that even possible?!” “What’s the point of THAT?!”

 

“If it were anyone else, it’d be possible, but Crowley’s also capable of facilitating interdimensional travel like it’s no big deal, so… not exactly keen to try taking him on. Besides,” she flippantly remarked as she moved to the end of the routine, “even if he’s foisting whatever weird work onto me, I’d still much rather be here than home – well, at my old home.”

 

“Wait wait wait,” Deuce shook his head, “when you said you took that hand in the mirror to come here – you mean it was the HEADMAGE’S hand?!”

 

Aurora nodded. “Yes. Well, he hasn’t exactly confirmed it for me, but I recognized the shape of the hand, plus the little claw-like jewelry he likes to wear. And the voice matches up, too.”

 

“How the hell are half of us even at this school?!” Ace yelled. “I mean, we got you, apparently the headmage is strong enough to scare YOU, we got those Diasomia guys, Riddle, Cater’s apparently in on the power too, and then Leona! And that’s just the ones we know!”

 

“...You guys actually have pretty high-quality souls,” she explained. “There’s not… really a good way to quantify it? Not to someone who’s fully human. But essentially yours are sort of unpolished gems, perhaps not very strong yet, but it’s there inside you.”

 

“Oh?” Ace leaned in, demeanor having taken a complete one-eighty at the revelation. “Play some blackjack and tell me more?”

______________________________________________________

 

“She’s met this Crowley,” Victoria realized with a startle. “Oh… no, no, this can’t be right,” she breathed. Watching the mirror, her knees buckled as Solomon reached over to catch her. “No, no way, whatever demon this is knows we’re watching and has to be showing us –”

 

“Victoria,” Solomon sighed, “this is as real as anything else we’ve seen. Either everything is a fabrication, or none of it is.”

 

“She wouldn’t be STUPID enough to run off with a stranger, Solomon!” She hiccuped, barely reigning in a sob. “She’s not so idiotic to just do that and – and – and reveal herself to everyone she meets!”

 

Solomon sighed, cutting off the mirror feed. “I’m not truly surprised the day came when she ran away, love. Did I not warn you many times that the situation was getting out of hand?”

 

Victoria whimpered, smaller than Solomon ever remembered seeing her. “...are… are you seriously saying this is my fault?”

 

Solomon the Wise considered his words carefully. “I’m saying that raising her was always going to be difficult if we wanted to protect her from her grandfather and Diavolo. I’m also saying that staying a secret was difficult on her, too.”

 

His lover had no response, brokenly staring into the void as her world came crashing down.

Notes:

Annnd that's a wrap!

The twins now know! And whatever could Belphie's plan be, hmmm? XD

Fun fact: Vil's serum (yes I know the English translation says "toner" in that one vignette but toner is usually more to help cleanse, whereas a serum is more likely to be moisturizing) is canonically made out of something kinda nasty IMO (and Floyd's not a fan either)

And... last but not least, Victoria now knows Aurora voluntarily went away to GTFO from there XD Solomon's not even surprised, mans really expected this eventually

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 37: Hideous Old Things

Summary:

Aurora’s first meeting with the Mountain Lovers’ Club, and her first true training session with Vil.

Notes:

Hi loves! Another short one, but it’s the last transitional one before the stuff with Leona happens next chap 😊

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Monday classes had come and gone, the Housewarden meeting also thankfully going without too much incident as Crowley had shut down any discussion of the accidents occurring around the campus.

 

Now all she had to worry about was her Mountain Lovers’ Club and special training with Vil. Well, all she had to worry about before breaking an ancient, malicious curse engineered in a moment of spite by good old Gramps.

 

Regardless of the inevitable, Aurora rolled up to the classroom where her new club meetings were held, encountering an all-too-eager Jade Leech. “Ah welcome, welcome,” he greeted. “Here, take a seat and please avail yourself of the many mushroom delicacies available for the first meeting.”

 

Aurora took a seat, eyeing Jade carefully as he spoke. ‘Hmm… he’s probably Mr. Capitalist’s friend, so I’d better make sure he won’t expect something in return from me in exchange.’ “And I take it these are a gift from the club, not from you personally?”

 

A couple of pointy teeth showed in response. “Why, of course,” he grinned, “all items were supplied through club funding and expedition.”

 

‘Should be fine then.’ Quickly checking the food for magic, she ascertained that it was safe before pointing her pen and directing a stuffed mushroom to hover by her. “Cheers, then.” She took a bite, enthusiastically enjoying the flavor presented to her. ‘This is delicious!’

 

“If it is to your liking,” Jade explained deviously, “there are many more dishes like that at the Mostro Lounge, should you ever care to take a visit.”

 

“I trust that was an offhand comment and not a misuse of your authority as a club leader to promote your personal interests?” Aurora blinked almost innocently, a mild quirk of her lips betraying her.

 

Jade’s smile remained infuriatingly the same. “Ah, of course. Forgive me, I am still adjusting to having fellow members in my club.”

 

“Of course I’ll forgive you. After all, I’m sure you would forgive me if I were to make an offhand remark about how completely shady your housewarden is.” ‘I hope that didn’t come off as too aggressive? More like the right level of passive aggression necessary to get him to stop pushing an Ursula-style deal on me.’

 

A few more teeth showed. “Why, of course I would of course forgive you for that. I’m sure the two of us have many ways we might accidentally insult the other out of sheer thoughtlessness.”

 

‘Is he calling me —‘ “Perhaps we should get on with club activities before we let things get out of hand then?” Aurora suggested.

 

“Ah, yes. Today is simply to gather a little bit of information regarding your previous experience with mountaineering and go over safety concerns. Now, first question,” he picked up a form and a pen, “tell me what sort of biome you are most familiar with.”

 

‘I’m from fucking Florida, man.’ “Swamp,” she answered slowly. “Although… I still didn’t exactly go outside in the swamp a lot, either.”

 

He scribbled a few notes. “I see. Now, tell me, how many times have you ever hiked a mountain, and to what elevation?”

 

She grimaced a little bit, flushing in mild shame. “Ah, uh… never? My… surroundings… didn’t exactly have many mountains around them.”

 

More scribbles. “And tell me, how good is your flight magic?”

 

‘The one area I’m having a hard time in! It feels so wrong to fly without my wings, and it throws my whole center of gravity off to fly on a broom instead. Still not awful, and above most of the class, but…’ “…still a beginner with that,” she explained. “I can fly in an emergency, but if the situation were dire, I’d be more comfortable catching myself with levitation magic. I… I’ve still flown before, and at thousands of feet of elevation, but I always had some kind of aid for that.” ‘The thousands of feet of elevation part is a fucking lie, but I got trained in that no-oxygen simulator room enough times that I’m not concerned about my ability to breathe at high altitudes.’

 

His brow twitched curiously at that. “And did you require some technical aid for the air, or did your magic abilities supplement your oxygen intake?”

 

“Magic,” she answered. ‘Just not quite in the way you’re thinking.’

 

“Wonderful. And do you have any medical conditions that could potentially impede your ability to scale a mountain?”

 

“None.” ‘Mental conditions, probably — thank you mom and grandpa — but physically I’m doing fucking great.’

 

“Delightful. And now, the final question for this: tell a little bit about why you chose to join the Mountain Lovers’ Club.”

 

“Well…” ‘How much should I tell him?’ “First of all, I’m an off-worlder, so… there’s so much I have to see of this world. And… growing up, my family kept me indoors most of the time, so actually getting to go outside and explore was a bit of a rare occurrence. And… I’d like to experience that more, see what the outside here has to offer.”

 

A curious glance danced in Jade’s eyes for a moment. “Ah, it seems we are kindred spirits then. For you see, I am from an underwater kingdom myself, and came to this school hoping to learn more about life on land. That is why I founded this club, to learn as much as I possibly could.”

 

‘So he’s a little like me, then?’

 

“I didn’t know you came from an underwater kingdom,” she spoke.

 

“Yes, both me and my twin. Ah, but reminiscing about the past can wait. For now, let’s go over the practice manual for the harness…”

___________________________________

 

Club activities came to an end, and Aurora did a little homework for the week before making her way over to the Pomefiore ballroom once more.

 

This time, however, Vil had decided on a task far more monstrous than she had imagined.

 

It was time to learn to walk in heels.

 

“Vil,” she reminded him, “I literally don’t even own heels to walk in.”

 

“Rook and I have remedied that problem,” he replied smoothly. “You’ll try them on now. I trust they’re the correct size?”

 

She blanched. ‘Shit no, I can’t accept this! I don’t wanna be in debt, and I certainly don’t want him to think of me as a charity case —‘

 

“They’re compensation for the time you’re spending in this training intensive,” he framed it to her as he practically saw the gears turn in her head. “Unless you think your work will be so pitiful you should just give up now?”

 

“Never,” she cut in, eyes narrowing at the implication. “I’ll… try them on.”

 

He had gotten her a simple pair to start with, a short pair of lavender leather boots with black lace accents, a thick heel accompanying them.

 

The next near hour was spent working on balance and posture, coupled with finding just the perfect stride to accompany the beautiful aura with a hidden hint of deadliness that Vil hoped to aid her in projecting. “Stop leaning so far forward to compensate for the change in gravity,” he reminded her. “And don’t use that magic of yours again, I expect you to do all of this as easily as you breathe soon enough.”

 

By the end of the lesson, Aurora had gotten a good grasp of the “model walk” as she internally dubbed it.

 

“Now please,” Vil instructed her, “wear your new pair when you walk about campus, unless you are engaging in dirty physical activity. I don’t want to see so much as a trace,” he grimaced at the pair she’d been wearing here in this world, “of those hideous old things around me. Understand?”

 

“Understand,” she agreed.

 

He didn’t have to know that she was going to wear the hideous old things over to Savanaclaw tonight.

__________________________________

 

“Change of plans,” Jade told Azul that evening.

 

“Oh?” He furrowed his brows. “Given up already, have we?”

 

“Does this mean I getta go squeeze black-tipped sharkie early?”

 

“No. To the both of you,” Jade reprimanded. “I am merely suggesting that we… change our approach.”

 

“…I’m listening.”

 

“The rumors are true that he is an off-worlder. And, from small comments here and there,” he inferred, “an awfully sheltered one. So unfortunately sheltered that perhaps, he might choose to stay in Twisted Wonderland if given the option.”

 

“So you’re proposing we give him the option?”

 

“Eventually, yes,” Jade grinned. “He is awfully careful about owing anyone any favors, but… he does seem awfully receptive to genuine kindness. Think about a poor boy all alone in a strange land, no identification, no access to money of his own, and in a few years, not even a place to stay. But if we were to offer him work, a chance to stay with us… why, I believe we could have a loyal pawn of our own, even long past graduation.”

 

“It’s not as appealing as taking all his easy-earned winnings for myself…”

 

“Ah,” Jade’s eyes flashed, “but it would be awfully cruel of me to clip the wings of a kindred spirit.”

 

“…I suppose the benevolence of the Sea Witch would require me to consider your idea. Set up a meeting when you can, Jade. I’d like to talk to Mr. Morningstar one-on-one.”

 

“Wait, does this mean we’re back to me NOT squeezin’ him?!”

Notes:

Annnnnd that’s a wrap!

Ah Jade, you devious bastard XD

Aurora finally has her first pair of heels! Now she gets to be even damn taller lmaooo

And next we got the curse-breaking chapter! Wonder how that’ll go…

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 38: The Cursed Prince

Summary:

In which Aurora works to break Leona's curse, and it takes a few turns that she didn't expect.

Notes:

Hi loves! This is a bit of a juicy one, so I hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora stepped through the portal to Savanaclaw with Grim on her shoulder, a warm sunset setting the entire pocket dimension aglow. Students trickled off the field as some sort of practice – presumably Magift, if the upcoming tournament was any indication – came to end, students in various degrees of exhaustion.

 

‘Oh, shit, that Jack guy does not look thrilled to see me.’ His sepia eyes bore into her as she waited for the field to begin to clear out, making her approach towards the aloof housewarden. “You ready?” Aurora asked him as Grim marveled at the picturesque scene for the first time.

 

He glanced at her curiously. “Yeah, sure, little jackal. Who’s the little hairball?”

 

“I am NOT –” Grim began to whine.

 

“He’s my familiar, not a hairball,” Aurora cut in. “Everything today should sail smoothly, but I just have a couple of… contingency plans in case unexpected circumstances arise.” ‘Professor Crewel made me set up way too many.’

 

He snorted. “And he’s supposed to help how?”

 

She smiled. “Hopefully it’s not an issue.”

 

The two quietly made their way to a small, empty area behind the dorm. “So we’re doin’ this here, jackal?”

 

“Nope,” she corrected. “Way too much opportunity for collateral damage. Oh, um, I should’ve asked this before,” she realized. “You’re not afraid of flying, are you?”

 

He scoffed. “I’m not some scared little kitten if that’s what you’re implyin’.”

 

“No,” she shook her head, “just wanted to double check before what I plan to do next. Oh, and uh,” she glanced around, “if you could avoid speaking about what you see here, that’d be fantastic.”

 

“What’re you on about?”

 

“You’ll see.” She cast a shielding spell on both Leona and Grim, designed specifically to shield mortals during bouts of fast flight. At his even more curious glance, she revealed herself in her ethereal form, picking him up bridal style as she spread her wings. “We’ll get there faster this way,” she explained.

 

“Now I’m really curious what you are, little jackal,” he purred. “And just what you came here for.”

 

“Maybe answers for a later time,” she teased. “Now…” Securing her two companions, the girl flapped her wings, shooting across the sky at inhuman speeds, perhaps a thousand meters every several seconds. Dust clouds flew up around them, the very earth beneath them trembling as they dashed to the edges of the dimension, finally settling down as they were a sufficient distance away from the dorm building. As she landed, a static vision danced across her mind’s eye, the familiar scene of the movie where Scar had eradicated life within the Pridelands. ‘These visions… they’re correlating to events happening now. What the hell could this one be warning me about, though?’

 

“That was faster than I would’ve expected, jackal,” Leona remarked after gathering his bearings. “And farther. I take it you’re expectin’ this to be explosive?”

 

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m expecting it to be relatively simple, but extremely powerful.”

 

“So… how exactly are you plannin’ on breakin’ this, anyways?”

 

“I’ve got a lot of lamb’s blood and a magic brush to help me,” she answered. “Also, mandrakes.”

 

He glared mildly at her. “THAT’S your big, fancy plan? You – oh, I see,” a smirk crept onto his face. “I have no idea how you’re usin’ some blood and a fancy brush, but you’re planning on usin’ the screechers to absorb the shock of any excess magical energy that overflows, huh. Pretty high level for someone who just started attendin’ college. What was your training like before here anyways?”

 

“Pretty intense,” she answered mildly. “But that’s a story for another time. Now… stand still and let me get started.”

 

Taking all of the necessary supplies out of the bag of holding Crewel had provided her for the expedition, she began methodically drawing the symbol of the cursed seal in lamb’s blood on the ground, placing Leona at the center of the drawing. Leaving Grim completely out of the circle, she used the mandrakes as she constructed a magical perimeter, positioning them so that they would store any excess magic force that might build up on certain weak points. As that finished, she brought out her magic brush. ‘Please let this work like I think it’s supposed to.’ Calling for a different force, acidic green liquid – the same kind she had encountered in that chamber – seeped out of the brush to bend to her will. “Power of the brush,” she commanded, “come to me in all your powers over life and over destruction. Destroy that which I have shown you, and eradicate the chains which hold this creature back.” Green shot up to Leona’s hands, spreading through his veins as the thinner worked to eradicate the grip the curse had on his soul.

 

The ground beneath the blood thunderously cracked, a beautiful golden light beginning to bleed out from Leona’s awed form. “This,” he rasped with all the majesty of a deity, “this is the power that has been stolen away from me my entire l̸̨̩͎̙͍̮̝̀́̇̊̕͠i̷̢̛̬̤̼̲̠͗͑̐͋̊̈́̑̈́̃f̴̻̙̮̠̘̞͇̖́̏̇͛̈́̇̎͊́̀̃͘̕ȩ̷͂̄̆̒̈̉͛.



The sky darkened, an inky miasma tumbling around him as if to devour that golden light. ‘Shit, this is worse than I thought it actually would be!’ All the water was being sucked from the nearby area, the grass inside the circle instantly dead as the circle swelled with horrific power. “Grim,” Aurora hoarsely called to him. “Get back to Crewel and tell him to evacuate Savanaclaw.” She snapped her fingers and he disappeared from their field of vision.

 

An abominable, unholy laugh wrenched from the lion’s throat as Aurora’s vision began to go black with ink again. “I have you to thank, jackal. With this, I can overthrow the w̴̨̢̨̥̞̭̱̝̮̼̹̤͚̼͌̎͑ơ̶̗̺̗̟̼̮̯̹͕͎̻̭̱̏̌͌ͅr̵̘̯̘̣͔̼̘̰̔͑ͅļ̴̜͈͖̖̺̲͈͈̰̹̣̅̾̇̐̾͋̑͊̇̎́̀̋͜ͅͅď̸̢̳̙̺̗̻̰̞̝̏̀̊̔̍͊ͅ ą̴̣̖̟̼̫̬͖̭̭͂ņ̵͚̩̦̹͍̳͔͎̈́̿̌̈́͊͌̎͝d̸̢̗̹͉̥̤̼͔̯͓̻͠ͅͅ ̸̡̤̮̦͍̯̙̋́͊̄̈́̈͑̊́̆̈́̋̓̈́ť̷̨̰͊̅̄͑̊͗͋̔̿̏̓̅̓̈́͜ų̶̡̫̞͖̩͛͛̒͒́̐̽̀͐̈́͑͛̚̚͘r̸̛̙̣̰̖̠͗̈͋̒̀́̏͒́̚ņ̵̗̖͖͍̟̂ ̷͕̺͉̣̣͎̞̩̙̻̦͖̞̱̲́̉͂i̷̛͇͕̥̪̣̣͗̋͐̈́́̔̂̓͘͘͝ẗ̷̛̟͚͔̘͂̉̇͊͐̿̀͠͝ ̴̡̧̩̗̣͖͕͕̣̬̗̮̜̹̎͗͋̍t̶̢̛̼̫̝̫͈̃̉̆́̉͒́͛̊̐͛̕͘o̵̤̤͆̇̑̍̈́̅̓̅͆͘ ̴̤̯͎̹̖̲͈̈̄͂̆̒͂s̸̛̠̦͎͍̤̫̐̚ͅȁ̷̙̗̩̰̠̲̱̳̠̿̆̓̓̌̈́͜͜ͅn̵̢̼̹̘͈͎̪̼̲͉̜̙͍̥̭̎d̶̡̼̭̲̗͍̘̻̙͓̩̙̑͑̌͗̾̌͂́̕̕͜͝.̶̪̲͋̄̒̀̏̀̓̓”



‘That same ink – he’s about to Overblot too!’ Aurora ran up to him as he hideously cackled, the dripping of ink reverberating in her ear. “Leona, wait!”

 

Aurora just barely covered his ears as the mandrakes screamed. They burst to pieces, and the circle shattered as the black sky spread.

 

It was too late.

_________________________________________________

 

As Grim poofed into Crewel’s office, the professor knew something was terribly wrong. “You are the familiar Aurora mentioned, no? What has occurred?”

 

“Ack! The sky got super dark and scary, and she told me to get a professor to evacu-something the Bananaclaw place? I don’t know, she sent me here after that!”

 

Crewel immediately stood to attention, eyes narrowed at the familiar. “Then we’re heading over to the mirror, pup.” He made sure to grab his whip as he rushed over, Grim frantically running behind him.

 

Black clouds awaited him as he stepped into the dorm, blocking the sight of where the setting sun should be at this hour. The ground trembled from the echoes of something far in the distance, students beginning to gather in small clusters as they tried to set up defensive shields. His whip snapped next to them, startling them all to attention. “Everyone, cease standing around! Stay together, and get to the Hall of Mirrors! Stay there until you receive orders otherwise!” He barged into the dorm building, beginning to send every straggler within away as fast as he could.

 

He only hoped he wasn’t too late.

__________________________________________________

 

Leona in his overblotted form was a sight of terror to behold, his skin far more ashen gray than before as black ink leaked across him, even dripping out of his claws and the scar over his eye. “ Ironic, isn’t it? There’s nothing the savanna hates more than a drought, you know. Yet its prince’s signature magic desiccates everything, turning it to sand.

 

Aurora struggled in his grip, a crackling pain spreading from where he had grasped her at the throat. ‘This power – I can’t fight him at such a close range or he might ACTUALLY turn me into sand! But if I use my normal spells, I might damage him out of overblot!’

 

Pointing her arm just a little backwards as her head began to spin, she summoned a glowing violet sigil which she quickly stepped into. Dismissing it in the blink of an eye, she dodged out of the way, nearly breaking the speed of sound in her adrenaline-fueled flight.

 

I’ve been loathed since the day I was born. I’ve never had a place, never had a future! None of my work was ever rewarded! And what’s more, it’s all because my future was s̶͉̹̲̖̬͙͔̜̦̹̑̔̾́̉͒̃́̏̐͋̚͠͝t̶̛̠̹͌͂́̃̅͋͂͛̐͘ö̷̜̤̗̻́͆͌̏̒̾͗͐͌̕͜͝l̴̨̘͉͕̱̮̞͎̰͓̫͉̰̼̿̕ę̴̨̣̙͕̺̦̻͓̲̜̂͊̎̄̑͑̉̎͂̚̕̕ͅṅ̷̢̛͖̘̤̞̣̯̺̞͈͔̜͐̅͒̐͠ͅ!”



Aurora shielded as a wave of ink spewed from the hideous phantom attached to the boy’s back, darting as the inky set followed at a slower pace. ‘If I can get a little bit of distance and get him to stop… he’s already disoriented from the pressure release, so one good hit ought to do it.’ Trying to dismiss the growing horror as more and more of the ground turned to sand and disappeared into a void beneath their hovering forms, she summoned a minor meteor, slamming it straight forcefully into where the lion’s solar plexus should be. Amidst the roar that resulted, she chanted, “brimstone of heaven and light of hell, I call upon you to lend yourselves to my unholy flames, burning away all of that which stands in my way. I am the one they call Aurora Morningstar, now do as I command!” A myriad of flames danced in her hands as she summoned them, aiming them right at the area which the large phantom connected to Leona’s back.

 

Ink began to drip out of him as she caught him in her arms, barely flying them over solid land before they both passed out.

_______________________________________________

 

Professor Crewel had succeeded in getting the majority of the students out of the dormitory as the storm grew closer and closer, the Vice Housewarden being among the last to leave as he helped corral stragglers out. The air began to turn arid as small specs of dust began to fly up from the rippling, rumbling ground.

 

Then all of a sudden, it was over.

 

The inky black sky cleared, fading to gentle rain clouds quite uncharacteristic of the controlled environments found in the dorm pocket dimensions. A roar resounded somewhere across the conjured savanna, and the setting sun was visible once more.

 

Crewel opened up his phone, texting Professor Trein. “Mirror Chamber,” he wrote. “Crisis in Savanaclaw. Appears to be averted. Please watch them if possible while I handle a runoff situation.” As he finished the text, he waved his magic pen, he summoned a pack of dalmatians, ordering them to hunt the scents leading far away from the dorm.

 

Hopefully his students were still alright.

______________________________________________________

 

Aurora found herself once more in a hazy plane, this time with Leona by her side.

 

A couple of attendants lingered at the edge of a palace, looking out at the sunset over a gorgeous, glowing savanna – from behind the giant fixture once known as Pride Rock.

 

“Crown prince Falena is such a bright and cheerful young man,” the first whispered. “I don’t understand why his younger brother has to be so moody all the time.”

 

“And he possesses such a terrifying power!” The second agreed. “Imagine being able to turn anything to sand!”

 

One of their compatriots hustled over, shushing them. “Both of you, cease this conversation right now! What if someone overhears you?!”

 

Silently shuddering amongst themselves, nobody noticed the tiny Prince Leona back away from them, lips trembling shut as he aggressively wiped his eyes.

 

Aurora’s eyes widened as she looked over to the fully grown Leona, arms crossed with a frown on his face. “People said this kind of shit about you as a kid?

 

“For as long as I can remember,” he confirmed. “From the moment I was born, there’s been a boulder on top of me that’s too heavy to move. I bet that if I were the crown prince, they would’ve framed everything awfully different. But no, they said all this because I was born second. They always found fault with me no matter what – just so they could use it as a pretext to praise my brother. But no matter what I do, I can never be the best. Not at home, not at this school, not anywhere.

 

“But that’s so stupid!” Aurora responded. “I’ve met you, what, three times before today? And you’ve already–”

 

“Already plotted injuries, not to mention destroying half the land here and attempting to murder you. Which, I am sorry about, but I understand if you –”

 

“Leona,” she cut him off. “You were literally in Overblot. I’m not going to hold that against you.”

 

He squinted at her. “You’re an odd jackal, I’ll give you that,” he conceded. “And you’re still not tucking tail and running out around me.”

 

She smiled wryly, taking his hand as she traced the veins in his wrist. “Why should I be? I get why the average person might be scared of it, but… I think it’s magnificent,” she murmured.

 

He scoffed mildly, eyes downcast as he huddled into himself. “You don’t have to lie to try to make me feel better, little jackal.”

 

She squeezed his hand, her free one reaching up to tilt his face back to her. “I mean it,” she declared sincerely. “Creation and destruction… they can be equally beautiful. I'm not exactly considered a harmless creature myself, you know," she added as she noted the curious gaze. "And that moment, when the curse first broke,” she recalled, “I thought you looked majestic.”

 

Leona cleared his throat in something akin to shame as the memory in front of them shifted.

 

A tall lion man with red hair spoke to a slightly younger Leona, the scar over the boy’s eye a much brighter, fresher red than what it had faded to today. “Leona! Why weren’t you at today’s ceremony?”

 

“Ceremony?” Younger Leona scoffed. “You mean the self-indulgent party where you show off your son to the people? Yeah, sorry I missed that,” he snarked. “I fell asleep.”

 

The taller man pled with his younger brother. “Showing the people the face of their future king is an important affair.”

 

“Yeah,” the teen grumbled, “it’s a happy day for sure – also known as the day the despised second son loses what little claim he had to the throne forever.” He flopped down on his bed, pulling a pillow over his head to drown out the noise.

 

“Do not frame it in such terms!”

 

“Must be nice to be the firstborn,” Leona mumbled, “huh? You can spend every day singing and napping and still become king.”

 

“Leona…” Falena knelt down at his brother’s bedside. “You may never be king, but you are still wise. There is much you could do for this country.”

 

The teen emitted a tiny growl. “And maybe if this country selected its kings on the basis of intelligence, I’d be motivated to do something with that wisdom.” Rolling his eyes at the lack of personal space, he grabbed his pillow and slunk out of the room.

 

“Leona, wait!” Falena cried. “Leona!”

 

“I wondered for so long why I had to spend my life feeling this way, just ‘cause I was born a few years too late,” Leona lamented. “No matter how hard I study, no matter how powerful the magic I command… From the day I was born till the day that I die, no one will ever acknowledge that I’m better than my brother. I’m just the spare, the accidental pregnancy, the one my parents never wanted.”

 

A sick familiarity crept up on Aurora at those last words, echoes of pangs in her chest from times prior. “Your brother seems to at least care, but… if your parents made you feel that way, then they ought to go fuck themselves,” she hissed.

 

He barked a dry chuckle at her. “You got experience with that shit too?"

 

"Yeah," she admitted. "...it really does suck, doesn't it?"

 

"Mm-hm," he agreed. A small pause later, he took a deep breath for his next admission. "You know, I don’t remember all the details of this, ” he pointed at his scar, “since I… well, let’s just say those memories were a price to pay for somethin’ I wanted.”

 

She looked at him in dawning shock. “What did you–”

 

“Let’s just say I made a dumb deal not too long ago,” he cut her off. “But… from what I still do remember, I’m pretty sure it was good ol’ mom or dad who gave this to me. Really fuckin’ hurt at the time, too.”

 

“Leona,” she breathed, pulling him into a hug. “I am so – fuck, that’s horrible. You didn’t deserve that!”

 

He sighed, slowly hugging back. “I think you’re one of the few who believes that.”

 

The scene changed once more, showing Leona cuddling a slightly taller figure which was blurred, leaving his face and identity unable to be made out.

 

“You know,” the Leona in this vision spoke exhaustedly, “I might be a little pissed just how quickly you won. But still… I’m proud of you. You did amazing out there.”

 

“Was it?” The mystery figure seemed to shrug as he spoke in a voice Aurora couldn’t quite identify. “It wasn’t particularly hard – nobody really fought back against me.”

 

Excuse me?” Leona growled after a pregnant pause. “I try to give you a compliment, and you return it with an insult like that? Do you even have any fucking idea how hard I trained for this tournament?”

 

The figure seemed to frown, reaching out a hand to pet the lion’s hair as he agitatedly shoved it away. “I meant no insult,” he assured. “I merely meant that I would not reasonably expect a mortal to be able to defeat me in such a combat, given my experience.”

 

“Oh, so now I’m just a mortal?! ” Leona growled, pulling himself out of the previously tender embrace, fists clenching as his cheeks flushed and his eyes darted downwards. “Funny how you never say that sort of shit about me when I’m caterin’ to your every little tantrum and strokin’ your stupid ego," he mumbled. Bringing his gaze back up, he bared his teeth. "Is this how you’ve really felt the whole fuckin’ time? Like I’m some – some little plaything to be discarded?!”

 

“Leona,” the figure gulped as he stood after the lion, clasping his hand as he reached to card gloved fingers through his wild mane. “I do not view you as some mere plaything or toy. I… this is not the way I had intended to propose to you. I always thought I would bring you to my castle in Briar Valley for the holidays, where I would take you for an evening stroll through the Forest of Midnight Dawn. We would dance in the glade under the evening stars as the very trees, the nymphs and dryads themselves, wept in awe of us. There and then, that is how I had always planned it. But Leona Kingscholar… please, do not walk away from me now. For I would like nothing more than to make you my consort back in Briar Valley.”

 

Leona had begun to relax slightly through the figure’s heartfelt speech, up until the very last line. “Your consort?! ” He roared. “You and I both know that’s an outdated position, a way of takin’ a spouse and toutin’ them as some kinda tamed trophy.

 

“Leona,” the figure pled, “it’s the only way –”

 

Fuck your stupid way then,” the lion hissed as a wretched laugh bubbled out of his throat. “For fuck’s sake, Malleus, you should know why I hate that so bad.” He shook his head, pushing himself away from the other man. “But… if you’re not willing to make me your king… then I have no desire for you to be mine. I won’t take not bein’ treated as an equal.”

 

“Leona, wait –”

 

The lion roared menacingly. “Don’t you get it? This means we’re broken up, you – you – you stupid fucking lizard! ” Leona stormed away, face twisted in pain as he pawed at his eyes.

 

“Why will I never, ever get to be the best?” Leona wondered in a small voice. “Not to that stupid lizard, not to anyone. Life truly is unfair.”

 

“I –” Aurora paused in shock. “I get being prideful about your abilities, but… I can’t imagine talking to someone I loved like that – especially what he said at the beginning.”

 

Leona barked a wry laugh. “Yeah, I figured that after talkin’ to you for a couple of minutes,” he noted. “That’s why I said earlier that you don’t seem to have the same attitude as that freak.”

 

“Yeah, no kidding,” she murmured. “There’s recognizing your own strength – like you and I have to if we’re going to avoid an accidental mass murder – and then there’s being a jackass about it.”

 

He nodded in agreement. “Y’know, after the breakup, I was a fucking mess last year,” he admitted. “I’ve always had a tendency to skip classes when I knew I could get away with it, but it got really out of hand last year. So bad, actually, that as I sunk into a nasty depression, I started failin’ my classes. Got held back a year, too.”

 

“Leona…”

 

“It’s stupid, I know,” he huffed. “I just… I’d always felt like such a useless freak before, unwanted by my whole damn family. I was tryin’ to nap away the pain, and the moments I was awake, I was buryin’ myself in studies to try to compensate. Then when the two of us started goin’ out, I thought I finally found someone who understood. But, you saw how that worked out. Stupid of me, I know.”

 

“No,” Aurora frowned. “Not stupid at all. I…” She paused. “I think I kinda get it. You’re not alone in having shitty parents who forgot to wear protection one night and then foisted their problems onto you,” she empathized. “But as hard as it can be to remember sometimes, you deserve more than what they gave you.”

 

He smiled a bit at that. “Yeah. I think we both did, jackal.” He patted her head before sighing in defeat. “I know it’s stupid, I just… I wanted to beat him for once. Really humiliate him for treatin’ me the way he did. But… a deal’s a deal, and… I guess I’ll take what comes my way at the tournament. It’s my own fault, anyways.”

 

Aurora shook her head. “Leona, with that kind of power? I know the source of it – you have the power of a literal god running through your veins,” she revealed to him. “I haven’t seen this Malleus’s powers for myself, but you said my magic is ‘freakier’ than his. Based on that, and how much of a challenge I found your powers to fight against… I still really, truly believe you can defeat him. Even more so, now.”

 

“Heh…” He shook his head as a genuine smile crept onto his face. “A god, huh... I still think it’s a long shot, but… I’ll be damned if I don’t give it my best try.”

 

She smiled at him. “Kick that lizard’s ass.”

 

The two laughed together before tumbling down through black space, waking up to being hoisted over a fluffy fur coat.

Notes:

Annnnnd that's a wrap!

Leona's curse is finally broken, whoop!

And the Overblot is finally taken care of too (good thing he was dizzy from the magic band-aid ripping off, otherwise that fight would've been a lot tougher on Aurora)

And we finally see a bit more of Leona's backstory! Plus the two bonding over feeling unwanted by family :3 Along with my take on what caused him to get held back for a year ;)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 39: Post-Overblot Audacity

Summary:

Aurora and Leona have woken up, and are dragged to the infirmary.
Someone is acting sketchy in the Devildom.
And someone addresses the rumors concerning Diasomnia's role in the accidents.

Or in other words, Aurora's actions have consequences in multiple places.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you have some fun with this one XD

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora awoke to Grim clinging onto her as she was carefully being hoisted up. “Henchman,” he whined, “you finally woke up!”

 

Grimacing, she turned her head towards him. ‘Ouch, my throat still hurts in the real world. Also, has he not been brushing his teeth again? His breath smells really strong, somehow bitter and tangy.’

 

“Good,” a voice she vaguely recognized as Crewel’s washed over through the soft rains, “you pups have finally opened your eyes.”

 

“Ugh,” Leona groaned as he awoke on the man’s other shoulder. “Shit…” he looked down and out at what used to be the ground, now sunken into a void. “I did all this?

 

After sticking her tongue out to let some of the raindrops wash down her slowly healing throat, Aurora made a small hum of affirmation. “That’s why I had us come out so far,” she reminded softly.

 

Crewel huffed as he marched everyone back towards the dorm. “And you said you didn’t need all those contingency plans, pup,” he tutted.

 

“I wasn’t exactly expecting Overblot Round Two,” she remarked.

 

He tensed under them. “So that’s why the sky was so dark…” Aurora could have sworn that he picked up the pace slightly after that. “Going to kill Crowley…” he muttered lowly.

 

Aurora drank a little more rainwater, the cool liquid helping her injured throat regenerate faster. “So,” she asked, “I thought Overblot was supposed to be this really rare thing?”

 

Crewel nodded. “Yes, it is. Normally there might be a maximum of, say, two to three incidents per century, except in extraordinary circumstances such as the last war – hundreds of years ago.”

 

“...but there’s already been two in the span of about two weeks?”

 

“Yes,” he agreed, “quite the outlier.”

 

‘And the odds of the same person being present to handle both… Crowley, did you know all along about Leona? But… why send me? I’m strong, yes, but aren’t you more powerful?’

 

“So what now?” Leona huffed. “What do you do when the overblotted mage actually survives?”

 

“You two are going to the infirmary,” Crewel informed them, “and that is non-negotiable. Very likely a day off at least for the two of you.”

 

“I’ll definitely be fine by morning,” Aurora hurriedly assured, “I’m not the one who Overblotted. I also – oh, shit,” she cursed as she realized she was still in her ethereal form. “Lemme just –” she shifted back to her more human form.

 

“Oh, shit, indeed,” Crewel drawled as she realized her mistake. “Mr. – or, I suppose, Miss – Morningstar, that decision is going to be left up to me after I can take your vitals.”

 

“Fair enough,” she acquiesced.

 

The man continued his brisque walk, trudging through the drizzle as he finally reached the mirror, barreling through throngs of students from Savanaclaw and Diasomnia frantically shouting.

____________________________________________

 

Diavolo and Barbatos were in the privacy of their dining room, the butler having just served his Lordship his meal when the former felt it.

 

Inky black shadow coiled across his wrist once more, relaying a coded message of some sort. “Ah,” he sighed, “it seems as if the second phase of Adam’s plan has failed as well.”

 

“My condolences, Young Master,” Barbatos apologized. “I know how direly success in this phase could have helped us.”

 

“Truly…” He gazed thoughtfully at the fading message. “It seems as though there was a common factor in his loss both times.”

 

Barbatos hummed. “That is why he has six phases to practice before the final one,” he reminded.

 

The redhead’s gaze sharpened, focusing on him. “Barbatos… is this one of those timelines you mentioned long ago? The ones where she had a child?”

 

The butler smiled soullessly. “Young Master, you are well aware that if it is, my human master has barred me from speaking it to you. What I can tell you is that everyone should be sufficiently distracted now. You will need time to adjust to its weight, after all, and even I cannot tell if the time should be in a few months or a few years.”

 

Diavolo nodded as he stood, dinner forgotten as he shifted to show his wings, an ominous air filling the room. “And I trust all of the preparations are ready?”

 

Barbatos’s smile grew wider while his eyes remained the same. “But of course. We have been draining him empty since the days of Job, after all. It is time… My King.

________________________________________________

 

Professor Trein rushed back to campus as soon as he received his fellow professor’s text. “I’ve told you, Divus,” he muttered to himself, “you need to provide me more context when you text out of the blue like that.” Sighing, his creaking joints hurried him over to the Hall of Mirrors as his younger colleague had asked.

 

Pandemonium reigned as he arrived, several Savanaclaw students pacing back and forth agitatedly in the hall as they clustered together. Vice Housewarden Bucchi had arrived shortly before him, already working to keep everyone under control. “What has happened here?” Trein asked the vice. “Why are you all gathered here?”

 

The hyena beastman piped up as he finished a headcount. “It was super weird, like, crazy bizarre,” he explained. “Here we were, just havin’ finished Magift practice, when all of a sudden this crazy storm started brewin’ in the distance. The sky a ways away turned black and the ground started rumblin’ like it was someone’s empty stomach! The storm started movin’ closer too, and that’s when Professor Crewel showed up and started orderin’ us all to get out here. I was the last to go through, too. The storm got a lot better and faded to kind of a gentle rain, and the ground stopped shaking. Professor Crewel went out in the direction the storm was, though. I’m not really sure why.”

 

“I see…”

 

“I can’t find the Housewarden,” Ruggie nervously explained. “I checked all his favorite napping spots, and he’s not here either.”

 

“Did you see him enter the building after your practice?” Trein asked.

 

“Nah,” he shook his head. “He probably went back to the gardens or somethin’. I’m gonna go check there after everything’s all clear here.”

 

“A good idea,” the professor agreed. “Allow me to –”

 

“YOU FILTHY, ROTTEN LIARS!” a voice bellowed across the hall. “HOW DARE YOU INSOLENT CRETINS SPREAD LIES ABOUT THE YOUNG MASTER AND HIS LOYAL SERVANTS!” The green-haired freshman, Sebek, stomped up through the hall, a tired silver-haired boy following sluggishly after him, practically being pulled along. “AND NOW YOU DISGRACEFUL BRATS HAVE THE AUDACITY TO CLUTTER THIS CHAMBER AND PREVENT ANYONE ELSE FROM USING THIS CHAMBER!”

 

“Excuse me?” a few ruffled students grumbled at the Diasomnia duo. “First, calm down. Second, what the hell are you on about?”

 

“YOU HEARD PERFECTLY WELL! YOU IMPUDENT LIARS DARE TO IMPLY THAT THE GLORIOUS YOUNG MASTER OR ANYONE WITH THE GOOD SENSE TO ADMIRE HIM WOULD STOOP TO SUCH LOW LEVELS OF BARBARITY AND DISINGENUITY!”

 

One of the brighter Savanaclaw students had the good sense to stuff his tail into his dumber classmate’s mough before said classmate could say anything to jeapordize them in front of a teacher.

 

“Whoa, whoa,” Ruggie cut in frantically. “We’re sorry about blocking the hall, but we kinda got a crisis goin’ on here. We’ll clear out as soon as we’re given the all clear to go back.”

 

“It is as Mr. Bucchi said,” Trein addressed the duo. “Mr. Zigvolt, please refrain from shouting as we attempt to sort the situation.”

 

“THIS SITUATION IS JUST THE FINAL STRAW!” the freshman screamed. “THESE LOUTS HAVE DIRECTLY ACCUSED US OF TAMPERING AND INTERFERING WITH THE MAGIFT TOURNAMENT! AND THEY WERE AIDED IN THE SPREAD OF THESE RUMORS BY THAT UNSEEMLY EXCUSE OF A RAMSHACKLE PREFECT!”

 

Trein’s gaze became stern as he rubbed his temples. “May I ask what rumors you refer to, Mr. Zigvolt?”

 

“WHY, THE RUMORS THAT WE HAVE BEEN CAUSING THE INFLUX OF ACCIDENTS AS OF LATE!”

 

He muttered to himself about making a note to interrogate the infamous freshman who, despite having little context due to being an off-worlder, had managed to snag the top score on his very first pop quiz of the year. “Is it true that you have made these allegations, Mr. Bucchi? If so, what proof do you have, and why have you not brought these allegations to the faculty?”

 

A rush of panic ran through the hyena, noting how Leona would be unhappy if an associate of sorts so close to their scheme was compromised. “Well, Housewarden Morningstar was actually doin’ us a favor,” he began. “Apparently he was called to investigate these accidents by the headmage, from what I understand. Well, his strategy was to shadow potential victims and get the drop on the perp that way. Unfortunately,” he lied smoothly, “when he was trailin’ some of our own dorm, we thought maybe HE was outta get us. So eventually he explained that he thought it might potentially be someone in Diasomnia, but emphasized MANY TIMES OVER that he didn’t have any proof or anything. He wouldn’t have even said that if we hadn’t been so insistent with him, y’know? But, well, I guess we weren’t too good at keepin’ the speculation to ourselves – couldn’t help but worry, ya know? – and I guess it got further outta control than I realized. He really was tryin’ to look out for us, though, Professor. He’s even been back to the dorm a couple times to help Leona look out for signs of interference.”

 

“AND OFF OF WHAT BASIS DID HE MAKE SUCH AN ACCUSATION?!”

 

A small crowd Diasomia students had piled into the hall, trying to get back to the dorm. “Sebek’s loud but right for once,” someone agreed. “People are already shitty enough and cast us out just for being in this dorm. And these accusations have made the last few days much, much worse.”

 

A sly gleam entered Ruggie’s eyes. “Speculation, not accusation, first. And since the accidents started the same day your precious princess Housewarden got blocked outta the Hall of Fame for Magift, well, he wondered if it might be some overly-devoted fanboy. Hey, Sebek, you haven’t been goin’ around causin’ accidents lately, have you?” Ruggie snickered.

 

“Mr. Bucchi, please refrain from further provocation until –”

 

“HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF SUCH A DISDAINFUL –”

 

Further speech was cut off as a determined Professor Crewel stepped out of the Savanclaw mirror, barreling through the crowd as he carried two clearly exhausted housewardens out.

 

Unfortunately, the brighter Savanaclaw student from before did not have the good sense to keep his tail in his classmate’s mouth. “THAT STORM MUST HAVE BEEN THE WORK OF MALLEUS DRACONIA! HE’S TRYING TO KILL US!”

 

Silver shook his head at the ever-increasing volume, far more awake than he wanted to be. “Can you all please… not… Sebek, no!” He snapped to attention as he lunged for his crazed compatriot, far too late as Sebek kicked the accusatory student to the ground and summoned a crackle of lightning.

 

Trein was forced to shield the students, sternly commanding, “Mr. Zigvolt! Calm yourself, now!”

 

The fallen student grabbed Sebek behind the knee, causing him to crash to the ground and catch himself with a snarl. The more intelligent beastman pulled his dumber friend back, only to find himself aggressively slammed into a wall by a burst of cosmic magic from a Diasomnia student. Another beastman launched himself, grabbing the Diasomnia boy’s arm and wrenching his magic pen away before chucking it down the hall. Several blows were traded back and forth as Ruggie tried to calm his dormmates down without using his Signature Spell in front of Professor Trein. Instead, he opted to pull them out of harm’s way or use wind magic to redirect offensive magic upwards. “Stop!” Trein bellowed as he held some of the troublemakers in place.

 

But it was no use. The Hall of Mirrors had devolved into a full-on brawl.

_________________________________________________________

 

“Well,” Crewel told the two housewardens after he had gotten their vitals, “the two of you are in much better condition than I feared after seeing all of the destruction that occurred.”

 

“Yay! Henchman’s okay!”

 

Aurora smiled, shooting off a quick text to her boyfriends while ruffling Grim’s fur. “Good enough to go to class in the morning?”

 

Crewel sighed fondly. “Yes, you should be in good condition to go to class in the morning. However, I will not hold it against you if you decide to take one day off. Honestly, if only some students, ” he glared at Leona, “possessed half the level of dedication you do, we would all be so much better off.”

 

‘Okay, I get skipping classes is bad, but… ouch. Did they even have a therapist to screen for depression or anything? Scratch that, Crowley’s too fucking cheap. Still…’

 

“Hey, you’re sayin’ my poor, tired self has to be in class tomorrow too?” 

 

“No,” he corrected the boy. “You will take at least tomorrow off until you have been given the necessary medical treatments, and then I expect you to return to classes with your best attendance yet.”

 

“Ugh…” Leona groaned.

 

“Hey,” Aurora suggested, “did you know that you can make certain classes go by faster if you think about applying whatever you’re learning about and figuring out what new poisons or spells you can make with it? Or how you can kill someone with an application of it, take your pick.”

 

“Miss Morningstar,” Crewel groaned, “please tell me you’re not doing that yourself.”

 

She shrugged. “I, uh, had to learn a lot of this stuff prior to coming here – and I’m guessing you probably did too, Leona,” she glanced over to the prince as she addressed him. “Have I ever not been ready whenever you call on me in class?”

 

Leona barked a laugh. “You’d never guess the devious stuff goin’ on in your head just by lookin’ at you, little jackal.”

 

“Besides,” she added with a devious grin, “you’re about to tear lizard boy to shreds in the upcoming tournament. Shouldn’t you show yourself around class, make him squirm a little bit as the day draws closer?”

 

He snickered. “Not sure that’s gonna make it fun before then, but… I’ll at least give it a try, jackal.”

 

Crewel opened his mouth to interject before sighing and shaking his head. “If that’s what it requires to get you to class, pup, then I’ll take it.”

Notes:

That's a wrap!

They're finally awake! And Aurora's starting to piece together the OB pattern...

Diavolo and Barbatos... What are they up to? ;)

And Aurora... when will you learn that your actions have consequences?

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 40: Brawl Suspension

Summary:

In which the consequences of Aurora's actions keep piling on.
Also, she has another midnight encounter.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Please, please, pretty please?” Ace begged Riddle. “She helped ya too, ya know.”

 

“Besides,” Deuce added, “we don’t want to trouble Trey to help with baking while he’s still recovering.”

 

Riddle sighed in consternation, unable to believe his underclassmen were roping him into a baking project at 8 pm on a Monday night with his day of doom so close. “And how exactly did she end up in the infirmary?”

 

The duo shot a glance at each other. “Um…”

 

“We don’t know the full story,” Ace swooped in. “Jus’ that she was doing something with Savanaclaw for the investigation.”

 

“Alright,” the boy agreed. “I’d like to make something for Trey myself. Help me with that, and I’ll get the rest of the ingredients we need.”

 

“Hell yeah!” Ace whooped.

 

“Thank you Housewarden Riddle!” Deuce cheered.

 

Riddle made his way toward the mirror chamber, a fond smile tugging at his lips.

________________________________________________________

 

Jamil’s phone rang twice in his dorm before he picked up. “Najma?”

 

“It’s me, Jami!”

 

The boy rolled his eyes fondly as he locked his door and cast a sound barrier over himself. “How are you, sis? Everything all right at home?”

 

“Everything’s fine! You’re the one who’s being sketchy right now, Mister,” she teased.

 

He balked. “I’m not being sketchy!”

 

“You literally texted me telling me to have Mom and Dad cancel the Magift tickets. And then you freaked out the very next morning to make sure I hadn’t done that yet! You NEVER text in all caps, and not without complete sentences.”

 

“It was a… misunderstanding.” Scarlet tinted his cheeks, clearing his throat lightly as he recalled the encounter with the odd boy who had pressed his back against a tree, that arrogant smirk painting his face as he healed his wound.

 

“Misunderstanding HOW?! Is this like the time where you stole from that vendor and then you fixed it the next –”

 

“Najma, please, ” he begged. “It’s not. Just… please don’t tell our parents, alright?”

 

A pregnant pause ensued as Jamil’s chaos sensor pinged wildly. “JAMIL DID YOU FINALLY GET A BOYFRIEND?!” Najma squealed.

 

The boy choked on air. “No!” he protested wildly. “Nothing like that!”

 

“Come onnnnnnnnnnnn,” she pouted. “Mom and Dad won’t let me date yet, so I have to live vicariously through you!”

 

“I had to teach you the definition of vicariously, so you don’t get to use that word against me!”

 

“Nobody’s at least caught your eye?”

 

His cheeks remained flushed as he thought once more of the mysterious boy who had just barged into his personal space, his silver tongue fooling those around him in regards to his true nature. “...Not at all,” he lied.

 

“There’s gotta be someone!”

 

“I… it would not be wise to engage in romantic dalliances whilst I am preoccupied with my duties to the Asim family and my studies,” he answered smoothly.

 

“Ew, you can ditch a day for a date,” she suggested. “Also, you’re doing that thing where you use super formal speech so you don’t have to acknowledge what you actually wanna say.”

 

“Najma, I can’t ditch my duties!”

 

“Kalim would totalllly understand,” she told him. “Also, don’t dodge the subject! Mom and Dad might be idiots, but I wanna know who you’re going out with!”

 

“I’m not going out with anyone!” Jamil protested.

 

“Then whoever it is you met! I promise I won’t tell!”

 

“You’re uninvited from the tournament,” he deadpanned.

 

“You can’t stop me!”

_________________________________________________

 

As the brawl continued on in the Hall of Mirrors, several patrons of the Mostro Lounge exited Octavinelle only to run back in seconds later, begging to be allowed to stay the night. “Jade,” Azul frowned as he called the vice into his private office. “As profitable as this has proven to be for us with our upcharged room rates,” he grinned at the stack of thaumarks on his desk, “I would like to know what is going on to frighten our patrons.”

 

“Oh, that?” A few of Jade’s sharp teeth peeked out. “From my understanding, it seems a brawl has broken out in the Hall of Mirrors.”

 

Azul rolled his eyes. “Delightful. Who are the culprits this time? Perhaps we can spin this even further to our advantage yet.”

 

“It seems the culprits are several members of House Savanaclaw and House Diasomnia are to blame for this recent pandemonium.”

 

Silver brows furrowed in thought. “Savanaclaw isn’t surprising, but… Diasomnia? I wouldn’t have expected that given their typically… reclusive… demeanors.”

 

“That is not all. According to some of our unfortunate underlings who have been unable to make it in, there was a large storm in Savanaclaw that forced the majority of students to evacuate. The ground was trembling and even the sky itself turned black.”

 

“But the dorm temperatures are perfectly controlled?”

 

“Not only that, but I was told that Professor Crewel rushed Housewardens Kingscholar and Morningstar to the infirmary, as they were the unfortunate fellows trapped in the storm.”

 

The dorm leader pushed his glasses up at the news. “Those two caught in a storm like that… curious, indeed.”

 

“Ever-so-fortunately, I was able to… sway Housewarden Shroud into sharing some of the security feed that he set up in hopes of seeing that peculiar cat again,” Jade grinned. “And I discovered something quite interesting.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“It seems that Housewarden Morningstar’s gossip has reached Diasomnia even faster than anticipated. Some members expressed outrage over the accusations, and believed Savanaclaw to be perpetuating the rumors.”

 

“I’m not particularly surprised it’s blown up, given what I think their role is in all of this,” Azul commented.

 

“Despite his initial inaccuracy, Housewarden Morningstar’s theory may have some merit to it,” Jade noted. “After seeing two – quite powerful, might I add – housewardens injured in the storm, some of the students screamed in fear that Housewarden Draconia might be coming after them. That is when the brawl broke out. Sebek Zigvolt threw the first punch, and the rest of Diasomnia followed.”

 

Azul gulped, eyes darting nervously as a bead of sweat began to form on his refined brow. “You don’t believe that’s true, do you?”

 

Jade’s unnerving smile remained. “Normally I would dismiss such theories as wild gossip. Still… if I were you, I would certainly be hoping he has no knowledge of your deal.”

 

Azul had never wanted to hide in a tank so badly in all of his life.

_____________________________________________________

 

Riddle Rosehearts stepped out of the mirror expecting a routine trip to Sam’s Mystery Shop. He could not have been more wrong.

 

Within seconds of stepping out, he was forced to shield himself from a blast of stray fire from a Diasomnia student. Savanaclaw students fought with that dorm, and in the distance, Professor Trein was shielding students as he limped.

 

Rage boiled through Riddle as he took in the scene before him. “Save your collar for the worst offenses,” Aurora’s voice rang through his head. “Or for when it can save someone.”

 

Riddle raised his pen, casting his signature spell for the first time since his Overblot. “OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!” Riddle screamed, collaring the closest couple dozen students to him. “NOW SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW UNLESS YOU WANT ALL OF YOUR HEADS GONE BY MY AUTHORITY AS A HOUSEWARDEN!”

 

Professor Trein stood up as quickly as his aching joints would allow. “Sebek Zigvolt,” he commanded sternly, “you and I will be visiting headmage Crowley’s office. Immediately. Everyone else in House Diasomnia, return to your dorm and await further instruction. House Savanaclaw, please remain here until receiving further word as well.”

 

“But – but they started it!” Sebek protested.

 

“NOW. Unless you would like to be expelled for further misconduct.”

 

Sebek yelped and followed after the older man.

 

Ruggie did another head count, glaring at the members of Diasomnia as they retreated through their own mirror. After checking over everyone, Ruggie walked over to Riddle. “Hey, Riddle,” he greeted. “Sorry ‘bout making you wait, but I had to get everything under control first.”

 

“I understand,” he sympathized. “What exactly did happen here anyways?”

 

“You see, it started with this crazy storm in Savanaclaw…”

__________________________________________________

 

“I expected better from you, Mr. Zigvolt,” Crowley sighed after a long explanation. “Beating down students like a wild animal is not what we stand for at this college. Especially House Diasomnia, based on the noble and elegant spirit of the Fairy of Thorns.”

 

“But they insulted the Young Master and accused him of cheating in the tournament!”

 

“First of all, while gossip is discouraged and an investigation will take place, mere speculation of the sort you described does not technically go against our code of conduct. More importantly,” the headmage reprimanded, “you harassed and assaulted multiple students, along with explicitly using magic in a fight – which you started.”

 

“I’m sorry, headmage, but what was I supposed to do when they insulted the Young Master so grievously? Why, in Briar Valley, those fellows could have been arrested for daring to spout such nonsensical insults!”

 

“Remember that you are at Night Raven College on Sage Island,” Crowley reminded the boy. “And you have committed a serious offense indeed. Truly, I am sorry, Mr. Zigvolt, but you have given me no other option than to disqualify you from the Interdorm Magift tournament.”

 

Sebek’s eyes lit up with tears as his lower lip began to tremble. “Headmage, please! I will –”

 

“That is non-negotiable, ” Crowley emphasized. “Additionally, you will be suspended from your club activities until the date of the tournament. During the time that you would normally be in your club, you will have detentions every day. Finally, you will submit a reflection of no less than 1000 words to me by then. If it is satisfactory, then you will be permitted to rejoin your activities as normal. Do you understand me?”

 

“Yes, headmage…” Thick tears began to roll down the half-fey’s face.

 

“Good. Now please head back to Diasomnia. Any further punishment will be at your Housewarden or Vice Housewarden’s discretion.”

 

As soon as Sebek was outside the office, he began to wail for his failure to Lord Malleus.

______________________________________________

 

Aurora had been discharged from the infirmary after a little bit of rest, having made the case that she’d rather not spend the night in an unfamiliar room with her unusual circumstances. After getting Leona’s contact info in her phone, she made her way back to Ramshackle dorm. In the yard were the same dancing lights as before, the mysterious boy appearing lost in thought.

 

His ears perked up as she approached, emerald eyes swiveling over to her. “Oh, hello, Child of Starlight,” he greeted. “Apologies. I… find myself still coming here out of habit, it seems.”

 

“No worries, Charming,” she dismissed with a wave.

 

“Charming?” His eyebrows jumped up to hide under his bangs. “Who is that? Are you… referring to me?”

 

“You said I could call you a name of my choosing,” she reminded him. “Plus, you’re pretty, so it fits,” she teased. “Of course, if it makes you uncomfortable, I can choose a different name.”

 

The boy giggled deeply, eyes shutting in laughter as a light blush dusted the tips of his pointed ears. “Me, being called ‘Charming’! You really are fearless, it seems.” He cleared his throat as he opened his eyes again. “No matter. It was I who told you to use a name of your choosing. I’ll indulge this liberty and permit you to refer to me by your… bold nickname.”

 

She grinned back at him. “Glad you like it. So, did you find another set of ruins yet, or you still looking?”

 

“I am, unfortunately, still looking for abandoned locales,” he admitted. “It seems that humans occupy the vast majority of buildings on this island.”

 

“That would be the case,” she affirmed. ‘I wonder…’ Focusing on him for a moment, her suspicions were confirmed. “If you don’t mind me asking… do you intentionally keep the fuck-off aura up to keep people away, or is it more of an accidental thing?”

 

Shock painted his face once more at her bold line of questioning. “Excuse me, Child of Starlight? I’m afraid I don’t understand your strange turn of phrase.”

 

“The fuck-off aura? Well, I guess that’s not the technical term,” she explained. “But like, the aura some magical beings can emit that scares the shit out of humans? It doesn’t bother me,” she assured him, “but I was curious if it was something you did to enforce personal space.”

 

“I…” He froze, mulling over her words as he recalled several encounters over his long life. “I was not aware I was even manifesting such a thing. Are you certain that is what you are sensing?”

 

She nodded. “Pretty certain, since it’s kinda similar to what I have. Look… it’s getting a little too late for it tonight, but why don’t we work on it together some other time?”

 

He nodded as though he didn’t truly hear her, eyes glassy and unfocused as he lost himself in his own head.

 

“Hey, Charming? Charming?!”

 

“Ah, my apologies, Child of Starlight,” the boy snapped himself out of his stupor. “I… I wish you a good night. You have given me much to reflect upon.” In the blink of an eye, he had dissipated once more into a flurry of lights.

 

“...I hope that guy’s okay,” Aurora mused. “Don’t want to cause another Overblot.”

Notes:

Annnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Riddle is so pissed off that he keeps getting dragged into shit

And we finally see how Jamil's doing! He's... intrigued ;) even if he's scared as hell. And Najma trolls him bc she's his little sis and that's her job :D

The lounge is profiting from the chaos but Azul is scared now XD

Annnnnd the fallout of Aurora's little gossip continues! Sebek is, uh, not doing well (and he's about to get worse)

Aurora meets Malleus again! And tells him about the fuck-off aura, changing the way Malleus sees many, MANY encounters in his life :3

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 41: Chaos You Have Sown

Summary:

The night might be wrapping up, but the chaos is only beginning.

Notes:

Hi loves! Kind of a short one, but I wanted to include the last events of the night in its own separate chapter before I got onto the aftermath of the next day.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Ruggie paced back and forth in his dorm room, having just filled Leona in on the occurrences of the night. “You better not be ignoring me,” the hyena grumbled. “Actually, scratch that,” he backtracked during his pacing. “You better just be napping off whatever happened, dummy.”

 

Fortunately, his phone mercifully dinged before the hour became too late. “Call off the operation,” the text read. “No more accidents. Tell everyone to await further orders in two nights.”

 

Ruggie breathed a sigh of relief. “Glad to know you’re feeling up to orderin’ me around.” Knocking on doors and going around the dorm, Ruggie gathered everyone into the lounge.

 

“What’s going on?”

“What happened with the storm?”

“Where’s Housewarden Leona?”

“Are we really being targeted by Diasomnia?”

“Why was the Morningstar guy caught up there too?”

 

“Everyone, hold on,” Ruggie spoke. “I still don’t know what caused that storm. Housewarden Leona is fine. He’s alright, he’s awake, he’s just gonna take a day to rest after what happened. His orders were to lay low, call off all the accidents for the next couple days. Said he’s gonna talk to us more then.”

 

“What do we do in the meantime?”

“Is this how Diasomnia gets payback?!”

“And they call US punks?”

 

“Look, we gotta just keep our heads down and avoid breakin’ any rules for a little while. Good news is, everyone’s gonna be okay, AND this makes us look real good while they look real bad, you hear me?” Murmurs of hesitant agreement echoed through the crowd. “Geez, Leona,” Ruggie mumbled to himself later. “You better hurry it up and get back.”

_________________________________

 

Malleus teleported himself into the throne room of Diasomnia, surprisingly empty save for the presences of Lilia, Silver, and Sebek.

 

The young freshman was prostrated onto the ground, tears rolling out of his eyes for some reason. Silver appeared stiffer than usual, head slightly tucked down as he faced a frowning Lilia.

 

These details, however, were presently lost on the fey prince. Eyes steeled while focusing on nothing, he stepped towards them slowly as he began to murmur in a somber tone. “Lilia, Silver, Sebek,” he addressed. “A matter of most grave importance has been brought to my attention.” The three tensed as he chose his words. “A peculiar Child of Starlight has informed me of something I seem to present to others. Something he called… a ‘fuck-off aura.’” The trio completely froze, dead silence reigning over the hall for several seconds. “I… I am confused,” Malleus continued. “I… I do not completely understand what a ‘fuck-off aura’ is.”

 

Lilia was the first to break the silence, tears poking at the corner of his eyes as he doubled over in tremendous peals of laughter, wheezing in delight at the fey prince’s ignorance. Sebek yelped in shock at the Young Master’s language, attempting to get up before fumbling and rolling down the flight of stairs down to the main lounge. Silver turned to face his falling compatriot, nearly casting a levitation spell before thinking better of it and letting Sebek take the rest of the fall.

 

“I don’t understand,” Malleus pouted as he crossed his arms. “What did I say?”

 

Sebek crawled up the stairs slowly as Lilia got his peals of laughter under control. “Oh, my dear – HA – boy,” the elder fey guffawed. “Surely you didn’t expect to say that and not see an old man such as myself appreciate the wonders of the language of youth?”

 

Thunder cracked outside, electric shocks illuminating the ground as the prince’s brow furrowed. “This isn’t some point of amusement for me,” he pouted. “This is a very serious matter, and I need your insight on it.”

 

Silver was the only person with a relatively collected demeanor, having rubbed his temples sufficiently. “Can you please explain what this… aura… is?”

 

Malleus nodded. “Yes. According to the Child of Starlight, the ‘fuck-off aura’ –” Lilia covered his mouth mischievously – “is an aura that some non-humans may emit. Supposedly, it bothers many humans.”

 

“Oh, well then I wouldn’t know,” Lilia dismissed.

 

“How dare this scum suggest that your presence is bothersome! My lord, you are the most delightful, most accomplished –”

 

“Save your praise, Sebek,” Malleus admonished.

 

“I do not find your presence to be troublesome,” Silver added, “but I acknowledge that my unique position growing up with you has affected our interactions.”

 

“I see… I shall have to inquire on this further, then.”

 

Lilia nodded. “Indeed, indeed. Now… Malleus, let us retreat for the night. We have one important matter to discuss, but it is about time we let the poor children sleep for the night.”

 

Mortification painted Sebek’s face once more.

_____________________________________________________

 

“Sebek has been disqualified as a result of his actions… I must say,” Malleus mused, “I am not surprised he eventually stepped over the line. However, I would not have expected him to be so brazen or unruly, to say the least.”

 

“These rumors are troublesome, though,” Lilia mused. “Of course, I understand that Aurora’s conclusion was indeed logical based on the circumstances, but still…”

 

Malleus froze at that name. “Aurora, you say? Surely not the Child of Starlight?”

 

Lilia hummed, placing a finger to his lips playfully. “Oh, I don’t know. I only know of Aurora Morningstar, the Housewarden of Ramshackle Dorm.”

 

Malleus swallowed tensely. “Hair black as midnight, skin white as snow, lips red as the red red rose?”

 

“Why, yes!” Lilia clapped his hands together. “That would be the one!”

 

Malleus huffed, a small wisp of smoke curling out of his mouth. “I knew I made the right decision concealing my identity…”

 

“Ohoho?” Lilia leaned in curiously. “Have you met the girl already?”

 

“The girl?” Malleus squinted in confusion.

 

“Yes, girl,” Lilia confirmed. “I suppose she is concealing her gender and masquerading as a boy,” he mused, “but how many men are named after the Princess of the Dawn?”

 

“...I suppose it is rather obvious when one thinks of it that way.”

 

“So?” The elder pressed. “Have you met her?”

 

Malleus sighed. “Yes,” he affirmed. “Twice.”

 

“Oh! And what did you think?”

 

“He – she – is a strange one,” he mused. “I… she seemed to have no knowledge of who I was.”

 

“Well, she is from another world, after all,” Lilia mentioned.

 

“...That explains a few things. Regardless… I was intrigued by one who could be so fearless around me, one who didn’t know my true identity. I permitted her to call me by a name of her choosing. The name she chose for me was… ‘Charming.’”

 

“What a delightful name!” The bat fey’s face lit up in delight as the wheels in his mind began to turn.

 

“She…” Malleus sighed. “She even said I was pretty. Me. That is… not something I hear often. And… I won’t hear it ever again once she finds out who I truly am.”

 

“You don’t know that,” Lilia interjected slyly.

 

“Yes, I –”

 

“Currently,” Lilia cut back in, “if the rumors are true… then she is attempting to romantically court your Kingscholar.”

 

A pregnant pause filled the air before a fresh wave of thunder pealed outside. “WHAT?!

 

Lilia giggled. “Now now,” he soothed, “there is no need to fret. While we wait for Kingscholar to make his move, I think I have the perfect plan to help you.”

 

“And that is?” Malleus held Lilia’s shoulders desperately, silently begging his father figure for help.

 

“Why, she seems to be interested in you already, if her nickname is any indication,” Lilia posed. “Therefore, I propose that you continue to visit her at night as often as possible. Be as Charming as you are able, and pretend that you have no knowledge of what she says about your real self around campus. Take her on midnight walks, bring her flowers, and all of those rituals. Court her as sincerely as you intend to court Kingscholar, and when the day of the tournament comes, you will have sufficiently distracted her, and you may make your move on him.”

 

“Hmm…” Malleus considered the idea. “That is… tempting. But… we both know that grandmother would be incredibly furious with me if I dared to play with a lady’s heart so cruelly.”

 

Lilia’s grin only grew wider. “Ah, I suppose you are correct. One final idea, then. Have you heard of what the youth today call a ‘polycule?’”

 

Several minutes of explanations later, Malleus had disappeared to his chambers for the night. “Ohoho, Aurora, dear,” Lilia giggled to himself as he rolled around his bed and kicked his feet in the air, “I hope you are ready to reap the chaos you have sown.”

Notes:

Annnnnd that's a wrap!

Savanclaw is in chaos currently XD

Poor Diasomnia squad XD nobody was expecting those words out of Malleus's mouth :3

And Lilia... the ultimate agent of chaos as always

Anyways, tune in for next chapter as Aurora accidentally starts a cult!

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 42: Start a Cult

Summary:

In which Aurora accidentally starts a cult.

Notes:

Hi loves! This chapter is mostly just everyone being super goofy, but I hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you’re up to goin’ to class today?” Ace asked Aurora as the three of them ate breakfast pastries at Ramshackle. “Because if not, we’ll totally share our notes with you.”

 

“I’m sure,” she grinned at them. “I got the all-clear. Besides, with all the rumors that you guys mentioned circulating, there’s no way I’m letting people think I got beat down by a little storm.”

 

“You should’ve seen Riddle’s face,” Deuce recalled. “Even after calming down, it was still as red as his hair.”

 

“That was great,” Ace cackled.

 

“Hope nobody got too injured,” Aurora said sheepishly. “I might think their dorm head is a piece of shit – and Sebek’s pretty annoying too – but there are some genuinely nice people in that dorm.”

 

“Like, three people,” Ace retorted. “Lilia, Silver, and that weird guy you mentioned.”

 

“I’m sure there’s more,” Aurora frowned.

 

“Maybe, but there are quite a lot of jerks in there,” Deuce mentioned. “I’ve never personally experienced it, but a lot of our dormmates complain about the guys in Diasomnia. Especially the shorter ones, some of the Diasomnia guys make fun of them for looking younger.”

 

Aurora frowned. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” she mused. “Still, that’s awfully rude.”

 

“Yeah, no kiddin’.”

 

“Hey, Aurora, did you somehow get taller today?” Deuce asked suddenly.

 

“No, Deuce,” she rolled her eyes with a laugh. “It’s called heels.”

_____________________________________________________

 

As the trio walked to class that day, they walked into their first class only to find a small crowd gathered at Aurora’s desk.

 

“He’s back!”

“He’s alright!”

“A storm isn’t enough to knock him down!”

 

As the chatter continued, one lone boy from Diasomnia approached her, sinking to his knees as he presented a large bouquet of cameo pink roses. “Aurora Morningstar,” he professed with a blush as pink as the hair that brushed his pointed ears, “please allow me to apologize for the villainous actions of certain members of House Diasomnia. Your beauty is reminiscent of the Princess of the Dawn who once resided in my home country, and should be commemorated rather than jeered at by an unruly crocodile who spits in the face of humans.”

 

Aurora looked to her boyfriends, barely holding in their snickers at the situation. ‘What?!’ She looked down at him. “I… accept your apology? I think?” ‘Why oh why could I not have just kept my mouth shut and approached Leona privately later?!’

 

Murmurs filled the room as she hesitantly accepted the bouquet.

“Why does he get to make his move first?”

“Isn’t the guy standing there already dating those two Heartslabyul boys?”

“He attacked us! How dare he cut the line!”

“That Diasomnia guy only brought a dozen roses! And not even nice red ones! Those are clearly inferior in quality to the lovely buds that grow in Pomefiore.”

"I bet I could do better."

"So could I! I got all kinds of family money to help with gift-giving."

 

Crewel snapped his whip, gathering the whole class’s attention. “All of you naughty pups may cease your harassment now , unless you’d like plenty of detentions to occupy this excess time you seem to have.”

 

That shut everyone up until class began.

__________________________________________________________

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, that was only the beginning of the chaos for the day. In between classes and during lunch period, about two dozen boys total came up to her to give their makeshift offerings.

 

“Here, these macarons are the best!”

“This handkerchief is made of only the finest materials!”

“Since you have valiantly defended our dorm, it’s only natural I give you this snack as a payment!”

 

“Wow, Ror-ror,” Cater commented, “I’m a little jelly. You were already pretty popular, but this whole incident totes boosted your ratings!”

 

Aurora groaned. “What have I done…?”

 

“Come on, smile for Magicam! Annnnnnnd… done!”

 

Riddle commented amusedly. “It appears that you have sparked the admiration of a dedicated fanclub – or as you would call it, a cult.”

 

“Hey, it’s not so bad,” Deuce comforted her.

 

“Yeah, you getta lot of free shit!” Ace whooped.

 

“I…” She breathed deeply. “I don’t… entirely hate it? It’s just… intense. And it’s a lot – three weeks ago, I’d never even interacted with this many people. Going from that to this… it’s really not bad, I do actually sort of enjoy it. I’m just… not used to this many indulgences.”

 

Riddle nodded. “I think I can understand where you’re coming from,” he admitted. “For someone in your position, you’ve handled most situations admirably.”

 

“Awww, thanks!” She ruffled his hair. “I think that’s the best compliment I’ve ever heard you give.”

 

“You make me sound so mean,” he pouted. “I just hope I’m able to…” He trailed off in thought.

“Riddle?”

 

“Pardon me,” he waved off. “It is nothing.”

 

“Riddle, what’s wrong?” She glared mildly at him. “Please don’t keep it secret, if it’s hurting you then we want to help.”

 

He sighed. “My mother… has discovered the fact that I Overblotted. The headmage informed me this morning that he expects me to attend a meeting with her in a couple of days.”

 

“You’re kiddin’!”

Your mom? Shit, Riddle, RIP.”

“Do you have to go? Especially since she’s kind of the reason you Overblotted to begin with.”

 

Riddle sighed sadly, a tremble in his tiny hands. “I… yes, I must go. I just hope she doesn’t decide to rescind my enrollment in Night Raven College as a result.”

 

“Riddle,” Aurora asked firmly, “do you want me to go with you? So you’re not alone.”

 

He pressed his lips together in thought. “I… wouldn’t be opposed, but I’m not sure if it would be allowed –”

 

“I was there for it, and pulled you out,” she reminded him. “That alone gives me good reason to be present at the discussion, if you want.”

 

He nodded slowly, unsurely. “Yes…” he conceded. “I… I really would like not to face her alone. Just… do please try not to terrorize her. Well,” he corrected himself, “not too much. She… could do with a good lesson or two in why her way is not the most correct, though.”

 

Aurora’s gaze turned predatory. “No problem, Riddle. Not a problem at all.”

______________________________________________________________

 

Aurora walked into the Pomefiore ballroom, using her keen senses to take the least crowded path on her way in. Her backpack was overflowing, stuffed with offerings of the day as she quietly shut the door, scanning the room to find a highly amused Vil.

 

“Someone has been quite busy,” he teased with a sadistic glimmer in his eye. “Still, I am glad that you managed not to get yourself injured in the foolery from yesterday, little vitelotte.”

 

She sighed, planting her forehead into her gloved palm. “Is there anyone on this campus who hasn’t heard about that? Jade was like, being super creepy about it during club today. If I were weaker, I think he would’ve eaten me.”

 

“He would,” Vil affirmed. “It is certainly best that you do not find yourself in a deal with them — not unless you are absolutely certain of your willingness to pay the price.”

 

“Yeah, I kinda get the sense he’ll rob you blind if he can,” she assured. ‘Only a matter of time before they ask me for some sort of deal, I’m sure, but that’s why I’ll make sure to have my own list of potential demands.’

 

“Very much so. But moving on from those mushy potatoes… I had originally intended to take today to focus on fine-tuning your singing, but I think it would be more beneficial to capitalize on recent events instead.”

 

Pink eyes narrowed slightly. “And how are we doing that?”

 

“Why,” he smirked, “we’re going to be doing your very first photo shoot.”

 

That was how Aurora found herself in various poses for the next hour as Vil methodically photographed every possible angle using her offerings as props.

 

“There,” he conceded at the end, “this one is satisfactory.” The picture in question was one taken from slightly below as Aurora temporarily sat in the Pomefiore throne, lips brushing against the roses from the Diasomnia boy — Altaire, if she remembered correctly. The photograph was taken from the angle of one who might be kneeling at her feet, legs crossed as it slightly showed the underside of her boot. “Let those potatoes know that you are something they can only dream to attain,” he whispered in her ear as he helped her pose, “that you are someone to be desired, and moreso, worshipped.” Pride swelled in her at the advice, the tangible possibility of such blasphemous idolization appealing to the deepest corners of her soul.

 

As Aurora posted the picture to her Magicam, she had never felt so powerful.

___________________________________________________________

 

“You mean to tell me that you didn’t even attempt to set up a meeting today?” Azul sharply asked Jade as they set up the lounge.

 

“Oh, you should have seen him today. Truly quite a spectacle to behold, laden with gifts from fans embroiled in this sudden competition.”

 

“And that is why we must meet with him now, Jade! Before he gets too much of a chance to get settled in!”

 

“Now, now,” the calmer eel admonished. “If we press too hard too quickly, I do believe he will either run away or bite back. But if we treat him gently… then we can spin this newfound fame even further to our advantage.”

 

“Based on his grades so far, he is unlikely to go for the standard contract. If we want him to make a deal –”

 

“He was a birthday at the end of this week.”

 

Azul swiveled in thought. “If we invite him here, perhaps throw in a small freebie, then we can get him alone in the VIP room for a conversation.”

 

Jade’s grin grew. “Not only that, but perhaps we can help host… a party for him. Of course, all extra guests will have to pay for their own refreshments.”

 

Azul made a note in his weekly planner. “Then we shall have the preparations ready so you may give him a voucher tomorrow. Jade… you truly are a genius.”

 

“But of course – oh,” he trailed off as his phone dinged with a notification.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Check Magicam,” Jade advised coyly. “It seems as though our Morningstar shines brighter than we realized.”

Notes:

Annnnnnd that's a wrap!

Oh Aurora dear, what have you done?

Next chapter we have Malleus's courting attempts, and we may or may not see a glimpse of Aurora's parents again ;)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 43: Weakest

Summary:

In which Lucifer and the humans have a little "chat."

Notes:

Hi loves! This one is... darker than I intended.

MASSIVE trigger warning for this chapter: mentions of suicidal ideation, strangulation, and what I'm pretty sure constitutes domestic violence. If these are upsetting to you, feel free to skip this chapter; I'll be adding a summary at the end notes of this chapter along with at the beginning notes of next chapter.

Also, I know I said Malleus was showing up again here, but I kinda lied whoops! It was in my outline, but... just did NOT tonally fit with the other stuff from this chapter. Also to everyone who hates Victoria, you all get to eat in this chap <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Victoria summoned the eldest two demon brothers for their next brainstorming session, looking far different than before. Over the span of the last few days, she had hardly been able to eat or sleep, showing in the way darkness painted her eyes, her frame more fragile than before.

 

“Helene,” Solomon asked as the summoning was finally complete, draining the sorceress more than usual, “why don’t you and Victoria make some tea? I think all of us could use a boost right now.”

 

Her eyes narrowed at him before she took in the state of her friend and reluctantly agreed, leading the exhausted woman away.

 

“Lucifer, Mammon,” Solomon began without preamble, “we have much to discuss.”

 

“Yes,” Lucifer bit, “ we do.

 

The three sat down before the ancient king began to explain. “Victoria and I… learned something a few days ago. Well, I had suspected it, but I didn’t want to bring it up in the event that I was wrong.”

 

Lucifer scoffed as his brow dipped. “It seems you’ve been wrong often in regards to my daughter.”

 

Solomon squinted his eyes at the comment. “Yes, well… One thing I believe is important to know going forward is that… I don’t believe she was kidnapped. I don’t know if she initiated her escape or not, but it seems she did willingly go over to Wonderland.”

 

“Yes, we know, ” Lucifer growled. “We know how miserable you helped to make her.”

 

Solomon sighed. “So, you saw at the same time we checked on her.”

 

“You have no right to ‘check on her’ as if you cared for –”

 

“Oi,” Mammon tried to calm the eldest down as he focused his gaze. “Solomon. Aurora was not happy. Why don’t you tell us why that would be?”

 

“Right,” Solomon agreed. “That would have something to do with how isolated she was growing up.”

 

“And why, ” Lucifer sniped, “was she so isolated?”

 

“Because the goal was to keep her hidden from anyone that might be a threat to her existence,” Solomon reminded. “Your Prince, your Father, the entire Celestial Realm, and any witches or sorcerers who might attempt to use her as a bargaining chip with either. Unfortunately, the price of keeping her a secret was that she missed out on… a lot.”

 

“And you thought that was –”

 

“No,” Solomon butted in, “I didn’t. But… I didn’t have any better solutions, so all I could do was help make sure she wasn’t alone raising Aurora. A good thing, too, given the way those two fought.”

 

“My daughter willingly left this world to get away from you,” Lucifer snarled. “So forgive me if I have a hard time believing it was a ‘ good thing. ’”

 

“Your daughter would have had even fewer people to talk to,” Solomon reminded him. “And… I do hope you’ll pardon my boldness in saying this, but it wasn’t me she so badly wanted to get away from.”

 

“You’re not saying –”

 

“I was the one she would let comfort her when she was upset. I was the one who made sure she knew how to use the powers Victoria had no clue how to instruct her on. I was the one who told her of her mother’s heritage, for even if it was a dark truth, I believed she had a right to at least some inkling of the reasons why she had to be kept hidden. So yes,” Solomon declared, “even if I could have done better, I wasn’t the one Aurora wanted to strangle when she was at her lowest.”

 

“That bad, huh…”

 

The eldest had no response, stunned, furious silence at the unusual sincerity from the sorcerer.

 

“If you’d like, you’re more than welcome to ask her yourself. I would ask that you refrain from your normal conversation tactics, however. She’s already not in the best headspace right now, and I believe we all want her to be alright.”

 

“I’m going to go chat with her.” Lucifer stood abruptly, striding off in the direction the two women had walked.

 

Solomon sighed again. “Wait, don’t – this is going to be ugly, isn’t it?”

 

Mammon was uncharacteristically silent before answering. “How often you hear of a half-demon kid being so miserable they end up prayin’?”

 

Electricity zapped into the human’s gray eyes, still as a statue as his mouth hung open. “Mammon,” he asked lowly, “what is that supposed to mean?”

 

Powerful as Solomon might be, he could not force an answer out of the secondborn.



Black energy leaked out of Lucifer, trailing behind him as he walked up to Victoria, grasping her by the fabric on her shoulder before yanking the woman after him.

 

Helene’s face twisted in confused rage at his treatment, charging up a spell as she moved towards her friend.

 

“It’s fine, Helene,” Victoria rasped as she stumbled along. “It’ll be fine.”

 

“Victoria, look at him! Are you insane?!”

 

“I needed to talk to him anyways…” she murmured.

 

Helene glared at Lucifer. “I will personally destroy you if you do anything to her.”

 

Lucifer gave no response as he dragged his pactmate along. A few rooms away, he dropped his grasp on her shoulder, bringing his demonic for out as red eyes gave way to sclera black, his wrath enveloping them both.

 

“Lucifer?” Victoria asked weakly.

 

Do you know, ” he asked darkly, “ how much it hurts to find out that someone you swore to always love, the mother of your own child, is the very reason your child is in distress?

 

Tears slipped out of her eyes as she quivered. “I – I never meant to – I didn’t realize –”

 

My daughter prayed to DIE because of you,” he emphasized. “I don’t care how much you ‘didn’t realize’ or any other pitiful excuse! MY daughter was miserable to the point of prayer! Diavolo could have found her! My FATHER COULD HAVE FOUND HER FROM THAT! Do you have any idea how disastrous that could have been?!

 

Fear entered the woman’s eyes at his revelation. “No,” she rasped, “she – she couldn’t have, I would have heard, I would have known –”

 

A growl tore out of the demon as he wrapped his gloved hand tightly around his pactmate’s throat. “ I don’t believe you. You should have known something like that, ” he told her. “ You should have known how badly you were failing her. Did you even CARE what you did to her? Were you so dismissive of me that you refused to properly care for our creation?

 

Victoria choked her words out weakly, face becoming more ashen as she struggled through the grip on her larynx. “That’s – that’s not what –”

 

I should have known, ” he snarled, “ how infuriatingly apathetic you would be about this, despite what tears you might put on for show. You have ALWAYS been infuriatingly apathetic at the most serious of times. It really makes me want to strangle you, do you know? ” He fluttered his fingers, loosening and re-tightening the strength of his grip. “ Despite your attitude, it would be so easy to just end you here, do you know? Just a tiny bit of pressure from me, and you would be gone. ” An evil, sadistic grin lit up his face as she wiggled in pain, breath growing more difficult for her. “ But I’m not the only one who I must think about here, so I offer you another option. I won’t force you to take this deal, of course. You’ll only take it if you care about her. ” He reached into his coat and retrieved a dagger before removing his left glove as his hand began to glow. “ You will gain nothing from this deal, naturally. It is only fair, given that she is trapped in a deal as a result of your doings. No, you will gain nothing, but for every injury she has received when we find her, you will cut yourself twice, just as deeply as she has been injured. I, Lucifer Morningstar, the Avatar of Pride, swear this to you, the sorcerer the world knows as Victoria. Do we have a deal?

 

Victoria coughed. “Yes,” she reached weakly to shake his hand. “We have a deal.” The magic rippled through them both, binding the two together by a force neither one would have imagined years ago.

 

...Good. Then it is settled. ” He placed the dagger in her hands, wiping the hand he had touched her with before placing his glove back on. “ And hear me well, Victoria. If anything has happened to her, I will wait until you are at your weakest. Then, and only then as you bleed the consequences of your ignorance, will I sever our pact forever. Do you understand?

 

She nodded weakly, hands clasped together as she fought the urge to reach up to her throat. “Mm-hm.”

 

The demon exhaled, reigning in his fury as the black aura retreated, human guise returning. “Then it is time we got back to work.” The two walked back in silence to the rest of the team.

 

Very little was accomplished that night.

Notes:

That's a wrap!

SUMMARY: Lucifer and Mammon question Solomon about Aurora's childhood, where he reveals that 1) he had a better relationship with her than Victoria, and 2) Aurora had tried to murder Victoria during low points in her mental health. Afterwards, Lucifer goes to have a "chat" with Victoria, where he decides to make a deal that for every injury Aurora has when they find her, Victoria will receive two. Additionally, he warns her that if anything has happened to Aurora, he WILL be severing their pact.

TL;DR Lucifer is not happy right now, and it hurts him that the human he loves is the cause of some of his greatest strife.

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 44: Midnight Courting

Summary:

Malleus begins courting Aurora under the alias "Charming."

Jade and Aurora talk about mushrooms.

Notes:

Hi loves!

As promised, here is the summary from last chapter if you decided to skip over reading it due to the trigger warnings.
SUMMARY: Lucifer and Mammon question Solomon about Aurora's childhood, where he reveals that 1) he had a better relationship with her than Victoria, and 2) Aurora had tried to murder Victoria during low points in her mental health. Afterwards, Lucifer goes to have a "chat" with Victoria, where he decides to make a deal that for every injury Aurora has when they find her, Victoria will receive two. Additionally, he warns her that if anything has happened to Aurora, he WILL be severing their pact.

Hope you enjoy this one, as it's a LOT lighter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Blissfully unaware of the tension currently choking its way through her family, Aurora sat in the tower of Ramshackle which she had finished converting into an office, attaching notes and observations to a corkboard with thumbtacks and a red string to connect them all. ‘I have the most similarities to the Blot and to Rapunzel… although I can’t dismiss the possibility of being somehow caught up in a Snow White or Sleeping Beauty-type situation. I really should figure out who that Malleus guy is at some point. Partially to stay ahead of any curses he might have for me, but mostly so I can personally kick his ass for hurting Leona.’ She wrapped up her notes on the fledgling conspiracy board, satisfied with her work for the night. As she walked out of the office for the night, she noticed several glowing lights sparkling outside the windows, the very same lights she had admired the night before.

 

Stepping outside to the yard of Ramshackle, she was greeted by the sight of the lovely boy approaching. “Hi, Charming,” she greeted him as he looked up curiously. “You… are you doing alright after last night?”

 

“Ah, hello, Child of Starlight. Yes,” he affirmed as he reached her, “I… have been given much to think about. But… yes. I appreciate you bringing the matter to my attention so I may address it properly.”

 

“You know, the offer to practice controlling it is still there if you’d like,” she reminded him.

 

He smiled gently. “I might take you up on that offer, Child of Starlight. But tonight, I come here for a different purpose.”

 

“Oh?” ‘This guy is too cute. I don’t know him well enough yet, but… Ace and Deuce, whenever you finally meet him, I really hope you like each other.’

 

Charming gently clasped her hand, raising it before leaning down to lightly brush his lips against the top. In his other hand, he brought up a bracelet of silvered metal – mithril, Aurora quickly realized – complete with light pink stones that glittered in the moonlight. “A gift for you, Child of Starlight,” he explained. “This was modeled after the Princess of the Dawn, as these stones change color in different lightings the way her most infamous gown was said to.” He gazed in a fashion one could only call adoringly as he clasped the item around her wrist. “It matches your eyes perfectly,” he breathed as a pretty pink dusted the tips of his ears.

 

‘This guy is – wow.’ “Charming,” she breathed, “this is – this is beautiful.”

 

Green eyes lit up in delight. “I am glad you enjoy it, Child of Starlight. I… would you be willing to accompany me on a midnight walk?”

 

‘Oh, he’s good! But as much as I want to say yes… I need to make sure he knows what he’s getting into.’ “Charming,” she asked slowly with a mild flush, “I’m… sorry if I’m reading completely wrong. But…” ‘I need to choose my words carefully here. He doesn’t seem like he’s the type to understand a lot of current language, based on his reaction to “fuck-off aura” yesterday. So…’ She spoke slowly, gathering her thoughts through the pink haze in her brain. “Is this some sort of… romantic overture?” ‘I cannot believe those words just came out of my mouth!’

 

He nodded quickly, confusion entering his eyes. “Yes, I… Apologies, Child of Starlight, I fear I did not properly convey my intentions.”

 

“It’s alright,” she assured him. “It’s just that… I don’t want to mislead you. I…” ‘Better check his understanding first.’ “Do you know what polyamory is?”

 

“Yes,” he confirmed, grateful for Lilia’s lesson the night before. “I… have come to knowledge of this terminology most recently.”

 

‘Thank goodness! That would be hard to explain…’ “The thing is… I’m already dating someone. Two someones, to be exact.” She noticed a tension start to sap his smile. “I am not… opposed… to accepting your intentions. I just don’t want to deceive you.” ‘Polyamory is all good, but cheating is a big no-no. Gotta make sure everyone’s all on board.’

 

Relief bled back into Charming’s eyes as he offered her his arm. “That is of no bother to me, Child of Starlight. I… have found that I am of a similar way, myself. With that being said… will you accept my intention to court you?”

 

“Yes,” she answered gladly as she took his arm. “I accept.”

_____________________________________________________

 

“Holy crap,” Ace gushed the next morning as he looked at her wrist, “can mystery guy date me too?”

 

Aurora’s face dusted with pink as she looked down at the bracelet, now glittering blue in the light of day. “I mean, I’m planning to introduce you when he gets over some of his shyness. Remember he’s too shy to even give me his name, let alone be around a lot of people.”

 

Deuce shrugged. “He’ll have to get used to people eventually with your new cult.”

 

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Hopefully the poor boy doesn’t get too scared.”

____________________________________________________

 

The third day of club activities marked the first time that Jade and Aurora were clear to venture outside, having finally cleared all of the preliminary forms.

 

“We’ll be holding off on visiting the cliffs,” he reminded her, “until you have gained more experience with the local outdoors. One must learn to walk on land before they may run, after all.”

 

“Otherwise it would be like running on broken glass, right?” Aurora quipped. ‘If he’s gonna keep reminding me he’s basically a Little Mermaid character, I’ll keep making these little inside jokes of my own.’

 

Jade’s smile vaguely unnerved her during the entire walk. “Oh!” His face became uncharacteristically excited as they approached an area they had not seen before. “My little darlings!” Buzzing with anticipation, he walked over towards an area that Aurora noticed was dotted with fungi. “What a marvelous selection! This one, and this one… beautiful! I just love them so much…”

 

‘What the fuck?! This is a complete 180 on this guy!’ “Um… everything alright?” She asked hesitantly. 

 

“Pardon my lack of decorum,” Jade answered, “but I simply cannot help it! I just love little mushrooms of every variety! Do you not?”

 

Aurora shrugged. “I’ve never actually seen them growing anywhere. I do like the ones with the brightly colored caps, though.”

 

“I also adore them. The Fly Agaric is a classic sight, though regrettably not fit for consumption,” Jade lamented.

 

“Useful in poisons, though,” Aurora grinned as she bent down to pick a couple, thankful she’d had time to stop by the dorm to empty her bag of the ever-growing pile of gifts. ‘Useful in poisons, but I’m totally gonna eat these. Better pick up a few “non-human safe” dishes at Sam’s to avoid cross-contamination.’

 

“Oh?” Jade asked slyly. “Does that not go against the school’s rules?”

 

“Nope,” she grinned. “Not technically. You aren’t allowed to use poison to harm another, and possession of certain potions is forbidden, but there is nothing that explicitly precludes me from just possessing poison – and certainly not the ingredients for it.” ‘But I think you know that already – you just want to see how well I can spot loopholes in the wording of a contract – or handbook, I suppose, in this case.’

 

As expected, Jade’s smile was predatory as ever. “Ah, I suppose it is a good thing I won’t have to turn a student in for misconduct. I do believe you might enjoy the Unholy Spirit Fungus if we ever come across it. It is somewhat similar to the normal Ghost Fungus, but the Unholy Spirit Fungus are often used as temporary vessels of any spirits that might have their fun on Halloween day.”

 

“True,” Aurora agreed, “but aren’t those only worth seeing at nighttime?”

 

“I enjoy them all day,” Jade disagreed, “but based on your preferences, it is true that you will most likely derive more enjoyment from their nighttime states.”

 

The two continued their discussion of mushrooms for the rest of club activities, when suddenly Jade placed an envelope in Aurora’s hand.

 

“What is –”

 

“Think of it as a birthday present,” he answered cryptically.

 

She opened it curiously.

 

Aurora Morningstar,

 

You have been cordially invited to the Mostro Lounge on the evening of Friday, September 21. At a time of your choosing, you may receive 1 free consultation with Azul Ashengrotto in the VIP lounge.

 

Please present this voucher to your server to receive 1 free entree .

 

She looked at Jade almost appreciatively. ‘Wow, trying to get me into a deal on my birthday. Not that I would’ve remembered it without this invitation though… Fuck it, I’ll go and just make sure I take proper precautions.’ “Sure,” she agreed. “I’ll go.”

 

His smile grew in return. “Wonderful. And please, feel free to invite as many people as you would like.”

 

“...You’re going to profit off my new fanclub, aren’t you?”

 

Jade wisely said nothing in response.

_____________________________________________________

 

Evening rolled around, and Leona had finally gathered everyone in his dorm once more.

 

“Housewarden Leona, you’re back in action!”

“That lizard isn’t keeping you away!”

“We’re gonna kill that wannabe king!”

 

“Everyone, listen to me,” Leona commanded the room. “As you all know, two days ago, there was a storm that forced everyone to evacuate. Not only that, but a significant chunk of the land was destroyed – something that should not have been possible.” Howls sounded out at this. “Faculty is investigatin’, but whether they find anythin’ or not has little effect on our plans moving on from here. With teachers crawlin’ all over the place, we’re not doin’ anything against the rules. No risk getting caught when there’s no need for it. That means no more accidents.”

 

“But–”

“Malleus Draconia–”

“What about –”

 

“Silence,” Leona commanded as his dorm scrambled to listen to their respected leader. “Yes, this includes the stampede we were plannin’ on game day. No more of that. No… we are going to stop Malleus Draconia in his tracks on the field. We will not give him the satisfaction of thinkin’ he only lost because of a little injury – no, we are going to prove to him that we are irrevocably, unquestionably, superior to him in every way. Do you all hear me?”

 

“Yes, we hear you!”

“Long live Savanaclaw!”

“Long live Housewarden Leona!”

 

In the corner, one lone wolf was the most thrilled of all. “We get to prove our might the right way!”

 

Alone, Ruggie asked Leona a question later. “How are we gonna do this, Leona? I mean, we’re strong, but still…”

 

Leona smirked. “Let’s just say… I had some help uncovering a trump card that’d been taken from me a long time ago. And if it makes the lizard house look guilty now that we’ve stopped… Well, that oughta be a real shame, hmm?”

 

The two shared a good, long cackle.

Notes:

Annnnnnnd that's a wrap!

For anyone interested, I made a digital version of Aurora's conspiracy board: https://padlet.com/winxballoonatic/aurora-s-conspiracy-board-current-to-chapter-43-7spqnvryvt9jz1us
It will be updated in the future, so I'll try to always have labeled in the title of it what chapter it's current to! (I recommend reading it, 1) because I put a fair amount of effort into it, and 2) bc I write it in her voice, so I think there's some funny quips in there)

Yes the stones in Aurora's (half-demon) new bracelet change to the same colors as Aurora's (Disney princess) dress (the lighter part of it)

The boyfriends are just like "hurry up and introduce us already" XD if only they knew...

Ah Jade, you shady fucker :3

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 45: Mothers Can Be So Cruel

Summary:

Aurora and Riddle have an important discussion.
Lucifer and Mammon go through Aurora’s belongings.
And the dreaded meeting with Mrs. Rosehearts.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you like this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Thursday afternoon after the end of class, Aurora met up with a shaky, nervous Riddle. “You ready for this?” she asked him as she gave him a hug.

 

“...Not really. But I suppose I have no choice but to get it over with.” He gulped, eyes darting over to the tall girl. “I… need to tell you something. If you do not still wish to attend today, I… I completely understand.”

 

“Riddle, I’m not scared –”

 

“I did something.” The two paused. “That first day… after you had broken and deflected my spell. I… I was frightened by your show of power. But more than that, the song you were singing… the Song of the Queen’s Painted Roses. As I mentioned before, it is something that is supposed to be a rare Queendom secret, only known by royalty and nobility, such as myself and my family. When I heard you singing that, I believed you might be some sort of spy – someone who might prove to be a dangerous, awful threat against my country. I know now that you are not, but in my fear… I’m afraid I have opened you up to trouble.”

 

Aurora’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What kind of trouble, Riddle?”

 

“I…” He swallowed. “I called my mother that first day — before my Overblot — and told her to open up a formal inquiry against you.”

 

Aurora’s heart fluttered in anxiety. “What does that mean? Obviously I know what an inquiry is, but… logistically, what does that mean for me?”

 

His eyes darted down. “It means that every aspect of your background has been — or will be — scrutinized. If sufficient evidence is found that points to any wrongdoing on your end, you could be brought before the Council of the Queendom and forced to go on trial. Those trials… rare as they are, they typically end in a guilty verdict.”

 

Her breath hitched at that. “But… all they have is that I knew a song I wasn’t supposed to, and that I’m an oddly strong off-worlder, correct?”

 

“Yes, but if they find out —“

 

“They won’t,” she asserted as her heart began to calm, “and even if they do, that proves no guilt. Crowley and faculty can testify that I’m an off-worlder if it comes down to it, and the song I knew was likely popular at the time of the Queen of Hearts, a time when a known interdimensional traveler stopped into Wonderland, correct?”

 

“I suppose it’s relatively easy to explain when you think of it that way,” Riddle agreed. “Still… I am sorry. I know we didn’t start off on the best of terms. But, strange as you are sometimes, I know how much you’ve tried to help. And… I truly do appreciate having you around.”

 

‘I can’t get mad at him when he talks like that, he’s baby!’ Aurora ruffled the short boy’s hair, holding him close as she felt his nervous heartbeat against her. “I appreciate you too, Riddle.”

 

“You’re — you’re not angry?”

 

“You’re kind of hard to stay angry at when you’re not beheading people. Besides, I know how much you don’t like talking to that thing you unfortunately share genetics with. I know that for you to contact her, you must have been genuinely frightened,” she assured him.” She squished his cheek affectionately. “And maybe I have to tread a little bit carefully if I ever travel there now, but I’ve read enough of Sage Island’s laws to get the sense that she doesn’t exactly have much authority here — and I know she doesn’t really have anything on me. So, I have no reason to be scared of her.”

 

“Thank you,” he breathed. “And you’re sure —“

 

“Yes, I’ll still go with you,” she reassured him. “Speaking of which, are you ready to go?”

 

“…just a moment,” he admitted shyly as he clung tight to her. “Remind me to hug you more often.”

 

Aurora laughed a little bit. “No problem.”

__________________________________

 

Lucifer and Mammon stepped into the House of Lamentation, tired from days of sneaking around the Human Realm by night and going to RAD by day.

 

“I still think ya shoulda just asked which items of hers she valued most,” Mammon told the eldest. “It might take days to figure out which of this stuff she liked enough to have a significant connection to her.”

 

Lucifer gently set down a bag containing most of Aurora’s old possessions on his desk, fingers rubbing the ever-growing ache in his head. “Those idiots wouldn’t even know what she liked,” Lucifer bit. “They couldn’t be bothered to even know when she was praying, Mammon, they wouldn’t know what she actually cared for. And it will not take us days. You saw what state everything was in!” Lucifer’s eyes threatened to bleed to black again. “So many things broken, and certainly not many intact items in there. My daughter was… and she was so miserable around those two that she holed herself up in that?! Other than her books…” Lucifer sunk into his chair. “That’s no way for a young girl to live, Mammon, and certainly not my child .”

 

“Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed with the eldest. “When we find her, we’ll get her anything she wants. Hell, she can even borrow Goldie for the day if she wants, okay?”

 

A sad smile softened Lucifer’s face at that. “You’d better hope for your poor card’s sake that she has less expensive taste than you.”

 

Mammon snorted. “She’s your kid, so not a damn chance of that.”

 

“I don’t care how much she wants to spend,” Lucifer lamented. “I’ll give her anything she wants, just as long as she’s safe and happy.”

 

Mammon patted his brother’s back, helping the eldest go through the items. Other than the many, many shards of shattered glass figures from within the last few months, the main items Aurora seemed to possess were books. “She’ll definitely get along with Satan,” Mammon quipped at one point. Nearly all of the books, minus the grimoires and other academic materials, seemed to revolve around fairy tales, be they retellings or classic collections. “Look at this,” Mammon pointed out, “this one’s of a much more expensive letter than the others. Plus, it’s a lot older, and written in older versions of French. Also, Sleeping Beauty’s the etchin’ on the front, and there’s the whole deal with her name.”

 

Lucifer gingerly thumbed through the tome, seeing fresher notes tucked into pages he was a little too afraid to read. “And you think this will be valuable enough for Belphegor to complete his spell?”

 

“Honestly? I got no idea,” Mammon frankly answered. “With how bad her depression musta been, there might not be anything she wanted that bad. But… it’s our best shot.”

 

Lucifer’s frown remained, threatening to permanently mar his face with how often he wore it these days. “I certainly hope it works.”

______________________________

 

Riddle and Aurora waited quietly in the headmage’s office, the latter giving Riddle a couple of reassuring squeezes as the time ticked on.

 

Precisely at 3:15, the sound of tall heels clicked across the floor, and a woman walked in. Approximately 180 centimeters tall, coiffed red hair was pulled back tightly, the woman dressed plainly in a suit of red and black. “Thank you for hosting this meeting, Headmage Crowley,” she greeted crisply and coldly. “I must apologize for the trouble my insolent son has caused you and this school.” Riddle’s hand trembled as a flash of rage roared through Aurora.

 

‘Hide your wrath, you’ll only make things worse for Riddle if you lash out too much.’

 

“Mrs. Rosehearts,” Crowley began, “the purpose of today’s meeting —“

 

“May I ask who this is here?” the woman asked in a clipped tone. “I believed this meeting to be between myself, you, and my son, not some third party.”

 

Aurora stood to greet her, dropping Riddle’s hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Rosehearts, though I do regret the unfortunate circumstances that bring us here.” ‘Talk like Uncle Sol taught — keep the slang to a minimum, show respect for the title.’ She bowed at a small angle as a show of deference. “As for why I am in attendance at this meeting today, both myself and the headmage agreed that it would be beneficial given both my presence and my role in controlling the event which we are here to discuss today.”

 

Mrs. Rosehearts arched a brow, glowering at the boy who appeared frozen. “And what role would that be?”

 

“Ah,” Crowley surprisingly jumped in, “as this event took place on Heartslabyul grounds far away from any teachers, Mr. Morningstar here leapt into action, bringing your son down out of Overblot in a speedy and efficient manner.”

 

“I see,” the woman acknowledged as her gaze raked over the girl. “And why was some random student charged with handling an unruly brat?”

 

Riddle froze, his heart pounding. “Now now,” Crowley tried to interject, “let us please all take a moment to —“

 

“What we need to do is establish a plan of action to prevent this again,” Lady Rosehearts cut in.

 

“I believe we are both in agreement in regards to that,” Aurora answered overly politely. “After all, I’m sure we both want to know that Riddle will be alright. As for how to do that, perhaps we should take his own feedback into account?” She gestured to the boy, offering her hand.

 

Slowly, he accepted it and stood up. “Mother… I…”

 

“Have you nothing to say for yourself, boy?”

 

“It’s okay, Riddle,” Aurora assured him quietly. “Go as quickly or as slowly as you need.”

 

He gulped, squeezing her hand. “Mother… for all my life, I have carefully followed your rules to the letter. I believed that any violation of rules was a highly criminal offense, and that any rule breaker deserved a swift and harsh punishment. But this overly strict adherence to rules… it makes no sense, mother, and I have realized as of late that this feverish abidance was destroying me.”

 

The woman glowered. “Rules are the very foundation of our existence, Riddle. Do not tell me the ruffians at this school have led you astray? Your Overblot —“

 

“My Overblot was because of you , Mother!” Riddle cried suddenly. “My whole life, I have tried so hard to abide by your every rule, by the old rules of our land! But it has destroyed me, Mother! Not every rule is inherently good, and not every rule has helped me!”

 

The tall noble’s jaw clicked as she sniffed. “I see what has been happening here. You have been allowed far too much freedom, and have grown to be a delinquent as a result. Starting immediately, you will be withdrawn from this college and move back, where your schooling shall be remedied immediately.”

 

“Mother —“

 

Aurora glowered as she stepped protectively in front of Riddle.

 

“Now Mrs. Rosehearts, let us be reasonable,” Crowley cawed. “You know full well that you may not forcibly withdraw a student from any institution on Sage Island like you might at some school in your Queendom.”

 

“I’m sure my son knows full well —“

 

“Are you not listening to a word Riddle says?” Aurora cut her off.

 

The woman glowered at the students as she raised her magic pen.

 

‘Shit, is she gonna attack us? Better raise a shield…”

 

“Mother, no!” Riddle yelped, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

“All in this room may repeat after me: Yes, Lady Rosehearts, your wish is my command, and I shall do as you say.”

 

‘That’s charm-like magic! I’m immune to it, but Riddle…’ Both the headmage and Riddle’s eyes glazed over as they began to repeat her phrase. ‘Shit, I thought Crowley would definitely be immune! With a direct magical attack like this… she’s violated the Twisted Wonderland International Mage’s Code of Conduct, and I am authorized to use any means necessary to stop her!’ Pulling out her pen, she focused on a familiar spell and cast quickly through visualization rather than the full incantation. “Melody bind thee and rob thee of thy freedom,” she commanded the pen, summoning the flaming chains to trap the noble lady. 

 

“You! Let me go this instant!”

 

“Lady Rosehearts,” Aurora spoke authoritatively, “you have violated the law of the land, and thus I was forced to take defensive action. For all you speak of rules, your rule alone is not law.”

 

While Riddle was clutching his head in tearful pain, Crowley had recovered from the episode suspiciously quickly. “Mrs. Rosehearts,” he informed her, “Mr. Morningstar is completely in the right here. You have attacked both myself and two students of this institution. Therefore, you will be placed into Sage Island custody. Additionally, I will be recommending extra investigations into your parenting methods and patient treatments based on the appalling behavior you have shown today.”

 

The woman glowered at Aurora. “How did you — why, you are responsible for everything that has happened here, you rebellious hooligan. Mark my words, you will be facing the consequences for your derelict behavior.”

 

Aurora rolled her eyes with an accompanying smirk.

 

“You have the right to remain silent, Mrs. Rosehearts,” Crowley grinned, “and if I were you, I would certainly start exercising that right.” He suddenly sighed and shook his head. “I had intended for today to be a day of discussion and reconciliation for our dear student, but I believe I have learned some things today. Mr. Rosehearts, Mr. Morningstar, you are free to go now. I will make sure the remainder of the situation is handled appropriately.”

 

Aurora clasped the boy’s hand as she helped him out of the room. “Are you alright, Riddle?”

 

“It… it hurts,” he cried weakly as he sought comfort in a hug once more.

 

“May the vestiges —“

 

“Not just my head,” he sobbed. “My heart. Why does it hurt so much?”

 

“Oh, Riddle,” she sighed as she let him cry. “Mothers can be so cruel, can’t they…”

 

“I’m scared…”

 

“It’ll all work out, Riddle,” she assured. “I promise.”

Notes:

Annnnnnd that’s a wrap!

Aurora’s pretty confident the investigation into her won’t go anywhere 🙃

Lucifer and Mammon… they don’t even know which possessions of her are “prized” enough for the ritual spell.

And… oh boy. Mrs. Rosehearts, you bitch.

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 46: Birthday Discussions

Summary:

Aurora has the best birthday of her life.
Her family is not having the best day.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Friday morning, Aurora awoke and went to the dorm lounge to find it covered in streamers and a handmade “Happy Birthday” birthday sign, a couple of the letters painted on backwards.

 

“Happy birthday henchman!” Grim cheered as he jumped into her arms. “The ghosts and I stayed up all night decoratin’ the place for you!”

 

“The ghosts?” Aurora’s inky brows shot up her forehead.

 

“Uh-huh!” Grim confirmed. “That silent, weird ghost lady was waving around at the other ghosts and tellin’ em to do stuff, and then they made me do stuff!”

 

‘Lilith?! You’re still here? That’s actually really sweet…’ “Well, I’ll just have to make sure to thank them later, won’t I? And thank you, Grim,” she cooed as she nuzzled him.

 

“Aww… Henchman, go to the kitchen! Let’s get some food!” So the two did, enjoying the birthday pastries the ghosts had prepared.

_________________________________________________________

 

That evening, Aurora walked into Octavinelle with Ace and Deuce, having roped the two of them into coming to dinner with her.

 

“Can’t believe you didn’t tell us sooner it was your birthday,” Ace teased. “If I didn’t know better, I woulda thought you’d forgotten it.”

 

Aurora flushed a little bit. “Well… I might have?”

 

Deuce’s jaw dropped slightly in horror. “Please tell me you got to –”

 

“I did technically celebrate it,” she assured Deuce. “It’s more like… I just didn’t care really? It was just my mom and Uncle Sol, and… at some point I could barely stand it. It was pretty lonely, you know? I might have had a big cake, but it started tasting gross after eating so much of it for days on end. That, and things have been chaotic enough since coming here that it just didn’t really cross my mind.”

“Well, your birthdays are gonna be fantastic from here on out, ya get me?!”

“We’ll make this the happiest birthday yet!”

 

Warmth spread throughout her heart, happy tears threatening to spill out as she pulled them a little tighter.

____________________________________________________

 

A world away, Aurora’s parents were in a much worse state of mind as the “rescue team” met up once more.

 

“Today’s her birthday, you know,” Victoria murmured softly as she wrapped her arms around herself.. “She’s seventeen today.”


“Oh…” Soft gasps were heard around the room.

 

“It’s your fault she’s not here to celebrate it,” Lucifer muttered darkly.

 

Mammon choked on air while Solomon winced.

 

Helene, however, was not going to be quiet. “Are you seriously blaming Victoria for the child being kidnapped?!

 

“Oh?” Lucifer asked. “Did she not tell you?”

 

She sighed irritably, “this is why I hate men. Always playing guessing games.”

 

“I will presume that is a no, then.”

 

Helene rolled her eyes. “And what is this piece of news you’re referring to?”

 

“That my child wasn’t actually kidnapped.

 

Helene froze, brows furrowing. “Pardon me? What in all hells are you talking about?”

 

“So she didn’t…” Lucifer cast a sneer over to the one he once called his lover. “...how very interesting. Well, allow me to tell you then,” he announced as he turned back to Helene. Aurora left this dimension of her own volition because she was absolutely miserable here.

 

“Will you –”

 

“It’s true, Helene,” Victoria rasped. “We didn’t know til recently, but… yes, she chose to leave.”

 

Helene blinked, nostrils flaring as she curled and uncurled fingers. “And you didn’t mention this earlier?! ’ She tugged lightly at her curls. “We already knew she was likely safe due to the nature of the world – and Crowley’s involvement – but this changes everything ,” she began to rant. “Have either of you even considered what the plan is upon finding her? Isn’t she safer there than here? And if she left voluntarily, does she even want to come back? Not to mention and connections she might have made there already,” Helene pointed out.

 

“That’s why we –” Mammon started before receiving a sharp pinch and a stern look from the eldest. “...We gotta see what she wants once we talk ta her.”

 

Solomon wisely said nothing at the nonverbal exchange of the two brothers.

 

Later, as the two were coming home, Mammon piped up. “Hey Luce? Why didn’t ya mention that spell Belphie’s workin’ on right now?”

 

Lucifer shook his head. “Because, Mammon, I do not know the extent of what my daughter has gone through… but if she wanted to get away and not let those two know where… then it is none of their business what she is up to.”

 

Mammon winced. “But she’s still her kid – and for all this situation is fucked up, she’s still her mom, ya know? Shouldn’t Victoria know her kid’s okay?”

 

“Aurora has been through enough already. Whatever she wishes, I will grant to the fullest of my abilities… no matter what that vile sorceress has to say about it.”

 

“Vile?” Mammon swallowed uncomfortably.

 

“I have already lost a sister, Mammon – I refuse to lose my child,” the eldest declared. “To think I would choose someone who would be so much like…” Lucifer murmured softly before shaking his head. “Nevermind. What I will tell you is that I am strongly reconsidering any future involvement I will have with Victoria, and as difficult as it is for you, I urge you to do the same.”

 

The secondborn’s eyes widened as he took a sharp breath. “But Luci, you have a –”

 

“It is difficult, but pacts can be broken,” Lucifer reminded the younger.

 

“...are you breakin’ up with her or something? ‘Cuz Luci, with the way that’d hurt you both…”

 

Lucifer’s jaw twitched. “Perhaps I should say so more explicitly if it is mentioned again, but if she isn’t smart enough to understand from our last conversation that we are ‘broken up,’ as you say, then I suppose it’s all the more reason to hope my daughter got my intelligence.”

 

The two were silent the rest of the way home.

___________________________________________________

 

“Pose with me for Magicam!”

 

Aurora had come to both love and hate those words Jade’s more unhinged twin had uttered within moments of their first meeting. ‘Of course he conveniently used it to promote the lounge tonight.’ Yet despite being a bit of a prop for their business here, Aurora still was enjoying her night. She sat in a private booth with Ace and Deuce, enjoying their dinner as ambient music played in the background. A large tiered cake was in the center of the restaurant, mostly devoured now by the swarm of birthday well-wishers and fledgling cult members that had appeared within an hour of Floyd’s post.

 

As the odd party drew closer to the end, one of the servers appeared to bring Aurora back to the elusive VIP lounge.

 

“Come in, come in,” Azul’s voice echoed.

 

Aurora complied, taking a seat without waiting for him to invite her. ‘Okay, Discount Ursula. Nice room, I love the colors — ew, are those all business books on the shelves? Gross. Try having an imagination, my guy.’ “So,” she began, “I believe I was brought back here for some sort of consultation?”

 

“Ah, yes, one free consultation as a birthday gift,” he confirmed. “Typically, people will wait for days, even weeks on end for one. After all, I can make any wish come true.”

 

‘Ah, here comes the enticement. But… what more could I possibly want?’ “And what could you offer me that I don’t already have?” ‘Unless you can somehow get around my restrictions of being an off-worlder…’

 

Azul smirked satisfactorily. “Why, my dear child, you are from another world, no? Which means no identification, along with some other basics.”

 

“And how are you expecting to fix this?”

 

“It’s more of a… remedy,” he trilled. “A way for you to obtain some money during your tenure here. And not those credits you get to spend at Sam’s store, but real money that you can spend anywhere you like – even during breaks when you inevitably have to leave campus.”

 

‘That’s… actually not a bad idea. But…’ “And what exactly are you asking me for in return?”

 

“Oh, not much dear,” he smirked. “Just your voice.”

 

“Excuse me?!” ‘He really is Ursula!’ “Yeah, no, that is not –”

 

“Ah, I did not mean in the literal sense,” he corrected. “More of a… performance. You see, at the Mostro Lounge, we occasionally prefer to have live music instead of our normal playlist out of the speaker. Given both your popularity and the fact that it seems Vil Schoenheit has taken you under his wing, we must only assume your performance talents have some merit. So, I would like you to perform once a week – and of course, certain music will be provided for you. Do Sundays work for you?”

 

‘Okay, I can get behind this. Boosting my ego and getting paid for it? Sounds like a win to everyone here.’ She smiled slyly. “This Sunday’s out as I already have prior commitments, but I should be able to make it work going forward.” ‘Now… time to let just a tiny bit of the fuck-off aura out. Not enough to really scare him, just make him vaguely uneasy if he tries to screw me over.’

 

“Excellent,” he hummed. “Shall we draw up a contract?”

 

Her eyes lightly glowed as she agreed. “Yes. Let’s do that.”

___________________________________________________________________

 

Aurora stepped back into the Ramshackle yard, using magic to tote around her new props and presents. ‘Come on, Ace and Deuce, let’s get your grades up so Riddle will let you have two sleepovers per week instead of one.’ As she walked towards the door, she spotted the mysterious ‘Charming’ waiting for her. Lightly dropping everything to the ground, she moved towards him and gently touched his arm. “Hey, you,” she smiled.

 

“Oh? Child of Starlight, you’re here,” he greeted. “I must confess, I – hm?” He noticed the streamers in her hand. “Apologies, I didn’t realize you were…”

 

“I didn’t realize I’d be so late either. I knew Azul was using my presence to boost his profits, I just didn’t think it’d turn into a full-on birthday party.”

 

He tilted his head. “There was a birthday party?” A small frown was painted on his face.

 

“Yeah,” she sheepishly explained, “mine, apparently.” She realized something at the growing frown. ‘Oh no, poor guy probably thinks I left him out intentionally!’ Also please don’t be upset, I didn’t even remember my birthday was coming up until really recently.”

 

His brows furrowed as he took in her statement. “Child of Starlight… you mean to say you somehow almost forgot your own birthday?”

 

She nodded. “More like I didn’t care I guess? I’d… actually never had a party before today.”

 

Something sadly familiar sparked in his eyes as he gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. “So you, too… Did you have a good birthday this year, then?”

 

“It’s been the best birthday of my life,” she answered honestly. ‘Now let’s see you blush, pretty boy.’ “But…” She laced her fingers together with his. “...I think it would be even better if you’d like to keep me company a little longer.”

 

The blush spread across his ears and cheeks as his eyes held a gleam Aurora didn’t quite know how to read. “If that is what you desire, Child of Starlight,” he purred as he pulled her a little closer to place his hand on the small of her back, “then who am I to deny you?”

Notes:

Annnnd that's a wrap!

Aurora's just having a grand old time on all fronts XD

Also, fun fact, when I first outlined this story, I originally didn't intend for Lucifer to hold this level of contempt for Victoria... but it just felt natural as I was writing, whoops XD

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 47: Prepare the Night

Summary:

Aurora and Leona practice for the tournament.

Dire and Maleficent have a little chat.

Notes:

Hi loves!
Hope you enjoy!

Also, FYI: Ace's birthday took place over the weekend (his is Sept 23 which is 2 days after Aurora's) but I didn't have enough content to justify adding it into the main story. I might, however, make a separate one-shot of it later if anyone's interested.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aurora and Leona stepped onto the practice field after the dorm had ended their practice for the evening. “So jackal,” Leona asked with a sly grin, “what exactly do you got up your sleeve?”

 

She grinned. “Oh, you know, just a few useful spells for the tournament. I wanna see you make that Malleus guy fucking cry .”

 

Leona laughed wickedly. “Yeah, it’ll be him kneeling for me this time.”

 

“…Is that literal or metaphorical?”

 

“I may or may not have made a bet with him,” he answered. “You know, the loser kisses the winner’s feet right after the match. Tightened up the language real good too so he couldn’t use any slippery bullshit fey logic.”

 

“…That explains a lot,” Aurora mused. “That bastard totally thinks he’s gonna win, doesn’t he?”

 

“‘Course he does, arrogant prick.”

 

Aurora’s eyes glowed in anticipation. “I can’t wait to see you kick his ass.”

 

“Me neither, jackal,” he purred. “Now, what spells are you wantin’ to go over?”

 

“First thing I wanna go over is a binding spell. You know Riddle’s signature spell?”

 

“That little ring?” He wrinkled his nose.

 

“It’s like that but so much better, ” she promised, voice smooth like a savannah rain to his ears. “If you’ve ever wanted to chain him up and have him screaming for mercy… this is the way to do it.”

 

His ears perked up, tail swishing eagerly from side to side. “Then show me.”

 

She smiled, pointing her pen at the training dummies. “The way I learned this spell was through the full incantation – for a little reference, magic users in my world tend to focus their casting energy through incantation rather than visualization and emotion like we do here,” she explained. “I’m not really sure why it’s that way, and adjusting has been a bit odd, but it really is nice to save some time while casting.”

 

“You say an entire incantation every time you want a little cleaning spell?” Leona grimaced.

 

“Yep,” she confirmed. “Now… pay attention.” She pointed her pen at the dummy. “Hear my voice and heed my command. These words are sound… the sound, melody. And through it I bind thee, and rob thee of thy freedom.” As she focused her power, the poor dummy was chained up in the same bindings she had trapped both Riddle and his mother in, violet flames scorching the cloth. “See?” She turned to Leona. “It’s still a pretty powerful binding spell so you’ll want to still have some incantation, but it still works if you shorten it. Also, I imagine the visualization bit will look just a little different to you.”

 

The boy’s green eyes danced in blazing mischief as he envisioned the dragon bound up for the world to see. “And it’s stronger than that toy collar?”

 

“So much stronger,” she confirmed.

 

“Then…” he focused his energy much the way she had, pointing his pen towards the second dummy. He chanted lowly, deeply, a melodic lilt to his voice. “Melody bind, your freedom is mine.” Rather than metallic chains as Aurora’s appeared, his were forged of ashen bone, an arid aura seeming to drain the poor doll of what little moisture it might have had, strung up by the spell.

 

“Excellent job,” she praised him.

 

“I’m gonna have some real fun with that come tournament time, jackal,” the lion smirked. “I can just see it now – I’m gonna have that bastard chained up as long as I can while his team gets demolished – they haven’t even held a proper practice – and the deal’s gonna blow up in his stupid, horny face.”

 

“Wait,” she clarified, “they haven’t practiced?

 

“Yep. I had a couple scouts check on what was happenin’ in preparation. Bastard picked out his team but thought there wasn’t any point ‘taking up their time’ in practice ‘cause he thought nobody was real competition.”

 

“Ew,” she sneered. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t get pride – it’s woven into my very being, in fact – but that level is just insulting.”

 

“Tell me about it,” he huffed. “But I guess it just makes it that much funnier to watch his team scramble around once their dear leader’s all caught up.”

 

“...Isn’t this all gonna be caught on television?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“...I almost feel bad,” she grinned. “Key word being almost. Still, I’d be careful of Vice Housewarden Lilia. I have no idea what he’s like on the field, but I’m guessing he’s packing some crazy power himself.”

 

“Yeah,” Leona confirmed, “the old bastard is crazy fast. Still not anywhere near the lizard’s level, though.”

 

“Interesting,” she hummed. “How old is he, anyways? Because I could’ve sworn that was his picture in my History of Magic textbook,” she admitted.

 

“Oh yeah, that’s him,” Leona confirmed. “Don’t know how the hell nobody else here’s seemed to pick up on that.”

 

“The power of a vastly different haircut?”

 

He snorted. “Somethin’ like that, I guess. But to answer your question, I got no idea how old he actually is, just that he’s a lot older than most people seem to realize.”

 

She nodded. “It’s gotta be at least a thousand years,” she speculated. “He reminds me of someone from my world – my Uncle Sol – and he’s like, three thousand years old.”

 

Leona raised a brow. “So you got an immortal uncle?”

 

“Yes? Technically he’s not my uncle, he’s just together with my mom and I didn’t really know what else to call him when I was younger, so that kinda stuck,” she explained. “But I actually do have a bunch of immortal uncles I’ve never met.”

 

“...Are you a demi-god?”

 

Aurora thought for a moment. “It’s… complicated, I guess? The god of my world… he’s not exactly fond of sharing his power. So, while he makes immortal beings, they’re instead called angels – and he maintains a degree of control over them.”

 

Leona balked. “Wait, you only have one god there? And he sounds like a real ass, too.”

 

Aurora nodded. “Yep. There… might have been others at some point? I’m not sure. But, yes, he is an ass. Unfortunately, that ass is my grandpa.”

 

The boy’s brows arched as he put something together. “So you’re sayin’ that the guy who apparently cursed me is your grandfather?”

 

“...Yeah.”

 

He nodded, appeased by her honesty. “Explains a lot. So, you're similar to a demi-god then.”

 

She shook her head. “Like I said, he’s not big on sharing the full extent of his divinity like some of the gods mentioned in literature here. I do have angelic and demonic heritage, though – a very weird mix of powers that weren’t really made to coexist together.”

 

He hesitated a moment before gently taking her hand. “Weird? Maybe. But also pretty damn amazing, from what you’ve shown me so far.”

 

“If you’re trying to flatter me, you’re doing a good job,” she grinned.

 

“I can do a lot better than that, jackal,” he asserted as he traced a pattern into her palm.

 

‘Oh, this is nice. But if I don’t get back on track now, we’re not getting anything done today! Still…’ “...Maybe after I teach you how to temporarily turn someone’s bones to goo.”

 

He smiled, golden light from the sinking sun illuminating his face like a halo. “Looking forward to it.”

___________________________________________________

 

In the chamber, the Dark Mirror roared to life once more as Dire Crowley communed with Maleficent.

 

“Your Excellency,” he addressed, “I have some news for you.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“The second of the seven has been saved,” he revealed. “Admittedly, she had a bit more trouble this time around, but I always was expecting this to be the case.”

 

Maleficent sighed. “If she had difficulty with the second…”

 

“Ah, but the boy she saved was none other than Prince Kingscholar. Ah, and she removed that nasty little curse I informed you about.”

 

Her eyes went wide. “Really… does… does my grandson know yet? I know the two of them…” She took a deep breath. “If he is truly no longer cursed, then perhaps I can finally give them my blessing, if the two of them ever become involved again.” As the crow’s grin stretched creepily across his face, Maleficent was forced to press him. “What has happened now, Dire?”

 

“Why, nothing negative, I assure you,” he sang. “It just seems as if your grandson has become entangled in an amorous web of affairs here.”

 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

 

He giggled. “It means that Lilia decided to play matchmaker.”

 

“Oh, gods,” she visibly winced harder than the crow remembered in at least a century. “He is one of the few men I love and adore, but by the Mother, he can be a true pain sometimes.”

 

“Ah, but that is why we love him, is it not?”

 

“You are not wrong,” she sighed. “Who… who is involved in this, and need I act?”

 

The crow shrugged. “Currently Leona and the girl are involved. And… I do expect based on his methods that he might end up hurt for a time… but I have a feeling all will work out in the end.”

 

Maleficent fiddled with her ring. “I don’t like the sound of that ‘for a time,’ but as long as he is safe, I will trust your judgement.”

 

“Oh,” Crowley reminded her, “and make sure you look up that word in the dictionaries I sent you if you haven’t already.”

 

“Polyamory?”

 

He nodded mischievously. “I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with the term quickly, Your Excellency.”

 

She glared. “Are you saying that my grandson is –” She faltered.

 

“He’s not his father,” Dire reminded.

 

“We both know that’s not what I was going to say,” she snapped.

 

“You need not worry about that either,” he assured. “I promise you, this is a far different situation.”

 

“You had better be right, Dire.”

 

"When am I ever not?'

Notes:

Annnnnnd that's a wrap!

Next chapter up is gonna be the tournament!

And... that convo between Maleficent and Dire. Quite a lot to unpack there ;)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 48: Long Live the King

Summary:

The day of the Interdorm Magift Tournament has finally arrived.

Notes:

Hi loves! I had fun with this chapter, so I hope you did too!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The day of the tournament had finally arrived, and the entire school was in a frenzy.

 

Ever since the day of the storm, rumors had flown through the school at breakneck speed in light of the sudden lack of accidents. Diasomnia was suddenly the target of intense scrutiny, both from faculty and students alike, only serving to make the sudden stop even more suspicious. Whispers rang through the crowded street as students and audience members packed into the arena, eagerly and nervously awaiting the first match: Diasomnia versus Savanaclaw.

 

“Think your work paid off?” Ace whispered to Aurora as they and Deuce settled into their seats.

 

“I think so,” she grinned. “I can’t wait to see how this all goes down.”

 

The crowd began to cheer wildly as Savanaclaw marched in first, heads held high as Leona flashed his signature fanged grin. Behind him were an excited Ruggie and Jack, the latter’s tail practically wagging in excitement as the team took the field. The rest of the team trickled in, feisty roars being passed back and forth among them. Some voice over the speakers announced the individual players, the trio giving especially loud cheers when Jack and Leona were introduced.

 

Finally in came Diasomnia, all seven players striding in with a darker, more somber confidence than their more rugged and energetic opponents possessed.

 

“Look,” Aurora whispered to her boyfriends as she tilted her head toward the field. “That’s him – Charming.”

 

Ace whispered back to her, “which one?! There’s seven of ‘em, ya know.”

 

“The tall boy with the horns,” she explained naturally.

 

The two boys shot horrified looks at each other.

 

“Aurora, please tell me you’re kidding!”

 

“Okay, fuck, I KNOW there’s no way you know who that actually is!”

 

Aurora glanced nervously at her boyfriends, heart rate spiking at their frantic behavior. ‘The way they’re acting, he must have a bad reputation around, but… wait. WAIT. WAIT. NO FUCKING WAY, IT COULDN’T BE– She swallowed thickly as fire built in her veins, palms clammy as realization dawned on her. ‘The way he’s standing – and the way he made that speech about me not knowing who he was – horns like Maleficent, and the only one I’ve seen not wear the hat – he must be –’

 

“ANNOUNCING MALLEUS DRACONIA, REIGNING CHAMPION OF THE INTERDORM TOURNAMENT FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS!” ‘Charming’ stepped forward with a self-assured smirk at the announcement. “WILL HE HANG ONTO HIS THRONE FOR A THIRD YEAR?! CROWN PRINCE OF –”

 

White noise began to build in her ears when she suddenly snapped out of it as Deuce wrapped her arm around her. “Let’s get out of here for a bit,” he suggested seriously. “We’ve still got a few minutes with announcements and everything.”

Aurora nodded, following the two outside to a less crowded area as she held on closely. “Fuck,” she wheezed as they made it out, “I’m going to kill him.”

 

“I’ll help ya hide the body,” Ace offered as he placed a bottle of water in her hands.

 

Furious tears pricked at her eyes as she gratefully accepted the gesture, taking a swig to calm down a bit. “Fucking hell,” she ranted, “how could I have been so fucking hells-damned stupid?!

 

“You’re not stupid,” Deuce corrected her. “You said he specifically KNEW you were an off-worlder, right?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Then he took advantage of that. Which, is really damn scummy, especially for someone who’s supposed to be royalty.”

 

Alarm bells flashed in her head. “Leona warned me not to let him get close if I ever met him, you know,” she recalled. “That that he’d either trample my feelings or pull some shit like trying to make me his consort.” She shuddered. “Which, not happening, because I’m gonna fucking murder him before the day’s end,” she growled.

 

“Yeah, no, he ain’t doin’ shit to you,” Ace agreed protectively. “If you decide to not do the whole murder plan, remember this school’s full of a TON of powerful families. We’ll rally every fuckin’ one if he so much as BREATHES wrong your way, okay?”

 

She came down from a bit of her anger high, letting her boyfriends comfort her. “You know… he probably heard it was me who started the rumor about his dorm, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Deuce nodded along, “the whole school kinda knows now.”

 

Her nose scrunched as a couple teeth bared briefly. “Then it was probably his way of getting back at me,” she spat. “I… I don’t even want to know the kind of shit he’s saying back to his dorm mates.” She looked down, cheeks flushing in shame as her mind went wild. ‘Probably bragging to them about how easy it was to trick me, how fucking stupid I was. Laughing at me like I’m a damned moron for being strung along by that shit. Fucking prick.

 

“Nah,” Deuce assured her, “the way this school is, if he’d spread it among the dorm, we probably would’ve heard about it by now. Still doesn’t make him a good guy, though.”

 

Aurora nodded. “Still… if he was that upset about the rumors, why not confront me directly like a normal fucking person? I might not like that Sebek guy, but I give him props for having the balls to handle the situation himself.”

 

Deuce nodded in agreement. “Better than Jerky McJerkface Draconia.”

 

The trio was silent for a little bit, coming back to attention as announcements ended and the pre-game anthem began. “You ready to come back inside, or do ya need a little longer?” Ace asked.

 

A small grin worked its way back onto her face, slipping off the bracelet to chuck at the tall boy later. “Let’s go watch a lizard get grilled.”

_______________________________________________________

 

Malleus and Leona each started near the center of the field, similarly intense expressions on their face.

 

“I rather look forward to seeing what you have in store for me this year, Kingscholar,” Malleus teased as the rest of the team got into position. “I do hope you haven’t been slacking off in preparing for this day.”

 

Leona huffed. “What, like you have? No way, lizard, I intend to bring you down. You just made it easy with your laziness.”

 

“I certainly have made several preparations for today,” the fey rebutted. His lip curled up slightly as his mind flashed over to what he had prepared in a clearing in the forest, a feast of Leona’s favorite foods and decorated in a mass of his favorite flowers – a perfect place for the “get-back-together” date the unfortunate dragon was envisioning.

 

“Like I said, it’s gonna be you on your knees for me today,” Leona smirked.

 

A gleam rose in the dragon’s eyes as he purred. “If that is what you desire, then…”

 

Soon after, the starting whistle blew. Immediately, Malleus repeated his moves from the year before, raising a mountain to defend his goal. He began to summon lightning from the sky, when suddenly something unexpected slammed him. “Melody bind, your freedom is mine,” were the only words the fey heard before finding himself bound up in a set of bone-like chains, a dry air about him as they slightly burned, taking something from him he didn’t quite know how to define. Immediately, his storm cloud dissipated as he found he could summon no magic, only fruitlessly wiggle about in the most slight way.

 

Leona’s beam was predatory, his hungry gaze threatening to devour the fey’s very immortal soul as he began to taste victory for the first time.

 

“Ohoho?” Lilia gazed curiously as he regarded the prince of the savannah. “It seems we get to really play this year.” He darted towards the Housewarden, figuring that if Malleus could not get out of the chains, he could break the catty boy’s concentration. As the smaller fey moved in that direction, he slammed into a giant white wolf, barely dodging the creature’s giant maw as he was chased around, keeping care to circle the housewarden.

 

Meanwhile, Silver rushed towards the action as well, only to find his motions hijacked, completely dropping his magic pen. As he regained his senses for a brief moment, he rushed to re-grab it, but it was too late. Pen left abandoned on the ground, he found himself throwing his arms up in a flailing motion and running in an erratic zig-zag pattern. As he encountered one of his teammates, he inexplicably threw himself to the ground, rolling back and forth as he caused the boy to trip over him face-first, taking the two of them out of the match as they were forced to detangle themselves. Looking over, he saw a laughing hyena beastman – Housewarden Ruggie – scrambling away back towards the thick of the action.

 

The Diasomnia formation completely fell apart in mere seconds, Lilia and the mountain being the last true obstacles left on the field. Rushing forward during a longer tussle between a transformed Jack and the fey, Leona touched the base of the mountain, emitting a kingly roar as he cast his signature spell. The mountain crumbled to sand in seconds, spilling across the field and coating the gloomier dorm members in the sticky, itchy grains. “Now,” he ordered his teammates at the back, “get to the base of the hill and throw the disc through the goals!” As Lilia took his chance to run at the lion, Leona snapped around, pen flicking as his eye took on a sadistic gleam. “Bones to goo, I command you,” he hummed triumphantly, whipping out another spell Aurora had taught him.

 

As Lilia failed to fight against the spell, he flopped to the ground, arms bending at impossible arcs as a result. “Oh my,” he garbled incoherently to nobody in particular, even his jaw flapping uselessly as his entire body felt like a bowl of jelly. “What an interesting sensation. I simply must add this to my arsenal of practical jokes.” 

 

At the same time, the beastman team member’s shot sailed through the unguarded goal post of Diasomnia, the two most powerful members of the opposition completely incapacitated as Leona concentrated on the two spells with ease.

__________________________________________

 

Cheers echoed through the stands, the entirety of Night Raven College whooping at watching the previously most elusive, untouchable student brought to a screeching halt in a matter of seconds.

 

A small boy in the crowd spun around in circles, his little lungs cheering at their full capacity. “UNCA LEONA, UNCA LEONA!” His father scooped him up, shaking his head fondly while giving him a better view. “Unca Leona’s got so big and strong!”

 

The man ruffled his son’s hair affectionately, gazing proudly out at his younger brother’s growing triumph. “He sure has, hasn’t he? Why don’t you go visit him at the end of the day, okay?”

 

“Yes!” The boy cheered.

 

Elsewhere in the stands, the trio was also cheering the lion prince on.

 

“Yeah Leona, you go king!”

“Make that lizard fucking cry!”

“You better keep beating him up!”

___________

 

Since spells were allowed to remain ongoing, the rest of the match was hopeless for the dark dorm. A few members tried to summon bushes and vines to trap the Savanaclaw members, but anything that could potentially become a threat was decimated to sand. Lilia’s bones never returned to proper form during the allotted time, and Malleus was left to thrash about helplessly during the full match, his increasingly desperate attempts of escape still not enough to shatter the binds channeling his power in an unbreakable loop, the very water in his body slowly beginning to evaporate as Leona’s team racked up point after point. Whatever new strength Leona had gained, Malleus wanted nothing more than to pounce, the draw out the heights of his power as he and the lion truly played, the rest of the match notwithstanding.

 

But Malleus didn’t get his desperate wish.

 

The rest of the team was horribly uncoordinated together, and the formidable unit of Savanaclaw broke through the goal so often that it ceased to mean anything to the dragon. The lion stayed mostly in place, perhaps lazy, perhaps focusing intensely on the two spells he concentrated on… or perhaps, Malleus pondered, it was his way of ensuring his teammates’ success beyond Night Raven College, for those in the dorm who dreamed of going to the pro leagues.

 

How quaint.

 

The clock finally ran down, Diasomnia not having even been able to score a single point against the unexpected brutality of their opposing dorm. Tense silence reigned for the briefest of moments before the stunned announcer took the mic. “...it would seem that the winner of this match… IS HOUSE SAVANACLAW!” Cheers erupted through the stadium, the majority of the students actively jumping up and celebrating the defeat of the housewarden who terrified the student body on a daily basis, no regard for rules or controlling his testy temperament.

 

As per the rules, any active spells were released, and Malleus finally crashed to the ground, still recovering from the sensation of having his magic sealed as electricity crackled through him once more. Lilia finally rolled over, Silver helping his father figure up as the old man’s bones ceased to jiggle around futilely. “Oh,” he gasped softly, stumbling before he dashed over to his prince. “Malleus, sweetheart, are you –”

 

“I will be fine, Lilia,” he assured softly, gaze raking over the near target of his affections. “He…” A beam threatened to break through his usual demeanor, lights dancing in his eyes at the sight of Leona. “To think he would train so hard, come so far for this ritual… what kind of a man would I be to remain unaffected by such magnificence? If he wishes to dominate me, who am I to deny such amorous displays?”

 

Silver choked on air while Lilia giggled at the prince’s obliviousness to the implications of his words.

______________________________________________________

 

“Holy shit,” Ace yelled, “they really did it!”

 

“Oh, just wait,” Aurora grinned. “The best part is yet to come.”

 

“The team handshake they’re lining up for? Because that’s the last part.”

 

“You’ll see,” she promised.

_______________________________________________

 

The opposing teams shook hands cordially as tradition dictated, the two captains finally meeting in the middle as they both stood proudly, each thinking they were on the cusp of everything they wanted.

 

“Hey lizard,” Leona purred smugly, “you didn’t forget about our deal, right?”

 

“I have thought of little else since,” Malleus teased back. “I am nothing if not a man of my word, after all.” He knelt to the ground, almost uncaring of the rolling cameras that dared to intrude upon this precious moment. Gazing up at the younger prince with a nauseating gaze of something near admiration – nearly making Leona gag – the fey gently cupped the standing man’s calf, ignoring the burn of shame rippling through him at the thought of the public staring at him, ridiculing him for this act. It was, after all, a small price to pay to be reunited with a man he loved so deeply. Bowing his head down, he lowered his face to the messy ground, planting a gentle and reverent kiss on each dusty shoe. He looked up, kneeling longer than necessitated by the deal with a flush on his face.

 

Leona laughed unkindly, sharp green eyes drinking in the redness painting the dragon’s face as he was finally brought to his knees. “Hey Malleus?”

 

“Yes?”

 

He sneered mockingly, “long live the king.”

 

Malleus’s eyes lit up, a far different tone in his mind. He gently, adoringly clasped the lion’s hand before he stood. His eyes flitted to the top of Leona’s hair, envisioning a brand new crown forged of the finest pixie gold, encrusted with gems hand-picked from his hoard. “Yes,” he agreed. “Long live the king.”

Notes:

Annnnnnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Aurora now officially knows who 'Charming' is! And... she is very unhappy, to put it mildly. (Let's just say she gets a little mean next time she sees him.)

Leona FINALLY got to be the best in the tournament! He is having the time of his LIFE. (Also I couldn't resist the urge to have him say one of Scar's signature lines, can ya blame me?)

And Malleus... oh Malleus, you poor, sweet (oblivious) bastard. He is about to suffer quite a bit in upcoming chapters.

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 49: Torment Echoes

Summary:

Maleficent worries for her grandson overseas.
Malleus faces the first phase of his heartbreak.
Leona, on the other hand, parties it up.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Far across the world, the inner court of Briar Valley sat tensely as the queen – wearing a mask to enhance her draconic features – grew more agitated by the moment. The servants had made a production of bringing out the strange box with the lights on it – a “television,” Lilia called it – though it had been several millennia since she had such frequent use for such a device. “What in the name of the Mother is my grandson doing?! ” Maleficent furiously whispered to herself. She sighed at the moving picture box at first, believing his episode in the bony chains to be the result of some odd courting ritual he was allowing to take place. But it quickly grew clear that something else was afoot, especially as one of her most trusted protectors fell to the ground at impossible bends. Her tension grew throughout the match, squeezing her nails into her palm as she watched her dear grandson thrash about.

 

The match was over, and the torment had ended. Or so she thought. Shortly after, as the woman was about to order the box – television – to be disconnected again, an unexpected sight greeted her. Her sweet grandchild knelt before the second prince of the Afterglow Savannah, kissing the beastman’s dirty shoe as the standing boy jeered down. Judging whispers echoed through the room, each striking at the woman’s cool countenance.

 

“What is that boy doing?”
“I thought he was supposed to be the fourth mage in the world!”

“Never mind that, our crown prince just lost horribly to the lazy outcast prince of another nation!”

“Do you think he somehow lost his power?”

“How disgraceful to lower himself like that. Does he have no shame?”

“Hmph. Whoring himself out to a mortal like that. I know he is young yet, but he ought to know better than that by now.”

 

Seething, weak electricity began to crackle from the queen’s fingertips at the venomous words, snaking through the room until everyone was caught in its web. From there, she added power behind it, trapping every individual member as their hairs stood on end, buzzing in the veins of the high fey. “That will be enough talk from you lot,” she commanded. “The prince’s alliances are nothing for you to question. Beware that he is still at his full power, as am I, ” she emphasized. “Any further discussion of such a sort on this topic will be dealt with accordingly,” she darkly warned. “Now go, and do keep my words in mind.”

 

The court members filtered out nervously, servants bringing any electronic items out of the room with them. “Oh beastie,” she sighed worriedly, “what have you gotten yourself into?”

_______________________________________________________

 

The rest of the tournament was a clean sweep for Savanaclaw.

 

No other dorm could match the roaring power and majesty of the newly strengthened housewarden, nor could they break through the team’s impeccable formation.

 

In the end, victory was only inevitable for the lion prince and his fellow members. As they stood victorious in the center of the arena, swarms of reporters and scouts flooded the edge of the arena, eager for the chance to speak with the newly crowned victors.

 

“Leona, come on!” Ruggie eagerly urged the housewarden. “This is our moment!”

 

“Nah,” he yawned. “You go on ahead.”

 

“But –” he frowned. “But we worked so hard for this!”

 

“Yeah, we did,” he agreed. “So go on out an’ enjoy, okay? I got no use for dealin’ with scouts anyways.”

 

“But everyone’s gonna wanna talk to you!”

 

He shrugged, arching a brow while slinking towards the exit meant for only the students. “So they can talk to you instead. I need a nap before the after-party, anyways.”

 

Ruggie stopped in his tracks, realization dawning him at the elder’s gesture. “Fine, but you better not make me track you down again!” he called.

 

Stepping out into the throng of fans along with his teammates, Ruggie had never been so celebrated in his whole life.

_____________________________________________________

 

Walkly quietly out the back door, Leona awaited a different meeting. Hopefully, Aurora and those two boyfriends of hers were able to get out of the arena without too much trouble.

 

Unfortunately, it seemed as if he was about to run into a little bit of trouble of his own. More specifically, lizard trouble. Malleus waited alone at the exit, a comically large bouquet of bright orchids and roses in his hands as he slithered closer. “Kingscholar,” he greeted with an expression the lion didn’t care to read. “Your performance today… was exquisite.

 

Leona recoiled, lip turning up in a sneer. “Yeah, thought we went over that already. You know, the part where you knelt after I kicked your sorry ass?”

 

Presenting the bouquet, Malleus dipped into a bow. “Yes, I am very sorry for this arduous time we have spent apart.” Straightening back up, he looked at the lion through fluttering lashes. “I accept your advances, and I would find myself beyond delighted to resume our courtship.”

 

Leona sputtered on nothing, scrunching his nose in disgust. “The fuck are you on about, lizard?” He gagged, furious eyes piercing the fey. “Thought I made it pretty damn clear we were over. And we’re still over. Not just over – I’d rather jump in a volcano than have to deal with someone like you again.”

 

Malleus froze, discomfort freezing in his veins, vague nausea washing over him. “But – but I thought that the battle for dominance was a courting ritual of yours.”

 

The lion shot him an incredulous look. “The fuck kinda sick shit is that? I made that deal because I wanted to humiliate you on the world stage. Your rep’s really gonna take a dive after that, ya know? Plus I know how much you hate feeling gawked at by large crowds.”

 

The fey hung his head. “It was a small price to pay, if that was what you wanted –”

 

“I wouldn’t do that kinda thing to someone I loved and respected, ya know?” Leona cut him off. “You don’t do that shit to someone you’re in a relationship with – belittle them, disrespect them, and make them feel like shit. And don’t pretend you’re above that.” After all, he reasoned, Malleus had been the one to propose the bet be an official bargain – when he was certain of his own victory to boot.

 

The dragon’s heart only broke further by the second, weight pooling in his gut as his desperation grew. “No – please, I know of those dreadful rumors, but I swear on my kingdom I would never bring harm like that to you –”

 

Leona barked a sardonic laugh at his misplaced concern. “I’m not talkin’ about those dumb rumors, lizard. I know you didn’t cause those accidents.”

 

False relief ebbed the pain. “You do?”

 

“Yeah. And you know why?” The lion moved closer to whisper lowly. “Because I did.

 

That brief relief flooded away, replaced by something nastier he couldn’t recognize. “But why –”

 

“The original plan was to escalate the incidents, ending in a big crowd trampling you so you couldn’t take the field,” he admitted darkly. “But then… something happened. And I realized it’d be a lot more fun to take you down like this, at your best rather than because of a few little injuries. Really worked out pretty well for me.”

 

“You… you truly desired to hurt me,” the dragon realized far slower than he normally should have. “So much that you wanted to maim me and ruin my standing back in the Valley…”

 

Leona couldn’t disagree. “Awww, poor big lizard baby. I’m sure everything will be okay in just a few months,” he told the fey patronizingly. “Then you can go crying to your grammy about how the big, bad, scawy lion was mean ,” he cooed with a predatory smile.

 

The sky darkened as Malleus’s emotions grew clouded, fists balled up tensely. “Please, stop this –”

 

Leona shook him to his senses with gloved hands, grimacing at the smell of lizard on them. “Get a hold of yourself and go cry in a corner somewhere already. And don’t come near me again, got it?”

 

Malleus quickly teleported away to the one place on campus he might be alone.

_______________________________________________

 

Shortly after, Ace, Deuce, and Aurora were able to make their way out of the sea of people in the arena to meet up with Leona in the gardens.

 

“Congratulations!” That was the first thing she told him while pulling him into a hug. “I knew you could do it!”

 

He embraced back fondly. “Thank you, jackal. For everything.”

 

A moment passed before she stepped back. “Oh, yeah, this is Ace and Deuce,” she gestured to him.

 

“Oh yeah,” the lion recalled, “I remember seein’ you herbivores around.”

 

“Hey, we’re just glad you’re not tryin’ to beat us up this time,” Ace quipped.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think we’d stand much of a chance,” Deuce admitted. “You were really cool out there, though.”

 

“Yeah?” He sat on the ground, patting the grass beside him as he motioned for them to sit.

 

One by one, they did so, eventually launching into stories of their escapades as the conversation ran wild.

 

“ – and then he just yanked me AND the chair up there with his whip! SERIOUSLY, who the hell even lets him carry that thing?!” Ace asked.

 

“I think,” Leona laughed, “that the common thread here might be you, little meerkat.”

 

Ace paused, astonished. “Are you sayin’ outta all the animals, I’m a MEERKAT?!”

 

“You have the attitude of one,” was all he answered slyly.

 

“But they just dig tunnels!”

 

“You know the story of the meerkat who served under the King of Beasts?”

 

“...That’s not a bad comparison, I guess,” Ace gloated reluctantly. “But still!”

 

“As for you…” He looked at Deuce in serious contemplation of what his nickname should be.

 

Aurora nudged Ace, mouthing the word “pink” before the boy cheekily took his phone out and showed Leona a certain picture, causing him to stifle a laugh.

 

“I think,” Leona continued with a shit-eating grin, “that you’re a little cheetah.”

 

“Why… oh no, no!” Deuce shouted in mild embarrassment as he pieced together what happened. “Not that outfit!”

 

“They’re also the fastest predators in the world,” he reminded the boy with a smirk. “But I will be thinking of that picture whenever I call you that.”

 

“Noooo…”

 

As the early evening drew on, a soft pitter-patter of footsteps grew as a tiny red-haired figure sprinted in. “Unca! There you are! I finally found you!”

 

“Huh?! What’s a kid doin’ here?” Ace asked.

 

“Unca Leona!” The tiny boy dove straight for the beastman.

 

“Ahhhh,” Leona sighed with a lot more tolerance than he normally had. “Guess you found me.”

 

“Is that…”

 

“The little furball’s my brother’s son, Cheka. You know… my nephew.”

 

“I saw you play, Unca! You were so cool! Next time I visit, teach me how to play!”

 

“Fine, fine,” he acquiesced more energetically than he would have a few weeks prior. “Just remember we talked about how we talk this close to someone’s ears, okay? And where are all the attendants, anyways! They gotta be tearin’ their hair out lookin’ for you!”

 

“I couldn’t wait to see you, Unca, so I left them all behind!” Cheka giggled.

 

“Awwwww!” Aurora squealed. ‘He looks so much like Simba!’ “He’s adorable!” She scooted closer to the two of them.

 

“So when are you coming home to see us, Unca? Next week? And when’s the next time after that? Did you read all the letters I sent you?”

 

“Look,” Leona tried to placate, “I’ll be back for the holidays – Oof!” Cheka scrambled around, climbing Leona like a set of monkey bars.

 

“That looks like it hurts!” Deuce whispered.

 

“This is priceless!” Ace laughed.

 

“Are you all Unca Leona’s friends?” The little boy asked the three as he stood on Leona’s head now and tugged on his ears.

 

“Yeah, we sure are! We’re his besties! Ain’t that right, ‘Unca Leona?’” Ace teased.

 

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead, laugh it up,” Leona grumbled with no real malice behind his words.

 

“It’s your fault for not telling us that your nephew was so d – darn adorable,” Aurora corrected so she wouldn’t curse in front of the child as the lion sent her a pointed look. 

 

The little boy giggled as he kept climbing all around, only reluctantly following his attendants when they finally found him there.

 

“And now that it’s just us again,” Leona asked, “who’s ready to head back for a party?”

 

The four of them partied until the early hours of the morning, dancing closer and closer to each other as the night flowed on.

 

And if the four of them fell asleep in Leona’s room after being too tired to walk back… well, nobody in the dorm was bothered by it.

Notes:

Annnnnnd that's a wrap!

Okay from the little scraps canon gives us about Briar Valley, I feel like the court is very vicious and cutthroat. Also yes, Maleficent wears a mask around other people (literally and figuratively haha) because can't let anyone know that one of the Great Seven is still alive XD (well, more, but...) And uh, she's definitely worried about whatever the hell her grandson is doing here)
And... Malleus. Oh poor, dear, sweet Malleus. He's not doing so hot after that whole scene. And we all know Aurora's about to bitch him out too. (Yes, he went to Ramshackle to wait in her yard. Yes, he's gonna attempt to clear things up bc he already drove one person away, he doesn't wanna do that again. But...)
And Leona finally met the rest of the polycule! XD

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 50: Dream Messenger

Summary:

The Dream Realm gets a couple of visitors.
Two people walk away with broken hearts.

Notes:

Hi loves!

Can you believe we're at chapter 50 already?! And over 100k words too! This is the longest I've ever made it into a story, and I'm so hyped to have everyone support me as much as they have! I love y'all so much <3

And with that, I hope you enjoy this installment!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Everything looked the same. Endless forest dotted the bleary gray, their shadows creeping out with every passing step. Millenia ago bled to millenia from now, your worst nightmares mixing into the facade of tranquility, tormenting every shut-eyed wanderer unfortunate enough to find themselves there. Was it yesterday? Was it tomorrow? Ephemeral lights appeared every which way, there one moment and gone before one could reach them. Fog curled everywhere and nowhere at once, never in the same place for more than the blink of an eye. How long had he been in here? How long since he started following that violet strand, the strand that seemed it was coming to an end with no real answers?

 

Belphegor had ventured into the Realm of Dreams likely several days ago, following the thin, shaky tether through the realm that connected all dimensions – a world between worlds. “When I say ‘prized possession,’ I damn well mean it, Lucifer,” he had grumbled multiple times. “Something she wants bad enough that she’s going stir-crazy without it.” Still, the fact was that he was working with the book he had, and that was the end as he hovered over a reflective pond he knew far better than to look directly into.

 

Suddenly there was a boy.

 

Walking straight upwards, the boy curiously stopped and turned his head to look, revealing silver hair and lilac eyes. Turning his head away, the boy began to step away.

 

“Wait,” Belphegor beckoned gently.

 

He stopped again and looked back. “I’m really not supposed to speak to strangers out here, though…”

 

Belphegor laid down on nothing, hands folded under his chin. “Are we really strangers? After all, we’ve met before.”

 

“We have?” The boy squinted his eyes, wracking his brain for some hidden memory.

 

“Many times,” the demon lied smoothly. “Unfortunately, it seems that every time, your memory is taken.”

 

The boy’s lips trembled. “I can never seem to quite remember my dreams…” He sighed. “What is it we talk about?”

 

Belphegor’s powers gently caressed the boy’s mind, surface memories coming to the front. “Anything and everything,” he said. “Sometimes it’s Sebek, sometimes it’s your lord, sometimes your father, sometimes your classes… and sometimes you wonder how you came about in those woods.”

 

The boy inhaled sharply, this serving as confirmation that the strange man must be telling the truth. “And what today?”

 

He sighed for show, deciding the human seemed harmless and perhaps a bit dull. “I’m afraid I come here on a matter of urgent business today. You see, my brother’s child has disappeared across dimensions, and I’m afraid I have come no closer to finding the child with this trail.”

 

“Across dimensions, you say…” the teen paused. “I know one person who traveled across dimensions recently, though I don’t believe it was exactly a kidnapping. Still… perhaps there is someone else I know who might be able to help. Do you know anything else about them?”

 

“Only a little bit, as my brother is very private,” the demon lamented, wishing Lucifer had given more than the vaguest scraps of information about her. “She is a girl of sixteen – well, seventeen now, I suppose – and her name is Aurora.”

 

The boy paused – it was a long shot, but perhaps… “Would he – or she – happen to go by the last name Morningstar?”

 

Belphie internally gagged a little at the pretentiousness of this girl for using that moniker. “Yes,” he answered thankfully, tone not belying his true feelings. “That’s her. Do you know where I can find her?”

 

A shrug. “I don’t know how to reach her here, but I do know her physical location, if that helps.”

 

An idea formed in Belphegor’s mind as he glanced at the human. “My brother is working on a way to bring her home… but do you think could take her a message?”

 

“But if I –”

 

“I can lend you my power,” he offered. “That way you can remember what happened here for a few hours. It will be difficult, and I may not be able to return for a time, but it is the best I can do.” Truthfully, it would be an easy task and ensure that the boy’s memory of this was gone by the next time he came in there, but he didn’t have to know that. “It would let you take a message to her – just a simple one, that her mother and father are on their way to rescue her.” What he would do also had the hidden benefit of allowing him to compel his silence to anyone he might normally blab to.

 

The boy – Silver – paused. “Alright,” he agreed. “I can do that.”

 

Belphegor offered his hand, and moments later, Silver woke up in his dorm room.

_____________________________________________

 

Aurora made her way back to her dorm early the next afternoon, having slept in after a long night of partying – and staying to hang out a little bit longer.

 

Good thing Leona was still riding the previous day’s high – he’d been furious at Malleus when he heard how the dragon had approached her and might well have done something about it if he were any less calm.

 

Unfortunately for her, she didn’t have the option of avoiding him, as he was currently standing in her yard, a dazed look on his face as he stood in the rain without an umbrella. ‘No. No, fuck this, I’m gonna either ugly-cry here or rip this fucker’s eyes out. Neither is an acceptable outcome.’  

 

But moments like this were proof that fortune did not favor her sometimes, as he snapped to attention the moment she walked in. “Child of Starlight,” he called to her softly as he rushed over by her.

 

Her fist curled up, jaw clicking as she averted her eyes. “I bet you’re absolutely thrilled your had your fun in this shitshow, you deceptive fucker, ” she bit out. “Couldn’t have just talked to me like a normal fucking person.”

 

Malleus’s eyes widened at her sudden anger, reaching a hand out to her before hesitating. “I… I trust you see what I meant now, when I said not knowing my name was for your own benefit.”

 

Aurora’s eyes rolled so far back in her head that for a split second, all the boy saw was the whites. “Yeah, you’re right,” she reprimanded him. “I never would’ve gone out with you if I’d know who you truly were. But you knew, that, didn’t you?” Her lip quivered as a tremble sounded in her vocal chords.

 

Malleus looked down, tears mixing with the rain in his shame. “I… I admit that I enjoyed being around someone who didn’t know who I was, for once. Your boldness, your eagerness to be around me… that is not something I am able to experience often.”

 

‘So you just shamelessly took advantage of my ignorance?!’ “Maybe that’s because you’re a fucking bastard,” she spat weakly, cursing internally for the hiccup that impeded her insult. “You treated Leona like shit, you know. You pretended you were interested in me for a sick fucking prank! ” She pulled the bracelet out of her pocket, dropping it into his palm so she wouldn’t have to touch him. “Here,” she told him, “you can take this back now.”

 

His head snapped up at her statement, a whine tearing out of his throat as she returned the courting gift he had picked out so carefully. “Child of Starlight – Aurora ,” he pled with a crack in his voice, “I know not what prank you speak of, but please know that I have meant every word I spoke to you. I did not mean to deceive you, but rather spend time with you so that you could come to see me as more than the monster you fear.”

 

“I don’t know how much I believe you,” she admitted with a small sob, pressing her fist to her mouth to keep more of those noises from escaping. 'If I was wrong about that, then what else... no, I saw his treatment of Leona, I know he can be absolutely horrible!'

 

“The accidents,” he breathed shakily. “I know you believed me to be the cause of them, and with the circumstances, I know I cannot hope to recover my reputation, but if nothing else, I want you to know that I would not do something so horrible to the people here. I… I know who did do it, and though I have no proof of his guilt –”

 

“Leona,” she cut him off sullenly. “I know.”

 

“You already – oh,” realization dawned on him as his pale skin took on a sickly tint, mouth parted as if about to heave. “Oh! I see!” He threw his head back, an insane laugh bubbling out from his lips. “And here you are calling me the ‘deceptive fucker!’ I see how it is!” His hands trembled, lightning shooting from dark storm clouds Aurora quickly dismissed before any damage could be done. “Of course you knew! Two people I counted among my favorites, yet I am truly so easy to toss to the side like vermin!” He fisted his hands in his hair, yanking at the strands roughly as everything he did in front of her was completely done away with.

 

“Are you trying to kill everyone on this campus?” 'Did I really break him that much, or is he just showing his true colors now..' Aurora’s tears flowed, reigning in the angry fey in front of her while desperately focusing on not losing control herself. “Because you’re not doing a very good job of not being a monster.”

 

He stopped, lips pressed together as her words hit him in the gut. “You’re right,” he admitted brokenly. “I suppose that is all I shall ever be seen as.” Right afterward, he disappeared in the same green flash of lights as always.

 

As Aurora wobbled into Ramshackle, nothing – not the suspiciously ornate box on her table, nor even the adorable Grim – could bring her comfort right now.

______________________________________________________

 

Silver walked on his way to Ramshackle, going right back inside the Hall of Mirrors as a storm was brewing in the distance.

 

Wait… what was he even headed over there for?

 

Whatever it was, he reasoned, surely it could wait.

______________________________________________

 

Malleus appeared in Lilia’s chambers, bypassing the normal knock he would do, trembling from his last two terrible days.

 

“Ah, Malleus, there you – dear, what happened?” The smaller fey immediately beckoned the boy in, grabbing a towel and using fire magic to heat it before sitting him down and patting his head dry.

 

The normally composed prince had no response, wails piercing the air as he wrapped his arms about the bat. “Ever – ever –” He hyperventilated, unable to finish the word “everything” for several tries. “It hurts,” he rasped, .

 

“Oh Malleus…” Lilia locked the door with magc, holding him the entire night as thunder crashed and lighting cracked around the entire pocket dimension for the night. “I promise you, my dear boy… everything will be alright. You’ll see.”

Notes:

Annnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Yes, the Dream Realm is basically a mindfuck XD Too bad Silver walked over at the wrong time, Belphegor's plan got completely wrecked by a Mal-Mal sized storm
Speaking of the Mal-Mal sized storm, he and Aurora finally had their confrontation! ......neither of them walked away without some hurt, though...
Lilia has a LOT on his plate now :3

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 51: Portal Party

Summary:

The brothers all get caught up to speed on what they know of Aurora’s situation.

Notes:

Hi loves! This is a really short one (wow, times have changed, a few years ago I was lucky if I could even break the 1k mark for a chapter) but a really necessary one! And a couple more hints on the connections of the two worlds

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“-phie? Belphie!” Beel rushed to scoop his twin up in a hug. “I was getting really worried…”

 

“Ugh,” Belphegor groaned, body stiff as his limbs flopped about. “How long have I been out…”

 

“Two weeks,” Beel told him. “I know it couldn’t have been easy going so far in, but… I was so scared we’d have to try to pull you out ourselves.”

 

“...That sounds about right,” he grumbled.

 

Beel sat his brother up, fluffing the youngest’s pillow. “So? How did it go? Did you do what you were aiming for?”

 

Belphegor shrugged. “Get Lucifer in here and then I’ll tell you,” he asked. “I’m not explaining… whatever that was a second time.”

 

Beel picked up his phone, and the two eldest flew into the room within moments.

 

“Belphie! Yer really awake!”

 

The sleepy demon nodded. “For now, yeah. I’m going back to sleep soon, though. Trying to hop dimensions isn’t exactly the most restful thing, you know?”

 

Lucifer nodded. “Whatever it is you need.” He hesitated before asking. “Did… were you able to reach her?”

 

Belphie shook his head. “Nope. And for fuck’s sake, Lucifer, when I say a ‘prized possession,’ I mean it, okay? The connection was way too fucking weak, you’re lucky I was able to get as far as I did.”

 

The two eldest exchanged a worried look that Beel knew he would have to question Mammon about later.

 

“I was at least able to get kinda close to where she would be. Definitely the same realm, at least,” he continued. “Met some dumb kid who goes to the same school as her.”

 

“You did?” Lucifer asked, focused raptly. “Is she safe?”

 

Belphegor shrugged. “I only got a little to look at this guy’s memories, so I don’t know too much about that. He definitely knew who she was, though, and agreed to check in with her. Apparently it’s kinda well-known that she recently hopped dimensions, so… apparently she’s even less subtle than Mammon crawling around a museum after-hours.”

 

“Ey! That was uncalled for!”

 

Lucifer’s frown reappeared. “That… the deal…” he muttered. “That is a very dangerous position to be in…”

 

“Oh, and I think your kid might be masquerading as a man,” he casually mentioned.

 

“Pardon me?”

 

“Well, just in the kid’s memories,” Belphie explained, “I only saw guys at the school. Also, he assumed your kid was a guy, so… might’ve accidentally blown that one out of the water.”

 

“...You’re telling me that my seventeen-year-old daughter – who has never been properly socialized, by the way – was suddenly thrown into a hodgepodge academy full of raucous, rowdy boys and has no support system?”

 

“It’ll be fine,” Belphie shrugged. “They’re just guys.”

 

“Exactly,” Lucifer hissed. “They’re guys. And sorcerers too, the whole lot of them. A very dangerous crowd for my child.”

 

“Annnnnnnnd here we go into overprotective dad mode again,” the sloth demon drawled.

 

“Is that your admittance that I have essentially raised you six boys?”

 

“Ew, I’m not your son,” the youngest crinkled his nose as he spoke.

 

“Wait,” Beel interrupted everyone finally. “Has anyone told Levi or Asmo what’s going on?”

 

Silence reigned over the room.

____________________________

 

“This is so unfair! ” the third-born wailed. “I can’t believe you waited so long to fill us in! Like, I know I’m a gross otaku and all that, but I’m still your brother!”

 

“I’m with Levi,” Asmodeus sniffed dramatically. “I can’t believe you didn’t think to include us! We might actually be pretty helpful, you know!”

 

“We’re really sorry,” Mammon apologized. “We’ve been runnin’ around like hell chickens tryna hide this from the big guys, and… honestly, we weren’t gonna tell any of ya for as long as we could help it.”

 

“You told Satan!”

 

“Ya didn’t break down Luci’s door!” Mammon yelped.

 

“You do realize,” Asmodeus reminded, “that both myself and Levi have a lot of experience in interdimensional travel, right?”

 

“Y-yeah,” Levi appreciatively looked to his little brother. “Deep seas are connected everywhere, there’s a ton of crossover points.”

 

Lucifer looked down in shame. “…That regrettably did not occur to me.” Tired brows drew closer, his form leaning on the wall.

 

“Shit, how out of it are you, old man,” Satan murmured.

 

“Enough to let that snide comment slide — for now,” Lucifer groaned. “So, Leviathan. How do we get to this ‘Wonderland,’ then?”

 

“I-I-I don’t know! It’s not like a get a 3-D area map every time I cross over! And, and, have you seen the things dear old Father decided to throw down in the ocean lately? I am not fucking with that unless I have a pretty good idea where the right portal is!”

 

“Levi,” Mammon reminded him, “you can literally control sea creatures.”

 

“Not that many!” Levi shuddered.

 

“Leeeeeviiii~” Asmo hummed. “I think we can get to that world. Remember that lovely mer-lady with the tentacles and the little budding garden we helped her grow?”

 

The demon wrapped his arms around himself at the memory. “No, no touchy! She was way too friendly, and so were her eels!”

 

Asmo shrugged. “She did like you, though.”

 

“That doesn’t mean it was comfy!” He huffed. “Besides, her brother got so pissed off at her later and he closed the portal so it can only be opened by the royal family there.”

 

“Couldn’t you still force it open?” Satan asked.

 

“Not unless I wanna risk pissing off the gods in that world! Which, by the by, probably isn’t gonna do any favors for our niece!”

 

Lucifer sighed weakly, the hope draining from his very eyes. “And what other options do we have if that one doesn’t work?”

 

“I maaaaaaay have one idea,” Asmo added. “I’ve… been to that world maybe a few more times than I want to admit to Lucifer. But… how long are you willing to wait to cross over?”

 

“And why is there a wait?”

 

“Weeeellll,” he admitted, “it only opens up once a year. Or at least, I think it does — I haven’t been in, hm, twenty years maybe?”

 

Mammon hummed. “Let’s hear it, when and where.”

 

“How does everyone feel about attending Mardis Gras at Notre Dame this year?”

Notes:

Annnnnnnd that’s a wrap!

Yes, Lucifer saying “they’re guys” is said in a similar tone to when Hades says “he’s a GUY”

And the two final brothers are filled in finally! And of course they’re the two who actually know something about the world XD Notre Dame AND Ursula? :3

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 52: Catch to Weekend

Summary:

Leona and Malleus have vastly different weeks and now must prepare for an important weekend ahead.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you enjoy this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The week had crawled by quickly, being one of the best of Leona’s life – even waking up at an early hour most mornings to do some Magift training with his dorm before actually attending classes.

 

Still, this was absolutely ridiculous. The sun had yet to crawl past the horizon this morning, dots of starlight still littering the sky as orange bled into the canvas. Dawn had yet to fully arrive, and yet Leona’s cell phone would not stop ringing.

 

“Who the hell is callin’ at this…” he mumbled as he rolled over to chuck the device at the nearest wall for the crime of interrupting his slumber. “Wait, this is… crap,” he grunted as he quickly sat up and answered. “This the morning report?”

 

An older man’s voice parroted to him at the other end. “Yes, young man, this is your morning report ,” he answered. “Now, I’m sure you know why I’m calling. After all, this is the weekend for the Tamashina-Mina event, and you’re expected to be there.”

 

“You don’t have to remind me,” Leona sniped, “I know that.”

 

“Don’t speak back to me like that, young man,” the chamberlain reprimanded. “You were the one who completely forgot the ENTIRE EVENT last year! Not even a half-hunted attempt at an appearance like years prior! Do you remember that? Quite the mess to clean up, thanks to you.”

 

“Well, maybe I’ll have to forget about it again,” the lion laughed.

 

“Oh no, not THIS time young man,” the man squawked. “I’m coming to pick you up personally. And not just me, but all of the chamberlains together so you have no excuse to stay behind. We will march right through that mirror tomorrow, do you hear me?”

 

Leona winced, ears flattening against his head as he shrunk back. “You don’t have to be so serious,” he griped. “Yeah, alright, I get it. I’ll go back tomorrow without you showin’ all up in here.”

 

“Do you actually mean that, young man?”

 

“It’s true. Have I ever lied to you?” A grin crossed the lion’s face as he thought of all the times he had, in fact, lied to this particular chamberlain.

 

“We could start, say, with incident #483, at the hot springs where you told me that I had warthog snot smeared across my back, when I later found out you had lied to ‘ditch the dodo.’ There’s also –”

 

“I get it, I get it,” Leona cut him off. “I was just joking. However, I have one condition for going back.” Leona’s ears perked back up as a hasty plan formed in his mind. “Reserve a spot for one team in the Catch the Tail tournament bracket.”

 

A sigh sounded at the other end. “Now sire, what are you –”

 

“It doesn’t matter what the reason is,” Leona cut in. “Just do it.”

 

“As you wish, sire,” the man gave in before hanging up.

 

“Seriously,” Leona scoffed, his sleep now ruined. “How long… old men are annoyin’. Stubborn. But at least I’m gonna take care of that problem, and maybe spend it with someone I actually like.”

 

He rolled out of bed for the day, typing up a text to auto-send to his new trio of friends – perhaps soon to be more, with any luck – at a more reasonable hour before getting ready for the day.

_________________________________________________________

 

The week had crawled by slowly, being the worst week of Malleus’s life ever. Well, at least the worst week in the last few centuries.

 

Thunder and lightning had crackled through Diasomnia ever since the discovery of Aurora’s and Leona’s conspiracy to ruin him, to run about victoriously as they tore him down from the pedestal he once stood on. Snow blanketed his room every bleak morning we unfortunately awoke, many times having to be coaxed – or pulled – out by Lilia. He had cried himself to sleep every single night, nausea and anger rolling across and choking him in thick waves as he thought of what they had done to him. What had he done to Leona to deserve this? What did Aurora think had been done to the lion to deserve this? What had Malleus done to her? For an entire year, he had never understood why the lion had suddenly broken it off with him at the proposition as if it were some kind of insult. An entire year, all he had gotten were passive-aggresive jabs about his popularity and lack of understanding of human culture or empty threats to de-horn him… how stupid to think the lion wanted to take him back, when all this time his romantic interest plotted a brutal disfiguration. And the Child of Starlight… all he had wanted was the chance to be seen as something more than a monster, someone clearly powerful and had no reason to fear him… he had assumed that extended to not having a reason to harm him.

 

Clearly, he was wrong. His reputation was smeared, absolutely destroyed here in the school. He was well aware of how it looked – the moment eyes began to watch Diasomnia, all of the accidents suddenly ceased to occur. What a skillful play by those two, manufacturing that sudden Savanaclaw storm like that. His reputation in Briar Valley surely did not fare much better, having been brought to his knees throughout that entire match. How shameful, having knelt longer than required by the deal just to try to show that arrogant lion a fraction of the depths of his devotion.

 

And yet… why could he not stop thinking about them? Pining for them? Wishing that, against all odds, both Leona and Aurora would apologize to him, would explain how this was some colossal misunderstanding before sweeping him into their arms where he could feel safe for a moment?

 

What a childish hope. He knew full well that none of his family would ever get their happy endings.

 

“Malleus!” Lilia shook Malleus out of his morning reverie as the boy startled.

 

“Apologies, Lilia…”

 

“It’s alright, my dear boy.” He patted Malleus on the back gently. “As I was saying, remember that we are traveling to the Afterglow Savannah tomorrow, so you’ll want to make sure you have everything packed for the stay.”

 

Malleus sighed sadly. “Right… there.”

 

“But,” Lilia added, “before that, I was thinking that we might have time for a small trip back to the Valley for the night.”

 

Malleus winced in shame. “...Right. I suppose I will need to face my people sooner rather than later, after–”

 

“Oh no, dearie,” Lilia corrected. “Just a jaunt back to the castle, really. I thought we might stop in with your grandmother for the night.”

 

Heat flushed the boy’s face. “Is… is she angry?”

 

The elder fey shook his head. “Not with you, my prince. Never with you.”

 

“...alright,” Malleus conceded. “Let us go there tonight.”

_____________________________________________________

 

After classes, Leona met up with Ace, Deuce, and Aurora.

 

“So,” Ace asked. “What’d you wanna talk about?”

 

“I have something to tell you guys,” Leona started.

 

“Everything alright?” Deuce asked worriedly.

 

“It’s nothing bad,” the lion quickly assured with a teasing smirk. “I’m inviting you guys to my hometown.”

 

“To the Afterglow Savannah?!” Aurora asked as her voice pitched up slightly in excitement. ‘I get to see Pride Rock!’

 

“Yeah,” he answered with a little more fondness than he normally had when talking about his home. “Over the weekend, a festival called Tamashina-Mina will be held in the capital, ‘Sunrise City.’ It’s said that in a language long ago, it translates to ‘a gift from heaven.’”

 

Ace and Deuce cast a glance at Aurora at the irony of her imminent presence.

 

“In other words,” Leona continued, “it’s to pray for the rains. It’s held every year around the time of the autumn rainy season.”

 

“Haven’t prayed in a while, but this could be fun here,” Aurora mused.

 

“You used to pray? But –”

 

“It was before I knew about… everything,” Aurora explained to Deuce. “Plus, I didn’t immediately get murdered, so I’m pretty sure it doesn’t even work,” she admitted.

 

“I’m not sure if that’s better or worse,” Ace pondered.

 

“Given who’s in charge, maybe better,” she answered. “But, getting back on topic. The festival?”

 

“Yeah. Specifically, I’m inviting you for Catch the Tail.”

 

‘Sound a little bit like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.’ “Is that a type of festival game?” Aurora asked.

 

“Yeah,” Leona answered. “It’s the competition for Tamashina-Mina where you grab the jewelry beads off of each others’ heads. We use physical combat to fight; no weapons, and no magic, ” he emphasized.

 

“Ooooh, sounds fun,” Ace remarked. “So how’s it work?”

 

“The matches are played be teams of three people, and the tournament has sixteen teams. The competition’s supposed to be the highlight of the festival,” Leona explained, “and the royal family – both from the Afterflow Savannah and other countries – will be there for it.”

 

“And you want us to compete?” Deuce clarified.

 

“Yes. And at the end, the winning team can become the Sunset Warriors.”

 

“What does that mean for us?” Aurora asked.

 

“It’s a guardian team that supports the King and protects the country,” Leona clarified. “Of course, since there’s been no real war or even many threats to the throne for so long, the purpose of the job has disappeared. Now it’s nothing more than an honorable title given for the tournament.”

 

“That’s kinda nice though,” Aurora mused. “Living without the constant threat or presence of war for so long is something I wasn’t sure was actually possible before coming here.”

 

“Yeah,” the lion conceded, “I’d probably prefer this world if I were in your place, jackal. Still, even if it’s not strictly needed anymore, the job has a pretty high reputation. Strong people from all over the world travel to compete in this.”

 

“So,” Deuce asked, “how come you picked all three of us instead of being on a team yourself?”

 

“That’s because the heir to the throne historically leads the Sunset Warriors. Since I’m the second prince, I’m currently in charge of  that position.”

 

“Oh, cool!”

 

“As for why I’m askin’ you three to compete… there’s a few reasons. First off, the leader has a role called the “Guardian Class,” which is a real pain. I have to teach them about the knowledge, decency, and etiquette they need to properly serve the king.”

 

“Ew,” Ace griped. “That sounds BORING!”

 

“Yeah, it is,” Leona griped. “I… I had the big break-up last year right before, too. Skipped the damn thing and took a depression nap, and I was maybe going to pretend I forgot about the competition this year too. But this morning… I got a phone call reminder from the country idiots. If I keep avoiding it, they’re gonna show up here and make a real big ruckus. I’ve run out of ways to deceive them, unfortunately.”

 

“Wait,” Deuce asked, “so you’re asking us because you don’t wanna give the class?”

“Not to those idiots,” he grumbled. “Seriously. The meatheads who usually end up winnin’ this thing? Dumber than the rocks beneath my feet. Besides, it’s usually young-to-middle-aged adults who win this thing. The same assholes who shit-talked me when I was a fuckin’ toddler. I hate havin’ to make nice with ‘em,” he admitted.

 

“Leona…” ‘This poor guy!’ Aurora reached out to rub an ear as Ace gently brushed the tip of the lion’s twitching tail. “We’ve got this. We can win,” she asserted confidently.

 

“I know you can,” the lion agreed, “but that’s not the only reason I chose you three.”

 

“It’s not?”

 

“If I just wanted to get out of the class, there’s a lot of people at this school I could ask. But, in addition to your strength,” he admitted, “I actually like hangin’ out with you three.”

 

“Oh,” they blushed.

 

“Plus, I thought that the status might be good for you, Aurora,” he added. “Since you’re an off-worlder and you got that shit goin’ on with Lady Rosehearts, I figured this would be a layer of social protection if she – or anyone else – tried pullin’ more shit against you.”

 

“That actually is a good point,” Aurora conceded. “Just one more condition.”

 

“And that is?”

 

“Either I bring Grim, or you have to help me find a suitable babysitter for him.”

 

“...Ruggie can handle him.”

Notes:

Annnnnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Leona does NOT wanna go home but he's determined that if he must, he's gonna make the damn best of it XD

Malleus... is not having a good time. Man needs some grandma hugs :'(

And they're about to go to the Afterglow Savannah! Aurora's inner Disney nerd is having a fucking riot right now XD

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 53: Make Sorry

Summary:

Maleficent comforts Malleus and attempts to help him sort through what went wrong.
Grim gets a babysitter.
The polycule travels to the Afterglow Savannah.

Notes:

Hi loves! Have fun with this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Malleus, Lilia, and the boy’s two guards stepped through the Dark Mirror that evening, walking out to find the royal castle on the other side. Slipping through the wards designed to allow them in, Silver and Sebek broke off to their quarters while Lilia took Malleus up the spiraling staircase. The dark stone brought comfort to the prince, the hallways more silent than ever as Lilia brought him through a hidden passage. He shortly arrived at the top of the turret, making his way over to his grandmother awaiting him with open arms as she showed her true face.

 

“My poor little beastie,” she cooed as she wrapped her arms around young prince. “You’re safe here. Everything will be alright, I promise you.”

 

Lilia bowed silently, exiting the room as he let the two dragon fey be together. 

 

“Grandmother,” the prince whimpered after a long while. “Everything… everything is ruined. I am so, so sorry –”

 

“Nonsense, my baby,” she soothed. “All is not lost. Take as much time as you need to tell me everything, and I will help you all I can.”

 

Shivering, Malleus was silent for a long time, his grandmother gently reaching up under his bangs to rub the scales on his forehead. After several minutes of silence, he began to speak, telling her of the events starting from the bet all the way through the tournament and the subsequent verbal beatdowns he had received from Leona and Aurora after. “I… I don’t understand what I did to them, Grandmother. I do not understand why they hate me so,” he cried.

 

The queen’s ire at the two grew, only tempered by a vague recognition of when she remembered once saying the same words as the two of them to a very different man. “Oh sweetheart,” she mourned for him, “nothing could excuse how those two hurt you. But I think I do know what happened,” she realized.

 

“You do?”

 

“I was once a young woman myself, hard as it may be to believe,” she assured him. “To be caught in a strange new world so different from your own, alone, helpless, and to feel deceived by a romantic partner on top of all of that? I have lived that, and that is terrifying. Do you remember how we talked about honesty and communication in our relationships?”

 

Malleus nodded. “So how do I fix this?”

 

“You don’t. Not now,” she instructed. Stroking his hair at his building protests, she continued. “While some anger is perhaps justified, the rest of her actions were not. If she feels any remorse for what she has done to you, then she can apologize first.” Hopefully, she would see the error of her ways before her grandbaby’s Overblot arrived. Perhaps she would need to… persuade the girl to see reason, as it were.

 

“Oh…” he whimpered softly. “And…”

 

“And the same with that Leona too,” she confirmed. “If he felt hurt by you last year, then he should have spoken with you about it rather than dragging you through the coals at that place.”

 

“And… what if they’re not sorry?” Malleus asked in the smallest voice Maleficent had heard from him in so long.

 

She held him tightly as she promised, “then fear not, my baby, for I shall make them sorry.

________________________________________________________________

 

The next morning, Aurora dropped Grim off at Savanaclaw with two packed backs: one filled with books, grooming supplies, and other miscellaneous needs, and the other filled with snacks so he wouldn’t completely wipe the dorm out. 

 

“Now Grim,” she reminded him, “what did we say about destroying other people’s property?”

 

“Um, not to do it, dazo?”

 

“That’s right,” she confirmed, giving a few last scritches between his ear fire. “And what did we say about ‘please’ and ‘thank you’?”

 

“Say ‘please’ when askin’ for something, and ‘thank you’ when someone helps,” the cat-like creature grumbled.

 

“Wonderful. And what’s going to happen if you misbehave?”

 

“No tuna for a week…”

 

“Good boy.” She looked at Ruggie one more time. “And thank you to agreeing to this,” she addressed him.

 

“Yeah, no problem. Leona’s paying me. Plus, I already take care of him on a daily basis, this little guy’s gonna be easy!”

 

Aurora was afraid to correct him.

____________________________________________________________

 

Aurora, Ace, and Deuce all met in the Hall of Mirrors at the agreed time, Leona strolling in right on time.

 

“Hey,” he greeted as he playfully ruffled everyone’s hair. “Everyone ready to go?”

 

“Yep. Bags all packed and everythin’,” Ace told him, waggling his duffel proudly.

 

“Let’s go win this!” Deuce cheered.

 

“Good,” he laughed. “We’re leavin’ plenty early enough that we should have some time for sightseein’ before we have to practice Catch the Tail,” Leona reminded them.

 

Happily agreeing, the group stepped through the mirror, into a mostly empty city square as the sun barely crawled above the horizon. The moon still shined faintly over sparsely dotted high-rises, lush trees winding through the entire city towards a fountain depicting a baboon holding a lion cub.

 

‘It’s Rafiki and Simba!’ “Wow, it’s beautiful,” Aurora gushed.

 

Simultaneously, Leona sighed, “welcome to this filthy place.”

 

“Filthy?” The trio asked.

 

“You’re impressed?”

 

“Yeah,” Deuce balked, “just look at it!”

 

“I haven’t been anywhere so sunny in so long,” Aurora sighed. “First and only beach trip I ever took was a disaster. But this… this is much nicer than the swamp outside my window.”

 

“I still think there’s too much foliage,” Leona sighed. “It’s all thanks to the belief of ‘coexistence with nature’ above anything else. Especially since a lot of us have ancestors who were animals.”

 

“Makes sense,” Ace spoke. “I thought the magazines said there weren’t a lot of tall buildings though? At least that’s what my dad said about his graduation trip here.”

 

“That was decades ago,” the lion explained. “When my father, ” none of the group missed the snarl in Leona’s voice, “was still in good health, he started expandin’ the city.”

 

“Oh…” Aurora took his hand, recalling what the boy had said about his scar. “So, I take it we’re steering clear of that direction?”

 

He nodded. “Yeah, as much as we can. At least he’s sick in bed now, so if anyone, we’d just have to deal with my brother. I…” He paused to collect himself. “I normally hate comin’ back here. But… I think this time might not be so bad,” he admitted. “So, thank you.”

 

“Awww…”

 

The four stood around, admiring the scenery and leaning on each other before a man walked up to them.

 

“Hey, everyone, best behavior,” the lion whispered.

 

“Well hello, everyone,” the man greeted. “I am Kifaji. It is a pleasure to meet the acquaintances of our Prince Leona.”

 

‘This man gives major Zazu vibes!” Buzzing with excitement she did her best to temper down, she introduced herself with a polite handshake, only a small bounce on her legs belying her true demeanor. “Nice to meet you. I’m Aurora Morningstar.”

 

Deuce straightened out, tension in his shoulders as he tried to maintain proper etiquette. “Deuce Spade, sir!”

 

Ace’s greeting was the most casual and relaxed. “Ace Trappola, Mr. Kifaji.”

 

“Oh!” The elder man tittered happily at his prince’s choice of companions. “How polite you all are! It is nice to meet you too.” He turned his attention back to the prince. “I thought it was about your scheduled arrival time, so I came to pick you up.”

 

Leona huffed with an amused look. “I bet you’re just here to see if I’d actually returned. It seems you don’t trust me at all,” he pretended to pout.

 

Kifaji sighed, a clipboard popping up as he tapped it with a pen. “And I wonder why THAT is, sire. Moving on, are these the members of the ‘Night Raven College’ team?”

 

“Yeah, that’s right,” the prince confirmed. “Did you reserve the spot for a team in the tournament?”

 

“Yes, we have prepared it,” the birdman confirmed, “but we still have not received an official reason. Perhaps… are you thinking of shirking the ‘Guardian Class’ again?”

 

“You’re quick to catch on, as expected of you,” the lion smirked. “Would you believe me if I told you that wasn’t the only reason?”

 

Not believing him, Kifaji sighed as he launched into a lecture. “Good grief, your cunning nature is the same as ever. How disappointing. The class is your job. You should be proud of it. As a member of the royal family, I must insist you have a more appropriate attitude. For starters, you always –”

 

“Ugh, I forgot how annoyin’ you are,” Leona griped in the middle of the attempted lecture. “No one in this country really cares if I’m aware of my position in the royal family, anyways.”

 

“My prince,” Kifaji sighed weakly. “You shouldn’t say something like that,” he weakly admonished before flipping through his clipboard.

 

Aurora squeezed the boy’s hand, keenly aware of how the attendant didn’t correct Leona’s assertion.

 

“Besides, sire,” the bird continued, “many subjects are quite eager to get a glimpse of you after your brilliant performance during that tournament last weekend. Several signs were made in your honor, in fact. A few are even still displayed in various locations.”

 

“Heh… yeah, right.” Despite Leona’s reticence, his ears still perked up in obvious curiosity.

 

“Kifaji, sir,” she addressed politely, “do you think you could tell us where some of those are?” ‘It’s not enough to make up for all those years of torment he went through, but maybe seeing some of those could be an ego boost. Patch up his pride a little bit.’

 

“Why yes,” the man preened at finally being acknowledged for his usefulness, “I would be delighted to show you.” He snapped his fingers, more attendants suddenly appearing to cart their bags over to the hotel. Once they had gone, he addressed the two tallest again. “Ah, right. Prince Leona, and Aurora Morningstar.”

 

“Yeah?” Leona squinted.

 

“After your team has finished their training for the evening, your brother would like to speak specifically to the two of you before you head back to the Sunset Villa hotel.”

 

The prince’s eyes immediately narrowed. “Yeah, no. Anything he wants to talk about, well, that’s what a phone is for.”

 

“I do not know what the purpose of the conversation is,” Kifaji iterated, “but he made it quite clear that the issue is non-negotiable. Do you understand?”

 

‘Fuck! Tournament bullshit? No, because I wouldn’t be called. Same deal if it’s about Malleus. But… oh no. I bet it’s like when Crowley contacted Lady Rosehearts. Hopefully he’s less of a bastard.’ Aurora carefully nodded her assent.

 

“...Yeah,” Leona grunted. “I understand.”

 

“Excellent, sire,” the man breathed a sigh of relief. “Now, let us get started on our tour for today.”

Notes:

Annnnnnnnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Maleficent can see where certain things went wrong, but she's also unhappy with the idiots that hurt her baby. Also... any new theories as to what her history is?

Oh Grim... surely you'll behave, right? Right? (Not right.)

And they're finally in Lion King coun- I mean, the Afterglow Savannah! Got to meet Kifaji and they're going off to see the sights. Hopefully the upcoming conversation isn't too rough!

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 54: Not a Calm Surrender

Summary:

In which both Ruggie and Kifaji need raises.

Notes:

Hi loves!
Depression his been kinda kicking my ass lately, but I wanted to at least post a little something!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Kifaji led the four around Sunrise City, taking them to Leona’s favorite food stalls to try different meats, fruits, and tasty treats of all types. The poor dodo beastman busied himself with procuring items for the four lovebirds, keeping an eye out for their surroundings as they brushed up against each other affectionately without seeming to have a care in the world.

 

“I’m getting far too old for dealing with this,” the man muttered to himself more than once. Still, he couldn’t deny that the boy seemed much happier than when he’d previously left for school the month before.

 

Just what exactly was in that Sage Island water, anyways?

 

At least these schoolmates were kind, if not a little rowdy. A vast improvement to the entourage he would be expected to greet this afternoon.

 

Wait — were those four kids buying matching glass bracelets?

 

Well, he supposed, even with the fifth-wheeling, it was worth it to demonstrate the proud banners hanging through the streets, showcasing Prince Leona’s victory picture as he held up a Magift disc with his now-famous teammates for the world to see.

 

…Perhaps a small change of plans was in order for the day. Car rides were still considered romantic, right?

_______________________________

 

Ruggie Bucchi was not, in fact, having an easy time.

 

“You’ll never catch THE Great Grim!” The cat hollered victoriously, pudgy body wagging back and forth as he darted endlessly around the room. “And that means no telling me to ‘sit’ or ‘stay’ either, loser!”

 

The poor hyena scrambled around, trying to force Grim to mimic his movements but not getting in close enough range for long enough to seize control. “Get back here, and stop eating everyone’s food!” He huffed while chasing the weasel around. “Sheesh, they warned me you had a big appetite, but nobody told me you were such a damn BRAT.”

 

Grim cackled as if Ruggie had just told the funniest joke in the world. “And THIS brat is doin’ what he wants all weekend! No readin’, no studyin’, and NO going over boring old “practical” spells! I’m gonna use REAL magic, like boom bang!”

 

“Leona’s gonna KILL me if you make a mess around here!” Ruggie screeched. “And Aurora’s gonna kill me if you don’t take your bath and do your homework!”

 

“Well, Aurora and Leona aren’t here, are they?” Grim laughed as he jumped in a vent. “And, I’d say that’s what sounds like a ‘you problem!’ Nya heh!”

 

“Ugh!” Ruggie finally managed to grab hold of Grim’s forked tail as he tried to slide down the vent. “Get back — NO!”

 

The hyena’s protests were too late, and Grim started spewing blue fire across the room.

__________________________________________

 

Kifaji led the group over towards the royal palace, up the white stone pathway to the place overlooking much of the savannah.

 

“Damn, that’s a nice place,” Ace whispered over to the prince.

 

Leona laughed dryly at the sentiment. “Yeah, maybe. A little much for one family, though, ya know? You don’t wanna know how much of that doesn’t even get used regularly. Was pretty useful as a fortress during the Ungreat War though.”

 

Aurora was enraptured with the scenery… and maybe hoping to get a peek of Pride Rock if they went just a little further.

 

As Kifaji rounded the bend to bring them over to the cars, a tiny ball of interruption came hurtling towards the second prince.

 

“UNCA LEONA!” The little prince immediately began climbing the taller lion’s legs up towards his mane.

 

“Hi Cheka!” The three greeted Leona’s little nephew, cooing at how adorable he was.

 

Immediately the child lit up in delight as he grabbed his uncle’s ears. “Unca Leona’s friends remember me!”

 

‘This kid is too precious!’ “Good to see you again!” Aurora playfully greeted.

 

“I was so so SO excited to hear Unca’s coming back home! Come on, come on, let’s play together!”

 

“I don’t have time to play with you right now –” Leona tried to explain.

 

“Ooooh, hide and seek? Or maybe tag? Maybe not hide and seek, ‘cuz you smell funny like you’re wearing a lot of perfume –” Leona immediately cleared his throat at that, cheeks a little warmer than usual.

 

“Now now, Prince Cheka,” Kifaji admonished as three guards showed up to collect the small prince, “as the heir to the throne, you must not visit tourist locations so casually, alright?”

 

“But –”

 

“Remember that naughty kids have to sing for hours!”

 

“NO!” Cheka protested, immediately scrambling down to the ground, dejected as he went back to his guards – all women, Aurora couldn’t help but notice.

 

“Um,” Deuce asked softly, “why exactly is singing a punishment?”

 

Leona groaned. “Because they’ll be forced to sing a really damn boring and serious song Kifaji picked over and over again. It’s blander than that ‘unflavored toast’ that’s so popular from Aurora’s world.” She promptly made a face at that. “Me personally, I like music to have a little bounce in it.”

 

Kifaji paid their conversation little attention, sighing at the guards’ failure to keep track of Cheka.

 

Leona curiously asked the man, “where is the trio that normally guards him, anyways?” As the old man gave nothing but a wry smile, realization dawned on the prince. “...Don’t tell me.”

 

“All I can say is to be prepared, sire.” Finally leading them around to a garage camouflaged well by surrounding rock, he showed the four of them to a car reminiscent of a Jeep that would be able to transport them to their next destination.

 

“Wait, Leona, you can drive?!” Somehow, to Ace, this was the most shocking thing he had seen all day.

 

“Yeah?” Leona shrugged casually. “It’s not that hard, you know.” As his companions paused, he realized that they did, indeed, find it that hard. “Okay, we’re having a driving lesson at some point, if not today. How do you not know how to drive?!”

 

“I can operate a blastcycle,” Deuce defended himself, “but everything’s pretty walkable in the kingdom. And if it isn’t walkable, public transportation gets you anywhere.”

 

“Yeah,” Ace added, “our trains and buses are really good.”

 

“I just never went anywhere,” Aurora answered Leona.

 

He facepalmed as they all clambered in.

 

“A moment, sire,” Kifaji pulled the lion away as everyone busied themselves with chatter. “I can see what’s happening.”

 

“Yeah? So?”

 

“You don’t have a clue,” he sighed as he gave the prince a small box, humming a little bit. “Here’s the bottom line: be safe, and for heaven’s sakes, please don’t do anything that I will have the misfortune of finding out about.”

 

Leona peeked inside the box before slamming it shut. “ Not gonna be necessary,” he growled embarrassedly.

 

“I know courting when I see it,” Kifaji prattled on. “This is the magical music box said to have been present when the King of Beasts’s nephew courted his mate. Truly sets a romantic atmosphere, wouldn’t you say?”

 

Leona hesitated before accepting it. “ No promises I’m usin’ it, got it?”

 

“Wonderful, sire,” the dodo celebrated. “Please, do have an excellent rest of your day. And be sure to come back here after your training!”

 

Leona couldn’t get away from the palace fast enough.

Notes:

Annnnnnd that’s a wrap!

Poor Ruggie XD

And Kifaji is just a troll :3

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 55: Being Prepared

Summary:

Leona and the polycule visit the Elephant Legacy - or Elephant Graveyard, in Aurora's mind.
Kifaji suffers greeting his less-friendly guests.
The group practices Catch the Tail.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you like this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Leona drove swiftly over the dirt roads of the savannah, gliding impossibly smoothly over ruts and dips forged by weather, hooves, and time. The late morning sun shined down on them in the open-roofed car, warming their skin. Streams glistened in the daylight, their flow unheard over the rush of the engine.

 

Aurora was enamored with it all, from the small beetles to the rushing antelope. But most importantly, she was enamored with Pride Rock, admiring it from an ever-shrinking distance for several minutes before the vehicle turned right, away from it. Her mild disappointment didn’t last for long, though, as they arrived at something spectacular, a place full of large skeletons and a green mist that seemed to glow. ‘The Elephant Graveyard!’

 

“Welcome to the Elephant Legacy,” Leona told them as they all got out. “Top tourist attraction, and the best hot springs in the world. And, if you believe the legends, where the King of Beasts sang his legendary song.”

 

‘“Be Prepared!” I love that song, even if it is about plotting a murder. Actually, especially because of that, villains’ songs are just so good.’ “Do you know it?” Aurora asked.

 

“‘Course I do,” he answered. “It’s one of the few songs I really love. I really hated the preachy lullabies ‘bout the world bein’ a small place, so I’d always ask them to sing this one to me. Do you wanna hear it?”

 

“Yes yes yes!” She clapped her hands together with a bounce, brimming with excitement. “I’ve heard it, but I haven’t heard you sing it.”

 

“Alright, jackal,” he agreed as his tail curled over her shoulders. “ Be Prepared. ” His voice dipped into a low hum, singing out familiar lyrics as all three watched raptly. “Join me,” he whispered in a pause, “if you think you can keep up.”

 

Of course, Aurora had to join in eagerly, Ace and Deuce doing their best to keep up – and maybe being a little off-key. Still, nobody really cared, having far too much fun to nitpick the details, laughing like a pack of hyenas at the end.

 

Moving on after gathering themselves, the group went to the restricted section for royalty, the guards only allowing them in due to the prince’s presence. After changing into swimsuits, the four slid into the largest spring, the hot water and steam washing over them.

 

The water glowed the color of summer grass around each of them, different lights dancing across as they settled in.

 

“Well,” Leona paused, cat eyes darting around as if ready to pounce on the illusions, “that’s never happened before.” His tail flicked about, gently brushing up against his companions.

 

Ace was the first to break into laughter, Aurora and Deuce following suit soon at the ridiculousness of it all. He playfully tapped Leona on the nose, teasing him about his cat-like instincts, which quickly resulted in a splashing war.

 

Everyone got drenched head to toe, naturally, and everyone had blushed at some point when brushing up a little closer than anticipated to their partners.

 

“Best bath ever,” Aurora gushed at the end of it all. “These springs are amazing.

 

“I do have to say it’s one of the better places here,” Leona laughed. “Here, and Pride Rock, which you seem pretty excited for.”

 

“…Was I that obvious?”

 

He grinned, running a finger gently down her spine just to watch her pleased shudder. “You barely took your eyes off it on our way over.”

 

She blushed a bit. “…okay, I might be a bit excited. But this is just so cool!” She hesitated slightly before deciding to share the next bit of information. “We… have our own tales back home about the Great Seven, and while the details of our knowledge are different, whoever animated the stories got a lot of details right. Especially the land, they depicted it perfectly.”

 

The boys' eyebrows shot up before Ace spoke. “Makes sense, if interdimensional travel used to be more common. Damn, though, is that why you look ready to jump in every time Professor Trein talks about the Fairest Queen?”

 

The girl gestured wildly at his question. “Okay, yes, but our versions of the stories show them being way nastier! Our version shows that lady trying to murder her stepdaughter — who was probably fourteen, by the way — because a magic mirror said the girl was prettier!”

 

Huh?!” All three of them were shocked.

 

“…does that include the King of Beasts?” Leona hesitantly asked.

 

“…you don’t wanna know,” Aurora decided. “Still… even assuming our versions are correct — which I suspect they might be thanks to the mirror visions — they at least missed some very important details.

 

“Mirror visions?”

 

“Right,” Aurora remembered that only Ace and Deuce knew. “So…” She went on to explain the mirror visions she had prior to both Riddle’s and Leona’s incidents, showing her knowledge from her world and how it mirrored what had been happening.

 

“So that’s how you knew what I was up to,” the lion mused. “I gotta hand it to ya, jackal, you handled it pretty damn well,” he praised. “Especially since you had no proof.”

 

“I wasn’t trying to get any!”

_____________________________________________

 

Kifaji awaited in the afternoon once more in Sunrise City’s central square, waiting to escort another set of guests – one he was much less fond of, if he was being completely honest.

 

The two might have kept their courtship a secret from the world, but his old eyes were far sharper than the younglings gave him credit for – and whatever had happened between them, it had very clearly hurt the lion prince.

 

Prince Draconia ought to have just stayed up in that terrifying Briar Valley where he belonged.

 

And yet, duty still called. 

 

A flash of green light, and said prince had arrived, along with that Lilia Vanrouge, and two personal guards.

 

And, apparently, the Queen of Briar Valley had decided to accept the invitation to the festival as well.

 

Brilliant.

 

“Welcome, Your Excellency and Your Highness,” he bowed to the Queen and the prince respectively, “to the capital city of the Afterglow Savannah. We are beyond pleased to be graced with your royal presence.” The man’s batch of feathers at the back of his head twitched, dread seeping through his old bones as he took in their uncanny, heavily robed appearances.

 

“The pleasure is ours,” the prince greeted back, appearing unbothered by the stark contrast between him and his surroundings.

 

The four taller figures were completely silent, only Vanrouge appearing dynamic and interested in his surroundings. “Oh, it’s been a long time since I traveled to the Afterglow Savannah! These buildings hadn’t been constructed as of the last time I was here.”

 

Glad for the foothold to an actual conversation, Kifaji launched into the history of the city’s development, taking them on his second tour of the day as he led them through the market. That Vanrouge actually seemed relatively friendly despite his companions and the silver-haired guard was mild-mannered. The green-haired boy, though, was downright insulting, having to be reigned in several times by his elders for shouting about the “mangy beasts” that looked at their group with fear and disdain.

 

What an awful lot.

 

Of course, while he took great care not to point any of the signs out specifically as he led them to the Sunset Villa hotel, it was still inevitable that they would run into one or two that broadly depicted Prince Leona’s abundant victory in the tournament, the same event at which the draconic prince had knelt for some indecipherable reason.

 

The mixed look of nausea, pining, and admiration all woven into the prince’s face was almost amusing to witness. If only Queen Draconia weren’t so terrifying.

 

Hopefully they weren’t angry that the local royal – and his guests – had the better view.

___________________________________________________

 

Leona observed his companions as they practiced around the arena in their new outfits, colorful mantles shedded to reveal bright woven patterns underneath, skin gleaming in the shining sun. And if he was – maybe – checking them out a bit? Well, there was nothing wrong with that.

 

“All of you, listen up,” he commanded with a smirk. “You’ve got a good start to this thing. Now we just have ta work on strategy. Aurora,” he addressed her, “you’ve got some height on ya, makin’ it harder for your opponent to grab your beads. You should take a more aggressive approach against most opponents after you size ‘em up, cuz most of ‘em probably aren’t even gonna be able to process the speed you can move until it’s way too late. The only one you need to worry about would be Captain Nyani, but without her staff you should still be able to beat her pretty fast. As long as you don’t get too cocky, you’ll be fine. Ace, you’ve got a good speed too, and you’re good with footwork and with your hands. You should take a more underhanded approach, playin’ keepaway until they leave themselves wide open, at which point you can slip in and take their beads. Deuce, you’re not as fast as those two, but you still move pretty well, and you do have a lot of strength. Try to fake out where you’re gonna rush them from before slippin’ behind and reachin’ front to pull their beads off. Got that?”

 

“Got it!”

 

“Good.” He slid off his own mantle, giving the three a chance to admire him as the day drew on. “Now let’s see how you go up against me, hm?”

Notes:

Annnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Okay, look, you can't have a scene at the Elephant Graveyard and NOT have some reference to Be Prepared, okay?!

Poor Kifaji though. Masked Maleficent is fucking scary, and Sebek is pissed to be at an event to someone who disrespected his Waka-sama; I mean, Lord Malleus. Lilia is the most normal person here, and that is scary.

Annnnnnd it's catch the tail time! Who is this captain Nyani anyways? ;) They'll probably be fine, though :3

Next up: the polycule and Leona gets to enjoy Sunset at Pride Rock! And more shenanigans, of course. :D

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 56: Circle of Love

Summary:

Leona joins the polycule.
He and Aurora then go on to have a conversation with Falena.

Notes:

Hi loves! Hope you have fun with this one!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The savannah was lit with flaming jeweled tones, the sun beginning to dip back to the horizon once more. The four Night Raven College students ascended Pride Rock and walked the slanted surface, seating themselves right at the ledge to look out at the ground below

 

Aurora’s glee was unbounded at the chance to stand right at the historic spot where so many key events of the movie had happened, but any thoughts of Disney soon flew out of her head, replaced by a different kind of joy – the closeness she shared with the others as they gazed together at the sunset washing over her in waves of delight, chatting lightly and slowly.

 

And maybe, just maybe, the music box was also helping to set the mood. Not that the prince would ever let Kifaji hear of it.

 

As the sun drew lower to dip beneath the horizon, Leona cleared his throat, cheeks tinted by either the sun or his blush. “There’s somethin’ I’d like to ask ya,” he admitted, tail wound up like his nerves.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I… may have had a reason to invite you out here besides the competition. The deal is, I like you three. Really like you.” He took a deep breath for what came next, hoping dearly he hadn’t misread their affections. “I… know the three of you are seein’ each other already. But I was hopin’ that maybe you had room in your hearts for me, too.”

 

The sun caught in fluttering lashes, a hand moving closer to grasp his. “Yes,” Aurora was the first to answer him, “there is.”

 

Ace was the next to answer, scooting a bit closer to run his hands through the lion’s hair. “It’s really nice bein’ with you, ya know?”

Deuce was the last to answer, laying his cheek on Leona’s stomach. “Yes. Our answer is yes. We… we’d like to date you too,” he agreed shyly.

 

The sun may have been setting, but this was the dawn of something beautiful.

_______________________________________________

 

The sun had sunk fully beneath the horizon, amber tones lingering in the sky as the stars began to twinkle and rise. The newly-adjusted polycule had relaxed in a blissful tangle of limbs for several minutes til the approaching dusk beckoned. The soft light barely kept the roads visible on their way back to the palace as Leona drove, uneager to deal with his family after the pleasant day he’d been having.

 

But an order from his brother was still an order from the king, and much as he might normally be willing to defy that… he couldn’t put everyone else in that position. Eventually, he and Aurora exited the car as Kifaji showed up, promising Ace and Deuce that they would be back soon. Leona took her hand, leading her down the hallway to the throne room, where Falena would inevitably be waiting.

 

“Leona,” a deep voice boomed in a white stone room lit only by the stars. “You’re finally here.” Looking up, Aurora saw a man in a throne, approximately her height with wild crimson hair, and complete with huge muscles.

 

“Yeah,” the second prince huffed, one hand crossed over his chest while the other squeezed his lover’s hand tightly. “Really didn’t wanna be, but I’d take this over ya bargin’ in at midnight.”

 

“Leona, please,” the man’s voice wavered as he looked out. “I am worried about you. Your behavior’s been getting so much worse these last few years,” he pointed out. “I truly thought you were turning things around last summer, but then you completely took a dive for the worse. I just wish you would talk about what’s going on,” he pled.

 

The younger prince rolled his eyes and snorted. “What, are you my therapist now? Didn’t realize you got your practitioner’s license while I was at school.”

 

“I’m not trying to be your therapist,” the acting king sighed, exasperated. “I’m trying to look out for my little brother who went and Overblotted!

 

Leona’s ears flattened as his nose twitched. “...So the damn crow did tell ya, then.” His tail thrashed about roughly.

 

“That ‘damn crow’ is the only reason I even know that you almost died!

 

“Bet you wish it weren’t ‘almost,’” Leona muttered darkly. “An’ I bet you half the damn country would’ve celebrated.”

 

“Leona, don’t say such a horrible thing! You know that’s not true!” The man’s voice cracked as his control of the situation slipped. “I just want to know what happened. Please, little brother, I just want to know what I can do to help.”

 

“There’s nothin’ you can do,” Leona responded, exasperated. “‘Sides, I’ve undergone treatment for it. I’m all better now.”

 

“That’s not something you get all better from! You of all people should know this!”

 

The prince’s ears flattened, though Aurora was unfamiliar with the distant look in his eye. “Yeah… sure. Can we go now?”

 

No! I get a letter from your headmaster informing me that you have Overblotted with some student present whom I’ve never even heard of before, and you just want to walk out?!” He flexed his hands back on forth, claws screeching against the ivory throne. “I won’t lose you, too!”

 

‘Too?! Did – oh. Oh no.’ Putting together the pieces of what might have happened, Aurora placed a second hand on Leona’s in what she desperately hoped was a gesture of comfort.

 

“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he mumbled. “I’ve been given a clean bill of health and seen fit to attend classes.”

 

“This is going nowhere,” Falena muttered. “You.” He pointed at Aurora, checking a paper, tilting it just far enough she was able to catch it in her supernatural line of sight before he put it away, glancing back up. “Aurora Morningstar. What was your role in all of this?”

 

“Now wait–” Leona tried to stand up for her.

 

“I’m not asking you, Leona,” Falena cut him off. “You’ve had your chance to explain, so now I turn to this boy.”

 

‘No wonder he doesn’t like coming home…’ “Your Majesty,” she addressed him with a bow, still refusing to let Leona go, “I was present at the moment he Overblotted. I will admit… I do not really understand how it works or what triggered it, but I was able to knock him out of it.” ‘Not a total lie. Overblot is often brought on by an excess of magic and negative energy, but… there’s definitely still some other factor at play here that I’m missing. Riddle’s makes perfect sense, but Leona has a lot more self-control with his signature spell.’

 

“And what exactly,” he asked, “was happening to cause him to Overblot?”

 

“We were practicing for the Magift tournament,” she lied. ‘I mean, it was all related to the Magift tournament, so… technically not a lie?’ “I’m… still not completely sure what set it off, though. One moment he was fine, and the next he had Overblotted.”

 

“And there’s nothing else you’re able to tell me?”

 

She shook her head. ‘I’m highly doubting Leona wants to talk about the curse and everything involved with that. So… yeah, that’s all I can say without spilling that or his role in the accidents, which would probably get him yelled at more.’ “I apologize, Your Majesty, but yes, that is the extent of my knowledge of the situation.”

 

His cat-like eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her before he gave up and turned back to his brother. “Please, Leona, if there’s something you want to say alone, or if you’re just afraid to tell me –”

 

“There’s not, ” he growled, tail thrashing to the side before involuntarily curling around the girl’s leg. “So if you’re done bein’ up in my business, we’ll be goin’ now.” Without waiting for a response, his hand slipped free of his girlfriend’s to hoist her over his shoulder, tail still curled without his realization. He quickly turned around, bailing out of the throne room and ignoring his brother’s cries.

 

“Leona… Leona, WAIT! Don’t just turn your back on me like –”

 

His pleas fell on deaf ears, and the two were soon out of the palace.

 

Outside, he set Aurora down gently, leaning his forehead against her cheek. She wrapped him in an embrace, letting him find solace in her until he could speak. “...I’m sorry you had to see that,” he apologized in a small voice. “I didn’t wanna drag ya into…”

 

“It’s alright,” she soothed him. “I think he means well, but… I think I get why you don’t like coming back.”

 

He sighed, more than a little relieved at her understanding. “...Thank you.” He slipped an arm around her waist, a sly grin melting off the previous frown. “Enough of this shit. Right now, I just wanna go back to the room and spend some time with my lovers.” He ran his thumb over her lips to emphasize his point.

 

Leaning forward, she pressed a feather-light kiss to him before pulling back with what she hoped was an alluring expression. “Yeah,” she agreed cheekily. “Let’s go.”

 

So everyone made their way back, putting the past behind them for now.

Notes:

Annnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Leona has finally joined the polycule!!! (I guess this means they're his "pride" now?)

And... Leona might be doing better mentally, but 20 years of a strained relationship don't go away overnight. It... might get better. Maybe. (The sad thing is, in canon I think a lot of the citizens WOULD celebrate if Leona died. I might be wrong, though. I hope I am.)

But more importantly, the polycule gets to be cute from here on out! ...And maybe they get to run into a certain jealous dragon soon. ;)

As always, your comments give me life!

Chapter 57: Important Matters

Summary:

The polycule has ann uncomfortable run-in at the hotel lobby.
Helene takes matters into her own hands.

Notes:

Hi guys! This one’s def a shortie but I’m having a tough time with writing, see end notes for more

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Everyone awoke refreshed and well-rested the next morning, having slept together in a comfortable cuddle pile on a large, soft bed. Twittering chirps pinged across the dawning land, a few going so far as to fly in through the balcony and land on the polycule.

Eventually, they made their way downstairs to the hotel lobby to wait for Kifaji, where the chamberlain had not quite yet arrived. Unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones waiting in the lobby.

Sitting awkwardly in the plush, vibrant lounge seats were the Diasomnia crew, accompanied by some other tall, horned figure whose back was facing them.

Silver and Sebek immediately flanked Malleus’s sides, one significantly more composed than the other as the dragon swallowed thickly.

Lilia showed no qualms, however, about teleporting right in front of them and hanging upside down, as the bat was often prone to do.

“AHHHHHHH!”

Lilia giggled as Ace and Deuce screeched, the taller teens narrowing their eyes at him.

“What-“

“Heh. I didn’t mean to frighten you, I was merely hanging out,” the bat fey laughed.

“It’s not funny, old man,” Leona grumbled under his breath.

“Woe is me,” Lilia sighed. “Although I suppose you two wouldn’t want to hang out with someone you oh so clearly believed to be guilty of sabotaging you.” He fixed them with a pointed look.

Aurora cringed a little bit. “…I’m sorry you got dragged into everything,” she apologized quietly. “At least that you and Silver did. Well,” she considered a moment, “a few others too. But out of you four, I’m specifically sorry about dragging the two of you into the… speculation.”

He rotated a partial circle, head tilted at an inhuman degree. “My, my,” he giggled. “I must say that I do appreciate the apology towards myself and my son. Although perhaps in the future, you would be so thoughtful as bring any concerns regarding my dorm directly to me?” He hummed. “Or our gracious dorm leader, although considering the current tension between the two of you little ex-love doves… perhaps it is best you stick to me instead.”

‘So he knows we went out. Bet he doesn’t know how Malleus acts with his partners.’

Leona, fed up with this discussion, mercifully cut in. “Enough. You leave us alone, we’ll leave you alone. Got it?”

As he half-heartedly affirmed his agreement, Aurora’s gaze crept over towards the forlorn dragon, something gnawing in her chest that she didn’t want to consider. For better or for worse, she didn’t have to, as her sight soon jumped to a partial view of the queen’s face. She might have been in a mask with a powerful illusion enchantment… but the illusion wasn’t strong enough to fool her supernatural senses. Aurora’s stomach filled with lead, heart pounding in her throat at the recognition. Immediately, she grabbed everyone and ushered them outside, letting Ace and Deuce to the ground after having hoisted them up.

“Wanna tell us what that was about, jackal?” Leona stroked his fingers down her arm as he realized the look of terror and mild bewilderment on her face.

‘No doubt about it, that was definitely Maleficent!’ Aurora nodded slowly, releasing the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. “…Yes. But… can it be a tonight thing? I don’t think it will be immediately relevant, and right now I’d prefer to just focus on the tournament.” ‘It’s already gonna be hard enough for me, and I’m used to feeling constant tension and anxiety! And we cannot lose this.’

“But-“ Deuce protested.

“It’s obviously botherin’ ya!” Ace commented. “Wouldn’t it be better to get it off your chest?”

“Meerkat’s right,” Leona agreed. “Whatever you saw was clearly enough to rattle you. Something that doesn’t exactly happen every day.”

“…I appreciate the concern,” Aurora started. “But really, it’s fine. It’s just… one of those things where I know too much sometimes. But seriously, it’s better to wait until later, or I guarantee there’s no chance any of us will remain focused. Besides,” she fibbed a little, “it’s not… necessarily bad? Just not something I was expecting to see.”

Leona’s eyes narrowed a bit, but slowly the acquiesced and agreed to hear it later.

______________________________


It was high time Helene took matters into her own hands. Victoria might be her trusted friend that she owed a life debt to, but that didn’t mean the younger woman wasn’t an absolute dumbass sometimes. And after finally wrenching an explanation out of her and Solomon as to what happened with Aurora… Helene was more than a little exhausted.

Moving under the cover of night through the formation of this strange “Disney World” Victoria and Solomon had explained to her, she was able to find the sword statue and maneuver it, leading to the underground tunnel. Making her way down, she found the massive door and opened it the way they had told her. In the center of the chamber was the floating mirror they had described, completely dark as she grappled with the eerie feeling of being watched.

“Dire Crowley,” she spoke out as firmly as she could. “I know you can hear what happens here. Or at least… I certainly believe you can. Please… let me through. I promise I come bearing no trick, only a sincere desire to speak with you.” She swallowed thickly, wondering if the man would even remember after 3000 and more years.

A moment passed before a click sounded, preceding a steady roar of green flames coming to life. The flames parted to ashy smoke before revealing a hand tipped in gold.

Helene stepped up the fountain before taking the hand and disappearing through the mirror.

Notes:

Annnnnd that’s a wrap!

Okay so. Updates are probably gonna be slower for a while. It’s not on hiatus, but it’s def not gonna be daily updates either. Basically with different time constraints and such it’s already hard enough to write sometimes, and combine that with the fact that I deal with depression/PTSD. I’m coping… okay, but right now taking time to deal with it is draining a lot of time out of my day and will be for a little while.

TL;DR mental health is a bitch and updates are gonna be a bit slow as a result.

Thank you to everyone for your patience, and I hope you’re still looking forward to the rest of the story. <3

Chapter 58: Afterglow Athletics

Summary:

Deuce, Ace, and Aurora compete in the Tamashina-Mina event.
Also, Helene reunites with Crowley.

Notes:

Hi! It's been, uh... *checks notes* 5 months since I last posted?
I'm still hella busy and stressed but my mental health is a lot better now, so... that's good!
Anyways, if you've stuck around, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to everyone for all of your lovely notes, they've made me so eager to get back to it <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The four students arrived at the tournament arena with minimal fuss, the morning sun cascading across the land as they hurried to their assigned areas. “You guys remember everything we went over yesterday?” Leona asked one final time.

 

“We got it,” Ace confirmed. “Now go sit and look all pretty up in that chair while we win this thing.”

 

“What,” Leona teased as he leaned forward, “do I not normally look pretty enough for ya?”

 

Deuce mumbled, “that’s a really good look on you, though. Like, even more than normal.”

 

Aurora had to agree. “I think you should wear that more often, you know.”

 

Leona grinned in response. “I think I can make something work. Now scurry on over, and I’ll go enjoy my view of you three,” he teased while running an appreciative glance at them.

____

 

Helene awoke to a dim light enveloping her as she witnessed a room nearly identical to the one she had come from. Leaning forward, she found herself wrapped in a fuzzy yellow blanket that she believed to read “Royal Pain In The Ass Academy” in blue block letters. After a few seconds, a familiar pair of yellow eyes peered down, ashen lips smiling at her. “Dire,” she breathed. “Is that really you?”

 

“The one and only,” he answered. “Although I do not blame you if you hate me for everything that has happened to you. I truly thought you had died during the war.”

 

She shook her head, never having thought to blame him for her misfortunes. “No, it has never been your fault,” she assured him. For on the darkest of days, the hope of someday reuniting with her companions had been the only shred of sanity she retained. “Truly, after three thousand years, I am just happy that you remembered me.” She shrugged off the tacky blanket, standing to embrace him properly.

 

“Helene,” the ancient crow assured her, “not once have I forgotten you over these years. None of us have,” he added. “Much has changed, yes, but never once have you been buried in our forgotten memories.”

 

“I missed you so much,” Helene admitted softly. “Even since I was freed… it’s been hard. I felt so lonely over there sometimes. I… I might be over here on a mission, but… I am incredibly glad to see you.”

 

“And I, you,” he returned in a rare display of affection. “As for the others… you’ll be able to see them as soon as tonight. Until then, let us go to my home again and catch up.”

 

And truly, how was Helene supposed to deny her old companion?

________________________

 

Deuce stood in the arena against the beastman he was battling, stuck with the misfortune of being the very first to go without having seen a match yet.

 

When the whistle flared, he ran towards his taller opponent, aiming towards the right side and making a show of leaning in with his left. The beastman dodged, swiping for Deuce’s left beads before the freshman rolled away, standing behind him and giving chase to the man. The two circled the arena four times, Deuce steadily gaining on him with each lap. On the last roundabout, Deuce had successfully chased him right up to the post, coming in under his inside arm and swiping his beads.

 

The crowd erupted in cheers at the first victory, the first of many to come for the team

 

Deuce was placed first in the lineup, with Aurora being the second. The two blew through each round with minimal hassle, minus a degenerate or two who wanted to break the rules and throttle Aurora for “dolling up” at such a competition.

 

Finally the final round arrived, with their toughest opponents yet: the three guards who typically guarded Cheka. The first one, a tall, lithe woman with golden skin and red hair, stepped up to the arena with a self-assured grin on her face. Deuce swallowed, a pit of anxiety forming at the thought of fighting a seasoned guard. Legs trembling as the whistle blew, he ran towards her, attempting to fake her out as he had done to many of his other opponents. However, she saw the maneuver coming, swiftly grabbing his beads before he could do the same to her. Loud whoops sounded from the crowd to celebrate the guard’s victory as she extended a gracious hand to Deuce.

 

‘These guys are the real deal!’ Aurora excitedly evaluated her opponent. Another tall and lithe woman, this guard had blue paint beneath her eyes and red on her nose, fluffy white hair braided back and away from her face. The woman closed her eyes, her stance in a preternatural stillness as she prepared. The whistle blew, and Aurora rushed toward her at partial speed in an attempt to end the match as soon as possible. But the woman reached forward in a snap, forcing Aurora to twist away instantly in order to avoid having her beads taken. The woman, Captain Nyani if Leona’s descriptions were correct, darted forward while reaching around Aurora’s side. The half-demoness flipped into the air, jumping backward and over the captain while attempting to swipe the beads by her head. ‘This lady’s fast enough to keep up with me! Guess I better up my game.’ Leaning on more of her preternatural speed, Aurora swiped to the side of the captain and reached for the beads, narrowly missing as the captain dipped down closer to the ground. The two made similar attempts back and forth until finally, the teen angled herself in a jump that the captain could not avoid. Slamming to the ground and rolling away, Aurora held up the beads in victory.

_____________________

 

The Diasomnia crowd watched the matches, mesmerized by the technique and prowess mortals used to combat each other. Malleus, in particular, was tragically enamored with the quick work his second ex-beloved made of every match, even defeating the Earth-Blessed chief guard. But sitting there, so close to the lion who had schemed and plotted for months to betray him, who had colluded with this girl to ruin him… it was a torture more arduous than he could ever hope to devise. He had been alone for far too long already, but he would spend the rest of his immortal existence alone if he could avoid a pain like this again.

_____________________________

 

“Jamil! Look! Our classmates are about to win!” Kalim cheered excitedly, shaking the other boy rapidly.

 

“They’re not even our classmates, Kalim,” Jamil corrected with a facepalm. “They’re not in our class, and they’re not even in our year. And we’ve only ever met them once!”

 

“Yeah, but they’re still Night Raven College students. Ooh, we should have a feast when we get back to celebrate!”

 

“Absolutely not,” Jamil balked. “What if they lose? And more importantly, you need to be focusing on studying with those midterm exams coming up so soon. There is no time for a feast right now.”

 

“Aw, but –”

“No,” Jamil scolded. “Just watch the match quietly and send a congratulatory letter or something later.”

 

Jamil added “quietly” against all odds in the hope that he might be able to enjoy the tournament in peace. Of course, he told himself, he was absolutely only interested in the variety of athletic techniques that were being used. Definitely not at all in the strangely attractive Housewarden.

________________________

 

Ace’s palms were sweaty by the time his match was beginning, both from the heat and from the intense anticipation of this. His veins sang with adrenaline coursing due to his inaction, even if it was the best-case scenario Leona had presented when coming up with this order. His opponent, while the most physically intimidating with her large muscles, was the slowest of the three if Leona’s information was up-to-date.

 

The whistle blew, and Ace watched the hourglass trickle down to symbolize the five minutes of the match. Immediately he darted away from the woman, weaving through the ring as he waited for her to slip up. “Aren’t ya supposed to be the top dog around here?” Ace taunted as the dance went on. “Should a teenager really be givin’ ya this much trouble?” His words seemed to hit their mark, as she began to move faster after him while failing to guard her side as well. Just a little more digging… “Ya know, you can always go back to school if the whole guard thing is just something you’re not good at.” The woman’s eyes flashed with anger, and she charged toward him, intent on making him pay for those words.

 

Exactly as he hoped. Jumping up to her as if her headband were a basketball hoop, Ace narrowly managed to grab her beads, thudding on the ground as he clutched the spoils of victory.

 

“AND THE WINNER IS… THE NIGHT RAVEN COLLEGE TEAM!”

 

A swarm of attendants rushed in to decorate the victors in flowers as they hurried to bring the trio over for the parade where the second prince of the Afterglow Savannah awaited them.

Notes:

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

I mean, was it really a surprise these guys would win the tournament?
And poor Malleus really just is not getting a break here, whoops. Neither is Jamil, but for different reasons.
And Helene's finally reunited with Crowley! Wonder if they can maybe figure out eventually what made her such a "liability" that she had to be locked up. :)

As always, your comments give me life! <3

Chapter 59: Question...?

Summary:

Aurora lets the rest of the polycule know what freaked her out earlier.

Helene finally gets to talk to Crowley in proper.

Notes:

Hi guys! I know this one is more talking than action but I hope you like it!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The four students zoomed off in Leona’s car after their celebratory parade, adorned in flower petals and confetti. The sun crept towards the ground, as a gentle rain poured, signaling that they only had a few precious hours left in this land before their return to Night Raven College.

 

“I still can’t believe we won,” Deuce admitted as the adrenaline began to wear off, joy still etched on his face.

 

“I can,” Ace bragged with a lazy grin as he interlocked fingers with Deuce. “It’s called ‘we’re awesome.’”

 

“We are,” Aurora agreed happily, the car slowing down as they reached a small waterfall to get out. “And we had a fantastic planner getting us through it,” she teased Leona as she twirled her fingers in the ends of his hair.

 

He barked a laugh as they stopped, all getting out of the car. “Well I’m glad someone remembered me,” he teased back.

 

“Hey,” Ace bantered, “you just sat up there and gawked at us while we did the hard work.”

 

“I wasn’t gawking like a gazelle,” Leona deadpanned before a mischievous grin spread on his face. “Admirin’ a work of art, though…” He traced up Ace’s arm to watch the flustered look on the redhead’s face. “...that, I will admit to.”

 

Several minutes later as the polycule settled around the edge of the pool at the bottom of the waterfall, Deuce voiced the question that had resurfaced in his mind. “Hey, Aurora. So, in the hotel lobby this morning, what had you super spooked?”

 

Aurora pressed her lips together, briefly debating how best to break the news. “...Alright, so… before I answer that, can I ask you all if the Queen of Briar Valley looked at all familiar to you?”

 

“Besides having met her before? Not particularly,” Leona answered. “That stupid mask covers half her face, but the other half doesn’t look like anything else I recognize.”

 

“...That’s probably because she has some sort of glamour on her face,” Aurora revealed.

 

“She doesn’t look very glam to me,” Ace quipped. “I’ve seen my grandma wearing makeup more on-trend than what that lady uses.”

 

“Not glam, glamour ,” Deuce corrected with a shove. “That’s, like, the illusion thing, right? My mom sometimes used those kinds of spells to change her appearance when we were tight on money and she didn’t want to blow our budget on cosmetics.”

 

“That’s right, Deuce,” Aurora acknowledged. ‘Note to self: when financial situation is fully taken care of here, make sure Deuce’s mom is taken care of too.’ “The Queen’s mask isn’t just hiding part of her face – I think it’s giving her the illusion of having a completely different face. And since my eyesight can’t really be fooled by illusions, I got to see what she really looks like.”

 

“...And that is?”

 

“...the Fairy of Thorns.”

 

“EXCUSE ME?!” The three jumped in shock, even Leona visibly distressed at the revelation.

 

“So that means,” Leona muttered, “not only is she still alive and concealed after all these years, but if we keep messing with that prick Malleus…”

 

“We get the old crazy lady after us,” Ace finished. “But wait, aren’t you guys strong enough to just beat her up?” He looked to Aurora and Leona. “I mean, Malleus ain’t a match for either of you.”

 

“She’s a lot stronger than that little juvenile fucker,” Leona explained. “Far more ancient to boot, and fae tend to become more powerful with age.”

 

“And if they’re the same as in my world, they don’t die – at least not of natural causes,” Aurora added. “But to answer your question, Ace… I wouldn’t count on that. She’s one of the few people in this world I’d be genuinely afraid to get into a fight with.”

 

“That bad?!” Deuce exclaimed.

 

“According to the story in my world, she can command the powers of hell. Whether that’s true or if she said that in the heat of battle to scare her opponent… I don’t think I want to find out.” ‘Hopefully it was just a thing she said to scare the shit out of Phillip. I don’t even want to think about her and Hades teaming up. Wait, shouldn’t it be the Underworld then? “Hell” is more commonly said in my world.’

 

“...so how screwed are we?” Ace asked.

 

“...we should be fine as long as we don’t provoke him any more,” Leona spoke slowly. “The world’s eyes are already on them after this scandal. They’re not gonna wanna jeopardize their fragile peace just for some petty revenge. If anything, there could be an internal power struggle from some pissed-off members of the court thinkin’ he’s a little weakling. But even that probably won’t go anywhere.”

 

‘It better not! I might be the anti-Christ, but I don’t wanna cause a world war here!’  

 

“So what now?” Deuce asked with a tremor in his voice.

 

“Right now, we just go to school and stay away from House Diasomnia. Well, except for anyone who’s in my cult. They’re totally chill.”

 

“I don’t know a lot of people who would call cult members ‘chill,’” Leona put the word in air quotes.

 

“You’re just mad my followers don’t bring the kind of treats you like,” she teased.

 

Ace laughed, and the rest spent the night joking away until it was time to go back to campus.

________

 

Crowley had told hours of his best stories of Twisted Wonderland, delighting Helene with the wonderful whimsy of this world that had torn an aching hole in her heart for millennia.

 

“I missed this place so much,” she sighed.

 

“It has been far bleaker without your company on our end,” he admitted.

 

“I… I noticed your stories were missing someone.” She swallowed, hands clammy and she looked at him. “Is… does she hate me for leaving?”

 

The crow shook his head, a smile gracing the lower half of his face. “No, never. She could never hate you. I just thought I should let her tell her favorite stories when you see her later.”

 

A hesitant joy lit up her face, hope filling her in a way it had not for over three thousand years. “She… I really get to see her?”

 

“As soon as she is unoccupied tonight, I promise you.”

 

“Thank you, Dire,” she breathed. “But… before anything else, I have a question for you.” She had spoken briefly of her prison earlier before it became too much and she asked for the nicer stories. “When I was imprisoned in the castle, Diavolo kept me and called me a ‘liability.’ He peered into my memories and told me I saw something I was not meant to see. Do… do you think he was referring to something in this world?”

 

He paused, thinking for a moment before answering. “I must say that this is more her story to tell than mine. But… what I can say is that she and I are both originally from your world. The reason neither of us crossed back was because of him. Both she and I knew Diavolo for a time before being banished here, and… he was far from kind. I saw his scheming in the shadows, but she was a direct victim of one of his plots. My only conclusion is that he saw us in your memories and feared we had told  – or would come to tell you – his true nature someday.”

 

Helene’s expression darkened upon learning that her closest, dearest friends had suffered at the hands of the Demon Prince as well. “So he’s been at this a long time, then…”

 

“How did you get out, by the way?” Crowley asked. “The Demon Castle’s fortifications are strong enough that even I struggle to enter without my top agent scouting for me.”

 

“A human sorceress saved me,” she answered. “There was… some sort of exchange between the realms? I’m still a little bit confused by it if I’m being quite honest – the concept of modern schooling is one of many things I’ve been unable to grasp so far. But on her way out at the end, she freed me from the cursed painting. Her name is Victoria. She… actually has a lot to do with why I’m here right now. I’m assuming you’re the one who brought Aurora here?”

 

“Ah, that explains some things,” Crowley hummed. “But yes, I am. And unfortunately, I cannot send her back –”

 

“That’s alright,” Helene assured him. “I’m not asking you to. With the situation in my world and how much danger that poor girl is in trying to even just live over there, I believe she’s better off here. I know you wouldn’t hurt a child.”

 

“Ah,” he sighed in relief. “I’m glad we see eye-to-eye on that, at least. But what pertaining to her brought you over, then?”

 

“Victoria has scried on her a few times and seems to believe that either what she was some type of illusion or that what she has seen is an indication of some type of danger,” Helene explained. “Personally I don’t believe it to be either, but that’s mainly what I’m here to do: ensure that she is alright so the poor woman can get some peace of mind.” She paused and then added, “and so her bastard of a ‘lover’ might finally stop choking her.”

 

Now that was a surprise to Crowley. “Pardon me? My agent in your world has failed to inform me of this development. You’re sure Lucifer has done this?”

 

Helene shook her head, barely processing the agent comment. “He hasn’t done it in front of others. But… one time all of us met up to discuss how to proceed. They argued, he dragged her off, and then when the came back, her eyes looked really red, and she’s been having a harder time speaking than normal – and she won’t even drink anything in front of me. I know the signs, Dire, but I’m not powerful enough to just poison the culprit this time.”

 

He sighed in obvious distress. “This is quite the serious development. I’ll make sure my agent knows to look out for this since it is inevitable both Victoria and Lucifer will be in the same vicinity eventually.”

 

“Thank you, Dire. For everything.”

 

“Of course, dearie. Now…” he looked at the clock, and wide grin on his face, “the hour is getting late, and everything should be in place now. Are you ready to see her?”

 

“Yes,” she answered sincerely.

 

So Crowley lit up the mirror in the dark of night, green flames dancing across the surface before showing Maleficent, more beautiful than Helene remembered.

 

“Dire,” the Queen’s voice reverberated. “What a quaint surprise.”

 

“Your Excellency,” he addressed with a shit-eating smile, “my presence is not the surprise tonight. I have someone who is very eager to see you here.”

 

She tilted her head. “And who would that be?” At that, the red-haired woman stepped into view of the mirror, Maleficent’s staff clattering to the ground as her hands flew up. “Helene…”

 

So the witch stepped through the mirror to see her love for the first time since her imprisonment.

Notes:

Annnnnnnnnnnnnd that's a wrap!

Now EVERYONE in the polycule knows what's up with the scary dragon fae royals! Will a world war break out? Will Malleus ever be able to recover his broken heart? Will he get to join the polycule? Stay tuned for the answers to these very important questions!

Annnnnnd Helene finally got to talk to Crowley! She knows a little more now, though she still has a lot to find out from Maleficent.

Notes:

A few things to clarify:
-Aurora is the daughter of Obey Me's MC and one of the demons (it's probably fairly obvious but there's more you'll learn about that later)
-Aurora and MC have a very rocky relationship; you'll learn more about it later, but both have definitely been in the wrong in their actions at times.
-There will definitely be romantic relationships later, but.... I want to leave those as a little bit of a surprise til you see her interactions with the cast.

It would mean a lot if you could tell me what you think so far!