Chapter Text
Life is always full of the unexpected, which is why we learned how to manage it. Disney movies showcase such life lessons and incorporate themes in the films. We always have a villain somewhere, and they could be noticeable or the least expected. The hero is always in the company of a sidekick, friends, or a love interest. I wasn't too keen on that many Disney princesses, but I did enjoy a good movie from time to time. As I grew older as the second sibling, I gained my own interest in things besides Disney. Anime was something I've been exposed to since I was young. It was my favorite to watch and search for manga or webtoons to read. I was the second child in my family, along with my nieces. I always lend a helping hand and keep myself busy. I never expected that the sweet memories with my family would be taken away so soon. This is how I started my story in the world of Twisted Wonderland.
“Jeez…my head hurts, and it's hard to see anything. Where the heck am I?” Elena slowly adjusted herself in the pure darkness that engulfed her. Using her hands to feel, she realized she was stuck in something. The cushion of the walls felt nice, but it didn't help the fear slowly creeping in the pit of her stomach. She hopes that she was caught for human trafficking. She's seen enough of her sister's lifetime movies to give her insight into the situation.
“Okay…so you're locked in something, now how the fuck do I get out?” Elena contemplates how to break free until her ears catch a faint voice outside. With a small hope rising, she tried to call back to the voice.
“...ire…my….tick…ffin…” Trying to make out the words, Elena wondered if the person had good or bad intentions. All of a sudden it felt even more stuffy where she was stuck. It felt like she was in a furnace and tried her luck in pushing one more time. The door burst open, and she felt herself fall forward on the ground. Rubbing her chin from colliding with the ground first, she takes in her surroundings.
“Wow…are they actually floating? No strings or hooks holding them up for display,” Brown hues took in the sight of how they levitated. Pushing back a strand of her hair behind her ear, Elena had a strange feeling she wasn't on Earth anymore.
“Hey, Human! Hand over your uniform,” A confident voice calls Elena out as she finally glances from the floating coffins to a gray cat standing on his hind paws with his front paws crossed over his chest.
“...a talking cat that moves like a person? Well, it's official, I have to be in another world.” Processing the information slowly, Elena wasn't sure how to feel with all these mixed emotions. She knew her heart felt torn about being away from her family. They must be worried sick that she didn't make it home.
“I'm not a cat! I'm the Great Grim who will be the most powerful mage ever!” Grim frowns at Elena, who didn't take him seriously.
“You have cat ears and a tail…” The two remained quiet at this revealed fact.
“I'm not a cat! You stupid human!” Elena did not like being called stupid for pointing out a fact.
“Okay, so if you're not a cat, then what are you exactly? Why would you want my….what pervert changed my clothes?! Was it you?” Noticing the robes, Elena checked if her old clothes were still there, to her luck. She would have hurt Grim if he were the one behind it.
“Why would I do that? I'm trying to take your robes to go to school here!” Grim stomps his paw like a child who is having a tantrum.
“These robes belong to a school…hey, Grim, do you know where I am?” Feeling relief go through her, Elena observes the designs on the robe and the colors that mixed well with it.
“Did you hit your head too hard? You're at one of the best magic schools. Bright Brave College!” Grim answers smugly as Elena raises an eyebrow at the name.
“Huh…then how come you can't enroll yourself here? Wouldn't that be easier to get your own set of robes?” The name didn't suit the school since it looked more like a dark theme. Who knows what the founder was thinking when it was created?
“...I wasn't chosen…that's why I'm going to have to use force now. Give me those robes,” Grim glances down sadly until his expression changes to determination.
“Wait, you aren't really going to use force on a girl?” Quickly getting on her feet, Elena felt bad for him until he decided to use force against her.
“What's a girl?” Grim blinked at this information as Elena gaped at him in shock.
“You don't know what a girl is! Um…Grim, do you know about genders?” Concerned for the cat's knowledge, Elena began to worry if she was in a world where women didn't exist.
“O-of course I do! I’m a guy,” Placing his paws on his hips, he puffed his chest proudly. There was a bit of relief to hear that, but she was curious about her theory.
“Stop distracting and give me your robes!” Blue flames erupted around the room as Elena stared at it in shock. The heat didn't affect her as she thought, but she had a hunch it was due to the robes. Watching cartoons and animations helped with that knowledge.
“...you know what! I'm going to find someone else who can help me! I can't believe you're throwing a tantrum over a robe!” Catching the door behind Grim, Elena quickly runs from the fiery scene with the cat chasing after her. Running past so many rooms and places, Elena could not find a single person. Her hope was slowly diminishing, and running away from a fiery cat wasn't helping her stamina.
“Finally! There's no place to run,” Grim corners Elena at a dead end as she was figuring out a way to reason with him. The two never noticed the third person who stepped in.
“Mrwah!?” Elena was surprised at the whip that wrapped Grim in and the new person who appeared with a mask.
“What?! What happened to me?” Grim struggled in the bindings as Elena didn't know whether to feel bad for him.
“I used my whip of love on troublemakers like you. As for you, you caused quite a scene on your first day of school!” This new person points at Elena, who was confused about what she did.
“You can't let your familiars run over you if you can't control them! This is why students shouldn't bring them to show off. I had to come and grab you before the ceremony ended! Aren't I so generous?” Elena had so much to clear up, but she was more confused about this ceremony.
“He's -urgh…where exactly am I and what am I even late for?” Rubbing her head to soothe the incoming headache, Elena met the gaze of the crow man and didn't back down.
“Are you suffering from memory loss? You don't even know where you're at. You poor thing, but don't worry, since I’m generous enough to aid my students.” The crow man held his chin in concern until he decided to run down some information about this place.
“This is the prestigious arcane academy known as Night Raven College! I am the headmaster known as Dire Crowley. You are late for the opening ceremony, where you can become another problem for your future dorm,” Crowley explains as Elena stares at him blankly. Her mind was whirling with the new information that made it clear she wasn't on Earth.
She was so lost in thought about this and didn't notice Crowley dragging her over to the Mirror Chamber. Luckily, her hood was on; otherwise, she would have been embarrassed by all the stares from the students. She didn't catch the conversation Crowley had with some boys. Her attention was focused on the huge floating mirror in the middle of the room. That mirror looked so familiar that she could just picture where she had seen it from.
“We are running a bit late on schedule. This should be the last one,” Her attention was diverted to a white-haired boy with glasses and a red-haired boy with such pretty eyes.
“The most unlikely events always come out of nowhere. Don't you agree, Riddle?” The white-haired boy sounded amused, but the Riddle guy wasn't.
“This is why students need to understand the rules and time. Regardless of what happened,” Riddle spares an annoyed expression at Elena, who felt a bit ashamed. If she stayed in that room, then who knows if Grim would actually roast her. She felt it was best to apologize for causing a scene. Walking over to the two boys, Elena noticed she caught them off guard with her appearance.
“I'm sorry about delaying the ceremony, but I was more concerned about my safety. I hope this doesn't cause you any more trouble,” Elena expresses her apology sincerely as the two stiffened.
“Oh, please don't take that to heart. Riddle here just likes to end things on time. It is kind of you to apologize,” The white-haired boy flashes a polite smile to your relief that carries no displeasure for your actions.
“...Even so, you should have used magic against the beast to tame him. I do appreciate your sincere apology, but there won't be a second time. Understand?” Riddle gives a small smile as Elena feels relieved at the sight.
“Crystal! Thank you, Mr. Riddle and…?” Beaming happily at clearing that up, she turned to the white haired lad who was tilting his head at her.
“Azul is fine. I believe you should hurry before the Headmaster loses his temper,” Azul adjusts his glasses as the three turn to see Crowley moody. Wincing at the sight, Elena began to leave when blue flames engulfed the whole room again. A huge fireball was coming straight for Elena as she couldn't move. Her limbs were begging her to move, but her mind was focused on the dangerous object coming at her.
…I…I…this is the end for me!
Something pushed her away from the flaming object as she felt her back hit the ground hard. She felt a weight on top of her body and warm breath on her chest. Blinking at their surroundings, Elena noticed Riddle had pushed her away from harm. His head lay on her chest, and she was so thankful for not losing the robes. She would have put the poor guy in an awkward position.
“Why didn't you move out of the way? Were you trying to get yourself killed!?” Elena felt herself move back as Riddle came too close to her personal space. His beautiful bluish gray hues were upset at her actions, and she felt bad.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Riddle. Thank you for saving my life,” With a grateful smile towards Riddle, he rubs his head and sighs. Standing up, he extends a hand to help Elena.
“...it was nothing but a Housewarden's duty to protect the students. Whatever dorm you end up in, I hope you won't cause them such distress. If you excuse me, I have a pest to catch.” Flinching at his words, Elena grew quiet and hated to cause trouble for others. Riddle noticed the change in her behavior, but did not say anything. He was more focused on taking care of the nuisance, wreaking chaos.
“Ouch! My butt's on fire! Someone put it out now, please!” Snapping out of her thoughts, Elena noticed a dark-skin boy running around with his bottom on fire. She came over to help him and tried to put the fire out with her robe's sleeves.
“...excuse me! Could you use water magic on him?” Elena asked the closest person, who was just standing and observing the chaos. They blinked at Elena in confusion and turned to see the guy whose butt was on fire.
“...is there a reason I should? I could get in trouble for using magic on him.” This annoyed Elena as she was helpless in helping the poor guy.
“Then I'll take the blame! Please, could you help out?” Brown hues stared into golden hues as they sighed reluctantly.
“Alright…Hey Kalim, hold still.” With a wave of his pen, water shot out of it and put out the fire. Elena and Kalim both sagged their shoulders in relief.
“Thanks, Neo! You literally saved my hind! Thank you for trying to help,” Kalim thanked the ‘Neo’ fellow and turned to express his thanks to Elena.
“I…didn't do much, and it was all thanks to Neo. Thanks for that,” Elena shook her head and expressed her thanks to Neo as well.
“Don't mean to be a party pooper, but it looks like they caught your cat. The headmaster looks upset,” Neo pointed over to the scene of Grim being dragged away and Crowley with crossed arms. Even though she's not responsible for Grim, Elena wasn't ready for the blame. She headed over to where Crowley stood near the huge mirror.
“Now let's settle this. Due to your familiar causing havoc, we are far behind schedule!” With a deep breath, Elena gazes at Crowley with no fear.
“He's not my familiar, and before you ask me, let me say you haven't really given me the chance to explain. You were focused on having the ceremony finished. I apologize for not clearing things up, but you should listen to someone before heading into the next thing. I'll go ahead and see the mirror now,” Crowley was lost for words, but cleared his throat to lead the way to the mirror. Everyone went silent as she walked over to the Dark Mirror. Standing in front of it was nerve-wracking when the whole school was watching her. Elena waited for the mirror to tell her something, but maybe she had to say something in return.
“...”
“...Piña Colada…” Maybe saying those words could help, but she got no reaction from the mirror. She did make most of the students chuckle at her. Flushing at the laughter, she tries to relax and say something else.
“Number three,” Reaching out with her hand, Elena gestures her pick as number three. Even more laughter erupted, and she wondered what was so hilarious.
“Erm…Dear student, let me talk to the mirror,” Crowley wasn't trying to laugh, but Elena glared at him for humiliating her. Crowley calls upon the mirror as Elena watches, fascinated. The news the Dark Mirror shared made her feel disappointed.
"I sense no magical power from this one. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant. Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate."
Mutters of gossip spread as Elena sighs at the lost potential of obtaining magic. Crowley tried to ask the Dark Mirror once more, but Elena already knew the answer. Since she doesn't belong in this world, the Dark Mirror can't determine anything. With her hood covering her face, she grabbed her arm and lowered her gaze at the beautiful robes. This caught some attention from some figures who were watching the freshman.
“Headmaster Crowley, since he needs a place to stay, then he can spend the night at Scarbia Dorm!” Kalim smiles brightly as Crowley grasps his chin in thought.
“Kalim! Forgive me, Headmaster Crowley, but we need to attend to our new freshmen. I’m afraid we can't host him.” A dark skinned student places a hand on their chest to express their apology. Kalim felt his smile fall a bit since they couldn't help Elena.
“It's fine. I'll deal with this, now, everyone listens to your Housewarden's instructions. You are all welcome to go,” Crowley turns his attention on Elena whom he felt pity towards. He wonders if there was any way to help Elena return. As each Housewarden called upon their freshmen, some eyes focused on the quiet freshman who still said nothing.
“Now let's see what we can do. For I am always generous,” Elena and Crowley make multiple attempts to send her home until it comes to a dead end. Crowley was fascinated by the idea of Elena coming from a whole dimension. As for Elena, she wonders what her next steps should be.
“I do have a dorm not being used. You can have the place to yourself, but it's been untouched for so long. I do hope you don't mind,” Crowley leads Elena to Ramshackle Dorm, and she wasn't surprised at the wear and tear of the place. It was vacant for so long that some things needed to be fixed.
“Hey…and now he's gone. I guess I should clear up some space. I won't be surprised if there are dust bunnies under the bed. Hm…it's raining,” Elena was going to ask Crowley something, but he disappeared. As she was clearing up the lounge area, she noticed the rain coming in. Brown hues admired the sweet sound of the rain hitting the window pane. The door opened, and she turned to see a familiar face.
“Hey Grim, hiding from the rain?” Grim shivered and shook away the raindrops on the floor. Unimpressed by the appearance, Elena continues cleaning as Grim observes her. It was to the point that she sighed and gave her attention to him.
“Yes?”
“Aren't you surprised that I’m back?” Grim crossed his paws with a slight, annoyed expression as Elena leaned on her broom.
“Oh, definitely! Good job on breaking in. Now, could you put the bucket under the hole? Thanks!” Elena continues to sweep as Grim doesn't move from his spot.
“Are ya making fun of me? What makes you think I'll listen to you?” With a raised eyebrow, Elena stared at the smug expression and took a moment to consider how to speak to a literal child.
“Well, you're in my place, and I can decide to let you stay from the rain. Since I'm cleaning, you might as well pitch in. Otherwise, you can get out and enjoy the lovely rainfall. Did I mention that ghosts live here?” Elena could almost giggle at the mood switch between annoyance and fear at the mention of ghosts.
“I-I'm not afraid of ghosts! I can force you with my special magic to listen to me!” Hearing this made Elena a bit upset that he would use magic to get his way. Thinking he finally won, Grim smiles in victory, never noticing Elena coming close to him.
“Ouch! What are you-Stop! My ears are hurting,” Elena grasped his little fur ear and pulled with a displeased look. She didn't even put much force in it and merely tugged his ears a bit gently.
“You will not do such a thing as threaten to use your powers. Think about this place and how fast it would catch on fire. Great mages don't use their magic to harm others, but to help. Isn't that what you want to be?” After a few gentle tugs, Elena lets go and observes Grim's silence as he contemplates her words.
“...I do want to be a great mage, but I don't want people to be scared of me.” Hearing him mumble such words, Elena reaches out and gently strokes his head.
“Then how about we start over again? My name is Elena, and I hope you can be the greatest mage ever, Grim. You just need to learn how and when to use your powers,” Elena crouches down to his height and smiles warmly at the feline. Grim blinks at her in awe before turning his head to the side with a bit of embarrassment.
“...Nice to meet you, Elena.” Brown hues stared at how embarrassed Grim was and shone warmly. Just as they were about to get back to cleaning, they heard a faint wail upstairs.
“I thought you were kidding about the ghosts!” Grim latches onto her leg as Elena debates about heading up.
“Why would I lie about that? Headmaster Crowley said this place had been left alone for so long. I figure spirits would use this place as a home,” Elena shrugs her shoulders, much to Grim’s dismay. Fearing being left behind, Grim followed Elena upstairs to see where the noise came from. Elena noticed how some places need to be tended to to make it a proper living space. Grim's blue eyes kept glancing back and forth at the shadows for any appearance of a ghost. The second floor had some decent rooms that just needed to be patched up and cleared out. Closing the door to the final bedroom, Elena wonders where they could be hiding.
“Mhmp…hey Elena, stop trying to scare me. I almost thought someone touched my tail,” Grim chuckles nervously as Elena turned to see three ghosts behind him.
“Urk! What's that gross smell?!” Elena wonders if she should warn him about the ghosts, but they seem to be observing them. There were two skinny ghosts, except one of them let out a green burp. That would probably be the reason it smelled, and the last ghost was pretty huge on the stomach.
“Pardon us, but who let you boozos in?” This ghost was pretty tall and seemed upset at their presence. Grim finally turned around, only to freeze at the ghost. Everyone stared at the cat, who fainted and landed on his back. Elena didn't even want to understand what happened, but the best part was that the ghosts were alright with some high egos. After some explaining and a bit of bribery on Elena's part, everyone agreed on their living arrangements.
“Ow…what happened? AH! IT STINKS!” Grim had roused from his sleep only to have Stinky too close to his face. He scrambled away from Stinky and clung to Elena's leg.
“Kehehe…that was a good one, Stinky! The little cat nearly jumped out of his fur,” The three brothers high-five each other as Elena shook their head at their behavior.
“I wasn't scared! I was just caught off guard! Nothing scares the Mighty Grim,” Elena tries not to laugh at the pout on Grim and pats his head in comfort. Crowley decides to come back at that moment with some food in tow.
“I’m back…why are you here?! Ah, if it isn't the Ghostly Trio, and I thought you left this place a long time ago.” Elena thanks him for the food and observes the scene before them. The headmaster was not happy to see Grim, who stuck out his tongue. Crowley seems displeased to know the Ghostly Trio were around to their amusement.
“We did take a vacay in the Kingdom of Heroes. Not much, but the usual tricks and scares of the humans,” Stretch explains as he tries to swipe Elena's chicken leg. The two were focused on that as the others continued the conversation.
“Burp…Excuse me…hehe…we had a blast out there until the mages started showing up,” Stinky lies on the couch that was dust-free.
“The food there was delicious! Wasn't sure to bring back some for ya, Bird guy?” Fatso drools at the reminder of the food they had out there.
“Sigh…it's Crowley! Now that you return, you don't have to watch over this place. I do not need for you since I’m generously letting this student stay here. They need to find a way to return to their world.” Crowley places his arms on his hips and explains to the Ghostly Trio that their duties were over.
“Nah…we'll stay here to keep the kid company. If we leave, then the next set of wimps might do something. Plus, the squirt’s not bad,” Stretch crosses his arms with a smirk to Crowley's surprise. These brothers would scare off anyone who trespasses on their territory. They were content with the student from another world. He noticed how Grim was more tame than he was before.
“The kid's interesting! I can't wait to try out those dishes she told us about,” Fatso nods his head in agreement, much to Elena's amusement.
“Ya so let the kid stay with us, Bird Guy! No one would dare to mess with us since the kid doesn't have magic,” Stinky rubs his belly and smirks at the idea of other ghosts and people to come.
“...You…I don't think I caught your name,” Elena gives up the chicken leg to Stretch and redirects her attention to Crowley's gaze.
“My name's Elena, Headmaster Crowley. We didn't really have the chance to exchange names due to some obstacles,” Elena shrugs and avoids looking at the main obstacle, fighting with Fatso. Crowley hums and grasps his chin in thought.
“What a strange name for a boy. Anywho, Elena, starting tomorrow, you'll work as a janitor at the school. If Grim wants to stay, then you need to keep him out of trouble. Housing and a place to work are provided. He'll be under your care, and I can take care of any necessities you need! Aren't I generous?” Not noticing Crowley's mutter in the beginning, Elena taps her finger on her chin. Elena thinks about the deal, but she doesn't want to be in charge of taking care of Grim. He sort of reminds him of her spoiled nephew, but maybe there's a way to change his ways, hopefully. There's the fact that she's given housing and a job to save up some funds.
“Okay, I accept, but if it ever comes to receiving education. Are we available to attend the school? I like to find a way home, and Grim could study to increase his magic abilities.” Grim stops chasing Fatso to stare at Elena with wide eyes. Crowley hums at the thought and doesn't see anything wrong with that.
“Since you'll be a part of the staff, you are welcome to use the library. Starting tomorrow, you'll sweep around the campus and main street. Now then, I'll see you tomorrow!” After a small bow, Crowley vanishes, and Elena notices Grim staring at her. She yawns and rubs her eye a bit.
“...Elena?” Thinking about heading to bed, Elena focuses on Grim when she sees him looking down.
“Hm?”
“Thanks for finding a way for me to stay…” Trying to hide his embarrassment, Grim stares at his paws as he rubs them. He felt a gentle caress on his head and glanced to see Elena's warm smile.
“You're welcome, now come on! We have to hit the sack and stock up on some energy. Night Stretch, Fatso, and Stinky!” Bidding the ghosts a good night, Grim follows Elena upstairs to a room that was decently cleaned. Removing the cloak, Elena was grateful to see her jeans and white T-shirt with playing cards still on. Stripping her pants off, she folds them and opens a drawer to see some uniforms. Once she closes it, she takes her cloak and hangs it in the closet. She spotted two uniform jackets and was pleased she didn't have to wear old clothes on her first day. With a huge yawn, she headed for bed, where Grim was resting at the edge of it in a ball. Getting comfortable under the sheets, Elena let the exhaustion of today take over. She closed her eyes and thought she was imagining that the mirror on the wall glowed.
Once you fall into a dream,
There will be things that you'll see.
Each will have a theme,
But it is your choice to set them free.