Key of Souls: Twisted Wonderland

Chapter 14: The End Is Just the Beginning

3rd POV

Having made their way through the woods, the three teens and Grim managed to make their way back to the school by reappearing in the Mirror Chamber. At that moment, they saw Headmaster Crowley and directly approached them with the magic crystal in their hands. He looked at the group and said, "Eh!? You really went to the Dwarfs' Mine to find a magic crystal?"

"Huh!?", the group went. They were shocked by what the headmaster just said, they had to make sure they didn't mishear that. "I didn't think...You'd not go, but then come back with a crystal in hand. I quietly completed the paperwork for expulsion.", he told them.

'Are you kidding me?... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?', Dawn thought while looking furious. 'We worked our asses off just so you could reconsider letting these guys stay and you didn't believe in us!?' Just before she could chew out the headmaster, Grim beat her to the punch and shouted, "Nnga! The nerve of this guy! While we were off fighting some crazy beast!" His sentence caught Crowley's attention as he blinked in surprise and asked, "Beast?"

"There was a monster there! It was super gross and crazy strong, it was awful!", Ace tells him.

This made Crowley very curious, so he asked, "Could you explain in more detail?" So everyone made a trip to the Headmaster's Office to give a proper explanation from the moment they arrived at the mines, to the ghost chase, to encountering that Ink Ghoul, and to when they were able to defeat it; Dawn was glad that Ace and Deuce didn't mention anything to Crowley about her and her strange power.

"Hoh hoohh. So, a mysterious monster was living in the coal mine and the four of you worked together to defeat it and bring back a magic crystal?", Crowley asked them.

"Yes sir.", Dawn replied as she looked at Ace and Deuce.

"We didn't really work together...", Ace mumbled while rubbing the back of his neck. "It was more like our goals were aligned...", Deuce said. As much as they didn't want to admit it, Dawn knew it was true as she smiled at the two which made them lightly blush. The headmaster was silent after listening to their story as he leaned back in his chair and stared at them in disbelief.

"Ooh... Oooooooh... OOOOOOHHHHH!!!! OOOOOOHHHHH!!!!" The group jumped back a bit when Crowley suddenly began sobbing uncontrollably; he fell over his desk as he kept on brawling like a baby.

"Uuumm...sir?", Dawn said as she was freaked out at the headmaster's sudden mood swing.

"What's with this guy? Why is an adult bursting into tears?", Grim questioned getting uncomfortable at seeing the headmaster like this.

After catching his breath, he looked at the group with tears in his eyes. "In all these years that I've been headmaster... For the day to come that students from Night Raven College go hand in hand to face and defeat their enemy!", he proclaimed.

"What!? I did not hold this guy's hand!", Deuce shouted.

"I would never do that, gross! But headmaster, how old are you!?, questioned Ace.

"Guys, I'm pretty sure that was a figure of speech...", Dawn said with a deadpan look.

But the headmaster didn't pay attention to the three as he was still in his mood. "I am overwhelmed with emotion. This incident confirms it. Miss Baldwin, without a doubt, you have talent as a beast tamer!", he declared as he sat up from his seat. Dawn blinked in confusion and was a bit shocked by what the headmaster said. "B-Beast tamer?", she asked. She always loved animals, but she didn't think it was such a big deal in this world.

The headmaster gave a firm nod as he looked at her. "Students of Night Raven College are budding wizards call here by the Dark Mirror. However, they are a superior class which makes them prideful and egotistical people that have not even the slightest inkling to work with others. Making many of them selfish and self-centred.", he explained.