Twisted Wonderland

Home at Last

You let Azul go from your hug attack. Azul clears his throat and adjusts his glasses.

Jack folds his arms. "Anyway. We held up our end of the deal and brought the photo to you within the deadline you gave us. We've completely fulfilled your terms."

"Yeah." Grim jumps in. "Real shame about the contracts gettin' sanded before we did."

"But stealing just doesn't sit right with me." Jack continues. "Azul, you're a law-abiding sorta guy, right? Take some responsibility and return the picture back to where it belongs."

You smile up at Azul. "I'll go with you if you'd like."

Azul looks into your eyes for a moment. He sighs. "Fine... But at least let me switch it out for a version where I've been edited out of the picture."

Leona laughs, folding his arms across his chest. "You just don't know when to let something go."

"He's right, you know." Jade agrees. "Records are a valuable treasure."

Floyd grins. "Ooh, field trip! When do we go? We're goin' as a group, right?" Floyd wraps an arm around your shoulders. "I haven't been to the Atlantica Memorial Museum since our elementary school field trip. This is gonna rule!"

You laugh at Floyd's excitement. Ace turns around and spots Grim sniffing, searching for something.

Ace quirks an eye at the cat. "Yo, Grim. What are you sniffing at the ground for?"

"My gourmet hunting instincts are tellin' me that there's a pitch-black treat as delectable as a truffle around here!"

You frown at the cat. "Oh Grim, please don't-"

"Myah!" Grim triumphantly holds up a black crystal. "There it is, a black stone! There's no foolin' gourmet hunter Grim's nose!"

Leona flicks his ears. "A black stone?"

"Time to chow down!" Grim shoves the stone in his mouth. "Mmm... It's rich, with a briny punch like salted squid guts... This would drive any discerning gourmand wild! Seriously top-tier stuff!"

Deuce's eyes widen. "Really? You're eating off the ground AGAIN?"

"Feels like a waste of breath to even tell him to stop at this point." Ace rolls his eyes. "There's just no accounting for a monster's palate."

Leona leans close to you, nudging you with his shoulder. "Hey. Does that weasel always pick up black stones off the ground and eat them?"

"Not all the time but..." You sigh. "Grim can be such a glutton sometimes."

"Something wrong, Leona?" Jack asks.

Leona shakes his head. "Nah. Don't mind me."

You walk back to Ramshackle Dorm, glad to finally be back. Though it may be as decrepit as ever, it was still your home away from home.

You stand next to the gates, sighing as you lean against the cool metal. Fireflies start glowing all around you, creating a beautiful glow.

"Ah. You've returned."

You turn around and smile. "Hello Hornton."

Hornton stands right behind you. He smiles and tilts his head. "Who would have ever expected you to win a bet with Ashengrotto? For as doe-eyed as you look, you're quite the schemer."

"Well, you helped me a lot. What you said about gargoyles was just the hint I needed."

"Really? I wasn't trying to offer some cryptic clue or the like." Hornton lets out a small laugh. "In any case, I'm glad to know this garden will remain nice and quiet."

Hornton smiles at you. "Ashengrotto's calm features contorting in frustration must have been quite the sight. Would that I could have been a fly on the wall."

You laugh. "It was quite the sight, I'll give you that."

Hornton laughs with you. He looks off to the distance. "It seems I had best be returning to my dorm now."

"Aww, so soon?" You complain.

He chuckles. Holding your hand and bringing it to his lips. "I bid you good night."

He places a kiss on your hand, vanishing into the night while smiling at you. The fireflies disappear along with him. You hear voices getting closer. Not wanting to encounter any hostile students, you hide behind the scraggly tree.

"Well? Is he here?"

"No, I don't believe he's present in the vicinity."

You recognize those voices. You peek around the tree, seeing Sebek and Silver walking along the path.

Silver brings a hand to his chin in thought. "Perhaps he's near the western schoolhouse."

"How could you go on an excursion unescorted?" Sebek shouts to his companion. "This is your fault for taking your eyes off of him, Silver!"

Silver narrows his eyes, folding his arms. "He's not a baby. Personally, I think you're worried to an inordinate degree."

"It won't be so inordinate if something happens to him. You must never relax, even for a second!" Sebek passionately argues. "Or do you not understand the gravity of your duty as guardsman? You are lucky that he and Lilia took you in and raised you despite your humanity. Don't you dare forget it!"

Sebek storms off. Silver sighs and follows after him. "I think we're getting off track..."

After they're gone, you step out from behind the tree.

I wonder who they were looking for?

Inside your dorm room, you find Grim sleeping on his corner. He waved his paws in the air as he dreams.

"Now that's a whopper of a fish... I can't eat all that..." He purrs as he eats his imaginary fish.

You laugh and shake your head. You're about to head to bed when the mirror glows a bright, white light.

The mirror's glowing again...

You step closer to investigate. You hear someone knocking on the other side of the mirror. A shadow takes form. It has a cartoony human figure but its head looks like a water molecule.

"...hello? ...hear me? Is... anybody there?"

You step back in shock. The light from the mirror dies down as quickly as it appeared. You bring a hand to your head.

What... just happened?