Die Young

Adventure incoming

Yuu and I poked our heads around the corner of the doorway to see Grim climbing up on the chandelier. "Heh heh heh! Catch me if you can!" Grim taunts the Ace and Deuce, who were trying to catch him.

"No fair climbing up onto the chandelier, you coward! I haven't really learned flight magic yet... What could I summon to hold onto him...? Hmmm... Oh! That's it," Deuce shouts. Oh no, why do I have a bad feeling about this... I take notice of Yuu making their way inside the cafeteria. I'll pray for them...

"Did you come up with somethi- Oh, hey! Stop! What are you doing?! Why are you pointing your pen at me?!" Ace screams at Deuce. Uh oh...

"Because I'm going to launch you," Deuce answers like it's the most obvious thing.

"And with that said, I'm gonna go..." I mutter to myself. I slowly back away from the room, assuming the worst. As I make my way down the hall I hear a crash and I sweat drop. "There's no way Crowley didn't hear that.."

"Didn't hear what?," I jump at the sight of Crowley who seemingly poofed out of nowhere.

"Uhhh... I think something is broken," I answer, scratching the side of my neck. Crowley nods and ushers for me to follow him. Him and I make our way back to the cafeteria to see a fallen and very broken.

"You complete and total moron! We got Grim, but we broke the chandelier! If the headmage finds out about this-," Ace is ranting at Deuce, not noticing us.

"If I find out about... what, dear Ace?" Crowley asks, catching the others' attention. I stay quiet, observing the broken chandelier. Honestly it doesn't look that bad.

"Ah! Headmage Crowley...!"

"YOU. THREE. AGAIN. What have you done this time?!" Crowley has officially snapped. May they rest in peace.. well actually, his punishments aren't that bad in comparison to what I'm used too. Grim looks like he's incredibly dizzy. "Burning a statue wasn't enough for you? Now you've destroyed a chandelier?! Enough. All of you are expelled."

"Headmage, please! Give me a second chance! I can't get expelled from this school! I need to be here!" Deuce begs as he and Ace freak out over being expelled.

"Then blame yourself for your own foolish behavior." Crowley refuses Deuce's plea's.

"I'll pay for the damages! However much it costs!" I don't know, Deuce, that chandelier looks fancy. Fancy usually equals expensive.

"That chandelier is no mere light fixture.
It is magical chandelier. Its candles are powered by a magical energy source, enchanted so that they will burn for eternity. It was created for us by a legendary artificer. Possibly their finest creation. It has been here since the school was established, and I imagined it would be here forevermore. Considering its historical value, I would estimate its worth to be no less than a billion thaumarks. And you intend to repay that sum?" Called it, super pricey. Although I wasn't expecting flames that burn forever.

"B-But I'm sure with your magical talent, sir, you could snap your fingers and fix it right up!" Ace chips in while Deuce has a crisis. "Or even flame girl, she uses that kinda magic, right?"

"Even magic has its limits. Furthermore, its magestone - the figurative heart of any magical artifact - is cracked. A magestone cannot easily be replaced. I fear the candles of this majestic chandelier will never burn again," Crowley explains.

"Sorry man, my flames don't burn forever, they can go out like any other flame once they're off my body," I continue explaining.

Ace and Deuce fall into their own separate crisis' and I look at Yuu and Grim, who look mostly indifferent. "Ah...! But there may be on way. One tiny sliver of chance to repair this chandelier." Crowley contemplates beside me.

"There is?!"

"The magestone that powered this chandelier was mined from the Dwarfs' Mine. If you can acquire a magestone with the same properties, it may be possible to repair it." Ooo, sounds like an adventure. I wanna go there.

"Then I'll go find a magestone! With your permission, sir!" Deuce volunteers.

"I should caution you that I cannot promise there yet remain magestones to find. The mines were closed quite some time ago. It is quite likely that all of the magestones have already been mined." This is sounding more and more fun.

"I will do anything to avoid expulsion, sir!" Deuce assures Crowley.

"Hmmm... Very well, then. I will suspend your expulsion for a single night. But if you fail to return with a magestone by morning, then all of you are expelled." I decide to volunteer next.

"I'll go with, I love exploring places, and I can two sets of hands are better than one, right?" I rhetorically ask Crowley. I'll go whether he says I can or not.

"Thank you for the opportunity, sir! And thank you too uhhh..?" Deuce trails off.

"Y/n D Portgas," I fill in.

Deuce nods with slightly pink cheeks, "yes, thank you, Portgas."

Ace sighs, "Fine, then. Let's hurry down there, find a magestone, and get this whole thing done with." Looks like we got three sets of hands. I look at Yuu and Grim curious if they'll join us.

"You should be able to reach the Dwarfs' Mine instantly by using one of the gates in the Mirror Chamber." I look at the sleeves of my shirt and nod to myself before, deciding to drop by Crewell's before we head off.

"I'll meet you guys at that mirror, I gotta drop by Mr. Crewell's office," I say making my way out.

"Don't take to long, or we'll leave without you!" I hear Ace yell at me.

------

"Looks like I made it just in time," I say as Deuce, Ace, Yuu, and Grim look back at me. Ace and Deuce turn bright red in the face, causing me to raise an eyebrow in question.

"Where is your shirt!?"

"Why are you half naked!?"

Deuce and Ace scream while Yuu sighs. I'm wearing my usual outfit instead of my school uniform. "If my uniform gets messed up at all, Mr. Crewell will kick my ass. Besides, who wants to go on an adventure through abandoned Mine's in stuffy clothes?"

Deuce and Ace turn away from me with pink, still dusting their faces. "Maaan... How did I end up in this mess? I swear, I have the worst luck." Ace asks after clearing his throat.

"We don't have time to complain. Let's go. Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarfs' Mine!"

[A/n: sorry for the late update, I just started med school so I've been focusing all my time on that. I'll try to keep a schedule for this book but I make no promises]