Twisted Wonderland: Glorious Masquerade - Let the Bell of Solace Ring

Chapter 1-6: A Fun, Educational Trip

On the day of departure...

All the students who have been chosen are in the Mirror, ready to go to Fleur City.

Crowley calls out, "The time has come for you to set out. Are all of our representatives here?"

"Yes, sir!" Deuce says.

"Present," Azul says.

"Wish I wasn't..." Idia says.

"Of course. I've been waiting for hours," Malleus says.

"Yup, I'm good to go," Grim says.

Sereia shyly says, "Yes. We're ready."

Seeing Grim and Sereia, everyone is shocked, "...Bwha?!"

"What are you and Sereia doing here, Grim?!" Deuce asks.

Crowley says, "Well, you see... Grim has been badgering me to let him go on the trip ever since the raffle. Unceasing! Day in and day out! His yowls even began to echo in my brain..."

"So you decided to let him go?" Ruggie questions, "You're the headmage of a prestigious school, and you caved to some pestering? What happened to the 'fairest possible means'?"

"If there's room for exceptions, we demand one as well! Let Lilia join the trip!" Sebek declares.

But Crowley says, "That's far from what happened! I was struck with a thought, you see. Noble Bell College is normally off-limits to us. Perhaps such a place would hold the key to reaching another world! And I might add that someone else was highly recommended to participate from Noble College."

"Another world?" Eepl questions.

"Recommended?" Ruggie questions.

Soon, Deuce realizes, "Wait, you mean...?"

Soon, walking into the Mirror Chamber are Briar, Tanzanite, Jasper, and Trinket.

"Hello everyone," Briar says.

"Ah, if it isn't Briar and her friends. What brings you here?" Malleus replies, "Though judging by the luggage you're carrying, I think I might know."

"Yes, Briar and her group will be joining the group as attendants," Crowley says.

Grim snickers, "Heh heh! We'll be taggin' along and takin' care of you guys. Which means partying down, gettin' fawned over, and eatin' everything in sight! Mya-hah!"

"Now I see. You used Briar and the others as a pretext to get Grim off your back," Azuzl says.

"Some headmage we have," Jamil says.

"I don't see the problem! Now we've got fuzzy companionship AND valuable emotional support! Bring on the floof!" Idia says.

"I dunno about the floof part, but I'm glad you get to come along, Briar!" Deuce says.

"I hope so too. Although, I'm actually surprised to hear that the college also invited me to the trip as well," Briar says.

"Maybe, but it seems that they really want you to come to the event. And uh, thanks to Grim, we all get to go too," Sereia says.

"Yes. I've never been to Fleur City, but I hear great things about it," Tanzanite says.

"Yeah. We don't got to big cities much so it's cool to go," Jasper says.

"This is a fine opportunity for you to see more of Twisted Wonderland. Let us enjoy this fun, educational trip together!" Rook says.

"Good point," Riddle agrees, "I've studied up on Fleur City, Briar. Feel free to ask me any questions you like. Though admittedly, this will be my first real trip abroad. I might not've covered everything we will encounter. I wish we had a more experienced traveler with us. Someone familiar with the local history and culture..."

"We have that covered, actually," Crowley says.

Suddenly, Trein arrives, "Are you all done chatting now?"

"Huh? What's Trein doin' here?" Grim asks, confused.

"I'll be your chaperone for this trip," Trein says.

Everyone groans in frustration, "Ugh!"

And Crowley says, "Professor Trein hails from the Shaftlands, and he's knowledgeable about various histories and cultures worldwide. He used to do a great amount of fieldwork as well. I say he's the best possible chaperone you could have. It's all part of my efforts to enrich your travel experience... Which is out of the pure kindness of my heart, of course!"

And then Trein says, "All right, everyone. I have some important words for you before we leave. We are traveling to a faraway land. I understand that's exciting, but this trip is not all fun and games. Learn the history of Fleur City and Noble Bell College. Rethink your conceptions of what a mage should be. Observe the other arcane academy students and examine what views your brethren hold. Approach the social with open minds, accepting the stimulating experiences it provides. These will nourish your future development."

"Okay, uh... This is kind of over my head," Deuce says.

"I wasn't expecting Professor Trein to be our chaperone..." Epel says.

"You must mind your manners at all times and never get distracted," Trein says.

"I couldn't agree more, sir," Riddle says

"Yes, absolutely!" Azul says, "I'm extremely honored to receive such a valuable learning opportunity."

"Mm, yes, a most satisfactory response," Trein says, "However, I'm worried... QUITE worried about Lucius..."

And right on cue, Trein's cat, Lucius walks over, "Mrow... Mrow..." and nuzzles his owner's leg.

"Aww... You're willing to be patient and wait for me? What a good boy you are!" Trein says.

"Oh, you're leavin' Lucius here?" Ruggie asks, surprised.

"I wouldn't want him to have an emergency in an unfamiliar place. I've asked Professor Crewel to watch him while I'm gone," Trein says, "Normally I wouldn't dream of leaving Lucius in the hands of a dyed-in-the-wool dog person... But considering the other faculty, he was the only choice."

"You mean Coach Vargas and Sam... Yeah, I get that," Ruggie says.

"While dogs and cats do differ, Professor Crewel still cares for living creatures. I'm sure Lucius will be fine," Trein says.

"Indeed. He was most enthusiastic about teaching Lucius commands like 'stay' and 'place'!" Crowley says.

Trein then says to his cat, "Lucius, ignore everything he tells you."

"Mrooow," Lucius says in agreement.

"Though I arranged the trip, I'll be remaining here. Don't worry about getting any gifts for me. As a side note, I prefer treats with subtler flavors rather than overpowering one. But really, don't worry about it at all!" Crowley says.

"Oh, Headmage..." Trein says with a sigh.

Crowley soon says, "Ahem! Does everyone have all their belongings?"

"Yes, sir," Everyone answers.

"Then have a swell trip!" Crowley says.

Everyone says their goodbyes and soon makes their leave.

Soon enough, the Dark Mirror allows the students to go through the mirror and soon enough, they all arrive at Noble Bell College Lecture Hall.

"Whew," Trein says and turns to the students, "Let's see, one, two, three... Yes, it looks like all seventeen of you made it safely."

Grim looks around, "So this is Noble Bell College!"

"What grand and beautiful stained glass windows. This place feels...pure, in a sense," Rook says.

"Yeah. Even though we're in a big, cavernous hall, the light coming through the windows is so bright," Epel says.

"Let us go and greet our hosts," Trein says.

Soon, they hear footsteps, "I've been expecting you."

"Hm?" Malleus questions.

"Huh?" Briar says, turning around.