A Queen and Her Kings

The Start of an Epic Quest and The Backstories of The Cards

Cassandra sighed as she watched the feathered annoyance leave and looked over her Court as she began to rub her temples. She could already feel a headache coming on. Thankfully, as soon as she started that, Ash reached into his pocket and gave her two tylenol. The tribrid smiled at him in gratitude and swallowed them dry, deciding not to ask where he got it from since they were in a world where it might not even exist.

Turning to face Ace and Deuce with her hands on her hips, Cassandra began to speak.

"Well, we've got less than twenty four hours to steal a magic rock from a dwarf mine. Everyone except Skip is going to be involved in this, no if, ands or buts."

That made Skip pout and made Grim scrunch up his face in anger, both for completely opposite reasons. Cassandra looked at the two children of the group with unamused expressions.

"Don't give me those looks. Skip, this is an abandoned mine shaft that is likely filled with dangerous things that could get you killed. And Grim, the only reason you're going is because you're partially responsible for this and I am taking the matter of your protection onto myself. This is your punishment, unless you would rather sit this one out and spend the next week doing yard work?", Cassandra asked with a raised eyebrow. Grim gulped at the thought of having to work on the massive dorm grounds and shook his head violently at the thought. Cassandra smirked.

"Mhm, thought so. Now, since we need to get that rock as soon as possible, we're going to leave now. Any objections? No? Good.", Cassandra then walked out the double doors, the senior Court members following without question while Ace and Deuce stood in place, staring dumbly at their leader before snapping out of their whiplash and running to catch up with the others.

This was going to be a long night.

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After bribing Skip with the promise of cooking his favorite meal later in the week, Cassandra managed to convince him to go and tell their teachers they would be absent from their remaining classes due to a 'personal emergency' and told him to return to the dorm as usual afterwards. She also told him to not use the stove without the ghost's help and to be in bed by nine, much to his annoyance.

They now all stood outside the only blank mirror gate in the mirror chamber, its frame just smooth silver. Ace, who said he knew how to use one like this, was beside Cassandra at the front of the group. Loudly and clearly, he began to speak.

"Magic mirror on the wall, take us to the dwarves' mines!"

After he said that, the mirror's glass began to turn blue and swirl. Cassandra blinked, weren't magic mirrors supposed to be activated by limericks or something?

"Shouldn't that have rhymed?", asked Shorter, voicing what seemed to be the entire group's confusion. Ace turned around and deadpanned at them.

"It doesn't have to rhyme so long as it starts with the 'magic mirror' part and ends with where you want to go or what you want to see. We learned this in elementary school.", he said, arms crossed and annoyed. Yue mirrored him and made his way to the front.

"Well excuse us for not knowing everything about a world we literally did not know existed until yesterday.", the pale young vampire said, not having any of it.

Sparks seemed to fly between the two men's connected glares, and Cassandra felt herself become annoyed.

"Enough!", she yelled out, causing both young men to cease their staring match and jump, before looking at the mutual owner of their hearts.

"Both of you, quit it! There's been enough discourse already, and I for one, don't want to be up until 3 AM looking through an abandoned mine for a magic rock! We are getting this done as quickly as possible! So no lip, no arguing, and no physical fighting! Am I clear?!", Cassandra yelled out, her voice demanding nothing other than 'yes ma'am!', which she got. Sighing, the tribrid made her way through the mirror.