Where... are you?

You vaguely remember passing through the mirror in the dorm room, but now you're standing in... some kind of garden? Yes, a garden filled with bushes of white roses in the shape of hearts.

You stand up, your head whirling around in confusion as you try to take in your surroundings, and you realize you hear voices from behind the bushes you're behind.

You immediately step around, ready to ask for help as you've been brought to another world again. And now without your Pokémon...

Then you feel something bump against your ankle and look down, seeing Terapagos. You smile and pick up the little Pokémon.

Okay, so one Pokémon is here with you... good to see you're not alone.

You look over at the several... playing card people? It's like what Ace mentioned to you earlier, the Queen of Hearts with her card soldiers...

"Excuse me?" You call out, getting no response from the card-people. "Hello?"

You frown as the cards ignore you and keep talking.

"Hurry and paint the roses red."

"If we don't hurry, the flowers will wilt!"

You watch as they run around, frantically covering every single white flower in sight in glossy red paint using paint brushes and paint cans they hold. You watch the spectacle, glancing down to see your and Terapagos' selves shimmery and slight see-through, like you aren't just here in this world.

"Hurry, hurry! They're are still some that aren't painted!" The Ace of Clubs calls out to the others in a panic.

This is weird... very weird.

You look around and see a girl walking up to the cards. She's not shimmery like you, so you know she's meant to be here (unlike you). She's wearing a blue dress with a white apron over it, with blonde hair tied back with a black ribbon with a bow at the top. She seems innocent and curious, her hands behind her back as she leans forward.

"Why are you painting the roses red?" She asks harmessly.

All the cards stop and look at the girl in shock. After a moment of hesitation, the Two of Clubs steps up to her.

"Why, you ask? Well, to tell you the truth, we made a mistake and accidentally planted white roses." The card explains.

...how do you accidentally plant the wrong color of roses? Are they all simultaneously color blind?

The Ace of Clubs steps up next to the Two of Clubs. "The Queen loves red, so if she sees the white roses, it's off with our heads!"

You flinch back in shock, and realize they're referring to the Queen of Hearts. She... sounds even more insane now, seeing how fearful the card soldiers look.

These... poor souls, they don't deserve this!

"Goodness." The girl looks startled, but stays curious. All the cards nod in sync and the girl steps up and takes a paint can and paintbrush, and starts helping the cards paint the roses. They all start singing about painting the roses.

You gently move Terapagos to look in their eyes. "Tera, never try to chop off someone's head. Okay?"

Tera nods innocently and you make a satisfied nod, as you feel a tugging sensation on you.

"Huh-" You yelp as you're sudden yanked back, being pulled with Terapagos away from the garden and everything goes black.

--------

You feel yourself back in the bed, being snuggled up by all your Pokémon and Grim, also holding Tera in your arms now.

You sit up, Tera now in your lap and blinking lazily as you think about the dream.

So... strange. Yes, that's the word. Strange.

You never had dreams like that back home... that is, outside of the time you accidentally met Darkrai.

We don't talk about that though.

Also, you want a glass of water now.

You glance towards the door of your dorm, hearing a frantic knocking coming from it.

Grim makes an annoyed grumble and shifts in his sleep, and you gently pet the cat-monster to encourage him to stay asleep as you carefully get out of bed. Tera stays in your arms, comfortable to just laze there as you slip silently out of your room and to the door of the dorm.

One of the ghosts (the lanky one) floats absent-mindedly in the hallway, staring at the front door as the knocking persists.

"Guest." The ghost comments. "In the middle of the night?"

You sigh. "Seems so... you can go back to bed, if you sleep, I can handle this."

The ghost nods and floats off, and you open the door (after quickly getting a glass of water from the kitchen area using one of the old glasses you cleaned that morning) and moving Tera to be held in one arm.

"Hello..? Can I help you- Ace?"

You stare blankly at the red and black collar around the orange-haired boy's neck. It reminds you of the collar Riddle placed on Grim that shut off his magic a few days ago...

"...what the..? Uh... okay, first explain why you're here in the middle of the night. Please. You almost woke up Grim."

Ace scoffs and crosses his arms and declades. "I can't go back to Heartslabyul. I'm joining your dorm. For good!"

You raise an eyebrow. "...would the Headmage even allow that?"

Ace shrugs. "Don't know, don't care. Mind letting me in?"

You nod and step aside, and the boy strides in. He glances at Terapagos, who's staring cutely up at him.

"Who's the turtle?" Ace tilts his head.

"This is Tera, they're one of my Pokémon. Don't mind them. What happened, why are you collared? Looks like that collar Riddle placed on Grim a couple days ago... what did you even do to get that on you?"

Ace sighs and pauses for dramatic effect. "I... ate a tart."

You pause and give him a confused look. "You got collared... for eating a... tart? Wha..? Can't you avoid trouble for a good few hours?"

Ace crosses his arms. "Yeah! I just ate a tart, and shut up about the trouble."

You place your free hand to your forehead. "Oh querido Arceus, salva mi alma de todo el caos que aquí ocurre... okay, Ace, please give me the full story. Quietly, people and Pokémon are trying to sleep here."

"Okay. I was a little hungry, see, so I went to the dorm kitchen and found some tarts in the fridge. Three whole tarts! Big ones, too!"

--------

Ace had walked into the Heartslabyul dorm kitchen, grumbling in annoyance, and in search of a midnight snack.

"Man, I'm still tired from our little adventure. I missed dinner, too, and now I'm starving! Got anything for me, fridge?"

Ace had opened the door to a welcoming sight. "Woah, score! Tarts! These look amazing! And plenty to go around, too! No one would notice if I snagged one teensy slice, right? Right. Of course not."

Ace had then pulled out a tart and totally cut himself a large sight, as much as he claimed it was a small slice. He had happily taken a bite of the pastery with no cares in the world. "Mmph... so good! I'm in pastry paradise right now!"

"Of course they're good." A voice had rung out from behind him. "Trey made them. His tarts are always exceptional."

Ace was too busy eating the tart to have noticed anyone approaching behind him.

"Yeah, but I mean... These are crazy good! Like, he could sell these at- wait, Housewarden!?"

Ace spun around in a shock, almost dropping the slice of tart he was holding, as he stared in shock at the short red-haired boy who had a stern expression and shot a glare at Ace.

"That you would think to touch something of mine... Well, I'm impressed with your audacity at least. But at least the Queen of Heart's Rule 89 is quite clear. Never eat a tart without the Queen's permission. The theft of tarts is a serious crime! Off with your head!"

Riddle waved his pen at Ace, the the orange-haired boy yelped and covered his head with his arms.

--------

"And... here I am." Ace sighs.

"...so- uh... you stole food?" You ask with a raised eyebrow. "And got your magic sealed away because of it?"

"Yeah! Don't you think it's insane for my magic to get sealed away for eating one slice of tart?" Ace threw his hands up into the air with exasperation. "For a mage, that's like having your arms and legs bound and shackled! And there were three whole tarts. Three! It's not like he could eat them all himself!"

You raise an eyebrow and look annoyed. "Okay. One. You stole food, and that is terrible. You should've asked instead of just taking... Two. The tarts may not have been for him. Maybe someone's birthday was coming up and they don't like cake, so that was for celebration."

You sigh as Ace looks annoyed by your slight scolding. "But... I do agree, while you deserve a good scolding, you don't deserve your magic getting sealed. That part sounds a bit extreme..."

"Right?" Ace moves into the main room and throws himself down on a couch, crossing his arms. "I'm the victim of a Housewarden's tyranny here!"

You shrug as you walk after him and sit down next to him on the couch, setting Terapagos and your water down on the coffee table. "As said before, there must have been a reason for the tarts. You probably should go apologize... I'm sure he'll forgive you."

You smile at him and gently take his hand. "Fixing any mistake you or I make does start with sorry after all."

Ace groans and doesn't pull his hand away from yours. "All right, all right! Fine. I get that I should apologize..."

He squeezes your hand and looks at you with a smirk as he sits up. "But you're coming with me, Y/N. This was your idea after all."

"Fair enough." You say with a shrug.

"Anyway." Ace leans his head on your shoulder. "You got a place for me to crash tonight?"

"Well... almost all of the other rooms outside of mine are fairly dusty. So you'd need to do a bit of cleaning. Also, I can't promise all the other beds are going to be comfortable to sleep in."

Ace grimaces. "Dude, no way! I hate cleaning!" Explains a lot about you... "Just let me stay with you, Y/N. I'm real slim. I won't take up much space."

You look into his Poochyena-dog eyes and shake your head. "Sorry, but no. I'm not comfortable with sharing a bed with someone I knew for only one day and am unsure if I'm on completely good terms with, and my bed is also crowded anyways. I can help you get some blankets and stuff to sleep on the couch though. That is, if you'd like that."

Ace groans and shakes his head. "Fine..."

You tilt your head. "What time is it anyways? It appears to be around two or three in the morning, considering I went to bed at eleven earlier yet woke up to your knocking."

You don't need to tell him about the strange dream...

Ace thinks for a moment. "Around... 2:37? Last time I checked at least."

You nod and stand up, turning to go collect a few blankets and pillows from other rooms, Ace following to help you. "Okay, I'll help you get the stuff together. A few more hours of sleep can be useful anyways."

"What time do ya even wake up at?"

"Generally around six in the morning, to allow me to prepare for the day and train my Pokémon."

"Uh... you do know classes start at nine and breakfast is at eight?"

"I never said you have to wake up at six in the morning, did I?"

"I... no..."

"See?" You say as you two return to the main room and you help Ace set up a couch as a make-shift bed. "I'm not allowed to be judged for keeping a schedule."

"...fair enough." Ace admits as he rubs the back of your head. "...so... uh... quick question before you go back to bed, what's it like having... those?"

"...what's it like having what?" You ask as you pick up Tera and your water, taking a sip of the precious cool liquid.

"Tits."

That gets a reaction. Of you spitting out your water and sputtering out a, "Wh- wha!?"

You have never been asked that before. And you deal with some weird people... cough cough- AZ- cough-

"Uh- it's not... that weird, I think..." You respond hesitantly with a grimace. "Kind of like having blobs of warm fat on my chest- okay, why are you asking me this?"

"...er..." Ace looks away. "...is curiosity and never really being able to ask a girl my age a valid excuse...?"

"...no." You say bluntly. "Please never ask something like that again, it's pretty weird..."

"Fair enough..."

"Right, uh, goodnight."

You quickly leave and go back to your room, setting Tera and the water down on the side table.

You groan a bit in exasperation, silently praying to Arceus no one else will ask you weird ass questions like that...

Then Toto dings and you pick up the sleeping Rotom phone from off the table. Then you realize the text is from Crowley.

Why is he texting you at three in the morning?

Crowley🩶: Hello my dear!

                                                                 You: Hello sir! Why are you texting me so early?

Crowley🩶: Why are you awake so early?

                                                                 You: I was woken up.

                                                                 You: Can I help you though?

Crowley🩶: You actually can

 Crowley🩶: One of the teachers has been so kind to make you a school outfit, custom for yourself. However, I do need measurements and you to answer some questions regarding the outfit.

                                                                 You: Woah! A tad bit sudden, but of course I can!

You quickly text him your clothing measurements, knowing them due to having two friends that adore clothes-making and love using you as a model, along with a few others.

Crowley🩶: Perfect, thank you.

 Crowley🩶: Now, would you prefer a more general schoolgirl outfit or an outfit similar to the other students that attend this college

                                                                 You: Preferably an outfit similar to the other male students, thank you. Don't want to stand out too much lol

Crowley🩶: Why would you text me "lots of love"?

                                                                 You: Sir LOL means "laughing out loud"

 Crowley🩶: ...oh

Crowley🩶: OH

 Crowley🩶: Pardon me dear, but I'm afraid there is no more time for you to answer other questions

Crowley🩶: I'm afraid I must go now

Crowley🩶: Sleep well! 

                                                                 You: ???

You don't get a further response as you shrug and set Toto down, who beeps as they wake up and start flirting.

"Hm? Oh, Y/N!" Toto makes an excited beep. "Morning! Or- night! I'm gonna go now, sleep well! Hehehe..."

Toto flies off, and you have a blank expression as you shrug and lay down to sleep.

This night was weird, but oh well...