Spells Trouble

Chapter Three: Everything's gone to pot

The first week of Grimwood was different for each student. For most new years, time seemed to be slowed down by the numerous times they got lost inside of the vast school. For most veteran students, it was a time of free study, which was usually wasted on talking with friends and class parties. Teachers felt that the easy, trivial lessons on memorizing new names and faces just slip though there fingers like smoke, and were gone all too soon. But for Mimus, it was an eternity on top of another eternity!
Every year, he made a promise that the first week of school would be completely prank free. He may be a man of his word, but that didn't mean his brain would simply stop! All week, he agonized over all of the different golden moments when he could have done anything, but couldn't. No changing the signs around, no itching powder on the new equipment, no "hidden treasure" traps to lay for the gullible, no NOTHING! Mimus even had to leave alone a new Knight who asked him to help with her armor. He had to walk away, and do nothing, but call for an older student to help her.
The week was grueling for the jester, but now his time to rise was at hand. His mind was already churning with hundreds of new and exciting jokes to humor himself. It was rather late in the day as Mimus sat in his favorite tree outside the school, just beyond the part of the building that had been destroyed by Lord Grimwood's experiment, plotting his next joke. Perhaps he would fill a sack full of sand and place it behind Professor Haff's door, locking out the whole class. No, no, his floor was too smooth, the bag would merely slide out of the way. Maybe he could cut some Fond grass and weave them into mats for the new Anima-Ga. Fond grass does cause the Anima-Ga to be very drowsy and it could make them very late to class. No, that Melody girl was too smart for that, she would have already explained the nature of that particular grass to the first years. With each failed idea Mimus had, the more ecstatic he was to find out what his wicked brain would think of to top his last idea.
Movement caught his eye, and his gaze was drawn to a very black and pointed hat sitting beside the burnt walls of the school. A witches hat! What luck! Students at Grimwood were required to wear their traditional uniform for the first two weeks of school, and there were serious consequences for failing to comply or losing any piece of your uniform. Mimus could already hear a young witch crying her eyes out, wondering what happened to her precious hat. He could see the sad tears of the young girl being wiped away at the sight of her hat being brought to her by a strange green clad student. He heard the sound of gratitude in her laugh as she received her hat back without a punishment for breaking the rules. All Mimus needed now was to imagine what kind of prank to lace the poor girls hat with. Balding potion? No, that stuff smelt to bad, there would be no hiding it. Ring of Drakewood bark? That stuff popped when it got hot. But it might also catch on fire, and that was not the kind of prank Mimus was going for. Besides, this was the first joke of the year, it had to be a shining example of what a joke should-
It hit him, like a bolt of lightning, it him! Mimus knew what he was going to do. From his pockets came a whole slew of odds and ends, each with it's own function, but being compatible with each other. Bottles, vials, knobs, strings, metal bits, paste tubes and packets of herbs. Plucking a leaf from one off the overhanging branches, he began mixing and mashing together some of his powders and potions. Mimus chucked to himself, a sense of twisted pride building up inside of him. This would be a marvelous joke, he just knew it would be. He held up his new concoction to his green eye, admiring his handy work. The paste, should it work, would dye his victim's hair a bright purple color once she when to shower. No soap known to man would be able to wash it out for at least a week. The color would be so bright, it would even glow, both in the light and dark. Now for the final ingredient. A little rub of this green-brown stuff and it would be invisible for up to six hours. It was still the last day of the prank free week. Technically, if the trap has not been sprung, it's not a trap. That was the idea anyway. As the strange paste began to disappear, a smile grew on Mimus' face. Now all that was left was to lay his trap.
Mimus made his way over to the lost hat, making sure to avoid being seen by any unlikely witnesses. As he reached his target destination, Mimus patted himself on working so hard to being a great prankster. Mimus picked up the hat and was preparing to smear his new paste when a disturbing thought came to mind. "Wait, there weren't any new witches this year, just that..." Mimus didn't even finish his thought.
He turned around expecting to see a group of third or second years trying to catch him pulling a prank. But there was no one. He turned again, but still could not see who planted this hat to snare him with. His attention turned back to the hat, it's wide brim covering most of his chest. He began to notice how worn and well cared for this hat was. It was clear to him this was older then a new year's or even a second year's hat. It was older, and well taken care of. And warm. Mimus looked around once more, this time looking to see where the owner of this hat was. He looked at where he was standing, trying to figure out how this black hat could be warm without its owners head. The sun was low and the shadows had covered most of the fields that surrounded him. The wall's shadow had been reaching across the field for hours now, so it could not have been solar gain. But even still, the hat was warm, so its owner had to be near.
*SNIFF*
That caught Mimus' attention. He looked up at the wall, finding a dark silhouette sitting up at the top of it, hunched over, facing away from Mimus, shaking just a little. Mimus knew what that all meant. Mimus now had a choice to make. Either go up there, pretend to comfort her, and let bygones be bygones, or leave her to have a cry. On one hand, she might just need to have alone time. On the other hand, she was up pretty high, and not in the best of moods. On somebody else's hand, he was Grimwood public enemy number one, so she may not want to see me. On the other goat...Mimus was already up on the wall.
Mimus stood a good three meters away, just watching the weeping witch. He knew her, and he knew that she knew him. The thought to leave entered into his mind again, just leave the hat next to her, and leave. Looking at the hat, Mimus could not ignore the troubling thoughts that had entered his mind. He felt something he hadn't felt in so long. He had to act.
She hadn't seen him yet, so he moved slowly toward her. The wall they were on was a very thick one, made of a sandy colored stone, with streaks of black scaring many of the stones inside the ruins. Mimus made his way to the right side of the sobbing witch, sat down with his back towards her, his own feet dangled on the opposite side of the wall. They say there for a good minute, the sound of crying the only thing between them. Mimus began to think of how to break the ice. A joke? A pun? An apology? He had never done this before.
Finally, he decided to ask, "What's wrong, Aura?" Mimus blinked, he didn't know why he altered his voice, but was glad he did. It sounded higher and friendly, with a touch of concern. Aura didn't respond. Mimus tried again, trying to remember how he sounded the first time. "Aura, are you alright?"
"How?" Aura whimpered , her sobs seemed possibilities as they poured out of her. "How did I lose?" Her hands were shaking, but it wasn't cold outside. Mimus didn't understand what these things ment, but he wanted to know.
"Lose? Lose what?"
"The trial by combat. I lost, and now my life is ruined!"
"Ruined?"
"Ruined! They will never let me live this down. I will be forced to relive this for the rest of my life!"
Mimus felt himself losing control of the situation, Aura starting to ramble on how her life was falling apart. Not sure if he simply wanted to get to the problem or if he was getting bored, he interrupts her train of thought. "Why ruined?"
Aura looked up. Her head turned to her left, then her right before seeing the green of Mimus' suit. Suddenly, defeat's crushing presence turned from humiliating to unbearable. First she is defeated, then her place is threatened, now him? It was impossible to let this slide! Aura felt her anger flare up wildly, demanding that she push him right of the wall! "What are you doing here!"
"I asked first," Mimus said, his voice reverting back to normal. He didn't know why he responded that way, it was childish, to say the least. Yet he could think of no other way to get a reply.
"No! Not good enough! Why are you so heartless! Can't you see that I am in pain! Are you so evil that my suffering at a time like this is enjoyable?" Every word was filled with pain and resentment, ment to cut any man they were directed at. Aura wanted nothing more then to make him understand that she wasn't going to let him do this to her. Not again.
Mimus looked away, down at something in his hands, before handing back Aura's hat to her. She looked at it, then at Mimus. Mimus could tell that she didn't trust him, so he put the hat on the wall, turn his back towards her, and asks, "Why ruined?"
Aura looked back at her hat. It still could be a trap. But...
She turned her back to Mimus, leaving the hat to sit between her and...
"My life is ruined." Aura said. She knew who she was talking to, but could not muster the pride to even feel disgusted. "I lost my seat at the Masters table. I am humiliated. Why would they even want a witch who could not beat a first year near them? I'll be lucky if they don't parade me out of the school, singing my failure." Aura sobbed a little, her shoulders tense and shaken. She couldn't help it. "They are currently in a meeting to decide whether or not to expel me from school." Aura looked back at Mimus. She was surprised to see him not moving. He sat like a statue, his head still and motionless, his legs tight against the wall. "Garrett will fight for me, as always. Krystal hates me, always has. Kado believes that the strong will survive and those who fall should not be helped back up. He might listen to Melody, but Krystal is a better speaker then her, so he can count me out. Yull might be on the fence, he always seemed nice enough to me, but he could go either way. And if votes for me..." Aura froze up, a deep sadness began to overcome her as realization not her. "Even, *hic* he votes for me to s-stay, it won't matter, cause Grand Teacher Venice is still gone, and won't be back! So the tie-breaker would go to...t-to, *hic*"
"That snot-nose, lilly-livered, wimpy first year?" Mimus interrupted his voice questioning, head tilted just so.
"Y-yes!" The tears poured, her black dress soiled and soggy in the front. She cried , and cried hard. Her dreams, goals, hard work, and her sacrifices would all be for nothing. She would be kicked out, revoked her licence, and her staff confiscated. She would never find a school that would take her, and even if she could, her heart would just not be in it. She spent three whole years on her magic, and it was cast aside by that, that...laughter?
She turned, finding him laughing. He was laughing at her!
That was the last straw! She stood on the wall, her face scowling at the laughing cool that way in front of her. She loomed over him as much as she could, her feet itched to kick him off the wall with everything she had. "You think this funny!" She screamed, caution had been thrown away long ago. "I am Ruined! I will never practice magic again! I will leave and doubt you won't be next! I should have kicked you out myself, but I can see I was far too nice to even do that for the sake of our school. I hope when Maximus comes for you, you beg him to reconsider. Cause it would be so satisfying to know you actually got on your knees and begged him to stay!" His laugh was getting louder, more hysterical. He wasn't taking her seriously! "You are by far the most vile thing I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. Slime is a more appealing companion than you. I hope one day, you got more than you can chew and end up dead!"
Mimus threw up his hands, his laughter dying down enough to talk. "Okay, okay, I give up! You win, you got me."
His words stopped Aura, but her anger carried on. "What's that supposed to mean? I got you?"
"You fooled me, I thought you were being serious! You were so sad and miserable, I let my guard down. I honestly thought you were serious." His words were making no sense. Guard down? Win? 'fooled me'? Then it hit her.  He thought it was a joke! "Man, I have to hand it to you, Aura, you are a marvelous actor! Top notch, really."
"I'm not joking."
Mimus stopped. Those three words were said with such force, he knew Aura was telling the truth. He looked up at her, her eyes were puffy and red from crying, her dress clinging to her front like armor. She would have intimidated most people, even if she wasn't standing over them on such a high wall. He should apologize, he would apologize. But then he thought about...Maximus...He had to ask.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure" Aura snapped at him, her voice was sharp enough to make Mimus flinch.
"Really? That wizard kid? The same one we both saw walk into Grimwood for the first time almost a week ago? That wizard kid?"
Aura was this close to swatting him.
"I just, I don't believe that."
Aura sighed, her defeat reclaimed her body. Almost as quickly as she had been standing, she was now back to sitting her arms crossed over her chest, trying to secure herself. "Well, believe it or don't. It's still true." Aura was not sure if her eyes simply didn't have any more water to make tears with, or if she was too tired to cry. It was all she could do just sit there and mope. "I'll be kicked out for sure, and there is nothing more I can say or do."
"Unless..."
Mimus stopped himself, unsure if he had actually uttered that word. He hoped not, he begged not. His eyes focused on Aura, fearing what he might see next.
"Unless?" Aura whispered.
He did utter. Crap! He had to tell her it was nothing, just a stupid thought about how all this could still be a prank and Aura was the bait.
...
He couldn't. The 'unless' hung in the air between them, just over her Witches hat. She was a Mage. No no, he couldn't, he shouldn't. She had lots of self control. No, no,no, NO! He might ruin her life. But her life was already ruined! Wasn't it? Couldn't she rebuild from this? Couldn't he help her by...no...no...no?
"T-there might be a way. To give you a place back in school."
Aura heard it. She was him say it. But her eyes and her brain could not agree on whether or not to believe it. Mimus was offering to help her? No! It had to be a trap. Only he would be that cruel. "Please, just leave me alone."
"You need another vote, right?"
Aura blinked. Another vote? There were only five members at the Masters table. And only masters were aloud to debate in there. Even if Mimus approached any of them, they would be more likely to suspect something and vote against her. How could he get another vote?
"Aura. What I am about to say is not a joke and should not be taken lightly. This plan of mine will be complicated, challenging, grueling, and even risky. It may involve something neither you nor I will be excited to do, and it may even be dangerous. But," his face looked intensely at her, "if we do it, it may be possible to keep you in Grimwood, and get you fight back on track with your life."
It sounded too good to be true. Stay in Grimwood? With Garrett and Melody? Grand Teacher Venice? It was...no, it had to be too good to be true.
But, then again, Maximus had already promised her that he would be rid of her. What did she have to lose? "Aright. Let's do it."
"No," Mimus' voice was horse, his face had contorted to what Aura could only describe as his serious face. "I need you to vow, how that you understand that," he paused unsure of what to say next, "due to the delicate nature of our plan, that if something were to happen, that the consequences could be dire. Make that vow."
Aura was more hesitant now, Mimus' words drove fear into her heart. No, she couldn't turn back now. Even if she was making a deal with Grimwood Academy's devil, she would make it though.
"I vow, that I understand, or will understand, the consequences of my actions. Now, you got to make a vow to me that you will do your part to keep me in Grimwood, to the best of your ability?"
...
"I vow it!"
Aura looked at Mimus, only one question left to be asked.

"Alright...what now?"