Nobody pov

Deuce and Ace led the way to the Dark Mirror. 

"You don't have to help us, Miss. This is our responsibility." Deuce said, still concerned about Kiba's well being.

"Look, I promised Crowley I would help him in anyway I can, and I intend to keep that promise....and please don't call me miss. Call me Kiba." She said.

"Ah... Why did it turn into something like this? Today is really not my day..." Ace sighed, interrupting them.

Deuce shot a glare at Ace. 

"Now isn't the time for mumbling! Let's go!" 

He turned to the Dark Mirror. 

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Light our way to Dwarfs' Mine!"

"Wai...that didn't rhyme." Kiba said. 

That didn't make any sense. 

Isn't it supposed to rhyme?

Her sister told her, most words like that, should rhyme....so why didn't it?

"It's not supposed to...? I mean, it can if you want it to." Ace said, with a confused look. 

The mirror rippled, before flashing brightly. 

When it faded, the group found themselves in a dark, overgrown forest.

'This reminds me of Hidden Forest in a way...' Kiba thought, as she looked around.

"So this is Dwarfs' Mine. It used to be prosperous thanks to magic crystal mining but..." Deuce said, trailing off.

Grim whimpered in Kiba's arms. 

"Feels like something could jump out..."

Kiba rubbed him as she put him down.

She reached in her bag and pulled out her lantern, lighting up the area.

"Better?" She asked.

"Way better, thanks." Grim said.

"Oh, there's a house back there. Let's go ask them about the mine." Ace noted, pointing at a cottage in the distance.

The group walked up to the doorstep of the cottage. 

Kiba looked at it closely. 

It seemed rundown and lonely, an aura of sadness hovering over it.

Deuce knocked on the door. 

"Good evening..." He trailed off, as the door creaked open. 

"I guess it's abandoned. It's a mess in here."

The group walked further in the house, exploring. 

Grim spluttered, making everyone look at him. 

"I got a spider web in the face..." He said, spitting.

Ace examined the furniture. 

"Aren't the table and chairs on the small side? Are they for kids? One two..." Ace counted the chairs. 

"There's seven! So many!"

"Uh....seven children living on their own? That doesn't seem likely. Maybe this is where the dwarves lived." Kiba said.

"This was probably a lively home when Dwarfs's Mine flourished." Deuce said.

"They did what they had to. After all, magic crystals are found inside coal. For now, let's just go check it out." Ace said, as the group left the cottage.

The group exited the woods and made their way deeper into the forest, seeing the entrance of the mine. 

It looked ready to collapse at any moment.

"We're gonna go in that pitch black hole?!" Grim said, fear thick in his voice.

"I don't think my lantern is bright enough even for that." Kiba said.

"Scared? Lame." Ace teased.

"I've completed the Trial of Fire, multiple times. I can handle dark places." Kiba said.

"Yeah, I'm not scared at all!" Grim said, firmly.

Kiba shivered from the cold. 

She wished she had bought a coat with her. 

She was pretty sure she had seen one in one of the bags Sam gave her. 

It had been warm enough back at the school that she hadn't needed one.

She tried to look in her bag for a warm cape, but she was shivering so badly, she couldn't do it.

"Oh!" 

Deuce noticed her shivering. 

He unbuttoned his overcoat. 

"Here, take this!" He said, draping it over her shoulders.

"Oh...thanks for that." Kiba said, turning a bit red.

Ace scowled. 

"Whatever. It's your fault for not bringing a coat. Why didn't you just look in your bag for a cape or something?" Ace said.

"I would've, if it weren't so cold. This is odd. I don't usually get cold, not even in the Sky Kingdoms. It has to be in the negatives for me to get cold easily." Kiba said.

Ace rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Let's just go in already!"

"I'm taking the lead! You guys follow me!" Grim said, wanting to prove he wasn't scared. 

The three entered the mine, Kiba was instantly taken aback. 

It may have been abandoned, but it glimmered with beautiful gems.

"Wow...this is so...beautiful. I wish I had a camera with me." She said.

(A/n: Okay, so in the later chapters, Kiba will have some items from the new seasons that was in Sky. Like: Season of Aurora, Season of Remembrance, Season of Passage and Season of Moments)

She looked around, before squinting, then she screeched.

"HOLY SH-!!"

"What!" Deuce said.

"What?" Ace asked.

She pointed over and Deuce looked.

"Something...is there!" Deuce replied.

Grim shrieked as a swarm of ghosts appeared from nowhere. 

One of them laughed. "Our first visitor in ten years!"

"Make yourselves at home!" Another said. "For eternity!"

"This place is haunted with ghosts, too!" Ace complained.

Kiba whipped out her staff and threw balls of light to the ghosts.

"EVERYONE, RUN!!" She yelled.

"Don't gotta tell me twice, let's go!!" Deuce yelled, as he, Ace, Grim and Kiba ran deeper into the mine.

Kiba was faster obviously, but she did wait for them to catch up.

They only stopped running when they could no longer hear the ghosts laugh.

"Don't think you can just order me around. If you hadn't done something so idiotic, we wouldn't be in this mess." Ace hissed.

"You wanna talk about who started it? It's cause you wouldn't clean!" Deuce said, glaring at him.

Kiba groaned.

"Guys, can we not do this right now?" She asked.

"It started when that furball threw fire at me!" Ace snapped, ignoring her.

Grim growled at him. 

"That's what you get for making a fool outta me and for teasing my apprentice!" He said.

"All of you! Do you understand our situation right now? The three of us are all expelled if we don't get back with a magic crystal by tomorrow morning!" Deuce reminded.

"So stop patronizing me. It's really ticking me off." Ace said, glaring.

Kiba growled.

"I swear if you all don't-! Wait...what was that?" Kiba asked. 

She looked past the boys, down further into the mine. 

She squinted a bit. 

"Yo guys...I think I heard something." She said, making her lantern focus in front of them.

"...on't...ive...wo..." A voice, echoing down the mine.

The three boys shivered. 

"What's...this voice?" Ace asked.

"St...one...sss...mine..." The voice echoed louder.

"...Uh...no hablo español." Kiba said, making the boys look at her oddly.

"I think it's... getting closer...Kiba, perhaps you should get behind us." Deuce said.

"I can handle myself fine, but thanks Deuce." She said, gripping her lantern.

Whatever it was finally made it's way into view. 

Kiba's eyes went wide at the sight of it. 

"Stone.........IS MINE!!!" It screeched out.

"WHAT IN THE MEGABIRD IS THAT THING?!" Kiba screamed.

"IT'S HERE!" The boys screamed in unison. 

Everyone took off running back from where they came.

"What the heck was that thing!?" Deuce asked.

"Crowley didn't say anything about that!! Let's get outta here!" Grim screeched.

"It's so nasty! But didn't it mention a 'stone'?!" Ace said, throwing a quick look over his shoulder.

"Wait, what?!" Kiba asked.

The monster's voice echoed down towards them. "St...one...won't...give...?!"

Everyone gasped. 

"So there really are magic crystals left!" Deuce said, hope in his eyes.

"N-n-n-nope! Nope! I'm a genius but I can't beat that thing!" Grim stuttered, hiding behind Kiba.

"Can my powers even damage it?!" Kiba asked, aiming her staff at it.

"But we'll be expelled without it. I'm going!" Deuce said, before Kiba grabbed his sleeve.

"Whoa, hold it buddy! That is suicide, no way!" She said.

Deuce pulled his arm out of her grasp. 

"Kiba, I appreciate your conern, but I cannot, under any circumstances, be expelled!" He said.

"Leave! Leave!! Leave!!" The monster roared at them. 

It swung its clawed hand. 

Deuce grunted, as it hit him, slamming him into a wall.

"What'd I just say?!" Kiba yelled.

"Stand back if you have no control, Mr. Serious! I'll stop it!" Ace said, whipping out his pen.

The wind that whipped fiercely threw the halls did nothing to it. 

The monster simply howled with anger. 

It swung a hand at Ace, sending him slamming into the wall as well.

Kiba facepalmed, annoyed.

Grim hissed from his spot in front of Kiba. 

"Stay away!" He said, as he blew out a torrent of fire. 

The monster growled. 

"It's not working at all!" Grim cried.

Kiba stepped back and aimed her staff at the beast.

She was about to attack, when she saw something behind the monster.

"Hey, I think I saw a sparkle!" She said.

"Behind that thing! At the end of the tunnel, something..." Ace said. 

"The light...is it a magic crystal?" Deuce asked.

The monster growled in anger. 

"WON'T GIVE!!" It howled.

"TIME TO GO!!" Kiba yelled, flying out.

"You heard my apprentice, let's go!!" Grim yelled, as he ran.

Ace and Deuce got up and ran with them.

The monster growled at their escape, but didn't chase them. 

The four ran all the way out of the mines and all the way back to the cottage.

Well, Kiba just flew and landed next to them.

"Everyone okay?" She asked.

"Is that far enough?" Grim asked, panting.

"Owwww. What in the world was that? No one said anything about that!" Ace groaned, rubbing his back.

"It didn't seem like any old ghost." Deuce said.

"That wasn't a spirit I've ever seen, not even from the Golden Wasteland." Kiba replied, putting her lamp back in her bag.

"Let's give up and go home. I'd rather get expelled than die fighting that thing." Ace said.

Deuce looked at him with alarm. 

Kiba gave him a look.

"You seriously wanna give up after just seeing a monster? Come on man." She said.

"Wha?! Don't screw with me! I'd rather die than face expulsion! There's a magic crystal right in front of us and you wanna go home!" Deuce cried out.

Ace laughed. 

"You talk big for someone worse at magic than me. Go alone if you want. I'm done." He said, making Kiba grow a bit agitated.

"Ooh, that right? Then stay right there cowering like a spineless coward!" Deuce asked, punching a fist into his palm.

'Personality disorder much?' Kiba thought.

"Huh? Coward?" Ace said, with a jovial tone, but the look in his face warned Deuce to drop it. "Who exactly are you talking about?"

"Uh, Deuce. Did you switch up your character?" Grim asked.

Deuce's eyes went wide, and he seemed to return to normal. He cleared his throat. 

"My bad. I lost my composure a bit." He said.

"Can magic even work against that thing?" Kiba asked.

Deuce shook his head. 

"Like the headmaster said earlier, magic isn't all-powerful. If you can't imagine it then it won't materialize. Large-scale or complicated magic require a lot of training to use." Deuce said, making Kiba nod.

"Makes sense." She said.

"But that's why we have schools for magic. You have to practice a lot to use magic just as it comes to mind. Bluntly, you'll screw up if you lose your cool." Ace said.

"So that's why Grim can only use fire. But, I've seen everyone use it willy-nilly." Kiba said.

"Stuff you're good at you can go off instinct." Ace said.

"At any rate, I'm going in there. I'll figure out how to beat that thing and come back with a magic crystal." Deuce said.

"I'll go with you." Kiba said.

"No. You've been a big help Kiba, but  it's too dangerous for you. Besides, you just got crushed by a chandelier, this is my assignment, not yours. You'd be better off returning to the school." Deuce said.

Kiba's eyes went wide a bit at that.

Something...she felt something wrong from hearing those words.

Was she...no, she wasn't useless...she wasn't...

So why...why did she feel that way so strongly?

"While the chandelier topic, you're a complete idiot. You couldn't land a single hit earlier but now you'll 'figure it out'? It's going to end the same." Ace hissed to Deuce.

"Come again?!" Deuce asked, anger in his tone. "You think of..."

"Here they go again." Grim complained. 

His ears perked up at the sound of heavy breathing. 

"Kiba?" He asked.

Kiba was breathing hard, tears brimming her eyes, as she gripped her hair. 

She could hear tons of whispers and none of them sounded friendly.

She groaned a bit, as she felt a dark presence inside her.

A small black horn grew from her head and her eyes turned red.

"K-Kiba?!" Grim asked, terrified.

"...I'm not useless..." She said.

Ace and Deuce stopped fighting to look over at them. 

"Hey, girlie! What's up with you?" Ace asked.

Kiba looked at them, but her mask was covered in darkness and her hair was slightly black.

"I'M ПӨƬ ЦƧΣᄂΣƧƧ!!! " She screamed, loudly.

Ace, Deuce and Grim jumped back a bit from fear.

For the first time...they saw something in her...and it wasn't light....but darkness and sadness.

"I-I-Is she okay?" Deuce asked, shaking a bit.

"I'M DӨIПG ƬΉΣ BΣƧƬ I ᄃΛП! I KПӨЩ I MΣƧƧΣD ЦP, ƬΉΛƬ I KΣΣP MΣƧƧIПG ЦP, ƬΉΛƬ I ΛᄂЩΛYƧ MΣƧƧ ЦP! BЦƬ I ƧЩΣΛЯ, I'M DӨIПG MY BΣƧƬ!" She screamed, as black tears came faster and faster, her sobs trying to choke her, the horn growing bigger.

"Kiba..." Deuce took a step towards her.

"I ΉΛVΣ ƬӨ DӨ ƬΉIƧ! I ΉΛVΣ ƬӨ PЯӨVΣ I ᄃΛП DӨ ƧӨMΣƬΉIПG ЯIGΉƬ FӨЯ ӨПᄃΣ! I KПӨЩ I ᄃΛП DӨ ƬΉIƧ, I ƧƬIᄂᄂ ЩΛПƬ ƬӨ ΉΣᄂP!" She cried, her yells echoing around them.

Deuce held out his arms and Kiba collapsed in them. 

".....ЩΉY ЩӨП'Ƭ YӨЦ let me help?" Kiba cried softly.

Deuce shushed her and rubbed her back. 

Ace felt a bit jealous, seeing them close like that.

Kiba calmed down slightly and the whispers stopped.

The darkness around her vanished and the horn went away.

"You're right. I shouldn't have tried to send you away like that. Let's fight together." Deuce said, wiping her tears away.

Kiba sniffled.

Time skip(Sry, feeling lazy right now)

They all went back to the cave.

Grim nodded at Kiba and she gave a thumbs up.

"Hey, beasty! Over here!" Grim yelled.

The forest shook, as the monster clawed its out of the mines and into the forest. 

"LeAAAVVEE!" It roared at them.

"Gah! Kiba, now!" Grim yelled.

A arrow of light came from the right.

"Over here spirit freak!!" She yelled. 

"Grr?! There...thief...too. Won't give...mine...mine!!" The monster growled. 

It punched the ground, making it shake.

"That punch looks like a knockout if it lands!" Grim warned.

"Let's just focus on getting it away from the cave!" Kiba said, as she grabbed Grim and ran.

"Go away! Go away!!" The monster called out, chasing them into the woods.

"It's far from the cave now! Go!" Kiba called, flying out the way.

"Ok, I got this!" Ace called from the trees. 

"Let's go, Extra Large Tempest!" A whirlwind whipped through the trees.

Grim jumped out of Kiba's arms and turned to face the monster. 

"And the Great Grim's Fire Special!" He blew out a torrent of fire.

"Megabird wave!" Kiba sent a wave of white fire to the monster.

The monster grunted in confusion, as it was blasted with a massive wave of blue and white fire.

"How's this! I can even fan Grim's shoddy flame into an inferno!" Ace grinned.

"It's not shoddy! Every word out of your mouth pisses me off!" Grim yelled.

"Its caught in the crossfire! Let's go!" Kiba yelled.

Deuce stepped out from his hiding place, taking a deep breath. 

"Calm down... take aim... the biggest, heaviest... thing I know..." He said, concentrating. 

His eyes opened, a fierce look on his face. "Come forth, cauldron!"

A massive cauldron landed on the monster's head, slamming it into the dirt.

"Got it! Nice work everyone! Hey look! The monster looks flat as a pancake just like Ace earlier!" Grim laughed.

Kiba giggled a bit.

"You don't need to bring that up again! Jeez, today isn't my day." Ace said.

"Let's go get the magic crystal while that thing can't move." Deuce said.

"Way ahead of ya." Kiba flew into the cave.

The boys went with her.

The monster growled as the group ran past him and into the cave.

 The four went deep into cavern, all the way to where they had seen the shimmer. 

"There!" Deuce called, pointing at a glowing stone.

"A magic crystal!"

"Hands off!!" The monster bellowed, squirming underneath the shaking cauldron. 

Kiba landed near the wall and began prying the crystal free.

"Crap! That thing is almost free! Kiba, how much longer?!" Ace said.

"I almost got it!" She said.

"Oi, Deuce! Throw some more stuff on it!" Grim suggested.

"Eeh, something heavy?!" Deuce asked, fumbling for his pen. 

"Come forth! Cauldron!" He called. 

Though it landed, the monster appeared unaffected by it. 

"And umm, cauldron?!" Deuce repeated. 

Another hit. 

"One more, cauldron!" Another hit, making the monster cry out.

"Do you have nothing but cauldrons in you repertoire?!" Ace asked in disbelief.

"Shut up! I'm at my wits end here!" Deuce snapped.

"I got it!" Kiba said, as she finally pried the stone out of the wall.

Grim let out some fire as a distraction. 

"We got the magic crystal! Let's skedaddle!"

"Got it!" Ace said.

The group raced to the exit, where the monster was still pinned by the cauldrons. 

"That...is...MINE!!" It howled in rage, shaking the caverns. 

It threw off the cauldrons and began to chase after them.

"You're kidding?! It knocked off all that stuff and came after us!" Ace yelled.

The monster trudged after them. 

 "Uuuh... ugh...! Give... it... ba...ck!" It growled.

"Shoot! It's gonna catch up to us!" Ace panicked.

"Not if I can help it!" Kiba yelled.

She reached in her bag and pulled out a sword.

The boys looked in awe, as she twirled her sword.

She hissed and breathed out white fire, making the monster freeze.

(How she looked while doing that)

She growled, before dashing to it and raised her sword, but they saw someone else standing behind her, but the figure was faint.

Deuce's eyes widened.

'Wait! Was that...no. It can't be.' He thought.

She yelled and dashed to him, slicing him.

The glass jar shattered and broke. 

The monster collapsed as the ink spilled everywhere, dissolving upon impact. 

Kiba panted and stared down at the dissipating ink. 

It felt... weird, like it was trying to reach out to her. 

When she looked back, nothing remained of the monster.

"K-Kiba...that was-"

"AMAZING!!!: Deuce yelled, with stars in his eyes.

She was shocked.

"Oh...thanks." She blushed a bit.

"How'd you do that?!" Grim asked.

She just shrugged.

"I...I don't know."

"Well...whatever. We're all relieved. And seriously worn-out and battered. Let's go home." Ace said.

"I'm starving from using so much magic..." Grim complained. 

He sniffed the air curiously. 

"Hmm? What's this?" He asked.

The monster had not disappeared completely. 

A black stone rested on the ground. 

"Remnants from that monster? A magic crystal? But I've never seen one pitch black like coal before." Deuce said.

Grim walked closer and sniffed at it. "This thing smells really good."

"No way!" Ace said in disgust.

"Grim, put it down. You know where its been." Kiba said.

"This has to be candy the monster was hiding! Ooh, I can't hold back! Time to dig in!" Grim cheered.

"Grim, you spit that thing out right- and you swallowed it." She said, facepalming.

Grim gasped, making Kiba worry that the rock was poisonous. 

"Hey, you alright?!" Deuce asked in concern.

"That's why you don't eat things off the ground~." Ace said, teasingly.

"D...d-d-d" Grim was stuttering. 

Kiba was panicking internally, wondering how easy it would be to get him to the vet. 

"DELICIOUS!!" Grim cried in joy.

"EH?!" The three yelled.

"It's full-bodied but also rich, with an aromatic sweetness that blooms in my mouth..." Grim exclaimed, like he was in heaven. "Like a whole field of flowers in my mouth!"

Ace gagged. "Monsters really do have different tastes from us."

"I guess so. But more than that... most people wouldn't even put a mystery object in their mouth without a thought." Deuce said.

 Kiba shrugged, putting her sword away.

"Oh yeah! Deuce, here. Thanks for letting me use it." She said, handing him back his blazer.

Deuce put it back on. 

"It was no problem, really." He smiled.

Grim laughed. 

"Tasty, tasty!" He said, looking over at Kiba. 

"Don't worry apprentice, my stomach isn't weak like yours." He assured her.

Hey, considering I swallowed glass one time, my stomach ain't weak." She said, making everyone give a concerned and shocked look.

"Story for another time. Let's get this crystal back to the headmaster. Hold onto me." She said.

Deuce, Ace and Grim held her.

She raised her hand and a bright light flashed.

When they opened their eyes...they were back in the school.