Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The child’s stomach hurts badly right now, and they attempt to relieve the pain by curling into a tight ball as they lie on their side in their ‘room’.  But curling into themself hurt their back as well; they didn’t know which way to turn to stop the painful, burning feeling all over their body.  The thing around their neck was the worst though--it made their mind quiet and scary.  Their new companions are forced to go away for who knows how long until the cold, metal object around their neck is unlocked once more for training.

When will training happen anyways?  Even if more wounds are added on, it at least takes the child’s mind off of their stomach, and their mind will be less quiet.  They peer into the darkness of their windowless ‘room’, managing to find their door a meter or so in front of them.  The child needed to keep an eye on it in case it starts creaking open; the knights, the handlers, and the inspectors didn’t like it when they were ‘lazy’, so the child had to be ready to sit up the moment they begin to unlock the door--

“Who the hell are you, and what do you think you’re doing down here!?” The child jolted at the loud, but slightly muffled, voice of one of the knights outside of their ‘room’; he and the other guard out there were not here to protect, but to make sure the child stayed contained when they weren't training.

There’s a sound of swords being drawn, and a buzz of magic fills the air.  The knight snarls once more; the child imagines the second knight is also lifting his sword defensively.

“Stop where you are before I remove one of your limbs!”

The child moves to get up, failing briefly, before finally using their trembling, thin limbs to successfully push themself up from the ground.  They slide over a little to lean heavily against the wall closest to them, the rusty, iron restraints on their ankles and wrists clinking softly as they move.  They hold their breath for a brief moment, listening closely to the voices outside of their ‘room’.

“Uuuh, I’m the new chef that was assigned to making a…weapon’s meals?  Not sure how you would feed an inanimate object though.” An unfamiliar, baritone voice replies cheerfully, as if he hadn’t been threatened.  The child idly wonders what happened to the previous chef that always spat at them and threw their food onto the ground, but they quickly draw their attention back to the voice of the apparently new chef. “I was told to bring the food down here, so I just cooked up what I’m best at--”

“Alright, alright!  Stop blabbering!” The voice of the second knight outside of the child’s ‘room’ cuts in grumpily before he seems to mutter to his fellow guard. “And stop your threats of chopping limbs off.  You know we’re the ones that’ll have to clean that shit up.”

“So, uh,” The new person speaks up once more.  Straining their ears, the child thinks they can hear the stranger shift his weight nervously. “Where’s this weapon…?”

“Just behind this door.” The second knight replies with a huff, and the child thinks they can hear swords being slid back into their sheaths.  The child then tenses up a little before quickly lowering their gaze to the floor when they hear multiple locks being undone; the door will be opened soon.

After one final lock is being undone, the child hears the door of their ‘room’ creak open noisily.  They try to hold still, willing down the shaking that has started from their hands and traveled up their arms to the rest of their small frame.  A large shadow falls upon the child, and they take a shaky breath in, their heartbeat almost drowning out all other sounds in their ears as they continue to keep their gaze lowered.

The new chef is bigger than the previous one, they distantly realize with fear, judging by how the shadow of the stranger blocks out most of the dancing, orange firelight from the torches outside of the child’s ‘room’.  The child does their best to keep their breathing steady, bracing for anything…

…

…Nothing happens.  They wait for a hit, an insult, or their food on the ground, but the air is filled with an odd, stifling silence; only the sound of crackling torch fire and the casual mutters from the knights outside are heard.  But then, after the long pause, the new chef speaks.

“H-Hey!  There’s an injured kid in here!” The stranger surprisingly stutters with panic.  The child watches his sandaled feet shift so he can turn and face the doorway of their ‘room’. “Do you guys have some sort of doctor around here, or--!?”

“That’s the Weapon.” The second knight cuts in and responds boredly.

There’s a brief pause……before a nervous chuckle escapes the chef.  The child watches as the sandaled feet move about again, and it seems that the stranger is switching between looking at the knights and the one he’s supposedly cooking for.

“What..?” The new chef then utters before laughing nervously once more. “Is this a joke?  Because I, uh…don’t get it…?  Well, I’m told I’m not that good with jokes, so--!”

“Hah!  I heard the new chef was dense, but I didn’t think it would be this bad!” The first knight barks with laughter; the child flinches at the sound. “And that thing is not a kid.  It may look like one, but don’t let your slow mind be fooled.”

“That’s the Weapon.” The second knight then repeats with mild irritation in his voice. “Feed it enough so it doesn’t die--that’s your only job.  So hurry up and serve the food, then you can get the hell out of this shitty dump.”

The door to the child’s ‘room’ is abruptly shut with a sharp sound of rusty metal on stone, plunging the area back into darkness once more.  It was apparent that the second and first knight were done talking and explaining things to the new chef, starting up a conversation between each other outside, voices slightly muffled once more.  There’s another long, uncomfortable pause before the new chef shifts once more, and the child tenses when sandaled feet move closer to where they are kneeling.  The child watches the new chef’s feet cautiously, waiting for orders--or anything, really.  Right now, whatever happened to the child was up to the one currently serving them food--

Sandaled feet shift, and the child is shocked when the new chef starts to sit down on the grimy, cold, stone ground with a soft grunt.  It’s dirty, the child wants to warn and protest, but they have not been given permission to speak.  They can only stare around torso-level as the chef casually makes himself comfortable on the floor with the child, who notes the tray covered by some sort of silver dome in the man’s hands.

He also has some unique clothes, the child then observes, wearing something they had never seen before.  It’s some sort of sleeveless blue top, detailed with sharp yellow-gold lines.  And is that a skirt he’s wearing?

“Well, food’s best when it’s hot.” The chef says cheerfully, snapping the child out of their wandering thoughts.  He scoots just a bit closer before halting when the child flinches.

The child then becomes tense, growing cold with realization; would the man become furious at them for moving without permission?  But, yet again, nothing happens for a moment…until the chef slowly removes the dome on top of the tray with a large, tan hand, and the child is hit by the scent of something extremely mouthwatering.  They can’t help but focus most of their  attention on the food that had been revealed.

What are those?  They look like…what was the shape?  One of the voices had been trying to teach the child about shapes recently.  Three sides…oh.  The food looked like a bunch of triangles.  Yes, that sounded right.

“...A scrawny little kid like you really needs to eat.” The chef then says, voice sounding gentler for some reason, less booming.

He carefully slides the tray over to the child, still keeping a distance with them.  The child still doesn’t touch the food--no matter how good it smells and no matter how much drool is starting to pool into their mouth.  They swallow harshly, thin, tiny fingers attempting to dig into the stone floor below them to ground themself.  Yet another awkward pause fills the air before the chef speaks once more, sounding more unsure of himself this time, words even softer.

“Umm…you can eat, you know?  Don’t hold back.”

That is all the child needs to hear before they reach out for the food, movements still slightly hesitant and slow since they were fully expecting the chef to suddenly change his mind.  But the new chef doesn’t do anything as the child reaches out and--

“Woah, woah!” The child freezes immediately, and they flinch when a large, tan hand encompasses their’s, which had been about to touch the food.

Were they being denied food after all?  However, instead of their wrist being crushed, large hands--so warm and gentle--place a small cloth into the child’s shaking palm.  Confused, the child instinctively curls their fingers to hold onto the cloth given to them as the man’s hands retreat from them carefully.

“Sorry, I should’ve handed you something earlier to hold your food.” The chef says sheepishly, large hands now resting over his crossed ankles. “Like I said earlier, food’s best when it’s hot, but I wouldn’t want you to burn your fingers, ya’ know?”

The child stares at the soft, clean cloth in their hand for a long moment, mind whirling with thoughts; they’re getting the cloth dirty, they distantly think.  Their mouth opens for a brief moment before they shut it just as fast, remembering the rules.  The child then moves their gaze to the steaming plate of triangle-shaped food, carefully draping the cloth over their hands before reaching out once more.  The cloth makes the sharp heat of their food dull, the child realizes, as they carefully draw their now full hands close to themselves once more.

Tentatively, the child opens their mouth and starts nibbling one corner of the food before pausing.  They then take a bigger bite, not caring about the burning sensation that quickly blooms in their mouth.

It’s hot, nearly making their tongue go numb, but the food makes a warmth spread through their body.

It’s good, they think with wonder, eyes watering from the pain but also the emotion welling up within them.

The child had never tasted anything like this before--something that doesn’t taste like dirt, mold, or nothing at all.  It’s not just cold, colorless goop filled with things that are too chewy or too hard, which end up making their teeth or stomach ache for days.  The strangely-shaped food had a soft, yet crisp outside, and the inside was filled with something that easily melted in their mouth.  The child couldn’t name the flavors they tasted, but there were so many of them and they were all so, so good.

However, their stomach churns violently from having food after so long.  The child has to squeeze their eyes shut for a moment to push back the urge to vomit, not wanting to waste the precious meal given to them.  Who knows when they’ll be able to eat again?  They take a few more bites, chewing as quietly as they could, trying their best to not let a single crumb escape their mouth.

“So, uhhh…” The chef then speaks, and the child pauses--reluctantly, because they want to keep eating; however, they must give all of their attention to the one talking to them.  They turn their gaze from their half-eaten, triangle-shaped food to the man’s sandaled feet when he continues to talk. “Do you…have a favorite food?” 

The child…blinks, confused and surprised by the question.  Their small hands continue to keep their warm food close to their chest as they try to understand why they were being asked this question.  The child watches as the chef’s toes wiggle a little in his well-worn sandals for a moment; they silently wonder if the man walks around a lot.

“I’m pretty confident in cooking up whatever you might like, so you can request for anything.” The man says, voice sounding a little brighter now, but the child still feels…uncomfortable with the chef’s words.

‘Request for anything’?  The child isn’t allowed to do that.  Decisions are usually up to their handlers when it comes to their meals.  But the chef is waiting for an answer, right?  The child can’t keep him waiting for long or he’ll get angry at them.  Swallowing harshly, they open their mouth and close it multiple times, briefly panicking when no sound escapes their sore throat.  They try their best to get their voice to come out quickly, and they are relieved when something does manage to slip from their lips.

“A..ah…” The child stops and winces.  It’s been a while since they spoke, but they had to respond as soon as they could.  They open their mouth to utter words now, speech halting and slurring slightly. “...I-I…d-uh..d-do not…kn-know…s-sh-sir…”

The child bites their lower lip then, a tight feeling winding up in their chest.  Did the chef understand a single word they said?  The child stayed still, continuing to cradle their food close to their chest, waiting for the chef to say something in return.

“So…you don’t have a favorite food then?” The chef asks carefully.  The child considers what they currently have in their hands--warm, delicious, and easy to eat--but Weapons do not have ‘favorite foods’.

“I…do n-not, sir…” The child replies, speech sounding smoother than before.

The chef hums, sounding thoughtful, and the child winces, wondering if they had angered him with their unhelpful answers.  One of his knees starts bouncing, and one large hand moves to tap his fingers over his thigh; his other hand seems to go beneath his chin as he continues to hum.  After a handful of seconds, he stops his idle movements, and the child then feels his gaze back on them.

“Well,” The chef says after his brief pause of silence, still sounding kind. “How about we find out together then?  What your favorite food is, I mean.”

The child blinks, and the warm feeling in their chest has spread further.  Their eyes feel a little hot for some reason as they respond, their voice a little shaky once more.  They hold their food even closer to their chest, head bowing a little deeper.  They would like that.  Very much.

“I-If that…is what you…wish, s-sir…” The child quietly replies, struggling to get their words out properly while pushing down their swelling emotions.  The man then surprises the child once more with his next few words.

“You don’t have to call me that--‘sir’.” The chef then says with a small laugh.  He pauses for a brief moment, and his voice turns sheepish. “Well, now that I think about it, I haven’t given you my name yet, and that’s pretty rude of me.”  The child watches as he lifts a large hand to point to himself, still sounding cheery. “My name’s--”

Silver eyes slowly opened, staring up at the cream-colored ceiling above.  Riddle stayed still for a long moment, only blinking and breathing as he gathered his bearings.  It was the clock chiming three times beside his bed that finally snapped the redhead out of his slightly dazed state, and he groaned softly as he sat up, a furrow appearing between his eyebrows.

“...Again…” Riddle muttered to himself as he leaned against the headboard behind him, one hand moving up to rub his face and then the slight ache at his temples. “...Another strange dream.”

After a brief moment of silence, Riddle’s hand then dropped down to his stomach, grimacing when he felt a fading echo of nausea and gut-burning hunger.  Was it normal to feel like this after a mere dream?  What he feels in the dream does not stick with him throughout the rest of the day, but it always seems to linger right after he wakes up.  What’s even more peculiar is that those lingering feelings aren’t something Riddle had experienced in the dream; instead, the emotions and the pain belonged to the child…who was still strangely familiar.

Mother would be furious if she saw that he was getting distracted by useless things.

Riddle grimaced for a brief moment before he shook his head, exhaling heavily once more.  He then lifted his gaze to the grandfather clock ticking beside his bed.  He shouldn’t let his mind linger on unimportant things like dreams.  Now that he was already awake, he should just get ready, especially since an Unbirthday Party has been scheduled to happen today.

Riddle slid out of bed, bare feet touching the cool, hardwood floor beneath him.  However, just as he started putting weight onto his feet the room abruptly tilted for a brief moment, black spots dotting the redhead’s vision before he quickly grabbed onto the edge of the book-covered nightstand beside him.  The nightstand rattled noisily as Riddle tried to quickly regain his balance.

There was a brief pause, before Riddle winced and raised his other hand up to his head, eyes a little wide with shock.  What was that?  Did he…stand up too fast?  But the redhead grimaced when he felt a sharp pain around his temples and right eye.  Riddle eased himself back down on the edge of his bed, massaging his right temple in an attempt to soothe the throbbing discomfort there.

Riddle’s frown then deepened further when he noted how warm he felt beneath his fingertips.  Now that he was a bit more awake after almost hitting the floor, he noted that his entire body felt a little warm and a bit achy.  Also, the ticking of the grandfather clock on the opposite side of the bed seemed louder, and the sound aggravated the faint pounding in his head.   Damn it…was he sick?  Would he have to ask Trey and Cater to--?

“How dare you make up excuses!” Mother nearly shrills with rage, yanking her hand away from his feeble, tiny grip.  Riddle sways dangerously on his feet, thrown off balance without support from the woman now towering over him.  His head hurts a lot, and everything feels too warm, but Mother’s lips are turned down with harsh displeasure. “You will not skip a single second of your lessons!”

Riddle’s hand quickly left his warm temple, and his fingers curled tightly into a trembling fist.  No.  No, he wasn’t sick.  Riddle shook his head faintly to clear his thoughts a little, and he pushed himself away from the edge of his bed once more.  Fortunately, he didn’t trip over himself this  time; he already felt chagrined for his earlier stumble.

The Head of Heartslabyul quickly began to switch out his sleepwear for his dorm uniform, ignoring brief flashes of aching in his body and throbbing in his head.  He wasn’t sick.  He wasn’t.  Once dressed, pen tucked into his breast pocket, Riddle scanned the desk near his bed before picking up a clipboard with a few checklists for the Unbirthday Party attached to it.  Papers fluttered between his gloved fingertips, and Riddle scowled lightly at the sight of many boxes left unchecked.

There was much work to be done.  Tucking the clipboard beneath his arm, Riddle briskly made his way out of his room, shutting his door behind him with a soft click.  The Unbirthday Party would begin in a handful of hours, so he had to make sure that everything was completed before the event occurred.

As he made his way down the dorm’s hallways, Riddle grimaced when his stomach rumbled for a brief moment.  Was he just feeling an echo of his dream, or--?  Ah.  That’s right…last night, he had been busy punishing an irritatingly large number of Heartslabyul students for breaking multiple rules.  He had been so distracted by them, that he lost his chance to eat dinner on time.

“It is far past your meal time!” Mother scolds as she yanks away the small bowl of cold leftovers from his tiny hands.  She gives him a stern look, eyes glinting with disapproval, before she briskly walks over to the kitchen trash can.  Stomach twisting, Riddle can only grip the front of his shirt tightly as Mother pops open the trash lid to dump out the contents of the bowl in her hand. “Are you not aware that eating so late into the night will prompt weight gain?  You will have to wait till morning now.”

Riddle grimaced as he came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway, one gloved hand going up to massage his right temple when it throbbed harshly.  It took a beat before the sharp pain soon returned to a muted, dull thudding, something that could easily be ignored.  The redhead exhaled through gritted teeth before smoothing out his expression, dropping his hand back to his side; though, his eyebrows were still slightly pinched together with annoyance.

His mind was wandering far too much lately.  He can’t afford to make any blunders, especially since they had an Unbirthday Party today.  Still, Riddle’s stomach rumbled once more, and the redhead clicked his tongue with mild annoyance as he continued walking down the hallway.  He will wait until the Unbirthday Party.

However, for some odd reason, Riddle was now craving something--specifically a savory, flakey pastry with spinach and cream cheese inside…?  Suddenly, an image of a frail child in a dreary, stone cell, scarfing down food hot enough to burn their tongue, floated in Riddle’s head.  The Head of Heartslabyul clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides and shook his head hastily, picking up the pace of his steps down the hallway, as if walking faster will leave his jumbled thoughts behind him.

Just focus on the Unbirthday Party, Riddle internally scolded himself, as he removed the clipboard from under his arm.  He went through the checklists once more, ignoring the faint throbbing in his head.  He had to make sure everything was perfect.

Mother will not accept anything less than perfect.

~~

Oh man, Riddle looks extreee~mely pissed right now, thought Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker--better known as Che’nya--as he carefully watched the scene before him play out, gazing through the larger gaps in the hedges surrounding the Unbirthday Party occurring.  The cat-beastman was also currently using some magic to stay invisible, else he’d be chased out by some angry Night Raven students if they were to spot him out in the open.  Why must they be so competitive?  Sheesh!

Anyways, it was just the beginning of a new school year, so Che’nya thought it’d be fun to just drop by Night Raven College since he had the time to do so.  But now, the unseen cat-beastman, in his crouched position, can only sigh with mild disappointment, the corners of his easy-going grin twitching downwards slightly.   He ran a hand through his hair briefly, further disturbing the mess of mauve and streaks of pale-lavender, before he shut his moon-gold eyes for a moment.

It’s been a while since Che’nya had seen Riddle get that red; though, it’s true that the cat-beastman barely gets to see the redhead much due to being at a different school.  Still, it was apparent that a pretty big rule had been broken for his childhood friend to become so furious.  Che’nya lamented the fact that he pretty much lost his chance to cheerfully catch up with Riddle, including Trey.

Though…they hardly talk to each other these past few years.

The mauvette sighed again, opening his eyes once more, wincing when he heard more angry yelling beyond the towering wall of leaves before him.  He then paused when he caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye.  Turning his head a little, Che’nya was surprised to see a student running in his direction--or more likely, in the direction of the Unbirthday Party.

Che’nya straightened up from his crouched position, still invisible, as he studied the newcomer with mild amusement and confusion.  He felt mild amusement due to the fact that this short teen--they look as tall as Riddle--must be late to the Unbirthday Party.  They faintly reminded him of the harried little, white rabbit mentioned in the Queen of Heart’s tales, always late to an event despite the pocket watch he had.

As for his confusion…Che’nya was puzzled by the fact that he hadn’t heard this shorter teen approaching.  Usually, the cat-beastman would hear at least a whisper of the grass from a person’s footsteps around here, but, even though this person was running, Che’nya hadn’t heard a single sound of movement from them.  The cat-beastman inclined his head slightly as the short teen drew closer quickly with rapid, still soundless steps, idly noting the unfamiliar colors on them.

Did a new dorm get established?  Or was this kid a staff member?  Che’nya hummed with interest as he watched the shorter teen run past him, probably on their way to the entryway of the Unbirthday Party.  And then, when he caught a closer look of this teen’s features, the corners of his intrigued smile couldn’t help but twitch downwards a little.

To be frank, the kid looked awful, looking like they haven’t slept for days--maybe weeks.  There was also an unhealthy hollowness to their cheeks, skin looking sickly pale.  Yikes.  Did this kid get released from the hospital recently?  Or were they raised from the dead?  They looked like a starved alley cat with rumpled fur.

Che’nya couldn’t help but begin jogging after the other teen, who was now at the shut doors of the Unbirthday Party.  He was curious, wanting to see what this shorter teen was doing here; it wasn’t often that a student from--possibly--another dorm attended an Unbirthday Party, according to his brief conversations with Trey.  Anyways, the kid reached out to push one of the doors open--but then their movements came to an abrupt halt.

…Che’nya was now further confused.  What’s going on?  Why did they stop?  Did they realize that they were far too late to the party, and they were going to turn back around?  Did they get cold feet?  Che’nya came a little closer to the teen from behind.  The mauvette then stepped a little to the side to get a better look at the shorter teen’s expression when--

--A foot-long icicle suddenly appeared in their right hand.

…

……Huh?  Che’nya widened his eyes with shock and bewilderment, gaze locked onto the icicle that was abruptly summoned with magic.  Huh!?  Woah, woah, woah--!  Was this kid planning to storm into the party area with that?  The cat-beastman couldn’t help but feel nervous as he eyed the very, very sharp, pointed end of the icicle, which was now held tightly in the shorter teen’s grip.

When Che’nya yanked his moon-gold gaze up to finally study the other teen’s expression, he was unnerved by the stormy look on their face.  Was…was someone about to be stabbed!?  A cold sweat broke out on Che’nya’s temples, lazy grin turning tense.  The cat-beastman reached out to stop the shorter teen from doing…whatever the heck they were planning on doing.  He was debating whether to drop his invisibility or not as his fingertips were about to touch the shorter teen’s right shoulder.

However, in the next split second, Che’nya was looking up at the bright, blue expanse above him.  For a brief moment, the cat-beastman was confused as to why he was suddenly looking at the sky, but then he noted the lack of air in his lungs.  Spluttering for breath, Che’nya’s view of the rather peaceful-looking sky was disturbed by a head poking into his line of sight.

…Oh.

Che’nya then distantly registered that he had been knocked to the ground, and he was now looking up at the frigid gaze of the shorter teen on top of him.  Dazed, still trying to catch his breath, he noted that his arms were pinned rather firmly by boney knees.  The cat-beastman debated trying to struggle, but then he finally noted a slight chill near his neck.

Che’nya held back the incredulous, nervous chuckle that wanted to escape him, realizing that the icicle the teen above him had summoned was currently being pointed at his neck.  He wasn’t sure how close the sharp tip of the icicle was to his neck, but he wasn’t to move around and risk getting stabbed just to check the distance.  Instead, Che’nya brings his full attention to the kid gazing down at him.

They weren’t even frowning, eyebrows relaxed, mouth set in a neutral line.  Oh, but their eyes…their eyes were like witnessing a raging storm.  There was nothing calm about the depths of their irises as they gazed down at him.  Che’nya couldn’t help the slight chill that went down his spine at the sight.  Instead of a mere, hissy, alley cat, Che’nya felt like he was being pinned down by a feral lion.  The mauvette’s cat ears then twitched when a scratchy, yet soft voice spoke.

“...Reveal yourself.” The kid bit out coldly, their face still an expressionless mas--uh…?

…Wait…wait a second.  Che’nya blinked his eyes rapidly for a moment.  He’s still invisible?  Che’nya took a quick moment to check that he was, indeed, still invisible.  How did they…!?  Well, sure, his presence isn’t completely erased when he uses his magic; he still has to be careful with making sound with his movements and breathing.  However, this kid had somehow detected him easily despite his invisibility magic and years of experience of sneaking aroun--oops.

The chill beside his neck feels closer, and the little lion’s expression is starting to look stormier now.  Che’nya should really pay attention to the fact that this kid is still pointing a very sharp icicle at his throat at the moment.  The mauvette quickly dropped his invisibility, and he watched a brief emotion flicker through their emotionless mask.

They seem…surprised?  By what?  Was it the color of Che’nya’s hair or his beastman features?  The kid’s gaze did seem to move upwards a little, but it didn’t feel like they were looking at his hair.  It felt like the shorter teen’s gaze went a little higher, where his cat ears should be.

What, never seen a beastman before, Che’nya would’ve teased, but this was obviously not the time to poke fun at the feral lion cub.  And so, Che’nya tried to relax and appear as harmless as possible.  He should say something since the kid wasn’t doing anything else but staring at where his cat ears are.

“H-Hey nya-ow…” The feline-beastman stuttered with a grin on his lips, feeling beads of sweat at his temple when sharp eyes immediately went back to boring holes into his own.  Yikes, their look was intense, but Che’nya couldn’t risk looking away; he had to watch this kid’s reactions carefully in order to not end up as a cat-kebab. “...I know Nya-ight Raven has a strong rivalry with Royal Sword, but I don’t think I deserve an icicle to the throat, nya’ know?”

There’s not much of a change in the kid’s expression, but there does seem to be a hint of confusion in their gaze now.  Is it because of the typical way he talks?  Che’nya breathed a barely audible sigh of relief when the chill near his neck seemed to move away a little, but he quickly reminded himself that it was still nearby.

“...Why were you invisible earlier?” The kid then interrogated sharply with their soft, yet scratchy, voice, their face carefully void of emotion.

They continued to seemingly study every minute expression of Che’nya’s face as the mauvette’s thoughts raced.  The cat-beastman couldn’t help but agree that, yeah, it was a bit weird for a teenager to be sneaking around the area like he was; he deserved the scrutiny.  It was also more suspicious that he was hovering around this place while invisible--but he has his reasons!  Hopefully this crazy kid will let him explain himself a bit more.

“W-Well, like I said,” Che’nya did his best shrug while pinned to the ground with an icicle aimed at his neck, grinning warily and sheepishly. “Night Raven’s competitiveness is pretty intense.  I didn’t wanna get attacked like…this…while just visiting some friends.” The confusion is more clear on the kid’s face.  Huh.  What were they confused about?  Were they surprised he had friends in Night Raven? “I’m not a purr-son with bad intentions--honest.”

“...‘Night Raven’s competitiveness’?” The shorter teen softly inquired, and the dangerous edge was slowly bleeding out from their voice.

That made Che’nya relax just a bit more, feeling that his life probably won’t be threatened for much longer.  Now, usually, Che’nya wouldn’t directly answer someone’s questions; it wasn’t fun if he just spilled the necessary information.  However, since the kid has a pointy object aimed at his neck, Che’nya can’t risk giving vague answers.

“I guess mew're new around here.” Che’nya said, smiling lopsidedly.

Ah, was this kid a freshie?  Heck, was this kid even a student around here?  Yeah, they have the uniform of a typical student, but the colors are different, and they don’t have a dorm crest on their arm band.  Oh well.  He’ll think of the details later when there’s not a sharp, deadly icicle aimed at his vulnerable throat.

“Mew-r school and mya-ne have been rivals for a looong time, but Nya-ight Raven guys can get pretty worked up whenever a Royal Sword student like me crosses their path.” The mauvette grinned a little.  He’s not afraid of the Night Raven students, but it becomes a hassle if they see him and start chasing him. “Hence me stayin’ invisible when I come over to visit.”

Then…there was a beat of silence, and Che’nya willed his tail to stop twitching nervously.  After a handful of tense seconds more, there was a soft exhale, and the cat-beastman blinked with idle surprise when the light, yet strong, weight pinning him down, and the chill near his neck, quickly left him.  The cat-beastman stayed still for a bit, before he finally propped himself up a little with his elbow, groaning softly as he flexed his hands a little, noting the slight numbness in his arms.  He adjusted his clothes for a brief moment as well, tugging his striped purple shirt and white button-up down a little, plucking off a few blades of grass stuck to his long sleeves.

And then, Che’nya’s moon-gold gaze quickly settled back on the kid…and he paused, stunned by the sight of emotion seemingly flooding back onto the shorter teen’s face.  If the kid were to have ears and a tail, they would be drooping at the moment.  Che’nya was starting to feel bad for some reason, even though he had been the one that had been threatened recently.

“I-I’m so sorry for…attacking you.” The kid then uttered, stumbling over their words.  The icicle in their hand made a soft crunching sound before turning into tiny, glittering crystals, dropping harmlessly to the grassy ground below; Che’nya breathed a subtle sigh of relief.  The shorter teen extended their now empty hand out to him, but their movements were slightly hesitant, as if they were expecting Che’nya to either back away or hit them. “Are you hurt?”

Che’nya stayed still and quiet for a long moment, a bit baffled by how much this little lion cub’s personality had changed when the shorter teen had been so close to stabbing him just a minute ago.  Still, as wary as he was of this crazy kid, Che’nya couldn’t help but understand their earlier actions; to the shorter teen, the cat-beastman was just a suspicious stranger lurking around their school, possibly plotting something harmful to their fellow classmates.

Really, Che’nya didn’t feel upset at this kid; the cat-beastman could also hear and see the sincerity in their apology and worry for him.  And so, the mauvette gave a typical lax, amused grin at the little lion that was starting to look more like a pitiful, stray kitten drenched in rainwater.  He gently grasped the kid’s tiny hand without hesitation.

“I’m feline fine~!  Nya-thin’ to worry about.” Che’nya replied cherrily, and the shorter teen seemed briefly surprised by his response.

But a tentative smile began to appear on their face as they helped him back onto his feet with ease.  Nya-h, they’re definitely stronger than they look.

“Though, I gotta say that mew-r moves were purr-ty fast.  I didn’t realize I was on the ground until I saw the sky.” Che’nya continued to grin good-naturedly as he released the shorter teen’s hand.

“I-I’m really sorry about that.” The shorter teen said hastily, looking ashamed as they brought both of their hands closer to themself, twisting and untangling their fingers nervously.  The shorter teen seemed to eye his form carefully for a moment--checking for injuries?--before flickering their gaze back up.  Strangely, they did not make eye-contact, staring around chin-level. “…Are you sure you’re okay?”

Che’nya really wanted to tease the other teen for worrying so much, but they looked so pitiful already that he couldn’t really find it within himself to throw in jokes or give enigmatic responses.  He just waved a nonchalant hand through the air as he grinned lazily.

“No worries.  Though, I think there’s somethin’ mew can do to put this behind us.” Che’nya purred, studying the wariness that was starting to seep back into the little lion cub’s gaze.  This kid seems really paranoid, thought the cat-beastman.  And so, the mauvette brightened his grin, hoping to dispel the slightly rebuilding tension between them as he spread his arms in a welcoming manner. “...Let’s introduce ourselves~!”

That look of surprise appeared on the kid’s face once more, but Che’nya continued to smile as he placed a hand on his own chest, giving a slightly playful bow to the shorter teen in front of him.

“I am Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker--but you can just call me ‘Che’nya’.  Purr-ty much everyone calls me that.” The cat-beastman said cheerily, mood lightening when the kid seemed to relax a bit. “What’s mew-r name?”

They still seemed stunned at the moment, opening their mouth briefly before closing it.  After a beat of hesitation, a tentative, gentle smile then began to make its way onto the shorter teen’s lips, and they held their hand out--probably for a little shake.  They then opened their mouth to introduce themself--

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” A very familiar voice cried out with a searing amount of rage.

Che’nya couldn’t help the wince that escaped him, eyes drawn to the shut doors to the Unbirthday Party.  Nya-ikes, looks like the ones that got yelled at were finally being collared--or did someone else get caught in Riddle’s Unique Magic?  Either way, someone's gonna end up walking out of those doors soon with a fancy, new ‘necklace’.

Che’nya decided that it might be best to go into hiding again before the doors open and a bunch of Night Raven students end up catching a glimpse of him, possibly recognizing him despite his lack of school uniform.  The cat-beastman turned his head to his current company, about to say something before freezing.  He could feel the hairs on his nape stand, while his ears and tail turned slightly puffy with mild agitation; his lax grin stiffened once more.

That scary, stormy look reappeared in the lion cub’s eyes, and they looked ready to just kick down the doors themselves with how they were glaring figurative holes at the entrance to the Unbirthday Party.  But there was also something else in their sharp gaze that made Che’nya pause.  There was…worry swirling within the depths of the kid’s irises, a sort of panicky concern that looked almost…desperate.

A thought occurred to Che’nya then, thinking about why exactly this kid had rushed so urgently to the Heartslabyul’s special party.  Perhaps they were not here for the party--rather, they were here for something else.  Just then, the doors to the Unbirthday Party made a sound.

Instinctively, Che’nya turned himself invisible, and the shorter teen beside him barely reacted to his disappearance.  Instead, they kept their gaze rooted on the opening doors, even taking a slight step towards them.  Che’nya cat ears twitched on his head when a variety of swears reached him before two teens, dressed in the typical red, white, black, and gold Unbirthday Party attire, stumbled out of the barely open doors.  A bundle of gray fur quickly followed, yowling as it landed on the grass on all fours, hissing angrily.  All of them were wearing a certain collar, an unfortunate courtesy of Riddle’s Unique Magic.

The doors to the Unbirthday Party quickly shut with a loud thud, and all that was left outside were an invisible Che’nya, the still unnamed stranger, and now these three newcomers.  The human teen with ginger hair was the one spitting numerous curses while the other with navy-blue locks half-glowered and forlornly half-gazed at the now closed doors.  The furball--a cat-monster, apparently--continued to snarl with irritation, his pronged tail swishing about angrily.  Huh, weren’t cats not allowed at festivities?  Maybe that’s why it got kicked out, but what rule was broken by the human teens?

“That frickin’--!  Aaaah, I’m so pissed!  What the hell!?” The gingerhead growled, hands clenching and unclenching into fists at his sides.  He moved one hand up to the collar around his neck, yanking at it with irritation. “I could’a punted that li’l piece of crap into the sky…!  Who the frick does he think he is!?  The Queen of Hearts herself!?  Screw that shitty tyrant!”

Che’nya’s idle smile grew a little stiff at the words from the ginger-haired teen.  An uncomfortable feeling twists in the mauvette’s chest, and all he can think of is a small, redhead child with wide silver eyes.

Back when he was a child, Che’nya had called out to the little redhead to play, and all he saw within those silver eyes was worry edging on fear.  The redhead had looked back at his desk covered with books, and then the shut door to his room, looking like he was expecting something…scary to suddenly barge in.  Like a kid fearing a terrible monster would pop out of their closet.

And now, Che’nya shut his moon-gold eyes for a moment, exhaling softly.  They don't know, he reminded himself.  The cat-beastman then opened his eyes again to observe what would happen next with the three newcomers and the nameless stranger.

“Hmph!  I would’a roasted him first!” The cat snarled as he sat on his haunches, paws also going up to the collar around his neck. “Can’t believe your dorm leader got all crazy beacuse of the stupid tart, and now I gotta wear this thing!”

Ah, so it was something to do with a tart.  On the other hand, the navy-haired teen started to droop, the rage in his gaze and posture fading, glumly lowering his gaze from the doors to the grassy ground below.

“I disobeyed the dorm leader and got kicked out…” The teen, with a spade mark beside his right eye, sighed heavily as he dragged his gloved hands over his face.  His next few words were slightly muffled but still audible. “I’m now even further from being an honors student.” After a slight pause, the navy-haired kid heaved a great sigh once more before dropping his hands from his face, slowly turning away from the party doors. “Perhaps it was a good thing that Yuu didn’t arrive in time with u--…”

The navy-haired teen abruptly stopped talking, and he now seemed to realize the presence of another teen in the area.  The gingerhead and the cat-monster turned their attention to whatever made the navy-haired teen stop talking, and they froze too.  Ah, it looks like they know each other.

“Y..Y-Yuu…?” The navy-haired teen stuttered, peacock-green eyes wide. “When did you arrive…?”

Oh, so the little lion cub’s name was Yuu.  Good to know.  However, the kid--Yuu--did not respond.  Instead, they slowly came closer to the trio, and Che’nya, still invisible, followed with a small distance between them and him.  Yuu eventually came to a stop once they were around arm’s length from the newcomers, and then they kneeled down.  Immediately, the cat-monster scampered up to Yuu, a deep frown on the feline’s face as he sat back on his haunches and gestured to the collar currently around his neck.  His large, cyan eyes looked down at Riddle’s Unique Magic with contempt.

“Henchman!  Look at what the rose-head bastard did to me!” The cat-monster complained before pouting grumpily.  Also, what's with the feline calling Yuu ‘henchman’?  Is it a nickname?  The cat-monster continued to speak. “He got all mad because we made the wrong tart for his crappy party, and even though we worked hard on it, it got thrown to the ground!  And this stupid collar is heavy.  It even hurts--...”

For some reason, the gray feline abruptly cut himself off, and his expression turned startled and slightly hesitant when he finally lifted his head to look up at the kneeling Yuu.  Che’nya can't quite see the little lion cub’s face at the moment, but he’s sure that whatever the cat-monster sees must be rather intimidating.  The gray feline has dropped his paws from his collar, and his tail has stopped hitting the grass with irritation.

“...H-Henchman?” The cat-monster called out carefully, pupils turning into slits while his tail fluffed up slightly.

It was then that Che’nya could feel something, and the mauvette’s next breath came out as a white puff of air in front of him.  The surrounding area suddenly became cold, as if the sun had vanished, or a blizzard had abruptly hit them.  And yet, when Che’nya briefly glanced around and up at the sky, the sun was still there in the currently cloudless sky, and not a single snowflake was sighted.  The mauvette suppressed a shiver as he finally dragged his gaze back to Yuu’s kneeling form, studying their small frame warily.

There was also a strange buzz in the air.  Was this…the little lion cub’s magic?  Che’nya then looked at the other two teens shifting slightly behind the cat-monster, and the mauvette was idly surprised by the peculiar mix of emotions crossing both of their faces.  The navy-haired teen and the gingerhead looked a bit tense and slightly nervous, but above all that, they seemed…worried--though not for themselves.  Rather, they seem worried for Yuu.  Actually, the cat-monster looked worried for Yuu too despite the signs of mild fear in his stiff form.

“Your magic,” Che’nya snapped his gaze back to Yuu when they finally spoke.  It was just two words, yet there was something in their voice that sounded raw, like something was being painfully wrenched out of them, like a terrible, deep scar was being slowly reopened.  Yuu paused for a moment, seemingly struggling before finding their words once more, sounding much more calm. “…Can you still feel your magic?”

“Huh?” The cat-monster uttered dumbly, his fur starting to settle out of surprise at the question.  The gray feline blinked his large cyan eyes rapidly for a moment before quickly responding. “Y-Yeah, I can still feel it, henchman, but it’s sort of muffled and I can’t use it.  It’s really annoying!”

The cat-monster seemed to settle further when Yuu reached out to gently pet between the feline’s ears.  As they continued to pet the cat-monster, Yuu lifted their head to seemingly look at the other two teens, and the gingerhead was the first to respond.

“Hey, you’ve asked me this question plenty of times already, Dorm Leader Worrywart.” The ember-eyed teen said with a half-hearted grumble, rubbing the back of his head.

His shoulders also lost their tension as he relaxed his form slightly.  Che’nya then lifted an intrigued eyebrow at the fact that the gingerhead said ‘Dorm Leader’.  Yuu was a dorm leader?  Interesting.  Che’nya quickly turned his focus back to the conversation as the ginger-haired teen continued to speak.

“I’m fine, and so is Golden Boy Deucey.”

“Don’t call me that.” The navy-haired teen seemed to snap back reflexively.  But then his attention quickly returned to Yuu, his peacock-green eyes still filled with worry. “As Ace said, I’m fine, Yuu.  We’re all fine.  We just can’t use our magic.” He then paused for a moment, apparently trying to gather his thoughts before he opened his mouth again. “Are…are you alright, Yuu?”

“Yes.”

The shorter teen’s reply was rather curt, which made the two Heartslabyul students look at Yuu with mild disbelief.  Yuu sounded almost distracted as they stood up...and walked past the teens and cat-monster to the Unbirthday Party doors.  Each step Yuu took was soundless, and Che’nya distantly thought that they looked like they were a prowling predator on the hunt; ‘little lion cub’ really does suit them.  The navy-haired teen--‘Golden Boy Deucey’--spoke up then, sounding startled, confused, and a bit panicked.  His gloved hands were slightly raised as if he were about to reach out and grab Yuu, but his movements were hesitant.

“Y-Yuu?  Where are you--?”

“I’m going to talk to your dorm leader.” Yuu placidly replied, yet their posture looked anything but calm.

This sorta felt like déjà vu, Che’nya distantly mused.  Just like earlier, Yuu looked like they were about to storm into the party.  Fortunately, no icicle has been summoned into Yuu’s hand this time.  Actually, that icicle might’ve been for Che’nya earlier when Yuu somehow sensed him and perceived him as a threat.  Anyways, the mauvette should probably speak up now and try to diffuse the tension, especially since the ominous chill and buzz of magic still lingered in the air.  

Now, Che’nya hasn’t known Yuu for long, but he could easily understand that this kid was pissed.  They may seem calm outwardly, but there was just something dangerous that seemed to be draped around Yuu like a cloak.  Che’nya could slightly understand why the little lion cub was angry--heck, a lot of people get upset with Riddle’s many rules and the punishment that follows.

But this is all Riddle knows, and no one really understands that.

And yet…maybe…could Yuu be someone willing to understand?  Would any of these people in front of Che’nya attempt to seek the answer behind Riddle’s actions?  When Yuu raised a hand to touch the doors of the Unbirthday Party, Che’nya sighed softly.  Well, it was nya-ow or never.  Rocking back on his heels a little, the cat-beastman spoke up.

“Can mew wait just a meow-ment, little lion?” Che’nya hummed cheerily, taking some glee at how Yuu’s friends startled badly and looked around frantically at his voice while he was still invisible. “...Let me say somethin’ fur-st?”

Fortunately, Yuu did stop where they were.  However, in the next beat, Yuu turned around, and their gaze instantly landed on him, eyes cold, sharp, and very intimidating.  Seriously, how does this kid do it?  Before Yuu, only Trey was good at finding him while he was invisible, and the green-haired teen was only successful half of the time.  Che’nya shook his head at his wandering thoughts when he noted Yuu’s pals were still panicking a bit.

“Wh-What was that…!?” The cat-monster stuttered, now on all fours as he looked about.

“What the hell?  More ghosts?” The ginger-haired teen--Ace--grumbled more with annoyance than wariness as he glanced around.  What was the story behind that?

‘Deucey’ shuffled closer to Yuu, looking a bit defensive as he narrowed his eyes slightly.  It was an amusing sight that made Che’nya chuckle, since the little lion cub had been the one to pin him to the ground with an icicle at his neck earlier.  Was the navy-haired teen not aware of what Yuu could do? 

“Nya-t exactly.” Che’nya then answered the gingerhead’s words, and he purposefully released the invisibility for just his head.

“GYAAAH!  A FLOATING HEAD!” The cat-monster shrieked with panic, the flaming tips of his ears growing slightly.

The eyes of Ace and ‘Deucey’ seemed to bug out slightly, and Yuu was the only one who remained calm.  Che’nya was a bit happy when a flicker of amusement in the little lion’s eyes appeared; amusement was way better than anger.  Che’nya then feigned a troubled smile as he glanced down at the rest of his body that was still invisible.

“Oops~I fur-got to bring out the rest of my body.” Once the rest of Che’nya’s body was revealed, Ace, ‘Deucey’, and the cat-monster relaxed a little.

The mauvette raised a sleeve-covered hand and waved it as a small, lazy greeting, but he decided not to introduce himself to the two other teens and the cat-monster just yet.  Che’nya quickly focused his moon-gold eyes onto Yuu, ignoring the confused gazes of the others.  Che’nya spoke up before Ace, ‘Deucey’, or the cat-monster could say anything.

“...Do mew think Riddle’s a tyrant?” Che’nya inquired casually, his question mostly directed at Yuu.

The storm in Yuu’s eyes has settled somewhat, and the chill in the air has lessened.  Yuu seemed to quietly think over his question, but then Ace snapped out a response first with irritation.

“What kind of shitty question is that?  Of course he’s a tyrant.” The ember-eyed teen scoffed, waving one hand through the air carelessly by his head. “Makes you wonder what kind of upbringing he had to turn out like that.”

Ha.  Indeed, just what kind of upbringing did Riddle have to turn out this way, Che’nya thought to himself sardonically as he continued to smile, feeling a little bitter.  The mauvette made eye-contact with Yuu, and was briefly startled by the feeling of the shorter teen seeing through him, as if they could read past his smiling expression.  It also seemed that Yuu’s anger had settled further, which made Che’nya breathe a soft sigh of relief.

“Are mew curious?” Che’nya then turned his moon-gold eyes to Ace, the corners of his eyes curving into crescents.  At the looks of confusion sent at him, Che’nya continued to smile mysteriously. “…Then go to your friend with glasses.  He’ll help you.”

“‘Friend with glasses’? ‘Deucey’ parroted with mild confusion.  A split second later, his peacock-green eyes seemed to light up slightly with recognition. “Do you mean Senior Clover?”

“That guy’s known Riddle since he was a kid, so,” Che’nya hummed as he laced his fingers behind his head casually, grinning widely. “If nya wanna know about Riddle, he’s the one mew should talk to.”

Trey needs a little push, and as for Che’nya……well, he felt that he wouldn’t be someone very helpful when it came to Riddle and his past.  Compared to Trey, Che’nya’s bond with Riddle isn’t as strong.  A bitter feeling in the mauvette’s chest was welling up again, but the cat-beastman continued to smile outwardly as his body, starting from his shoes, began to vanish from view.

“Well, meow there’s nothing else for me to really talk about.” Che’nya said cheerily just as his torso started to fade away, arms dropping to his sides once more. “See nya~!”

“Oi, wait a second!  Are you saying that our dorm leader and Senior Clover are childhood frie--!?” ‘Deucey’ called out, but Che’nya’s invisibility finally covered the rest of his body.  The mauvette chuckled as the navy-haired teen looked around the area with bafflement and wonder. “He’s gone…”

The cat-monster huffed before he padded closer to where Yuu was currently standing, sitting back on his haunches when he was right beside them.  The gray feline’s nose scrunched slightly as he glanced about with some suspicion.

“That guy has a weird purr-sonality…gack!” The cat-monster’s eyes went slightly wide with surprise before he frowned slightly. “Now I’m talking like him!”

While the gray feline seemed to be muttering to himself, a silence then fell upon the rest of the group; they seemed to be internally debating what to do now.  Che’nya continued to hang around, moon-gold eyes carefully watching the expressions made by the other teens.  Eventually, the silence was broken by ‘Deucey’.

“Let’s talk to Senior Clover first.  If we keep these collars on, we won’t be able to participate in class properly.” The navy-haired teen then side-eyed Ace. “...After that, perhaps we can--”

“Don’t even finish that sentence!” The gingerhead snapped angrily, arms crossing over his chest as he looked off to the side. “I ain’t apologizing to that spoiled brat.”

“Me neither!” The cat-monster piped up grumpily.  The gray feline then turned his attention to Yuu. “Hey, henchman!  You don’t think we should apologize either, right?”

Che’nya let out a little huff at their words, smile turning lopsided before he turned his attention to Yuu, interested in what they had to say.  After all, Yuu had the most…intense reaction to Riddle’s punishment, and they weren’t even the one collared.  Che’nya’s smile can’t help but dim further.  What will the little lion cub do after hearing Riddle’s story?  Will they become more angry, thinking that Riddle’s story was insignificant?  Will they immediately go on the hunt for Riddle to chew him out and then demand for his Unique Magic to be dispelled?

“...I don’t have the right to judge someone that has been shaped by their past.” Yuu then said softly, and Che’nya’s cat ears pricked upwards slightly with surprise.

Yuu seemingly made direct eye-contact with him, despite his invisibility, but Che’nya didn’t feel all that surprised anymore, and there were other things that he was focusing on at the moment.  The anger in Yuu’s gaze and frigid voice was completely gone.  Instead, there was this look of…exhaustion on their face.

“Honestly, I don’t really have the right to judge anyone--especially if I am not familiar with them.” Yuu said, breaking eye-contact with Che’nya to look at their current companions.  The little lion cub then smiled tiredly at the two taller teens and the cat-monster. “But I still want to hear his story……though not from Senior Trey.”

“...What do you mean?” ‘Deucey’ then asked nervously.  His peacock-green eyes then grew slightly wide with some sort of realization. “D..D-Do you still plan to talk with our dorm leader?”

“Can you even have a conversation with that lunatic?” Ace scoffed before looking at Yuu with disbelief and mild frustration. “Yuu, you’re gonna end up wasting your time.  And you might end up with a coll--......” Ace cut himself off for some reason, a grimace on his face as his ember gaze seemed to flicker to Yuu’s face and their…neck? “...Our Prefect might hit you with his Unique Magic.”

Hm?  Is something wrong with saying ‘collar’ around Yuu?  But the cat-monster said it easily around the shorter teen.  Che’nya couldn’t think much longer about the puzzling piece of information when Yuu seemingly made eye-contact with the mauvette once more.  To others, Yuu must have looked like they were staring ahead at nothing.

“I think I’ll be fine.” Yuu replied calmly, gaze steady and not as stormy. “If my conversation with Prefect Rosehearts becomes…unpleasant, I’ll simply leave.”

Ace, ‘Deucey’, and the cat monster started talking at the same time, sharing expressions that ranged from exasperation, worry, and annoyance.  The trio started to slightly crowd around Yuu.

“You ‘think’ you’ll be fine?  What the hell is wrong with you?  You’re always heading straight towards danger!  Are you really considering--!?”

“Yuu, perhaps it’s best to hear the story from Senior Clover before you attempt to talk to our dorm leader--”

“Henchman, that rose-head guy is nothin’ but trouble!  Didn’t you hear what happened to--!?”

A smile, that seemed to be filled with fondness, appeared on Yuu’s lips as they silently accepted the jumble of words they were being attacked with.  As they were all talking, Yuu had lowered amused eyes slightly to observe the cat-monster that was batting their ankle with his paw.  In another beat, Yuu had lifted their head to look in Che’nya’s direction once more, and the mauvette’s cat ears flickered slightly with surprise at what he saw in their gaze.

I will do my best to understand, was what Yuu’s gaze told Che’nya.

…

……And just like that, the tightly wound feeling in Che’nya’s chest--he’s not sure when it formed--untangled, and the cat-beastman exhaled the breath he had been holding.  Che’nya could feel a corner of his mouth twitch a little before a large, lazy grin spread across his lips, and his shoulders slumped slightly from their tense position.

Ah…it looks like the little lion cub might be different, compared to the others, Che’nya thought to himself.  Yuu will at least try to understand the little tyrant before deciding what kind of person Riddle is.

“Did Senior Trey borrow a book for the tart recipe?” Yuu then spoke up, breaking through their friends’ protests and rambling, turning their gaze from the still invisible Che’nya to the two taller teens and the cat-monster.

“…Huh?” Ace uttered, stupefied. “What does that have to do with anything, Yuu?”

“Wha--?  Yes, I believe he did.” ‘Deucey’ responded swiftly, looking equally bewildered by Yuu’s abrupt question.  The cat-monster by Yuu’s feet merely frowned.

“I think you’ll be able to catch Senior Trey at the library--if he plans to drop off the book before class.” Yuu said thoughtfully.  They briefly bent down to pick the cat-monster up, carefully petting between flame-covered ears once he was comfortable in their arms. “If not, once I’m done talking with Prefect Rosehearts, I can try to help you all track him down.”

“...You’re seriously going to talk to that guy, huh?” Ace grumbled, but there was a hint of worry in his ember eyes.  He moved his gloved hand up to ruffle his own hair with agitation, peering through ginger locks when a few of them fell over his eyes. “You can’t even talk to him now with that crappy party going on.  Are you just gonna wait outside for him?  ‘Cause I’m sure that little tyrant wouldn’t appreciate any more interruptions to his perfect schedule.”

Ace rolled his eyes with his last few words, and Yuu simply sent a lopsided smile back at the irritated gingerhead.

“Well…I did get an invitation from Senior Cater to visit the hedgehogs.” Yuu said, looking faintly amused at the incredulous looks thrown at them.  The little lion cub then glanced at the shut doors to the Unbirthday Party, expression slowly turning more neutral. “...I’m fine with waiting a bit longer.  I think I need some more time to properly think about this entire situation.”

The area grew quiet then, and Che’nya watched as Yuu’s friends seemed to reluctantly digest the shorter teen’s words.  It was apparent that the little lion cub would not budge on their decision.

“…Haaaaah…” Ace then exhaled long and slow, running his gloved hand through his hair once more before rubbing the back of his neck.  He then turned narrowed ember eyes to Yuu. “Well, if things really go south for you, you better leave.  You’re too much of a softie that I’m worried you’ll let that little tyrant yell at you.”

‘Softie’?  Che’nya was filled with disbelief, but he hasn’t known Yuu for long, so who was he to say something about the little lion cub’s personality?  Ah, but just thinking of their fierce gaze from before gave him the chills a little.

…But were kids like Yuu supposed to have eyes like those?  Che’nya’s lazy smile wanted to twitch downwards at the thought.  The mauvette then watched as Yuu began to gently reassure and urge their friends to go ahead, repeatedly saying that they would be fine.  Once Yuu set the cat-monster back onto the ground, their three friends began to make their way off of Heartslabyul grounds, albeit reluctantly.

The two taller teens and the gray feline would constantly glance backwards, as if expecting Yuu to change their mind at the last second.  However, in the end, Yuu merely waved farewell until their close companions were out of sight.  Che’nya waited for a moment, observing the place where he had last seen Ace, ‘Deucey’, and the cat-monster.  He then turned his attention to Yuu before slowly making his way over to stand right beside them, still invisible.  A short silence had fallen over the two teens before Yuu surprisingly broke it first. 

“…I would be lying if I said I’m not angry at the fact that Prefect Rosehearts has collared my friends.” Yuu started the conversation, and Che’nya winced with understanding, grin turning lopsided.  However, Yuu’s next few words were less sharp, though not unkind; there was an underlying layer of steel in their voice still. “But…as I said before, I have no right to judge his actions when I don’t know much about him and his past.”

“...Well…I won’t hold it against nya if mew think Riddle’s a tyrant.” The cat-beastman hummed, releasing the invisibility on his head.  Che’nya’s grin widened when Yuu sent him a faintly amused look at the sight of his ‘floating’ head. “He’s been a stickler for rules ever since he was little.”

“I see.” Yuu murmured softly, tilting their head upwards slightly to look at the blue sky above.  Che’nya watched as a ghost of a…bitter smile appeared on the little lion cub’s lips. “…Rules…are difficult to break away from if it’s all that you’ve known from the start.”

There seemed to be a heavy weight to their odd words, and it made Che’nya feel…a little uncomfortable.  The cat-beastman looked off to the side as he started to mull over what he knew about the shorter teen beside him so far.  Yuu was…certainly different from what he expected from an average person.  Very different.

They were an enigma, much like him--but he does it more for fun.  On the other hand, Yuu appeared to be vague and mysterious for a different reason.  It was like they were…protecting themself from him.  Of course, it’s natural for someone to be wary of Che’nya since he had seemingly appeared out of nowhere with the help of his invisibility; everyone he meets for the first time usually reacts like that.  However, the way Yuu acted around the mauvette…it was as if they were expecting him to lash out at them--both verbally and physically. 

“One of your friends is Prefect Rosehearts?” Yuu then said, their question sounding more like a statement.

It broke Che’nya out of his thoughts, and he brought his gaze back to Yuu, who was now looking up at him.  The mauvette was about to open his mouth, planning to say something along the lines of ‘Maybe I am, maybe I’m not~!’  But Che’nya caught Yuu’s keen gaze and recalled how shrewd this person was.

Ah, the little lion cub would just see right through him.  Although it put a damper on his fun, Che’nya accepted the fact that Yuu was one of the rare people he couldn’t speak to with peculiar words and elusive answers.  And so, Che’nya inclined his ‘floating’ head a little and grinned with mild amusement, rocking back on his heels slightly.

“Fufu~!  Is it that obvious to you?”

“…You just seem to care a lot about him.” Yuu replied easily, and there was something warmer in their gaze now, though there was still a hint of wariness in their eyes. “Am I being too presumptuous…?”

“Hmm…nya-t at all.” Che’nya replied as he looked up at the sky with a lazy grin.  He took a handful of steps forward, casually strolling around the area while still staying near Yuu. “It’s just people rarely think that the rule-enforcer Riddle and the maverick me are friends with each other.  Mew’re an interesting change of pace~!”

Indeed, Che’nya didn’t think that he came across as caring for Riddle to others.  All he did today was tell a bunch of younger teens that they could hear about Riddle’s past through Trey.  Did that really seem caring to Yuu?  Plus, the friendship between Riddle, Trey, and him has become a bit…estranged.  A bitter, stuffy feeling continued to linger in Che’nya’s chest, but the cat-beastman continued to smile as he turned on his heel to face the little lion cub once more.

“Well, mew must want to visit the hedgehogs right nya-ow.” Che’nya said as he grinned brightly.  He released the invisibility around his right hand to give a two-fingered salute to Yuu. “It was nya-ce meetin’ mew, little lion cub.”

There was a slight pause, and Che’nya expected that to be the end of it.  But then Che’nya was surprised when Yuu took a few steps towards him, a small, gloved hand tentatively extended out to the mauvette.  Yuu smiled a little, looking a little shy and slightly sheepish.

“I’m sorry, I should introduce myself properly before we go our separate ways.” Yuu said softly. “I’m Yuu, and it was nice meeting you as well.” Their smile strengthened a bit, and their eyes were brighter, less shadow-filled. “I’m grateful for your advice, and I’ll keep it in mind when I go and talk to Prefect Rosehearts.”

Che’nya blinked his eyes rapidly for a moment with surprise, but then the corners of his grin lifted higher.  The mauvette gently took Yuu’s hand in his still visible one and shook it.

“Hope mew have a pleasant conversation with the li’l red tyrant, Yuu.” Che’nya said with a slightly teasing smile.  Yuu’s face then went through a odd set of emotions before settling on something resolved.

“...Prefect Rosehearts is not a tyrant--at least, I don’t feel like he is.” Yuu then spoke up, and Che’nya raised his eyebrows slightly with surprise as the two teens released each other’s hands.  The shorter teen smiled lopsidedly at his expression. “I know what I said about not judging someone without knowing their past, but I can tell you with certainty that I don’t think Prefect Rosehearts is a tyrant.”

Che’nya was still stunned for a beat…before his grin softened into something a bit more genuine, moon-gold eyes curving into crescents.  Yuu’s words were so earnest, and they didn’t sound like they were just saying it for Che’nya’s peace of mind.  They truly seem to believe that Riddle wasn’t a tyrant in their eyes.

The cat-beastman let out a soft chuckle, lifting his still visible, sleeve-covered hand to his mouth, amused.  There was also a sense of relief within Che’nya’s chest, feeling lighter now and less worried.  Riddle needed to open up to someone, and although Yuu was pretty much an outsider, Che’nya hoped that the little lion would be able to tear down those thorny rose bushes grown around the red tyrant’s heart.  If Trey and he couldn’t do it, then perhaps Yuu can.

“Then, I’ll leave things in your capable paws, little lion cub~!” Che’nya said cheerily with a small wink. “See nya later~!”

He started to turn completely invisible once more, though it honestly wouldn’t matter much to Yuu since they could somehow know exactly where he was.  Still, since they were now parting ways from each other, Che’nya had to go back into stealth mode to avoid persistent Night Raven students.

“‘Twas brilig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe~!” Che’nya then began to sing, in an upbeat mood.  A look of bemusement appeared on Yuu’s face, and the cat-beastman could only grin wider as he turned on his heel once more to walk away. “All mimsy were the borogroves, and the mome raths outgrabe~!”

Before he fully left the area, he heard a soft, amused chuckle from behind him, and a brief glance over his shoulder allowed him to see Yuu smiling warmly.  It was a smile that made the cat-beastman feel like he was basking in the afternoon sun, and it made Che’nya think of how vastly different Yuu’s expression had been when he first met them not too long ago, with their stormy eyes and cold, expressionless face.  When the mauvette turned his head back around to face forward, his grin dimmed a little and he grew thoughtful once more.

Che’nya couldn’t help but wonder what kind of upbringing Yuu had to turn into the person they are now.

~~

This…this was a lot to take in, Deuce thought to himself with a heavy heart as he went over all that Senior Clover had said to Ace, Grim, and him just now.  Yuu had guessed correctly that Senior Clover would return his baking book to the library first before classes could start, and so Deuce, Ace, and Grim had managed to successfully corner the Heartslabyul Vice-Dorm Leader.  After finding a secluded area in the library, surrounded by tall bookcases, it didn’t take much urging for Senior Clover to spill.  It was apparent that this issue had been on the third-year’s mind for a while now.

By the end of Senior Clover’s story, Deuce felt a bit devastated by what he had heard.  He could now understand why Prefect Rosehearts has become so strict with the Queen of Hearts’ rules, collaring his dormmates and himself for the slightest error.  If Deuce had been raised the same way by his own mom…wouldn’t he too end up extremely devoted to following the rules and regulations?

Deuce was lucky that his mom was so loving and supportive of him, no matter what kind of crap he pulled back then.  The navy-haired teen grimaced a little, feeling more ashamed by what he had put his mom through.  Yet, he was now even more grateful for how much freedom she had given him compared to Prefect Rosehearts and his mother.  Deuce also felt sorry for his dorm leader, empathizing with the heavy burden the short redhead must be feeling right now.

“So…the reason why our prefect is like this…” Ace then decided to break the silence first, lifting his gaze from the library’s floor after pondering.  Deuce broke from his own thoughts to focus on what the gingerhead planned to say to Senior Clover. “……It’s because of you, huh?”

…

…What.

“O-Oi, Ace!” Deuce shouted, sounding scandalized, his peacock-green eyes wide.  He felt half-ready to hit Ace for his outrageous words.

Glancing to the side, even Grim, who was sitting back on his haunches on one of the nearby tables, looked at Ace with shock, gaping slightly.  Across from Ace, Senior Clover’s sorrowful, mustard-yellow eyes blinked owlishly, and the gingerhead could only scoff at all of their reactions, shaking his head a little.  Perhaps Deuce really should punch him; Yuu would agree that Ace deserves it.

“Our dorm leader has no say in who his parents are--but you must’ve thought that what they were doing to him was wrong, right?” Ace then continued to speak, voice sharp.  Senior Clover’s gaze turned slightly shaken.

“That’s…” Senior Clover then bit his lower lip, a mixed look of frustration and guilt appearing on his face.  Deuce wanted to stop Ace from speaking so harshly, but the gingerhead barreled on, ember eyes looking determined.

“If you think the dorm head’s making the same mistakes as his parents, then you should just tell him.  Put him on the right track.” Ace said, gaze steady and voice firm as he crossed his arms with a huff. “You’re not gonna accomplish anything if you keep on codling and feeling sorry for him.  He’s gonna end up being hated and isolated from everyone, turning into a spoiled brat that always gets his way!”

…Deuce can’t help but silently agree with Ace’s words--but couldn’t the gingerhead word it differently?  Preferably with less disrespect.  Taking a nervous peek at Senior Clover’s face for his reaction, Deuce grew more anxious at the sight of the third-year frowning, eyebrows furrowed, lips pressed together into a thin line.

“Are you keeping quiet ‘cause you don’t wanna lose your head?” Ace kept going, and he seemed to sneer in reaction to Senior Clover’s upset expression.  The ginger-haired teen threw a hand up beside his head, as if silently saying, ‘Is this all you’ll amount to’?  Ace scoffed and shook his head. “How lame!”

Ace then abruptly closed the short distance between him and Senior Clover, making sure that he had the other’s attention, ember eyes clashing with mustard-yellow ones.  Ace’s mocking smile had disappeared, and the ginger-haired first-year was scowling now.

“You’re not childhood friends.” Ace stated solemnly.  Deuce was startled when Ace roughly jabbed Senior Clover in the chest with a finger, and the navy-haired teen became more worried when the Heartslabyul Vice-Dorm Leader actually stumbled back a step.  The third-year looked like he had got punched in the stomach and the face with Ace’s next few words.

“You can’t even call yourself a friend!”

Deuce inhaled sharply, and out of the corner of his eye, the navy-haired teen saw Grim’s jaw drop once more; the feline was looking between Senior Clover and Ace like he was watching a fast-paced magift match.  Deuce was about to finally speak up--because this was just going too far--but then a loud, familiar voice interrupted the conversation.

“HEY!” One certain headmaster yelled with outrage.  Deuce quickly whipped his head around to see the owner of the voice, finding Headmaster Crowley standing there with his hands on his hips, light glinting off his sleek, obsidian mask and golden talons. “ALL OF YOU NEED TO LOWER YOUR VOICES!  THIS IS A LIBRARY!”

Grim immediately rolled his eyes, his fur slightly puffy due to Headmaster Crowley’s initial shout.  The feline let out a short hiss as he glanced over his shoulder to look at Headmaster Crowley, pupils slitted.

“You’re the only one being noisy.” Grim grumbled before he licked his paw and tried to smooth out the fur he could reach with irritation.

Deuce can't help but look at the headmaster with a flat expression, which was mirrored by Senior Clover and Ace.  Apparently understanding the looks that were sent towards him, Headmaster Crowley coughed into his right fist, looking at least a little chastened as he cleared his throat.  The raven-haired man then settled his figurative, ruffled feathers and addressed the students before him, voice much softer yet still loud enough to hear. 

“Now, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation a little.” Headmaster Crowley said, redirecting the attention back to them.  He lowered his loose fist from his mouth to place a taloned finger beneath his chin, head tilting slightly, much like an inquisitive bird. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you wish to remove Mr. Rosehearts’ collars around your necks without having to apologize to him.  You are also aware that convincing your prefect will not go as smoothly if you choose to do this…?”

“That guy probably wouldn’t even accept a sincere apology.” Ace scoffed as he crossed his arms, and the headmaster merely hummed for a moment before continuing to speak.

Deuce sent a furtive glance towards Senior Clover once more at Ace’s words, and the navy-haired teen suppressed a grimace when he saw that the third-year had tightly clenched his hands into fists at his sides.  The Heartslabyul Vice-Dorm Leader’s expression was warring between helpless and frustrated, mustard-yellow eyes lowered to the floor, teeth gritted.

Deuce bet that Ace’s merciless, verbal beatdown had made a jarring impact on Senior Clover.  The green-haired teen seemed to be trying to bear the weight of new murky thoughts threatening to drag him down in a pool of regret.  Deuce never thought he would see Senior Clover--the Heartsabyul Vice-Dorm Leader--like this, looking so…defeated, and it caused an uncomfortable feeling to form in the navy-haired teen’s chest.  Deuce then reluctantly dragged his full attention back to the conversation between Headmaster Crowley and Ace.

“--ou dislike how your prefect runs things, you can always transfer to a different dorm.” Headmaster Crowley offered, and Deuce blinked his eyes rapidly with surprise.  Students can transfer into a different dormitory?  The headmaster then frowned faintly, a hint of warning in his next few words. “However, you must know that the Mirror of Darkness chooses your dorm based off of what it sees in your soul.  Transfering can be quite a difficult task…”

Huh.  Deuce didn’t know transfering was a thing.  The navy-haired teen couldn’t help but wonder what dorm he would transfer to if he ever decided to leave Heartslabyul.  Deuce wasn’t actually planning on leaving his current dorm, but the idea made him curious about what other dorm he would choose if he were to hypothetically transfer.  The navy-haired teen immediately thought of Savanaclaw, since it sounded like it was a dorm of competitive athletes, which was something that sounded fun and exciting to Deuce.

“Transfering, huh?” Ace then mumbled to himself as he looked off to the side for a brief moment.  The gingerhead’s gaze then narrowed slightly and an annoyed scowl appeared on his face. “I feel like I’d lose to that little tyrant if I did something like that.  So yeah, transfering isn’t really an option for me.”

“I see, I see…” Headmaster Crowley noded with understanding, still looking thoughtful, rubbing his taloned finger beneath his chin before he perked up a little.  The masked man seemed to look at Ace with a slight twinkle in his golden eyes. “Hmmm…then how about challenging Mr. Rosehearts to a duel and become the Dorm Leader of Heartslabyul yourself?”

There was a brief beat of silence…before Deuce, Ace, and Grim made loud exclamations of shock.

“WHAT!?”

~~

After a bit of an explanation from Headmaster Crowley, Ace decided that dueling was his final solution in getting the crappy collar off of his, Deuce’s, and Grim’s neck.  Deuce was joining in on the duel, since team-play was allowed; Grim wanted to be a part of the duel as well, but being in a different dorm barred him from challenging Riddle.  Trey looked conflicted on this whole thing, but Riddle really needed to be shown his place, and Ace was gonna do it no matter what.

The duel can happen as soon as tomorrow, and all Headmaster Crowley had to do was let the little red tyrant know.  The headmaster planned to walk over to Heartslabyul as soon as possible to deliver the news in person, and Ace, Deuce, Trey, and Grim ended up tagging along.

Although Ace, Deuce, and Grim didn’t need to be present for the declaration of the duel, and they weren’t actually allowed on Heartslabyul grounds, the three of them wanted to go in order to meet up with Yuu.  From their conversation before they all parted ways, Ace expected Yuu to meet up with them around the time he, Deuce, and Grim finished interrogating Trey for answers.

Yet Yuu had not appeared, which was a little…concerning.  Were they still talking with that little tyrant?  After all this time?  Or did Yuu head back to Ramshackle, expecting to meet up there?  Ace fiddled with the object currently in his hand before he glanced down at it, studying the details of the dorm crest that was handed to him by the headmaster.

“I was hoping to hand it to Mx. Yuu myself, but I’m sure the Ramshackle Prefect’s friends can easily deliver it to them for me, yes?” Headmaster Crowley had said cheerfully, eyes curving upwards with joy. “You can give it to Mx. Yuu for me while I inform Mr. Rosehearts about Mr. Spade and your intentions for a duel.” 

It was shaped like a vertical hexagon with a wispy halo of flames decorating the top half of the silver crest.  On each of the upper three corners of the crest was a top hat--one was skinny, the other was small, and the last one was wide.  In the center of these top hats was a broadsword with a curved hand-guard, the pointed, sharp tip of the blade reaching the bottom of the crest.

Going across the lower half of the crest, covering most of the broadsword, was a thick ribbon with the word ‘Ramshackle’ etched into it.  The name was spelt with slightly uneven, blocky letters, looking like it had been crudely scratched in with a sharp object.  Compared to the other dorms, the font was less elegant and neat.  At the same time, Ace couldn’t help but think that everything fit, from the fire, to the top hats, to the ‘Ramshackle’ that looked like it had been scratched in.

Ace’s gaze wandered to Grim, who was lying on Deuce’s left shoulder.  A similar, but slightly smaller, dorm crest was attached to the back of Grim’s ribbon-collar, glinting slightly under the light of the sun.  The gingerhead frowned faintly as he studied the details of the identical dorm crest attached to the cat-monster’s collar once more.

The broadsword was odd though.  Was it supposed to represent…Yuu?  Ace arched an eyebrow at the thought.  Why would a sword represent Yuu though?  Well, Ace guessed that the shorter teen could be similar to a sword, sharp and unyielding.  At the same time, Yuu was……well, they were Yuu.  They liked to say mushy things, and they seemed to seek peaceful solutions first for arguments or fights.  Perhaps the sword didn’t represent Yuu, and Ace was just needlessly overthinking things.

The ginger-haired teen sighed as he shook his head internally of his random thoughts, turning his gaze from the new Ramshackle dorm crest to the slightly familiar maze of green hedges ahead of them.  They had met a passing random Heartslabyul student, who stated that Riddle could be found around the Unbirthday Party area.  The decorations were being taken down at the moment, and the little tyrant was overseeing things, making sure that everything was being done perfectly and on time.

Honestly, hearing that made a renewed wave of irritation hit Ace.  Thinking back to the conversation with Trey, sure, it was shitty that Riddle had gone through a crappy, fricked-up childhood since his mom was a complete nutcase when it came to rules.  But it still didn’t mean the spoiled little brat could get away with what he was doing.  Ace scowled a little as they came closer to the area where the Unbirthday Party had occurred--and it was then that a familiar, irate voice reached all of their ears.

“--o you think you are, saying such things about how I direct MY dorm!?” A certain Dorm Leader of Heartslabyul barked.

Ace held back a derisive snort as he pocketed Yuu’s Ramshackle dorm crest for now.  Jeez, who was Riddle yelling at now?  Probably some other poor soul that got on the little tyrant’s nerves.  Ace and the others were just at the entrance of the Unbirthday Party, where the door was being held slightly open by a few Heartslabyul students watching and listening to the conversation with gobsmacked expressions.

Some of Ace’s fellow dormmates seemed to be holding the decorations and other objects that were used for the Unbirthday Party, but it was apparent they were too mesmerized by what was going on inside to continue their tasks.  Ace tried to peer around Headmaster Crowley and the other Heartslabyul students to get a glimpse of the poor victim that was getting an earful from Riddle.  The person who responded to Riddle’s words made Ace almost freeze in place.  He…recognized the other voice before he saw the owner of it.

“I am not saying these things to insult you, Prefect Rosehearts.” Yuu, Dorm Leader of Ramshackle, responded calmly, standing across from Riddle with a steady gaze and neutral expression.  Holy crap.  Had Yuu really been stuck talking to Riddle this entire time?

Ace glanced over at Deuce and Grim.  They both looked just as surprised as he felt.  Damn, how long has it been since they parted ways?  Well, Yuu probably had to wait for the Unbirthday Party to finish in order to talk with the tiny tyrant.  The conversation probably started a few minutes ago.

Looking back over at Yuu and Riddle, Ace noted that Cater was nearby in the background, looking between the two shorter teens nervously; the strawberry-blonde acted like he was watching a bomb slowly count down to zero.  Honestly, Ace was tempted to just barge in and drag Yuu out of there since talking to Riddle was an idea that could only end in flames.  Also, Yuu has a…bad reaction with Riddle’s collars.  Ace wasn’t sure what would happen if Yuu ended up with a collar around their throat if this conversation went downhill.

At the same time…Ace was curious about how Yuu planned to handle Riddle.  Plus, there were a lot of people blocking the entrance, and Headmaster Crowley seemed to be interested in letting the scene before him play out, temporarily forgetting what he came here to do.  With a soft sigh, Ace decided to be a little patient; Yuu can probably handle themself since they constantly deal with Grim and his brattiness.  Perhaps dealing with Riddle will be easy for Yuu.

“I thought you would understand the necessity of rules.  I should’ve expected that you would be like all the rest--a rule-breaker who thinks disorder is an insignificant laughing matter!” Riddle scoffed before wincing.  The redhead briefly rubbed the heel of his palm into his right temple, looking annoyed before he crossed his arms as he sent Yuu a look of scorn. “As mother says, if one is too lenient in following the rules, they will amount to absolutely nothing.”

Yuu grew silent, and Ace was ticked off when Riddle looked a bit triumphant, chin raised slightly.  Yeah, Ace will definitely kick this little shit’s ass tomorrow.  But then Yuu sighed softly, and instead of looking irritated or suppressed by Riddle’s words and attitude, the Ramshackle Dorm Leader just looked……sad?

“…Do you truly believe that a person will amount to nothing if they are anything less than perfect?” Yuu asked, voice soft and gentle.

Even Riddle seemed startled by Yuu’s lack of anger; the redhead had probably expected the other to lash out with vexation if not fold with submission.  Yet the look Yuu directed towards Riddle held a strange mix of emotions that lacked negativity.  Did…Yuu get to hear about Riddle’s story after all, and they were just expressing empathy for the redhead?  Ace huffed a little under his breath.  Well, Ace guessed he should’ve expected that from Yuu the Big Softie if that was the case.

“…I once thought the same--” Yuu continued to speak, and Ace arched an eyebrow at their words.  Had Yuu been a rule fanatic before? “--but these sort of thoughts…they’re nothing but shackles.” The Ramshackle Prefect’s gaze then grew a little dark, as if they were recalling something unpleasant; an uncomfortable feeling squirmed in Ace’s chest at the, unfortunately, familiar look in Yuu’s eyes. “If you continue to treat the people in your dorm this wa--”

“Ha!” Riddle interrupted Yuu with an incredulous laugh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  He uncrossed his arms to point an accusing finger at Yuu, his cape swaying a little with his sharp movements. “Once again, you are impertinently telling me how I should rule MY subjects in MY dorm.”

Riddle’s hand went to his breast pocket, where his magic pen was.  Ace saw how everyone in the area had flinched, and the gingerhead finally noted that some of the Heartslabyul students were collared as well at the moment.  Out of the corner of his eye, Ace saw Deuce take a step forward, Grim’s fur starting to stand on end as well.  Now was probably the time to drag Yuu out of here--

“Are the people who raised you just as pathetic and ill-mannered as you?” Riddle abruptly asked with a rhetorical tone, and Ace heard Trey inhale sharply on the other side of him.

Ace froze for a split second…before his hands clenched tightly into fists at his sides.  Deuce seemed to be shaking with rage beside the gingerhead, and Grim was growling lowly, tail lashing about with agitation.  Yeah, it was definitely time to get Yuu out of there.

Ace walked forward, squeezing past the other Heartslabyul students and the Headmaster to get into the area.  With the smell of smoke still close by and Deuce’s muttered, yet audible, swears, Ace guessed that Grim and the navy-haired teen were right behind him.  Before Ace could break through the small crowd blocking the entrance and interrupt the conversation with a few angry, choice words, Yuu responded.  Their voice was still…somewhat calm and steady, yet their eyes were now burning with a simmering rage, and were their eyes…glowing?

“The people who have raised me…” Yuu said softly, yet there was a sharp edge in their tone, carefully hidden like a blade that had yet to be pulled out of its sheath. “…are far more deserving of the title ‘parent’ and ‘guardian’ than your own mother.”

…

…It was so quiet that a person would probably hear a pin--no, a feather--drop onto the grassy ground.  Holy crap.  Ace, frozen with shock, didn’t think Yuu would say something like that.  The Heartslabyul students in the area were throwing wide-eyed glances at each other, no one daring to speak; heck, some were probably holding their breaths too.

Looking past the two shorter teens, Cater’s eyes seemed close to popping out of their sockets, gaze rapidly darting between Riddle and Yuu.  The strawberry-blonde’s mouth had opened earlier, probably planning to say something to diffuse the situation, but Yuu had said that, and any words to ease the tension had apparently left Cater’s mind.

Riddle looked like he’d been socked across the face, and although it was gratifying to see, Ace couldn’t allow himself to be filled with too much glee.  Riddle’s face was rapidly turning red with fury, and he finally removed his pen from his breast pocket.  The red gem started to glow brightly the moment his gloved fingers touched the pen.  In the sky above, gray clouds were starting to gather, as if it were trying to match the tense, stormy atmosphere below.

“Y..Y-You…!  How…h-HOW DARE YOU!” Riddle shouted with outrage, expression twisted, as if he had eaten something foul.  He seemed to grow more maddened by the sight of Yuu’s neutral expression when he jerked his pen up, aiming it directly at the Ramshackle Dorm Leader. “I’VE HEARD ENOUGH OF THE NONSENSE YOU’VE BEEN SPOUTING WITH THAT INSOLENT MOUTH OF YOURS!  YOU NEED TO BE PUNISHED!”

“Sh--!” Ace bit off a curse, and his efforts to get through the small crowd were quickly renewed.  He wasn’t sure what would happen next, but he bet that it wasn’t gonna be anything goo-- 

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

Yuu abruptly lifted one hand, looking like they were prepared to do something--probably to stop Riddle’s spell somehow.  Well, since Yuu could remove the collar around Ace’s neck with ease, the gingerhead didn’t think that it was too out there for the Ramshackle Prefect to be able to deflect Riddle’s magic.  However, contradicting Ace’s thoughts, Yuu’s movements stuttered to a stop.

At first, Yuu had looked confident that they could dispel Riddle’s magic.  But once Riddle’s magic had gathered near Ramshackle Prefect’s neck, Yuu--…Yuu just shut down.  They just……stopped doing anything.  Yuu’s eyes turned unseeing and distant, and an uncomfortable feeling churned in Ace’s stomach.  Light had faded from Yuu’s gaze once more, and Ace had never wanted to see that look again.

It was then that the collar around Yuu’s neck fully formed and snapped shut with a click, yet that sound seemed as deafening as a clap of thunder.  There was another beat of silence before Yuu swayed and collapsed on their knees heavily, like a puppet with its strings abruptly cut.  Ace was hoping that Yuu would quickly snap out of their unsettling, dead-eyed state and bounce back--but they stayed there, kneeling on the ground, without a single twitch of movement, staring at nothing.  Were they even breathing?

Can you still feel your magic?

Yuu had constantly asked Ace that question--and then Deuce and Grim when the latter two got collared as well.  But no matter how many times the gingerhead had said he was fine, that they were all fine, the Ramshackle Dorm Leader kept checking in with the two Heartslabyul freshmen and the cat-monster.  Ace could still feel his magic, swirling within him restlessly even though the collar prevented him from using it.  Was Ace not supposed to feel his magic when collared? 

A memory of glimpsing the scars around Yuu’s neck at the Ramshackle dorm made Ace’s jaw tense.

…Shit.

Something wrong had to have happened to Yuu in the past, because this was just evidence of it.  From what Ace glimpsed from other Heartslabyul dormmates, and what he had experienced himself, Riddle’s collar was pretty harmless.  Sure, it prevented a person from using magic, but the spell wasn’t something that actively hurt someone.  At most, the collar was just a bit heavy.  But Yuu’s reaction to the collar…they’re acting as if their whole world had ended.

Yuu’s current state with Riddle’s collar around their neck was not normal, and Cater seemed to understand that as well.  The strawberry-blonde made an alarmed noise and quickly closed the distance between himself and the shorter teens, finally entering the figurative bubble that separated the two dorm leaders from everyone else.

“H-Hey, Yuu!  Are you alright?” Cater called out as he knelt beside Yuu.  The Ramshackle Dorm Leader was unresponsive, and Cater’s eyebrows pinched together with worry.  His hands hovered over the shorter teen’s shoulders, but he never made contact, as if touching Yuu would make the situation worse. “…Yuu?  Y-Yuu, I need you to breathe with me a little.  See?  Look at me.  Inhale…and exhale--”

While Cater was still trying to snap Yuu out of their vacant state, everyone else in the area was sharing uneasy looks with each other.  Some were blatantly staring with trepidation at Yuu’s collapsed form.  A few were actually sending glares of contempt in Riddle’s direction. 

Speaking of Riddle, the little shit, was looking down at Yuu with--…huh?  Ace did a slight double take at the Heartslabyul Prefect, who looked…disturbed?  Riddle’s face was ashen as he gazed at Yuu with slightly widened eyes, and his pen-less hand was shockingly reaching out towards the fallen Ramshackle Dorm Leader, as if the redhead had wanted to help.

Before Ace could think that Riddle was actually worried for Yuu, the Heartslabyul Dorm Leader winced and squeezed his eyes shut.  The redhead then held his pen-less hand up to his temple once more, massaging near his right eye with a grimace.  When Riddle eventually dropped his hand from his head and opened his mercury eyes, his attention quickly refocused on Yuu.  Ace tensed up when a scowl reappeared on Riddle’s rapidly reddening face, as if the Heartslabyul Prefect was quickly reminded of what Yuu had said to him.

“Wh…What are you doing now!?” Riddle snapped, voice briefly wavering before becoming sharp and harsh.  The Heartslabyul Prefect sneered down at Yuu, setting Ace’s teeth on edge. “Stop being so overdramatic and get up!  You are being taught a lesson for being so impude--!”

“H..Hey, Riddle,” Cater then interrupted.  Despite the hesitance in the strawberry-blonde’s voice, there was a slight edge of sterness in his leaf-green gaze, smiling thinly at the redhead.  Cater had also moved himself a little so he would be kneeling between Yuu and Riddle; it looked like the strawberry-blonde was hiding the Ramshackle Prefect from the redhead’s eyes with his bigger frame. “…Don’t you think this is going a little too far?  How about we all just cool our hea--?”

“Silence, Cater!  How dare you interrupt your dorm leader!?” Riddle cut in with anger, directing his pen at the strawberry-blonde, who winced slightly at the movement.  Riddle clicked his tongue before shaking his head, mercury eyes landing on Yuu once more. “All of you…!  One by one…everyone from my dorm is becoming disobedient!  Is it because of them!?”

When Riddle pointed past Cater at Yuu’s still kneeling form, Ace felt like he was teetering over the edge of snapping; the gingerhead was certain that Deuce was much closer to punching something.  Ace then heard what sounded like the Headmaster speaking up behind him, and the gingerhead calmed down a little.  Headmaster Crowley should be able to break things up, and so Ace tried to control the burning rage within him.

With that in mind, the gingerhead decided it would be best to walk over to Yuu and focus on them.  Headmaster Crowley can take care of declaring the duel on his own while Ace, Deuce, and Grim got Yuu out of this crappy situation.  However, Riddle said something that made Ace freeze before he could take a single step closer to Yuu.

“They’re like a sickness!” Riddle sneered with disdain, still looking down at Yuu with those poisonous, mercury eyes.

…

…Ace wasn’t sure when he had moved, but he was across the area the next moment he blinked.  His non-gloved hand curled into a tight fist, fingers twinging with pain before they went numb from how hard he was clenching.  And then, in the next instant, Ace was standing over a fallen Riddle, who was holding one gloved hand to his quickly swelling cheek, mercury eyes wide with shock.

Ace has had enough of this bullshit.

The area had become deathly silent once more, or maybe all of the sound had been drowned out by Ace’s pounding heart.  Either way, it didn’t matter to the gingerhead as he glared down at Riddle.  Ace never thought he could feel this pissed--because what the hell?  How fucking dare Riddle say that about Yuu?

Although Ace himself doesn’t know about Yuu’s past and how they grew up, it didn’t give Riddle a damn right to spew all that crap about the Ramshackle Prefect.  Ace hardly paid attention to the blooming sting of pain in his knuckles, hands trembling with a barely suppressed urge to lash out.  The ginger-haired teen almost felt feverish, jaw so tense that his teeth ached.

Screw the duel.  Ace was gonna beat this spoiled brat’s ass right now.

“He…h-he punched the Prefect!” A random dormmate stuttered with horror from the side, breaking the silence first.

“Y..You…” Riddle then uttered, still staring up at Ace with wide eyes, stupefied. “You hit me…?”

Honestly, Ace thought Deuce would be the one that ended up punching Riddle--not himself.  But was Riddle seriously only paying attention to the fact that he got punched?  What about Yuu, who’s still staring at nothing, acting like a lifeless doll?  A sharp, scornful laugh slipped past Ace’s gritted teeth that were now forming a vicious, humorless grin.

“Hah!  You bastard--!” Ace then cut himself off, turning his attention back to more urgent matters.  That shitty thing around Yuu’s neck needed to be gone--now. “You better shut the hell up and remove that frickin’ collar, or I’ll--!”

“Oh?” The little shit cut in with a sneer.  His next few words were filled with scorn as poisonous as his mercury eyes. “You think I would just get rid of the collar around your neck if you demanded me to, Trapp--?”

“NOT ME, DAMN IT!” Ace practically snarled, finally snapping; fuck, he wanted to hit this little bastard again.  Riddle mouth shut with a satisfying click.  Ace snapped a hand out and gripped the front of Riddle’s uniform before he jabbed a finger over to the side. “GET THAT SHITTY COLLAR OFF OF YUU!”

Riddle quickly followed the direction of Ace’s pointing finger.  When Ace glanced to the side as well, he saw that Deuce and Grim were trying to drag Yuu out of their dead-eyed state with Cater.  For some reason, the strawberry-blonde was rambling about hedgehogs and flamingos to Yuu, while Deuce called out to the Ramshackle Prefect in a hushed, distressed tone, and Grim’s paws were kneading anxiously at the shorter teen’s thigh.

Ace’s pointing finger dropped back down to his side, free hand quickly curling back into a tight fist.  Frustration was starting to build up within him.  The feeling was like a furious swarm of wasps raring to attack the one that had aggravated them.

“I…I will not heed the demands of a rule-breaker!” Riddle’s harsh voice snapped Ace’s attention back to the redhead.  Mercury eyes glared up at Ace with affronted defiance. “I am only rightfully punishing someone who does not deserve the title of dorm leader--!”

“Ha!  You might be right that Yuu’s not acting like a proper dorm leader right now.  If they were a proper dorm leader...” Ace gritted his teeth when Riddle began to look almost pleased at the gingerhead’s words.  And so the first-year quickly barked out the rest of his thoughts. “…They would’ve decked you by now for being such an arrogant little shit!”

To be honest, Ace was a little frustrated with Yuu as well.  He saw what the Ramshackle Prefect could do when they were facing that weird monster in the Dwarf Mines.  Why not light Riddle’s ass on fire for all the crap he was spewing?  But of course…Yuu was just too damn nice.

Yesterday, after returning from their grocery shopping, Deuce and Grim had ranted about what had happened at Mr. S’ place, about Yuu getting cornered by those upperclassmen assholes from the cafeteria.  While Deuce and Grim kept on muttering threats as they baked, there was one thing that stood out to Ace the most.

Before Deuce and Grim had interfered…it sounded like Yuu had been prepared to accept whatever harassment came their way without protest.  Even if Deuce and Grim hadn’t been there, Yuu wouldn’t have just let those upperclassmen bully them…right?  But Ace doesn’t know Yuu well enough to confidently answer that question.

And now…Yuu was like this.  They were still--too still.  Ace would’ve mistaken Yuu for a statute for how they barely blinked, and the pause between one breath and the next was so far apart, as if they were asleep with barely open, dead-looking eyes.  The sight made Ace’s stomach churn uncomfortably as he gritted his teeth and glared down at Riddle.

“…You must have no fear!” Riddle’s briefly-forming smirk quickly turned into a dark scowl as he moved to grip Ace’s offending hand by the wrist. “Mother would agree that--!

“‘Mother’-this, ‘mother’-that,” Ace cut in mockingly, ignoring Riddle’s infuriated expression, tightening his grip on the front of the redhead’s uniform. “Are you not capable of thinking for yourself!?”

“How dare y--!?”

“How dare I?  How about you?  Prancing around, acting like a trashy person without a single care of what you’re doing to the people around you.” Ace sneered as he yanked Riddle to his feet before shoving him backwards.  The redhead stumbled, but he managed to regain his footing, reflexively trying to fix his rumpled uniform while scowling at Ace, who continued to push his point. “Now I see that it’s not your parents’ fault.”

“Ace, I don’t thi--” Trey tried to speak up from behind the ginger-haired teen; the Heartslabyul Vice-Dorm Leader must’ve approached at the same time Deuce and Grim did.  Ace quickly cut the other off before he could get his sentence out properly, turning his attention away from Riddle to the green-haired teen.

“You can’t keep turning a blind eye to this.” Ace snapped, and Trey quickly shut his mouth at the first-year’s words, looking conflicted and stricken.  Ace huffed before turning his attention back at Riddle, jabbing a thumb carelessly at the green-haired teen somewhat behind him. “See, this guy was supposed to be a good friend, but all he’s been doing is ignoring your shitty selfishness!  He knows that the things you’re doing are wrong, but he never had the damn guts to tell you!”

Riddle looked briefly startled and confused by the fact Trey was being mentioned, but his eyebrows were still furrowed with anger.  The redhead’s mercury eyes briefly flickered to Trey before focusing entirely on Ace.

“…What are you saying?” Riddle ground out slowly, and Ace scoffed.

“I know your mom forced a whole bunch of bullcrap into your head--but to hell with your ‘Red Ruler’ shit!” Ace barked, frustration bubbling over.  When the ginger-haired teen glanced at Yuu, who was still vacantly staring at nothing, once more, he felt that simmering anger in his chest turn into a roaring blaze.  Ace brought his attention back to Riddle, glaring with narrowed eyes. “You’re just a frickin’ baby who happens to be gifted with magic!”

Ace didn't care about the gasps that filled the air around him.  The ginger-haired teen just kept his gaze rooted on Riddle’s stunned face, waiting for the other to flush scarlet with fury.  And, just as Ace had expected, Riddle turned so red that the blue and purple of the forming bruise on his right cheek faded away a little.

“A-A baby…?  Me…!?” Riddle hissed through clenched teeth.  The gem of the redhead’s pen--which was still in his tightly fisted, shaking hand--started to glow, but he did not raise it to aim at Ace just yet.  Riddle’s expression then crumpled for a moment, mercury eyes sharp. “How dare you call me that!  You know nothing about me--!”

“You’re right.  I don’t know a damn thing about you--not with that shitty attitude.” Ace quickly retorted with sneer.  Sure, he heard about Riddle’s childhood, but actually knowing what’s going through his head right now is a different story.  So, yeah, Ace really doesn’t know a thing about Riddle, but he frankly doesn’t give a shit at the moment.

“Shut up, shut up, sHUT UP!” Riddle yelled, the hand holding his pen finally jerking up to aim the glowing gem at Ace, who didn’t bat an eye this time.

This was probably the first time Ace had seen the Heartslabyul Prefect looked so lacking in composure.  His uniform was wrinkled, crown lopsided, and a few strands of red hair were out of place, falling over his mercury eyes.  Cape swaying behind him, Riddle took a step forward, eyes looking slightly wild as he gestured to himself with his unoccupied hand.

“Mother was correct!  Therefore, I am also correct!”

Ace did wince a little when a snap of harsh, red energy crackled from Riddle’s pen, as if the magic that was building up was just about ready to burst forth from the bright gem.  Still the gingerhead stood his ground, tilting his head a little with a mocking, sharp grin on his face.

Ace’s expression must’ve enraged Riddle further since the redhead’s face was turning even redder.  Before the Heartslabyul Prefect could finally lash out, Trey suddenly stepped forward, putting himself between Ace and Riddle, effectively blocking the glares that were being thrown between them.

“Riddle, calm down.” Trey said with a slightly firm edge in his words, raising a placating hand, as if trying to soothe a feral beast.  Peering over the Heartslabyul Vice-Dorm Leader’s shoulder, Ace could see the conflicted yet resolved look in the older teen’s gaze. “As Cater said, we should all cool our heads.”

Finally!  Trey was doing something, Ace sardonically cheered in his head.  Anyways, it seemed that Trey speaking up was a sign for Headmaster Crowley to step in as well.  The masked-man came forward, gold eyes sharp while the corners of his mouth were turned downwards slightly with displeasure.

“Mr. Clover is correct!  It would be unwise for things to continue this way.” Headmaster Crowley said sternly, hands clasped behind his back.  The raven-haired man then glanced at Yuu, and his lips became pursed, golden eyes letting a hint of possible concern show before he turned his attention back to Riddle. “All of your disagreements and squabbling can be settled in a duel tomorro--”

“The newbie’s right!” A random Heartslabyul student suddenly shouted, interrupting the headmaster. “I’ve had enough of this shit!”

Before Ace could think of looking around for the one who yelled those words, something small and white went hurtling towards Riddle’s head with surprising accuracy.  When the thrown object cracked and splattered against Riddle’s temple, Ace distantly realized that it was…an egg that had been flung at the Heartslabyul Prefect.  Pieces of egg shell stuck to Riddle’s red hair and uniform, and gooey yolk dripped past wide, mercury eyes; the hand that was holding his magic pen dropped to his side limply with shock.

…Damn.  Sure, Ace had hoped that others would finally grow a backbone and stand up to Riddle for his oppression, but the gingerhead didn’t expect that the Heartslabyul Prefect would get an egg thrown at him.  Ace grimaced as Riddle lifted a trembling, gloved hand slowly to his head, disbelief clear on the redhead’s face when he studied the gunk and shell bits he wiped away from his head.

“...An…egg?” Trey was the one to break the tense silence, voice a little shaky as his mustard-yellow eyes darted around the area.

“The…egg…” Riddle then hissed out with clenched teeth, his egg-covered hand curling into a tight, shaking fist.  His mercury eyes looked wild once more, a vein pulsing at his temple, cheeks flushing red again. “Who…who threw that egg!?”

No one answered, but Ace expected that; a person would need some serious guts to claim that he threw the egg at Riddle.  Anyways, the fact that no one answered seemed to infuriate Riddle more, a tight, humorless smile spreading across the redhead’s face as he slowly turned around to look at everyone in the area.  The Heartslabyul Prefect then finally settled his gaze in the general vicinity of where the egg came from.  When there was still no one confessing that he was the egg-thrower, the redhead threw his head back with a bark of near hysterical laughter.

“Ha…haha…haAHAHAHA!” Riddle’s shoulders shook as he held his free hand up to his face, careful of the egg staining the fingertips of his glove.  After an uncomfortable beat of agitated laughter, Riddle spoke up, almost mumbling his words into his palm as his slightly visible smile vanished instantly. “...You’ve had enough?”

Riddle dropped his hand from his face, and now his full expression was on display for everyone to see.  The Heartslabyul Prefect’s eyes were dark, mercury irises looking dull and clouded with rage, and his face was splashed with all shades of red, edging towards purple.  Riddle seemed to work his jaw for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching between smiling sarcastically and scowling with fury.  Finally, the redhead seemed to find the words to continue speaking as he glanced around the area once more.

“...I’m the one who’s had enough.” Riddle bit out coldly--before abruptly aiming his glowing pen at a random Heartslabyul student, his next few words snapping out like the crack of a whip. “Off with your head!”

“Ack!”

The targeted student flinched and stumbled backwards as his hands immediately went up to the collar around his neck.  The fellow dormmates around the newly collared student made panicked noises, some going towards the other while the rest scurried away.  But all of them collectively looked at Riddle with blooming expressions of horror, and the Heartslabyul Prefect only sneered at the looks aimed at him.

Well, it looks like the Prefect has finally snapped, Ace thought with a grimace.

“R-Riddle…!” Trey called out, expression filled with shock, taking a stuttering step forward before halting.

“Every one of you…” Riddle mumbled, ignoring Trey completely.  The glowing gem of the redhead’s magic pen flickered, and Ace frowned faintly when he saw…black spots appearing on the ruby-like crystal?  What the…?  Riddle’s face twisted with a snarl as he jerkily aimed his pen at the surrounding Heartslabyul students. “Every single one of you are just idiots who only think about yourselves!  Fine!  I’ll have you all take responsibility if no one will confess!  Off with your head--OFF WITH ALL OF YOUR HEADS!”

Ace watched with mild surprise as Riddle began to send spell after spell at Heartslabyul students with flicks of his wrist, collars quickly clamping around the other teens’ necks.  It didn't matter who was standing nearby or far away; Riddle had apparently frickin’ lost his damn marbles and was collaring anyone within his sight.  Soon the area fell into chaos, and everyone started to run around like headless chickens.

“Hahaha!  How’s that!?  No one can raise a hand against me!”  Riddle jeered as he watched the panicking Heartslabyul students, glowing pen quickly aiming at the next few people without collars. “I knew it!  I am the one who’s right because I uphold the rules!”

“Mr. Rosehearts, that is quite enough!” Headmaster Crowley scolded, but his voice was easily drowned out by the panicked yells of the students running around.

“Riddle, that’s enough!” Trey tried to call out once more, sounding agitated and almost desperate.  Cater had briefly turned his attention away from Yuu, looking worried as well as he focused his leaf-green gaze on the Heartslabyul Vice-Dorm Leader.

“Hey, Trey, if he keeps doing this--” Cater started to utter, one arm carefully wrapped around Yuu’s shoulders to support them better, his touch light and careful.

“I know!” Trey replied hastily, now looking a little panicked before he fixed his gaze on the Head of Heartslabyul. “Riddle, you need to stop!”

Ha!  Ace wanted to flip something over at the scene unfolding before him.  This was ridiculous.  Even Trey and Cater apparently understood that the little red tyrant was going too far.  Riddle was really acting like a--

“A baby.  In the end, you’re proving that you really are a baby!” Ace shared his thoughts aloud without a single bit of hesitation, sneering at Riddle when the shorter teen quickly snapped his head around to glare at the gingerhead.  A rumble of thunder echoed in the gray sky above, but Ace ignored it. “Right now, you’re throwing a tantrum just like one!”

On a different occasion, Ace would’ve laughed at the fact that it was so easy to make Riddle angry.  But right now, he was just plain pissed.  Riddle was an unfair little shit that thinks he can get away with anything, and no one had ever had the thought or guts to tell him that he was wrong.  And look where that got everyone.

“Take that back right now!” Riddle nearly shrieked as he aimed his pen at Ace once more, but the gingerhead was hardly fazed at this point--even when an ominous, inky-black smoke began to form around the flickering gem.

What was up with that by the way?  Ace’s eyebrows pinched together with slight confusion, feeling like he should be recalling something.  But then he snapped his ember gaze back to Riddle’s red face at the Heartslabyul Prefect’s next few words.

“Do you want to get skewered!?”

The hell is Riddle talking about now?

“Hell no!” Ace immediately snapped back with irritation.  Who the heck wants to be skewered?  What kind of question is that?

And then, at Ace’s response, Riddle screamed with fury, moving the hand holding his magic pen in a sharp arc.  Sparks of red light--and that odd, black smoke--trailed after his violent movements, and Ace watched as the surrounding rose bushes were surrounded by an ominous glow.  What was the tyrant planning now?

“Rose bushes, heed my call!” Riddle barked as he then directed his pen back at Ace once more. “TO PIECES WITH THEM ALL!”

Before Ace could fully process what Riddle had just yelled, ember eyes widened with alarm when the surrounding rose bushes were roughly uprooted by magic, petals fluttering down like red rain, morbidly reminiscent of blood.  The floating rose bushes then shuddered for a moment, the sound of rustling leaves and splintering wood reaching his ears.

Distantly, Ace then heard Cater call out with horror as large, thorny branches abruptly burst from the shaking rose bushes and rushed towards him and those standing nearby.  Ace reflexively reached out to his magic, and he cursed when he couldn’t call up a single wisp of wind even though he could feel his magic swirling restlessly beneath his skin.  This damn collar…!

“HEY, LOOK O--...huh!?”

Ace didn’t have time to wonder why Cater sounded so thunderstruck, but then a familiar, strangely comforting buzz filled the air.  In the next split second, a wall of blue flames shot up in front of the gingerhead and the others, turning the once-threatening, thorny branches into gray ash.  The heat of the flames was so intense that Ace could already feel sweat starting to bead at his temples, but he didn’t feel all too worried that a stray flame might burn him.

As the blue flames continued to eat away at the branches, Ace slowly lowered his gaze from the floating rose bushes to the one person he knew that could have casted the spell.  This time, he didn’t mistakenly look over at Grim.

…Man, when did Ace start thinking that the small back in front of him looked so reliable?

Yuu, the Dorm Leader of Ramshackle, stood in front of Ace, one hand slightly raised above their head, probably for the spell they casted earlier.  He couldn’t see their expression since their back was facing him, but Ace was hoping that Yuu didn't look so dead-eyed now.  After a beat, Yuu lowered their raised hand to their side, blue flames still licking at their trembling, gloved fingertips.

Ace wasn’t sure what had brought Yuu out of their blank state, but he was thankful that they had moved in time to stop Riddle from actually skewering hi--…wait.  Ace widened his eyes slightly with delayed surprise and confusion.  Didn’t Yuu have that damn collar around their neck?  When Ace had snapped his gaze to Yuu’s neck, he was even more bewildered at the sight of the collar still clamped around their throat.

How the hell did they use their magic?  

“.…..N-N..ot…the s-same…” Yuu then murmured, voice barely audible over the loud, crackling sound of rose bushes burning, but Ace could hear them.

Their voice, at first, was like a trembling leaf in the wind as they hesitantly brought their other hand up to their neck.  But after a brief pause, it seemed that something had settled within them as they slowly began to tighten their grip on the collar around their throat.  The material beneath their fingertips began to creak…and then a harsh sound of metal being torn apart reached Ace’s disbelieving ears.

“...It’s not…the same.” Yuu repeated, now sounding resolved and firm as the ruined collar in their hand vanished with a puff of sparkling, white smoke.

Damn.  Was that what Yuu would’ve done to Ace’s collar when he first stopped by Ramshackle if he asked?  Crush the collar to pieces with their bare hands like it was nothin--?

Yuu abruptly turned around to face Ace, startling him out of his thoughts.  Fortunately, Yuu’s eyes weren’t so blank, but there were still shadows lingering in them.  Ace watched as Yuu quickly approached, tensing slightly when their hands were raised up to his neck, but he didn’t take a step back this time and stayed still.  As crazy powerful Yuu seemed to be, Ace knew, at this point, the shorter teen didn't have any thoughts of intentionally harming him.

Another unpleasant sound of metal creaking and breaking met Ace’s ears, and then the slight weight around his neck vanished.  Ace watched as the remains of his own collar disappeared with a puff of sparkling smoke from Yuu’s hands before focusing his gaze on the shorter teen’s face, which seemed to be slightly pinched with concern.

“...Are you alright?” Yuu asked as they quickly checked Ace over. “Are you able to use your magic now?”

Now that they were closer, Yuu really wasn’t looking too great.  There was an even more unhealthy paleness to Yuu’s skin, and the drops of sweat that were running down the side of their face didn’t seem to be from the heat of the flames flickering behind them.  Also, Yuu’s hands were still trembli--actually, their entire body seemed to be faintly trembling, but the shorter teen seemed to be ignoring that fact, or they were not aware of it.  Either way, it ticked Ace off a little that Yuu was being all concerned when they looked like shit.

“Frickin’ Dorm Leader Worrywart--you should be asking yourself that.” Ace said with exasperation, and he grew more irritated when the shorter teen blinked owlishly at him. “You look like you’re gonna pass out.”

Yuu blinked their eyes rapidly with surprise for a moment before a small, lopsided smile appeared on their face.  They looked apologetic as they shifted their weight, a still trembling hand going to their temple to wipe away sweat that was about to drip into their eyes.

“Ah, sorry--for what had happened earlier, I mean.” Yuu said, not quite meeting his eyes, and--no, Ace wasn’t asking for an apology, damn it.  Ace wanted to grab the shorter teen by the shoulders and shake them, but he kept his violent thoughts to himself as Yuu continued to speak softly, voice almost drowned out by the roar of flames behind them. “I had just remembered something…unpleasant, so I became unaware of my surroundings and caused you all troub--”

“Henchman!”

“Yuu!”

Yuu stopped talking and quickly turned their attention to the two--Grim and Deuce--who had called out to them.  Ace watched how the shorter teen’s gaze immediately zeroed in on the collars that were around the navy-haired teen and cat-monster’s throats.  Grim scampered across the grass before practically pouncing onto Yuu’s ankle, clinging to it tightly as he looked up at the Ramshackle Prefect with wide eyes.  Deuce almost crashed into Yuu himself with how fast he was running over to the shorter teen before abruptly stopping.

“Henchman, are you feeling better!?” Grim immediately began interrogating Yuu, tail lashing around anxiously.  The cat-monster then frowned a little, nose scrunching, ears pinned back slightly. “You’re not allowed to ignore me like that, got it?  I’ll roast your bum the next time that happens!”

“Yuu, are you alright?” Deuce spoke up before Yuu could get a word out to Grim.

The navy-haired teen looked upset, and the frustration seemed to be directed at himself.  He looked the shorter teen over, eyebrows furrowing slightly.  Ace wondered if Deuce also noted the state Yuu was in, despite the Ramshackle Dorm Leader acting like they were fine.

“Damn it!  We should’ve interfered the moment things we--uh?  Yuu?”

Yuu did look like they were paying attention to everything Grim and Deuce had been saying, but it was apparent that they were more determined to get the collars off of the cat-monster and navy-haired teen first.  The shorter had bent at the waist--instead of crouching--in order to not shake Grim off from their ankle, their gloved hands quickly, yet carefully, moved to remove the collar around the feline’s neck.

The second Yuu had dispelled Riddle’s Unique Magic around Grim’s neck, they immediately straightened up and brought their hands to Deuce’s collar.  Soon enough, both the cat-monster and the navy-haired teen were free of the collars that had been restricting their magic.  Grim and Deuce looked at the fading, sparkling puffs of smoke in a slightly awed daze before looking down at themselves, probably trying to check if they can use their magic now or not.

“…I’m sorry.”  Yuu then apologized--again, for no good reason--expression a little bitter. “I should’ve done this the moment things were going downhill.”

Deuce’s face crumpled, Grim frowned harshly, and Ace could feel a vein pulse at his temple.  Yuu really liked to apologize a lot, and it was getting on Ace’s nerves.  Did they think it was their fault that things turned out this way?  Did they think they should be scolded for going into a catatonic state when it was obviously not in their control?  That was bullshit.  Before Ace could verbally beat some sense into Yuu, the voice of a certain Heartslabyul Prefect immediately brought all of their attention back to the current situation.

“Y-You…!”

Ace turned his head to see Riddle, finally noting that Yuu’s flames had died out a little at this point, so he could get a clearer view of the redhead across from him.  Falling rose petals fell together with ash, gradually hiding the green of the grassy area with red and silvery gray.  With the sun being blocked out by the stormy clouds above, the fading blue fire acted as the brighter light source.  It made Riddle look a bit more menacing, flickering flames casting dancing shadows over the redhead’s face and the surrounding hedge walls.

“...How did you take those collars off so easily…!?” Riddle hissed, shaking slightly in place with his hands tightly clenched at his sides, magic pen looking close to snapping in his right fist.  Fortunately, Riddle had briefly stopped his collaring rampage.  The bad news was the fact that his attention was apparently back on Yuu now.

“Answer me!  Now!”

Man, the audacity of this crappy tyrant.

With slightly deliberate movements, so Yuu doesn’t get spooked further, Ace grabbed the Ramshackle Prefect by the shoulder and dragged them behind himself, blocking Riddle’s view of the other short teen.  Although Ace hadn’t said anything, Deuce had also moved up a bit as well to further hide Yuu from sight.  Ace heard Yuu make a soft sound of surprise and protest behind him, but the gingerhead only scoffed and ignored them.

“Hey!  You don’t get to order my henchman around!” Grim growled in return, making use of his magic that he had recently regained to float up.  The feline positioned himself slightly in front of Ace and Deuce, technically helping to keep Yuu from Riddle’s glare, his sharp teeth bared.  Grim let out a puff of smoke before he lifted his chin, floating up a bit more to look down at Riddle as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Only I can do that, stupid!”

“Ha!  You’ve become all mouthy now that your collar is gone!” Riddle sneered as he looked at the cat-monster with scorn.  The redhead then aimed his pen at Grim, smirking when the feline hissed with agitation. “I can have your head again easily, you filthy cat.”

That made Yuu immediately try to shove their way in front of Ace, Deuce, and Grim, the constant buzz in the air growing a little.  But Ace, nor Deuce, allowed Yuu to get past them, matching their side steps easily, blocking the shorter teen from taking a single foot towards the irate redhead in front of them.

“Ace, Deuce--let me try and talk to Prefect Rosehearts…!” Yuu said with exasperation and slight desperation. “Grim will end up being collared ag--”

“Yuu, I don’t know if you’ve realized, but the conversation earlier didn’t turn out very well.” Ace cut in, throwing a scowl over his shoulder at Yuu.

“You’ll end up getting hurt again--especially since our prefect isn’t…in the best of moods right now.” Deuce voiced his agreement, moving one arm out as a precaution when he also glanced back at Yuu.  Honestly, what was Yuu expecting to happen if they were to talk to Riddle again?  The guy’s already lost his marbles, and so Riddle’ll most definitely do something worse to Yuu at this point--like skewer them with rose bushes.

“Know your place!” Riddle then snarled as his pen began to glow again, and the flickering of the gem seemed to be constant now.  Actually, looking closely at the gem that was supposed to shine like a bright ruby, Ace noted that it seemed almost entirely black now.  The gingerhead tried to rack his brain to recall if that was a bad or good thing as Riddle yelled those shitty words again. “Off with your head!”

Everyone in the area tensed at the words, and some of the surrounding students even yelped as they dove for cover.  When Yuu had cast the wall of flames, everyone had stopped running for a moment out of shock, becoming further stunned when the Ramshackle Prefect destroyed and removed Riddle’s collar around their neck.  And now, since Riddle was about to cast his Unique Magic again, the students were prepared to bolt once more.  However…

…A flurry of card suits fluttered harmlessly from Riddle’s pen.  Instead of Grim getting collared, Ace watched with bafflement as glittering, colorful clubs, spades, diamonds, and hearts appeared and drifted around the area before winking out like popping soap bubbles.

Huh?

Riddle looked just as stunned as the other Heartslabyul students in the area, looking down at his magic pen with wide eyes.  The redhead’s expression quickly grew dark, looking embarrassed but mostly pissed as he waved his pen around once more.

“Off with your head!  Off with all of your heads!” Riddle shouted, growing more furious when only sparkling card suits continued to burst out from the gem of the redhead’s magic pen. “Why…why are only card suits appearing!?  Who is doing this!?” The Heartslabyul Prefect whipped his head around with a fierce glare, almost looking like a cornered, feral animal. “When I find you, I’ll--!”

“RIDDLE, THAT'S ENOUGH!” Trey abruptly shouted with a harsh tone.

It startled Riddle badly, halting the redhead in his search.  The Heartslabyul Prefect scowled faintly as he turned to glare at the green-haired teen, looking like he was about to snap at Trey before freezing in place.  It was then that Ace had realized, probably at the same time as Riddle, that Trey had his own magic pen out, the red gem glowing brightly while being aimed in the redhead’s direction.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Trey had been the one to put a stop to Riddle’s magic with his own spell.

~~

…Ace was right, Trey thought to himself.

What kind of friend was he…to let Riddle get to this point?  Where everyone looked at Riddle like he was something dangerous, like he was someone who deserved gazes of contempt, fear, or a mix of both.  Like Riddle was some sort of…monster.

Trey should’ve done something back then.  He should’ve done something the moment he felt uneasy about Riddle’s mother.  Instead, he tried to ignore the anxious feeling in his gut.  Over the years, there had always been a small part of Trey telling himself, warning himself, that this was all wrong and something needed to be done.  But in the end, Trey would always end up believing that things would turn out fine without him interfering or saying anything.  Because of that, Trey hadn’t even attempted to help Riddle break free from his past, from the shackles of expectations and perfection.  He hadn’t done anything to relieve his childhood friend of his burden. 

And now…Riddle has finally collapsed under the growing pressure that had been festering within him ever since he was a child.  Riddle’s breakdown was something that was a long time coming, and Trey was left with a gut-wrenching feeling of regret for being an ignorant bastard that let his friend become the person he is now.

“Riddle, that’s enough.” Trey repeated, voice a little softer yet still stern.  He quickly lowered his magic pen as he gazed into Riddle’s shocked, silver eyes. “If you go any further than this, you will lose everything.  Please--look at everyone’s faces.”

Although he kept his gaze on Riddle, Trey gritted his teeth when he heard some of the comments made by the other students in the area, terror clear in their voices.

“W-Was he really serious about s-skewering us…!?”

“You saw what happened!  If that shorty hadn’t gotten in the way, we would’ve…!”

“He…H-He’s a monster…!”

You don’t understand, Trey wanted to shout. None of you understand.

But Trey swallowed down the words he wanted to say and continued to keep his focus on Riddle instead.  Riddle looked like he was hardly paying attention to what was being said about him, because his attention was all on Trey at the moment.  The Vice-Dorm Leader of Heartslabyul was devastated by the look of betrayal in the redhead’s eyes.  Trey never wanted Riddle to look at him like that--like he drove a knife into the redhead’s chest and twisted it.

Riddle’s expression tried to become an emotionless, blank mask, but it didn’t work, lower lip trembling for a brief moment.  The Heartslabyul Prefect’s silver eyes turned dull, voice becoming a hoarse whisper.

“You…you overwrote my magic?” Riddle mumbled, sounding like he was in a daze as he tore his gaze away from Trey’s for a moment.  The redhead held his pen-less hand up to his face, palm rubbing into his right eye.  Riddle then scowled, but it looked like he was trying to mask his true emotions by seeming furious instead. “D-Do you believe…that by surpassing me in magic, I should listen to you…!?  Do you think you’re better than me!?”

“That’s not the case, Riddle.” Trey resolutely said, still trying to keep his tone calm, yet stern.  The green-haired teen exhaled shakily as he took a small step towards Riddle, free hand raised placatingly. “Let’s…let’s all just calm down a bit and talk this ou--”

“So you want to tell me that I’m wrong too!?” Riddle raised his voice once more, glare turning fierce as he took a step backwards.  The redhead let out a disbelieving laugh before he gestured to himself with his unoccupied hand, dropping it from his face. “Even though I was the one upholding the rules this whole time…?”

Riddle’s expression crumpled and his eyes squeezed shut.  The redhead’s free hand pressed against his chest, fingers digging in above where his heart should be, as if it was hurting him.  Trey felt like he was hurting as well, like something was being forcibly clawed out from his chest as he gazed at the despairing redhead across from him.  Riddle inhaled and let out trembling breaths for a brief moment, curling into himself slightly before he continued to speak.

“I…I have been enduring and enduring for so long!” Trey felt something break within him at the tremor in Riddle’s voice. “I thought at least you would be on my side…!  I can’t believe you!”

Riddle’s eyes flashed open, cheeks becoming flushed from rage once more.  Before Trey could start trying to calm the other down with placating words, the green-haired teen was startled when something…black began to well up in the corners of Riddle’s eyes.  Trey watched with wide eyes as inky, black tears began to drip down Riddle’s cheeks, and he felt his heart drop to his stomach.  An icy feeling quickly spreading throughout Trey’s body when a dark miasma cloud began to surround Riddle like a cloak of death.

Oh no.  Oh no, no, no…!

Trey thought he had stopped Riddle from overusing his magic in time!  But this was--!

“Ridd--!”

“NO!” Riddle cut Trey off, a wave of magic surging out as well, causing those nearby to stumble or fall backwards completely.  A crooked, almost anguised, grin spread across Riddle’s face as he raised his magic pen up to aim it directly at Trey. “N-No, I am still correct!”

The miasma surrounding Riddle became gloomier, and Trey desperately tried not to lose the redhead within the growing cloud of darkness.  The green-haired teen tried to take another step forward, but another surge of chilling, distorted magic caused Trey to lose his balance briefly.  Distantly, Trey could hear Headmaster Crowley saying something with alarm, but Riddle’s voice quickly overpowered any other sound in the area.

“I!  ALONE!  AM DEFINITELY CORRECT!”

“RIDDLE!” Trey tried to call out with distress--and then he was flung backwards by an explosion of magic.

…

……Trey’s ears were ringing a little, and he belatedly realized that he couldn’t quite breathe at the moment.  The green-haired teen quickly took in gasping breaths, noting the slight ache in his back as he stared up at a stormy sky.  Was he…on the ground?  Trey moved an arm to prop himself up, but he fell back once more, grimacing when he kicked up a flurry of silvery ash and red rose petals.  Trey tried not to inhale the mess as he tried to catch his breath.

Head throbbing a little, sound returned to Trey bit by bit as he squeezed his eyes shut, and the green-haired teen wasn’t really liking what he was hearing right now.  There were screams of terror surrounding him, and Headmaster Crowley’s voice occasionally pierced through the chaos, probably trying to gain control of the situation……the situation…?  What was the situation again?  It hurt to think.

Trey flinched when a light touch pressed against his stinging temple, and then his mustard-yellow eyes fluttered open.  Everything was blurry--Had he lost his glasses?--but he could somewhat recognize Yuu’s face hovering above him.  The Ramshackle Dorm Leader gazed down at him with sharp, almost glowing eyes, and Trey grimaced when he noted something warm trickling down the side of his face.  Did he hit his head?

Trey opened his mouth to say something, but then Yuu abruptly looked off to the side.  Whatever they saw caused them to tense a little, and the light pressure by his temple disappeared.  One of Yuu’s gloved hands came into view, and Trey noted that there was something red staining their fingertips.

Was that his blood?  Trey didn’t have time to think about that as words seemed to be falling from Yuu’s rapidly moving mouth.  When Trey’s hearing started to return more, he managed to catch onto what they were saying.

“--o fearfully quick,” Yuu muttered under their breath in a rush. “And the little clock continues to tick.  The poor white rabbit was lost in time--”

There was a brief pause, as if Yuu was hesitating.  But the Ramshackle Prefect’s gaze hardened as the sound of splintering wood and rustling leaves reached Trey’s ears.

“...He lost track of everything else, including his mind.”

A scarlet glow started to appear, floating just above Yuu’s left shoulder.  A shape seemed to be forming out of the red light, but Trey didn’t get to discern what it was.  In the next split second, Trey’s stomach lurched unpleasantly, and from the groans near him, those who were close by had also been affected by whatever happened just now.

A light pressure returned to his temple, and Trey suppressed a wince.  The green-haired teen then blinked his eyes rapidly when pain began to rapidly disappear from his temple, and his thoughts became much more coher--WAIT!

WHAT ABOUT RIDDLE!?

Trey jerked upright, looking around frantically despite his blurry vision.  He needed to--!

“Sh-Senior Trey…” A slightly muffled voice reached him, and Trey quickly recognized it as Yuu’s.  The green-haired teen turned his head to look in the general direction of the voice, and noted that something thin and black had been offered to him. “Your glasses.”

Huh, hasn’t his hearing returned?  Why did Yuu’s voice sound muffled?  Regardless, Trey took his glasses and quickly placed them back onto his face.  With his vision cleared and a weary smile on his lips, Trey turned to face Yuu again to voice his gratitude to them.

“Thank y--” Trey widened his eyes with alarm when he finally took in the Ramshackle Prefect’s full appearance. “H-Hey, Yuu!”

The reason Yuu’s voice was slightly muffled was due to a handkerchief pressed against their face with one of their gloved hands.  Although he couldn’t see past their hand and the handkerchief, the front of Yuu’s uniform and chin was stained with a disturbing amount of blood.  Was their nose bleeding?  Did they get hit as well?

“Does your head s-still hurt?” Yuu merely asked in return, eyes blinking a bit sluggishly.  They  frowned a little with worry when Trey didn’t respond immediately. “Senior Trey?”

“I-I’m fine.” Trey uttered hastily. “But your nose…?”

“Ah.” A look of remembrance appeared in Yuu’s eyes as they rubbed the handkerchief over their nose, mouth, and chin for a moment before removing it completely from their face.  Trey tried to hold back a grimace at the sight of some dried blood still smudged just below Yuu’s nose.  Yuu smiled sheepishly as they waved their free hand in the air dismissively. “The bleeding’s already stopped, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“It’s not ‘nothing to worry about’, Young Heir!” An unfamiliar voice popped up from the side.

Trey blinked with astonishment as a white rabbit--who was dressed with a maroon bow tie, red suit jacket, yellow button-up shirt, and gray slacks--came hopping up across the grass, ash, and rose petals.  Briefly wiggling his haunches, the rabbit leaped up to perch himself on Yuu’s left shoulder with a soft grunt.  The long-eared animal then reached down and took the handkerchief still in Yuu’s grasp, folding it so the non-stained side showed, before finally bringing the cloth to the Ramshackle Prefect’s dirtied face.  Although Yuu protested, the white rabbit continued to fuss, adjusting his round spectacles with a free paw when they slipped down his twitching nose.

…Perhaps Trey hit his head harder than he thought.

The green-haired teen then abruptly brought his attention to his surroundings, noting with some confusion and mild surprise that he, Cater, Deuce, Ace, Grim, the Headmaster, and the other Heartslabyul students were outside of the Unbirthday Party area.  When had they all moved?  Did they telepor–-?

No.  More importantly…Trey whipped his head around to where the Unbirthday Party was, feeling the blood drain from his face when he caught glimpses of inky-black miasma rising past the hedge walls.  What about Riddle?

“Prefect Riddle has gone into Overblot.” Yuu’s words hit Trey like a punch to the gut.

When he turned to look at them, prepared to frantically demand for more answers about the situation, he paused.  The white rabbit has stopped wiping Yuu’s face, now simply sitting on the shorter teen’s shoulder with worried red eyes constantly flickering to the Ramshackle Prefect and his surroundings.  The bloody handkerchief was gone now, and Trey wasn’t sure where it went, but the green-haired teen’s focus was more on Yuu’s face at the moment than a strange, well-dressed rabbit.

Yuu gazed back steadily, calmly, and that--for some reason--settled the churning feeling of anxiety in Trey’s gut.  Just a little.  By looking at Yuu’s grim composure, Trey mentally smacked himself with the realization that panicking wouldn’t help anyone right now.  He too needed to be level-headed about this.

At the same time, the situation was dire now.  Riddle…Riddle has gone into Overblot, and if they don’t do something about it now…!  Trey exhaled shakily, cutting off that train of thought as he wearily rubbed a hand over his face, ignoring the fact that he was smudging some ash onto his cheek and forehead.  What a mess…

The green-haired teen then lifted his face from his hand when he heard footsteps hurriedly making their way towards Yuu and him.  Looking past the Ramshackle Prefect, Trey noted that Cater, Deuce, Ace, Grim, and the Headmaster were the ones quickly approaching.

Judging by the fact that Cater, Duece, Ace, and Grim were staring openly with confusion at the white rabbit on Yuu’s shoulder, Trey wasn’t the only one who could see the fancily dressed animal; fortunately, he hadn’t hit his head too hard to make him imagine unusual things.  But where in the world had it come from?  Was it a type of monster?  Yuu seemed to be familiar with i--wait.

Trey paused in his thoughts for a moment as Yuu carefully helped him up to his feet.  Familiar…was the white rabbit a familiar?  It could be possible.  Yuu had been chanting something earlier, possibly summoning the rabbit out into the open.  Did the rabbit somehow help Yuu bring everyone out of the Unbirthday Party area?

“Mx. Yuu!”  Headmaster Crowley surprisingly called out first. “What in the world were you thinking!?”

Trey frowned faintly at the Headmaster’s tone.  It sounded like the masked man was scolding Yuu?  What for?

“Recklessly stopping time with such an advanced spell…!  Did you even consider the repercussions of using that kind of magic!?” The Headmaster rebuked the Ramshackle Prefect, gesticulating wildly to emphasize his distress.

“It was the only way I could reach everyone and bring them all out of Prefect Rosehearts’ range in time.” Yuu replied calmly without a hint of remorse as they turned slightly to face the Headmaster, mindful of the rabbit still on their shoulder. “And yes, I did consider the repercussions, but I thought it was more important to get everyone to safety first.” 

Yuu…had stopped time?   The thought that a freshman could pull off a spell that stopped time--no matter how brief--sent Trey's mind into a whirlwind of shock and amazement.  Trey thought it had been a teleportation spell that got everyone out of the Unbirthday Party area instead.  Well, whether it had been a time-stopping--or teleportation--spell, it would’ve still been impressive either way.  Glancing at Cater, who had come closer to Trey, the strawberry-blonde seemed just as dumbfounded and dazed with the implications of Yuu’s power level when it came to magic. 

“Headmaster Crowley, I can talk to you about this later after I bring Prefect Rosehearts back to his senses before he can run out of magic.” Yuu then cut in sharply before the masked man could say anything else to the Ramshackle Prefect.  The shorter teen then looked in the direction of the Unbirthday Party area with a slightly narrowed gaze, a grim, determined glint in their eyes. “Everyone else should be evacuated from the area while I deal with the situatio--”

“Hold on a second.” Trey interrupted with a slight frown, stepping into Yuu’s line of sight so he was sure he had their attention. “Why does it sound like you’re planning to go alone?”

Ace, Deuce, and Grim’s expressions immediately turned into matching frowns, before the three freshmen shared indecipherable looks with each other.  Was this…a normal thing Yuu did?  Doing something alone without a hint of hesitation?  Yuu certainly was acting like this was normal…which was a little disquieting.

“It’s what I intend to do.” Yuu replied easily, as if there was nothing wrong.  A brief look of realization then appeared on their face as they looked up at Trey, speaking with a more reassuring tone. “Senior Trey, you don’t have to worry.  I promise you that I will safely bring Prefect Rosehearts back to his senses, though I will have to fight hi--”

“No, what I don’t understand is why you think you’re going alone.” Trey said, feeling disbelief at Yuu’s look of seemingly genuine confusion. “There’s no way you’re going by yourself.”

“Senior Clover’s right!” Deuce spoke up, moving forward to stand in front of Yuu, as if he was worried the shorter teen might suddenly run towards the Unbirthday Party area. “It’s too dangerous to go alone!”

“I know how to deal with this.  I’ve already lost count of how ma--” Yuu abruptly cut themself off, a grimace briefly appearing on their face.  They lost count?  Of what?  And then, a neutral, calm mask settled onto Yuu’s face with unnerving ease. “…I have some experience with this, so I’ll be fine.”

Experience…with Overblot?  Why in the world would Yuu have experience with that?  Yuu kept causing more questions to pop into Trey’s head before he could figure out answers for them.  The green-haired teen sighed harshly as he quickly tried to get his priorities in order, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly with his pen-less hand.

“…I have a lot of questions for what you’re saying right now, Yuu.” When Trey dropped his hand from his face, he managed to catch a glimpse of the Ramshackle Prefect wincing.  The green-haired teen sighed once more before he continued to speak, expression turning grim. “But I’ll ask them later at a better time.  Right now, I plan to go and help you stop Riddle.” 

Trey then bit his lower lip for a brief moment, gaze lowering slightly with regret.

“...He needs my help right now, and I won’t just stand by this time.”

“Plus, that guy hasn’t said sorry yet to either one of us, so I’m comin’ too.” Ace then piped in, pulling his magic pen from his breast pocket before nonchalantly twirling it between his fingers.  The gingerhead looked at Yuu with a faint frown when the shorter turned to look at the gingerhead. “You can’t talk me out of this, Dorm Leader Doofus.”

“I’m taggin’ along too!  You’re my henchman, henchman!  So you’re not going anywhere without me.” Grim spoke up as well as he flew closer to Yuu, side-eyeing the rabbit on their shoulder briefly with apprehension, before focusing entirely on the Ramshackle Prefect.  Although he was faintly trembling, the cat-monster looked determined to help. “That guy’s been nothin’ but trouble, but his life’ll be in danger if we leave him like this, right, henchman?  You’ll need the Great Lord Grim’s powerful magic on your side!”

“It wouldn’t feel right if we were to run away like cowards while he’s in this state.” Deuce agreed with a steely look in his peacock-green eyes, pulling his own magic pen from his breast pocket as well.  The navy-haired teen’s expression then turned a little exasperated. “And of course there’s no way we’ll let you do things on your own, Yuu.  We’ll fight with you!”

Yuu looked shocked for a brief moment, as if they didn’t think anyone would be so against them going alone in this situation.  In the next beat, Yuu’s gaze quickly turned sharp, almost icy, as they focused more on Ace, Deuce, and Grim.

“This is different from the Dwarf Mines.” Yuu said, a harsh edge finally leaking into their voice.  The Dwarf Mines?  What were the four of them doing there? “We’re dealing with something much more stronger than what was in those mines.”

“All the more reason for us to tag along.” Ace replied flippantly, and Deuce and Grim merely nodded in agreement, all three of them unflinching before Yuu’s sudden, surprisingly frigid demeanor.

Yuu looked frustrated, staring at the three other freshmen and then Trey for a long moment.  Yuu then rubbed a gloved hand over their face before they exhaled, sounding more like they were groaning with exhaustion.  At the same time, Yuu looked like they were quickly brainstorming a way to send everyone away.

Trey grimaced.  Even now, Yuu was still planning to do this alone?  Before Trey could interrupt their planning, someone else surprisingly spoke up.

“I-I think it would be best to receive assistance, Young Heir.” The white rabbit surprisingly spoke up from where he was perched on Yuu’s shoulder.  He grew fidgety when everyone’s attention was directed at him, but the maybe-familiar focused more on Yuu. “You are not in a condition where you can take on an Overblot victim on your own at the moment, a-and…”

The rabbit’s voice softened, sounding almost…sorrowful.

“...It’s not often you get help like this.  Perhaps you will not push yourself so hard this time, Young Heir.”

…What in the world did that mean?  Trey didn’t have time to decipher the white rabbit’s words when Cater spoke up as well, an almost exasperated sigh escaping the strawberry-blonde beside him.

“Haaaah, I’m not really cut out for this!” Cater ruffled his hair for a moment with agitation.  The strawberry-blonde shut his eyes briefly before opening them, turning a little to send Trey and the others a lopsided, nervous grin. “...But count me in!  I can’t leave when you guys are planning to throw yourselves into danger.”

It was then that everyone turned to look at Yuu, as if their word would be final.  Though, to be honest, Trey--and probably the others--still planned to follow even if the shorter teen said that they shouldn’t go with them.  Yuu stared back at everyone for a long moment, gloved hands clenching and unclenching at their sides.  And then…a helpless smile slowly spread across Yuu’s lips as they shook their head.

“…I can’t talk you guys out of this, can I?”

“Nope!” Ace immediately replied, popping the ‘p’ with a smirk.

Yuu sighed once more, shoulders slumping a little, but it was apparent that they had completely given in by the small smile still present on their lips.

“My goodness, all of you…do you really intend to stop Riddle?” Headmaster Crowley finally muttered on the side.

When determined gazes looked back at the masked man, he shook his head, as if he didn’t know what to do with the students before him.  Headmaster Crowley then gazed at every single one of them with stern, golden eyes, lips briefly pressed into a thin line, hesitating…before he continued to speak.

“…I will return as soon as I evacuate everyone and bring others to assist.  Hold on until then, understood?”

“We understand, Headmaster.” Trey replied firmly.  Trey wasn’t sure when Headmaster Crowley would be back, but time was of the essence, and they needed to quickly bring Riddle back to his senses.

Just then, a jarring thud reached everyone’s ears, followed by the sound of snapping twigs, creaking branches, and rustling leaves.  Trey and the others quickly turned their gazes to where the Unbirthday Party area was, and the green-haired teen swallowed harshly when he caught sight of something furiously tearing through the hedge walls.

What tore through the hedge walls looked like a giant, ominous, dark copy of the Queen of Hearts.  It wore a black and red, heart-themed dress that was barely held together with crude stitches, and sharp, spade-like spears stuck out of its slightly hunched back.  In one shadowy hand was an uprooted rose bush, which was already being swung around to further destroy the nearby hedge walls.  And its head…it looked like a glass, heart-shaped jar with a golden crown decorating the top, and a strange, inky black liquid sloshed around violently within.

Although this…this thing sent a chill down Trey’s spine, the green-haired teen was more shaken by the sight of Riddle’s new appearance.  Riddle was currently floating, his skin a deathly pale color, hardly possessing a flush of life to him.  He was dressed in a red and black garb similar to what the grotesque being behind him had, but there was the addition of white, ink-stained roses decorating his waist, along with four obsidian ribbons that looked like spread-out sets of cards.

His hands, up to his elbows, looked like they had been dipped into pitch-black ink, and it constantly dripped down from his fingertips like an ebony rain.  A strange, heart-shaped mark covered a part of Riddle’s face, looking similar to the work of a spider that had woven its web with black silk.  And Riddle’s eyes…they were now a lightless, blood-red hue, his right iris glowing ominously in the gloom as he smiled viciously with black-painted lips.

…Trey felt his hands tremble slightly for a brief moment, before he tightened his grip on his magic pen.  Riddle was almost unrecognizable now, and it was like a kick to the gut to truly realize just how far his friend--Did he deserve to call Riddle his friend?--has gone now.  The redhead let out a deranged laugh as he caught sight of Trey and the others, a black scepter now in his right hand instead of a magic pen.

“Sø thïs īš whérę ÿōú çøwârdś hävê rün õff tò!?” Riddle cooed mockingly with a distorted voice.  As he drifted closer, the monstrosity behind the redhead followed with a hair-raising, watery groan.  Riddle’s expression then twisted with a dark scowl, blood-red eyes wild as he swiped his scepter through the air. “Ī hävę ńø nêëd för dîšóbėdīênt, føōłìšh śübjęčtś ïñ mÿ wørłd!  FÖR Î ÄM THĘ ŁÂW!  Í ÄM THÉ RŪŁÊŚ!  Ī ŚHÂŁL HĀVĘ ÁLŁ ØF ŸŌÛR HĖÀDŠ FÕR ŸØÛR TRĘÄŠÒŃÔÜŠ ĀÇTÏØÑŚ!”

“…‘Treasonous’ my ass.” Trey heard Ace mutter with irritation beside him, and it sounded like the gingerhead was trying to hide the slight tremor in his voice.

“You should go now, Headmaster Crowley.” Yuu then spoke up softly, sounding utterly calm despite what was in front of them, gaze still sharply focused on Riddle’s Overblot form.

“Please be on your guard!” The masked man brusquely said in return.

And with that, Headmaster Crowley rushed to the members of Heartslabyul that were still nearby, quickly ushering the petrified students away from the area.  Trey turned his full attention to Riddle who was still slowly approaching them, and the green-haired teen let out a shaky breath before he spoke up.

“Yuu, you said that you know how to deal with something like this, right?” Trey glanced at Yuu out of the corner of his eye but kept most of his attention on Riddle. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re just kicking his ass before he can use up his magic, right?” Grim huffed, crossing his arms as a puff of smoke escaped his mouth.  His pronged tail lashed about behind him, the only sign that he was nervous. “Simple!”

“While we are trying to stop him from using up all of his magic, Grim, we can’t be reckless and hurt him to the point its irreversible.” Yuu paused for a moment to send Trey an apologetic, grim smile that looked more like a grimace. “However, we do have to rough him up a little.  So…”

Yuu turned their attention forward once more before stretching a gloved hand out in front of themself, almost as if they were reaching for something.

“...Let’s make things a little more fair first.”

“‘Fair’?” Cater parroted, puzzled by Yuu’s words.

Trey blinked, confused as well, before he felt…an invisible pressure weighing down on him.  It wasn’t something very unbearable.  The pressure felt more like a heavy blanket, yet there was also something in the air that made Trey’s heart pound restlessly.  Yuu inhaled…and exhaled, their eyes falling shut slowly.

“...The jaws that bite...the claws that catch.” Yuu began to softly murmur.  The constant buzz in the air seemed to grow stronger now as the Ramshackle Dorm Leader continued to speak. “With eyes of flame, whiffling through the tulgey wood, burbling as it came.”

And then…the air seems to still for a moment, everything going silent.  Trey couldn’t hear a single blade of grass or a tiny leaf rustle, and it was almost as if everyone else held their breath at the same time.  In the next beat, Yuu’s eyes snapped open and they glowed brightly.  On Yuu’s shoulder, the white rabbit’s ears and nose twitched nervously, but he kept his gaze ahead, looking confident in the Ramshackle Prefect’s presence.

“...Spread thy wings, Sir Jabberwocky.” Yuu said, a firm command in their tone.

…

……With wide eyes, Trey took in the sight of...something emerging from behind Yuu, clawing its way out of their shadow; he fought hard not to take a step away from the Ramshackle Prefect.

Four gnarled, taloned hands stretched up towards the sky before slamming down into the ground beside it, and a set of leathery, bat-like wings soon followed.  When the wings unfurled abruptly, it caused a gust of wind to scatter ash and rose petals everywhere, forcing Trey to shut his eyes briefly.  He had to try and find his balance blind as the ground shook. 

In the next moment Trey opened his eyes, whatever that had been crawling its way out of Yuu’s shadow was now fully out in the open.  The green-haired teen was startled by large, piercing, red eyes and slitted pupils looking down at him, a mask of curling and uncurling tendrils surrounding the unsettling gaze.  The beast flared its nostrils, a bone-chilling hiss escaping past jagged teeth and protruding fangs.

It then tilted its head backwards, exposing a long neck covered in dark scales that glimmered with an iridescent hue when light reflected off of them.  The beast stood tall on its back haunches, wings spreading out fully behind its back like a mantle made of shadows, while its forelegs pressed against the ground, talons easily sinking into dirt, grass, ash, and rose petals.  Behind the beast, Trey caught sight of a long, crooked tail that curled slightly near the end, and it absently swept the floor with lazy motions

…Was this……also a familiar?  Trey swallowed when the beast lowered its gaze from the cloudy sky, glowing, red eyes freezing him in place once more.  It looked like…a dragon, towering over them all, yet it didn’t at the same time.  Dragons usually appeared as regal-looking creatures, but this beast on the other hand…it almost looked demonic.

What in the world had Yuu summoned?

“Holy…shit…” Cater whispered, sounding both awed and terrified.

“…Hmm?  You do not look like soldiers.” The beast surprisingly muttered with mild curiosity in its deep, gravelly voice, peering down at Trey and the others.  A sneer then appeared on its draconic face as it tilted its head slightly. “Has that rotten Kingdom created more little child warriors while I was asleep?”

…‘Soldiers’?  ‘Child warriors’?

“…Sir Jabberwocky, I’m sorry for waking you so suddenly, but I’ll fully explain the situation later.” Yuu finally said, sounding a bit out of breath as they moved their right arm up to rub the cuff of their uniform sleeve against the space just below their nose.

Trey grimaced when he caught a glimpse of red staining their sleeve before Yuu dropped their arm from his view.  After a brief pause, the shorter teen seemed to steady their breathing before they continued to speak.

“...For now, please help us subdue the blot monster--but be careful.  The host is someone we are trying to save.”

“Ah, you need not tell me twice, Your Little Highness.” The dragon-like being rumbled with mild amusement, shaking out its leathery wings nonchalantly, like a wild, untamed tiger waking up from a long, restful nap.

“ŸØÛ DÁRĘ ŠTÅÑD ÎŃ MŸ WĀŸ!?” Riddle roared across from them, snapping Trey out of his stunned state. The green-haired teen brought his full attention back to the redhead, lips pressed together in a grim line as he readied his magic pen.

“I can overwrite Riddle’s magic with mine, but it’ll only be temporary.  Still, I’ll be able to provide us some breathing room if things get dicey.” Trey then spoke up.

“I’d be very grateful for that.” Yuu responded, smiling guiltily when Trey looked at them. “I can’t quite repeat what I did earlier with Mr. Rabbit, sorry.”

Ah.  The time spell.  Trey nodded grimly with understanding when he glanced at the blood still staining the front of Yuu’s uniform.  Headmaster Crowley had been frantic at the fact that Yuu used such a powerful spell.  Trey bet that the nosebleed earlier was caused by Yuu pushing themself rather than getting hit by something.

“There’s no need to apologize.” Trey said firmly as he turned his gaze back forward once more. “You’ve done more than enough, and it’s about time I make myself useful.”

It was then that the Overblot monster behind Riddle suddenly let out a horrible screech, but in the next beat, the dragon-like being behind Trey and the others roared in return, as if accepting the challenge.  It was like a signal for them to prepare.  The gems on Trey, Cater, Ace, and Deuce’s pens and Grim’s ribbon-collar began to glow, and Yuu stood strong with their own magic surrounding them like a cloak.  This won’t be an easy fight, but Trey knew that none of them planned on giving up anytime soon.

Hold on, Riddle, Trey thought as he gathered his magic. We’re gonna get you back to your senses.